bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Desired State of Entrepreneurial IT Organizations
Authors: Sarlak Mohammad Ali , Ghorbani Ali , Esfanjani Hosein Abbasi , Hosseini Mirza Hassan
Published: February 2011

In recent years, developing countries have been faced with the problem of an increased number of unemployed people, requiring more attention on expanding the enterprising culture and to develop information technology. In this paper, the entrepreneurial IT SMEs in Iran are studied to determine their status quo, offering a conceptual framework for desired state, comparison between the state quo, and the desired state, which identifies their barriers. Considering the characteristics of Iran’s business atmosphere, both can be divided into real and legal entrepreneurs. Results show that the majority of entrepreneurial IT SMEs are in a desired state regarding their strategy of growth rate implicitly, clear and pre-defined views, not being in the infancy stage of life cycle, participating staff in decision-making, and financially supplying research and development. Also, the major internal obstacles in these SMEs are lacking creativity and innovation techniques among their staff, shortage of experts, the presence of formal, vertical, and top-down authorities, lack of flat organizational structure, and the major extra-organizational barriers among others.
Market Orientation in Emerging Firms
Authors: Brettel Malte , Engelen Andreas , Heinemann Florian , Kessell Andreas
Published: February 2011

Most studies on the effect of market orientation in established and young companies have indicated a positive influence on firm performance. Whether and in what form this effect can also be found empirically in emerging firms – despite their numerous particularities – is still a largely unexplored issue. Applying rigorous procedures in the development of the measurement instrument and using a unique sample of 141 young companies, the authors confirm that market orientation does also have a significant and positive effect on the performance of emerging firms. However, results indicate significant differences to established firms regarding two aspects: (1) the items included in the measurement instrument diverge considerably from the established scales in this area, adding behavioral aspects characteristic for emerging firms and leaving aside items specific to larger organizations; (2) firms do not show a single consistent pattern of market-oriented behavior contributing to company success. Therefore, founders of emerging firms should pursue an individual way of market-oriented behavior that seems most appropriate when considering the company-specific liabilities.
Motives, Strategic Approach, Objectives & Focal Areas in e-Gov-Induced Change
Authors: Scholl Hans J.
Published: February 2011

In its early catalogue and transaction phases, E-Government (e-Gov) has been quite successful, although some critics say that it mainly reaped the harvest of relatively low hanging fruits by making paper-based information accessible over the Web, and also by Web-enabling some existing transaction processes. The subsequent horizontal and vertical integration phases of e-Gov, those critics hold, present a greater challenge and require more technological sophistication and organizational effort. Business processes may need streamlining, change, and even replacement in order to become more citizen-centric and also increase government internal effectiveness and efficiency (IEE). This exploratory study finds that strategies and objectives for reaching the integration phase vary with focal areas and motives. However, e-Gov, it is found, is a main driver of business process change in the public sector. Many practices and lessons learned from private sector reengineering apply in the government context.
Computer Security in Electronic Government
Authors: Radl Alison , Chen Yu-Che
Published: February 2011

As e-government projects proliferate at all levels of government, and as they transition from voluntary to mandatory participation, close examination is required, particularly the examination of security issues. The CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) model offers a framework for examining e-government projects. This study examines the factors impacting security, using as a case study an education information system in the 2003-2004 school year. The study focuses on how CIA factors relate to a host of variables, such as school district size, software selection, technology staffing, technical competence and support, awareness of security issues, and project commitment. For the organizations participating in the project, typical factors of district size and software selection are found to be insignificant, and technical support is identified as one of the key factors promoting security.
A Web Query System for Heterogeneous Government Data
Authors: Wiegand Nancy , Cruz Isabel F. , Zhou Naijun , Sunna William
Published: February 2011

This paper describes a Web-based query system for semantically heterogeneous government-produced data. Geospatial Web-based information systems and portals currently are being developed by various levels of government along with the GIS community. Typically, these sites provide data discovery and download capabilities but do not include the ability to pose DBMS-type queries. One of the main problems in querying distributed government data sources is the difference in semantics used by various jurisdictions. We extend work in schema integration by focusing on resolving semantics at the value level in addition to the schema or attribute level. We illustrate our method using land use data, but the method can be used to query across other heterogeneous sets of values. Our work starts from an XML Web-based DBMS and adds functionality to accommodate heterogeneous data between jurisdictions. Our ontology and query rewrite systems use mappings to enable querying across distributed heterogeneous data.
Electronic Democracy at the American Grassroots
Authors: Norris Donald F.
Published: February 2011

