bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Playing as Producing
Authors: Lin Ying-Chia H.
Published: May 2011

The main goal of this chapter is to explore the dynamics and interactions between foreign producers, media technologies, and local consumers in the process of globalization through a discussion of the localization of digital games. As digital games have become global entertainment products, the game industry has encountered various lingual and cultural challenges in the process. The content of digital games can be changed more easily and many game players are able to create objects or modify the game world to express their programming abilities or identities. The game industry takes advantage of digital technologies and player modding practices to overcome language and cultural barriers. Modding and other localization practices, such as translation and local packaging, imply the convergence of the global and the local cultures (i.e. glocalization) as well as the producers and consumers (i.e. prosumers).
TV Box on the Internet
Authors: Fung Anthony , Li Luzhou
Published: May 2011

With the advancement of media technologies, traditional media and new media converge at a pace faster than ever globally. In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), nonetheless, while infrastructure is mature and audience is abundant, media convergence is not at all ready to take off. In theoretical term, the zigzag path of the convergence between television industry and the Internet in China origins from the clash between the state and the market. The chapter presents a special case in which political forces become a potential shaping force for media convergence and in the authoritarian environment of China, politics still reigns over technologies and the market. From a political economy perspective, the dominance of politics can be explained in terms of the process of regulatory spatialization.
Corporate Strategies in Media Convergence
Authors: Jin Dal Yong
Published: May 2011

This study is a historical documentation of the recent trends of Sony’s and Samsung’s engagement in the cultural industries mainly by examining convergence between their own hardware and software to ascertain whether this trend is confirmation that Sony and Samsung play pivotal roles in the cultural market. This chapter investigates the cause of the changes and growth of Sony and Samsung, and it discusses the similarities and differences between them, with a focus on corporate policies and business strategies in convergence. In particular, it articulates the ways in which changing corporate policies have played a critical role in the growth of local-based transnational cultural corporations, because what makes them different from other firms is their approach to corporate policies of convergence.
Process Innovation with Ambient Intelligence (AmI) Technologies in Manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Hayes Kathryn J. , Chapman Ross
Published: May 2011

This chapter considers the potential for absorptive capacity limitations to prevent SME manufacturers benefiting from the implementation of Ambient Intelligence (AmI) technologies. The chapter also examines the role of intermediary organisations in alleviating these absorptive capacity constraints. In order to understand the context of the research, a review of the role of SMEs in the Australian manufacturing industry, plus the impacts of government innovation policy and absorptive capacity constraints in SMEs in Australia is provided. Advances in the development of ICT industry standards, and the proliferation of software and support for the Windows/Intel platform have brought technology to SMEs without the need for bespoke development. The results from the joint European and Australian AmI-4-SME projects suggest that SMEs can successfully use “external research sub-units” in the form of industry networks, research organisations and technology providers to offset internal absorptive capacity limitations.
The impact of MIMO Communication on Non-Frequency Selective Channels Performance
Authors: Ahrens Andreas , Benavente-Peces César
Published: May 2011

This chapter reviews the basic concepts of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems and analyses their performance within non-frequency selective channels. The MIMO system model is established and by applying the singular value decomposition (SVD) to the channel matrix, the whole MIMO system can be transformed into multiple single-input single-output (SISO) channels having unequal gains. In order to analyze the system performance, the quality criteria needed to calculate the error probability of M-ary QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) are briefly reviewed and used as reference to measure the improvements when applying different signal processing techniques. Bit and power allocation is a well-known technique that allows improvement in the bit-error rate (BER) by managing appropriately the different properties of the multiple SISO channels. It can be used to balance the BER’s in the multiple SISO channels when minimizing the overall BER. In order to compare the various results, the efficiency of fixed transmission modes is studied in this work regardless of the channel quality. It is demonstrated that only an appropriate number of MIMO layers should be activated when minimizing the overall BER under the constraints of a given fixed date rate.
Adaptive Multicarrier Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Combined with Channel Coding
Authors: Yahya Abid , Sidek Othman , Ghani Farid , Ahmad R. Badlishah , Salleh M. F. M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an adaptive Multicarrier Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (MCFH-SS) system employing proposed Quasi Cyclic Low Density Parity Check (QC-LDPC) codes instead of the conventional LDPC codes. A new technique for constructing the QC-LDPC codes based on row division method is proposed. The new codes offer more flexibility in terms of girth, code rates and codeword length. Moreover, a new scheme for channel prediction in MCFH-SS system is also proposed. The technique adaptively estimates the channel conditions and eliminates the need for the system to transmit a request message prior to transmitting the packet data. The proposed adaptive MCFH-SS system uses PN sequences to spread out frequency spectrum, reduce the power spectral density and minimize the jammer effects.
Event Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Anwar Sohail , Zhang Chongming
Published: May 2011

