bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ontology Driven Document Identification in Semantic Web
Authors: Reformat Marek , Yager Ronald R. , Li Zhan
Published: May 2010

The concept of Semantic Web (Berners, 2001) introduces a new form of knowledge representation – an ontology. An ontology is a partially ordered set of words and concepts of a specific domain, and allows for defining different kinds of relationships existing among concepts. Such approach promises formation of an environment where information is easily accessible and understandable for any system, application and/or human. Hierarchy of concepts (Yager, 2000) is a different and very interesting form of knowledge representation. A graph-like structure of the hierarchy provides a user with a suitable tool for identifying variety of different associations among concepts. These associations express user’s perceptions of relations among concepts, and lead to representing definitions of concepts in a human-like way. The Internet becomes an overwhelming repository of documents. This enormous storage of information will be effectively used when users will be equipped with systems capable of finding related documents quickly and correctly. The proposed work addresses that issue. It offers an approach that combines a hierarchy of concepts and ontology for the task of identifying web documents in the environment of the Semantic Web. A user provides a simple query in the form a hierarchy that only partially “describes” documents (s)he wants to retrieve from the web. The hierarchy is treated as a “seed” representing user’s initial knowledge about concepts covered by required documents. Ontologies are treated as supplementary knowledge bases. They are used to instantiate the hierarchy with concrete information, as well as to enhance it with new concepts initially unknown to the user. The proposed approach is used to design a prototype system for document identification in the web environment. The description of the system and the results of preliminary experiments are presented.
E-Commerce and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in S.E.Wales
Authors: Thomas Brychan , Simmons Geoff , Packham Gary , Miller Christopher
Published: May 2010

One region where e-commerce will have a particular impact for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the next few years is South East Wales (SEW). In response to this a survey was undertaken by the Welsh Enterprise Institute (WEI) in collaboration with the Open University Business School and Rennes ESC in Brittany to assess the e-commerce activity of firms within the SEW area. The survey was conducted using a database of 3,000 members provided by the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, Trade and Industry and a survey form was sent to the sample as a postal questionnaire. Results from the survey demonstrated that nearly all firms used some form of Information Communication Technologies (ICT). The results also highlighted that a significant proportion of the sample (77%) were currently using a Web site to increase trade or improve opportunities for e-commerce. Furthermore, it was observed that firms in the personal services, distribution and transport industries were less likely to utilise a Web site than firms in the manufacturing, business services and hospitality industries. Despite the large proportion of firms that had a Web site, only 11% of businesses reported that their site enabled customers to order and pay for products online although 42% of respondents considered e-commerce to be important for their business’ future. This chapter therefore argues that these results clearly underpin the necessity for an e-commerce policy in SEW for the future competitiveness of the area. There are real opportunities to develop and diversify the SEW economy through e-commerce.
The Effectiveness of Internet Portals on the E-Commerce Activities of Rural SME Business Owners
Authors: Sanders John , Galloway Laura , Deakins David
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores the uses and effectiveness of private and public/charity managed and funded internet portals on rural SMEs e-commerce activities in Scotland. Specifically, the study investigated whether there were differences in how rural SMEs used and perceived the effectiveness of each type of internet portal. Hypotheses were drawn from qualitative results carried out by Deakins et al. (2003) and Galloway et al. (2008, November). Ninety-six rural SMEs spread across the two types of rural internet portals were interviewed via telephone to gain their perceptions. Cross-tabulations using chi square testing discovered that in the main there were no perceived differences between the uses and effectiveness of private and public/charity funded internet portals on rural SMEs e-commerce activities. However, testing did discover that rural SME users of public/charity funded internet portals were more likely to be charged a fee for membership. The main preoccupation of rural SMEs was representation on an internet portal to help facilitate their e-commerce activities, not how it was owned or operated.
OpenSocial
Authors: Häsel Matthias
Published: May 2010

Building on the OpenSocial API suite, developers can create applications that are interoperable within the context of different social networks. Because social applications have access to a network’s social graph, messaging systems and update feeds, the OpenSocial standard enables Internet-based businesses to create new kinds of value-creating partnerships without extending themselves beyond their own means or competencies. This chapter argues that by entering structured partnerships, e-ventures and social networks can gain sustainable competitive advantage by integrating their highly complementary resources and capabilities. Building on the Resource-based View (RBV) of the firm and the concept of core competencies, it is shown that both partners can significantly benefit from the technology-induced possibilities that arise from the OpenSocial standard.
Enabling Technologies in an Ambient Intelligence (AmI) System
Authors: Gill Simrn Kaur , Cormican Kathryn
Published: May 2010