In this paper, I examine the delivery of electronic democracy (e-democracy) by U.S. local governments through their e-government activities. In particular, I examine three issues related to local e-democracy through data from focus groups with officials from 37 municipal and county governments across the U.S. The issues are: (1) why local governments decided to adopt e-government, and whether e-democracy was among the reasons for its adoption; (2) whether e-government has produced or affected local e-democracy; and (3) what plans, if any, local governments have with respect to e-democracy in coming years. My principal findings are that e-government at the local level was adopted principally to deliver governmental information and services and to provide citizen access to governmental officials; that e-government does not operate in a manner that either produces or impacts local e-democracy (at least as the term is broadly defined herein); and that e-democracy is not on the radar screens of most American local governments for future deployment.
Scenarios for Future Use of E-Democracy Tools in Europe
Authors: Kubicek Herbert , Westholm Hilmar
Published: February 2011

Many ICT-based tools for supporting democratic participation that have been developed with public funds and applied in pilot projects have not yet achieved large-scale outreach. Optimists still believe this will happen; sceptics doubt. This paper starts from the assumption that technological development and diffusion are largely influenced by socioeconomic conditions. It develops a contingency model for e-democracy tools and applies the scenario method for differentiating the future context of these tools. It is based on the results of a research project that described possible futures of European e-government in general and e-democracy in particular on a 10-year time horizon by using the scenario method and inputs from European experts on e-government. Out of three different scenarios, possible and plausible futures of e-democracy are described in order to analyse robust technologies that are expected to be used in all three scenarios.
The First Leg of E-Government Research
Authors: Anderson Kim Viborg , Henriksen Helle Zinner
Published: February 2011

A comprehensive analysis of 110 peer-reviewed journal papers published from 1998 to 2003 suggests that the conceptual domains and application areas covered by e-government research focus predominately on capabilities and interactions, whereas value distributions and policy orientations are largely ignored. Onwards, e-government research is more concerned with conceptualizing government and e-services than in exploring the governmental role in technology diffusion and the role IT plays in democracy and participation. This orientation of the current research body is an indicator that the legacy of IS research themes dominates the e-government research body and that interdisciplinary research involving core public administration research along with IS research is yet to emerge. It is proposed that the field could be more unified if it considered both the e and the government of e-government.
Electronic Government and Online Engagement
Authors: Chen Yu-Che , Dimitrova Daniela V.
Published: February 2011

This exploratory study examines civic engagement with e-government via Web sites. It provides an analytical framework that integrates both the supply and the demand sides of citizen interaction with e-government. In modeling three dimensions of online civic engagement (government information access, service transactions, and contributing to government policy-making processes), the study framework incorporates a number of variables, including political activism, civic involvement, perceived benefits and difficulties, information channels, and demographic characteristics. Based on a national sample of Internet users, the study highlights the importance of the supply side (availability of e-government) for promoting civic engagement. Furthermore, political activism is found to be related positively to accessing government policy information and contributing to policy-making processes. The study results also confirm the significant impact of perceived benefits in fostering online civic engagement. Future research can benefit from this study by utilizing a more comprehensive model, treating various dimensions of online engagement separately, and conducting an in-depth analysis of the elements of perceived benefits.
E-Government Adoption and Acceptance
Authors: Titah Ryad , Barki Henri
Published: February 2011

Despite increased research interest on e-government, the field currently lacks sound theoretical frameworks that can be useful in addressing two key issues concerning the implementation of e-government systems: (1) a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of e-government systems, and (2) the integration of various e-government applications. The objective of this paper is to provide a foundation towards the development of a theoretical framework for the implementation of e-government systems via extensive literature review, which resulted in (1) a synthesis of existing empirical findings and theoretical perspectives related to e-government adoption, and (2) development of the premises of a conceptual model that would reflect the multi-level and multi-dimensional nature of e-government systems’ acceptance.
Citizen's Deliberation on the Internet
Authors: Monnoyer-Smith Laurence
Published: February 2011

Within the frame of the deliberative democratic theory, development of information and communication technology (ICT) has been proposed as a solution to enhance discussion in large groups and foster political participation among citizens. Critics have however underlined the limits of such technological innovations that do not generate the expected diversity of viewpoints. This paper highlights the limits of a Habermassian conception of deliberation, which restrains it to a specific type of rational discourse and harnesses citizens’ expression within strict procedural constraints. Our case study, the DUCSAI debate — that is, the French public debate about the location of the third international Parisian airport — shows that the added value of Internet-based deliberation rests in that it has widened both the participant’s profile, the nature of their argumentation and their means of expression. The use of ICT in this context has empowered the actors by giving them the opportunity to master the technical constraints of the debate.
User Help and Service Navigation Features in Government Web Sites
Authors: Stowers Genie N.L.
Published: February 2011

