bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing and Motivating
Authors: Mc Auliffe Eilish , Manafa Ogenna , Bowie Cameron , Makoae Lucy , Maseko Fresier , Moleli Mamello , Hevey David
Published: May 2011

It is now more than a decade since the acknowledgement of the health human resources crisis that exists in many low-income countries. During that decade much attention has focused on addressing the “pull” factors (e.g. developing voluntary international recruitment guidelines and bilateral agreements between recruiting and source countries) and on scaling up the supply of health professionals. Drawing on research conducted in two sub-Saharan African countries, we argue that a critical element in the human resources crisis is the poor working environments in these countries that not only continue to act as a strong “push” factor, but also impact on the motivation and performance of those who remain in their home countries. Unless attention is focused on improving work environments, the human resources crisis will continue in a vicious cycle leading to further decline in the health systems of low-income countries.
3D3C Identity
Authors: Sivan Yesha
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the concept of “3D3C Identity” as a linchpin to harnessing the value of virtual worlds. It is assumed that virtual worlds as a new communication medium is destined to influence our lives as much as the Internet medium, and even more. To start, virtual worlds are defined as the integration of four factors: a 3D world, Community, Creation and Commerce (AKA 3D3C). 3D3C Identity is defined as the unifying concept encompassing terms like privacy, authentication, trust, rights, tracking, security, and other associated terms. Specific sample challenges related to 3D3C Identity are presented: Security of Audience, Anonymity, Virtual Goods, Scams, Adult Content, Enterprise Take, and Virtual Money. The conclusion section lists some of the critique on 3D3C Identity. It also covers the impact of 3D3C Identity (under the perspectives of future designers of virtual worlds, present implementers, and infrastructure developers. Lastly some tentative insights about the properties of a systematic framework for 3D3C Identity are presented.
The Proliferation, Pitfalls, and Power of Online Education
Authors: Blakey Leah
Published: May 2011

Accreditation, Assessment, Asynchronous Discussion, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Case Study, Classroom Instruction, Continuing Studies, Course Evaluation, Course Objectives, Curriculum Designers,Distance Education, Electronic Mail (Email), Faculty, Higher Education,instructional designers, Interactive Assignments, Internet Access, Learning Management System (LMS), learning styles, Online Classroom, Online Course,online education, Online Teaching,Pedagogy, Synchronous Tools, Virtual World
Second Language E-Learning and Professional Training with Second Life®
Authors: Edwards Patricia , Rico Mercedes , Dominguez Eva , Agudo J. Enrique
Published: May 2011

Web 2.0 technologies are described as new and emerging for all fields of knowledge, including academia. Innovativee-learning formats like on-demand video, file sharing, blogs, Wikis, podcasting and virtual worlds are gaining increasing popularity among educators and students due to their emphasis on flexible, collaborative and community-building features, a promising natural channel for the social constructivist learning theory. This chapter addresses the application of e-learning in university degree programs based on exploiting the practical, intensive and holistic aspects of Second Life® (SL™). Although the specific framework dealt with is English as a foreign language, it seems feasible to assume that the learning processes are equally transferable to other disciplines. In light of the aforementioned premises, the outlook of e-learning 2.0 approaches require action research and shared experiences in order to back up or challenge the claims andexpectations of the academic community concerned withbest practices in education.
Some Key Success Factors in Web-Based Corporate Training in Brazil
Authors: Joia Luiz A.
Published: May 2011

Brazilian companies are increasingly turning to Web-basedcorporate training by virtue of the fact that they need to train their employees within tight budget constraints in a country of continental dimensions. However, most of these companies do not know what the critical success factors in these endeavors are. Therefore, this article seeks to investigate some key success factors associated with such digital enterprises. In order to achieve this, the multiple case study method is used, whereby two cases, both conducted within the same Brazilian company, leading to opposite outcomes—a success and a failure—are analyzed in depth. The conclusions reached in this article were that goal orientation, source of motivation, and metacognitive support were the three critical dimensions in these twoWeb-based corporate training programs under analysis. Lastly, some managerial implications of these results are outlined.
Humanizing Learning-at-Distance
Authors: Barclay Kathleen
Published: May 2011

Online learning is taking part in one of the greatest instructional transformations since mass public education was introduced in America in the 1880s. Traditional classroom settings now contend with the implementation of asynchronous (online, self-directed) and, even more recently, synchronous (online, real-time) environments. These uses of technology challenge our historical instructional models, raising many questions about how to appropriately integrate such processes into business and educational instruction.
Redefining Web Users' Optimal Flow Experiences in Online Environments
Authors: Arora Anshu Saxena , Raisinghani Mahesh S.
Published: May 2011