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have experienced an amazing evolution during the last decade. Compared with other wired or wireless networks, wireless sensor networks extend the range of data collection and make it possible for us to get information from every corner of the world. The chapter begins with an introduction to WSNs and their applications. The chapter recognizes event detection as a key component for WSN applications. The chapter provides a structured and comprehensive overview of various techniques used for event detection in WSNs. Existing event detection techniques have been grouped into threshold based and pattern based mechanisms. For each category of event detection mechanism, the chapter surveys some representative technical schemes. The chapter also provides some analyses on the relative strengths and weaknesses of these technical schemes. Towards the end, the trends in the research regarding the event detection in WSNs are described.
Mobile Agents
Authors: Poggi Agostino , Tomaiuolo Michele
Published: May 2011

Current technological advances and the increasing diffusion of its use for scientific, financial and social activities, make Internet the de facto platform for providing worldwide distributed data storage, distributed computing and communication. It creates new opportunities for the development of new kinds of applications, but it will also create several challenges in managing the information distributed on the Internet and in guaranteeing its “on-time” access through the network infrastructures that realize the Internet. Many researchers believed and still believe that the mobile agents could propose several attractive solutions to deal with such challenges and problems. This chapter presents the core concepts of mobile agents, and attempts to provide a clear idea of the possibility of their use by introducing the problems they cope with, the application areas where they provide advantages with respect to other technologies and the available mobile agent technologies.
Monitoring the Learning Process through the use of Mobile Devices
Authors: Rodríguez-Díaz Francisco , Zea Natalia Padilla , Cabrera Marcelino
Published: May 2011

Many studies defend the use of New Technologies in classrooms. It has been substantially proven that computer operation can be learnt at an early age, and that the use of new technologies can improve a child’s learning process. However, the main problem for the teacher continues to be that he/she cannot pay attention to all children at the same time. Sometimes it is necessary to decide which child must be first attended to. It is in this context that we believe our system has the ability to greatly help teachers: we have developed a learning process control system that allows teachers to determine which students have problems, how many times a child has failed, which activities they are working on and other such useful information, in order to decide how to distribute his/her time. Furthermore, bearing in mind the attention required by kindergarten students, we propose the provision of mobile devices (PDA - Personal Digital Assistant) for teachers, permitting free movement in the classroom and allowing the teacher to continue to help children while information about other students is being received. Therefore if a new problem arises the teacher is immediately notified and can act accordingly.
The Making of Nomadic Work
Authors: Pinatti de Carvalho Aparecido Fabiano , Ciolfi Luigina , Gray Breda
Published: May 2011

Computer technologies, especially ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies), have become ubiquitous in people’s lives. Nowadays, mobile phones, PDAs, laptops and a constellation of software applications are more and more used for a variety of activities carried out in both personal and professional lives. Given the features that these technologies provide and are provided with, for example, connectivity and portability, it can be said that ICTs have the potential to support nomadic work practices which are seen as increasingly characteristic of the knowledge economy. This chapter presents a review of the concept of nomadic work and, based on a broad literature analysis, discusses the ways in which ICTs may empower people who are involved with nomadic work practices. It aims to give a starting point for those who intend to develop further research on technologically-mediated nomadic work practices in the knowledge economy.
Providing VoIP and IPTV Services in WLANs
Authors: Edo Miguel , Canovas Alejandro , Garcia Miguel , Lloret Jaime
Published: May 2011

Nowadays, triple-play services are offered in both wireless and wired networks. The network convergence and the new services such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) are a reality. However, the future of these networks will have a different concept, breaking the current limits beyond the computers even the current mobile devices, any device may have access to any service at anytime from anywhere. In order to understand this new dimension, the ubiquity concept must be clear: an electronic device has to be able to be always connected to the network. The solutions must be based on the structures and current environments to carry out those challenges in a correct way. In order to reach this ubiquity, the science community has to take into account that its implementation should not assume a high cost to the user and that the system must comply with the quality of service measurements to satisfy the user. In this chapter, first we will show the main VoIP (Voice IP) and IPTV (IP Television) transmission protocols and the compression formats most used as also the bandwidth needed. Our goal is provide ubiquity into multimedia scenarios in WLANs. We will carry out tests to guarantee the appropriate values in some network parameters such jitter, delay, number of lost packets and enough effective bandwidth that should be satisfied. We will show the measurements taken from several test benches. They show the parameter values that the devices should perform in order to stay connected from anywhere at any time to these services.
Research Challenge of Locally Computed Ubiquitous Data Mining
Authors: Cayci Aysegul , Gomes João Bártolo , Zanda Andrea , Menasalvas Ernestina , Eibe Santiago
Published: May 2011

