bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wise Organizations?
Authors: Bell Chauncey
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the ways that wisdom and wise action appear in the work of organizations and asks how systems can be designed to support that. Building on C. West Churchman’s thought experiment with five philosophers about how to improve the design of systems, the author asks and brings fresh answers to the questions, “What is wisdom?” and “What is wisdom in organizations?” The author offers a series of six brief reflections about foundations that he believes can make the design of systems that support people in acting wisely far easier to do. The chapter concludes with a case example of a system illustrating many of the chapter’s themes and specific recommendations for IT designers about how to think from the chapter’s suggestions. The author hopes to build a richer background for IT designers, leading to systems that do a better job of supporting people in the wise exercise of their responsibilities in all kinds of organizations.
Generalized External Optimization
Authors: de Sousa Fabiano Luis , Ramos Fernando Manuel , Galski Roberto Luiz , Muraoka Issamu
Published: May 2011

In this chapter a recently proposed meta-heuristic devised to be used in complex optimization problems is presented. Called Generalized Extremal Optimization (GEO), it was inspired by a simple co-evolutionary model, developed to show the emergence of self-organized criticality in ecosystems. The algorithm is of easy implementation, does not make use of derivatives and can be applied to unconstrained or constrained problems, non-convex or even disjoint design spaces, with any combination of continuous, discrete or integer variables. It is a global search meta-heuristic, like the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and the Simulated Annealing (SA), but with the advantage of having only one free parameter to adjust. The GEO has been shown to be competitive to the GA and the SA in tackling complex design spaces and a useful tool in real design problems. Here the algorithm is described, including a step-by-step implementation to a simple numerical example, its main characteristics highlighted, and its efficacy as a design tool illustrated with an application to satellite thermal design.
The Influence of Pheromone and Adaptive Vision in the Standard Ant Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Sherafat Vahid , de Castro Leandro Nunes , Hruschka Eduardo Raul
Published: May 2011

Algorithms inspired by the collective behavior of social organisms, from insect colonies to human societies, promoted the emergence of a new field of research called swarm intelligence. The applications of swarm intelligence range from routing in telecommunication networks to robotics. This chapter discusses some of the ideas behind swarm intelligence, focusing on a clustering algorithm motivated by the social behavior of some ant species. The standard ant-clustering algorithm is presented; a brief review from the literature concerning the applications and variations of the basic model is provided; two novel modifications of the original algorithm are proposed and discussed; and a sensitivity analysis of the standard and modified algorithm in relation to some user-defined parameters is performed. A variation of a simple benchmark problem in the field is used to perform the sensitivity analysis of the algorithm and to assess the proposed modifications of the standard algorithm.
Synthetic Approach to Semiotic Artificial Creatures
Authors: Loula Angelo , Gudwin Ricardo , Ribeiro Sidarta , de Araujo Ivan , Queiroz João
Published: May 2011

Here we propose, based on the Peircean semiotics and informed by neuroethological constraints, a methodology to simulate the emergence of symbolic predator-warning communication among artificial creatures in a virtual world of predatory events. In order to build a digital scenario, and infer the minimum organizational constraints for the design of our creatures, we examined the well-studied case of semiosis in East African vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) and its possible neuroanatomical substrates.
Germany
Authors: Kehr Timo , Luhrig Tobias
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the reader to the German mobile telephone market. After describing the general economical context, the authors give a brief overview of the market itself. Selected cases — success stories as well as stories where success was elusive — are presented. Finally, the German market is analyzed using the CLIP framework.
Evaluating Inter-Organizational Information Systems
Authors: Drury Jill , Scholtz Jean
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes different means of evaluating the usability and suitability of computer-based inter-organizational information systems (IOISs). It begins with describing why doing so is important yet difficult, and provides an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the major types of evaluation. It continues with a case study focusing on determining whether an application provides the necessary insight into other collaborators’ identities, presence, and activities while keeping sensitive information private from a subset of the collaborators. The goal of this chapter is to provide practical guidance to organizations seeking IOISs to help them choose (or develop) an IOIS that best meets their needs.
Comparative Pairs Analysis for Inter-Organizational Information Systems (IOIS) Research
Authors: Storer Christine E. , Soutar Geoffrey N. , Quaddus Mohammed
Published: May 2011

