bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards the Ordering of Events from Multiple Textual Evidence Sources
Authors: Anand Sarabjot Singh , Jhumka Arshad , Wade Kimberley
Published: October 2011

In any criminal investigation, two important problems have to be addressed: (1) integration of multiple data sources to build a concise picture of the events leading up to and/or during the execution of a crime, and (2) determining the order in which these events occurred. This paper focuses on the integration of multiple textual data sources, each providing a recollection of events observed by eyewitnesses. From these textual documents, using text mining and natural language processing techniques the authors identify events (across the document corpus) associated with the crime and infer temporal relationships between these events to create a (partial) ordering of the events. The authors evaluate their method on data collected through a mock eyewitness task.
Selecting and Evaluating a Learning Management System
Authors: Konstantinidis Andreas , Papadopoulos Pantelis M. , Tsiatsos Thrasyvoulos , Demetriadis Stavros
Published: October 2011

This paper presents the rationale behind the utilization of a Moodle Learning Management System for the facilitation of a blended learning approach in the Informatics department. The authors present and analyze the steps followed in order to replace the prior decentralized organizational structure of the courses, which consisted of a multitude of different and incompatible systems. The main goal was to implement a single system, which would be easy to operate, maintain, and update, and would cater to the variety of instructor and student needs. Furthermore, evaluation data of the new system is presented in detail. The analysis of the results serves to confirm the success of this department-wide migration.
Development of ICT Competency in Pre-Service Teacher Education
Authors: Dagiene Valentina
Published: October 2011

Starting from the key competencies for a knowledge society, this paper examines the information and communication technology (ICT) competency needed by teachers for effective teaching in the 21st-century. The paper analyzes the existing pre-service education programmes for teachers’ ICT competency in Lithuanian universities and colleges, self-evaluation of future teachers of their technological and pedagogical ICT competency, and comparison of these results with the course requirements for the teachers’ educational ICT literacy, based on the existing Lithuanian requirements for teachers’ pedagogical ICT literacy programmes. The paper is based on the data of the research study “Teachers’ Training on ICT Application in Education” developed by the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics in 2009. Conclusions and recommendations of the study have been proposed to implement deeper content-based modules for pedagogical ICT competency and skills in all-level pre-service teacher education as well as in-service training courses.
Hybrid Wireless Networks for E-Learning and Digital Literacy
Authors: Abbasi Munir , Stergioulas Lampros K.
Published: October 2011

Today, satellite communication networks are being integrated into the infrastructure of modern Terrestrial communication networks and becoming popular for the delivery of educational content and data, as well as education-centric services, including information, tele-conferencing, entertainment, or ‘edutainment’ services. With fresh demand for new services and applications, it is becoming essential that wireless network architecture seamlessly interoperate with new and existing technologies, protocols and standards. This paper presents recent work on the use of hybrid wireless network infrastructures for delivering tele-education and e-learning applications to remote communities by combining a variety of satellite, terrestrial and wireless technologies, and provides the results from live scenarios carried out employing various methods of interoperability testing. The analysis of the results examines a number of different issues such as delay, jitter, packet loss, latency, throughput measurement, and bandwidth. By combining satellite and terrestrial (wireless) technologies, full coverage and high capacity can be achieved for true broadband services for delivering educational content. The interoperability among such diverse networks imposes a number of challenges regarding service provision and management.
Multi-Level Modeling of Web Service Compositions with Transactional Properties
Authors: Vidyasankar K. , Vossen Gottfried
Published: October 2011

Web services have become popular as a vehicle for the design, integration, composition, reuse, and deployment of distributed and heterogeneous software. However, although industry standards for the description, composition, and orchestration of Web services have been under development, their conceptual underpinnings are not fully understood. Conceptual models for service specification are rare, as are investigations based on them. This paper presents and studies a multi-level service composition model that perceives service specification as going through several levels of abstraction. It starts from transactional operations at the lowest level and abstracts into activities at higher levels that are close to the service provider or end user. The authors treat service composition from a specification and execution point of view, where the former is about composition logic and the latter about transactional guarantees. Consequently, the model allows for the specification of a number of transactional properties, such as atomicity and guaranteed termination, at all levels. Different ways of achieving the composition properties and implications of the model are presented. The authors also discuss how the model subsumes practical proposals like the OASIS Business Transaction Protocol, Sun’s WS-TXM, and execution aspects of the BPEL4WS standard.
Ensuring Customised Transactional Reliability of Composite Services
Authors: Bhiri Sami , Gaaloul Walid , Godart Claude , Perrin Olivier , Zaremba Maciej , Derguech Wassim
Published: October 2011