Advances in wireless, sensor, mobile and wearable technologies present new challenges for data mining research on providing mobile applications with intelligence. Autonomy and adaptability requirements are the two most important challenges for data mining in this new environment. In this chapter, in order to encourage the researchers on this area, we analyzed the challenges of designing ubiquitous data mining services by examining the issues and problems while paying special attention to context and resource awareness. We focused on the autonomous execution of a data mining algorithm and analyzed the situational factors that influence the quality of the result. Already existing solutions in this area and future directions of research are also covered in this chapter.
Impact of Advances on Computing and Communication Systems in Automotive Testing
Authors: Serrano Luis , Costa Jose , Silva Manuel
Published: May 2011

It is a fact that bench tests or a chassis dynamometer allow a fine control of the operation conditions; however the simulation is not as real as on the road. So the present methodology will allow the possibility to perform tests on the road, allowing enough control on vehicles and providing complete information of the chosen route and of the trip history. This is a possibility that ensures new tools with more reliable data which can give faster answers for the development of high efficiency, economic and environmentally neutral automotive technologies.
RFID and NFC in the Future of Mobile Computing
Authors: Simões Diogo , Rodrigues Vitor , Veiga Luis , Ferreira Paulo
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the most important aspects of RFID and NFC technology, illustrating their applicative potential, and provides a vision of the future in which the virtual and real worlds merge together as if an osmosis took place.
Internet Surveys
Authors: Vicente Paula , Reis Elizabeth
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the positive features of the Internet for survey activity and examines some of the challenges of conducting surveys via the Internet by looking at methodological issues such as coverage, sample selection, non-response and data quality.
Location Based E-commerce System
Authors: Liberato Nuno André Osório , Varajão João Eduardo Quintela Alves de Sous , Correia Emanuel Soares Peres , Bessa Maximino Esteves Correia
Published: May 2011

Location-based mobile services (LBMS) are at present an ever growing trend, as found in the latest and most popular mobile applications launched. They are, indeed, supported by the hasty evolution of mobile devices capabilities, namely smart phones, which are becoming truer mobile pocket-computers; by users demand, always searching for new ways to benefit from technology, besides getting more contextualized and user-centred services; and, lastly, by market drive, which sees mobile devices as a dedicated way to reach customers, providing profile-based publicity, products, discounts and events. With e-commerce, products and services started arriving to potential customers through desktop computers, where they can be bought and fast delivered to a given address. However, expressions such as “being mobile”, “always connected”, “anytime anywhere” that already characterize life in the present will certainly continue to do so in the near future. Meanwhile, mobile devices centred commerce services seem to be the next step. Therefore, this paper presents a system architecture designed for location-based e-commerce systems. These systems, where location plays the most important role, enable a remote products/services search, based in user parameters: after a product search, shops with that products are returned in the search results and are displayed in a map, around the user present location; and services like obtaining more information, reserving and purchasing are made available as well. This concept represents a mix between traditional client-oriented commerce and faceless mass-oriented e-commerce, enabling a proximity-based user-contextualized system, being well capable of conveying significant advantages and facilities to both service-providers/retailers and users.
Overview of Security Issues in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks
Authors: De Fuentes José María , González-Tablas Ana Isabel , Ribagorda Arturo
Published: May 2011

Vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) are a promising communication scenario. Several new applications are envisioned, which will improve traffic management and safety. Nevertheless, those applications have stringent security requirements, as they affect road traffic safety. Moreover, VANETs face several security threats. As VANETs present some unique features (e.g. high mobility of nodes, geographic extension, etc.) traditional security mechanisms are not always suitable. Because of that, a plethora of research contributions have been presented so far. This chapter aims to describe and analyze the most representative VANET security developments.
A Practice Perspective on Transforming Mobile Work
Authors: Vuokko Riikka
Published: May 2011

This study explores users’ experiences during an organizational implementation. The implementation of a new mobile information technology took place in public home care environment. The home care case illustrates differences between implementation project goals and expectations, and on the other hand, the daily organizing and carrying out care work, where previously, no information technology was utilized. While implementing mobile technology was expected to enhance the efficiency of care working, the project outcomes include resistance due to surveillance aspect of the new technology as well as technological problems during the implementation. Successful outcomes of the implementation include better planning of working hours and more even distribution of work resources.
New Ways to Buy and Sell
Authors: Ferrás Carlos , García Yolanda , Pose Mariña
Published: May 2011