This article examines the user help and service navigation features in government Web sites and compares them across levels of government. These features are critical to ensuring that users unfamiliar with government are able to successfully and easily access e-government services and information. The research finds clear patterns in the use of similar help and navigation features across governments, leading to a conclusion that these features are diffusing in the public sector Web development field. The article concludes by stating that Web developers should work to overcome a second digital divide, one of a lack of knowledge of Web site organization and government structure. Users need to be actively assisted to find information by Web developers.
Interactive E-Government
Authors: Barnes Stuart J. , Vidgen Richard
Published: February 2011

As government organizations have begun increasingly to communicate and interact with citizens via the Web, providing services has demanded acute understanding of the requirements of users and appropriate tailoring of solutions. In this article, we examine the results of a survey of the quality of a Web site provided by the UK Government. The site is that of the Inland Revenue. The survey was administered directly after the launch of a new system to enable online submission of self-assessed tax returns. The instrument, E-Qual, draws on previous work in Web site usability, information quality, and service interaction quality to provide a rounded framework for assessing e-government offerings. The metrics and qualitative comments provide some detailed insights into the perceptions of users who attempted to interact with the online taxation system. The results point to specific areas in need of development in the Web site, which are found to be consistent with initiatives launched recently by the Inland Revenue.
Electronic Government Implementation
Authors: Chen Yining , Chen H. M. , Ching Russell K.H. , Huang Wayne W.
Published: February 2011

Over the last decade, the Internet has become one of the most important means of communication in all social areas. The success of Web technology adoption in the private sector has put pressures on the public sector to adopt the Internet to present information and service resources. The concept of creating more efficient and convenient interaction between government and the interacting parties using Internet technology is referred to as electronic government (or digital government). Recent studies have shown an increase in the adoption of electronic government by various countries (Archer, 2005; I-Ways, 2005; Janssen et al. 2004). Nevertheless, the level of implementation diverges from country to country. This study identifies critical success factors of electronic government and proposes an implementation framework. This chapter presents an extensive case study to illustrate how the proposed framework can be used to analyze electronic government strategies in a developed country (United States) and a developing country (China). In conclusion, recommendations are made to developed and developing countries for their implementation of electronic government.
A Multiagent Service-oriented Modeling of E-Government Initiatives
Authors: Gasmelseid Tagelsir Mohamed
Published: February 2011

The recent technological developments have led to the emergence of a wide range of operational scenarios and significantly affected the formulation and implementation of e-government initiatives. While the failure of many e-government initiatives is attributed to many factors (organizational, institutional, technological and structural), the lack of consistent e-government modeling frameworks and universal architectures threatens the capacity of such initiatives to meet their objectives. Because of the complexities experienced in addressing e-government implementation issues, the use of multiple techniques can improve the likelihood of developing and implementing successful e-government initiatives. This article builds on previous work to advocate a “coupled” multiagent service oriented model for the implementation of the e-government initiative in Sudan. The use of service oriented measures and concepts of agency are considered to be necessary for improving overall consistency, integration, promptness and information sharing. Despite its potential benefits, the capacity of the proposed “coupled model” is contingent, among others, upon technological maturity and institutional flexibility.
Unclassified Information Sharing and Coordination in Security, Stabilization, Transition and Reconstruction Efforts
Authors: Mittu Ranjeev , Guleyupoglu Suleymann , Johnson Al , Barlow William , Dowdy Michael , McCarthy Sean
Published: February 2011

The emergence of new doctrine is enabling security, stabilization, transition and reconstruction (SSTR) operations to become a core U.S. military mission. These operations are now given equal priority to combat operations. The immediate goal in SSTR is to provide the local populace with security, restore essential services, and meet humanitarian needs. The long-term goal is to help develop indigenous capacity for securing and providing essential services, therefore, many SSTR operations are best performed by indigenous groups with support from foreign agencies and professionals. Large scale disasters, however, are an example where military support can enhance the value of SSTR operations. Without the means to effectively coordinate groups across the civil-military boundary, basic assistance and relief operations may be severely impeded. This paper will describe a conceptual portal, ShareInfoForPeople, which incorporates advanced Information and Communication Technology to enable collaboration, coordination and information sharing across the civil-military boundary in support of SSTR.
The Impact of Institutions on Interorganizational IT Projects in the Mexican Federal Government
Authors: Luna-Reyes Luis F. , Gil-Garcia J. Ramon , Estrada-Marroquin Mireya
Published: February 2011