Web services are defined independently of any execution context. Due to their inherent autonomy and heterogeneity, it is difficult to examine the behaviour of composite services, especially in case of failures. This paper is interested in ensuring composite services reliability. Reliable composition is defined as a composition where all instance executions are correct from a transactional and business point of view. In this paper, the authors propose a transactional approach for ensuring reliable Web service compositions. The approach integrates the expressivity power of workflow models and the reliability of Advanced Transactional Models (ATM). This method offers flexibility for designers to specify their requirements in terms of control structure, using workflow patterns, and execution correctness. Contrary to ATM, the authors start from the designers’ specifications to define the appropriate transactional mechanisms that ensure correct executions according to their requirements.
Leveraging Early Aspects in End-to-End Model Driven Development for Non-Functional Properties in Service Oriented Architecture
Authors: Wada Hiroshi , Suzuki Junichi , Oba Katsuya
Published: October 2011

In Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), each application is designed with a set of reusable services and a business process. To retain the reusability of services, non-functional properties of applications must be separated from their functional properties. This paper investigates a model-driven development framework that separates non-functional properties from functional properties and manages them. This framework proposes two components: (1) a programming language, called BALLAD, for a new per-process strategy to specify non-functional properties for business processes, and (2) a graphical modeling method, called FM-SNFPs, to define a series of constraints among non-functional properties. BALLAD leverages aspects in aspect oriented programming/modeling. Each aspect is used to specify a set of non-functional properties that crosscut multiple services in a business process. FM-SNFPs leverage the notion of feature modeling to define constraints among non-functional properties like dependency and mutual exclusion constraints. BALLAD and FM-SNFPs free application developers from manually specifying, maintaining and validating non-functional properties and constraints for services one by one, reducing the burdens/costs in development and maintenance of service-oriented applications. This paper describes the design details of BALLAD and FM-SNFPs, and demonstrates how they are used in developing service-oriented applications. BALLAD significantly reduces the costs to implement and maintain non-functional properties in service-oriented applications.
A Social-Academic Network Analysis of the EURO Working Group on DSS
Authors: Bouaziz Rahma , Simas Tiago , Dargam Fátima , Ribeiro Rita , Zaraté Pascale
Published: October 2011

This paper addresses aspects of the social network analysis (SNA) performed on the social-academic network implemented for the EURO Working Group on Decision Support Systems (EWG-DSS). The EWG-DSS network has more than 105 members and is defined with the objective of analysing and representing the various relationships that academically link the group members, as well as evaluating the group’s collaboration dynamics. This paper shows graphical representations and discusses their corresponding interpretation and analytical data. This work is part of the study carried out within the underlying project of the EWG-DSS social-academic network to understanding how the group interacts, as well as encouraging new research and promoting further collaboration among the EWG-DSS group members.
Strategic Implications of Information Technology for Resource and Capability Outsourcing Decisions
Authors: Drnevich Paul , Brush Thomas H. , Shanley Mark
Published: October 2011

Outsourcing generally involves non-strategic resources and/or non-asset specific capabilities. However, in this paper, the authors examine the non-traditional, but increasingly more common, use of IT to facilitate theoretically inconsistent outsourcing decisions involving core resources and capabilities. The authors reconcile theory with practice by developing propositions to explain how IT can enable such outsourcing decisions and how performance advantages may ensue. The authors develop a finer-grained perspective of the constructs of knowledge-based resources and capabilities. The paper concludes with a discussion arguing that such IT-enabled outsourcing decisions, if implemented correctly, can provide an organization with both capability advantages and cost benefits, resulting in higher performance.
Ontology Engineering The “What’s”, “Why’s”, and “How’s” of Data Exchange
Authors: Easton J. M. , Davies J. R. , Roberts C.
Published: October 2011

In a challenging financial climate, there is a growing impetus for businesses to use existing process data to support more intelligent decision making. For large-scale complex systems such as railways, electricity grids, and gas distribution networks, this often means combining information from numerous different condition monitoring systems; however, given the vast amounts of data produced every day and the frequently incompatible data models used to represent it, is it possible to be sure that the information generated is being used correctly? This paper provides an introduction to the field of Ontology, an emerging technology that allows the exact “meaning” of an item of data to be described in a way that can be interpreted by computers. Through this retention of meaning, it becomes possible for computers to perform simple reasoning operations, inferring new information about a system from the existing facts, and enabling exciting new Semantic Web technologies.
Discrepancies and Analogies in Artificial Intelligence and Engineering Design Approaches in Addressing Collaborative Decision-Making
Authors: Jankovic Marija , Zaraté Pascale
Published: October 2011

