bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Academic Weblogs as Tools for E-Collaboration Among Researchers
Authors: Luzón María José
Published: May 2011

Although scientific research has always been a social activity, in recent years the adoption of Internet-based communication tools by researchers (e.g., e-mail, electronic discussion boards, electronic mailing lists, videoconferencing, weblogs) has led to profound changes in social interaction and collaboration among them. Research suggests that Internet technologies can improve and increase communication among noncollocated researchers, increase the size of work groups, increase equality of access to information by helping to integrate disadvantaged and less established researchers, help to coordinate work more efficiently, help to exchange documents and information quickly (Carley & Wendt, 1991; Nentwich, 2003). There is abundant research on new forms of group work originated from the use of computer technologies. Carley and Wendt (1991) use the term extended research group to refer to very large, cohesive, and highly cooperative research groups that, even being geographically dispersed, are coordinated under the supervision of a single director. The term collaboratory is also used to refer to similar groups (Finholt, 2002). Although there is much research on how Internet technologies are used by unified and cohesive work groups to collaborate (e.g., Moon & Sproull, 2002; Walsh & Maloney, 2002), less attention has been paid to how the Internet facilitates collaboration among researchers outside these highly cohesive groups. Weblogs (blogs) can become a useful tool for this type of collaboration and for the creation of virtual groups. Weblogs are frequently updated Web pages, consisting of many relatively short postings, organized in reverse chronological order, which tend to include the date, and a comment button so that readers can answer (Herring, Scheidt, Bonus, & Wright, 2004). They enable users to communicate with a worldwide nonrestricted community of people in similar fields, which leads to several forms of collaboration. The purpose of this article is to present a brief overview of the uses of weblogs as tools for research e-collaboration.
Evolving Information Ecologies
Authors: Nicolajsen Hanne Westh , Bansler Jorgen P.
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines how people in organizations appropriate new computer-based media, that is, how they adopt, recon?gure, and integrate advanced communication technologies such as groupware or desktop conferencing systems into their work practice. The chapter presents and analyzes ?ndings from an in-depth ?eld study of the adoption and use of a Web-based groupware application—a “virtual workspace”—in a large multinational ?rm. The analysis focuses, in particular, on the fact that people in modern organizations have plenty of media at their disposal and often combine old and new media to accomplish their work tasks. Furthermore, it highlights the crucial role of organizational communication genres in shaping how people adopt and use new media. The authors argue that understanding and facilitating the process of appropriation is the key to the successful introduction of new media in organizations.
Online Learning Conversations
Authors: van der Pol Jakko
Published: May 2011

This chapter aims to perform a thorough analysis of students’ online learning conversations. Although offering a high potential for collaborative learning, successful online learning conversations are not easy to realize. After discussing the specific challenges of conducting conversations in general, conversations- for-learning and learning conversations online, the author uses this investigation to discuss ways to effectively facilitate them. Van der Pol demonstrates, then, that the context-creating effect of anchored discussion can effectively address some of these difficulties by turning opinion-oriented exchange of ideas into a more meaning-oriented processing of material, while increasing communicative efficiency.
The Technology of Writing Assessment and Racial Validity
Authors: Inoue Asao B.
Published: May 2011

This chapter articulates writing assessment as a technology, theorized with three aspects (power, parts, and purpose), accounting for the ways in which assessment dialectically constructs and is constructed by its historical environment. Seeing writing assessment as a technology provides a full account of assessment as an environment of conflict and social (re)production, but most importantly, it accounts for racial formations existing around it and because of it. This articulation of writing assessment reveals problems with the concept of validity (and traditional validation research), particularly consequential validity. The chapter concludes by offering racial validity, which investigates how our writing assessments reproduce and are produced by the racial formations in and around our schools, classrooms, and writing assessments.
Assessing the Composition Program on Our Own Terms
Authors: Borton Sonya , Frost Alanna , Warrington Kate
Published: May 2011

As Jacqueline Jones Royster articulated at the 2006 Conference on College Composition and Communication, English departments are already assessing themselves and should resist suggestions by the Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education that a standardized method of assessing students and programs in higher education is needed. In the fall of 2006, the University of Louisville was due to be reviewed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The First-Year Composition program chose to conduct an internal assessment in the fall of 2004. This chapter details the Composition program assessment conducted at the University of Louisville and includes a comprehensive analysis of its rationale, theoretical foundations, methodologies, and results. This chapter also articulates the difficulties of such a large-scale assessment as well as the uniquely local challenges faced during the process.
A Case Study of Authentic Assessment
Authors: Eubanks David A.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes Coker College’s subjective performance assessment program to rate student thinking and communication skills. It uses a discussion of the epistemology of assessment to motivate an emphasis on direct observation by experts as the basis for “authentic” assessment for complex learning outcomes. Results from Coker College’s experience are given and discussed in the context of this approach. The purpose of this chapter is to give a philosophical framework and practical methods that can help institutions assess liberal arts learning outcomes. Such assessments can provide information crucial to improving programs and pedagogy and form the basis for institutional effectiveness reports to stakeholders.
The Role of Systems Engineering in the Development of Information Systems
Authors: Kljajic Miroljub , Farr John V.
Published: May 2011