The article highlights a research study on consumer navigation behavior through the Web users’ optimal Flowexperiences in the online environments. The research study establishes the empirical groundwork for measuring Webusers’ Flow experiences in the Web environment. The article proposes a comprehensive definition of Flow on the basis of Comprehensive Process (Flow) Model of Network Navigation, considering that the Flow concept is a multidimensional concept in the “multi-activity” medium of the Web. Flow has been defined as a multi-dimensional and context-specific concept. Furthermore, the research article proposes that there are 10 Flow constructs (also called “the antecedents of Flow”) along with the three states of Flow, namely, Perfect Flow, Imperfect-IntensiveFlow, and Imperfect Flow. Consumer Behavior on the Webis studied using the Flow concept for three categories ofFlow users, namely, Perfect and Imperfect-Intensive Flow(PIIF) users, Imperfect Flow (IF) users, and Non-Flow (NF) users. These users achieve Flow depending on 10 Flow-constructs and three Flow states. Empirical results suggest a direct relationship between the Flow states and the Flowuser categories and between expected Web user in the future (EXPUSE) and the Flow user categories. This research study provides a basis for future researchers to study consumer navigation behavior on the Web using theFlow concept for three categories of Flow users through 10Flow constructs and three Flow states. The research has significant implications for theory and practice.
The eLogBook Framework
Authors: Rekik Yassin , Gillet Denis , El Helou Sandy , Salzmann Christophe
Published: May 2011

Convinced by the important role of CoPs (communities of practice) and the innovative learning modality they offer,the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne is currently developing a framework to sustain interaction,collaboration, and learning in laboratory-oriented CoPs, namely the eLogBook. This paper describes the services provided by this framework, the 3A model on which it is based, and the main features it presents. The eLogBookpresents several innovative features that make it different from other classical collaboration workspaces. TheeLogBook offers a high level of flexibility and adaptability so that it can fit the requirements of various CoPs. It allowsCoPs’ members to define their own rules, protocols, andvocabularies. The eLogBook also focus on usability anduser acceptance thanks to its personalization andcontextualization mechanisms. Finally, the eLogBookprovides a community’s members with ubiquitous services thanks to its multiple views and its advanced awareness services.
Developing Information Communication Technologies for the Human Services
Authors: Martin Jennifer , McKay Elspeth
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces a design process for developing useful information communication technologies for the human services. Key to the success of the design process is an in-depth knowledge and understanding of user needs and requirements. The stages involved in the design process are presented in this chapter and include: user and task analysis, persona and scenario development and the establishment of measurable usability goals. A case study illustrates the application of this design process to develop a Web enabled electronic work requirement awareness program (e-WRAP) for people recovering from mental illness seeking employment. The challenge for social workers is to use these new technologies to improve service provision and enhance quality of life without compromising ethical standards of practice; particularly in relation to client confidentiality, privacy and self-determination.
Self-Service Systems
Authors: Gurau Calin
Published: May 2011

The evolution of information technology applications has changed the landscape of the service industry, offering the possibility of customer empowerment through self-service applications. Considering the main three streams of research already applied in the study of self-services, this chapter investigates customers’ perceptions about eight dimensions that characterise the quality of the self-service experience. On the other hand, the study attempts to analyse the influence of the self-service users’ profile (gender, Internet usage experience, and online self-service usage experience), and to provide specific insights about the needs and wants of various categories of customers.
The Measurement of Electronic Service Quality
Authors: Bressolles Grégory , Nantel Jacques
Published: May 2011

Several measurement scales have been designed by both practitioners and researchers to evaluate perceptions of electronic service Quality. This chapter tests three of the main academically developed scales: Sitequal (Yoo & Donthu, 2001), Webqual 4 (Barnes & Vidgen, 2003) and EtailQ (Wolfinbarger & Gilly, 2003) and compares them against the scale ensuing from our research: NetQual (Bressolles, 2006). Based on 204 evaluations of consumers that participated in a laboratory experiment involving two Canadian Websites in travel and online insurance, NetQual best fits the data and offers the highest explanatory power. Then the impact of nature of task and success or failure to complete the task on the evaluation process of electronic service quality and attitude toward the site is examined and discussed on over 700 respondents that navigated on six different Websites.
An IT-Architecture to Align E-Recruiting and Retention Processes
Authors: Eckhardt Andreas , Laumer Sven
Published: May 2011

