bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Alliance of Problem-Based Learning, Technology, and Leadership
Authors: Portimojärv Timo , Vuoskoski Pirjo
Published: May 2011

This chapter will illustrate a combination of problem-based learning (PBL), information and communication technologies (ICT), and leadership in the context of health care education. It is argued that they form a coherent alliance that meets the challenges of education and leadership in health care. The topic and the research questions have emerged from expanding criticism against traditional educational programmes, and our own experiences of the research and development work in the context of problem-based pedagogy and the use of information and communication technologies in Finnish higher education.
Knowledge Sharing Through Interactive Social Technologies
Authors: Jahnke Isa
Published: May 2011

How do the Internet and new interactive Web-based tools, for example, wikis and discussion boards, affect people and their behavior in organizations? This chapter will show the emergence of social structures in Internet-based systems over time. Based on results of an empirical investigation of an Internet-based knowledge-sharing system, the author demonstrates the change of roles, expectations, and activities in online communities. Finally, the author sketches some essential process criteria for introducing online communities, which are extended parts of organizations (e.g., companies and institutions), characterized by a large size and supplemented the formal company.
Sharing and Protecting Knowledge
Authors: Erickson G. Scott , Rothberg Helen N.
Published: May 2011

As knowledge management (KM) practice increasingly moves onto the Internet, the field is changing. The Internet offers new opportunities to use knowledge assets, defines new types of knowledge assets, and readily spreads knowledge beyond the borders of the organization to collaborators and others. This potential is tempered, however, by new threats to the security of proprietary knowledge. The Internet also makes knowledge assets more vulnerable to competitive intelligence efforts. Further, both the potential and the vulnerability of knowledge on the Internet will vary according to the nature of knowledge assets (tacitness, complexity, appropriability). Those looking to practice KM must, more than ever, understand their knowledge assets and how to best employ them.
Factors Affecting Online E-Payment Adoption
Authors: He Qile , Duan Yanqing , Fu Zetian , Li Daoliang
Published: May 2011

Online e-payment is playing an important role in the further development of e-commerce and e-business. Research so far has been conducted to analyze the acceptance of online e-payment from consumers’ point of view. No research has been carried out to examine the relationship between managers’ attitudes towards online e-payment and their influence on the company’s e-payment adoption. This research studies the adoption of online e-payment by business enterprises using Rogers’s relational model of perceived innovation attributes and the rate of adoption. An online questionnaire survey is developed to collect the data from a sample of Chinese companies. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to validate and refine the instrument. Logistic regression model is employed to test the hypotheses and gain insights into how managers’ perceived innovation attributes could affect company’s e-payment adoption. The findings suggest that only perceived compatibility has significant influence on online e-payment adoption of Chinese companies. It is suggested that Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) model could be used in the future study to gain a more comprehensive understanding of non-perceptive factors that may affect company’s adoption of online e-payment.
The Effect of Information Satisfaction and Relational Benefit on Consumer's Online Shopping Site Commitment
Authors: Park Chung-Hoon , Kim Young-Gul
Published: May 2011

The critical determinant of consumers’ commitment to online shopping sites is the information features on a given website because online shopping consumers cannot touch or smell the products as they usually do in traditional retail outlets. Customers have to base their judgments on the product information presented on the websites. To investigate the relationship between information features and consumers’ loyalty to a website, we have developed two constructs affecting consumer’s commitment to online shopping sites. The first construct indicates the consumer’s overall evaluation of the online site and the second is the relational benefit of psychological perception about an online site. Results of the online survey with 1,278 Korean customers of online bookstores and ticketing services indicate that information quality, user interface quality, and security perceptions affect information satisfaction and relational benefit. These, in turn, are significantly related to each consumer’s commitment to a site. Information satisfaction and relational benefit have a mediating role between online shopping sites’ information service quality and site commitment. The effect of information satisfaction and relational benefit appear differently with online bookstores and ticketing services.
Project Management Issues in IT Offshore Outsourcing
Authors: Schwaig Kathy S. , Gillam Steve , Leeds Elke
Published: May 2011

Global partnerships are forming to take advantage of the cost savings associated with offshoring as well as other strategic benefits. Not all information technology offshoring projects, however, are successful. Cost overruns, increased complexity and defective code cause organizations to rethink their offshoring strategy and their methods for managing these projects. In this paper, project management issues associated with offshore information technology outsourcing projects are identified and specific recommendations for addressing these issues are presented.
Distributed Knowledge Management in Organizations
Authors: Vaidyanathan Ganesh
Published: May 2011