One of the trends in the decision-making field in the past 20 years has been the migration from individual decision-making to collective one. Several changes of working conditions influenced this trend: geographical dispersion due to the business internationalisation, concurrent work in order to satisfy time delays, facilitation of the information sharing induced by the development of local area networks (LAN), and internet. This study examines the discrepancies and analogies in addressing the collaborative decision making in two scientific fields: artificial intelligence and engineering design. These two fields have different considerations and approaches in view to the decision-making support. This paper exposes a comparative study concerning two research studies, both decision support oriented: the first one concerns the collaborative decision-making in early design stages in vehicle development projects (Jankovic, Bocquet, Stal Le Cardinal, & Bavoux, 2006) and the second one concerns the development of an architecture of a Cooperative decision Support Systems (CDSS) (Zaraté, 2005).
Understanding Organisational Decision Support Maturity
Authors: Daly Mary , Adam Frederic
Published: October 2011

Forty years after Gorry and Scott Morton’s seminal paper on DSS, supporting decisions in organisation is still a critical objective. Given the elapsed time since DSSs were first introduced, it is important to gauge the scope and quality of decision support provided to managers. Using Executive MBA students as informants about decision making in their organisations, the authors carried out 10 case studies of Irish organisations to assess their maturity in terms of decision support usage. The findings indicate that, in the vast majority of firms, decision support is still not available to help manage in situations involving high levels of abstraction. As was the case at the beginning of the history of DSS, the operational level is still where DSSs are used most consistently across firms. Furthermore, this study illustrates that engaging with managers on the topic of decision making is difficult, given the possibility of bias and misrepresentation inherent in the reality of decision making.
Information Communication Technology and a Systemic Disaster Management System Model
Authors: Santos-Reyes Jaime , Beard Alan N.
Published: October 2011

This paper presents some aspects of the ‘communication’ processes within a Systemic Disaster Management System (SDMS) model. Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a key part in managing natural disasters. However, it has been contended that ICT should not be used in ‘isolation’ but it should be seen as ‘part’ of the ‘whole’ system for managing disaster risk. Further research is needed in order to illustrate the full application of the ICT within the context of the developed model.
Resource Management in Real Time Distributed System with Security Constraints
Authors: Tripathi Sarsij , Yadav Rama Shankar , Ranvijay  , Jana Rajib L.
Published: October 2011

The world has become a global village. Today applications are developed which require sharing of resources dispersed geographically to fulfill the need of the users. In most cases applications turn out to be time bound thus leading to Real Time Distributed System (RTDS). Online Banking, Online Multimedia Applications, Real Time Databases, and Missile tracking systems are some examples of these types of applications. These applications face many challenges in the present scenario particularly in resource management, load balancing, security, and deadlock. The heterogeneous nature of the system exacerbates the challenges. This paper provides a widespread survey of research work reported in RTDS. This review has covered the work done in the field of resource management, load balancing, deadlock, and security. The challenges involved in tackling these issues is presented and future directions are discussed.
Guaranteeing Correctness for Collaboration on Documents Using an Optimal Locking Protocol
Authors: Dekeyser Stijn
Published: October 2011

Collaboration on documents has been supported for several decades through a variety of systems and tools; recently a renewed interest is apparent through the appearance of new collaborative editors and applications. Some distributed groupware systems are plug-ins for standalone word processors while others have a purely web-based existence. Most exemplars of the new breed of systems are based on Operational Transformations, although some are using traditional version management tools and still others utilize document-level locking techniques. All existing techniques have their drawbacks, creating opportunities for new methods. The authors present a novel collaborative technique for documents which is based on transactions, schedulers, conflicts, and locks. It is not meant to replace existing techniques; rather, it can be used in specific situations where a strict form of concurrency control is required. While the approach of presentation in this article is highly formal with an emphasis on proving desirable properties such as guaranteed correctness, the work is part of a project which aims to fully implement the technique.
Collaboration Support for Activity Management in a Personal Cloud Environment
Authors: Ardissono Liliana , Bosio Gianni , Goy Anna , Petrone Giovanna , Segnan Marino , Torretta Fabrizio
Published: October 2011