As one of the top issues for CIOs nowadays the recruiting and retention of IT-professionals has received a lot of attention both in practice and research. While companies are in dire need of new strategies and integrated approaches in human resources, research has predominately observed the general attitude of IT-professionals to their work, their individual incentives and consequentially their turnover intention. We aim to relieve these needs in practice by introducing an approach containing an aligned ITarchitecture of e- recruiting and retention processes. For this purpose we use a design science approach to develop an IT-architecture of retention processes and their related subsystems and combine this architecture with the next-generation holistic e-recruiting system invented by In Lee in 2007. This architecture could increase knowledge transfer and thereby improve the adjustment and performance of both processes.
The Conundrum of Valuing a Company`s Intellectual Capital
Authors: Joia Luiz Antonio , da Silva Sanz Paulo Sérgio
Published: May 2011

Since the early 1990s, research has been conducted in an attempt to establish a viable and reliable manner of measuring the intangible assets, also referred to as the intellectual capital, of companies. Several models have been devised, most of them using indicators to evaluate the intangible assets of a given undertaking. In this chapter, exploratory field study methodology is used to analyse the behaviour of the “customer retention” indicator, which has been widely used to evaluate a company’s relationship capital. Two of the largest Brazilian e-retailing groups are analysed in order to obtain an in-depth insight into the behaviour of their frequent customers via their digital channel. Conclusions are presented, indicating that the role of frequent customers in e-retailing companies can sometimes be widely divergent from that presented in existing academic literature. Finally, recommendations are made in order to reach a clearer understanding of the conundrum of valuing a company’s intellectual capital via taken-for-granted indicators.
Foundations of Business Process Modeling
Authors: Mendling Jan
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides an overview of business process management and business process modeling. We approach business process management by giving a historical classification of seminal work, and define it by the help of the business process management life cycle. Business process models play an important role in this life cycle, in particular, if information systems are used for executing processes. We deduct a definition for business process modeling based on a discussion of modeling from a general information systems point of view. In the following, we detail business process modeling techniques, in particular, modeling languages and modeling procedures for business process modeling. Finally, we discuss some future trends with a focus on the business process execution language for Web services (BPEL), and conclude the chapter with a summary. The chapter aims to cover business process modeling in a comprehensive way such that academics and practitioners can use it as a reference for identifying more specialized works.
Business Integration Model in Services Sector SMEs
Authors: Pantelic Snežana
Published: May 2011

The objective of this chapter is to show the importance of integration business processes and information systems for service sector SMEs and to present an opportunity of synchronous and simultaneous development of both business process integration (BPI) and enterprise information system (EIS) utilizing the introduced Business Integration Model (BIM). BIM approach is based on modeling core business processes, which are supported by modern IS. Process centric and customer centric modern organization relies on enterprise management standards like ISO 9000 family. The task is to achieve the business goal of the process measured by defined Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and to improve the processes continually. The presented “Autotransport” case describes BIM design and implementation for the core process “Transport services management.” The critical factor of the success of implementation of Business Integration Model (BIM) is undoubtedly readiness of employees to accept a process approach in the execution of their tasks.
Supply Network Planning Models Using Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
Authors: Srinivasan Sundar , Grasman Scott E.
Published: May 2011

The advent of the Web as a major means of conducting business transactions and business-to-business communications, coupled with evolving Web-based supply chain management (SCM) technology, has resulted in a transition period from “linear” supply chain models to “networked” supply chain models. Various software industry studies indicate that over the next five to seven years, interenterprise business relationships, information structures, and processes will evolve dramatically. Enterprises will blend internal production and supply chain processes with those of their external trading partners. Currently, organizations are finding creative ways to mitigate supply chain costs while maintaining operational efficiency. New approaches, technologies, and methodologies are aiding with these cost-cutting measures to drastically reduce supply chain costs and increase customer satisfaction. This chapter discusses the background of supply chain planning and execution systems, their role in an organization, and how they are aiding in collaboration. The chapter concludes with a case study on how a supply chain management system could help an organization be more effective.
Data Warehousing for Association Mining
Authors: Li Yuefeng
Published: May 2011