A framework to capture and manage distributed knowledge can address distributed knowledge management from creation to facilitation. Knowledge generation and dissipation 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. Moreover, extrinsic motivators, social-psychological forces, and organizational climate factors are believed to influence knowledge sharing. This study discusses a framework that provides a synergized view to collect, share, and manage distributed corporate knowledge using organizational knowledge models and technology knowledge models. Structural, cognitive, relational, and technological factors derived from a synthesized literature review aid to formulate this framework. Using this framework, the role of peer-to-peer networks on distributed knowledge management in organizations is examined.
Behavioral Aspects in Strategic Transformation of Organizations
Authors: Mandal Purnendu
Published: May 2011

Since behavioral and cultural factors play a major role in organizational transformation, IT managers must understand both the business requirements and human behavioral aspects in implementing large scale IT systems. This chapter stresses on behavioral issues, particularly how human behavior impacts on transforming organizations through implementing large IT systems such as ERP systems. The current business environment is forcing IT managers to use more and more “collective thinking power,” generated by team activities, to make strategic decisions, or even to run day-to-day operations. Here we focus on broader issues managed through people’s cooperation and efforts.
The Next Generation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Metrics
Authors: Shea Timothy , Brown Ahern , White D. Steven , Curran Catharine , Griffin Michael
Published: May 2011

Adopting a focus on CRM has been an industry standard for nearly two decades. While evidence exists that a majority of the attempts to implement CRM systems fail, there is a surprising lack of understanding as to why. The authors contend that the limitations of mostly internally-focused, marketingbased, efficiency-oriented CRM metrics has hindered both the understanding of why CRM systems often fail as well as led to the perception of failed CRM implementations. Only through the development, application and use of CRM metrics can organizations hope to better understand CRM implementations or achieve their CRM goals. To make matters more difficult, the growing capabilities of CRM applications over the past few years has been raising the expectations and sophistication of customers. A new generation of CRM metrics is needed—a generation of relevant, enterprise-wide, and customer-centric metrics. This next generation of CRM metrics is discussed in detail.
Measuring of Web Performance as Perceived by End-Users
Authors: Borzemski Leszek
Published: May 2011

Users perceive good Internet performance as characterized by low latency, high throughput, and high availability. When browsing the Web, users are concerned with the performance of entire pages. Understanding and identifying the sources of the performance problems is a very important issue, especially for e-business. Therefore, there is the need to have a service for testing and measuring e-business Web site performance from the perspective of the end-users. We present our contribution in this area, that is, the Wing free service that has been developed for the purpose of Web transaction visualization. Our Web client that probes a target Web site is a real Web browser (MS IE), so the user can observe how a particular browser uses the network. Such known tools use their own Web browsing methods. Therefore, the solutions can be different from that used by real browsers and the results can be inadequate. Wing helps identify inefficient network usage by the browser and helps to tune Web pages to use the network efficiently. Therefore, Wing can be a good analysis tool for Web page and network application developers. Wing was used in an extensive study of WUTs Web access characteristics using statistical and data mining analysis methods. We also introduce the MWING system, which is based on our experiences from Wing project. MWING is a generic automated distributed multiagent-based measurement framework for running different measurement, testing and diagnosing tasks related to Internet; for example, in Internet topology discovering, Web benchmarking, or Grid services performance studies. One of possible agents can be Winglike agents downloading different Web pages in periodic experiments from many agent locations.
IT Development and the Separation of Banking and Commerce
Authors: Kubota Takashi
Published: May 2011

Unlike the UK, Germany, France and some major countries that permit entries from banking to commerce and vice versa (“two-way” regulation), the United States and Japan have maintained a policy of separating banking and commerce out of concern that the mixing of the two activities would result in the misallocation of credits, anti-competitive effects, exposure of deposit insurance and taxpayers to greater risks from commerce, and additional supervisory burdens on banking and antitrust regulators. However, this separation is now being reconsidered both in the US and Japan. With IT development, linking on-line banking and Internet commerce may increase profitability through operating synergies between the two firms, and reduce average costs and information costs. Future changes in the financial environment may produce other synergies and the degree of separation should be suitable for such business development. This paper introduces current laws and discussions in both countries and considers the future of the separation policy in Japan.
Laws and Regulations on Proprietary Trading System (PTS) in Japan
Authors: Tazawa Motoaki
Published: May 2011