This chapter introduces the concept of Ambient Intelligence (AmI) with regard to the enabling technologies and how they are combined to assist e-entrepreneurs. AmI is a new paradigm in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). AmI allows for seamless interaction between the human and technology. The AmI system provides the human user with information and decision support tailored to their specific needs. To achieve seamless interaction between the human and technology requires the environment that surrounds the human to be embedded with technology in everyday objects. These technologies gather information that the AmI system uses to adapt its responses to the human user. The aim of the chapter is to provide a better understanding of the AmI process and knowledge of the AmI system and tools. To this end three of the enabling technologies are discussed: semantic web, multi-modal services, and radio frequency identification tags. These technologies are then examined within the AmI reference model. The reference model provides an understanding of how the technologies can be combined to achieve different AmI features for the human users. This toolkit can be used by a new venture in the area of e-entrepreneurship to provide AmI to service providers, new businesses and traditional industries.
Global Issues in Human Resource Management and Their Significance to Information Organizations and Information Professionals
Authors: Munde Gail
Published: May 2010

This chapter examines global challenges identified in contemporary human resource management literature, and discusses selected challenges as they relate to information organizations and information professionals. The challenges include skills shortages, talent management, shifting demographics, work/life balance, and managing intergenerational and intercultural work groups. Approaches to these challenges are discussed as reported in the literature of human resource management, library management, and information technology, as well as those suggested by the author. The chapter may be of interest to employers, managers and supervisors of information professionals; emerging, entry-level and senior information professionals at all career levels and in all types of information organizations; human resource managers in all types of information organizations.
Use of the Evolutionary Conscious Model to Sustain a Formal Mentoring Program
Authors: Golden Janine
Published: May 2010

Formal mentoring programs, whether occurring in profit making organizations or existing within non-profits, have had a colorful history. Many professionals have been involved as a mentor, a mentee, or else have known individuals who were involved in a mentoring program. Whether participating on an informal basis, or engaged formally in a program arranged by an organization, not everyone who has experienced a mentoring program has a success story to tell. Based on that observation, and data collected from mentoring program failures, program challenges and successes, and research into current literature, the purpose of this chapter is to highlight a mentoring model created to assist organizations with their attempt to encourage the successful development, retention, and recruitment of professions into their organization. With this in mind, the search for the perfect mentoring model continues.
Price Dispersion on the Internet
Authors: Tang Fang-Fang , Xing Xiaolin
Published: May 2010

The emergence and explosive growth of e-commerce have ushered in a new era of retail business, which has in turned triggered an increased research interest in studying online pricing behavior. Online retailing promises the potentials of low barrier of entry, easy access of information, and low transactions costs. These features of online retailing imply that the growth of e-commerce has the potential of realizing often stated economic ideals for a truly competitive market: low search costs, fierce price reactions, low margins, and weak market power. Such benefits might provide significant welfare benefits to consumers. Early studies in the literature mainly focused on comparing price levels and price dispersion between offline and online competitors (e.g. Bailey 1998, Brynjolffson & Smith 2000). As online markets become more mature and more data on e-tailing become available, empirical studies have shifted from analyzing cross-sectional data to longitudinally investigating market dynamics in terms of price levels and price dispersions. Since customers can obtain price information in online markets easily and inexpensively, it might be expected that online price dispersion should be small. However, empirical studies have found significant price differences and persistent price dispersions in the Internet markets, for which we are going to review in the following sections.
Measuring B2C Quality of Electronic Service
Authors: Amer Mahmoud , Gómez Jorge Marx
Published: May 2010

In our efforts to study the dimensions affecting the electronic service quality (eSQ) measurement in the Business to Business (B2B) domain, we were faced with a problem of the lack of consensus on the Business to Consumer (B2C) eSQ measurement dimensions, which makes it difficult for researchers in this field to generalize their findings on the B2B domain. Due to this lack of consensus on the subject, we have decided to propose a B2C electronic Service Quality “eSQ” model of consensus summarizing the past research efforts in this domain. In order to test - in future research- if the model proposed here for B2C eSQ can be extended to the B2B domain or not. This study tries to explain some of the current scales used in measuring electronic service quality in the Business to Consumer “B2C” domain, propose a model of consensus for the eSQ B2C based on an extensive literature review of the collective work done by the researches in this field.
Electronic Logistics Marketplaces
Authors: Wang Yingli , Naim Mohamed , Potter Andrew
Published: May 2010