With the phenomenal growth of electronic data and information, there are many demands for developments of efficient and effective systems (tools) to address the issue of performing data mining tasks on data warehouses or multidimensional databases. Association rules describe associations between itemsets (i.e., sets of data items) (or granules). Association mining (or called association rule mining) finds interesting or useful association rules in databases, which is the crucial technique for the development of data mining. Association mining can be used in many application areas, for example, the discovery of associations between customers’ locations and shopping behaviours in market basket analysis. Association mining includes two phases. The first phase is called pattern mining that is the discovery of frequent patterns. The second phase is called rule generation that is the discovery of the interesting and useful association rules in the discovered patterns. The first phase, however, often takes a long time to find all frequent patterns that also include much noise as well (Pei and Han, 2002). The second phase is also a time consuming activity (Han and Kamber, 2000) and can generate many redundant rules (Zaki, 2004) (Xu and Li, 2007). To reduce search spaces, user constraintbased techniques attempt to find knowledge that meet some sorts of constraints. There are two interesting concepts that have been used in user constraint-based techniques: meta-rules (Han and Kamber, 2000) and granule mining (Li et al., 2006). The aim of this chapter is to present the latest research results about data warehousing techniques that can be used for improving the performance of association mining. The chapter will introduce two important approaches based on user constraint-based techniques. The first approach requests users to inputs their meta-rules that describe their desires for certain data dimensions. It then creates data cubes based these meta-rules and then provides interesting association rules. The second approach firstly requests users to provide condition and decision attributes that used to describe the antecedent and consequence of rules, respectively. It then finds all possible data granules based condition attributes and decision attributes. It also creates a multi-tier structure to store the associations between granules, and association mappings to provide interesting rules.
An Integrated Data Mining and Simulation Solution
Authors: Alnoukari Mouhib , El Sheikh Asim , Alzoabi Zaidoun
Published: May 2011

Simulation and data mining can provide managers with decision support tools. However, the heart of data mining is knowledge discovery; as it enables skilled practitioners with the power to discover relevant objects and the relationships that exist between these objects, while simulation provides a vehicle to represent those objects and their relationships. In this chapter, the authors will propose an intelligent DSS framework based on data mining and simulation integration. The main output of this framework is the increase of knowledge. Two case studies will be presented, the first one on car market demand simulation. The simulation model was built using neural networks to get the first set of prediction results. Data mining methodology used named ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System). The second case study will demonstrate how applying data mining and simulation in assuring quality in higher education
Application of Semantic Web Technology in E-Business
Authors: Goudos Sotirios K. , Peristeras Vassilios , Tarabanis Konstantinos
Published: May 2011

In the E-Business and particular in the eGovernment domain special focus is often given to the demand side, i.e. the everyday practice and reality of citizen and business contacts with government and businesses. Information services available online from public administration are the first stage for e-government. This stage has drawn a great amount of effort from many countries worldwide in order to satisfy the demand for readily available information. The implementation of an information system that will serve this demand is not always an easy task. This is due to the inherent difficulties that exist in the public administration domain. There are many complicated services with numerous executional paths, depending on the type of process. In many cases divergent and conflicting legislation may exist for the same case, which complicates the search effort for the average citizen. As a result, it may be difficult for a citizen to find, based on the relevant legislation the correct information regarding the formal documents and the procedure that must be followed for a certain service.
Collaborative Business and Information Systems Design
Authors: Rittgen Peter
Published: May 2011

Collaborative business and information systems design touches a number of issues that lie within the realm of different research areas. It deals with design as such, and in particular with design in and for groups. It is also concerned with socio-technical systems and hence with human-computer interaction as well as IT-mediated human-human interaction. This introduces collaboration issues. The significant complexity of the business and information systems that are in the focus of the design endeavor calls for modeling as an instrument for managing this complexity. This article maps the terrain of collaborative business and information systems design by surveying the contributions that are made by related areas of research.
The Impact of E-Commerce Customer Relationship Management in Business-to-Consumer E-Commerce
Authors: Ratnasingam Pauline
Published: May 2011

The growth of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce has gained a lot of attention among SMEs. Most B2C firms are turning their attention on how to retain new customers and are left in a situation to compete with larger firms. This paper aims to examine the impact of E-Commerce Customer Relationship Management (ECCRM) in a small business firm that engages in B2C e-commerce. Drawing upon the theories of customer relationship management, e-commerce, trust and loyalty, we develop an integrated framework of ECCRM model to illustrate the impact of the hard and soft factors that reflect the level of transactional and relational components of communication thereby impacting the customers shopping time lifecycle experiences. We develop a number of hypotheses to facilitate testing of the framework via an exploratory case study. We then discuss the findings of the integrated framework leading to theoretical and practical implications of this study and directions for future research.
A Conceptual Framework for Business Process Modeling in Virtual Organizations
Authors: Folinas Dimitris , Pavlou Tania , Karakostas Bill , Manthou Vicky
Published: May 2011

Among different approaches in business processes modelling procedure are those in virtual and dynamic organizational environments. In this paper, a conceptual framework for modelling business processes in Virtual Organizations is suggested, by introducing Web Services technology. Web Services can be the business enabler for the new organizational form, which is particularly well suited to meet the demands arising from today’s turbulent changes in the firms’ environment. The proposed framework consists of several steps in a bottom-up approach, aiming to support the modelling and coordination of the complex and shared business processes in the examined environment.
Information Technology Projects System Development Life Cycles
Authors: Abu-Taieh Evon M. O. , El Sheikh Asim A. , Abu-Tayeh Jeihan M. , El-Mahied Maha T.
Published: May 2011