We also intend to carry out an in-depth empirical and theoretical study of the territorial and social effects linked to the development of the information and communication society in rural communities. Our aim is to assist the progress of public decision-making and administrative efficiency for when the time comes to invest in suitable services and activities related to the information society in the rural environment, by defining the needs of those citizens resident in peripheral regions-areas with the purpose of developing their competitiveness and addressing the new social demands generated.
Museums and Web 2.0
Authors: Schweibenz Werner
Published: May 2011

Many museums want to use Web 2.0 applications or feel the pressure to do so. In doing so, they might encounter a significant problem as Web 2.0 is based on the notion of radical trust and unrestricted, equal participation, two concepts that are contrary to the museum’s traditional concepts of authority, communication and participation. Until recently, museums presumed control of their content. The crucial question is how much control of its content the museum can afford to lose, since they depend on their reputation for expertise and trustworthiness. The paper analyses the role of authority, its influence on traditional and future museum communication and its effects on participation and trust. The challenge for museums is to find a way to cede authority and control over content without losing status as trustworthy institutions and to open up for social media and user participation in order to attract new audiences and maintain existing ones.
Combining Semantic Web and Web 2.0 Technologies to Support Cultural Applications for Web 3.0
Authors: Pomonis Tzanetos , Koutsomitropoulos Dimitrios A. , Christodoulou Sotiris P. , Papatheodorou Theodore
Published: May 2011

The aim of this work is to help cultural web application developers to benefit from the latest technological achievements in Web research. The authors introduce a 3-tier architecture that combines Web 2.0 principles, especially those that focus on usability, community and collaboration, with the powerful Semantic Web infrastructure, which facilitates the information sharing among applications. Moreover, they present a development methodology, based on this architecture, especially tailored for the cultural heritage domain. Cultural developers can exploit this architecture and methodology in order to construct web2.0-powered cultural applications with rich-content and responsive user-interface. Furthermore, they outline some indicative applications in order to illustrate the features of the proposed architecture and prove that it can be applied today and support modern cultural web applications.
Representing Culture via Agile Collaboration
Authors: Dietrich Craig , Bell John
Published: May 2011

Creating software that supports cultural knowledge management brings developers face to face with issues they may not encounter when dealing with more general-purpose applications. Many times cultural specialists will have a unique understanding of the data, relationships, and special sensitivities that should be reflected in the interface and structure of software intended for use in a specific field. When general-purpose software is not able to accurately capture these subtleties of culture, experts and developers can work together to create small, focused solutions. This chapter discusses the special issues presented when developing software for cultural or creative organizations, the development philosophy behind targeted applications, and methods to design ecosystems of small applications that can be combined to meet a wide variety of needs.
ARCO
Authors: Walczak Krzysztof
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, a virtual museum exhibition system, called ARCO, is presented. ARCO enables museum staff to create, manage and display virtual exhibitions of museum artifacts in rich 3D and multimedia forms. Such exhibitions can be accessed both internally within the museums and remotely over the Internet. Due to the use of a novel approach to building configurable virtual reality applications, called Flex-VR, virtual exhibitions in ARCO can be easily and quickly built by museum staff, even if they do not have experience in 3D design and programming. The chapter provides an overview of the ARCO system, a description of the virtual exhibition design process and examples of virtual exhibitions built with ARCO.
Web 2.0 and Idiosyncrasy of Cultural Heritage
Authors: Darmawan Ruly
Published: May 2011

Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role in making cultural heritage preservation activities find acceptance and appreciation from society. By using Web 2.0 developments, preservationists may strengthen the idiosyncrasy of cultural heritage. For Indonesia, highlighting a unique cultural heritage is important since Indonesia has cultural similarities with other countries. An intensive dialogue among historians, anthropologists, artists, activists, and other participants can facilitate the meta-reflection which is needed in formulating cultural heritage. Such a dialogue space can conveniently be constructed using Web 2.0 technologies. Instead of presenting a technically-focused applications of Web 2.0 technology for cultural heritage, this paper highlights the inquiry, dialogue, and collaboration behind culture and cultural heritage activities. It also discusses technocultural issues, including Web 2.0, globalization 3.0, and the rise of a new technocultural class, in order to create a framework for culture and cultural heritage approaches before implementing technological solutions to cultural heritage problems.
Transformative Online Education & Social Equality
Authors: Ojo Bamidele A.
Published: May 2011