As B2B e-business shifted to the Internet, Electronic Marketplaces (EMs) have grown rapidly in usage (Rask & Kragh, 2004). Definitions of an EM are diverse. One of the earliest and broadest definitions is offered by Bakos (1991), who referred to an EM as “an inter-organizational system that allows the participating buyers and sellers to exchange information about price and product offerings”. In the context of logistics, EMs can be termed Electronic Logistics Marketplaces (ELMs), referring to an electronic hub using web-based systems that link shippers and carriers together for the purpose of collaboration and/or trading (Wang, Potter, & Naim, 2007a). ELM is a context specific type of EM, which facilitates the provision of logistics services. Traditional forms of communication between a shipper and a carrier are rather fragmented when a shipper has a number of carriers to manage. Such one-toone exchanges can be costly and sometimes very time-consuming. Communicating through an ELM allows the connection of a number of shippers and carriers using a single interface, normally a Webbased system. This has brought advantages to organizations in terms of low cost inter-organization information connectivity, (near) real time visibility, and flexible partnership configurations.
An Agent-Based B2C Electronic Market in the Next-Generation Internet
Authors: Podobnik Vedran , Trzec Krunoslav , Jezic Gordan
Published: May 2010

In a global multi-service and multi-provider market, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will increasingly need to base their operation on new consumer-centric business models. In this article, the authors present an agent-based framework for the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) electronic market, comprising User Agents, Broker Agents and Provider Agents, which enable Internet users to select an ISP in an automated manner.
Towards Efficient Trust Aware E-Marketplace Frameworks
Authors: Louta Malamati , Michalas Angelos
Published: May 2010

In the liberalized and deregulated e-marketplace some key factors for service providers’ success are the following. First, the efficiency with which services will be developed. Second, the quality level, in relation with the corresponding cost, of new services. Third, service providers’ reliability with respect to service provisioning. Fourth, the efficiency with which the services will be operated (controlled, maintained, administered, etc.). The aim of this paper is, in accordance with efficient service operation objectives, to propose enhancements to the sophistication of the negotiation functionality that can be offered by e-commerce systems in open competitive communications environments. In the highly competitive and dynamic emarketplaces, Service/Product Requestors (SPRs) should be provided with mechanisms that enable them to find and associate with the most appropriate Service/Product Providers (SPPs), i.e., those offering the desirable quality of service / product at a certain time period, in a cost efficient manner. Such mechanisms may entail a wide variety of negotiation mechanisms, including auctions, bilateral (1 to 1) and/or multilateral (M to N) negotiation models and strategies, as well as posted offer schemes (i.e., a nonnegotiable, take-it-or-leave-it offer) in order to establish the ‘best’ possible contract terms and conditions with respect to service / product access and provision.
Creating Business Opportunities Based on Use of Electronic Knowledge Business Models
Authors: Chen Tsung-Yi , Chen Yuh-Min
Published: May 2010

The advent of the innovation economy has transformed knowledge into the most valuable corporate asset and a key driver of product and service innovation. Therefore, the determinants of enterprise success have shifted from external factors, such as market and competitive factors, to internal factors, such as dynamic innovation capability, based on enterprise core competences and knowledge. Knowledge-based enterprises can convert intellectual assets (IA) into currency via commercial methods such as sales, licensing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers, new business entities and donations (Skyrme, 2001; Sullivan, 2000; Wang et al., 2009). Trading and sharing of knowledge with other enterprises can be more beneficial than using knowledge internally. Electronic commerce (e-commerce) supports on-line functions such as transmission, trading and making payments for products and services. Moreover, electronic commerce- based knowledge commerce (k-commerce) denotes real-time marketing and the delivery of existing organizational knowledge via the Internet to enable the legal and rapid transfer of knowledge from owners to consumers.
Online Private Sales Clubs
Authors: Jiménez-Zarco Ana Isabel , Martínez-Ruiz María Pilar , Sivera-Bello Silvia , Vilajoana-Alejandre Sandra
Published: May 2010