In this article, the inter-relationship between information systems (IS), systems engineering (SE), and information system development (ISD) is discussed from past, present, and future perspectives. While SE is relatively a well-established discipline based upon an interdisciplinary approach to enable the realization of successful systems, ISD has evolved to a variant of SE applied mainly for the development of IS. Given the growth in complexity and cost and schedule over-runs associated with software centric systems, well-established methodologies are needed for the development of good IS. Similarities and differences of methodology as well as their evolution and perspectives are also presented herein. We found a positive trend in the evolution of research methodology in SE and its use in IS towards a system’s approach as a holistic methodology.
A Multi-Agent System for Optimal Supply Chain Management
Authors: Choi Hyung Rim , Kim Hyun Soo , Park Yong Sung , Park Byung Joo
Published: May 2011

Supply chain management recently has been developing into a dynamic environment that has to accept the changes in the formation of the supply chain. In other words, the supply chain is not static but varies dynamically according to the environmental changes. Therefore, under this dynamic supply chain environment, the priority is given not to the management of the existing supply chain but to the selection of new suppliers and outsourcing companies in order to organize an optimal supply chain. The objective of this research is to develop a multi-agent system that enables the effective formation and management of an optimal supply chain. The multi agent system for optimal supply chain management developed in this research is a multi agent system based on the scheduling algorithm, a cooperative scheduling methodology, which enables the formation of an optimal supply chain and its management. By means of active communications among internal agents, a multi-agent system for optimal supply chain management makes it possible to quickly respond to the production environment changes such as the machine failure or outage of outsourcing companies and the delivery delay of suppliers. This research has tried to suggest a new direction and new approach to the optimal supply chain management by means of a multi-agent system in dynamic supply chain environment.
A Methodology for Developing Integrated Supply Chain Management System
Authors: Lan Yi-Chen , Unhelkar Bhuvan
Published: May 2011

Integrated Supply Chain Management (ISCM) involves the linking of suppliers and customers with the internal business processes of an organization. ISCM solutions allow organizations to automate workflows concerning the execution and analysis of planning, sourcing, making, delivering, returns handling, and maintenance, to name but a few. Many of today’s ISCM systems use primarily Web technology as the supporting infrastructure. Undoubtedly, the electronic (Internet-based) ISCM systems deliver the enterprises with a competitive advantage by opening up opportunities to streamline processes, reduce costs, increase customer patronage, and enable thorough planning abilities. However, there has been significant customer backlash concerning the inability of software vendors to deliver easy integration and promised functionality. Although various researchers have suggested strategies to overcome some of the failures in operating ISCM systems, there appears to be a lacunae in terms of architectural investigations in the analysis stage. The methodology proposed in this chapter seeks to resolve these gaps and provides a fundamental framework for analyzing ISCM systems.
Intelligent Agents in Decision Support Systems
Authors: Phillips-Wren Gloria E
Published: May 2011

Internet-based, distributed systems have become essential in modern organizations. When combined with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as intelligent agents, such systems can become powerful aids to decision makers. These newer intelligent systems have extended the scope of traditional decision support systems (DSSs) to assist users with real-time decision making, multiple information flows, dynamic data, information overload, time-pressured decisions, inaccurate data, difficult-to-access data, distributed decision making, and highly uncertain decision environments. As a class, they are called intelligent decision support systems (IDSSs).
System Characteristics, Perceived Benefits, Individual Differences and Use Intentions
Authors: Kamhawi Emad M.
Published: May 2011

Limited research has considered the value derived from using enterprise resource panning (ERP) systems for decision making support. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of a set of individual differences, system characteristics, and perceived benefits of the system, on the intentions to use ERP systems for decision support. A field study was used to collect data from managers working in Bahraini enterprises that use ERP systems. The results indicate that individual differences concerning age, gender, level of education, and even computer self efficacy did not influence intentions of using the decision tools of ERP systems. The only individual difference that showed significant influence is the degree of knowledge of the system. In addition, both perceived shared benefits and system characteristics had significant influence on the intention to use the system for decision support tasks, through perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The paper discusses the implications of these findings and ends with possible extensions of the study.
Stability and Creativity as Contradicting Values in Information Management
Authors: Leino Timo
Published: May 2011