This chapter seeks to examine the impact of e-governance to demonstrate the challenges facing transformative online education in promoting social equality in Africa, while also taking cognizance of the effect of prevailing socio-political and economic factors affecting the access to, the provision of and distribution of new technology and its effectiveness as a tool for promoting the latter (social equality) on the continent. However e-governance as a means of promoting greater participation through the internet and online facilities has become an important part of the new medium because it allows people to interact more with their government and provides transparency in governance. This chapter will therefore focus on the prospects for e-governance and democracy while noting that Africa lags behind in the institutionalization of online governance infrastructures and compounded by corruption, ineffective policy implementation and lack of effective online education programs. This chapter will examine the potential for growth in e-participation and e-democracy. It will illustrate how these challenges inhibit the prospects for effective transformative online education as a means to promoting social equality but a process that must be enhanced in order to sustain and consolidate democratic governance on the continent.
Creative Coexistence, Value, and Transformative Online Education for Social Self-Actualization
Authors: Goulah Jason
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the concepts of creative coexistence and value-creation pedagogy as foundational components of transformative online education for liberation and social self-actualization required in the 21st century. The author couches this discussion in recent socio-political (mis)uses of new media in Iran and China and presents examples in practice by pre- and in-service teachers and adolescent second and foreign language learners in the United States.
Building Global Citizens
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: May 2011

With the popularization of global e-learning, built on unprecedented information technology (IT) connectivity and content distribution via the WWW and Internet, instructors have a responsibility to use these resources to build savvy learners who are also responsible global citizens. The Web acclimates and acculturates individuals into a global culture haphazardly. A more purposive learning approach may more constructively promote the long-held goal of liberation-based learning. A more pro-social state-of-being may be realized with designed e-learning assignments that promote learner empathy, reveal the limits of human nature, and provide supports for initial steps towards social equality. This then provides a model for online learning assignment design with an eye towards transformation and liberation. Given the broad diversity of cultural approaches to the concepts of liberation, this chapter will take a non-model-specific approach to this concept.
ABUSE OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTIONS
Authors: Blumenfeld Warren J.
Published: May 2011

In our “information age,” technology has improved the lives of many people in significant ways, while connecting the human family as never before on a global scale. Although the possibilities are only limited by our imagination, so too are the dangers for abuse of these technologies. This chapter investigates these dangers by providing a cautionary counterpoint to the transformative and liberatory possibilities technologies offer. Examples of the forms this abuse takes leads off the chapter, followed by some of the psychological and sociological theories that have been put forward to assist us in understanding and possibly addressing this abuse of human-computer interactions.
Lessons Learned from Semiotics
Authors: Cook Ruth Gannon
Published: May 2011

The primary purpose of this study is to see if graphic enhancements and navigation could enhance learning and reduce cognitive load to make it easier for at-risk, lower socio-economic, and ethnic self-identity groups of students to have a positive experience in online courses and increase the likelihood they will succeed in online degree programs. Using metaphors, signage, such as parietal art, and icons to provide congruency in the design and navigation of these programs could help students break down inhibitions and mediate new content and technology experiences with their existing knowledge. The study uses appreciative inquiry and development design methodologies to examine whether embedded semiotics and carefully designed metaphors could help students in the online courses feel more comfortable and increase the likelihood of their course completion. The findings of the study support the use of icons, metaphors and other forms of semiotics to transfer and mediate prior knowledge with new content knowledge, particularly in elearning.
Production Cognitive Capital as a Measurement of Intellectual Capital
Authors: Lavanderos Leonardo P. , Fiol Eduardo S.
Published: May 2011

At present, knowledge plays a key role in the new economy. Nevertheless, its measurement as Intellectual Capital has not been possible from a certainty vision for the states, events and entities, leaving aside the complexity of organizations. This work proposes a paradigmatic shift where the fundamental support is the relational–semiotic condition of human organizations; any deviation from its strategic goals could be explained through the closeness between language and the action emerging from language. Defined as Coherence and Congruity (Sustainability) Management, the process named NETOUT allows increasing both coherence and congruity through co-participating in decisional modeling, and transferring repulsion interactions to organization areas that re-signify the conflict. Configurations arising from Sustainability are Production Cognitive Capital and constitute a measurement of Intellectual Capital.
Visualising the Hidden Value of Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Elena-Pérez Susana , Warden Campbell
Published: May 2011