Considering the advantages of the Internet for commercializing a vast array of products and services (Steinfeld and Whitten, 1999; Webb, 2002), it is little wonder that more and more companies have decided to offer a broad array of products online (Jiménez, 2005). Some companies even have chosen to use the Internet as the exclusive channel for selling products and services. When they follow this route, one of the most successful sales models has been the online private sales club, a multibrand outlet format that relies on a strong, free-flowing relationship among the company, the supplier, and the consumer (B2B2C). The model also adopts an attractive and innovative (relational, emotional, holistic) marketing strategic orientation that combines the attractiveness of traditional marketing elements, including prestigious brands, sales promotions, and exclusive distribution, with marketing elements specific to virtual markets, such as viral communication, intensive customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and secure payment methods.
Virtual Stock Markets as a Research Tool in Marketing and Management
Authors: Zimmermann Lorenz
Published: May 2010

Virtual Stock Markets (VSM) are a young, powerful and still evolving research tool. VSM were developed around 20 years ago as forecasting instrument of election outcomes, having delivered very precise results ever since. In recent years, various business applications of the given concept have been presented, namely forecast generation, decision support, product concept evaluation and the identification of lead users. This article explains the basic concept of VSM, describes the potential areas of application and shows examples of successful implementations in business practice. Directions for further research are identified.
Understanding the Use of Business-to-Employee (B2E) Portals in an Australian University though the Management Lens
Authors: Rahim Md Mahbubur , Quaddus Mohammad , Singh Mohini
Published: May 2010

The application of the Internet for commercial purposes has led to different types of e-business initiatives, which have been widely discussed in the scholarly literature and trade magazines. However, it is the Business-to-Consumers (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) e-businesses that have so far dominated discussion in the contemporary literature. These two types of e-business initiatives collectively are believed to have enormous impact on business practices, industry structure and our society at large. On the other hand, Business-to- Employee (B2E), which represents an employee centric e-business initiative (Turban et al., 2008), is relatively less recognized in extant literature. Despite little attention given to B2E e-business, it represents an emerging area which has the potential to benefit businesses and IT vendors alike (Rahim and Singh, 2007). For businesses, B2E e-business solutions can act as a source of competitive advantage through retention of satisfied workforce (Hansen and Deimler, 2001). The IT vendors are currently competing to capture market share by offering various types of innovative web-based B2E solutions (e.g. employee portals, e-HR systems and ESS). According to several industry sources, an increased growth has been observed in the demand for various types of B2E products (Killen Associates Report, 2006; Merrill Lynch Capital Markets cited
Consumer Information Sharing
Authors: Foster Jonathan , Lin Angela
Published: May 2010

One area of e-business that has visibly changed in the last few years is the capacity of the Internet for supporting consumer-to-consumer information sharing. By using a variety of social media software applications such as online reviews, blogs, social tagging, and wikis, consumers are increasingly able to generate and share content about the products and services that are available in the marketplace. Collectively the labor expended by consumers in generating such content is considerable, influencing other consumers’ perceptions of these products and services and informing their purchasing decisions. It has been estimated for example that more than 5 million customers have reviewed products on the Amazon.com site, with many more making purchasing decisions informed by reading such reviews (Amazon, 2008). According to the findings of a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, consumer generated information sources such as product reviews and blogs are also considered equally as important as commercial information, e.g. manufacturers’ specifications, when making a purchasing decision (Horrigan, 2008). This article aims to provide an up-to-date review of the practice of consumer information sharing. First the different kinds of information sought by consumers are identified; second the social media software applications that consumers use to create, organize and share information with other consumers are discussed; and finally consideration is given to the marketing implications of consumer information sharing and how e-businesses can utilize social media for developing and managing relations with their customers.
Using the Internet to Study Human Universals
Authors: Saad Gad
Published: May 2010

Many human preferences, choices, emotions, and actions occur in universally similar manners because they are rooted in our common biological heritage. As such, irrespective of whether individuals are Peruvian, French, or Togolese, they are likely to share commonalities as a result of their shared Darwinian histories. In the current article, I provide a brief overview of how the Internet is a powerful tool for investigating such human universals. Given my work at the nexus of evolutionary theory and consumption, I begin with an example from marketing. Few marketing scholars are versed in evolutionary theory and related biological formalisms (Saad, 2007a; Saad, 2008a). As such, they generally view the environment as the key driver in shaping consumption patterns. This is part and parcel of the blank slate view of the human mind (Pinker, 2002), which purports that humans are born with empty minds that are subsequently filled via a wide range of socialization forces (e.g., parents, advertising content, or movies). Given that marketing scholars rely heavily on the expansive shoulders of socialization in explaining consumption, they are strong proponents of cultural relativism namely the notion that cultures need to be investigated from an emic perspective. Hence, marketers spend much of their efforts cataloging endless crosscultural differences, seldom recognizing that there are numerous commonalities shared by consumers around the world.
Case Based Web Services
Authors: Sun Zhaohao , Finnie Gavin , Yearwood John
Published: May 2010