This paper describes a framework supporting the development of open collaboration environments which integrate heterogeneous business services. The framework facilitates the user cooperation in the execution of shared activities by offering a workspace awareness support which abstracts from the business services employed to operate. The management of the workspaces of the user’s collaborations is based on the functions offered by the Collaborative Task Manager (CTM), which offers a lightweight and flexible model for handling more or less complex collaborations. The CTM is integrated with business services in a loosely coupled way which supports the management of parallel workspaces for accessing the user’s collaboration contexts, their objects and the related awareness information.
Adaptable Information Provisioning in Collaborative Networks
Authors: Thimm Heiko , Rasmussen Karsten Boye
Published: October 2011

Well-informed network participants are a necessity for successful collaboration in business networks. The widespread knowledge of the many aspects of the network is an effective vehicle to promote trust within the network, successfully resolve conflicts, and build a prospering collaboration climate. Despite their natural interest in being well informed about all the different aspects of the network, limited resources, e.g. time restrictions of the participants, often prevents reaching an appropriate level of shared information. It is possible to overcome this problem through the use of an active information provisioning service that allows users to adapt the provisioning of information to their specific needs. This paper presents an extensible information modeling framework and also additional complementary concepts that are designed to enable such an active provisioning service. Furthermore, a high-level architecture for a system that offers the targeted information provisioning service is described.
An Interpretive Study of Critical Issues in Electronic Health Information Exchange
Authors: Cannoy Sherrie Drye
Published: October 2011

In this paper, the author examines the critical issues that have emerged in the area of electronic healthcare information exchange (HIE) in the United States. An interpretive, longitudinal study was conducted over a total of four years through a study of seven field cases. This paper aggregates findings from these seven efforts into one research study for a more comprehensive view of HIE issues. The findings provide a framework for understanding the issues of HIE for researchers and practitioners. Research, teaching, and practitioner implications are discussed.
Dynamic View Management System for Query Prediction to View Materialization
Authors: Daneshpour Negin , Barfourosh Ahmad Abdollahzadeh
Published: October 2011

On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) systems based on data warehouses are the main systems for managerial decision making and must have a quick response time. Several algorithms have been presented to select the proper set of data and elicit suitable structured environments to handle the queries submitted to OLAP systems, which are called view selection algorithms to materialize. As users’ requirements may change during run time, materialization must be viewed dynamically. In this work, the authors propose and operate a dynamic view management system to select and materialize views with new and improved architecture, which predicts incoming queries through association rule mining and three probabilistic reasoning approaches: Conditional probability, Bayes’ rule, and Naïve Bayes’ rule. The proposed system is compared with DynaMat system and Hybrid system through two standard measures. Experimental results show that the proposed dynamic view selection system improves these measures. This system outperforms DynaMat and Hybrid for each type of query and each sequence of incoming queries.
Data Field for Hierarchical Clustering
Authors: Wang Shuliang , Gan Wenyan , Li Deyi , Li Deren
Published: October 2011

In this paper, data field is proposed to group data objects via simulating their mutual interactions and opposite movements for hierarchical clustering. Enlightened by the field in physical space, data field to simulate nuclear field is presented to illuminate the interaction between objects in data space. In the data field, the self-organized process of equipotential lines on many data objects discovers their hierarchical clustering-characteristics. During the clustering process, a random sample is first generated to optimize the impact factor. The masses of data objects are then estimated to select core data object with nonzero masses. Taking the core data objects as the initial clusters, the clusters are iteratively merged hierarchy by hierarchy with good performance. The results of a case study show that the data field is capable of hierarchical clustering on objects varying size, shape or granularity without user-specified parameters, as well as considering the object features inside the clusters and removing the outliers from noisy data. The comparisons illustrate that the data field clustering performs better than K-means, BIRCH, CURE, and CHAMELEON.
Use of Virtual Classrooms in Online Learning Environments
Authors: Gümüs Salih , Okur M. Recep
Published: October 2011

With the help of enhancements in communication technologies, especially within the framework of opportunities provided by the internet, learning can be done both in traditional environments and online environments. Besides numerical content, online learning content has the ability to offer multiple learning tools together. The one which steps forward among these tools for providing communication and interaction is virtual classroom applications. In this study, virtual classroom structure in online learning environments is examined. Within the framework of the study, academic personnel who have experience with distance education and who have given courses in virtual classroom application are defined. In order to gain detailed information, research is designed qualitatively. After the data is analyzed, suggestions are provided by reporting the research. Action research design of qualitative methods is used in this study.
Improving Students’ Computing Skills and Attitudes toward Learning via Web-Mediated Self-Regulated Learning with Feedback in an Online Problem-Solving Environment
Authors: Tsai Chia-Wen , Shen Pei-Di
Published: October 2011