This case represents the situation at a North European business school in 1996 and the development process since then. At this school, the IT environment was quite heterogeneous and unstable, causing low user satisfaction. We describe the strategic actions taken and the successful consequences of those actions. Finally, we reflect on the lessons learned in our case for the current situation, where modern organizations are planning to implement Windows Vista and Office 2007, and the school in case is facing a new organizational challenge.
The Value of Information Systems to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: Winter Susan J. , Gaglio Connie Marie , Rajagopalan Hari K.
Published: May 2011

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face more serious challenges to their survival than do larger firms. To succeed, SMEs must establish and maintain credibility in the marketplace to attract the resources required for survival. Most co-opt legitimacy by mimicking the cues that signal credibility to convince potential stakeholders that something stands behind their promises. This research examines the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in legitimacy-building from the perspective of both SME founders and customers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in a variety of industries to determine whether the ICT-related legitimacy schema from the customers’ perspective differs substantially from that of firm founders. Results indicate that customers compare the ICT information provided in SME’s sales pitches to pre-existing ICT expectations about the nature of desirable sales transactions. We describe the relationship between violations of ICT expectations, legitimacy, and purchase decisions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Organizational Readiness Assessment for Knowledge Management
Authors: Mohammadi Kaveh , Khanlari Amir , Sohrabi Babak
Published: May 2011

Implementing knowledge management or knowledge-sharing projects in an organization require significant organizational prerequisites. Lacking proper infrastructures and prerequisite, not only make the knowledge management process unprofitable, but might incur harmful effects as well. To decrease such risks, it is proposed to introduce the readiness assessment, in order to gauge a company’s appetite for the work involved in implementing the knowledge management. In this research, critical success factors have been extracted from literature reviews and surveyed through a questionnaire, distributed among 130 knowledge management experts. Then, to validate the measurement of the multi-item constructs, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used. Identifying effective variables and their grouping onto related factors, the second questionnaire was employed for readiness assessment of an IT firm working in Iran and its results were presented with Radar diagrams. Finally, promoting propositions were provided based on the firm’s current state.
Ethnographic Discovery of Adverse Events in Patient Online Discussions
Authors: Rada Roy
Published: May 2011

A healthcare provider can extend its customer relationship management program by sponsoring an online, patient discussion group. In those groups, patients may discuss adverse events that are inadequately addressed in the literature. The author, as a cancer patient, joined two online, patient discussion groups and identified four types of such adverse events. For each such adverse event, the patient findings, the medical literature, and the implications are noted. Extracts from the literature that were provided to the patients were welcomed by the patients. A literature review of one of the adverse events has been published in a medical journal. Factors are presented for healthcare providers to consider in deciding whether or not to sponsor an online, patient discussion group.
Approaches and Concepts to Restructuring Human Resources Management Functions
Authors: Wald Peter M. , Lang Rainhart
Published: May 2011

Nowadays, most human resources (HR) managers are confronted with cost pressure, the demand for offering “high-quality-HR services” and the necessity for strategic contributions (Hewitt, 2004). Human resource management (HRM) with its current structures and tools is often unable to completely fulfill these requirements. Therefore, a strong need for reorganization of HR as a function is obvious. In the last few years, many efforts have been undertaken by HRM practitioners to re-structure HRM at the level of organizations as reflected in surveys or case studies from leading firms. Examples can be found in Som (2003) and Fairbain (2005). Moreover, the restructuring of the HR function has been the subject of a broad discussion among scientists and researchers in the field of management (Becker & Huselid, 1999; Caldwell, 2003, 2004; Truss, Gratton, Hope- Hailey, Stiles, & Zaleska, 2002). It is remarkable that this discussion has mainly focused on the strategic role of HRM (Lawler III, 2005), and consultants in the practical field have particularly given advice to improve the quality of HR services (Hewitt, 2004; Towers Perrin, 2005). A more complex view on the restructuring of HRM is rarely to be found.
A Strategic Framework for Managing Failure in JIT Supply Chains
Authors: Balakrishnan Jaydeep , Bowen Frances , Eckstein Astrid L.H.
Published: May 2011

