bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Communities and New Community Networks
Authors: Schuler Doug
Published: May 2011

Global forces—economic, political and technological — threaten communities in many ways. On the one hand, citizens may feel like they’re part of an undifferentiated crowd with no personal identity. On the other hand, they may feel isolated and alone, disconnected from the human community. In either case, people—especially those with fewer economic resources—feel that they have little control over their future. The consequences of powerlessness, real or perceived, transcend the individual; society as a whole suffers, for it is deprived of social intelligence and energy which could be tapped for the amelioration of social and other problems. As a matter of fact, many of this century’s most pressing issues—the environment, women’s issues, sexual identity, and others—have been brought to the fore through the efforts of citizens (Habermas, 1996). Disempowering the individual and the community was probably not part of a master plan any more than degrading the environment was. Yet in many ways this is what has happened. Rebuilding the community—like cleaning up toxic dumps or reclaiming buried streams—will be a long process that will require diligence and patience. Rebuilding—and redefining—the community, therefore, is not optional, nor is it a luxury. It is at the core of our humanity; rebuilding it is our most pressing concern. Geographically based communities are a natural focus for addressing many of today’s problems. For one thing, many current problems—poverty, crime, unemployment, drug use, and many others—are concentrated in geographic communities. These problems are manifest in the community and are best examined and addressed by the community. Communities are also a familiar and natural unit. Smaller units can be clannish, unrepresentative, and powerless, while larger units are often too anonymous and unwieldy. The old concept of community, however, is obsolete in many ways and needs to be updated to meet today’s challenges. The old or “traditional” community was often exclusive, inflexible, isolated, immutable, monolithic, and homogeneous. Moreover, increased mobility coupled with widespread use of communication systems is de-emphasizing geography as the sole orienting factor in a “community.” And, although problems may be manifested in specific geographic communities, the contributing factors of the problem may exist in New York, London, Tokyo, or other nodes in today’s “Network Society” (Castells, 1996). A new community—one that is inclusive, fundamentally devoted to democratic problemsolving, outer-directed as well as inner-directed—needs to be fashioned from the remnants of the old community.
Selected Intellectual Property Issues in Standardization
Authors: Weiss Martin B.H. , Spring Michael B.
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores several issues related to intellectual property in the standardization process. Different intellectual property issues dominate in the three major phases in the life cycle of a standard. In development, where the content of the standard is created, there are issues related to the intellectual property codified in the standard. During distribution, where documentation on the standard is shared with the vendor and user community, there are issues related to the copyright of the document. In implementation, where products and processes based on the standard are brought to market, there are again issues pertaining to the intellectual property in the standard. Many of these issues have implications for policymakers and stakeholders. The implications are considered and the options available to policymakers and stakeholders are enumerated.
Cryptography
Authors: Wolfe Henry B.
Published: May 2011

The protection of information for business or private purposes can be achieved through the careful selection and use of cryptographic tools. Throughout recorded history the art and science of cryptography has been the exclusive domain of government in the form of military and diplomatic use. For the most part the many and varied techniques were used for protecting strategic communications. With the advent of the microcomputer the tools to incorporate some of the complex mathematical tools necessary to provide strong encryption1 became readily available to the public at large. That availability has contributed to the proliferation and use of cryptographic tools that are capable of providing strong encryption to anyone who would care to use them. This important security technique has become the main tool for protecting communications of all kinds and is used throughout the business community. The banking community, for example, is probably one of the largest users of data encryption for the protection of their clients’ financial transactions.
Web-Enabled Technologies Assessment and Management
Authors: Khosrow-Pour Mehdi , Herman Nancy
Published: May 2011

During the past two decades, advances in computer technologies combined with telecommunication technologies have lead to the development of the Internet and its most popular application, the World Wide Web. Like many other technologies, the WWW has not been free of problems and challenges. A Delphi technique was utilized to assess a list of issues identified in the existing literature. In addition to this list, the panel of experts who participated in the Delphi study identified other critical issues and eventually ranked them in their order of priority and importance. The critical issue identified in this study provides closer insights into issues affecting the overall utilization and management of Web-enabled technologies and offers many implications and challenges for businesses, governments, and the user community.
The Five Stages of Customizing Web-Based Mass Information Systems
Authors: Scharl Arno
Published: May 2011