In order to improve convenience for investors through competition among stock exchanges, operation of Proprietary Trading Systems (PTS) was authorized as a form of securities business under the Securities and Exchange Act. The Japanese PTS is equivalent to ATS (Alternative Trading System) ECNs (Electronic Communications Network) in the United States and MTF (Multilateral Trading Facilities) under MiFID in the EU. In 1998, ATS ECNs had already started in the United States and Japan’s PTS followed the US model. Telecommunication and information technologies and computer technologies made PTS possible, and PTS make the border between the market and brokers ambiguous. Traditional regulations on broker-dealers and stock exchanges will inevitably be reviewed and regulations on securities markets will have to be reformed.
Global Trends of Payment Systems and the Next-Generation RTGS Project in Japan
Authors: Nakajima Masaaki
Published: May 2011

This chapter investigates the evolutionary process of the payment system against the background of structural changes. At the early stage, most payment systems were Designated-Time Net Settlement (DTNS) systems. Then, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) systems were introduced, which had the merit of reducing settlement risks. This first trend was followed by the deployment of Hybrid systems and Integrated systems. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is proceeding with the Next-Generation RTGS (RTGS-XG) project. This project is regarded as a typical enhancement of payment systems following the global trend. The features and benefits of the RTGS-XG are closely analyzed.
Mistakes in Remittance to Account
Authors: Yanaga Masao
Published: May 2011

Some courts have recently ruled in Japan with regard to mistakes in remittance to account. While the Supreme Court held that the recipient has become a depositor of a savings deposit as much as the remitted amount of the receiving bank as a result of a remittance, and the recipient obtains a bank deposit in the amount equivalent to the transferred amount even where there was no legal relationship which could be used as a legal basis for the remittance between the person who requested the remittance and the recipient, it held that the person who made a demand for repayment of a bank deposit while knowing that there was a remittance to account made into its bank account by error and received the repayment shall be guilty of fraud. In addition, some lower courts held that it is fair and equitable to interpret that the receiving bank must directly refund to the originator with regard to the originator’s claim to refund as much as the amount of the erroneous remittance as unjustified enrichment. Thus, the position of Japanese courts is still in disarray in respect to the legal consequences of mistakes in remittance to account.
Bionics
Authors: Limberger Tobias
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we will focus on distributed approaches to answer the scalability challenges in ubiquitous computing (UC) with so-called bio-analog algorithms. Based on decentralization via use of autonomous components, these algorithms draw their examples from the realm of biology. Following a motivating introduction to bionics and socionics, we will give an overview of bio-analog algorithms structured as follows. First we will have a look at algorithms based on phenomena found on the organism level of biological systems. Next we will examine algorithms imitating procedures on the cell level, then turn to algorithms inspired by principles found on the molecular level. Finally we will extrapolate bio-analog approaches to data management.
Opportunistic Networks
Authors: Heinemann Andreas
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces opportunistic networks. Such networks support spontaneous interaction between mobile users carrying mobile devices with them. After having been presented with the motivation for this new type of network, the reader will learn the underlying concepts, including an opportunistic network definition. Next, this chapter discusses what makes opportunistic networks different to mobile peer-topeer networks and mobile ad hoc networks; two network types that are closely related. We present a number of applications with a focus on data dissemination. As a sequel to that, the chapter discusses human factors that are important for opportunistic networks, namely privacy preserving techniques and an incentive scheme. The chapter concludes with an overview of future research issues by naming a number of open and unsolved problems.
Smart Items in Real Time Enterprises
Authors: Nochta Zoltán
Published: May 2011

This chapter deals with the idea of how—as we call them—“smart items” can contribute to the overall vision of the real time enterprise by utilizing ubiquitous computing (UC) technologies. First, an overview of functionality is given that smart items can offer to improve enterprise business processes. The discussed capabilities making everyday objects or goods “smart” are grouped into categories called Information Storage, Information Collection, Communication, Information Processing and Performance of Actions. This is followed by an overview of ways in which enterprise businesses processes can profit from these capabilities. The consistent and reliable integration of smart items into traditional enterprise software systems requires the implementation of a middleware layer. An important goal of the middleware is to hide technology specifics of ubiquitous computing systems from the applications that rely on them. The approach described is service orientation which allows the consistent encapsulation and standardized usage of the required functionality in a given business process.
Intelligent User Interfaces for Ubiquitous Computing
Authors: Malaka Rainer
Published: May 2011