Supply chains can be disrupted at both local and global levels. Just-In-Time (JIT) companies should be particularly interested in managing supply chain failure risk as they often have very little inventory to buffer themselves when their upstream supply chain fails. We develop previous research further and present a strategic framework to manage supply chain failure in JIT supply chains. We identify two dimensions along which the risks of failure can be categorized: location and unpredictability. We go on to identify strategies which companies can use either before (proactive) or after (reactive) the failure to manage supply chain failure. We support our framework with examples of actual responses to supply chain failures in JIT companies. It is also hoped that our strategic framework will be validated empirically in the future leading to specific guidance for managers.
Enterprise Resource Planning Under Open Source Software
Authors: Davis Ashley
Published: May 2011

Open source software is becoming more prevalent in businesses today, and while still a relatively immature offering, open source enterprise resource planning (OS-ERP) systems are becoming more common. However, whether or not an OS-ERP package is the right software for a given organization is a little researched question. Building on the current real options thinking about platform acquisitions, this chapter proposes the five most critical factors to consider when evaluating an OS-ERP package. To adequately do this, a great deal of detail about the current offerings in OSERP software is presented, followed by a review of the real options theory and thinking behind using these factors to evaluate OS-ERP options. The international implications of OS-ERP are presented in the “Future Trends” section.
Generic Architecture of Complex Event Processing Systems
Authors: Gal Avigdor , Hadar Ethan
Published: May 2011

In recent years, there has been a growing need for the use of active systems, systems that are required to respond automatically to events. Examples include applications such as Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) and Business Process Management (BPM). Complex event processing is emerging as a discipline in its own right, with roots in existing research disciplines such as Databases and Software Engineering. This chapter aims at introducing a generic architecture of complex event processing systems that promotes modularity and flexibility. We start with a brief introduction of the primitive elements of complex event processing systems, namely events and rules. We discuss a grid approach to complex event processing systems. We detail the layers of the proposed architecture, as well as the architecture main components within the context of the major data flow in an event management system, namely: event collection, event purification, event storage, event inferencing, and event situation management. We discuss each of these elements in detail. Our tool of choice is the CA Agile Architecture (C3A) reference description approach (Hadar & Silberman, 2008). Throughout the chapter, we illustrate our discussion with two case studies. The first is that of service availability management, providing safeguards to critical business processes. The second involves disaster management, managing early warning systems.
A Proposed Framework for Designing Sustainable Communities for Knowledge Management Systems
Authors: Goel Lakshmi , Mousavidin Elham
Published: May 2011

Despite considerable academic and practitioner interest in knowledge management, success of knowledge management systems is elusive. This chapter provides a framework which suggests that KM success can be achieved by designing sustainable communities of practice. Communities of practice have proven to have significant economic and practical implications on organizational practices. A growing body of literature in KM recognizes the importance of communities that foster collaborative learning in organizations and almost all KMS have a ‘network’ component that facilitates connecting people in communities of practice. Evidence has shown that communities have been a key element in KMS of many companies including Xerox PARC, British Petroleum Co., Shell Oil Company, Halliburton, IBM, Proctor and Gamble, and Hewlett Packard.
Enabling Cooperation in MANET-Based Peer-to-Peer Systems
Authors: Loukos Fotis , Karatza Helen
Published: May 2011

Mobile Peer-to-Peer networks are an emerging topic in networking. One of the major usages is the cooperation between peers. The aim of this chapter is to outline cooperation methods and architectures used in these networks. Furthermore, it provides the necessary background on Peer-to-Peer technologies and Mobile Ad Hoc networks together with a comparison that presents the similarities and differences of these two types of networks. Moreover, the major problems the authors face when implementing mobile Peer-to-Peer networks are presented and some proposed solutions are discussed. They then focus on the problem of cooperation in Mobile Peer-to-Peer networks. Furthermore, a number of examples from past research are illustrated and their experimental results are discussed and summarized. Finally, some of the future trends and remaining challenges to be addressed are presented.
Mobile Peer-to-Peer Collaborative Framework and Applications
Authors: Wang Alf Inge
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the Peer2Me mobile peer-to-peer framework, Peer2Me applications, and discusses the experiences from using the Peer2Me framework. Peer2Me supports mobile collaboration utilizing Bluetooth and Java ME. The framework runs on standard Java ME-enabled mobile phones, thus enabling rapid development of various kinds of collaborative peer-to-peer applications. In this chapter, the author describes some of the developed applications and his experiences from implementing these applications, which include: a file-sharing application, a chat application, a quiz game, a face-to-face meeting scheduler, a real-time game, an automatic business exchange application, and a find the right person application. All of these applications were analyzed for their potential usefulness, and investigated to discover the limitations of the framework, and the underlying technologies. Finally, the author summarizes his analysis to provide a complete picture of the potential and limitations of Bluetooth and Java ME for implementing mobile peer-to-peer applications.
A Methodology Supporting the Design and Evaluating the Final Quality of Data Warehouses
Authors: Maurizio Pighin , Lucio Ieronutti
Published: May 2011