Online learning is generally a solitary process without teachers’ on-the-spot assistance. To help students achieve sustained learning effects, the authors conducted a quasi-experiment to explore the effects of web-mediated self-regulated learning (SRL) with feedback on enhancing students’ computing skills, and their attitudes toward blended learning through online problem-solving. In this study, two cases were studied and compared, one a class deploying web-mediated SRL with feedback and the other without. The results showed that students who received web-mediated SRL with feedback outperformed those without feedback on computing skills and exhibited positive attitudes toward this instruction integrated with innovative teaching methods and technologies.
Understanding the Continued Usage Intention of Educators toward an e-Learning System
Authors: Islam A.K.M. Najmul
Published: October 2011

The tremendous development of technologies over recent decades has offered many e-learning systems to faculty educators to support teaching. The advantage of using such systems in connection with on-site courses is that it increases flexibility in teaching/learning by making resources available online. However, there is little empirical evidence to suggest which factors shape educators’ continuance intention to use such systems. This study builds a model, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to identify the factors. The model was tested among university educators who use the popular e-learning system, Moodle. The results suggest that the continuance intention is driven by perceived usefulness and access. Perceived ease of use, perceived behavioral control, compatibility, and social influence do not have a significant direct impact on continuance intention, although perceived ease of use and compatibility significantly affect perceived usefulness. Taken together, the core determinants of the continuance intention explained around 70% of the total variance in intention in this study.
Readiness to Adopt E-Business Among SMEs in Malaysia
Authors: Marimuthu Malliga , Omar Azizah , Ramayah T. , Mohamad Osman
Published: October 2011

The adoption of the Internet as a business strategy tool is becoming an important way for firms to expand their business through innovative strategies. This study provides an insight concerning the factors that influence the adoption of the Internet to support business activities, also known as e-business among SMEs in Malaysia. In addition, the study also examines the relationship between e-business adoption and the business performance of the SMEs. Using a structured survey questionnaire, a usable response was received and statistically analyzed from 177 SMEs that currently use e-business. The research found that organizational characteristics, technology characteristics and environmental characteristics influence e-business adoption and that the adoption of e-business has a direct influence on the business performance of the SMEs. The findings of this study can aid and encourage the SMEs in developing countries to build a competitive advantage by using the Internet in their business strategy practices.
Greater Accountability, Less Red Tape
Authors: Madden Paul
Published: October 2011

Australian governments are early adopters of many electronic record-keeping and reporting systems, and the Australian Standard Business Reporting (SBR) Program evolves this further. This paper examines the evolution from government-centric technologies and standards to collaborative, open, and community standards-based systems. It describes the SBR Program as a case study in the development of seamless business-to-government reporting, which delivers significant reductions in reporting costs for business. The flexibility and universality of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is an important element in the SBR approach. The benefits to business and government reveal immediate and practical benefits that expand with the growing number of users of these standards and technologies. The open, collaborative processes that have been driven by the SBR Program are consistent with the current directions of e-government in various countries. Technology in government is interactive and viewed in terms of a complex adaptive system, which needs to grow, respond, and interact with systems used by businesses in the Australian and international communities. The use of XBRL in the SBR Program increases the integrity of data that is provided to multiple parties, eliminating the need to transform financial data in a business’s system to the various semantic differences currently imposed.
Role of Mobile Based Applications in India’s Social and Economic Transformation
Authors: Gregory Sunil Jose , Chidambaranathan Gnanapriya , Kumar Padma
Published: October 2011

This article discusses the socio-economic impact of mobile telephony in a developing country like India. Emerging markets are experiencing technology leapfrogging in terms of telecom evolution and adaptation. While the rich and affluent use mobile technology to enhance their lifestyle, for the poor, mobile based applications can augment their daily livelihood. Due to economic compulsions, the focus of the market has been on mobile services and applications that belong to the primary category. This paper identifies the potential of livelihood enabling applications and describes successful global projects in livelihood enabling mobile applications in areas like mHealth, mEducation, mAgriculture, and mFinance. The paper concludes by identifying a set of challenges for developing livelihood enabling mobile apps in India and makes policy suggestions that can increase the viability of such mobile applications in India.
Asymmetric Upgrading of Mobile Services
Authors: Fabrizi Simona
Published: October 2011

