bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Remote Sensing Based Calibration Framework for the MOLAND Urban Growth Model of Dublin
Authors: Van de Voorde Tim , van der Kwast Johannes , Canters Frank , Engelen Guy , Binard Marc , Cornet Yves , Uljee Inge
Published: December 2012

Land-use change models are useful tools for assessing and comparing the environmental impact of alternative policy scenarios. Their increasing popularity as spatial planning instruments also poses new scientific challenges, such as correctly calibrating the model. The challenge in model calibration is twofold: obtaining a reliable and consistent time series of land-use information and finding suitable measures to compare model output to reality. Both of these issues are addressed in this paper. The authors propose a model calibration framework that is supported by information on urban form and function derived from medium-resolution remote sensing data through newly developed spatial metrics. The remote sensing derived maps are compared to model output of the same date for two model scenarios using well-known spatial metrics. Results demonstrate a good resemblance between the simulation output and the remote sensing derived maps.
Forecasting High Correlation Transition of Agricultural Landscapes into Urban Areas
Authors: Martellozzo Federico
Published: December 2012

One of the most critical challenges modern society is facing deals with the uncontrolled spread of urban environment among surrounding natural environments, with agricultural and wild landscapes being the ones that suffer the effects of urban and suburban pressure (Ewing, 1994). This phenomenon known as urban sprawl is controversial because even if its conceptually well known there is not a universally shared definition of causes and consequences (Brueckner, 2002). The main aim of this research is to develop a methodology to successfully investigate the evolution trend of sprawl on a specific case study and to get empirical evidences of the tight correlation between urban growth and loss of agricultural and natural lands over time. The research is developed in two phases: the diachronic analysis of landcover changes occurred in the recent past through the use of satellite imagery; the forecast of possible landcover scenarios through the use of cellular automata model. Combining the results obtained in the two phases will build up a longer time span on which investigate the phenomena previously described.
Service Path Attribution Networks (SPANs)
Authors: Johnson Gary W. , Bagstad Kenneth J. , Snapp Robert R. , Villa Ferdinando
Published: December 2012

Ecosystem services are the effects on human well-being of the flow of benefits from ecosystems to people over given extents of space and time. The Service Path Attribution Network (SPAN) model provides a spatial framework for determining the topology and strength of these flows and identifies the human and ecological features which give rise to them. As an aid to decision-making, this approach discovers dependencies between provision and usage endpoints, spatial competition among users for scarce resources, and areas of highest likely impact on ecosystem service flows. Particularly novel is the model’s ability to quantify services provided by the absence of a flow. SPAN models have been developed for a number of services (scenic views, proximity to open space, carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, nutrient cycling, and avoided sedimentation/deposition), which vary in scale of effect, mechanism of provision and use, and type of flow. Results using real world data are shown for the US Puget Sound region.
The Evidence of Links between Landscape and Economy in a Rural Park
Authors: Perchinunno Paola , Rotondo Francesco , Torre Carmelo Maria
Published: December 2012

This paper verifies the existence of relationships between specific features of the agrarian landscape of ancient olive trees in the park territory of six municipalities in the Region of Puglia, Italy, and the economic activity of the areas concerned. This has the scope of exploring developmental opportunities, whether already put into place, or potentially active. It develops and verifies theoretical approaches and empirical experiences which propose processes of territorial exploitation and local development as pathways for the identification and utilization of both the differences and distinctive characteristics of the territory itself, toward the creation of a “value added territory” as the basis for development. Agriculture tends to be presented in terms of the “care and culture” of the territory: not only the appropriate production of primary goods, ecological and locally characterized but also the contextualized production of land and environment. In this paper, the authors use the concept of the park from the perspective of innovation: no longer referring to the concept of environmental protection and preservation as a defensive action, but creating a synthesis between the productive enhancement of open spaces alongside the upgrading of environmental systems, the built environment and environmental, and cultural development.
Genetic Algorithm Approach to a Multiobjective Land Allocation Model
Authors: Annepu Gopi , Subbaiah K. Venkata , Kandukuri N. R.
Published: December 2012

Optimal land allocation plays a vital role for the development of agriculture sector. Development toward optimal utilization of land under cultivation and increasing the production of crops and profit with less fertilizer consumption must be taken into consideration in agriculture planning. In this paper, a weighted additive model is formulated with net profit, production of crops, and fertilizer consumption as objectives and availability of cultivable land, agriculture labour, agriculture machinery, and water as constraints for optimal land allocation. Weighted additive model takes care of relative priority of objectives laid by the agriculture planners. To illustrate the model, a case study of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India is presented. The results of GA approach are compared with LINGO solver and observed that there is an improvement in the utilization of land.
TVAL-Farm
Authors: Rex Art , Mathews Leah Greden , Lancaster Anne
Published: December 2012