Electronic government has the potential of transforming the way government works and interacts with citizens. However, recent research has found that the promised benefits are rarely completely achieved. Some of these studies highlight the importance of institutions in shaping the development, implementation, and use of information technologies in government settings. Based on a survey of Mexican federal government managers, this article explores the relationships between institutional arrangements, organizational forms, information technologies, and the outcomes of Mexican IT initiatives. Overall, it was found that there are important interactions among these variables and important similarities exist between developed countries and other realities, such as Latin America. The research presented here contributes to the field by testing causal relationships often cited in the digital government literature, but with little empirical quantitative exploration. Moreover, understanding those relationships offers guidance in the implementation of inter-organizational IT applications in government, potentially increasing their probability of success as well as the benefits for citizens and other stakeholders.
E-Government in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Fakhri Maher O. , Cropf Robert A. , Kelly Patrick , Higgs Gary
Published: February 2011

Saudi Arabia is in the process of transitioning to e-government. Many of the Saudi government agencies have their own web sites; however, most are ineffective. Based on the findings of this study, the Saudis should consider several reforms, chief among which include the following: Increasing the awareness of its e-government program among its employees and the public at-large; making Internet access more available across the full spectrum of society; equipping public facilities for Internet usage; developing a legal framework for secure e-transactions; adopting a flexible approach to technological change and the IT environment more generally; providing IT training to government employees; partnering with the private sector to establish electronic fund transfers; and, finally, fostering 2-way communication between government agencies and between the government and the public.
E-Governance and ICT Enabled Rural Development in Developing Countries
Authors: Kannabiran G. , Xavier M.J. , Banumathi T.
Published: February 2011

Proactive economic policies combined with the ICT revolution of the past decade have brought about many changes in managing businesses and organizations in developing countries like India. The prowess achieved through this revolution has also led to exploitation of ICT for better governance and rural development. As a result, several ICT projects have been initiated to foster improved governance and facilitate rural development by appropriately linking public and private institutions. RASI (Rural Access to Services through Internet) is one such government-private initiative to promote e-governance and ICT enabled rural development. Our longitudinal research is to analyze the factors related to access to and usage of the services offered through this project in Erode district of the state of Tamilnadu in India. Data for this empirical research was collected through survey and interviews during two time periods (2004 and 2006). Our findings show that the project has largely deviated from its objectives due to lack of government support, non-scalable technology and ownership issues. Based on our findings, we provide a set of recommendations to policy makers and implementing agencies.
E-Government Organizational Performance Framework
Authors: Chhabra Susheel , Jaiswal Mahadeo
Published: February 2011

The objective of this research study is to design an e-government organizational performance framework and to suggest ICTs solutions through a case study of Haryana state government in India so as to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of services provided to citizens. The framework is suggested using responses collected from 150 government departments. The ICTs solutions were validated by data collected from 90 e-government experts. A log linear regression analysis is used to develop the framework. The framework with minor modifications can be developed for similar other e-government settings.
Assessing Local Readiness for City E-Governance in Europe
Authors: Paskaleva Krassimira
Published: February 2011

This article shares experience on aspects related to the methodology and modeling of a framework of City E-Governance Readiness. We discuss Europe’s progress in this domain using an “e-readiness” assessment methodology: the Integrated City E-Governance Policy Model of the IntelCities Research Project (2004- 2007). Practices and trends in 12 European cities are analyzed, drawing on the results of a comprehensive digital city governance survey. A set of propositions are explored about the future of city e-governance. This article suggests that urban governments need to refine their most relevant definition of “e-governance readiness” and the underlying goals and assumptions which shape e-governance outcomes. Cities also need to adapt their approaches strategically and in the light of the increasing demand for “good governance” in an increasingly complex and networked urban knowledge society.
The Wireless City
Authors: Ganapati Sukumar , Schoepp Christian F.
Published: February 2011