Designing user interfaces for ubiquitous computing applications is a challenging task. In this chapter we discuss how to build intelligent interfaces. The foundations are usability criteria that are valid for all computer products. There are a number of established methods for the design process that can help to meet these goals. In particular participatory and iterative so-called human centered approaches are important for interfaces in ubiquitous computing. The question on how to make interfaces more intelligent is not trivial and there are multiple approaches to enhance either the intelligence of the system or that of the user. Novel interface approaches follow the idea of embodied interaction and put particular emphasis on the situated use of a system and the mental models humans develop in their real-world environment.
Multimodal Software Engineering
Authors: Hartl Andreas
Published: May 2011

Ubiquitous computing with its multitude of devices certainly makes it necessary to supplant the desktop metaphor of graphical user interfaces by other kinds of user interfaces. Applications must adapt themselves to many modalities: they must support a wide variety of devices and interaction languages. Software engineering methods and tools also need to embrace this change so that developers can build usable adaptive applications more easily. This chapter will present three different software engineering approaches that address this challenge: extensions to Web-based approaches, abstract user interface definitions that add a level of abstraction to the user interface definition, and model-based approaches that extend model-based application development to integrate user interface issues as well.
Towards Adaptive Security for Ubiquitous Computing Systems
Authors: Lotz Volkmar , Compagna Luca , Wrona Konrad
Published: May 2011

The flexibility and dynamism of ubiquitous computing systems have a strong impact on the way their security can be achieved, reaching beyond traditional security paradigms like perimeter security and communication channel protection. Constant change of both the system and its environment demand adaptive security architectures, capable of reacting to events, evaluating threat exposure, and taking evolving protection needs into account. We introduce two examples of projects that contribute to meeting the challenges on adaptive security. The first focuses on an architecture that allows for adaptive security in mobile environments based on security services whose adaptation is guided by context information derived from sensor networks. The second addresses engineering aspects of secure ubiquitous computing systems through making security solutions accessible and deployable on demand and following emerging application-level requirements.
Electronic Mail Security
Authors: Mogollon Manuel
Published: May 2011

In previous chapters of this book, crypto systems, security mechanisms, and security services have been discussed and reviewed as separate crypto modules. In Chapters 10 to 14, how these crypto modules are used to provide network security will be discussed. Electronic mail enables users to exchange messages using computer communications facilities, but sending an e-mail message is like sending a postcard that anyone can read as it travels from post office to post office. When an e-mail message travels from one e-mail server to another, the e-mail is first stored in an e-mail server before it is sent to the next e-mail server. A way to protect e-mail is by using writer-to-reader security in which the message is encrypted at the sender station and deciphered at the receiver station. There are several ways to make e-mail secure. Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and Secure MIME (S/MIME) are presented in this chapter.
Web Services Security
Authors: Mogollon Manuel
Published: May 2011

A service is an application offered by an organization that can be accessed through a programmable interface. Web services allow computers running on different operating platforms to access and share each other’s databases by using open standards, such as extensible markup language (XML) and simple object access protocol (SOAP). In this chapter, the following Web services mechanisms are discussed: (1) XML encryption, XML signature, and XML key management specification (XKMS); (2) security assertion markup language (SAML); and (3) Web services security (WS-security).
Urbanization, Knowledge and Competitiveness in Developing Economies
Authors: Driouchi Ahmed
Published: May 2011

The production and use of knowledge are intended to be benefiting from the economies of scale provided by urban agglomerations that often refer to universities, research centers, and businesses. The linkage between cities and knowledge is consequently considered to be the major engine for the promotion of growth and development in every economy, starting with its urban segments. The analysis conducted in this chapter has shown the existence of possibilities for a better promotion of urban livelihoods through the acceleration of adoption rates in each knowledge economy component, with special emphasis on developing economies. Furthermore, the processes of production, diffusion, and use of knowledge for urban development have to be monitored by urban executives and all city stakeholders. These are continuously invited to help accelerate the processes of knowledge production, use, and diffusion as they are directly concerned with the welfare of current and future urban populations. This emphasizes the issue of the governance of urban knowledge. These overall recommendations are based on the relationships between urbanization, knowledge, and competitiveness measures. Other drivers that are also important and related to tacit knowledge and other human abilities are not directly considered in this study. Implementation, monitoring, and evaluation have appeared to be key elements to ensure immediate and long-term benefits to both cities and their regions.
(Re)thinking Urban Planning
Authors: Firmino Rodrigo J.
Published: May 2011