The Total Value Assessment Tool for Farmland (TVAL-Farm) is a tool which incorporates scenic quality and cultural heritage elements to create an enhanced Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) model. The enhancement of the LESA model provides insight and a framework on how to collect and incorporate qualitative public values within the quantitative environment of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Inclusion of these public values is essential for holistically valuing land parcels and using LESA to make land protection decisions.
The Spatially Interactive Literature Analysis System Study Tool
Authors: Moore Alyssa K. , Larsen Lillian I. , Sinton Diana Stuart
Published: December 2012

The integration of spatial technologies with humanistic approaches to scholarship is expanding and creating new opportunities and challenges for students. Documenting information about source material is a fundamental step of the historical research process. Traditional geospatial data documentation is maintained within standardized metadata forms, but these are not well suited for documenting historical sources and are cumbersome for people new to GIS and metadata. The Spatially Interactive Literature Analysis System Study Tool (SILAS.ST) addresses this and other usage issues for students in undergraduate humanities courses. Through customized toolbars and map templates designed to be used with Esri software, SILAS.ST lowers the barriers to understanding the parameters of spatial datasets while at the same time models the processes of historical inquiry, documentation, and communication of research results. The use of natural language and focused prompts help students begin to understand complex mapping topics such as authorship, relevance, purpose, and uncertainty. This prototype tool aids in the introduction of digital mapping technologies to humanities students.
Performance Studies on Campus-Wide Focus on FTP, Video and VoIP Ethernet Network
Authors: Sarkar Nuru I. , Nisar Kashif , Babbage Layangi
Published: December 2012

The Advanced Network Technologies is research that investigates technology(s) behind today’s modern networks and network infrastructures. One part of this technology being Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). A technology commonly in place in networks all around the world today. This paper focuses on ATM. Dubbed “Modelling and Performance Studies of ATM Networks”; this research seeks to look at and into the “impact of application segment length on the performance of an ATM network” and the “impact of traffic type data on the performance of an ATM network”. To be able to examine an ATM network, the authors need to be able to simulate a network. Thus, for this research, they have used the OPNET Modeler 14.0 Simulation software to create a network model that represents a ATM network. By actually simulating an ATM network at AUT University New Zealand, the authors can therefore change certain variables, and observe the effects the changes have on performance. As stated, one of the impacts that will be explored is the effect that application segment length has on an ATM network. Thus, one variable that will be changed in the authors’ simulation is the segment length. This is the length of each packet segment that is sent through the network for a particular traffic type. The second impact to be inspected is the impact of different traffic types on an ATM network. This network model is based on a campus network. An Application Configuration is setup with default parameters which specify 8 common applications used. Among them the ones that the authors will focus on are VOIP, Video and FTP. A Profile Configuration is setup that will define the 3 applications stated above. A fixed node model of 100BaseT will specify the profile configuration for each scenario and the number of work stations of each scenario.
Simulating UAV Surveillance for Analyzing Impact of Commitments in Multi-Agent Systems
Authors: Han David C. , Barber Suzanne K.
Published: December 2012

Autonomous agents, by definition, have the freedom to make their own decisions. Rational agents execute actions that are in their “best interests” according to their desires. Action selection is complicated due to uncertainty when operating in a dynamic environment or where other agents can also influence the environment. This paper presents an action selection framework and algorithms that are rational with respect to multiple desires and responsive to changing desires. Coordination is layered on top of this framework by describing and analyzing how commitments affect the agents’ desires in their action selection models. Commitments may have a positive or a negative effect on an agent’s ability to satisfy its desires. This research uses simulation in the domain of UAV surveillance to experimentally explore the balance between under-commitment and over-commitment.
An Agent-Based Simulation of Smart Metering Technology Adoption
Authors: Zhang Tao , Nuttall William J.
Published: December 2012

Based on the classic behavioural theory the “Theory of Planned Behaviour,” the authors have developed an agent-based model to simulate the diffusion of smart metering technology in the electricity market. The authors simulate the emergent adoption of smart metering technology under different management strategies and economic regulations. Their research results show that in terms of boosting the take-off of smart meters in the UK electricity market, choosing the initial users on a random and geographically dispersed basis and encouraging meter competition between energy suppliers can be two effective strategies. The authors also observe an “S-curve” diffusion of smart metering technology and a “lock-in” effect in the model. The research results provide users with insights as to effective policies and strategies for the roll-out of smart meters in the UK electricity market.
Adaptive Collaboration Based on the E-CARGO Model
Authors: Zhu Haibin , Hou Ming , Zhou Mengchu
Published: December 2012