In this article, we explore the evolution of wireless broadband networks in cities. We examine the technological alternatives for city-wide implementation, and the governance arrangements for such implementation. Several wireless infrastructure technologies, such as Wi-Fi, WiMax, and Mesh networks have quickly evolved during this century. In terms of governance, we identify different models of ownership and deployment of wireless networks. Although the municipal provision of wireless broadband is controversial, we argue that the municipalities have a crucial role to provide such network infrastructure.
Global E-Government and the Role of Trust
Authors: Das Jayoti , DiRienzo Cassandra , Burbridge Jr. John
Published: February 2011

Using cross-country data from 140 countries, this empirical study extends past research by examining the impact of trust on the level of e-government. The major empirical finding of this research shows that, after controlling for the level of economic development and other socio-economic factors, trust as measured by ethnic and religious diversity, is a significant factor affecting e-government usage.
Determining Types of Services and Targeted Users of Emerging E-Government Strategies
Authors: Kaaya Janet
Published: February 2011

E-government strategies empower citizens through online access to services and information. Consequently, governments – including in developing countries – are implementing e-government. In this study, a survey examined available services and targeted users in Tanzania. Ninety-six government agencies responded: 46% had implemented e-government using websites. Most services (60-90%) relate to disseminating information; online transactions were the least available services. Government-affiliated staff constituted the majority (60-85%) of users. This implies that emerging e-government services mostly address internal needs (government-to-government), and one-way dissemination of information (government-to-citizen). While agencies exhibited a gradual extension to businesses (government-to-business), citizen-to-government and business-to-government relationships were minimal. Finally, the study compares Tanzania’s web-presence with select countries, draws its wider implications, and advocates further research on the nature and needs of users.
The Role of Intermediaries in Multi-Channel Service Delivery Strategies
Authors: Janssen Marijn , Klievink Bram
Published: February 2011

The advent of e-government and the use of the Internet to connect governments to citizens and businesses have resulted into direct contact between government agencies and their customers. This development confirms the prediction of the transaction cost theory, which predicts a more direct interaction and the resulting bypassing of intermediaries. In this article, the authors explore intermediation theory and analyze two case studies which counter the argument of the bypassing of intermediaries. It is possible to adopt a reintermediation strategy in which intermediaries are used as a value-adding service delivery channel. The case studies show that intermediaries can be employed to reduce cost and improve information quality, while at the same time make government more demand-driven by employing channels that are closer to the natural interaction patterns of their customers than direct interaction. For governments, this implies that only adopting a disintermediation strategy, which is often motivated by a desire to reduce transaction costs, is too narrow an approach and needs to be complimented by a reintermediation strategy in order to advance towards a demand-driven government.
Paralingual Web Design and Trust in E-Government
Authors: Segovia Roy H. , Jennex Murray E. , Beatty James
Published: February 2011

Can Web design improve the way governments serve their constituencies through the use of information technology [i.e., e-government]? This article proposes that the use of paralingual Web design can overcome possible trust issues in e-government with bilingual populations. An experiment was conducted where active e-government Web pages were converted to paralingual format and then site visitors were surveyed regarding their trust in the content and readability. The results of the experiment show that trust was improved for the minority language speakers, while the majority language speakers remained neutral with neither group indicating significant decrease in readability. These findings have important implications for societies with large bilingual or multilingual populations, where issues of trust among minority speakers and majority speakers may exist, as they indicate that paralingual Web design can help reduce these trust issues.
E-Government Services Online
Authors: Dorasamy Magiswary , Marimuthu Maran , Raman Murali , Kaliannan Maniam
Published: February 2011

E-filing is a new service launched in the year 2005 by the Malaysian Inland Revenue Board. This is in line with the government’s vision to leverage on the Internet technology in extending its services to the citizens and to further embrace the cutting-edge technology of the information age. Via this system, the citizens or taxpayers are able to complete an electronic application form and the necessary payment details with a few keystrokes; therefore completing their revenue declaration within minutes. The purpose of the e-filing service is to encourage every taxpayer to submit their income tax returns through an online system, thus reducing the manual paper-based submission method. This paper examines taxpayers’ intention to use the e-filing system in Malaysia. This paper analyses the factors that contribute towards adoption of such system in Malaysia based on three models: the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), and Technology Readiness Index (TRI). The authors’ findings suggest that taxpayers have intentions to use the e-filing systems as they perceive that tax submission method via the internet is more convenient and that perceived readiness towards using this technology is paramount to their belief for using e-filing systems.
Extending the Information-Processing View of Coordination in Public Sector Crisis Response
Authors: Gonzalez Rafael A. , Verbraeck Alexander , Dahanayake Ajantha
Published: February 2011