Web-enabled standard software for electronic commerce incorporating adaptive components will reduce the barriers between productive data processing and dispositive data processing like market analysis, Web-tracking, or data warehouses. A conceptual research framework for analyzing the evolution of electronic markets as well as their business ecosystem represents the foundation of a document-oriented modeling technique for analyzing and designing (adaptive) Web-based Mass Information Systems. A Java prototype based on this meta-model is presented which supports cooperative efforts of academic research, IS departments, top-level management, and functional units to map and classify individual and aggregated customer behavior. The symbolic visualization of user clickstreams based on this analysis is intended to streamline the decision processes necessary for implementing, updating and maintaining complex Web-enabled applications.
A Matter of Necessity
Authors: Darbyshire Paul , Wenn Andrew
Published: May 2011

The WWW is a resource of enormous potential for education. The use of this resource for presentation of learning materials is well documented (Alexander 1996; Darbyshire and Wenn 1996; Freeman 1997), but the Web can also provide versatility and be of great benefit to subject administrators. By exploiting the Web’s distributed nature and platform independence, a subject administrator can provide better service to students and at the same time increase the flexibility and efficiency with which some of the more mundane administration tasks are performed. In this chapter, we describe the design and development of a Web Based Learning Administration (WBLA) system initially developed to complement work we began on Web Based Learning (Darbyshire and Wenn 1996a). This project became a matter of necessity because of the multi-campus nature of our university. In the background section, information is given on subject management, Web based administration, Victoria University of Technology and a survey of similar work undertaken by others. A development framework and a model are then discussed. The details of the architecture of the of the WBLA system project we are building and security are discussed in the next section. A detailed description of the system is given and related to the model previously presented. Some responses to a trial of the system are given and future enhancements we envisage are presented in the final section.
Electronic Commerce in Egypt
Authors: Kamel Sherif
Published: May 2011

The information and communication technologies have had remarkable impacts worldwide on the emergence of a number of trends and applications affecting business, the industry and the economy. One of the vastly growing waves in today’s changing environment is electronic commerce. It is directly affecting the way people communicate, interact and do business. Electronic commerce currently represents 2% of the global business transactions but promises to dominate the business environment in the 21st century. The successful presence of electronic commerce through the Internet has helped create low cost and more efficient channels for product and service sales through a more dynamic and interactive venue of opportunities where the world becomes the market place. This chapter reflects on the ways business will be developed and formulated in the 21st century. As the world is converging into a global village where supply and demand interacts across nations and continents, electronic commerce represents an opportunity for many countries around the world. Egypt, one of the rapidly growing economies among the developing world has thoroughly invested in transforming its society to deal with the information-based global market economy of the coming century. Respectively, one of the associated technologies in business development and trading has been electronic commerce. With the introduction of the Internet since 1993 in Egypt, today there are around 250,000 Internet subscribers served by 50 Internet service providers and representing the starting point for a potential electronic commerce community. As the Internet grows in magnitude and capacity, electronic commerce will flourish and will have direct implications on the socioeconomic and business development process in Egypt. This chapter demonstrates Egypt’s vision with regard to electronic commerce and its possible utilization in its developmental and planning processes. Moreover, the chapter will demonstrate the roles of the government, the public and the private sector facing the challenges and opportunities enabled by electronic commerce, and how Egypt places the new enabled information and communication technologies as tools that can help in the nation’s development process.
The Impact of Information Technology on Roles and Role Processes in Small Groups
Authors: Heckman Robert , Maswick Dave , Rodgers Jamie , Ruthen Kevin , Wee Gary
Published: May 2011

In both corporate and academic organizations, collaborative work is frequently accomplished and managed in small work groups. These can take either the form of formal work groups or ad hoc task groups. The formal work group has relatively permanent membership, ongoing tasks, and routinized reporting relationships within the organization. Over time, skills and information of group members become more group-specific and norms more implicit. There is less communication on how to work together and more on the work itself (Finholt, Sproull, and Kiesler, 1990). Some types of work are, however, best performed in ad hoc or quickly formed task groups. According to Finholt, Sproull, and Kiesler (1990), such groups are convened for a particular purpose, consist of members who otherwise would not work together, and disband after completing their assigned task. These task groups permit an organization to respond rapidly to changes in the environment and to non-routine problems by calling on expertise regardless of where it resides in the organization. In higher education, a particular form of ad hoc task group is familiar to many instructors—the student project team. Such teams are commonly formed to allow students to tackle projects that are too big to handle individually, to allow students to teach and learn from one another, and to create opportunities for practicing the intricate dynamics of collaborative work. Given the benefits claimed for ad hoc task groups, it is presumed to be a good thing for students to gain hands-on experience in their function.
The Harvey Project
Authors: Stephenson Robert S.
Published: May 2011