Adaptive Collaboration (AC) is essential for maintaining optimal team performance on collaborative tasks. However, little research has discussed AC in multi-agent systems. This paper introduces AC within the context of solving real-world team performance problems using computer-based algorithms. Based on the authors’ previous work on the Environment-Class, Agent, Role, Group, and Object (E-CARGO) model, a theoretical foundation for AC using a simplified model of role-based collaboration (RBC) is proposed. Several parameters that affect team performance are defined and integrated into a theorem, which showed that dynamic role assignment yields better performance than static role assignment. The benefits of implementing AC are further proven by simulating a “future battlefield” of remotely-controlled robotic vehicles; in this scenario, team performance clearly benefits from shifting vehicles (or roles) using a single controller. Related research is also discussed for future studies.
Impact of Applying Aggregate Query Processing in Mobile Commerce
Authors: Lim Say Ying , Wong Siew Fan
Published: December 2012

With the increased usage of mobile devices, society is seeing more and more users doing transactions wirelessly. Often, data from a single server may not be sufficient. Rather, data may need to be manipulated and to be gathered from multiple remote servers before useful information can be formed. Mobile transactions are constrained by small screen size of mobile devices, high communication cost, and high memory consumption. Existing techniques from traditional query processing in distributed environments cannot be directly applied to mobile environments. In this paper, the authors propose techniques for processing mobile queries that address the issue of high memory consumption. A set of walkthrough examples was provided and performances of various techniques were examined. The results show that the technique of first downloading primary keys only from one server and then sending a query to the second server using these primary keys before processing for qualified match in the second server gives the best performance.
Implementing Collaborative Process Management
Authors: Leser Florian , Alt Rainer , Osterle Hubert
Published: December 2012

Businesses often do not succeed with the implementation of collaborative processes, and research has not provided adequate help. The article provides a concept for services and standards to implement collaborative processes and describes experiences from a successful solution. The case of Net-Tech’s Elex analyzes how Net-Tech realized a collaborative process management for its manufacturing operations. The case study shows a concept for implementing collaborative processes as well as its implementation as a “proof by demonstration.” Even if the solution has proven to implement collaborative processes in a network of more than 50 partners in high-tech industry, more research is required toward generalization. Business managers might use the concept of the services and standards at Elex and the experiences of Net-Tech as guidelines when they are in a situation to decide on the implementation of collaborative processes.
Teachers’ Decisions to Use ICT in Classroom Practice
Authors: Atsoglou Kanella , Jimoyiannis Athanassios
Published: December 2012

Presented are reports on a pilot study investigating Greek secondary education teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards current use of ICT as a learning tool in their classroom practice and the possible factors that influence their decisions to integrate ICT in their instruction. The survey presented has adopted the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) with certain modifications a) to assess teachers’ beliefs of the potential of ICT to support classroom learning activities, and b) to better understand teachers’ decisions to adopt ICT as learning tool in classroom practice. A Likert-type scale was constructed to investigate the DTPB variables and other factors related to the use of ICT in the classroom. Results indicated that although teachers were aware of the benefits of ICT to promote students’ learning they do not integrate ICT as a learning tool in their regular, everyday teaching practices. Primary factors determining the use of ICT in classroom practice relate to facilitating conditions in the schools and teachers’ self-efficacy. On the other hand, perceived usefulness of ICT, perceived ease of use, compatibility and normative beliefs seem to have minor impact on teachers’ actual usage of ICT in classroom settings.
Framework for Modelling the Decision
Authors: Perales D. David Pérez , Esteban Francisco-Cruz Lario , Díaz Ma Mar Eva Alemany , Hernández Jorge E.
Published: December 2012