Web services are Internet-based application components published using standard interface description languages and universally available via uniform communication protocols (Singh & Huhns, 2005). Web services can be also considered the provision of services over electronic networks such as the Internet and wireless networks (Rust & Kannan, 2003). Web services is a new computing paradigm that has drawn increasing attention in information technology (Deitel, et al, 2004, p.13), information systems, and is playing a pivotal role in service computing and service intelligence (Singh & Huhns, 2005). Web services is a new business paradigm that is playing an important role in e-business, ecommerce and business intelligence (Wang, et al, 2006). The key motive for the rapid development of web services is the ability to discover services that fulfil users’ demands, negotiate service contracts and have the services delivered where and when the users request them (Tang, et al, 2007). The current research trend is to add intelligent techniques to web services to facilitate discovery, invocation, composition, and recommendation of web services (Wang, et al, 2006).
Designing e-Business Applications with Patterns for Computer-Mediated Interaction
Authors: Lukosch Stephan , Schümmer Till
Published: May 2010

Probably the most important aspect of e-Business and e-Commerce is that it mediates the interaction between various stakeholders in a business setting. New organizational forms such as virtual organizations emerged in which independent companies form a strategic alliance for a close collaboration towards a shared goal (e.g., shared product development). New forms of B2C (business-to-customer) interaction argue for the importance of hearing the customer’s voice e.g., by providing means for customization (Piller, 2006) or by collecting the customers’ feedback (Levine, Locke, Searls, & Weinberger, 2000). And in some cases, C2C (customer-to-customer) interaction has become an integrated part of the business (in settings where customers also act as providers of goods or services). Closely related to these trends is the emergence of the Web 2.0 as “a set of economic, social, and technology trends that collectively form the basis for the next generation of the Internet – a more mature, distinctive medium characterized by user participation, openness, and network effects.” (Musser, O’Reilly et al., 2006, p. 4). Again, collaboration and user participation is one of the most important terms in this definition and it is what makes Web 2.0 different from traditional web sites that have mainly focused on content delivery rather than interaction and collaboration among users of content. Considered from an e-business perspective, there are important analogies, especially the shift from mass delivery to customized goods and services that are co-created by traditional sellers and customers.
Importance of Electronic Record Preservation in E-Business
Authors: Halas Helena , Klobucar Tomaž
Published: May 2010

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) and the rapid increase of ebusiness have led to a rapid growth of the number of produced and exchanged electronic documents. The documents range from simple receipts to complex legal contracts and service level agreements. More and more types of documents are required to be preserved for longer periods of time, for example, due to legal reasons or as evidence of a business activity. Although electronic records are created and managed in an electronic form through their entire lifecycle, they are usually printed at the end and preserved in paper form to be legally valid. This has led to a situation where paper archives are becoming too complex to be effectively managed, and need to be replaced with electronic record preservation systems. Properly preserved electronic records have equivalent legal value as records in the paper form and can be used as evidence material in court. Advanced organizations use document management systems (DMSs) for managing large numbers of electronic records. For example, a mobile phone operator creates user contracts in an electronic form or converts them from paper, preserves the contracts as long as required by the law, and disposes them after that. Unfortunately, DMSs frequently do not provide adequate technologies for integrity and authenticity provisions, which are critically important for long-term electronic record preservation in business organizations. More advanced electronic records preservation technologies are therefore required.
Recommender Systems
Authors: Park Young
Published: May 2010

With the explosive growth of goods and services available on the Web through e-commerce, it is increasingly difficult for consumers to find the right products or services. Recommender systems provide consumers with personalized recommendations of goods or services and thus help them find relevant goods or services in the information overload. Since they were introduced a decade ago, recommendation technologies have made significant progress. This article presents a brief overview of recommender systems as an effective and powerful personalization tool in the e-commerce environment. Current major recommendation approaches are described and reviewed within a single unifying recommendation model and future directions are also discussed. Recommender systems and technologies will continue to have an essential role in future e-commerce and e-business.
E-Government
Authors: Kollmann Tobias , Kayser Ina
Published: May 2010