Planners and planning departments are increasingly losing their importance within contemporary public administration, as exaggerated reliance on technical and design practices continue to fragment the public treatment of space. Koolhaas and Mau (1995) argue that planners and, in fact, urbanism are outdated, and that both failed to keep pace with the rapid modernization of urban space. Many studies show that ‘proactive’ planning initiatives related to information and communication technologies tend to appeal to the ill-grounded utopianism of technological deterministic approaches. This chapter aims to explain what has been changing in the world of spatial and urban studies as a response to new patterns of communication supported by information and communication technologies, as well as to shed some light on the challenges posed to planning and governance. This will be done together with the observation of real case scenarios in medium and well-developed cities in Brazil.
The Disaster-Oriented Assessment of Urban Clusters for Locating Production Systems in China
Authors: Chen Zhen , Li Heng , Xu Qian , Sun Szu-Li
Published: May 2011

The choice of location is one of the most important decisions usually taken in the procedure of building any production system (Pavic & Babic, 1991). In order to solve the problem of location choice, Pavic and Babic indentified a group of location indicators, including basic location factors such as transportation costs, production costs, and duration of transport, and additional factors such as bottleneck time, building costs, infrastructure costs, labour costs, weather conditions, expansion possibility, and transportation possibilities. Based on these criteria, Pavic and Babic used the preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) method (Mattioli, 2005) to support decision making in location choice. However, there are two concerns about their study. The first concern is that whether those indicators are enough and appropriate in the location choice of production systems. In fact, they have lost some relevant important factors. For example, geographic and geological conditions; environmental pollution; climate change; industrial and technology policies; disaster containment; and emergency services are all necessary considerations before locating production systems. The second concern is that whether the PROMETHEE method is an appropriate approach to effectively and efficiently deal with problems in which structured hierarchies of indicators are used in modelling. In fact, researchers have begun to explore alternatives to overcome the weaknesses of the PROMETHEE method in multi-criteria decision making. For example, Macharis, Springael, De Brucker, and Verbeke (2004) discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the PROMETHEE method and recommended the integration of a number of useful features of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method (Saaty, 1980) into the PROMETHEE process; especially in regards to the design of the decision-making hierarchy (ordering of goals, sub-goals, dimensions, criteria, projects, etc.) and the determination of weights. Based on these two concerns, the authors think there are potentials in conducting operations research into the location choice problem by modelling the hierarchies or network of indicators.
Games of Strategy
Authors: Ryan Geraldine , Coffey Seamus
Published: May 2011

We think strategically whenever there are interactions between our decisions and other people’s decisions. In order to decide what we should do, we must first reason through how the other individuals are going to act or react. What are their aims? What options are open to them? In the light of our answers to these questions, we can decide what is the best way for us to act. Most business situations are interactive in the sense that the outcome of each decision emerges from the synthesis of firm owners, managers, employees, suppliers, and customers. Good decisions require that each decision-maker anticipate the decisions of the others. Game theory offers a systematic way of analysing strategic decision-making in interactive situations. It is a technique used to analyse situations where for two or more individuals the outcome of an action by one of them depends not only on their own action but also on the actions taken by the others (Binmore, 1992; Carmichael, 2005; McMillan, 1992). In these circumstances, the plans or strategies of one individual depend on their expectations about what the others are doing. Such interdependent situations can be compared to games of strategy. Games can be classified according to a variety of categories, including the timing of the play, the common or conflicting interests of the players, the number of times an interaction occurs, the amount of information available to the players, the type of rules, and the feasibility of coordinated action. Strategic moves manipulate the rules of the game to a player’s advantage. There are three types of strategic moves: commitments, threats, and promises. Only a credible strategic move will have the desired effect.
Identifying Resilient Actions in Decision Making During Emergencies
Authors: dos Reis Marcelo Índio , Borges Marcos R.S. , Gomes José Orlando
Published: May 2011