Coordinating the response of multiple public agencies to a large-scale crisis is a challenge that has been studied predominantly according to the information-processing view. In this paper, the authors extend this view with the notion of emergence giving special attention to information and communication technology (ICT). The extended framework is applied in a case study of crisis response exercises in the public sector. The findings suggest that current practices concentrate on standards and hierarchy, but mutual adjustment and emergent coordination also occur and are susceptible to analysis and equally relevant to understand coordination practices. In addition, ICT can provide information processing capabilities needed for coordination but may also create information processing needs by increasing the volume of data and the interconnectedness of responders. Applying the extended framework improves the understanding of coordination and forms the basis for its future use in designing ICT to support coordination in crisis response and e-government.
An Approach to Assessing Quality of Electronic Government Services
Authors: Ray Subhajyoti
Published: February 2011

The emergence of e-Government in developing countries has led to the discovery of many innovative ways of public service delivery to citizens and businesses. India has chosen the common service center based service delivery model, where multiple services from single or multiple government agencies can be obtained in one location. However, the assessment quality of service at these centers, especially in comparison to the quality of service delivery under manually run operations has not been addressed in literature. In this paper, the authors propose and demonstrate a method to evaluate the quality of service at common service centers by exploring the case of an urban local body in India. Specifically, the paper uses the Analytic Hierarchy Method to assess quality improvements and discusses the implications for public managers.
Electronic Transformation of Local Government
Authors: Stamati Teta , Martakos Drakoulis
Published: February 2011

The paper examines the critical success factors for employees’ adoption of the unified Local Government Access Framework (LGAF), deployed for the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece. Following an extensive bibliographical survey, an initial conceptual framework (CF1) based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for LGAF adoption is proposed, which is empirically explored within sixteen Local Governments Organizations. The CF1 is revised using the structured-case approach. New concepts discovered during each research cycle revealed that LGAF adoption is a procedure of experiential judgement. The applicability of the TAM is investigated and the model is enhanced, exploring additional variables that affect perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and actual use. A final complementary CF2 is presented and the evaluation of this model according to the data received from the case studies is discussed.
Non-Compactness Attribute Filtering to Extract Retinal Blood Vessels in Fundus Images
Authors: Purnama I. K. E. , Aryanto K. Y. E. , Wilkinson M. H. F.
Published: February 2011

Retinal blood vessels can give information about abnormalities or disease by examining its pathological changes. One abnormality is diabetic retinopathy, characterized by a disorder of retinal blood vessels resulting from diabetes mellitus. Currently, diabetic retinopathy is one of the major causes of human vision abnormalities and blindness. Hence, early detection can lead to proper treatment, and segmentation of the abnormality provides a map of retinal vessels that can facilitate the assessment of the characteristics of these vessels. In this paper, the authors propose a new method, consisting of a sequence of procedures, to segment blood vessels in a retinal image. In the method, attribute filtering with a so-called Max-Tree is used to represent the image based on its gray value. The filtering process is done using the branches filtering approach in which the tree branches are selected based on the non-compactness of the nodes. The selection is started from the leaves. This experiment was performed on 40 retinal images, and utilized the manual segmentation created by an observer to validate the results. The proposed method can deliver an average accuracy of 94.21%.
Enterprise Information Systems and B2B E-Commerce
Authors: Baker C. Richard
Published: February 2011

Although the overall investment in information technology (IT) decreased during the first few years of the 21st century, B2B e-commerce continued to expand at a rapid rate (Lim & Wen, 2002). The expansion of B2B e-commerce has been based to a large extent on accounting and enterprise-wide information systems (EISs) that permit electronic data transmission and execution of transactions in an effective and efficient manner. Since B2B e-commerce is Internet based, the EISs required to support B2B e-commerce must be Internet capable. The primary language of the Internet, Hyper-text Mark-up Language (HTML), is not well-suited for transmitting data and executing transactions. Consequently, Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) was developed to facilitate a wide range of electronic information exchange applications, including many applications related to B2B e-commerce. XML also allows legacy data to be accessed through the Internet. As initially conceived, XML had a number of constraints, particularly in the area of data integrity and security; however, these constraints are being overcome. This article discusses the objectives of using XML in B2B e-commerce, reviews the technical structure of XML, and discusses ways that data integrity can be maintained and security enhanced while engaging in B2B e-commerce.
Channel Prices of a Homogenous Product in a Dual-Channel Monopoly
Authors: Sheikh Farooq M. , Amin M. Ruhul , Amin Nafeez
Published: February 2011