This chapter suggests the use of comparative pairs analysis as a method of collecting data for inter-organizational information system and chain research. It is argued that chains of organizations can be analyzed by collecting data from a focal firm about upstream suppliers and downstream customers. By comparing pairs of respondents within the focal firm, the differences between customers and suppliers can be analyzed. In addition, it is suggested that by asking each respondent to discuss two third-party organizations, differences in responses can be highlighted and explained during the data collection process. This can provide a rich source of data to explain results obtained.
FuzzyEER
Authors: Galindo Jose , Urrutia Angelica , Piattini Mario
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we present the FuzzyEER Model, which is an extension of the EER Model with fuzzy semantics and notations. The Entity-Relationship Model was introduced by Chen (1976). Since then, numerous modifications and extensions of its modeling capabilities have been suggested. We will mainly use the approach by Elmasri and Navathe (2000) because it is very popular, general, and has an international scope. With regard to the fuzzy attributes, the following aspects will be defined in the FuzzyEER Model: imprecise attributes, fuzzy attributes associated to one or more attributes or with an independent meaning, as well as degrees of fuzzy membership to the model itself. Furthermore, the following concepts will also be defined: fuzzy aggregation, fuzzy entity, weak fuzzy entity, fuzzy relationship, and defined specialization with fuzzy degrees. Fuzzy constraints are very important, and we review them in this chapter as well.
FSQL
Authors: Galindo Jose , Urrutia Angelica , Piattini Mario
Published: May 2011

The SQL language was essentially developed by Chamberlin and Boyce (1974) and Chamberlin et al. (1976). In 1986, the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) published the standard SQL-86 or SQL1 (ANSI, 1986). In 1989, an extension of the SQL standard, called SQL-89, was published, and SQL2 or SQL-92 was published in 1992 (ANSI, 1992). SQL2 basically provided new types, constraints (such as checks or unique predicates), it supported subqueries in UPDATE and DELETE operations, and in the FROM clause, operator IN, ANY and ALL, CASE constructor, JOIN, UNION, INTERSECT and EXCEPT operators and the modification of base table through views. In the latest version of SQL standard, SQL 2003, major improvements have been made in a number of key areas. Firstly, it has additional object-relational features, which were first introduced in SQL-1999. Secondly, SQL 2003 standard revolutionizes SQL with comprehensive OLAP features and data-mining applications. Thirdly, SQL 2003 integrates popular XML standards into SQL (SQL/XML). Finally, numerous improvements have been made throughout the SQL 2003 standard to refine existing features.
e-Search
Authors: Chiang Kuan-Pin , Dholakia Ruby Roy , Westin Stu
Published: May 2011

The continued success of online shopping will be determined by the degree to which consumers utilize the Internet during their decision making process, mainly the acquisition of product information. This chapter addresses consumers’ goal-directed information search in the online marketplace. To understand consumer search behavior in this unique environment, relevant theoretical perspectives are drawn to provide a conceptual framework that provides an explanation of consumers’ online search behavior. In an environment characterized by human-computer interaction, the framework includes consumers’ choice to search information online and two sets of variables – domain and system (personal) and interruptions and information load (system), affecting information search between and within Web sites. Several implications of this conceptual framework are also discussed.
Web Site Quality and Usability in E-Commerce
Authors: Cao Mei , Zhang Qingyu
Published: May 2011

Web sites are being widely deployed commercially; however, the factors that affect the customer’s perception on the quality and acceptance of Web sites are unclear. Through a literature review on information systems success, ServQual, and trust, this chapter examines and integrates four sets of factors to capture the quality of e-commerce Web sites: system quality (functionality), information quality (content), service quality, and attractor. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model in comparison with the Theory of Reasoned Action and the theory of Human-Computer Interaction/Usability, a framework is developed relating the Web quality to customers’ beliefs (perceived usefulness and ease of use of the site), attitudes (preferences for the site), and intentions (to revisit the site). A guideline for Web interface design is proposed for Web designers and managers.
Shopping Agent Web Sites
Authors: Wang Ming
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the shopping agent technology as a new Internet marketing trend. The recent development of shopping agent Web sites has offered online shoppers an excellent comparative shopping environment. Shopping agent Web sites, also called shopping agents or shopping bots, are software programs that search the Internet stores on the Web and find products that meet a buyer’s specifications. Not only do these agent Web sites bring comparative product and price information from individual merchants’ Web sites, but also provide the online merchant ratings to customers. In summary, these agent Web sites take a query, search the Web sites of individual merchants that may have the product sought, bring back the results, and present them in a consolidated and compact format that allows comparison shopping at a glance.
Affording Cultural and Social Presence in E-Marketing
Authors: Pennington Robert
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the relationships among several concepts important to Web design, marketing communications and consumer behavior. Originally from psychology literature, the concept of affordances, the result of interaction between a human and an object, has emerged in product design literature. This chapter extends the concept to design of mediated environments, stressing detailed social and cultural contextual elements and potential behaviors. Vividness and interactivity in mediated environments are requisite qualities for inducing a sense of presence, consumers’ perception on some level that a mediated environment is non-mediated. Well-designed mediated environments afford consumers online opportunities to modify relationships with their environments.
Thinking Ontologically
Authors: Evermann Jörg
Published: May 2011