European universities are immersed in an intensive transformation process to order to transform themselves into more autonomous and competitive organisations. Adapting to the new demands implies the introduction of management systems, traditionally used by firms, in order to govern universities according to criteria of efficiency and effectiveness. In recent years, the idea of managing and reporting on intangibles and Intellectual Capital in universities has been acquiring progressive importance in Europe. The Chapter provides a comparative analysis of the most significant European experiences in managing and reporting Intellectual Capital in higher education institutions addressing two main issues: the identification of the benefits and obstacles of implementing IC frameworks in these particular institutions and reflect on the necessary degree of standardisation of indicators to allow comparability. To this purpose, three types of initiatives are analysed: the case of Austrian universities, which are compelled by law to report annually on their IC; five initiatives developed by individual institutions on a voluntary basis, and an attempt to build a homogeneous IC framework for European universities.
The Complex Issue of Measuring KM Performance
Authors: Scarso Enrico , Bolisani Ettore , Padova Antonella
Published: May 2011

Most companies that are deeply investing in Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives encounter substantial difficulties in assessing the effectiveness of these programmes. Actually, measuring the impact of KM projects is still a puzzling problem both at the conceptual and operative level. However, measuring their performance is necessary for monitoring their progress and for successfully managing and allocating resources, as well as to maintain the support and commitment by the top management. Although several KM performance evaluation approaches have been proposed in literature, they are still far from becoming an established practice. The chapter aims at discussing this issue by placing it in a business context. First, the literature on KM performance evaluation is briefly reviewed, and the main methods currently used are classified. Then, the practical experience of a multinational company is discussed, with the purpose to describe the problems that practitioners face in their daily experience, and provide insights into the possible improvements of KM performance measurement.
Engineering Business Reasoning, Analytics and Intelligence Network (E-BRAIN)
Authors: Green Annie
Published: May 2011

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius: and a lot of courage–to move in the opposite direction.”…Albert Einstein. This chapter details a performance-based theoretical model of intangible asset valuation: Engineering–Business Reasoning, Analytics and Intelligence Network (E-BRAIN). E-BRAIN’s origin started with the construction of a validated taxonomy of intangible asset value drivers: Framework of Intangible Valuation Areas (FIVA) (Green 2008). E-BRAIN is a culmination of research and practice and offers valuable insights into the emerging discipline and field of intangible assets. Using systems engineering and organization memory (cognition) as the foundation for its structure, the model identifies the path from intangible key performance indicators to performance measurement. This chapter introduces E-BRAIN as a systemic and holistic approach to intangible asset valuation that starts with a set of metrics by which business leaders can account for intangible or non-financial factors that affect value creation in the knowledge era business.
Financial Risks and Intangibles
Authors: Ceballos David , Quesada Ada Ch. , Ramírez Dídac
Published: May 2011

This chapter briefly analyses the potential impact of financial risks on the valuation of intangibles from a theoretical and heuristic approach. The authors justify the financial risk that has the greatest impact on the value of intangibles for a wide range of intangibles and types of valuation models. Four types of financial risks are considered for the analysis of three principal types of intangibles (resource, capacity and asset). The authors present a study applied to six examples of intangibles and eleven categories of valuation methods. The results are coherent with the literature because the common examples of valuation of intangibles use the recommendable methods according to the lower impact of financial risks.
Model of a Knowledge Management Support system for Choosing Intellectual Capital Assessment Methods
Authors: Pretorius Agnieta B. , Coetzee F.P. (Petrie)
Published: May 2011

Existing literature propagates a variety of methods for assessment of intellectual capital (IC). This research argues that, due to complexities involved in selecting and customizing an appropriate method or combination of methods for assessing intellectual capital, mechanisms are needed for managing and applying the evolving body of knowledge concerning such assessment. The assumption of complexity is supported by the results obtained from a survey (employing a self-administered questionnaire as instrument for data collection). This research proceeds to develop a model, referred to as a conceptual design, for a system to (i) provide management support to the process of selecting and customizing an appropriate method (or combination of methods) for assessment of intellectual capital, (ii) utilize past knowledge and expertise to accelerate and improve decision-making, (iii) promote synergism through integration of methods, and (iv) manage the evolving body of knowledge concerning the assessment of IC.
Managing and Measuring Knowledge Assets Dynamics for Business Value Creation in Organisations
Authors: Schiuma Giovanni
Published: May 2011