In the supply chains operations planning context, and from a research viewpoint, it has been mainly assumed that different supply chain members make decisions in a centralised manner (one decision centre). However, reality shows that this is not the most usual situation, rather distributed supply chain decision making is. This paper proposes a framework to support modelling the decisional view of collaborative planning from a decision-making process perspective for both centralised and distributed situations. Along these lines, the framework assumes that the supply chain may be composed of one or several decision centres which aim to support every supply chain planning operation. Therefore, the main framework contributions are: consideration of decisions jointly with physical, organisation and information views; the spatial and temporal integration among the different supply chain decision centres; the definition of the macro level for “conceptually” modelling the collaborative planning process and the micro level for developing analytical models in all the decisional activities identified in the supply chains operations planning process. Finally, a brief overview of a real case application is also described.
Role of Subjective Norms and Perceived Behavioral Control of Tax Payers in Acceptance of E-Tax Payment System
Authors: Keramati Abbas , Sharif H. Javadi , Azad Naser , Soofifard Rahman
Published: December 2012

Organizations have found that traditional ways of business respond no longer to new environmental conditions and have decided to put aside their traditional ways by capitalizing on new opportunities resulting from growth and development of information technology, reconsider their activities and design them efficiently. The law of value added tax (VAT) after being passed from 23 September 2008 and by utilizing capabilities of information and communication technology (ICT), by establishing internet system for carrying out electronic interactions between citizens (taxpayers of this tax system) and the Government has been implemented. One serious challenge facing these organizations is awareness of factors that play an effective role in acceptance of users of these systems. Using inferential statistical methods and by collecting questionnaire information in a sample comprising 299 tax payer (users of first stage of VAT system in Islamic Republic of Iran, Markazi province) which forms statistical society of this study and by employing mental norms factors and perceived behavioral control from theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study determines acceptance factors of this system on the part of users. Results from analysis of data in determining degree of significance level and Spearman Correlation Coefficient to test the hypotheses, factors of External Influence, Interpersonal Influence, Self-Efficacy, and facilitating Condition, are identified.
E-Marketplace Emergence
Authors: Movahedi Bahar Miri , Lavassani Kayvan Miri , Kumar Vinod
Published: December 2012

The present paper provides a comprehensive multi-dimensional classification of Electronic Marketplaces (EM). The paper opens the discussion by investigating the early utilizations of the concept of EM and makes some original references to the early uses of the technology in marketplaces. After an in-depth analysis of the concept of EM, the developments and application of the EM as an intra- and inter-organizational electronic platform is explicitly described. Finally, a comprehensive classification of EMs is presented followed by a discussion of future trends in study and utilization of EMs.
The Role of Extrinsic Cues in Consumer Decision Process in Online Shopping Environments
Authors: Ranganathan C.
Published: December 2012

Online merchants must learn how to compensate for the absence of a physical environment by using distinct cues in the form of site features, functionalities, and utilities to enhance online purchase intentions in the minds of consumers. Drawing on the cue-utilization research in marketing, the author extends the notion of extrinsic cues to online consumer decisions. In this research, the author explores the existence, relative importance, and salience of extrinsic cues in online consumer decision processes. Using a sample of 205 online shoppers, the author finds that web interface cues, transaction cues, and vendor image cues are important predictors of online purchase intentions. This paper also examines the individual effects of specific cues to assess the relative importance of these cues. The findings indicate that security-related cues have relatively higher positive association compared with other cues. Though nice site layout and design emerge as significant cues, information content and vendor image have greater positive association with online purchase intentions.
Citizens Collaboration and Co-Creation in Public Service Delivery
Authors: Kokkinakos Panagiotis , Koussouris Sotirios , Panopoulos Dimitrios , Askounis Dimitrios , Ramfos Antonis , Georgousopoulos Christos , Wittern Erik
Published: December 2012

Governments are striving to deliver more efficient and effective public services in order to achieve better public service quality, with reduced waiting times, improved cost effectiveness, higher productivity and more transparency. It’s an issue of doing things in new ways that requires fundamental change in the provision of public services in the future and a complete new approach for Governments to work and interact with their citizens. Currently, Societies witness more than ever that Web 2.0 and social media in particular, constitute the emerging, if not already established, mass collaboration and cooperation platform between citizens and administrations, as the latter have started to realise the benefits of such applications. The COCKPIT project builds on these developments and based on a highly synergetic approach aims to define a new Governance model for the next generation public service delivery, by combining various research areas.
Participative Public Policy Making Through Multiple Social Media Platforms Utilization
Authors: Charalabidis Yannis , Loukis Euripidis
Published: December 2012