Information systems (IS) are situated in and representations of business and organizational domains. Conceptual models of the real world serve as tools for understanding the business domain. Conceptual modelling is thus an important first step in any IS development project. As no language has been generally accepted for conceptual modelling, researchers have proposed extending the use of widely accepted object-oriented software design languages such as UML for this purpose. A major problem with this is the fact that such languages possess no real-world business or organizational meaning— that is, it is unclear what the constructs of such languages mean in terms of the business. This chapter discusses how such meaning can be assigned to languages like UML. It provides an example that demonstrates the differences between a software design model and a conceptual model in UML. This chapter shows that UML is suitable for conceptual modelling but that the modeller must take special care not to confuse software aspects with aspects of the real world being modelled.
Eco-Efficient Controlling of Material Flows with Flow Cost Accounting
Authors: Enzler Stefan , Krcmar Helmut , Pfenning Roland , Scheide Wolfgang , Strobel Markus
Published: May 2011

The point of departure for ECO Rapid is the assumption that environmental management instruments have been perfected, but they will only be able to be used in practice to any extent worth mentioning if costs and benefits are in a favourable relationship to one another for companies. A key factor for achieving this goal is the question of how standard business management software can be used as instruments for solving the problems of company environmental management (environmental cost accounting, flow cost accounting, preparing an environmental balance sheet and environmental figures, etc.). This is the reason why we developed a method in the ECO Rapid project that puts companies and software retailers in a position to use and further develop enterprise resource planning systems (ERP systems) in a fashion that is orientated more towards material flows. We have used the reference model of ECO-Integral (Krcmar et al., 2000) to make it possible to take advantage of the database of ERP systems for a number of new evaluations on company material flows in quantities and values. This means that companies will be better able to use the ERP software they already have for the purposes of company environmental management while creating synergies to business management. We are publishing this method as a digital CD manual for small- and medium-sized companies and to a great extent it can be used independently of any particular software product. An important step along this route is pilot implementation in three companies. These hands-on projects are being followed up by imu augsburg (Augsburg, Germany) and Green IT GmbH (Konstanz, Germany). The chair for economic IT (at the Stuttgart-Hohenheim University) has the all-round responsibility for handling the project and IT support. And this chapter has the purpose of presenting the experience gathered in ECO Rapid.
Linking Economic Optimisation and Simulation Models to Environmental Material Flow Networks for Ecoefficiency
Authors: Page Bernd , Wohlgemuth Volker
Published: May 2011

This chapter outlines Material Flow Networks as a special modelling approach in the context of ecobalancing, that is, for modelling the environmental impacts of economic activities. This approach focuses on understanding the underlying material and energy transformations and the environmental impact of the resulting material and energy flows. The software tool Umberto® was the first product in the market for material flow analysis based on Material Flow Networks. This approach models the material and energy flows in production and distribution systems by means of Petri-Net notation with transitions (i.e., the material and energy transformation processes), places (i.e., inventories for material) and connecting arrows (i.e., energy and material flows). Using the Microsoft COM-technology, optimisation and discrete simulation models of economic processes can be embedded into ecologically oriented Material Flow Networks as complex external transitions. Three application examples (a transport optimisation model, a production and an inventory simulation model) are presented to demonstrate this useful approach of combining different modelling techniques in ecomanagement and its potential for ecoefficiency in resource and energy use.
Effectiveness of E-Government Online Services in Australia
Authors: Guo Xuetao , Lu Jie
Published: May 2011