The ability of an organisation to govern knowledge assets dynamics lies at the core of an organisation’s value creation capacity. A key challenge both for researchers and for practitioners is to understand how to manage and measure knowledge assets dynamics. In this chapter three fundamental management processes affecting the knowledge-based strategies for business value creation are introduced. They provide the conceptual background to understand how to measure and manage knowledge assets within organisations. The three processes are ‘identification and measurement of knowledge assets’, ‘mapping knowledge assets’ and ‘managing knowledge assets flows’. The ability of an organisation to gain sustainable competitive advantages is related to the capacity of mastering these processes. Each process is analysed introducing the possible frameworks which can inspire both scholars investigating the microfoundations of organisational knowledge dynamics, and for practitioners looking for approaches for leveraging knowledge assets to drive the enhancement of organisational value creation.
Ethos as Enablers of Organisational Knowledge Creation
Authors: Matsudaira Yoshito
Published: May 2011

This chapter considers knowledge creation in relation to improvements on the production line in the manufacturing department of Nissan Motor Company and aims to clarify the substance that enables such knowledge creation. For that purpose, firstly, embodied knowledge observed in the actions of organisational members who enable knowledge creation will be clarified. By adopting an approach that adds a first, second, and third-person’s viewpoint to the theory of knowledge creation, this research will attempt to define enablers of knowledge creation. Embodied knowledge, observed in the actions of organisational members who enable knowledge creation, is the continued practice of ethos (in Greek) founded in ethics and reasoning. Ethos is knowledge (intangible) assets for knowledge creating companies. Substantiated analysis classifies ethos into three categories: the individual, team and organisation. This indicates the precise actions of the organisational members in each category during the knowledge creation process and it is easier to commit further to knowledge creation activities.
Measuring Dynamic Knowledge Flows
Authors: Nissen Mark E.
Published: May 2011

Knowledge is key to sustainable competitive advantage, but different kinds of knowledge affect competitive advantage differently, and they exhibit qualitatively different dynamic properties and behaviors. This places particular importance on understanding the dynamics of knowledge as it flows from where and when it is to where and when it is needed. Despite the increasing analytical and explanatory power of Knowledge Flow Theory toward this end, the extant literature remains limited in terms of measurement. The research described in this chapter builds upon and extends Knowledge Flow Theory to conceptualize and illustrate a scheme for measuring dynamic knowledge flows. Such a scheme offers a theoretical contribution and elucidates an exciting path for continued research along these lines. It highlights practical application as well through enhanced managerial decision making and business value creation in the context of harnessing dynamic knowledge for competitive advantage.
How Knowledge Assets are Transformed into Value
Authors: Laihonen Harri , Lönnqvist Antti
Published: May 2011

This chapter concentrates on exploring the knowledge asset value creation in the context of a specific type of business activity, services, and a specific value creation aspect of productivity. The paper utilizes knowledge flows as a novel conceptual tool to analyze and better understand the knowledge asset value creation dynamics. The chapter clarifies the knowledge flows of service production and proposes that the recognition and management of these flows facilitate productivity improvement. This argument is based on the assumption that by removing the possible obstacles or bottlenecks of knowledge transfer, organizations can increase both their internal efficiency and through a better customer satisfaction also their external productivity.
Developing an effective Knowledge Management System
Authors: McLaughlin Stephen
Published: May 2011

Many organizations struggling to capitalise on their knowledge assets tend to let their knowledge management systems emerge from existing IT systems and infrastructure. Within a complex business environment this can cause a mismatch between how knowledge assets are—and should be—managed. In order to help organizations develop dynamic and effective KM systems, organizations need to re-think how knowledge is created and shared around their core business processes. To be more specific, for organizations where inter/intra organizational collaboration is vital to overall end-to-end performance, organizations need to consider the relationship between four key components: knowledge strategy, core process optimisation, core process performance, and knowledge barriers. This chapter will explain why these components are important, the relationship between them, and how they relate to each other in terms of helping to define an effective knowledge management system. The findings presented are based on data collated within, and across, IBM’s Integrated Supply Chain.
Knowledge Assets and Value Creation
Authors: Lerro Antonio , Schiuma Giovanni
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the relevance of the knowledge assets as strategic resources and sources of territorial value creation dynamics. Firstly, it begins with the notion of value creation at territorial level. It then present a knowledge-based interpretation of territorial strategic resources, using the Knoware Tree as framework to identify and classify territorial knowledge assets as a framework driving the design of potential indicators and metrics to assess territorial knowledge assets.
A Healing Journey with a Thousand Echoes
Authors: Young Joan W.
Published: May 2011