The design and configuration of a data warehouse can be difficult tasks especially in the case of very large databases and in the presence of redundant information. In particular, the choice of which attributes have to be considered as dimensions and measures can be not trivial and it can heavily influence the effectiveness of the final system. In this article, we propose a methodology targeted at supporting the design and deriving information on the total quality of the final data warehouse. We tested our proposal on three real-world commercial ERP databases.
A Solution to the Cross-Selling Problem of PAKDD-2007
Authors: Mingjun Wei , Lei Chai , Renying Wei , Wang Huo
Published: May 2011

Our team has won the Grand Champion (Tie) of PAKDD-2007 data mining competition. The data mining task is to score credit card customers of a consumer finance company according to the likelihood that customers take up the home loans offered by the company. This report presents our solution for this business problem. TreeNet and logistic regression are the data mining algorithms used in this project. The final score is based on the cross-algorithm ensemble of two within-algorithm ensembles of TreeNet and logistic regression. Finally, some discussions from our solution are presented.
Using TreeNet to Cross-Sell Home Loans to Credit Card Holders
Authors: Dan Steinberg , Nicholas Scott Cardell , John Ries , Mykhaylo Golovnya
Published: May 2011

Today’s credit card issuers are increasingly offering a broad range of products and services with separate lines of business responsible for different product groups. Too often, the separate lines of business operate independently and information available to one line of business may not be used productively by others. In this study, we examine the potential of using information from customers of multiple products to identify customers most likely to respond to cross-sell product offers. Specifically, we examine the potential for offering home loans to a population of credit card holders by studying individuals who do hold both a credit card and a mortgage with the card issuer. Using real world data provided to the 2007 PAKDD data mining competition, we employ Friedman’s stochastic gradient boosting (MART™, TreeNet® ) for the rapid development of a high performance cross-sell predictive model.
Image Mining
Authors: Wei Sun , David Taniar , Torab Torabi
Published: May 2011

Advances in image acquisition and storage technology have led to tremendous growth in very large and detailed image databases. These images, once analysed, can reveal useful information to our uses. The focus for image mining in this article is clustering of shoe prints. This study leads to the work in forensic data mining. In this article, we cluster selected shoe prints using k-means and expectation maximisation (EM). We analyse and compare the results of these two algorithms.
Facilitating Reflective Teaching
Authors: Powell Ed
Published: May 2011

This account of a research project explores postgraduate in-service teachers’ understanding and facilitation of active learning in primary, secondary and higher education in the United Kingdom. Qualitative data were elicited from six teachers during 2003-2004 using video-stimulated reflective dialogues of classroom practices illustrative of active learning. Outcomes of 18 dialogues have been taped, transcribed and analysed. The dialogues have begun to reveal teachers’ thinking, feelings and actions as facilitators of active learning. Findings, which are presented as case studies, indicate that teachers associate active learning, among other things, with learner autonomy, empowerment, developing higher order thinking skills and cooperative group activities. Increasingly, teachers devolve the locus of control of learning to their learners with appropriate guidance, monitoring and interventions. Classroom practices reflect an emphasis on discourse between learners and with teachers, guided discovery learning and learning as an essentially social process. The evidence suggests that video-stimulated reflective dialogues are an effective method for revealing teachers’ tacit knowledge about their pedagogy. Video-stimulated reflective dialogues emerge as a highly effective professional development tool which can enhance teachers’ career progression as they acquire and apply sophisticated higher order thinking skills in relation to their pedagogies.
An Integrated Evaluation Approach for E-Learning Systems in Career and Technical Education
Authors: Huang Wenhao David , Aragon Steven R.
Published: May 2011

As E-learning is gaining popularity in higher education, its evaluation becomes more critical than ever, to ensure the achievement of intended learning outcome. The effectiveness of E-learning system evaluation under current practices, however, remains questionable. One reason for such uncertainty is the lack of direct measurement while learning occurs since most evaluation data is collected after the learning process. Thus this chapter proposes an integrated evaluation approach for E-learning systems based on Cognitive Load Theory and grounded in the 4C/ID-model. Both direct and indirect measurements will be deployed in the integrated approach in the context of cognitive load. Furthermore all evaluation data can be translated into practical E-learning design solutions by triangulating with the 4C/ID-model. This chapter also suggests that future evaluation framework on E-learning should include factors from attitudinal and social aspects of learning process.
Self-Assessment in Building Online Communities of Learning
Authors: Swanson Karen Weller , Kayler Mary
Published: May 2011