Electronic government (e-government) breaks down the barrier of distance and time, and offers the potential for government to better deliver its contents and services, and interact with citizens and businesses. Australia has been recognized as one of e-government leaders internationally. All the three levels (federal, state and local) of Australian government organizations have increasingly embraced e-government. With few years of e-government practices in Australia, it is critical to evaluate the current applications and explore more effective strategies for the next phase of e-government. This study aims to identify what factors affect the effectiveness of Australian e-government online services. In the study, a research model is proposed and data collections are completed based on two questionnaire-based surveys from internal and external users of Australian e-government Web sites respectively. Furthermore, data analyses are conducted to test proposed hypotheses. The findings show that Web presence quality and information quality influence effectiveness of e-government online services more than system quality from user perspectives. Several recommendations and future trends are also presented in the chapter.
Shanghai's E-Government
Authors: Chen Hongmin , Zhang Qing
Published: May 2011

This chapter will present and discuss some successful experience of Shanghai’s e-government strategies and implementation from the perspective of a developing country. A case study of Social Security Card System (SSCS) in Shanghai will be conducted to further illustrate Shanghai’s e-government strategies and implementation experience. Differences of e-government implementation strategies between China and USA are identified and discussed, which may provide some useful insights to the other developing countries, especially to those developing countries that are under the process of transiting to the “market economy” model when implementing e-government in the near future.
A Case Study on Assessing the Readiness of Professional Services Company to Build an Organizational Memory Information Systems
Authors: Abdel-Aziz Hani , Wahba Khaled
Published: May 2011

The information system (IS), which supports capturing, gathering, and distribution of knowledge, is one component of organizational memory; and it is defined as an organizational memory information system (OMIS). The professional services (PS) division of an IT company, “CITE,”1 in Egypt was suffering from knowledge loss due to a high turnover rate. The objective of this case is to highlight the factors that could help “CITE” to develop an efficient OMIS service. Data were collected from the internal structure of the PS division, where all employees were interviewed in order to come up with the appropriate factors that need improvement. Based on the Organizational Memory Information System Success Model developed by Jennex, Olfman, and Pituma (1998), the research highlighted key issues that should be taken into consideration when developing an OMIS for the PS division of “CITE.” The main findings that were affecting the development of an efficient OMIS were mainly training, management of OMIS, communication, technology, and corporate culture.
Implementing Knowledge-Enabled CRM Strategy in a Large Company
Authors: Al-Shammari Minwir
Published: May 2011

This case study is aimed at developing an understanding of the various aspects and issues concerning the implementation of a knowledge-enabled customer relationship management (KCRM) strategy at a telecommunications company in a developing country. The KCRM program was composed of three major parts: enterprise data warehouse (EDW), operational customer relationship management (CRM), and analytical CRM. The KCRM initiative was designed to automate and streamline business processes across sales, service, and fulfillment channels. The KCRM program is targeted at achieving an integrated view of customers, maintaining long-term customer relationship, and enabling a more customer-centric and efficient go-to-market strategy. The company faced deregulation after many years of monopoly. The company initiated a customer-centric knowledge management program, and pursued understanding customers’ needs and forming relationships with customers, instead of only pushing products and services to the market. The major result of the case study was that the KCRM program ended as an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) project. The company did not succeed in implementing KCRM as a business strategy, but did succeed in implementing it as a transactional processing system. Several challenges and problems were faced during and after the implementation phase. Notable among these was that the CRM project complexity and responsibilities were underestimated, and as a result, the operational CRM solution was not mature enough to effectively and efficiently automate CRM processes. Changing organizational culture also required a tremendous effort and pain in terms of moving toward customer-centric strategy, policy and procedures, as well as sharing of knowledge in a big organization with many business silos. Employees’ resistance to change posed a great challenge to the project. As a conclusion, the KCRM case study qualified as a good case of bad implementation.
Knowledge Management for Healthcare
Authors: Dwivedi A. N. , Bali Rajeev K. , Naguib R. N.G.
Published: May 2011

This case study is based on data collected from a prominent UK-based healthcare software house (Company X Ltd). The organization specializes in information and communication technologies (ICT) solution development, implementations, support services (including system and application support and telephone hotline support), and training and consultancy services. The organization prides itself on the fact that, by providing unique customized ICT solutions based on the Internet and database technologies, it is able to ensure that its healthcare-based clients (hospitals and allied organizations) have strategic advantages. The case study describes the outcome of a three-year research project, the chief outcomes of which were the development of a knowledge management (KM) conceptual model for use in the healthcare solutions sector as well as detailed advice and recommendations for the organization.
Assessing Job Seekers' Acceptance of Online Recruitment in Egypt
Authors: Azab Nahed
Published: May 2011