The rise of the Internet has started a knowledge revolution whose extent can only be guessed at. The last revolution of this magnitude, brought on by the printing press, led to the proliferation of books and the rise of the modern university system. If universities are to survive the latest knowledge revolution, they must adapt with unaccustomed speed and learn how to use the Internet for more effective teaching. Most universities adopt a limited approach to building on-line courses. However, many studies have found that merely transplanting materials to the Web does not significantly improve learning (Russell, 1999). In fact, handouts, slides, and viewgraphs that have been “repurposed” for the Web are sometimes derisively referred to as “shovelware” (Fraser, 1999). So while moving existing materials to the Web may increase their accessibility, it will not necessarily improve their effectiveness. The Internet’s real value as a medium and teaching platform is that it makes possible rich, interactive content such as simulations, animations, and 3-D models. These learning objects, or rich content, can significantly enhance learning, especially in the sciences, and can be just as useful inside the classroom as outside. The difficulty is how to create this enhanced content, since the task demands a broad range of technical skills and enormous effort. Besides faculty domain experts and experienced teachers, rich content development typically requires illustrators, Web designers, programmers, instructional designers, testers, and Webmasters. The only way faculty and institutions can meet this challenge is to embrace collaboration more broadly and seriously than they have in the past. One approach is the multi-institutional consortium. Another solution is a collaboration of faculty to build rich content in their discipline. This chapter chronicles an example of the latter sort: a bottom-up, cross-institutional project. For such a grass roots collaboration to succeed, it must recruit many faculty pioneering the use of the Internet in their teaching, as well as artists and technical professionals. It must offer collaborators an incentive to participate, and it must attract not only volunteers, but also institutional and agency funding as well. Finally, as a pioneering project, it must create standards and develop paradigms as it goes. This case study describes a work-in-progress to solve these issues.
A Unifying Translation of Natural Language Patterns to Object and Process Modeling
Authors: Galatescu Alexandra
Published: May 2011

The proposed translation of natural language (NL) patterns to object and process modeling is seen as an alternative to the symbolic notations, textual languages or classical semantic networks, the main representation tools today. Its necessity is motivated by the universality, unifying abilities, natural extensibility, logic and reusability of NL. The translation relies on a formalized, stylized and graphical representation of NL, bridging NL to an integrated view on the object and process modeling. Only the morphological and syntactic knowledge in NL is subject to translation, but the proposed solution anticipates the semantic and logical interpretation of a model. A brief presentation and exemplification of NL patterns in consideration precede the translation.
Metrics for Managing Quality in Information Modeling
Authors: Piattini Mario , Genero Marecela , Calero Coral , Polo Macario , Ruiz Francisco
Published: May 2011

In a global and increasingly competitive market, quality is a critical success factor for all economical and organisational aspects and especially in Information Systems (IS). We can affirm that in the next millennium information quality will be an essential factor for company success in the same way product and service quality have been over the last years. It is essential to tackle the subject of information quality in order to achieve a good IS for the company; this way data become true information and knowledge. Companies must manage information as an important product, capitalise knowledge as a main asset, surviving and prospering in the digital economy (Huang et al., 1998). Improving information quality will enhance client satisfaction and, at the same time, personnel satisfaction, while improving the company as a whole. Unfortunately until a few years ago, quality approaches focused on program quality and disregarded information quality (Sneed and Foshag, 1998). Even in traditional information modeling and database design, quality related aspects have not been incorporated explicitly (Wang and Madnick, 1993). It is time to consider information quality as a main goal to pursue, instead of as a subproduct of information modeling or a database creation processes. Quality in information modelling has traditionally been a poorly understood area. Most of the work done until a few years ago was limited to listing a set of properties or desirable characteristics for conceptual data models and proposing different transformations for improving schema quality (Batini et al., 1992; Reingruber and Gregory, 1994; Boman et al., 1997). Recently, some interesting frameworks have been proposed for addressing quality in information modeling in a more systematic way (Moody and Shanks, 1994; Krogstie et al., 1995; Shanks and Darke, 1997; Moody et al., 1998). However, quality criteria alone are not enough to ensure the quality in practice because people will generally make different interpretations of the same concept. According to the Total Quality Management (TQM) literature, measurable criteria for assessing quality is necessary to avoid “arguments of style” (Zultner, 1992). Measurement is fundamental in order to apply statistical process control which is one of the key techniques in the TQM approach (Deming, 1986). Measurement is used not only for understanding, controlling, and improving development, but also for determining the best ways to help practitioners and researchers (Schneidewind, 1997). The objective should be to replace intuitive notions of quality in information modeling, with formal, quantitative measures, thus, helping to reduce subjectivity and bias in the evaluation process. In this chapter we will give an overview of the work carried out regarding quality in information modeling, and we will also propose a set of new metrics for evaluating quality in information modeling. Finally, we discuss future and emerging trends in this area and provide some concluding remarks.
HMT
Authors: Zoller Peter
Published: May 2011