In this personal account, the author describes her engagement with the healthcare system and the insights she gained during her struggle to restore her health. It also chronicles how this life-changing event prompted her to help educate others diagnosed with similar diseases and to form an active community for sharing and expanding medical knowledge. After a synopsis of the author’s medical journey in the Introduction, these topics are woven into three main sections: Medical Evidence, Complementary and Alternative Treatments, and the Influence of Technology.
Hematology
Authors: Chaudhuri Anirban , Young Joan , Martin Carmel M. , Sturmberg Joachim P. , Biswas Rakesh
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the reader to a world of clinical problem solving in blood disorders as presented in hematology lectures. These lectures encompass multiple perspectives, the patient, his/her relatives, healthcare students, consultant health professionals and society. This style of lecture aims to enable these key stakeholders in the health care system to utilize the continued learning derived from sharing their narratives toward attaining the goal of improved healthcare outcomes. The chapter has three narratives which are intertwined – the patient narratives of their experiences with disturbances in their blood stream, the blood system disease narratives of the medical professionals and the stream of consciousness expressed in poetry evoked by the first two narratives.
Physician and Patient perspectives
Authors: Bradley Paul , Griffin Peter , Griffin Ann , Mukherj Kamalika
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the narratives of some people with autistic spectrum disorders (also known as autism spectrum conditions) as well as those of their families and carers. It describes the history and development of the diagnostic concept of autistic spectrum disorders and how the clinical features impact on daily life and their families. It examines the different stages through which people progress, based on their contact with services – before diagnosis, at the time of diagnosis and their life since then. The chapter concludes with a personal account of all these stages.
Critical Illness and the Emergency Room
Authors: Goyal R. K. , O’Neill M. , Agostinelli N. , Wyer P.
Published: May 2011

The care of the critically-ill patient in the acute setting, an ‘everyday’ occurrence in most urban emergency departments, often proceeds through the dictates of Parsonian paternalism: the Physician knows best. But through a discussion of three such ‘everyday’ encounters, we hope to complicate this notion and find a place for healthcare users in the decision making process while developing a language and analytic basis for thinking seriously about the clinical dyad and the construction of knowledge in relationship economies. Finally, we discuss the escalation and de-escalation (terms derived from the military industrial complex) of care as it relates to medical futility.
The Gap between What is Knowable and What We Do in Clinical Practice
Authors: Swennen Maartje H.J.
Published: May 2011

Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) is a tool that aims to bring science and medicine together by enabling doctors to integrate the latest best evidence with their clinical expertise and the individual patient’s wishes and needs. However, EBM has both strong supporters and antagonists and is confronted with many barriers that impede uptake of the best evidence by doctors. To date, it remains poorly understood why doctors, do, and do not, incorporate high quality evidence into their routine practice. I will take you down the road of how I became more and more intrigued by all the challenges that EBM faces. In addition, I will explain to you how I hope to contribute to closing the gap between what is knowable using EBM methods and what we do.
Social Construction of Chronic Disease
Authors: Peterson Chris , Willis Evan
Published: May 2011

In this study of narratives in relation to chronic illness, a number of themes relevant to patients were identified from the literature for discussion and analysis. Themes included responsibility and control of chronic illness, stigma and non-legitimation. Discussions and blogs on the Internet were identified and examined representing patient experiences of chronic illness. For some patients taking responsibility for their chronic illness conflicted with some of their important life roles. There were also questions about the degree to which people who already manage busy lives should also be managing their disease. It was found that some patients experience control over their illness and behaviour as a difficulty they faced with a chronic condition. This included being placed on a regimen and reviewed for compliance. Some referred to the experience as policing. Patients who reported some greater difficulties were those with illnesses which struggled to achieve legitimacy through medical means. Their illness experience and outcomes were largely dependent on seeking out sympathetic medical practitioners. Overall the authors conclude that notwithstanding the benefits of self management programs for patients, the uncertainty surrounding chronic illness creates problems for patients and reinforces the importance of having effective and trusting relationships with their health care providers. A typical biomedical perspective on illness tends to focus on disease and its causes without considering the social world within which health and illness occur, and the way in which social forces shape these concepts and experiences. Sociologists and some progressive medical practitioner researchers are concerned with social process and with the effect of factors such as gender relations, social class and the broader political economy on understanding the experience and prevalence of disease. The aim of this chapter is to present some narratives by patients, consumers, medical and health practitioners, and other stakeholders in blogs, discussions and forums on the Internet. This chapter looks at a number of aspects of chronic illness that have been identified in a range of studies, from aspects of responsibility of patients and control processes on chronic illness patients through to non-legitimate and resistance themes.