The development in information and communication technology had an implication on Internet adoption growth rate and especially on Web technology use. The evolution of the online recruitment industry closely parallels such development worldwide. Egypt, is no exception. This trend started in 1998 and proved to be an efficient way to provide better interaction and information exchange between job seekers or “candidates” and employers. This case investigates online recruitment in Egypt, and reveals the factors contributing to the success of such business. A model is presented using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), discussing the main constructs affecting candidates in embracing this relatively new technology. By identifying the aspects that shape candidates’ preference to use Web-based recruitment over traditional off-line recruitment, agencies could gain an insight of the candidates’ behavior in a developing country like Egypt. This, in turn, could be compared with the corresponding behavior in developed countries. Such comparison will help in identifying similarities and differences in candidates’ perception towards online recruitment in both cases. As a result, appropriate business strategies stemming from the culture and social and economic variables of any country could be set in order to boost the diffusion and efficiency of online recruitment business.
E-Business in India
Authors: Dwivedi Rajeev , Sushil  , Sushil  , Momaya K.
Published: May 2011

Business and industries have faced several changes from the agriculture society to information society. The recent change is due to Information Technology (IT) affecting many businesses and industries. It is changing the nature of business from the traditional way of doing business. The complete change in traditional business is due to IT. This is known as e-business transformation. The Indian manufacturing industry is undergoing this IT-enabled change and is still under process of click and brick system. Indian automobile companies are stressing the importance of e-business in the domestic automotive industry. The main aim of the chapter is to explain how the manufacturing and especially the automobile industry business has changed from traditional brick and mortar business to click and brick e-business. This chapter provides a study of e-business transformation in manufacturing industry in India using Flexible Systems (SAP-LAP) Methodology. The SAP-LAP stands for Situation-Actors-Process and Learning-Action-Performance. This methodology helps for understanding systematic nature of e-business transformation. The explanation of stakeholder flexibility due to e-business transformation is Industry will be explained.
Some History
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

Organizational development is the generic field of research and practice concerned with structural organizational changes that can have a positive impact on competitiveness. It is about changing organizations in order to make them more competitive, chiefly through modifications in their organizational structure. Historically, most organizational development efforts have aimed at improving productivity (i.e., cycle time and cost reduction) and quality (i.e., boosting customer satisfaction). Organizational development encompasses procedural and policy changes within firms in order to adapt to external factors. External factors include competitive pressures, as well as economic and government regulation changes.
What is a Business Process?
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

Business process improvement can be defined as the analysis, redesign, and subsequent change of organizational processes to achieve performance and competitiveness gains. The idea that business process-focused improvement can be used as a tool to boost organizational performance and competitiveness is not new. In fact, business process improvement has been the basis of several widely adopted management approaches, such as total quality management, business process reengineering, and organizational learning. As the following sections briefly show, business process-focused improvement can be a unifying concept of these management approaches.
The Effects of E-Collaboration Technologies on Groups
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

The business environment since the 1990s is characterized by a tremendous explosion in the amount of information flowing within and outside organizations. Information flows internally between organizational functions (or organizational roles, usually distinguished by different job titles). Information flows outside organizations when communication takes place between the organization and one of its suppliers or customers.
Evaluating an Organisation's Learning Culture Using Learning Histories
Authors: Jefferies Marcus C. , Eng Chen Swee , Zenke Ralf
Published: May 2011