According to the recent worldwide UN e-government survey, a rising trend towards the electronic reform of the public sector around the world becomes apparent (UNPAN 2008). Hence, the mere processing of detached transactions in government e-services is increasingly replaced by a complex process framework to develop an integrative approach for unidirectional as well as for bidirectional government and citizen (G2C, C2G), government and business (G2B, B2G), and government and government (G2G) communication and services. This article provides an overview of current findings in the realm of e-government and presents future directions of research. Therefore, we perform a keyword analysis of current high-quality research in the field of e-government.
Engineering the Coordination Requirements in Cross-organizational ERP Projects
Authors: Daneva Maya
Published: May 2010

There is yet little knowledge about cross-organizational Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation projects when it comes to determining requirements and achieving alignment between IT and businesses. Consequently, the requirements engineering (RE) processes are often more expensive and less effective as they could be. In this chapter, the authors view a cross-organization ERP implementation as a coordination problem, and introduce a coordination complexity model based on an organization’s level of participation in a business network. They show how the external coordination characteristics of an organization can be mapped to ERP-supported mechanisms for cross-organizational coordination. To incorporate this activity in the state-of-the-art ERP RE processes, the authors propose a set of good practices that counterpart certain coordination issues at different complexity levels. Their chapter is based on empirical data gathered from secondary sources. They also carried out an early validation assessment based on an online focus group composed of ERP solution architects
Understanding Based Managing Support Systems
Authors: Ogiela Lidia , Tadeusiewicz Ryszard , Ogiela Marek R.
Published: May 2010

This publication presents cognitive systems designed for analysing economic data. Such systems have been created as the next step in the development of classical DSS systems (Decision Support Systems), which are currently the most widespread tools providing computer support for economic decision-making. The increasing complexity of decision-making processes in business combined with increasing demands that managers put on IT tools supporting management cause DSS systems to evolve into intelligent information systems. This publication defines a new category of systems - UBMSS (Understanding Based Management Support Systems) which conduct in-depth analyses of data using on an apparatus for linguistic and meaning-based interpretation and reasoning. This type of interpretation and reasoning is inherent in the human way of perceiving the world. This is why the authors of this publication have striven to perfect the scope and depth of computer interpretation of economic information based on human processes of cognitive data analysis. As a result, they have created UBMSS systems for the automatic analysis and interpretation of economic data. The essence of the proposed approach to the cognitive analysis of economic data is the use of the apparatus for the linguistic description of data and for semantic analysis. This type of analysis is based on expectations generated automatically by a system which collects resources of expert knowledge, taking into account the information which can significantly characterise the analysed data. In this publication, the processes of classical data description and analysis are extended to include cognitive processes as well as reasoning and forecasting mechanisms. As a result of the analyses shown, we will present a new class of UBMSS cognitive economic information systems which automatically perform a semantic analysis of business data.
Challenges in Enterprise Information Systems Implementation
Authors: Singla Ashim Raj
Published: May 2010

Enterprise Information Systems are the most integrated information systems that cut across various organizations as well as various functional areas. Small and medium enterprises, competitor’s behavior, business partner requirement are the identified and established dimensions that affect these systems. Further it has been observed that such enterprise wide software systems prove to be a failure either in the design or its implementation. A number of reasons contribute in the success or failure of such systems. Enterprise information systems inherently present unique risks due to tightly linked interdependencies of business processes, relational databases, and process reengineering, etc. Knowledge of such risks is important in design of system and program management as they contribute to success of overall system. In this chapter an attempt has been made to study the design and implementation risks factors for ERP systems in large scale manufacturing organizations. Based on the model used to study ERP risks and thus the findings, various recommendations have been put forward to suggest a strategy so as to mitigate and manage such risks.
Achieving Alignment in Production and Logistics Operations in Three Echelon Supply Chain Network Through New Heuristic Optimizer
Authors: Kadadevaramath Rajeshwar S. , Chen Jason C.H. , Mohanasudaram K. M.
Published: May 2010

During the past decade, great studies have been made in the development of standardized tools for supply chain modeling and network optimization Network optimization is the most basic type of modeling that can be performed with tools which helps to identity optimum paths or flow of goods in supply chain network. In this case, the network is defined by the flow of finished goods from origin to destination. Network modeling becomes more complex as the dimensions and scope of the supply chain expand Uncertainties in the supply chain usually increase the variance of profit or cost to the company, increasing the likely hood of decreased profit i.e. increase in total supply chain cost. Demand uncertainty and constraints posed by the every echelon are important factors to be considered in the supply chain design operations. This chapter specifically deals with the modeling and optimization of a three echelon supply chain network architecture using new Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm.
Stochastic Modeling of Supply Chain Management Systems
Authors: Elango C.
Published: May 2010