Methodologies for modeling hypermedia applications are a comparatively young, but nevertheless very promising area of current research. The rapid change of techniques and standards for the Internet, together with the explosive growth of both number and size of websites, demands a high-level conceptual framework for designing hypermedia systems. However, existing approaches focus only on information presentation, but neglect aspects like interactivity or content adaptation. This chapter presents the Hypermedia Modeling Technique (HMT), a new methodology for designing truly interactive and adaptive hypermedia applications. HMT allows to model sophisticated search interfaces offering interactive query refinement, interfaces for manipulating the underlying data source, and adaptive hypermedia documents. HMT is partly based on the Relationship Management Methodology (RMM), but has been enhanced regarding both design process and data model.
Conceptual Web Site Modeling
Authors: Strauch Bernahrd , Winter Robert
Published: May 2011

Current web site development is still dominated by technical issues. In order to enable efficient communication between developers and to provide a stable foundation for adopting new technologies, conceptual modeling of web sites is essential. Based on the state-of-the-art of conceptual modeling as implemented in current CASE environments, this paper tries to identify the “essence” of a web site and proposes an adequate conceptual model. The model is intended to capture not only hierarchical document structure and hypertext semantics, but also dynamic page generation from databases and various approaches to explicit and implicit navigation. It becomes evident that web sites can be regarded as supersets of traditional information systems, thereby requiring conceptual modeling to include various additional features. The proposed model comprises several classes of information objects, various types of associations, design rules, and quality checks. For illustration purposes, the model is applied to an existing web site. Current web site development tools are analyzed with regard to the extent to which conceptual web site modeling is supported.
Challenges in Managing Information Security in the New Millennium
Authors: Dhillon Gurpreet
Published: May 2011

In the past decade two developments have brought information security management issues to the fore. First has been the increased dependence of organizations on information and communication technologies, not only for key operational purposes but also for gaining strategic advantage. Second, abetted by information and communication technologies, the whole business model for many organizations has been transformed. Whereas in the past companies could rely on confining themselves to a particular geographical area to conduct their business. Today companies are increasingly becoming location independent and are finding themselves to be strategically disadvantaged if they are confined to a particular place. The consequence of advances in information technologies and the changing boundaries of the firm have brought the importance of data and information to the fore. This is because it is information that helps companies realize their objectives and helps managers to take adequate decisions. In the business model of the past, data and information to a large extend was confined to a particular location and it was relatively easy to protect it from falling in the hands of those who should not have it (i.e. maintain confidentiality). Because information was usually processed in a central location, it was also possible to ensure, with a relative degree of certainty, that it’s content and form did not change (i.e. maintain integrity) and ensure that it was readily accessible to authorized personnel (i.e. maintain availability). In fact maintaining confidentiality, integrity and availability were the main tenants for managing security. Today because the nature of the organization and scope of information processing has evolved, managing information security is not just restricted to maintaining confidentiality, integrity and availability.
The Impacts of Telecommuting on Organizations and Individuals
Authors: Pinsonneault Alain , Boisvert Martin
Published: May 2011

Through a review of the literature, this chapter identifies the impacts of telecommuting on organizations and employees and provides recommendations concerning the management of telecommuting. Key success factors of telecommuting programs, such as choosing the right jobs and employees, managerial attitude and expertise, are identified and discussed. Finally, this chapter present several essential steps that organizations should follow when implementing a telecommuting program.
Making Remote Workers Effective
Authors: Staples D. Sandy
Published: May 2011

The use of telecommuting is lower than expected because of manager resistance. This chapter describes research conducted to identify two things: (1) the key issues of working and managing remotely, and (2) the activities that employees and managers should do to increase the effectiveness of remote employees. Three major categories of activities were identified. The first deals with the employee’s ability to carry out the right tasks and the manager’s ability to assess the employee’s effectiveness. The second category reflects the essential role information technology plays in enabling remote work. The third category deals with the employee’s need for advice and support. Suggestions are provided for how organizations can make the activities more common. If organizations do this, the potential of telecommuting and virtual office arrangements will be more fully reached as remote employees become more effective and resistance to these new forms of working decreases.
Web-Based Learning and Instruction
Authors: Morphew Valerie N.
Published: May 2011