All emergency management phases demands knowledge that is embedded in procedures and also in the minds of people who handle them. Specifically in emergency response, a great amount of contextual information is generated which results from the development of the event, including the unplanned remedial actions carried out by the teams. Part of these remedial actions and decisions are made on the fly because they are not part of the formal procedures. After the event, the understanding and the analysis of these situations are important to refine the emergency plans. Many emergency investigations do this, but they usually concentrate on failures. Our approach is to concentrate on those actions that resulted in success. Telling stories is a natural way of transmitting tacit knowledge among individuals and groups. Stories are great vehicles for wrapping together elements of knowledge such as tacit knowledge, emotion, the core, and the context. They are a very powerful way to represent complex, multidimensional concepts. While a certain amount of knowledge can be reflected as information, stories hold the key to unlocking vital knowledge, which remains beyond the reach of codified information (Ruggles, 2004).
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).
Interfaces Usability for Monitoring Systems
Authors: Ribeiro R.A. , Nunes I.L.
Published: May 2011

The objective of this article is to discuss the usability and suitability of having graphical visualization tools for decision support in Space monitoring systems. Operators dealing with specific Space missions are burdened with continuous real-time telemetry data about components’ behavior and they have to take quick actions when some malfunction occurs. To have a decision support tool for monitoring what is happening is essential for ensuring the mission success. In this work, for discussing interface usability concerns for decision support, we use a real case study, called MODI-Monitoring and Diagnosis for Mars Driller project (MODI, 2006), which was financed by the European Space Agency (ESA). The MODI objectives were the development of a fuzzy alarm fault detection system as well as a fuzzy terrain-hardness detection system, for the drill device included in the ExoMars rover (ExoMars, 2007). Although a number of positive results have been achieved using different knowledge-based technologies for monitoring, diagnosis and control, for instance inference systems, expert systems, data mining, fuzzy logic, and so forth (Isermann, 1998; Ross, 2004), only recently attention on the usability and suitability of graphical visualization interfaces, acting as a decision support tool, is starting to be considered a relevant issue in software applications (Nunes, in press).
The Mythical Decision Maker
Authors: Csáki Csaba
Published: May 2011

During the history of decision support systems (DSSs)— in fact, during the history of theoretical investigations of human decision-making situations—the decision maker (DM) has been the centre of attention who considers options and makes a choice. However, the notion and definitions of this decision maker, as well as the various roles surrounding his or her activity, have changed depending on both time and scientific areas. Reading the DSS literature, one might encounter references to such players as decision makers, problem owners, stakeholders, facilitators, developers, users, project champions, and supporters, and the list goes on. Who are these players, what is their role, and where do these terms come from? This article presents a review in historical context of some key interpretations aimed at identifying the various roles that actors may assume in an organizational decision-making situation.
On Frameworks and Architectures for Intelligent Decision-Making Support Systems
Authors: Mora Manual , Cervantes Francisco , Forgionne Guisseppi , Gelman Ovsei
Published: May 2011

Making organizational decisions is a critical and central activity to successful operations of profit and nonprofit-based organizations (Huber, 1990; Simon, 1997). Organizational paradigm evolution from the paternalistic/political and accountability/bureaucratic organizational paradigms toward process-oriented and decisional views (Huber & McDaniel, 1986) has also fostered the organizational relevance of such processes. Some studies suggest that decision-making ineffectiveness is the main cause for top executive firings in large corporations (Rowe & Davis, 1996). Others state the need to find possible solutions/decisions to the new critical and complex world problems (such as pollution, poverty or corruption) (McCosh & Correa-Perez, 2006) and make better strategic business managerial decisions (Savolein & Liu, 1995). Consequently, how to do so becomes a relevant research stream for academicians and has strong practical implications for decision-makers.
Online Environmental Information Systems
Authors: Yigitcanlar Tan , Han Jung Hoon , Lee Sang Ho
Published: May 2011

In today’s information society, electronic tools, such as computer networks for the rapid transfer of data and composite databases for information storage and management, are critical in ensuring effective environmental management. In particular environmental policies and programs for federal, state, and local governments need a large volume of up-to-date information on the quality of water, air, and soil in order to conserve and protect natural resources and to carry out meteorology. In line with this, the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is crucial to preserve and improve the quality of life. In handling tasks in the field of environmental protection a range of environmental and technical information is often required for a complex and mutual decision making in a multidisciplinary team environment. In this regard e-government provides a foundation of the transformative ICT initiative which can lead to better environmental governance, better services, and increased public participation in environmental decision- making process.
Performance Measurement
Authors: Namorado Clímaco João Carlos , Soares de Mello João Carlos , Meza Lidia Angulo
Published: May 2011