Described is the research concerning the systematic, intensive and centralized web 2.0 social media exploitation by government agencies for widening and enhancing participative public policy making, which is conducted as part of the research project PADGETS (‘Policy Gadgets Mashing Underlying Group Knowledge in Web 2.0 Media’) partially funded by the European Commission. The proposed approach is based on a central system, which publishes various types of policy-related content (e.g., short text long text, images, video) and micro-applications in multiple social media simultaneously, and also collects from them and processes data on citizens’ interactions (e.g., views, comments, ratings, votes, etc.). Posing difficult research questions and challenges, both technical (analysis and exploitation of social media application programming interfaces (APIs), appropriate design of the central system architecture, processing and integrating the large amounts of collected citizens’ interaction data) and also non-technical (investigation of the value generated by this approach, preconditions for its effective application by government agencies), which are researched in the above project. Some first findings on them are presented and discussed.
The Role of Politics in Telecentres
Authors: Braathen Einar , Attwood Heidi , May Julian
Published: December 2012

What has been the role of politics within and around the community telecentres (TCs)? The background is the depoliticized international discourse that has accompanied ICT4D policies. The focus is on multi-purpose TCs run by non-governmental organizations, equipped with computers and internet connectivity, tasked to implement public ICT-to-the-poor policies. Specifically, the article discusses the differences of technical-social functionality of such TCs within the same country and policy context. The assumption is that empowerment, particularly of the local operating organization and its personnel, is a key factor. The strategy is to combine stakeholder and power analysis to assess the extent of empowerment by exploring a multi-dimensional framework for understanding power relations. Four TCs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were studied over a two-year period of repeated visits of intensive fieldwork of participatory observation and interviews. The research found that big differences existed between the TCs in terms of empowerment. Changes in power relations are necessary, although not sufficient, conditions for a community TC to function in the way desired. Moreover, three stages of empowerment are suggested, highlighting the Operating Organization, the TC manager/staff and the TC users, respectively. The article concludes by reflecting on the analytical-theoretical framework for power relations.
The Effect of Politics on ICT4D
Authors: Takavarasha Sam , Makumbe John
Published: December 2012

Zimbabwe is the best contemporary example of how politics can affect economic development. Equally as significant, and yet under studied, is the effect of politics on Information and Communication Technologies for development (ICT4D). In this case study of government of Zimbabwe’s five year battle to prevent Econet Wireless from operating a mobile phone network, the authors present the fear for the conviviality of ICTs as a reason why dictatorial states often restrict free use of ICTs and how this can inhibit its role in fostering development. Using a combination of aspects of Thomas Hobbes’ political theory and Sen’s capability approach the authors show how passions like fear for the power of ICTs in private hands and the appetite for proceeds from the telecoms sector fuelled a five year legal battle that was eventually won by Econet. A framework for assessing the motives behind restrictive political action and the concomitant erosion of political freedoms which inhibits free ICT use and investment in the sector is also presented.
Survey of Energy Efficient and Contention Based MAC Protocol in WBAN for Medical and Consumer Supply Chain Application
Authors: Punitha A. , Jose Sujin P.
Published: December 2012

The authors provide an extensive survey of recent energy-efficient and contention based medium access control (MAC) protocols for wireless body area networks (WBANs). They briefed the crucial applications of WBAN in present scenario and also discussed low-power and contention based MAC protocols for medical and consumer electronics. The authors outlined the future applications of WBAN and the enhancement to be incorporated to improve the efficiency of WBAN systems.
Believable and Effective AI Agents in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Umarov Iskander , Mozgovoy Maxim
Published: December 2012

The rapid development of complex virtual worlds (most notably, in 3D computer and video games) introduces new challenges for the creation of virtual agents, controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Two important subproblems in this topic area which need to be addressed are (a) believability and (b) effectiveness of agents’ behavior, i.e., human-likeness of the characters and high ability to achieving their own goals. In this paper, the authors study current approaches to believability and effectiveness of AI behavior in virtual worlds. They examine the concepts of believability and effectiveness, and analyze several successful attempts to address these challenges.
College Students’ Perceptions of Cell Phone Integration in Language Learning
Authors: Cui Guoqiang , Chen Xin , Li Wei , Wang Shuyan , Yang Zhenhuan , Meng Cuiqing
Published: December 2012

Cell phone integration in education has been widely discussed and explored, especially in the field of foreign language study. Compared with other countries, cell phone educational integration in China is in its infancy. This article examined Chinese college students’ perceptions of cell phone usage in three aspects: interaction, course construction, and flexibility. Though students generally demonstrated great interest for the cell phone integration in English language study, no significant difference was found between students’ characteristics and perceptions of interaction, course construction, and flexibility in their use of cell phones. However, researchers did find that course constructions are a significant predictor of students’ senses of course flexibility issues. This study also found that many students hold neutral attitudes towards the integration of cell phones, therefore initial stage of cell phone usage is of great importance in order to attract and motivate more students.
Collaborative Learning for the Net Generation
Authors: Roodt S. , de Villiers C. , Joubert P.
Published: December 2012