The precipitous rise in Web-based education and employee training speaks volumes of technology’s far-reaching potential. While most agree that Web-based instruction can be cost-effective and convenient, few academicians and practitioners have examined the efficacy of Web-based learning in terms of constructivism, the most widely accepted model of learning in education today. The constructivist approach to learning acknowledges that both teacher and student bring prior knowledge to the learning experience. Over time and through interaction with others in the learning environment, the student co-constructs new meaning as a knowledge-building process—piece by piece, new knowledge is built onto former knowledge. This differs from the former notion of learning that considered children as empty vessels waiting to be filled (tabula rasa). While constructivism is widely accepted by educators in theory, it is not always evident in teaching practices, including Web-based instruction. To help academicians and practitioners provide effective constructivist learning experiences for students and employees, the following issues will be addressed:
Implementing Corporate Distance Training Using Change Management, Strategic Planning and Project Management
Authors: Berge Zane L. , Smith Donna L.
Published: May 2011

As businesses expand to become more globally competitive, their needs grow to train geographically dispersed employees in a cost- effective manner. What must businesses do to implement distance education? An important role of the training and performance specialists in business is to help management solve complex problems within an organization. Still, distance education is usually not accomplished by a single group within an organization, nor through a single process. To change the way training is done, performance managers must use what is known about change management, strategic planning and project management in order to successfully implement technology-enhanced learning globally. One of the methods being used increasingly in the workplace is distance training.
Elements of a Successful Distributed Learning Program
Authors: Meyer-Peyton Lore
Published: May 2011

Global connectivity has opened up a new dimension in education, namely, the concept of delivering education via technology to students who may never see their classmates or their instructor face to face. The typical school with its traditional classrooms does not exist in this new scenario, and many of the professionals responsible for developing distributed learning courses are new to the task. This chapter will guide the reader through the process of planning and implementing a distributed learning program. The model for this chapter is the distributed learning program provided by the Department of Defense Education Activity to schools serving the family members of U.S. military personnel at home and abroad. The DoDEA Electronic School (DES) offers sixteen courses to over six hundred students at 56 high schools in fourteen countries, spanning twelve time zones. The program has been in existence for over twelve years, evolving from a two-teacher program to a worldwide school headed by an administrative staff and employing 23 instructors and four technical support staff members. Courses currently available through the DES include seven advanced placement courses (Calculus AB and BC, Physics B, German, United States History, and Computer Science A and AB); five computer programming courses (Pascal I and II, Q-BASIC, Visual BASIC, and C++); economics; health; humanities; and science research seminar. In addition to offering student courses, the DES is in the process of adding an extensive staff development component. With teachers and staff based worldwide, the system can save a significant amount of travel money by providing staff development opportunities that are accessible at the local site. The DoDEA Electronic School grew up with technology. During those first years, students used an acoustic coupler and a telephone to call a central computer in the United States, where they accessed a text based conferencing program to communicate with their classmates and instructors. Today’s DES instructors develop their courses in Lotus Notes, and students can use either the Lotus Notes client or a Web browser. Domino servers at each school send and receive information via the Internet, resulting in efficient transfer of data. In today’s environment, rich with technology but short on hours in the day, there is no time afforded for the luxury of “evolving.” Professionals tasked with developing distributed learning programs for their organizations are given a staff, a budget and a mandate— and certainly a challenge. The goal of this chapter is to help those professionals meet the challenge by examining the key elements of a successful distributed learning program.
Online Teaching and Learning
Authors: Schrum Lynne
Published: May 2011

Today the global education community is faced with a unique problem. Learners in every location must acquire new skills, be literate, and understand constantly changing dynamics. The challenge has always been to balance the need for intense and personal interaction to learn conceptual information with the reality of limited financial resources. Distance education has been viewed as a way in which to offer lifelong learning to those who are geographically separated from traditional institutions, have obligations that limit their ability to attend regular courses or have other exceptional challenges. Distance learning in various forms has been around for a long time. Traditional distance learning environments were based on correspondence through passive media (paper, audio and video broadcast). Now, developments in network and communication technologies have provided the ability to offer online courses to large numbers of individuals. With the changes in electronic communications, and the resulting transformed model of distance learning, individuals expect interactivity and close to “traditional” classroom- based education.
Web-Based Training for the Network Marketing Industry
Authors: Hugli Janet M. , Wright David
Published: May 2011