Logistics is that part of the supply chain process that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services, and related information from the point-of-origin to the point-of-consumption in order to meet customers’ requirements. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the practice of coordinating the flow of goods, services, information and finances as they move from raw materials to parts supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. This chapter introduces the concept of Supply Chain Management System (SCMS). Two stochastic modeling problems are discussed in this chapter. Poisson demand process with (s,S) installation policy at retailer nodes are assumed to simplify the study . The system performance measures are computed with reference to specific cost structure. The total average annual variable cost is taken as optimization criterion. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the problem.
Established and Recently Proposed Variants of Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Konstantinos E. Parsopoulos , Michael N. Vrahatis
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, we describe established and recently proposed variants of PSO. Due to the rich PSO literature, the choice among different variants proved to be very difficult. Thus, we were compelled to set some criteria and select those variants that best suit them. For this purpose, we considered the following criteria: 1. Sophisticated inspiration source. 2. Close relationship to the standard PSO. 3. Wide applicability in problems of different types. 4. Performance and theoretical properties. 5. Number of reported applications. 6. Potential for further development and improvements. Thus, we excluded variants based on complicated hybrid schemes that combine other algorithms, where it is not evident which algorithm triggers which effect, as well as over-specialized schemes that refer only to one problem type or instance. Under this prism, we selected the following methods: unified PSO, memetic PSO, composite PSO, vector evaluated PSO, guaranteed convergence PSO, cooperative PSO, niching PSO, TRIBES, and quantum PSO. Albeit possibly omitting an interesting approach, the aforementioned variants sketch a rough picture of the current status in PSO literature, exposing the main ideas and features that constitute the core of research nowadays.
Exploring the Implications of Complexity Thinking for the Management of Complex Organizations
Authors: Richardson Kurt A.
Published: May 2010

This article is an attempt to explore the implications of the emerging science of complexity for the management of organizations. It is not intended as an introduction to complexity thinking, but rather an attempt to consider how thinking ‘complexly’ might affect the way in which managers do their jobs. This is achieved in a rather abstract way with some theory, but I hope the general message that there is no one way to manage comes through loud and clear, and that management is as much an art as it is a science (and always will be). In a sense complexity thinking is about limits, limits to what we can know about our organizations. And if there are limits to what we can know, then there are limits to what we can achieve in a pre-determined, planned way.
A New Approach to a Theory of Management
Authors: Mikulecky Donald C.
Published: May 2010

An organization is defined by the performance of function which is different from the way the organization is put together by its designers. An example is a business. The organizational chart is a poor way of understanding what actually goes into performing a task. The problem arises because of misunderstanding about to how events are caused. There is not just one type of causality, but there are four distinct kinds leading to closed causal loops. The causal entailment allows us to identify “functional components” that do not correspond to entities in an organizational chart or its accompanying job descriptions. Functional components are defined in a specific context and are destroyed if that context is altered significantly. By comparing a relational analysis of organizational functions with the standard organizational chart and its intent for getting things done, many problems in management can be given an explanation and thereby be solved.
Consortial Benchmarking
Authors: Schiele Holger , Krummaker Stefan
Published: May 2010

Case study research has its virtues in theory refinement and theory building. At the same time, this research method is criticized for low validity, poor generalizability and theory-induced bias that may reduce managerial relevance. Consortial benchmarking, where practitioners and researchers jointly benchmark “best practice” firms on a particular research question, is a new form of multi-case research that maximizes rigor, innovativeness and relevance as well as allowing researchers to take a systemic viewpoint when building theories in management. This chapter describes the concept and the application of consortial benchmarking. Consortial benchmarking contributes to unearth phenomena buried under traditional theories; it enhances existing approaches and contributes to building innovative theories. Due to the method’s multi-case nature results are sufficiently generalizable. Since the consortiums comprise academics and practitioners, researcher bias is minimized and relevance and validity are maximized.
Systemic Paradoxes of Organizational Change
Authors: Lewis Marianne W.
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores systemic challenges surrounding a highly disruptive type of organizational change—the implementation of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT). To unpack the intricate, multi-layered systems surroundings AMT implementation, the author applies an inductive method that relies on multiple paradigm lenses to highlight varied elements and contrasting understandings of the change process. Using Burrell & Morgan’s (1979) typology, she constructs four accounts of AMT implementation. These accounts share a theme of paradox, yet each also accentuate different tensions and vicious cycles. To accommodate disparate paradigm insights, the proposed metaframework offers a more holistic, systemic view, depicting change as a multidimensional cycle swirling around cognitive, action and institutional paradoxes. The concluding discussion addresses implications of the metaframework for managing change paradoxes and future research.
Co-Construction of Learning Objects
Authors: Hansson Thomas
Published: May 2010