This research describes a recently developed approach to organisational learning known as “learning history”. Learning history involves the analysis and reflection on project experiences and business processes. The learning history of a construction industry organisation is documented and the outcomes of the learning history are used to evaluate the organisation’s methods of acquiring and managing knowledge. This learning history technique is applied in a practical setting to a case study of the Tasmanian State Public Health Sector, Australia. The findings of the learning history are used to evaluate the organisation’s knowledge management in order to evaluate its “learning culture”. The organisation developed new learning capabilities and learning history is a practical tool for organisational learning which can be widely used for knowledge transfer. Fostering knowledge management leads, indirectly, to more efficient and effective processes. In order to sustain the organisation’s learning culture then, improvement of its organisational learning style, the learning process (knowledge management), and its organic learning style is necessary.
Reduction of Transaction Costs by Using Electronic Commerce in Financial Services
Authors: Pfahler Thomas , Grebe Kai M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the Transaction Cost Approach as a means of analyzing specific transactions in financial services by using the theoretical framework of New Institutional Economics. It argues that transaction costs can be assessed and used to compare different business processes. Furthermore, these costs allow a detailed explanation why certain underlying technologies which form the basis for transactions become widely accepted whereas others do not prevail. The authors emphasize the relevance of this approach and its application to the field of electronic commerce both on a theoretical and practical level to document and to interpret current trends in this sector on the one hand, and to predict future developments on the other hand.
Applying Patterns for Reengineering to the Web
Authors: Zdun Uwe
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines the use of patterns for reengineering legacy systems to the Web. Today reengineering existing (legacy) systems to the Web is a typical software maintenance task. In such projects developers integrate a Web representation with the legacy system’s application programming interface (API) and its responses. Often, the same information is provided to other channels than HTTP and in other formats than HTML as well, and the old (legacy) interfaces are still supported. Add-on services such as security or logging are required. Performance and scalability of the Web application might be crucial. To resolve these issues, many different concepts and frameworks have to be well understood, especially legacy system wrapping, connection handling, remoting, service abstraction, adaptation techniques, dynamic content generation, and others. In this chapter, we present patterns from different sources that resolve these issues. We integrate them to a pattern language operating in the context of reengineering to the Web, and present pattern variants and examples in this context.
Do Not Check in on Red
Authors: Holck Jesper , Jørgensen Niels
Published: May 2011

For two Free/Open Source Software projects, Mozilla and FreeBSD, we describe the central elements in the soft­ware development processes: the technological infrastructure, the work organization, and the soft­ware process models. For each of these elements we discuss how the projects try to find an optimal balance between control (supposedly necessary for producing high-quality software) and anarchy (supposedly necessary for attracting and keeping voluntary developers). Several important consid­erations are identified: most importantly, control of access to bug-tracking systems and source code repositories, quality control of both individual contributions and production releases, the importance of the development branch, and control of developers’ prioritization of work tasks and availability. The results show that the two projects, even though they produce very different kinds of software (a web-browser suite and an oper­ating system), are similar in many respects. However, they also show how difficult the balance between anarchy and control may be and that it is likely to shift over time.
The Role of Modularity in Free/Open Source Software Development
Authors: Narduzzo Alessandro , Rossi Alessandro
Published: May 2011

Software design and development in Free/Open Source projects are analyzed through the lens of the theory of modularity applied to complex systems. We show that both the architecture of the artifacts (software) and the organization of the projects benefited from the paradigm of modularity in an original and effective manner. In particular, our analysis on empirical evidence suggests that three main shortcuts to modular design have been introduced and effectively applied. First, some successful projects inherited previously existing modular architecture, rather than designing new modular systems from scratch. Second, popular modular systems, like GNU/Linux kernel, evolved from an initial integrated structure through a process of evolutionary adaptation. Third, the development of modular software took advantage of the violation of one fundamental rule of modularity, that is, information hiding. Through these three routines, the projects can exploit the benefits of modularity, such as concurrent engineering, division of labor, decentralized and parallel development; at the same time, these routines lessen some of the problems posed by the design of modular architectures, namely imperfect decompositions of interdependent components. Implications and extensions of Free/Open Source projects experience are discussed in the conclusions.
Free Software Development
Authors: Elliott Margaret S. , Scacchi Walt
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents an empirical study of a free software development community and how its virtual organizational culture influences its work practices. Results show that beliefs in free software and freedom of choice, and values in cooperative work and community influence work practices and norms. The authors wish to convey the importance of understanding the deeply held beliefs and values of the free software movement by showing how a free software development community uses computer-mediated communication in the form of IRC (instant messaging), mailing lists, and summary digests to mitigate and resolve conflicts, build a community, reinforce beliefs, and facilitate teamwork. Results are intended to assist future contributors and managers of free/open source software development projects in understanding the social world surrounding free/open source software development.
Economic Issues in Advertising via E-Mail
Authors: Gopal Ram D. , Tripathi Arvind K. , Walter Zhiping D.
Published: May 2011

By any measure, e-mail turns out to be one of most effective and useful features offered by the Internet. However, by providing an unprecedented level of personalized communication opportunities, e-mail has also become a favorite tool for commercial advertising which has led to the problem of unsolicited commercial e-mailing (UCE). Popular press is full of articles outlining that businesses spend billions of dollars every year to combat UCE (also termed as “spam” in literature). This chapter looks at the issues in e-mail advertising via a business model termed as Admediation which facilitates e-mail advertising. Admediary is a trusted third party that facilitates a mutually desirable communication between buyers and sellers via e-mail and operates under “opt-in” mode, which is widely supported by consumer advocacy groups. At the end we summarize the viability of Admediation and its impact on e-mail advertising.
A Service-Oriented Component Modeling Approach
Authors: Stojanovic Zoran , Dahanayake Ajantha , Sol Henk
Published: May 2011