The Internet is radically changing the way we do business and in the ways we deliver information and training. Companies must use effective methods for distributing information and training materials in a timely manner to ensure their competitive edge. With globalization, dispersed workforces, remote management and an ever increasing information glut, ensuring that employees are properly trained to represent the company and the industry to which they belong becomes on ongoing challenge, if not a nightmare. One industry that is particularly vulnerable to the challenge of providing consistent, high-quality training, is the Network Marketing Industry. This chapter will look at the Network Marketing Industry training requirements in light of the industry needs and available training sources. An assessment of the fit for the inclusion of Web-Based Training (WBT) as a support tool will be made. A global overview of the potential market sizing will be reviewed with a look at future trends and opportunities. The objective of this chapter is to determine the potential fit of WBT for the Network Marketing Industry. More specifically, this chapter will: • Define the training requirements at each stage in the network marketing discovery process. • Compare the current methods being used to offer training. • Highlight deficiencies/opportunities with the current training systems. • Suggest a role for WBT in the Network Marketing Industry. • Calculate the potential market size within the industry. • Highlight the challenges for using WBT in the Network Marketing Industry. • Identify the benefits of WBT for the Network Marketing industry.
Introduction to Strategic Alignment
Authors: Papp Ratmond
Published: May 2011

The concept of strategic alignment is more than two decades old (McLean and Soden, 1977; IBM, 1981; Earl, 1983; Mills, 1986; Brancheau and Wetherbe, 1987; Parker and Benson, 1988; Henderson and Venkatraman, 1990; Dixon and John, 1991; Niederman, et. al., 1991; Watson and Brancheau, 1991; Liebs, 1992; Luftman, Lewis and Oldach, 1993; Goff, 1993), however it has never been more timely than in today’s fast-paced, dynamic business environment (Papp, 1998; Rogers, 1997). The original alignment model was a largely theoretical construct that studied only a single industry (Henderson & Venkatraman, 1990; Henderson & Thomas, 1992) but has since been adapted for use by virtually any industry looking to integrate their business strategies with their information technology strategies (Papp, 1995; Luftman, Papp, & Brier, 1995).
Dimensions of Database Quality
Authors: Hoxmeier John A.
Published: May 2011

Databases are a critical element of virtually all conventional and e-business applications. How does an organization know if the information derived from the database is any good? To ensure a quality database application, should the emphasis during model development be on the application of quality assurance metrics (designing it right)? A large number of database applications fail or are unusable. It is evident that a quality process does not necessarily lead to a usable database product. A database application can also be well-formed with high data quality but lack semantic or cognitive fidelity (the right design). This chapter expands on the growing body of literature in the area of data quality by proposing additions to a hierarchy of database quality dimensions that include model and behavioral factors in addition to process and data factors.
Integrating Hypermedia Functionality into Database Applications
Authors: Bhaumik Anirban , Dixit Deepti , Galnares Roberto , Krishna Aparna , Bieber Michael , Oria Vincent , Alljalad Firas
Published: May 2011

The general goal of our research is to automatically generate links and other hypermedia-related services to analytical applications, such as geographic information systems and decision support systems. Using a dynamic hypermedia engine (DHE), we propose to automate the following features for database systems, both on and off the Web. First, we automatically generate links based on the database’s relational (conceptual) schema and its original (non-normalized) entity-relationship specification. Second, the application developer can specify which kinds of database elements are related to diverse elements in the same or different database application, or even another software system. Our current DHE prototype illustrates these for a relational database management system. We propose integrating data warehousing applications into the DHE. We also propose incorporating data mining as a new kind of automated link generation. Passing the application element selected by a user, a data mining system would discover interesting relationships for that element. DHE would then map each relationship to a link. DHE’s linking is based on the structure of the application, not keyword search or lexical analysis based on the display values within its screens and documents. DHE aims to provide hypermedia functionality without altering applications by building “application wrappers” as an intermediary between the applications and the engine.
Evaluating the Management of Enterprise Systems with the Balanced Scorecard
Authors: Rosemann Michael
Published: May 2011

The management of Enterprise Systems (ES) software consists of two main tasks: the implementation and the use, stabilisation and change of this comprehensive software. The Balanced Scorecard, a framework originally developed in order to structure the performance measurement for an enterprise or a department, can also be used for the evaluation of ES software. Adapting the Balanced Scorecard and adding a new fifth project perspective allows the comprehensive evaluation of Enterprise Systems and represents an alternative IT evaluation approach. It supports the time consuming implementation of enterprise systems as well and the benefits realization stage. Furthermore, the application of the Balanced Scorecard for IT evaluation represents a novel application area for this strategic management concept.
The Cultural Aesthetic of Virtual Reality
Authors: Purser Ron
Published: May 2011