It is an unsettled issue between research traditions how we should negotiate the implied rather than acknowledged dispute between individual agency, i.e. the ability/need/urge of a manager to act on/in the world on the one hand and the functioning of a structured social system where management and employee initiatives, relations and reactions are crucial for the main activity. This chapter resolves parts of the debate by drawing on general activity theory and a digital tool for facilitating job-related group interaction.
A System Approach to Describing, Analysing and Control of the Behaviour of Agents in MAS
Authors: Capkovic František
Published: May 2010

The Petri nets (PN)-based analytical approach to describing both the single agent behaviour as well as the cooperation of several agents in MAS (multi agent systems) is presented. PN yield the possibility to express the agent behaviour and cooperation by means of the vector state equation in the form of linear discrete system. Hence, the modular approach to the creation of the MAS model can be successfully used too. Three different interconnections of modules (agents, interfaces, environment) expressed by PN subnets are introduced. The approach makes possible to use methods of linear algebra. Moreover, it can be successfully used at the system analysis (e.g. the reachability of states), at testing the system properties, and even at the system control synthesis.
Identification and Response Prediction of Switching Dynamic Systems Using Interval Analysis
Authors: Shahriari Kyarash
Published: May 2010

A novel method based on interval analysis is proposed in this work for modeling and response prediction of SISO uncertain switching dynamic systems. To describe the system’s dynamic in any operating mode, a local linear model is used. The validity domain of any local model is determined in system’s input-output space. To take into account the modeling error, adjustable parameters of local models are considered time-varying and characterized by intervals of real numbers. A model whose parameters are characterized by intervals is called an interval model. A procedure is also developed to perform nstep prediction of system’s response using the multi-mode interval model. Since the model parameters are intervals, the predicted response at any instant is not a real number anymore but an interval of real numbers. The set of predicted intervals at different instances generates a tube through time called wrapping envelope. However, the identification/characterization procedure proposed in the early stage of this work guarantees that the wrapping envelope includes the system’s response taking into account possible modeling error and perturbations. This envelope can be used in diagnosis to supervise healthy operation of the system as well as in process safety analysis to guarantee that the physical variables of the system never enter in forbidden operating zones and the system remains in safe operating conditions.
Microsystems for Wireless Sensor Networks with Biomedical Applications
Authors: Carmo J. P. , Dias N. S. , Correia J. H.
Published: May 2010

This chapter introduces the concept of wireless interface, followed by the discussion of the fundamental items, concerning the fabrication of microsystems comprising low-power devices. Using as example, a design of a RF transceiver the frequency of 2.4 GHz and fabricated using a UMC RF CMOS 0.18 µm process, it will be discussed the main issues in the design of RF transceivers for integration in wireless microsystems. Then, it will be presented two biomedical applications for wireless microsystems: the first is a wireless EEG acquisition system, where it is presented the concept of EEG electrode and the characterisation of iridium oxide electrodes. The other application, is a wireless electronic shirt to monitoring the cardio-respiratory function. The main goal of these applications, is to improve the medical diagnostics and therapy by using devices which reduces healthcare costs and facilitates the diagnostic while at the same time preserving the mobility and lifestyle of patients.
Technical Perspective for the E-Health Care Management of Adaptive Collaboration Based on Authentication Roaming Between Different Certificate Authorities
Authors: Ohashi Masakazu , Hori Mayumi
Published: May 2010

The purpose of our study is to incorporate the authentication roaming technology with existing social infrastructures from the perspective of users instead of that of service providers. By conducting experiments in the Business to Consumer (B to C) environment, our research demonstrated and confirmed the effectiveness of the authentication roaming technology to realize a safe and convenient network society. This technology contributes to the construction of a citizen-centric, reassuring system especially for community medicine and healthcare by proposing a cooperation system for the medical information services based on the XML Web Services technology. Our aims to enable patients and residents to access a variety of essential information for maintaining good health and preventing diseases and enable them to make an educated decision regarding the treatment they may receive in case of illness.