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a non-parametric technique to measure the efficiency of productive units as they transform inputs into outputs. A productive unit has, in DEA terms, an all-encompassing definition. It may as well refer to a factory whose products were made from raw materials and labor or to a school that, from prior knowledge and lessons time, produces more knowledge. All these units are usually named decision making units (DMU). So, DEA is a technique enabling the calculation of a single performance measure to evaluate a system. Although some DEA techniques that cater for decision makers’ preferences or specialists’ opinions do exist, they do not allow for interactivity. Inversely, interactivity is one of the strongest points of many of the multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) approaches, among which those involved with multi-objective linear programming (MOLP) are found. It has been found for several years that those methods and DEA have several points in common. So, many works have taken advantage of those common points to gain insight from a point of view as the other is being used. The idea of using MOLP, in a DEA context, appears with the Pareto efficiency concept that both approaches share. However, owing to the limitations of computational tools, interactivity is not always fully exploited. In this article we shall show how one, the more promising model in our opinion that uses both DEA and MOLP (Li & Reeves, 1999), can be better exploited with the use of TRIMAP (Climaco & Antunes, 1987, 1989). This computational technique, owing in part to its graphic interface, will allow the MCDEA method potentialities to be better used. MOLP and DEA share several concepts. To avoid naming confusion, the word weights will be used for the weighing coefficients of the objective functions in the multi-objective problem. For the input and output coefficients the word multiplier shall be used. Still in this context, the word efficient shall be used only in a DEA context and, for the MOLP problems, the optimal Pareto solutions will be called non-dominated solutions.
Rational Decision Making, Dual Processes, and Framing
Authors: McElroy Todd
Published: May 2011

Decisions, decisions, decisions, we are constantly faced with them everyday. Should I get out of bed or sleep 10 more minutes? Should I hit the delete key or save as a new document? Should I take the dishes to the sink or wait and see if my spouse will do it? Inherent in most decisions is the tradeoff between some benefit and decrement we may face along with an element of risk. The course of action that we choose to take has always been of interest to scholars. Fitting the principles of decision-making into an a priori developed plan to choose which alternative is “best” is, by and large, what most consider to be rationality. Because the decisions that we make have so much influence in our life, their importance cannot and should not be underestimated. While we cannot always know which decision will eventually hold the greatest benefit, it is an aspect of human nature to gamble on the best option, but only when the gamble seems warranted. Determining what is the “rational” choice allows us to at least rest easy in the assumption that the decisions that we have made are the right ones. Interestingly, as time immortal has shown, making the right or “rational” decision does not always provide the most favorable outcome.
Team Learning Systems as a Collaborative Technology for Rapid Knowledge Creation
Authors: Fitzgerald Robert , Findlay John
Published: May 2011

This article reports on a new breed of tool that supports both higher-level thinking and, more importantly, human- to-human interaction in the form of team learning (Elliot, Findlay, Fitzgerald, & Forster, 2004; Findlay & Fitzgerald, 2006; Fitzgerald & Findlay, 2004). We argue that developing tools to support team learning is no longer merely desirable, but is now essential if humans are to productively engage with the increasing complexity and uncertainty that arises from accelerating technological and social change. The article begins by developing a case for the development of technological tools that support the collaborative creation of new knowledge. It then overviews the Zing team learning system (TLS) and reports on its development and use over the last 14 years. It concludes by identifying some of the emerging features of collaborative knowledge creation processes.
Understanding the Legacy of Herbert Simon to Decision Support Systems
Authors: Pomerol Jean-Charles , Adam Frédéric
Published: May 2011

Herbert Simon is unique in our discipline in terms of the far-reaching impact which his work has had on management and the understanding of managerial decision making, especially when his further work with James March is considered. Mintzberg himself, who considerably advanced our ideas on management practice, noted that he always considered Simon to be the most influential and important contemporary author in terms of organizational theory (1990, p. 94). Jared Cohon, president of Carnegie Mellon University, where Simon was a fixture for 52 years said “few if any scientists and scholars around the world have had as great an influence as had Simon across so many fields, economics, computer science, psychology, and artificial intelligence amongst them.” Indeed, Herbert Simon’s contribution to management and DSS is such that the science and practice of management and decision making has been durably changed under his influence. This article considers the new ideas brought by Simon in management theory and looks at his contribution to our understanding of managerial decision making and DSSs.
BISER
Authors: Christozov Dimitar
Published: May 2011