Despite the accelerated pace at which progress in wireless technologies occurs, it is not uncommon to observe that some Mobile Operators (MOs) do not upgrade their mobile services, while their competitors adopt the newest technological standards. This paper proposes an explanation for this apparent paradox by means of a formal theoretical model that acknowledges demand heterogeneity in a quality upgrading game between horizontally differentiated and competing MOs. Demand heterogeneity stems from the co-existence of both conservative and quality-seeking users in the mobile services market. The author derives both symmetric and asymmetric upgrading outcomes depending on (1) the ratio of quality-seeking and conservative users, (2) the upgrading cost, (3) the extra-value conservative users attribute to upgraded services, and (4) the degree of differentiation between competing MOs. Results reveal under which conditions demand heterogeneity leads to higher profits for non-upgrading MOs than for upgrading MOs, constituting the rationale for asymmetric upgrading outcomes to arise.
An Empirical Investigation into the Sources of Customer Dissatisfaction with Online Games
Authors: Tseng Fan-Chen , Teng Ching-I
Published: October 2011

Most extant research focused on the attractiveness of online games, but paid scant attention to the sources of customer dissatisfaction with online games. Thus, this study investigates the sources of customer dissatisfaction (dissatisfiers) with online games. From an online survey, this study identified five factors as the sources of customer dissatisfaction: (1) the deceptive behavior of other online gamers, (2) the discourteous behavior of other online gamers, (3) the unattractive design of online games, (4) the ineffective customer support of online game service providers, and (5) the undesirable restrictions or regulations imposed by online game service providers. Findings in this study highlighted the fact that the anonymous and intensive interactions among online customers themselves can result in customer-originated dissatisfiers such as deceptive behavior and discourteous behavior. This study also reminded online service providers of company-originated dissatisfiers such as ineffective customer support and improper constraints.
The Influence of Information Technology on Organizational Behavior
Authors: Sohrabi Babak , Gholipour Aryan , Amiri Behnam
Published: October 2011

This paper attempts to examine the effects of virtual team dimensions on social identities of its members. A review of the literature shows that the geographically dispersed, culturally diverse as well as temporary dimensions of virtual teams do not match with their stability as members have different ethnic, social, or cultural backgrounds. Sources like culture, place, and time seem to continuously acquire social identities. Due to the importance of social identity, an attempt has been made to examine its influence on organizational variables (i.e. job satisfaction, job involvement, job commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior). Questionnaire-based data have been accomplished from 149 members of 44 teams. The hypothesized relationships among the proposed variables are tested via a structural equation model (SEM). Results show that the geographically disperse and culturally diverse variables are negatively related to the social identity as against those of temporary and organizational variables which are related positively.
Web Enabled Design Collaboration in India
Authors: Guha Shaheli , Thakur Biswajit , Konar Tuhin Subhra , Chakrabarty Shibnath
Published: October 2011

Designing large scale real estate projects often requires collaboration between consultants and agencies that are located in different geographical areas. The added constraint of geographical distance to a design approach that already involves multiple participants makes design collaboration a particularly challenging task. This study hypothesizes that design collaboration could benefit from harnessing web technologies. Organizational Risk Analyzer (ORA) software was used to identify the key factors of a collaboration network in a design project located in Kolkata, India. The web enabled internet forum system used was compared with the more traditional system of collaboration using mail. The collaborative network factors like connectedness, density, diffusion, centralization degree, and the node level factors like closeness centrality, eigenvector, betweenness and Burt constraint indicate that internet forums provide a more efficient tool of collaboration than traditional mail network systems. A simulation shows that the forum network operated even in an adverse condition, for example, when the project manager, a key member of the collaboration team, was unavailable.
E-Collaboration Within, Between, and Without Institutions
Authors: Blau Ina
Published: October 2011

This paper discusses different ways for the exchange of knowledge in networks - within, between, and without institutions, as well as their implication on networks in economy and society. Network systems based on technologies and architectures of participation offer a new model of online knowledge sharing, cooperation, and collaboration, that are different from the traditional institutional framework. This paper suggests that this model opens new horizons for both companies and non-profit organizations. By developing an e-networked business model, companies can make as much or even more money in the long tail of power low distribution than they were making at the head of the curve in the traditional business model. This opens to everyone the possibility of participating and contributing content, non-profit organization and online communities, including Communities of Practice and online learning communities, which can ensure reaching the “critical mass” of contributors and involvement level that will keep these communities active. This paper concludes with an example illustrating how the ideas discussed could facilitate knowledge exchange in companies, organizations or educational institutions.
An Investigation into the Adoption of Electronic Commerce among Saudi Arabian SMEs
Authors: Al-Somali Sabah Abdullah , Gholami Roya , Clegg Ben
Published: October 2011