This chapter uses the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory and examines a business case, highlighting certain gaps in the theory. First, confusion can be present between the innovation construct (in this instance, replacing the enterprise systems) and the diffusion construct (that is, selling that innovation to upper management). Second, the business case has never been examined in diffusion research. Research about business cases generally focuses on techniques such as Discounted Cash Flows and Total Cost of Ownership. Third, although a good business case can lead to successful innovation, it should not influence upper management to be overly positive or too cautious. One extreme leads to over-commitment. The other extreme leads to under-commitment or upper management’s inability to commit. Both extremes have unexpected and undesirable consequences. This single-case study examined a business case. The data included in the triangulation are observations, in-depth interviews, and archival documents. The analysis of a business case document was done with the ATLAS.ti v5.0 software. It is hoped that understanding a “real world” business case will give the academics insights on the relationship between the innovation and its diffusion as well as teach the practitioners the caveats of a business case.
Customer Relationship Management and Knowledge Discovery in Database
Authors: Bang Jounghae , Dholakiam Nikhilesh , Hamel Lutz , Shin Seung-Kyoon
Published: May 2011

Customer relationships are increasingly central to business success (Kotler, 1997; Reichheld & Sasser, 1990). Acquiring new customers is five to seven times costlier than retaining existing customers (Kotler, 1997). Simply by reducing customer defections by 5%, a company can improve profits by 25% to 85% (Reichheld & Sasser, 1990). Relationship marketing—getting to know customers intimately by understanding their preferences—has emerged as a key business strategy for customer retention (Dyche, 2002). Internet and related technologies offer amazing possibilities for creating and sustaining ideal customer relationships (Goodhue, Wixom, & Watson, 2002; Ives, 1990; Moorman, Zaltman, & Deshpande, 1992). Internet is not only an important and convenient new channel for promotion, transactions, and business process coordination; it is also a source of customer data (Shaw, Subramaniam, Tan, & Welge, 2001). Huge customer data warehouses are being created using advanced database technologies (Fayyad, Piatetsky- Shapiro, & Smyth, 1996). Customer data warehouses by themselves offer no competitive advantages: insightful customer knowledge must be extracted from such data (Kim, Kim, & Lee, 2002). Valuable marketing insights about customer characteristics and their purchase patterns, however, are often hidden and untapped (Shaw et al., 2001). Data mining and knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) facilitate extraction of valuable knowledge from rapidly growing volumes of data (Mackinnon, 1999; Fayyad et al., 1996). This article provides a brief review of customer relationship issues. The article focuses on: (1) customer relationship management (CRM) technologies, (2) KDD techniques, and (3) Key CRM-KDD linkages in terms of relationship marketing. The article concludes with the observations about the state-of-the-art and future directions.
Conflict Resolution in Virtual Locations
Authors: Andrade Francisco , Novais Paulo , Carneiro Davide , Neves José
Published: May 2011

The growing use of telematic ways of communication and of the new developments of Artificial Intelligence, brought along new ways of doing business, now in an electronic format, and requiring a new legal approach. Thus, there is an obvious need for legal changes and adaptations, not only concerning a new approach of traditional legal institutes, but also concerning a need for new developments in procedural means. Transactions are now undertaken in fractions of seconds, through the telematic networks, requiring more efficient ways for solving conflicts; on the other hand, the fact that we must now consider commercial transactions totally undertaken within an electronic environment (“online transactions”) leads to an obligation of rethinking the ways of solving disputes, that will inevitably arise from electronic commerce. Chapter 3 discusses a whole new evolution towards a growing use not only alternative dispute resolution, but also, towards the so-called on-line dispute resolution.
Electrospinning
Authors: Allee Tyler , Handorf Andrew , Li Wan-Ju
Published: May 2011

In this chapter authors explain electrospinning technique and how to involve electrospinning technique in biomedical engineering. It is a materials processing technique that uses an electric field to draw a polymer solution into ultra-fine fibers.   Further, this chapter aims to provide important information to researchers who aim to use electrospinning in their research. The electrospinning technique was invented a few decades ago and has recently been modified for biomedical applications.
Current State and Solutions for Future Challenges in Early Warning Systems and Alerting Technologies
Authors: Meissen Ulrich , Voisard Agnès
Published: May 2011