The incorporation of self-assessment techniques and opportunities within the online learning process can enhance student learning and support the development of self-directed learners. Formative assessment (evaluation of learning in process) enables students to take ownership of their learning and to also evaluate their learning in relationship to required course goals and objectives. Formative assessment use within online learning communities works to create strong communities of practice (student learning in relationship with peers); a constructivist orientation towards learning. Accountability for learning in conjunction with peers can support and advance student learning experiences, encourage active engagement, and provide authentic experiences that advance students’ understanding of their own developmental framework and the transformative nature of learning theories.
Methods and Methodology
Authors: Nikolou-Walker Elda
Published: May 2011

This study reviews the innovative programme developed in 2004 between the Work-Based Learning unit in the School of Education at Queen’s University, Belfast and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The scheme enables probationary officers to develop new skills by means of an Advanced Diploma in Work-Based Learning linked to the traditional training in operational policing. This new programme not only creates a new approach to police development, but also allows for the accreditation of the Work-Based Learning. The focus of the entire learning experience is within the real world context. Its objective is to enable students to reflect on their own work-related experience, to develop their understanding of appropriate work-based research approaches and methods and to identify and design a work-based project. The aim is to explore the evidence of the positive experience of trainees who have embarked on this new method of learning. Using interviews, observations, focus-groups and questionnaires, a review has been conducted on how the programme is attempting to contribute towards a positive change regarding the abilities of the new police officers.
Educational Technoethics Applied to Career Guidance
Authors: Sidhu Manjit Singh , Cortés Pascual Pilar Alejandra
Published: May 2011

Educational orientation should be set within a specific socio-historical context, which is nowadays characterized by the Society of Information. From this starting point, we think that the understanding of both an ethical analysis of technology as well as of the means of communication, which individuals will have to deal with in their professional development, must be considered as content linked to professional orientation. This idea becomes more definite in the concept of educational technoethics and it is studied from two parameters: the intrinsic values that technology and the means of communication include (the aim of technoethics) and their use as mediators of ethical values (means of technoethics). Therefore, the proposal that is currently being implemented in the project “Observation Laboratory on Technoethics for Adults” (LOTA) as well as its implications for professional orientation are concisely presented from both points of view. The present text is a review and update of a previously published article (Cortés, 2006).1
Making Sense of the Sourcing and Shoring Maze
Authors: Chakrabarty Subrata
Published: May 2011

Many terminologies have grown out of the outsourcing and offshoring bandwagon. While the corporate world continues to experience these phenomena, the academic world continues to research the same. An attempt has been made to give an overview of the various outsourcing and offshoring alternatives. We first discuss the basic sourcing strategies (insourcing and outsourcing) and the shoring strategies (onshoring and offshoring). We then move deep and wide into the maze and unravel the multiple alternatives that businesses exercise in order to get the best deal for their information system (IS) needs. Approximately 50 terminologies that are related to this growing maze have been discussed. The literature was scanned for various sourcing alternatives and terminologies. The purpose of this chapter is to compile and elucidate the various facets of domestic and global sourcing of IS needs. The reader will gain holistic perspective of a phenomenon that is continuously changing the way business is carried out globally.
Outsourcing and Strategic Outsourcing
Authors: Dahab Sonia , Amaral Filipe
Published: May 2011

The production of a good or service frequently requires that the supplier performs a wide range of activities. The coordination between those activities implies that the firm must determine its boundaries, which means that it must define the supply chain activities that will be performed internally, and those that will be trusted to external suppliers. The process of obtaining goods and services from outside suppliers, instead of developing them within the organization, is called outsourcing (Anderson & Naurus, 1991).
Strategic Approach to Globalization with Mobile Business
Authors: Askarzai Walied , Unhelkar Bhuvan
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the importance of strategic approach to the phenomenon of globalization with mobile business. Globalization is the exclusion of geographical boundaries when conducting business, considering that, in today’s business world the concept of the dynamic aspect of the globalization is inevitable. Advances in information and communications technologies have helped globalization to evolve rapidly, providing the opportunity for local businesses to operate internationally. A mobile business also can exploit the opportunity of globalization. This chapter also examines how a mobile business can approach globalization strategically. Further more this chapter explains that a semi-mobilized business can become fully mobilized in order to operate more efficiently and effectively.
Agile Outsourcing Projects
Authors: Roussev Boris , Akella Ram
Published: May 2011