The Simon’s model of the decision-making process includes the phase of choosing among alternatives or options, designed for solving the given problem. Usually an option dominates in some of the properties and is less suitable according to others. Making a rational decision in choosing an option means to balance between different properties. There are two principle strategies in performing this task: • To evaluate every option on the whole set of properties, and • To apply a procedure to extract the best (the most suitable) one. Integration of information associated with the multiple properties of competitive options into a single measure is presented and discussed. Options could be goods to purchase, list of products for manufacturing, suppliers, services, technologies, and even candidates for a given position. The common in all such cases are: • The decision maker has to assign a value to every option in the competing group by comparing it against its alternatives—the other members of the same group. Further, we shall call this value integral quality indicator of the option. • Options in the group are described with a common list of properties or characteristics, which we will call further single quality indicators of the option. Different measures, designed to integrate the information provided by single indicators, are presented and discussed.
Blended Approach Environment Shift in Higher Education
Authors: Hussain Hanafizan
Published: May 2011

The use of educational technology at university and college campuses has grown and changed substantially in the last decades. The province of computer and other forms of technology are now being used for multiple functions in diverse educational settings. At many universities, the lecturer uses the software available to organize lecture notes and e-mail and electronic forums to communicate with their students. Inside the classroom, computer projection systems are replacing traditional overhead transparencies, making it possible to harness the interactive and visual capabilities of the computer for lecture and group activities. The problem faced by any university ‘is how to structure itself so that it’s central academic activity is facilitated, not undermined by technological development’ (Laurillard & Margetson, 1997). Even though universities appear to be more comfortable with traditional forms of teaching and learning, it appears that a shift toward a blended approach is taking place by universities that are trying several different forms of educational technologies to find the right fit. Students often do not want to lose the unique attributes of face-to-face teaching, but they do wish for the benefits of educational technology such as edutainment learning.
Children and Computers
Authors: Ferri Paolo
Published: May 2011

The basic assumption of our research is that in order for teachers and parents to promote an effective and critical use of new technologies in the early years (especially in preschools) they need to gain a deeper understanding of the way in which children spontaneously approach these technologies together with an improved awareness of adults’ representations and ideas (Ferri & Mantovani, 2006). Too often computers and digital technologies are introduced in early childhood contexts without adequate understanding of their cultural meanings, cognitive, and social potentials or constraints, which is particularly true in preschool settings as shown by Varisco (2002) and Albanense, Migliorini, and Pietrocola (2000).
Comparison of Technologies and Methodologies in the E-Learning EXPO Experience
Authors: Poletti Giorgio
Published: May 2011

Making an effective presentation of the scientific activity that took place in the context of the E-Learning Expo, through a significant analysis, is a welcome but complex task. The E-Learning EXPO is an experience that has occupied CARID (University Centre for Research, Teaching Innovation and Distance Learning) University of Ferrara, Italy for the last two years in the creation of an environment in which demand and supply, theory and practice of e-learning could successfully meet up (Frignani, Galliani, Giacomantonio, 2005; Poletti, 2006). The intention of CARID, as creator and scientific director of the event, was not merely to provide a showcase, but an event packed with conferences and debates aiming at taking stock of the state of the art, not only as regards methodological reflection on elearning, but also as regards the application of e-learning as a method to be used in a variety of public and private sectors, ranging from school and university to professional and corporate training, from enterprises to banks, from environment to education, from the health service to public administration, as far as e-government and e-democracy.
Cooperative Learning Strategies for Effective Teaching and Learning Science Courses in Large Classes
Authors: Ajayi I. A. , Ajayi O. B.
Published: May 2011

Cooperative learning involves students working in groups on problems or projects such that it fosters positive interdependence, individual accountability, leadership, decision making, communication, and conflict management skills (Johnson, Smith, & Smith, 1991). Felder and Brent (1983) indicate that cooperative learning also enhances short-term mastery, long-term retention, understanding of course material, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Recent literature suggests a number of cooperative learning strategies; however, many of these strategies may not be as effective or practical in large classes because of the larger number of students. Teaching a large class itself is challenging. Introducing cooperative learning strategies in large classes is even more challenging. Felder has described some innovative techniques including cooperative learning strategies for effectively teaching large classes. This article describes some other cooperative learning strategies that were used in large classes and provides results of student feedback on those strategies. The second section describes the results of a local survey on large class offerings in science education in some institutions in the western part of Nigeria. The third section describes cooperative learning strategies that were used inside or outside of a classroom. The results and conclusions are given in the fourth and fifth sections, respectively.