The deployment of Early Warning Systems (EWS) and Alerting Technologies (AT) is one of the best measures for improved disaster prevention and mitigation. With the evolution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), we face new opportunities as well as new challenges for improving classical warning processes. This chapter concentrates on the main aspects of existing early warning systems and alerting technologies. Beginning with the definition and classifications in this field, we describe general approaches, representative systems, and interoperability aspects of EWS. Furthermore, we introduce a list of criteria for evaluating and comparing existing systems. It is worth noting that the deployment of an operational EWS is a complex challenge and remains a young field of research. This is due to many reasons, ranging from the political to the technical. The most critical issues regarding efficient alerting are described in this chapter, along with areas for future research.
Sensor and Computing Infrastructure for Environmental Risks
Authors: Sekkas Odysseas , Manatakis Dimitrios V. , Manolakos Elias S. , Hadjiefthymiades Stathes
Published: May 2011

The SCIER platform is an integrated system of networked sensors and distributed computing facilities, aiming to detect and monitor a hazard, predict its evolution and assist the authorities in crisis management for hazards occurring at Wildlife Urban Interface (WUI) areas. The goal of SCIER is to make the vulnerable WUI zone safer for the citizens and protect their lives and property from environmental risks. To achieve its objective, SCIER integrates technologies such as: (1) wireless sensor networks for the detection and monitoring of disastrous natural hazards, (2) advanced sensor data fusion and management for accurately monitoring the dynamics of multiple interrelated risks, (3) environmental risk models for simulating and predicting the evolution of hazardous phenomena using Grid-computing. In this chapter we present the key software components of the SCIER system architecture, namely the sensor data fusion component and the predictive modeling and simulation component.
Scrutinizing the Rule
Authors: Al-Fedaghi S.
Published: May 2011

Privacy policies, laws, and guidelines have been cultivated based on overly verbose specifications. This article claims that privacy regulations lend themselves to a firmer language based on a model of flow of personal identifiable information. The model specifies a limited number of situations and acts on personal identifiable information. As an application of the model, the model is applied to portions of the Privacy Rule of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Characteristics of Good Clinical Educators from Medical Students’ Perspectives
Authors: Sutkin Gary , Burley Hansel , Zhang Ke , Arora Neetu
Published: May 2011

Medical educators have a unique role in teaching students how to save lives and give comfort during illness. This article reports a qualitative inquiry into medical students perspectives on the key qualities which differentiate excellent and poor clinical teachers, using a Web-based questionnaire with a purposeful sample of third- and fourth-year medical students. Thirty-seven medical students responded with 465 characteristics and supportive anecdotes. All participants responses were analyzed through reviewing, coding, member checking, recoding and content analysis, which yielded 12 codes. Responses from 5 randomly chosen participants were recoded by two authors with an inter-rater reliability coefficient of 0.72, implying agreement. Finally, 3 larger categories emerged from the data: Content Competence, Teaching Mechanics, and Teaching Dynamics. We incorporate these codes into a diagrammatic model of a good clinical teacher, discuss the relationships and interactions between the codes and categories, and suggest further areas of research.
An Empirical Investigation into the Adoption of Open Source Software in Hospitals
Authors: Munoz-Cornejo Gilberto , Seaman Carolyn B. , Koru A. Günes
Published: May 2011

Open source software (OSS) has gained considerable attention recently in healthcare. Yet, how and why OSS is being adopted within hospitals in particular remains a poorly understood issue. This research attempts to further this understanding. A mixed-method research approach was used to explore the extent of OSS adoption in hospitals as well as the factors facilitating and inhibiting adoption. The findings suggest a very limited adoption of OSS in hospitals. Hospitals tend to adopt general-purpose instead of domain-specific OSS. We found that software vendors are the critical factor facilitating the adoption of OSS in hospitals. Conversely, lack of in-house development as well as a perceived lack of security, quality, and accountability of OSS products were factors inhibiting adoption. An empirical model is presented to illustrate the factors facilitating and inhibiting the adoption of OSS in hospitals.
Computer Simulations and Traditional Experimentation
Authors: Durán Juan Manuel
Published: May 2011

This work is meant to revisit Francesco Guala’s paper Models, simulations, and experiments. The main intention is to rise some reasonable doubts on the conception of ‘ontological account’ described in his work. Accordingly, I develop my arguments in three (plus one) steps: firstly, I show that his conception of ‘experiment’ is too narrow, suggesting a more accurate version instead. Secondly, I object to his notion of ‘simulation’ and, following Trenholme, I make a further distinction between ‘analogical’ and ‘digital’ simulations. This distinction will also be an enrichment of the concept of ‘experiment’. In addition, I suggest that his notion of ‘computer simulation’ is too narrow as well. All these arguments have the advantage of moving the ‘ontological account’ into a new ontological map, but not getting rid of it. Hence, as a third step I discuss cellular automata as a potential solution of this new problem. Finally, I object to his conception of ‘hybrid simulations’ as another way of misrepresenting computational activity.
Why AI and Robotics are Going Nowhere Fast
Authors: Diller Antoni
Published: May 2011