Despite the proliferation of e-commerce adoption by SMEs and the world-wide growth of e-commerce, in general there is a paucity of empirical studies that examine the adoption of e-commerce by SMEs in the Middle East. In this paper, the authors provide insights into the salient e-commerce adoption issues by focusing on Saudi Arabian SMEs. This research was designed using a qualitative approach through in-depth case studies selected from firms in Saudi Arabia. The findings contribute toward a better conceptual and practical understanding of the main factors driving SMEs to adopt e-commerce. The authors find that the level of e-commerce implementation has yet to mature and customer readiness for Internet shopping must improve before e-commerce reaches the levels of maturity seen in other regions of the world. This study highlights directions for future inquiry and implications for information and technology managers and policymakers in developing Arab nations.
Change for Entrepreneurial Chances?
Authors: Kayser Ina
Published: October 2011

Electronic government provides multifarious opportunities for entrepreneurs regarding public-private sector partnerships and the exploitation of administrative benefits. The occurrence of entrepreneurial opportunities is influenced by many distinct intrinsic and external factors. This paper examines the opportunities that occur for entrepreneurs through the electronic implementation of public services across the European Union until the years 2020 and 2040, respectively. The development of the European Union is currently at the crossroads of economic and political stagnation. Building on two scenario analyses, the author thereby accounts for economic and political factors of different possible trajectories of the European Union, analyzing the corresponding state of e-government implementation and deducing implications for entrepreneurial opportunity occurrence. All scenarios show different opportunities emerging from the distinct states of e-government across Europe; these opportunities depend, nonetheless, on the specific market needs and value creation capabilities determined by each scenario presented.
Mobile Banking Innovations and Entrepreneurial Adoption Decisions
Authors: Ratten Vanessa
Published: October 2011

This paper examines an individual’s entrepreneurial adoption decisions to use mobile banking for both business and social reasons. A conceptual model based on social cognitive theory is developed to explain an individual’s propensity to adopt mobile banking. The theoretical framework examines how advertising, experience, perceived risk, learning inclination, and entrepreneurial proclivity influence a person’s intention to use mobile banking. This paper stresses the role of financial risk in determining a person’s intention to use mobile banking and whether their entrepreneurial nature is influenced by their experience and advertising they are subjected to about the advantages or disadvantages of mobile banking. This paper ties together research on technological innovation with entrepreneurship and learning studies. The author stresses the importance for financial institutions to market the innovativeness of mobile banking whilst addressing security concerns. The impact of a person’s social environment through personal contacts and acquaintances underpins social cognitive theory and helps to understand the motives for a person adopting mobile banking. The paper integrates mobile banking literature with current thinking on the importance of entrepreneurship and learning influences to how a person adopts a technological innovation.
ICTs in the Micro-Enterprise
Authors: Burke Kelly
Published: October 2011

Though there is an extensive body of research regarding information and communication technology (ICT) use in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), relatively few studies have examined ICT use specifically in the subset of SMEs known as micro-enterprises. This study compares ICT use among micro-enterprises (MEs) in the agricultural sector. Factors expected to influence IC adoption include firm size, CEO education, and the type of crop produced. Results indicate extensive use of computers and the Internet, especially for functions like email, online purchasing, and online business-related research, while website ownership is less widespread. Larger MEs are more likely than smaller ones to use a computer. Among those MEs owning computers, larger ones are more likely than smaller ones to have a website and to conduct financial activities online. However, most other ICTs (email, online purchasing, etc.) are used similarly by both smaller and larger MEs. Thus, for most internet ICTs micro-enterprise growth does not result in differing adoption rates. The study also investigates micro-enterprise use of emerging social technologies like instant messaging, chat, blogging, etc. Micro-entrepreneurs’ perceptions of ICT benefits and implications for development are also discussed.
Organizational Culture and E-Government Performance
Authors: Kanungo Shivraj , Jain Vikas
Published: October 2011

Government organizations differ significantly from private sector organizations in terms of their processes, culture, and ways of working. Plagued with phlegmatic and often lackadaisical work systems, government organizations tend to resist dramatic changes usually associated with technology based interventions. This study examines the effect of one dominant factor, organizational culture, on the success of e-government initiatives. To test the research model, survey data was collected from 315 respondents in 13 government organizations in India. The results indicate that a government organization which performs well on e-government projects exhibits specific cultural traits. Results also indicate that bureaucratic dimension, which emerges as the dominant cultural dimension in government organizations, is both positively and negatively related to e-government performance dimensions. The supportive and innovative dimensions of organizational culture are positively related to work process improvement and the job satisfaction of the user associated with e-government projects. Implications for practice and research are provided by interpreting the results in the context of the process paradox. The results show that while government and public sector organizations can use culture to positively impact efficiency dimensions of e-government performance, the dominant bureaucratic culture will tend to hinder systemic and enterprise-wide e-government performance.
Towards a Design Rationale for Inclusive eGovernment Services
Authors: Hornung Heiko , Baranauskas M. Cecília C.
Published: October 2011