The cultural significance of Virtual Reality (VR) extends far beyond the fact that it is an innovative technological device. Indeed, VR technology is embedded in, and a byproduct of, a much larger social, cultural, and scientific milieu. Changes in tehcnological devices have paralleled the shifts in the way human cultures have ordered and represented their worlds. Historically, the emergence of new technologies often provides the base for profound changes in the structure of the self, as well as radical alterations in the collective field of perception. Donald Lowe (1982), in his study, The History of Bourgeois Perception, argues that perception is shaped by a collective interplay of factors. Communication media, one of the main factors in Lowe’s theory, acts to frame and filter the way we perceive the world. Basing much of his theory on the work of Walter Ong (1988), Lowe traces shifts in culture that correspond to changes in media: from orality to chirography in the Middle Ages; from chirography to typography in the Renaissance; from typography to photography in bourgeois society; and from photography to cinema and television in the modern world.
HCI
Authors: Lapeer Rudy J. , Chios Polydoros , Linney Alf D.
Published: May 2011

The introduction of computerized systems in medicine started more than a decade ago. The first applications were mainly focused on archiving and the general database management of patient records with the aim of building fully- integrated Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and fast transfer of data and images (e.g. PACS - Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) between HIS. In parallel with this more general development, specialized computer systems were built to process and enhance image data from such systems as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scanners. The use of enhanced CT and MRI images led to the birth of Image Guided Surgery (IGS). Other terminology for similar concepts has since been used, e.g. Computer- Assisted Surgery (CAS), Computer Integrated Surgery and Therapy (CIST) (Lavallée et al, 1997) and Computer-Assisted Medical Interventions (CAMI). In this chapter, we shall look mainly at Computer-Assisted Surgery (CAS) systems and related systems which are aimed at the training of surgeons and the simulation and planning of surgical interventions. The emphasis will be on the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) aspect rather than the technological issues of such systems. The latter will be briefly discussed in the next section, to make the reader familiar with the terminology, the history and the current state of the art in CASPIT.
How Are You Going to Keep Them in the Classroom After They've Seen MTV? Online Education in a Virtual World
Authors: Niederman Fred , Rollier Bruce
Published: May 2011

Can technology make education more attainable for those on the lower economic levels? If so, this might raise the standard of living for everyone, not just the poor, because their increased income would enable them to consume more goods and services and share more of the tax load. Can technology make education more available to those who cannot conveniently take classes at a fixed time and place? Can it meet the needs of busy professionals for frequent upgrading of their skills? Is teaching online and at a distance as effective as classroom teaching? Can all students learn through this medium, and if not what type of student can most benefit? Will it meet the needs of the MTV generation, who have become accustomed to acquiring most of their knowledge from a television set? What are the most promising technologies that will improve the effectiveness of distance learning? We will explore these topics in this chapter, commencing with some thoughts about the impact of technology in the learning process.
Meeting Current Challenges for Virtually Collocated Teams
Authors: Mark Gloria
Published: May 2011

The goal of this chapter is to describe certain challenges for teams who engage in virtually collocated work. Numerous challenges face these teams who are expected to perform as physically collocated teams: to provide deliverables, meet project schedules, and to generate feasible and even innovative problem solutions. And yet all this must be done at a distance. Team members stem from different departments, organizations, countries, and sometimes even competitor companies. Sometimes teams meet face-to-face on a regular basis, sometimes rarely, often not at all. How can team members be expected to be motivated to attend meetings, to develop trust, or even to adopt the technology when social pressures from a distance are weak? Even management and technical support for these teams at the local level may also be weak; managers may consider such teams to be a part-time activity, and local sites may lack gurus, champions, or even compatible hardware.
The Search for a New Identity
Authors: Koufaris Marios
Published: May 2011

At its core, the Internet is a communication medium. As such, it can enable social interactions between people in different parts of the world and at different times. The last technological innovation that changed the way we communicate so drastically was the telephone. Its social impact has been dramatic and the Internet is already influencing our lives just as significantly. In this chapter I describe the use of a small part of the Internet by a specific social group. I will discuss the issues surrounding the use of an Internet-based newsgroup dedicated to organ transplantation. My observations will primarily deal with organ transplant recipients and their use of this newsgroup to define a new identity for themselves after the disorienting lifesaving procedure of a foreign organ grafted onto their bodies.
Effect of Hypertext and Animation on Learning
Authors: Guru Ashu , Nah Fui Hoon (Fiona)
Published: May 2011