Agile methods are lightweight, iterative software development frameworks used predominantly on small- and mid-sized software development projects. This article introduces a project structure and management practices creating Agile conditions for large software projects outsourced either offshore or onshore. Agility is achieved by slicing a large project into a number of small-sized projects working in Agile settings. Development is divided into R&D activities, located onsite, and production activities, located offsite. The proposed approach makes Agile applicable to the stressed conditions of outsourcing without compromising the quality or pace of the software development effort. Creating an Agile environment in an outsourcing project relies on maintaining a balance between the functions and sizes of onsite and offsite teams, on redefining the developers’ roles, and on reorganizing the information flow between the different development activities to compensate for the lack of customer onsite, team co-location, and tacit project knowledge.
Networked Knowledge Management Dimensions in Distributed Projects
Authors: Vaidyanathan Ganesh
Published: May 2011

Can knowledge capture and dissemination be managed efficiently? Is there a framework that addresses distributed knowledge management from creation to facilitation? The generation and dissipation of knowledge needs to be embedded in corporate processes. These processes need to have an underlying principle that eliminates the obstacles of collecting multiple knowledge perspectives within complex organizations. Furthermore, extrinsic motivators, social-psychological forces and organizational climate factors are believed to influence knowledge sharing. This paper discusses a framework that provides a synergized view to collect, share, and manage the distributed corporate knowledge using organizational knowledge models and technology knowledge models. Structural, cognitive, relational, and technological factors are derived from a synthesized literature review to formulate this framework. The role of peer-to-peer networks and grid computing on distributed knowledge management is also examined.
Global Integrated Supply Chain Implementation
Authors: Sheng Margaret
Published: May 2011

Supply chain functions must operate in an integrated manner in order to optimize performance. However, the dynamics of the organization and the market make this challenging. In particular, the procurement function is a crucial link between the sources of supply and the organization. With most organizations spending at least one-third of their overall budget to purchase goods and services, procurement holds significant business value. Emerging technologies, especially e-procurement, are promising to change the picture of traditional procurement processes. However, the implementation of e-procurement is facing significant reengineering and change management challenges. This study identifies four main challenges in e-procurement implementation: business process integration, technological issues, value creation, and change management. The major challenge among them is change management. Critically, leadership is one of the primary requirements to make the change successfully.
Environments for VE Integration
Authors: Cunha Maria Manuela
Published: May 2011

Most definitions of virtual enterprise (VE) incorporate the idea of extended and collaborative outsourcing to suppliers and subcontractors in order to achieve a competitive response to market demands (Webster, Sugden, & Tayles, 2004). As suggested by several authors (Browne & Zhang, 1999; Byrne, 1993; Camarinha- Matos & Afsarmanesh, 1999; Cunha, Putnik, & Ávila, 2000; Davidow & Malone, 1992; Preiss, Goldman, & Nagel, 1996), a VE consists of a network of independent enterprises (resources providers) with reconfiguration capability in useful time, permanently aligned with the market requirements, created to take profit from a specific market opportunity, and where each participant contributes with her best practices and core competencies to the success and competitiveness of the structure as a whole. Even during the operation phase of the VE, the configuration can change to assure business alignment with the market demands, traduced by the identification of reconfiguration opportunities and constant readjustment or reconfiguration of the VE network to meet unexpected situations or to keep permanent competitiveness and maximum performance (Cunha & Putnik, 2002, 2005a, 2005b)
Enterprise Architecture within the Service-Oriented Enterprise
Authors: Dowell Scott J.
Published: May 2011

In his best selling book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman proclaims “We are entering a phase where we are going to see the digitization, virtualization, and automation of almost everything … the real information revolution is about to begin” (Friedman, 2005). Certainly, the prevalence of high-speed connectivity has eliminated the barriers of doing business around the world. Lower cost and talented workforce in India and China are now easily if not transparently accessible and online. To thrive in the global economy, CEOs are using outsource, in-source, and offshore models to create strong partner-networks throughout the value chain. Technology leader Intel Corporation states in a recent whitepaper, “businesses are enjoying increased agility that allows them to rapidly respond to changing market needs and opportunities” (Intel Corporation, 2005). Enter a new paradigm called the “service-oriented enterprise” (SOE). In the SOE model, an organization views itself as a set of “business services” supported by adaptable, scalable, and reliable technology. Early-adopters of this model are benefiting through global collaboration, real-time business responsiveness, and productive mobile work forces. By grasping this paradigm shift, enterprise architects can guide organizations in building agility model and compete in the global economy.
Information Systems/Information Technology Outsourcing in Spain
Authors: Doldan Tie Felix , Luna Huertas Paula , Martinez Lopez Francisco Jose , Sanchez Carlos Pineiro
Published: May 2011