The tendency of computer use spreading out into more and more areas of life has the potential to bring benefits to people’s lives. Examples are electronic government services in areas such as public health or social assistance. The same phenomenon, however, could leave behind people who face different barriers regarding the access to those services, for example people with disabilities, low literacy or low computer skills. This work sheds light on the question of how to facilitate the interaction with those services considering people with diverse physical and intellectual conditions. This study analyzes design ideas utilized in four prototypes of a registration service and explored by user representatives. The results of this analysis inform a design rationale in order to support designers in making design decisions tailored to the respective application and social usage context.
Evaluating and Designing Electronic Government for the Future
Authors: Martin Nigel , Rice John
Published: October 2011

This paper uses data from a program of customer interviews and focus group research conducted by the Australian government to develop an electronic services evaluation and design framework. A proven theory building approach has been used to develop and confirm the various components of electronic government (e-government) use and satisfaction from original government studies conducted in Australia and to create the new evaluation framework. Building on the extant e-government literature, the reintroduction of the original data into the framework yielded some emergent observations and insights for future e-government design, including the somewhat paradoxical importance of human contacts and interactions in electronic channels, service efficiency and process factors that impinge on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and a potential growth trajectory for telephony based e-government for older segments of the community.
Evaluating Citizen Adoption and Satisfaction of E-Government
Authors: Orgeron Craig P. , Goodman Doug
Published: October 2011

Governments at all levels are faced with the challenge of transformation and the need to reinvent government systems in order to deliver efficient and cost effective services. E-government presents a tremendous impetus to move forward in the 21st century with higher quality, cost-effective, government services, and a better relationship between citizens and government. This research considers theoretical foundations from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Web Trust Model (WTM), and SERVQUAL to form a parsimonious model of citizen adoption and satisfaction for e-government services. The authors find that usefulness, or end-user convenience, to be the principal determinant of e-government adoption and satisfaction, unaffected even when controlling demographic variables such as race, income, and education are introduced.
A Tool for Automatic Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination
Authors: Dogra Debi Prosad , Nandam Karthik , Majumdar Arun Kumar , Sural Shamik , Mukhopadhyay Jayanta , Majumdar Bandana , Singh Arun , Mukherjee Suchandra
Published: October 2011

Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) is a popular method to estimate the neurological development of infants aged less than two years. Using HINE, especially for preterm or premature babies, the risk of neural disorder can be minimized through proper preventive measures. This paper presents the design of a semi-automatic application that can be used as an aid to doctors for efficiently conducting the examinations listed in the Hammersmith chart. The user friendly version of the examination interface provides a platform for quantitative neurological assessment of the infants. It includes various simplified video and image based schemes that are suited to inexperienced staff. It provides an interface to go through the previous records of patients. Ten examinations are enlisted in the Hammersmith chart for neonatal babies. This paper examines a semi-automatic approach for posture estimation examination. For post neonatal infants, a follow-up management interface is designed that can be used to fetch / consult past records of the patients for better diagnosis. The application is currently in operation at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGME & R) and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial (SSKM) Hospital, Kolkata, India.
Design Considerations for Delivering E-Learning to Surgical Trainees
Authors: Coughlan Jane , Brinkman Willem-Paul
Published: October 2011

Challenges remain in leveraging e-health technologies for continuous medical education/professional development. This study examines the interface design and learning process features related to the use of multimedia in providing effective support for the knowledge and practice of surgical skills. Twenty-one surgical trainees evaluated surgical content on a CD-ROM format based on 14 interface design and 11 learning process features using a questionnaire adapted from an established tool created to assess educational multimedia. Significant Spearman’s correlations were found for seven of the 14 interface design features – ‘Navigation’, ‘Learning demands’, ‘Videos’, ‘Media integration’, ‘Level of material’, ‘Information presentation’ and ‘Overall functionality’, explaining ratings of the learning process. The interplay of interface design and learning process features of educational multimedia highlight key design considerations in e-learning. An understanding of these features is relevant to the delivery of surgical training, reflecting the current state of the art in transferring static CD-ROM content to the dynamic web or creating CD/web hybrid models of education.