Although implementation technology and standards for Component-Based Development (CBD) and Web services are nowadays widely used in enterprise system development, there is a strong need for truly component-oriented modeling methods. CBD methods proposed so far do not provide a necessary support for modeling various component and service concepts throughout a development life cycle. They mainly follow a bottom-up approach by treating components as implementation level artifacts for packaging software code. However, the component can be much more useful if it is treated as a building block of the logical system architecture. This chapter presents a service-oriented component modeling approach focused on the concepts of component and service as the main modeling and design artifacts. The approach provides a paradigm shift from components as objects to components as service managers. The approach is business-driven, flexible, and agile, providing an effective business/IT alignment in a component- and service-oriented manner.
Organizational Knowledge Sharing in ERP Implementations
Authors: Jones Mary C. , Price R.L.
Published: May 2011

This study examines organizational knowledge sharing in enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation. Knowledge sharing in ERP implementation is somewhat unique because ERP requires end users to have more divergent knowledge than is required in the use of traditional systems. Because of the length of time and commitment that ERP implementation requires, end users are also often more involved in ERP implementations than they are in more traditional ERP implementations. They must understand how their tasks fit into the overall process, and they must understand how their process fits with other organizational processes. Knowledge sharing among organizational members is one critical piece of ERP implementation, yet it is challenging to achieve. There is often a large gap in knowledge among ERP implementation personnel, and people do not easily share what they know. This study presents findings about organizational knowledge sharing during ERP implementation in three firms. Data were collected through interviews using a multi-site case study methodology. Findings are analyzed in an effort to provide a basis on which practitioners can more effectively facilitate knowledge sharing during ERP implementation.
Collaborative Commerce
Authors: Li Eldon Y. , Du Timon C.
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces collaborative commerce as a means of integrating information technologies into e-business adoption. It explains how companies use information technology to achieve a closer integration and a better management of business relationships among business partners, including internal personnel, business partners, and customers. In this chapter, collaborative commerce is defined as (1) a collaborative technology, similar to workflow collaboration; (2) a customer-driven technology, similar to a pull-type supply chain; (3) a functionally integrated technology, similar to concurrent engineering; and (4) a business-driven technology, similar to enterprise resource planning, for cross-organisational integration. The authors hope that understanding the characteristics and infrastructures of collaborative commerce can improve the adoption of the technologies.
Networked Collaborative E-Learning
Authors: McConnell David
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces networked collaborative e-learning as a specific model of e-learning. It argues that any e-learning event or course is underpinned by a set of educational values which determine the design of that event, and that networked collaborative e-learning is underpinned by a belief that e-learning communities and identity formation are central features of this form of learning. The author believes that an understanding of the educational benefits and theoretical constructs of this form of learning will inform our practice of e-learning and point to new areas of research in this new and emerging field.
Spatial Joins
Authors: Mamoulis Nikos , Theodoridis Yannis , Papadias Dimitris
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes algorithms, cost models and optimization techniques for spatial joins. Joins are among the most common queries in Spatial Database Management Systems. Due to their importance and high processing cost, a number of algorithms have been proposed covering all possible cases of indexed and non-indexed inputs. We first describe some popular methods for processing binary spatial joins and provide models for selectivity and cost estimation. Then, we discuss evaluation of multiway spatial joins by integrating binary algorithms and synchronous tree traversal. Going one step further, we show how analytical models can be used to combine the various join operators in optimal evaluation plans. The chapter can serve as a comprehensive reference text to the researcher who wants to learn about this important spatial query operator and to the developer who wants to include spatial query processing modules in a Database System.
Principles of Educational Software Design
Authors: Dagdilelis Vassilios
Published: May 2011

Despite the generalized use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in teaching, their educational applications have not yet been standardized: a general consensus does not exist on how ICT can be applied to teaching nor on how educational software must be constructed. In this chapter, it is argued in favor of educational software construction being guided by a didactic problematique. In this framework we consider as a promising software category mindtools and, in particular, the so-called open microworlds. Their design must be guided by a number of principles: the tool logique, the multiple interface and the multiple representations principles. In this chapter, a detailed critique of these principles is also presented.
Multiple Representations in Multimedia Materials
Authors: Sankey Michael
Published: May 2011