Considerable progress is being made in AI and Robotics to produce an android with human-like abilities. The work currently being done in mainstream laboratories cannot, unfortunately, succeed in making a machine that can interact meaningfully with people. This is because that work does not take seriously the fact that an intelligent agent receives most of the information he or she needs to be a productive member of society by accepting other people’s assertions. AI and Robotics are not alone in marginalising the study of testimony; this happens in science generally and also in philosophy. After explaining the main reason for this and surveying some of what has been done in AI and philosophy on understanding testimony, by people working outside the mainstream, I present a theory of testimony and investigate its implementability.
Project-Based Organisations
Authors: Chen Liang , Wiewiora Anna , Trigunarsyah Bambang
Published: May 2011

In sustainable development projects, as well as other types of projects, knowledge transfer is important for the organisations managing the project. Nevertheless, knowledge transfer among employees does not happen automatically and it has been found that the lack of social networks and the lack of trust among employees are the major barriers to effective knowledge transfer. Social network analysis has been recognised as a very important tool for improving knowledge transfer in the project environment. Transfer of knowledge is more effective where it depends heavily on social networks and informal dialogue. Based on the theory of social capital, social capital consists of two parts: conduits network and resource exchange network. This research studies the relationships among performance, the resource exchange network (such as the knowledge network) and the relationship network (such as strong ties network, energy network, and trust network) at the individual and project levels. The aim of this chapter is to present an approach to overcoming the lack of social networks and lack of trust to improve knowledge transfer within project-based organisations. This is to be done by identifying the optimum structure of relationship networks and knowledge networks within small and medium projects. The optimal structure of the relationship networks and knowledge networks is measured using two dimensions: intra-project and inter-project. This chapter also outlines an extensive literature review in the areas of social capital, knowledge management and project management, and presents the conceptual model of the research approach.  
Knowledge Exchange in Collaborative Networks of Enterprises
Authors: Moczala Aleksander
Published: May 2011

The problem of information exchange in the inter-enterprise cooperation process design is presented in the chapter. Development of an innovative character of an enterprise requires facilitating the initiation, creation, and extension of cooperative links among enterprises. Collaborative design process gathers enterprises which have to achieve a common objective related to a new product – innovation by information and knowledge sharing, with a high level of activities’ coordination. Development of methods and ways of data exchange in cooperation enables the creation of computer systems aiding production cooperation. System analysis of the cooperation process of enterprises, which is one of the most dynamically developing field of computer systems application in economic activity, and use of knowledge as the base of description and management described in this chapter are shown as the right approach to overcome different area specifics. Formal description of the cooperation process could be utilized also for innovation processes and links. Chapter could open new fields of application and research production engineering knowledge’s application in computer systems.
Validation of Clustering Techniques for Student Grouping in Intelligent E-learning Systems
Authors: Zakrzewska Danuta
Published: May 2011

An intelligent e-learning system should be enhanced with personalization features that enable it to be tailored to different students’ needs. The individual requirements of learners may depend on their characteristic traits, such as dominant learning styles. Finding groups of students with similar preferences can help when systems are being adjusted for individual requirements. The performance of personalized educational systems is dependant upon the number and quality of student clusters obtained. In this chapter the application of clustering techniques for grouping students according to their learning style preferences is considered. Such groups are evaluated by disparate validation criteria and the usage of different validation techniques is discussed. Experiments were conducted for different sets of real and artificially generated data on students’ learning styles and the indices: Dunn’s Index, Davies-Bouldin Index, SD Validity Index as well as the S_Dbw Validity Index are compared. From the experiment results some indications concerning the best validating criteria, as well as optimal clustering schema, are presented.
A Chunkless Peer-to-Peer Transport Protocol for Multimedia Streaming
Authors: Cesco Roberto , Bernardini Riccardo , Rinaldo Roberto
Published: May 2011

Video transmission over IP is currently a hot topic both in entertainment and research communities. A problem that threatens the development of video over IP services is the bandwidth required to serve a potentially very large number of users. In this context, Peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies are considered a possible solution for the distribution of video content to many users. This chapter describes a novel P2P transport protocol suited for live multimedia streaming. The described protocol has low start-up time, it is robust with respect to data losses (due to congestion or node departure) and it can help counteracting the malicious injection of “bogus packets” in the media stream. The proposed protocol can be used with any type of data and, from the application point of view, it appears as a protocol similar to TCP or UDP, making the reuse of existing software and protocols easier.
Low Latency Audio Streaming for Internet-Based Musical Interaction
Authors: Carôt Alexander
Published: May 2011