We study the pricing strategy of a monopolist selling a product through stores in two channels, but under single management (or coordinated management). We find that the monopolist generally charges a higher price in the brick-and-mortar store than the price charged in the Internet store. If, however, there exists a sufficiently large fraction of buyers who would strictly prefer to buy the product from the Internet store instead of the physical store at any given price, the monopolist might charge the same price in both the stores. We also find that physical store price of a dual-channel monopoly is higher than the physical store price of a single-channel monopoly; the price charged in the Internet store is generally lower than the single-channel monopoly price.
Uncertainty in ERP-Controlled Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Koh S.C.L. , Gunasekara A. , Saad S.M. , Arunachalam S.
Published: February 2011

The use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is becoming increasingly prevalent in many modern manufacturing enterprises. However, knowledge of their performance when perturbed simultaneously by several significant uncertainties is not as widespread as it should have been. This paper presents the developmental and experimental work on modeling uncertainty within an ERP multi-product, multi-level dependent demand manufacturing planning, and scheduling system in a simulation model developed using ARENA/SIMAN. To enumerate how uncertainty affects the performance of an ERP-controlled manufacturing system, the percentages of Finished Products Delivered Late (FPDL) and Parts Delivered Late (PDL) are measured. Sensitivity analysis shows that PDL gives a more accurate effect. Simulation results are analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), which identifies four uncertainties; namely, late delivery from suppliers, machine breakdowns, unexpected/urgent changes to machine assignments, and customer design changes, which significantly affect PDL. Some uncertainties are found significantly interactive in two and three ways. They produce either knock-on and/or compound effects, a factor not generally recognized as a criterion for decision-making.
IT Business Value Research
Authors: Law Chuck C.H. , Ngai Eric W.T.
Published: February 2011

Although corporations in the world, especially those in the United States, have spent generously on information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) in recent decades, empirical studies have yielded disappointingly inconsistent findings on the impact of IT investments on firm performance, and the phenomenon of the IT productivity paradox lingers on to this day. A review of the literature on this subject has pointed out several possible reasons underlying such inconsistencies, including data and methodological problems and limitations of research models. Consequently, a process-oriented research model is proposed to mitigate the shortcomings of prior studies. This model incorporates improvements in business process as an independent construct parallel to the capabilities of IT and enterprise systems. Competitive capabilities are included as an intermediate construct to conceptualize the linkage between the independent constructs and the dependent construct of organizational performance. Theories and empirical evidence are drawn from associated management disciplines such as operations management and from a resource-based view of the firm to illustrate and explain that investment in IT and business processes eventually will contribute to organizational performance through the creation and enhancement of competitive capabilities. Finally, the theoretical and managerial implications of this research model are highlighted.
Retrofitting Information Processes and Content Standardization in Response to Enterprise-Wide System Planning and Development
Authors: Yap Alexander Y.
Published: February 2011

When a large conglomerate initiated the planning and development of an enterprise-wide electronic database system to form part of its growing e-business systems infrastructure, the resulting action called for the reengineering of information processes coupled with the push towards data content standardization across the entire organization. The objective of the system was to help engineers sift through millions of components offered by various suppliers and component manufacturers, where the end-result was to improved the integration and efficiency of the product development, engineering design, e-sourcing and e-procurement processes. This research paper is a qualitative action research study on how different organizational, social, political, and technical forces influenced the social construction of an enterprise-wide information system. Understanding the dynamics and power of these socio-technical forces in shaping the development environment and change process of enterprise systems is the research contribution of this paper.
Business Process Simulation
Authors: Elliman Tony , Hatzakis Tally , Serrano Alan
Published: February 2011

This article discusses the idea that even though information systems development (ISD) approaches long have advocated the use of integrated organizational views, the modeling techniques used have not been adapted accordingly and remain focused on the automated information system (IS) solution. Existing research provides evidence that business process simulation (BPS) can be used at different points in the ISD process in order to provide better integrated organizational views that aid the design of appropriate IS solutions. Despite this fact, research in this area is not extensive, which suggests that the potential of using BPS for the ISD process is not yet well understood. The article uses the findings from three case studies in order to illustrate the ways that BPS has been used at different points in the ISD process. It compares the results against IS modeling techniques, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages that BPS has over the latter. The research necessary to develop appropriate BPS tools and give guidance on their use in the ISD process is discussed.
Evaluating Readiness for ERP Adoption in Manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Raymond Louis , Rivard Suzanne , Jutras Danie
Published: February 2011