Educating learners is a challenging task for academics. Many challenges arise because of the unique learning preferences of today’s learners, known as the Net Generation, who have grown up with technology. For academic communities, these students provide an opportunity for Faculties to adapt and enhance the learning process. This paper explores the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies at an undergraduate level for an introductory business-driven technology course. These Web 2.0 technologies were selected specifically for their collaborative nature and ability to support large numbers of students. This paper summarises the experiences of undergraduate students in the context of group work and social networking within a computer supported collaborative learning environment. The findings are based on a questionnaire, completed by 890 first year students of their experiences. Through this questionnaire, the authors determine whether the students found the introduction of new learning and teaching tools to be effective. The findings of this paper indicate that group work can be significantly enhanced through the use of Web 2.0 technologies and social networks.
Product Design Generation and Decision Making Through Strategic Integration of Evolutionary Grammars and Kano Model
Authors: Lee Ho Cheong , Herawan Tutut , Noraziah A.
Published: December 2012

The ability for a product developer to successfully launch useful products is tied to the company’s product design strategies. Due to the complexity of perception and expectations on new product design from customers and the diverse perspectives of the product developer, any approaches without systematically analyzing these complex criteria to assess decision making on product design strategies are therefore deemed as inappropriate. A systematic approach to determine appropriate product design strategies based on the attributes of product design and customer expectations should thus be considered. This research focuses on the investigation of shape formulation process using evolutionary grammars (EG) and non-linear product design analysis with Kano model to refine product design strategies. Through the strategic integration of evolutionary grammars and Kano model, the complex effects on the evolutionary design process and product design strategies are revealed. In order to demonstrate the viability of the approach, experiments are described and a comparison analysis on three EG-Kano reference models is performed. Upon determining the appropriate EG-Kano reference model, the product developer can refine the product design strategies to suit the targeted market.
Crisis Management 2.0
Authors: Reuter Christian , Marx Alexandra , Pipek Volkmar
Published: December 2012

In this paper, the authors propose a systematization of social software use in crisis situations, examining different types of cooperation and challenges. The authors discuss how the organizational actors involved in crisis management (police, fire-fighters, organizations, etc.) and the affected citizens are communicating and can communicate and collaborate through the use of social software. After defining the term ‘social software,’ the authors outline its use in crisis management. They present two case studies where they have examined the use of social software in 2010: first during the disruption of air travel caused by the eruptions of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland and second during the mass panic at the Love Parade music festival in Germany. Based on both previous work and case studies, the authors discuss potentials and weaknesses and propose a classification matrix for different types of cooperation as a step toward a systematization of social software use in crisis situations.
Evaluating Design Principles for Temporality in Information Technology for Crisis Management
Authors: Gryszkiewicz Anna
Published: December 2012

This work evaluates a set of design principles for temporality in crisis management information systems by reflecting on the design principles based on two national crisis management information systems. Interviews were used as data collection method where: crisis managers discussed how the interface supports the design principles, crisis managers demonstrated common tasks in the system, and information from past crisis management activities was used as an indication of how the system is used in actual crisis management. The evaluation indicates that the design principles: 1) can be used to identify interface flaws, 2) can be a foundation for discussing temporality in design, and 3) can be used to explore temporality in general, including temporality found in: work tasks, the crisis context, and the interaction between crisis manager and information system. In addition, the evaluation suggests two new design principles as a complement to the original six principles.
Developing Semantically-Enabled Families of Method-Oriented Architectures
Authors: Asadi Mohsen , Mohabbati Bardia , Gaševic Dragan , Bagheri Ebrahim , Hatala Marek
Published: December 2012

Method Engineering (ME) aims to improve software development methods by creating and proposing adaptation frameworks whereby methods are created to provide suitable matches with the requirements of the organization and address project concerns and fit specific situations. Therefore, methods are defined and modularized into components stored in method repositories. The assembly of appropriate methods depends on the particularities of each project, and rapid method construction is inevitable in the reuse and management of existing methods. The ME discipline aims at providing engineering capability for optimizing, reusing, and ensuring flexibility and adaptability of methods; there are three key research challenges which can be observed in the literature: 1) the lack of standards and tooling support for defining, publishing, discovering, and retrieving methods which are only locally used by their providers without been largely adapted by other organizations; 2) dynamic adaptation and assembly of methods with respect to imposed continuous changes or evolutions of the project lifecycle; and 3) variability management in software methods in order to enable rapid and effective construction, assembly and adaptation of existing methods with respect to particular situations. The authors propose semantically-enabled families of method-oriented architecture by applying service-oriented product line engineering principles and employing Semantic Web technologies.
Situational Fit in Incremental Method Engineering
Authors: van de Weerd Inge , Mirandolle Dominique , Brinkkemper Sjaak
Published: December 2012