With the current Internet bandwidth capacities and machine processing performance the personal computer has become an affordable and flexible multimedia platform for high quality audio and video content. Besides the delivery of services such as TV, telephone and radio, the Internet can also be used for the instantaneous bidirectional exchange of musical information. Due to the variety and complexity of already existing remote music and communication approaches, an elaboration on this topic is mandatory, which covers any relevant musical, technical or interdisciplinary aspect of remote musical interaction. Therefore, this chapter gives an overview of currently applied technologies and possibilities with their theoretical background.
E-Government and ERP
Authors: Kumta Gita A.
Published: May 2011

The chapter introduces the essence of ERP in government as a tool for integration of government functions which provides the basis for citizen services. It discusses the challenges faced in modernization of government “businesses” and discusses strategies for implementation. The basis of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions is integration of functions which capture basic data through transactions to support critical administrative functions such as budgeting and financial management, revenue management, supply chain management and human resources management. Today, Enterprise solutions (ES) go beyond ERP to automate citizen-facing processes. The integration of data sources with each contact point is essential to ensure a consistent level of service. The author expects that researchers, governments and solution providers will be able to appreciate the underlying constraints and issues in implementation of ERP and hopes that the learning from industry would be useful to plan implementation of ES in government using emerging technologies.
From ERP to Enterprise Service-Oriented Architecture
Authors: Nicolescu Valentin , Wittges Holger , Krcmar Helmut
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides an overview of past and present development in technical platforms of ERP systems and its use in enterprises. Taking into consideration the two layers of application and technology, we present the classical scenario of an ERP system as a monolithic application block. As the demands of modern enterprise software cannot be met by this concept, the shift to a more flexible architecture like the service-oriented architecture (SOA) is the current status quo of modern companies. Keeping in mind the administrative complexity of such structures, we will discuss the new idea of business Webs. The purpose of our chapter is, on the one hand, to show the historical development of ERP system landscapes and, on the other hand, to show the comparison of the presented concepts with respect to application and technology view.
Semantically Modeled Databases in Integrated Enterprise Information Systems
Authors: Dunn Cheryl L. , Gerard Gregory J. , Grabski Severin V.
Published: May 2011

Semantically modeled databases require their component objects to correspond closely to real world phenomena and preclude the use of artifacts as system primitives (Dunn and McCarthy, 1997). Enterprise information systems (also known as enterprise resource planning systems) based on semantically modeled databases allow for full integration of all system components and facilitate the flexible use of information by decision-makers. Researchers have advocated semantically designed information systems because they provide benefits to individual decision-makers (Dunn and Grabski, 1998, 2000), they facilitate organizational productivity and inter-organizational communication (Cherrington et al., 1996; David, 1995; Geerts and McCarthy, 2002), and they allow the database to evolve as the enterprise does through time (Abrial, 1974).
Information Supply Chains
Authors: Arora Hina , Raghu T.S. , Vinze Ajay
Published: May 2011

Information supply chains (ISCs) take an information-centric view of supply chains, where information is not only used to support supply chain operations, but also to create value for customers and enable business partners to collectively sense and respond to opportunities in a networked ecosystem. Creating value in the ISC involves gathering, organizing, selecting, synthesizing, and distributing information. In so doing, ISCs should provide secure, confidential, reliable, and real time access to heterogeneous information, while ensuring that the right information is delivered to the intended recipients at the right time. In other words, security, information quality, and information lead-time delays are critical performance determinants in ISCs. Recent disaster events such as Hurricane Katrina have highlighted the need for and value of ISCs by exposing the vulnerability of supply chains to demand surges and supply disruptions. Mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities requires a mechanism that allows for continuously sensing the environment, detecting existing or anticipated vulnerabilities, and responding to these vulnerabilities in real time through information sharing and collaboration. This chapter describes how the autonomic computing paradigm can be used to build resilient information supply chains by restructuring the associated relationships, chains, and networks.
Enterprise Systems as an Enabler of Fast-Paced Change
Authors: Lorenzo Oswaldo , Díaz Angel
Published: May 2011

This chapter studies the deployment of the SAP B2B (business-to-business) procurement application in Ericsson between 1999 and 2003, and argues that it enabled complex organizational change in a threephase process: the implementation of said application in Spain; the evolution of the application into a regional B2B procurement platform; and its final transformation into a global, pan-European B2B procurement unit. As described in the chapter, the enterprise system allowed the company to flexibly support the majority of changes that took place during a period of explosive growth of mobile phone sales followed by an unexpected market downturn. In light of the above, this investigation studies how and why enterprise systems are able to support fast-paced changes on a global scale. In other words, this chapter presents enterprise systems as flexible and responsive infrastructures that enable organizational change.