The movement toward utilising multimedia learning environments in teaching has increased dramatically in recent years.  This chapter reports on current research trends relevant to the development of these environments. Specifically analyzing issues related to designing for an ever increasing multiliterate clientele. It highlights the use of multiple representations and investigates some cognitive constraints present when displaying this information.  Lastly, when learners are given a level of choice in accessing materials they may be further empowered in their knowledge acquisition. An understanding of these basic concepts will play an important role in our approach to Instructional Design. Therefore a set of recommendations is made for the design of these materials.
Cognitive Skill Compatibilities in Web-Based Educational Systems
Authors: McKay Elspeth
Published: May 2011

This chapter represents a discussion on the interactivity of how people think and react to instructional materials in general, in the light of how this interaction may be affected by multimedia. Grounded in instructional design, where first principles take a fine grained approach to identify the learning/instructional context; this chapter provides an explanation of the differing terminology used by people when referring to multimedia instruction. A Meta-Knowledge Processing Model is proposed as a courseware designing tool. Several controversial issues that surround learning with multimedia are exposed. More work is needed to unlock the mysteries that surround multimodal instructional strategy development.
Multimedia Learning Designs
Authors: Keppell Mike , Gunn Jane , Hegarty Kelsey , O’Conner Vivienne , Kerse Ngaire , Kan Karen , Messer Louise B.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the learning design of two multimedia modules which complement a problem-based learning health sciences curriculum. The use of student-centered, authentic learning design frameworks guide academics and instructional designers in the creative pedagogical design of learning resources. The chapter describes the educational context, learning design of two multimedia modules and suggests a number of strategies for improving the design and development of multimedia resources.
An Empirical Comparison of Collective Causal Mapping Approaches
Authors: Vo Huy V. , Poole Marshall Scott , Courtney James F.
Published: May 2011

Recently, capturing and evaluating group causal maps has come to attention of IS researchers (Tegarden and Sheetz, 2003; Lee, Courtney & O’Keefe, 1992; Vennix, 1996; Kwahk and Kim, 1999). This chapter summarizes two studies that formally compare three approaches to building collective maps: aggregate mapping, congregate mapping, and workshop mapping. We first provide a conceptual comparison of the three methods. Then we empirically compare models derived with the three methods using both objective and subjective measures. The results suggest that the aggregate method performs best at the group level, whereas the congregate method performs best at the organizational level. The results also indicate that the workshop method was best at promoting knowledge sharing. These studies suggest that the workshop method can be used in combination with aggregate mapping or congregate mapping methods to improve the collective mapping process.
Using Causal Mapping to Uncover Cognitive Diversity within a Top Management Team
Authors: Tegarden David P. , Tegarden Linda F. , Sheetz Steven D.
Published: May 2011

The cognitive diversity of top management teams has been shown to affect the performance of a firm. In some cases, cognitive diversity has been shown to improve firm performance, in other cases, it has worsened firm performance. Either way, it is useful to understand the cognitive diversity of a top management team. However, most approaches to measure cognitive diversity never attempt to open the “black box” to understand what makes up the cognitive diversity of the team. This research reports on an approach that identifies diverse belief structures, i.e., cognitive factions, through the use of causal mapping and cluster analysis. The results show that the use of causal mapping provides an efficient and effective way to identify idiosyncratic and shared knowledge among members of a top management team. This approach allows the cognitive diversity of the top management team to not only to be uncovered, but also to be understood.
Geographic Information Systems in Heath Care Services
Authors: Hilton Brian N. , Horon Thomas A. , Tulu Bengisu
Published: May 2011

Geographic information systems (GIS) have numerous applications in human health. This chapter opens with a brief discussion of the three dimensions of decision-making in organizations — operational control, management control, and strategic planning. These dimensions are then discussed in terms of three case studies: a practice-improvement case study under operational control, a service-planning case study under management control, and a research case study under strategic planning. The discussion proceeds with an analysis of GIS contributions to three health care applications: medical/disability services (operational control/practice), emergency response (management control/planning), and infectious disease/SARS (strategic planning/research). The chapter concludes with a cross-case synthesis and discussion of how GIS could be integrated into health care management through Spatial Decision Support Systems and presents three keys issues to consider regarding the management of organizations: Data Integration for Operational Control, Planning Interorganizational Systems for Management Control, and Design Research for Strategic Planning.