The practice of information systems/information technology (IS/IT) outsourcing is a major issue which has received much attention, as shown by the extensive literature on the topic. However, most works on outsourcing have focused on theoretical topics, and there are but a few empirical, quantitative studies. This chapter presents an empirical study of IS/IT outsourcing in Spain, which has been conducted along the lines of prior research carried out in different countries, and which focuses on the types, functions and targets of outsourcing contracts. We also attempt to examine the influence that this practice may have on the organizations’ management structure. A survey carried out on 530 Spanish firms has shown that 50% of Spanish large firms have outsourced part of their IS/IT, whereas outsourcing is practiced by 20% of medium-sized enterprises. Finally, it has been observed that the most frequently outsourced activities in Spain are hosting and Internet-related services.
Knowledge Transfer and Sharing in Globally Distributed Teams
Authors: Oshri Ilan , Kotlarsky Julia , van Fenema Paul C.
Published: May 2011

Recent years have witnessed the globalisation of many industries. Consequently, globally distributed and virtual teams have become increasingly common in many areas, for example, in new product development and information systems (IS) development. Achieving successful collaborations has become a key challenge for globally distributed organizations, and it is largely dependent on teams’ ability to transfer and share knowledge.
Media Evolution and the Advent of Web 2.0
Authors: Bright Laura F.
Published: May 2011

In today’s marketplace, new technology innovations and the changing media environment offer endless opportunities to consumers: seemingly infinite amounts of information via the internet, a plethora of broadcast stations and channels, and higher functionality and control through such technologies as online content aggregators and digital video recorders. These technological changes have redefined the media landscape and thus the role of advertising in new media consumption. As interactive media markets become increasingly segmented, it is vital for advertisers to examine effective techniques for communicating with consumers via such customized and controlled channels. This chapter will examine how media has evolved over the last several decades and the impact Web 2.0 technologies are making within the interactive advertising space.
Does Second Life Mark the Beginning of a New Era of Online Shopping?
Authors: Moon Jang Ho , Sung Yongjun , Choi S. Marina
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the authors explore the unique social dimension of shopping in virtual worlds, namely Second Life, by examining the role of avatar-based interactions in determining consumer shopping experience. To this end, an overview of Second Life, and other similar virtual worlds, is provided. This chapter then introduces the concept of social presence and offers a conceptual discussion of how avatar-based shopping in virtual environments is distinctive from shopping in other Web environments. Next, the authors present the preliminary findings of the ongoing research study investigating how consumers’ interactions with salespersons and peer consumers via avatars influence their shopping experience in Second Life. This chapter concludes with a future prospect of virtual worlds and directions for future research.
What a Difference a Download Makes
Authors: Smith Lauren Reichart , Smith Kenny D.
Published: May 2011

The Internet has captured the attention of the media, the government and much of the public. It has changed the way Americans receive information and communicate. With a number of political candidates creating MySpace profiles, YouTube videos and Second Life avatars it appears that the Internet and web 2.0 technologies have been leveraged for political advertising and campaigning. In the early literature the Internet and its role in politics had been purely speculative, with research only making vague guesses as to where the Internet would lead politicians in their political ambitions. The following chapter first outlines a historical perspective of political advertising, then examines contemporary forms and avenues of political advertising.
Developing Visual Tourism Recommender Systems
Authors: Ponnada Mohan , Jakkilinki Roopa , Sharda Nalin
Published: May 2011

Tourism recommender systems (TRS) have become popular in recent years; however, most lack visual means of presenting the recommendations. This paper presents ways of developing visual travel recommender systems (V-TRS). The two popular travel recommender systems being used today are the Trip- Matcher™ and Me-Print™. Tour recommendation using image-based planning using SCORM (TRIPS) is a system that aims to make the presentation more visual. It uses SCORM and CORDRA standards. Sharable content object reference model (SCORM) is a standard that collates content from various Web sites, and content object repository discovery and registration/resolution architecture (CORDRA) aims to locate and reference SCORM repositories throughout the Internet. The information collected is stored in the form of an XML file. This XML file can be visualised by either converting it into a Flash movie or into a synchronized multimedia integration language (SMIL) presentation. A case study demonstrating the operation of current travel recommender systems also is presented. Further research in this area should aim to improve user interaction and provide more control functions within a V-TRS to make tour-planning simple, fun and more interactive.