Almost all software vendors use methods and techniques in their software development and production processes. In order to improve the maturity of their processes, an incremental method engineering approach can be followed to adapt and improve methods and techniques. In order to ensure the suitability of selected methods, the authors propose the concept of situational fit to balance environmental characteristics, company characteristics, and information system development methods. They carried out a case study to illustrate the process of incremental method engineering. Furthermore, the authors performed a quantitative analysis on a data set of 38 companies to evaluate the use of situational fit.
On the Design of a Knowledge Management System for Incremental Process Improvement for Software Product Management
Authors: Vlaanderen Kevin , Brinkkemper Sjaak , van de Weerd Inge
Published: December 2012

Incremental software process improvement deals with the challenges of step-wise process improvement in a time where resources are scarce and many organizations are struggling with the challenges of effective management of software products. Effective knowledge sharing and incremental approaches are essential for improving the success rate of process improvement efforts. Recently, the authors’ have worked on the development of a knowledge management system, the Online Method Engine, that enables incremental, situational process improvement in the field of software product management. This has resulted in an initial system design. The authors describe the findings from seven exploratory case studies on incremental process improvement. The lessons learned during these case studies are used to refine the design of the Online Method Engine.
Construction of Situational Information Systems Management Methods
Authors: Winter Robert
Published: December 2012

Situational method engineering (SME) is an established approach to create situated methods which allows the systematic construction of software artifacts while considering specific project context and goals. The author’s motivation is to investigate whether and how SME can be applied to Information Systems management (ISM), i.e., if SME concepts can be extended in order to create situated ISM methods whose application allows the systematic design of certain ISM tasks while considering context and goals. Their contribution is the proposal of a generic approach that includes such extensions and can be regarded as a SME method for ISM. For the exemplary domain of Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM), the author illustrates and demonstrate the proposed approach by (a) analyzing existing EAM solutions to discover design factors and identify solution clusters, (b) specifying to-be solution clusters and implied transition paths, and (c) deriving activity modules whose composition supports relevant transition paths and constitutes situated, context and goal specific ISM methods. For the EAM example, They document the identification of (a) eight design factors and three as-is solution clusters, the specification of (b) three to-be solution clusters and four transition paths, and the derivation of (c) five method modules that allow to be composed into four situated EAM methods.
Safety Measures for Social Computing in Wiki Learning Environment
Authors: Patel Ahmed , Taghavi Mona , Júnior Joaquim Celestino , Latih Rodziah , Zin Abdullah Mohd
Published: December 2012

Wikis are social networking systems that allow users to freely intermingle at different levels of communication such as collaborative learning, chatting, and group communications. Although a great idea and goal, it’s particularly vulnerable due to its features of open medium and lack of clear plan of defense. Personal data can be misused for virtual insulting, resulting in misuse of personal information for financial gains or creating misuses. Wikis are an example of social computing of collaborative learning, joint editing, brain storming, and virtual socializing, which is a ripe environment for hacking, deception, abuse, and misuse. Thus, wiki needs comprehensive security measures which include privacy, trust, security, audit, and digital forensics to protect users and system resources. This paper identifies and explores the needs of secure social computing and supporting information systems as places for interaction, data collection, and manipulation for wikis. It does this by reviewing the literature and related works in proposing a safety measure framework for a secure and trustworthy medium together with privacy, audit, and digital forensic investigative functions in wiki environments. These then can aid design and usage in social computing environments with the proviso to give comfort and confidence to users without worrying about abuse and cybercrime perpetrated activities.
Securing Fingerprint Images Through PSO Based Robust Facial Watermarking
Authors: Bansal Roli , Sehgal Priti , Bedi Punam
Published: December 2012