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are now being implemented in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper presents the results of a study that proposes and validates a framework for evaluating the level of readiness for ERP adoption in manufacturing SMEs. The framework conceptualizes readiness to adopt an ERP including four dimensions: the organizational context, external forces, perception of ERP, and business processes. A field study of 11 manufacturing SMEs was conducted. The framework led to the classification of these firms in three clusters: “committed adopters”, “uncommitted adopters”, and “late adopters”.
Design and Development of a Quality Management Information System
Authors: Sakthivel M. , Devadasan S. R. , Ragu Raman S. , Sriram S.
Published: February 2011

Among all quality strategies, the quality information system (QIS) is the one which finds comparatively little recognition among the quality engineering professionals. The situation is different in the general management arena where management professionals are striving to attain core competence of organizations through the implementation of management information systems (MIS). On realizing this trend and anticipating tremendous benefits, a research project has been started with the objective of developing a QIS compatible to ISO 9001:2000. In this paper, the quality management information system (QMIS) that has been designed by referring to Clause 4 of ISO 9001:2000 has been reported. After designing this QMIS, its development in real-time environment was examined by conducting a study at an ISO 9001:2000 certified high technology-oriented company. Also, a validation study was conducted by gathering the opinions and assessment of the managing partner of the company on QMIS. These studies revealed the feasibility and possibility of implementing QMIS in ISO 9001:2000 certified companies. The details of this work are presented in this paper.
Behavioral Factors and Information Technology Infrastructure Considerations in Strategic Alliance Development
Authors: Mandal Purnendu
Published: February 2011

Since behavioral and cultural factors play a major role in strategic alliances between partners, IT managers must understand the intricacies involved in the development of resultant IT infrastructure in satisfying both business requirements and cultural fit of the aligned partnering units. This paper first highlights the IT-related issues and cultural issues which are important in the process of developing a strategic alliance between partners. Then, a case study involving a major telecommunications organization and several retail electricity organizations is presented to illustrate the IT requirements and human-related considerations. The analysis focuses on the requirements of pre-strategic alliance phase of the negotiation process.
Integrating Semantic Web Technology, Web Services, and Workflow Modeling
Authors: Krogstie John , Veres Csaba , Sindre Guttorm
Published: February 2011

Much of the early focus in the area of Semantic Web has been on the development of representation languages for static conceptual information, while there has been less emphasis on how to make Semantic Web applications practically useful in the context of knowledge work. To achieve this, a better coupling is needed between ontology, service descriptions and workflow modeling, including both traditional production workflow and interactive workflow techniques This article reviews the basic technologies involved in this area to provide system and business interoperability, and outlines what can be achieved by merging them in the context of real world workflow descriptions.
The Digitization of an Aerospace Supply Network
Authors: Laframboise Kevin , Reyes Felipe
Published: February 2011

Unique, and certainly complex, networks of suppliers, clients, and operators (end users), characterize the supply chain in the aerospace manufacturing industry. With the emergence of e-commerce and enterprise information systems, a number of processes, locations, and partners can be linked globally—and in real time. Motivated by the need to achieve global integration, a Canadian aerospace manufacturer has embarked on a company-wide digitization initiative to integrate several members of its supply network. This pilot study illustrates how three separate business practices (i.e., process integration, supply chain management, and quality management) may relate to—and indeed reinforce—each other in this industry. Furthermore, this network-wide initiative can enhance new product development activities by integrating customer relationships management with collaborative design. From the perspective of the participating firm, we sug-gest that a truly global supply network needs to integrate several business practices in parallel in order to prosper as a digital extended enterprise.
The Impact of Enterprise Systems on Organizational Control and Drift
Authors: Ignatiadis Ioannis , Nandhakumar Joe
Published: February 2011

Enterprise systems (ES) are widespread in current organizations, and seen as integrating organizational procedures across functional divisions. An enterprise system (also known as enterprise resource planning – ERP system), once installed, seems to enable or constrain certain actions by managers and users, which have an impact on organizational operations. Those actions may result in increased organizational control, or may lead to organizational drift. The processes that give rise to such outcomes are investigated in this paper, which is based on a field study of five companies. By drawing on the theoretical concepts of human and machine agencies, as well as the embedding and disembedding of managerial and user actions in the system, this paper agues that control and drift arising from the use of an enterprise system are outcomes of the processes of embedding and disembedding human actions, which are afforded (enabled or constrained) by the enterprise system.