The availability of hypertext and animation has a promising impact on education. With an increasing number of online courses and degrees offered through the Internet and a rapidly increasing enrollment in such courses, it is important to assess and understand how the use of Web-based features can affect or contribute toward learning. In this research, we propose a model to study the effect of hypertext and animation on online learning.
Factors Influencing Marketing Performance on the Web
Authors: Ranchhod Ashok , Tinson Julie , Zhou Fan
Published: May 2011

Despite the current development of Internet marketing, understanding the effective use of the Internet still poses problems for academic researchers and marketers (Kassaye, 1999). This research attempts to empirically explore some aspects of the factors influencing commercial company Internet and Web development. The key factors considered for company Internet and Web site development are technology capacity, the use of different developers, company on-line measurement patterns and marketing executives’ Web site knowledge. As a result of a cross-sectional comparative study of ‘effective’ and ‘ineffective’ companies, the findings indicate that companies with better performance from Web sites tend to possess higher technological capabilities for Internet-based marketing. It seems that their marketing executives have more knowledge of technical aspects of Web site development. They tend to be early Internet adopters using a multiple approach to measure their on-line performance. These results help to improve general understanding of company effectiveness in developing on-line marketing strategies.
Investigating Social Motivations for Internet Use
Authors: Stafford Thomas F. , Stafford Marla Royne
Published: May 2011

The uses and gratifications theoretical framework has continued to prove useful in the study of new and emerging media. This chapter utilizes the uses and gratifications perspective to better understand the factors motivating commercial Web site use. Through the cooperation of two major on-line companies, this research reports the results of a two-part study that begins with the identification of 179 motivations for Web use and subsequently reduces those to five primary underlying factors. These factors are discussed and related to three key indicators: frequency of Web use, frequency of computer use, and affinity with the computer. Implications for a third general media gratification beyond the basic gratifications of content and process are discussed, and directions for future research are proposed.
The Theory Behind the Role of Leverage and the Strategic Alignment of Organisations while Creating New Markets (Internet Marketing and E-Commerce)
Authors: Lubbe S. I.
Published: May 2011

This chapter will use the interpretive approach to research as an alternative to the more traditional positivist approach. By using the interpretive approach this chapter refers to such procedures as those associated with inferential statistics, hermeneutics, and phenomenology. The framework proposed is to formulate a specific goal (the Internet, e-commerce and Internet marketing), subject to certain constraints. This approach will call for the active role of people in strengthening a truly collaborative research effort to maintain a peaceful coexistence between all the boundaries. Behaviours such as pointlessness, absurdness or confusion can play a role during the alignment of the strategies in the organization. The phenomenological approach will therefore help with the validity of the interpretation that this chapter will conduct.
Beyond CPMs and Clickthroughs
Authors: Chatterjee Patrali
Published: May 2011

Measuring effectiveness of online ads is of critical importance to the survival of the Web as an advertiser-supported medium. Present efforts in measuring performance of Web ads are concentrated on adapting measures used in traditional media to the online medium. However these measures do not take into account the unique interactive characteristics of the medium and the differences in how consumers process advertising stimuli on the Web. Further, ad processing and performance measurement capabilities differ across various advertising formats on the Web. This research proposes a framework to investigate how consumers interact with different advertising formats on the Web and identify metrics that reflect how effectively the ad is processed.
LXS Ltd. Meets Tight System Development Deadlines via the St. Lucia Connection
Authors: Howard Geoffrey S.
Published: May 2011

LXS Ltd., a Toronto software house, has identified high market demand for their proposed new product called Estitherm, a Web-based software tool that supports heat loss calculations for architectural engineers designing structures. Estitherm’s development requires sophisticated Java programming skills, however, and the project stalls when LXS is unable to hire enough additional programmers to be able to meet the development deadlines dictated by competition. Through lucky coincidence, LXS’ Chief Scientist stumbles onto a pool of Java talent while vacationing on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Negotiations follow, a contract is signed and the project is quickly brought to successful completion with the aid of Caribbean programmers, working via the Internet. Similar contract arrangements hold the promise for improved economic conditions in Caribbean nations and can reduce software backlogs for companies in developed nations, but better mechanisms are needed to bring together buyers and sellers of IT services.