Presented is an efficient watermarking scheme using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to watermark host fingerprint images with their corresponding facial images in the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) domain. PSO is used to find the best DCT coefficients’ locations in the host image where the facial image data can be embedded, so that the distortion produced in the host image is minimum. The objective function for PSO is formulated in terms of the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) and the Orientation Certainty Level Index (OCL) so as to base it on the simple visual effect of the human visual perception capability and correct minutia prediction ability. The results exhibit better watermarked image quality while retaining the feature set of the original fingerprint. Moreover, the proposed technique is robust so that the extraction of watermark is possible even after the watermarked image is exposed to attacks. As a result, at the receiver’s end, the watermarked fingerprint image and the extracted facial image can be verified for a secure and accurate biometric based personal authentication.
The Good, the Bad, and the Missing of the “Diffusion of Innovations” Theory
Authors: Cua Francisco Chia
Published: December 2012

A single-case study examined the complex issues in the deployment of new financial management information systems by a large public-sector university. Reflecting certain strengths (the good), weaknesses (the bad), and gaps (the missing) of the Diffusion of Innovations theory, this essay clarifies the theory in the context of Innovation and Change. The simple chain of reasoning gives structure to the data and slightly elevates the evidence gathered into episteme. The discussion presents the concepts, applies theory to context, and articulates the concept that cannot hold. Yet the DOI theory interpreted in the context is still at risk, unless the big picture of change is clear. Accordingly, the reflection suggests prospective research strategies for further development of the domain.
The Role of Responsibility Factors of Reducing Inefficiencies in IS Projects on Six Sigma Certification in Service Organizations
Authors: Hejazi Sara , Levy Yair
Published: December 2012

Service organizations worldwide are turning to Six Sigma Program (SSP) to remove variability in their processes to attain a competitive marketplace advantage. SSP offers methodology, concepts, and statistical tools to understand and standardize processes by reducing sources of variability. An effective “Belt” certification program, considered a major contributor to successful implementation of SSP as it provides the SSP professionals a clear understanding of what their responsibilities should be. It’s been argued that a successful implementation of SSP in an organization may require a significant percentage of the organization’s workforce, about 25% to 50%, to become Green Belt (GB) certified. A significant number of professionals who attend GB certification training elect not to become certified. The certification challenge is even more daunting in an information systems (IS) environment due to number of certifications available to IS professionals and their weak intention to become certified. In this study the authors’ developed a predictive model to address the certification challenges that IS organizations face in implementing SSP by investigating the factors that can influence the intention of professionals to acquire GB certification. Five major responsibility factors along with specific responsibilities under each major factor were developed through a multi-phase grounded theory approach with IS professionals of a Fortune 500 company.
Developing and Prioritizing Measures of Emotional Capital in Public Service Organizations
Authors: Liu Chung-Chu , Chen Jason C.H.
Published: December 2012

This research is to construct emotional capital of public service organizations (PSOs) through employees’ perspectives. The content analysis method and analytical hierarchy process were used to collect and analyze data. According to the results, the study divides organizational emotional capital of public service sectors into three dimensions: Personal Emotional Capital, Group Emotional Capital, and Organizational Emotional Capital. The research also develops 12 indicators for organizational emotional capital of PSOs assessment. Measuring organizational emotional capital can be used to help formulate public strategy, provide an evaluation method for governments and allocate resources for PSOs.
Mark-Down Pricing
Authors: Mathew Saji K. , Biswal Pratap Chandra
Published: December 2012

Discount sales have been increasing in Indian retailing due to the growing competition in the sector. In this research the authors analyze the data of a fashion retail store to study the effect of mark-down pricing on the sales. Their store level analysis shows that mark-downs have a positive impact on sales in an aggregate level. At a style level, however, some items showed a negative and significant effect on sales. This negative influence is explained by the predominant focus of the Store to attract high end customers characterized by conspicuous consumption.
Inter-Organizational Governance of Information Technology
Authors: De Haes Steven , Van Grembergen Wim , Gemke Dirk , Thorp John
Published: December 2012

There is little research available that specifically looks at how organizations define and implement their inter-organizational governance of information technology. The challenge in such environments is also observed in large organizations where multiple business units and activities often have separate strategies and investment priorities. This paper provides both practitioners and academics with an enriched understanding of how the international airline company KLM introduced IT related governance principles and practices tailored for a multi-business-unit global organization. Insights from this exploratory single case study can contribute to further theory building and practitioner guidance regarding the crafting of both intra- and inter-organisational governance frameworks.
A Management Perspective on the Failure of IS&T Projects
Authors: Ojiako Udechukwu , Maguire Stuart , Ashleigh Melanie
Published: December 2012

The objective of the paper is to present a clear management perspective on how IS&T project failure may be conceptualised within this management dispensation. Current knowledge on a generalised process for management control (expectations perspective), is used in the re-affirmation of the concept of Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) project failure.