Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Private Exchanges Of Agricultural Land In Zhejiang, China: A Road To Agrarian Capitalism Or Path-Dependent Transformation?, Qian Forrest Zhang

Qian Forrest ZHANG

No abstract provided.

Hambrunas Socialistas, Guillermo Arosemena

Guillermo Arosemena

No abstract provided.

“The Role Of Switching Costs In The Markets For Pc Operating Systems, Online Search, Internet Access And Mobile Service: Implications For Australian Competition And Consumer Protection Policy”, Robert G. Harris

Robert G Harris

This paper addresses the role of switching costs in computing, communications and information technologies. Switching costs (and closely related network effects) play an increasingly important role in competitive analysis and competition policy. This paper considers the interplay of switching costs and the emergence of the digital, online economy, and examines the implications of switching costs for competition and competition policies in Australia.

Edad Y Enseñanza, Guillermo Arosemena

Guillermo Arosemena

No abstract provided.

Ict For Poverty Alleviation In Pacific Island Nations: Study Of Icts4d In Fiji, Deogratias Harorimana, Opeti Rokotuinivono, Emali Sewale, Fane Salaiwai, Marica Naulu, Evangelin Roy

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

ICT for Poverty Alleviation in Pacific Island Nations: Study of ICTs4D in Fiji There has been a vague and little knowledge on the role or potential of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in relation to addressing poverty in Fiji. This may be probably due to the newness of the technology in the South Pacific Region as a whole but also probably due to the fact that only 9.7% of the current Fiji 931,000 populations are internet users (ITC Figures 2011). This paper reports on finding how ICTs is contributing towards poverty alleviation in Fiji. On the basis of reviewed best …

El Estadista Civilizado, Guillermo Arosemena

Guillermo Arosemena

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of The Effects Of Desertification In Yobe State, Nigeria, Jibril Musa Phd

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental and socio-economic problems of our time. Desertification describes circumstances of land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from the climatic variation and human activities. The fundamental goal of this thesis was to assess the effects of desertification in Yobe State, Nigeria. The present threat of desertification in the sahel has reached an alarming stage where crops cultivation and animal rearing/grazing are no more productive, soil has lost its nutrient/fertility, various infrastructure had given way because of windstorm from the neighbouring Niger Republic and sand dunes had taken over. The …

Using Remote Sensing Data To Improve Rice Production In Kutigi, Niger State, Nigeria, Jibril Musa Phd, M B. Yunusa

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This research work looked in the used of Remote Sensing to improve Agricultural production in Kutigi, Niger State. The aim of the study is to use remote sensing to improve rice farming activities in Kutigi, Niger State. It is very important to identify such methods to improve Agricultural production because experts are always interested in new researches and findings to better the standard of living in any environment. In view of this, Remotely-sensed data could be used or employed to elevate most of these agricultural problems in Kutigi through the following objectives: Using Landsat imagery to assess the present landuse …

The Librarian/Lecturer: Successful Course Development Based On Km Principles, Stuart Basefsky

Stuart Basefsky

This presentation focuses on a highly successful and award winning course taught by a librarian/lecturer. It was specifically designed to serve the knowledge needs and aspirations of students, faculty, companies, publishers and the educational institution to which all these parties are connected. The unique manner in which the KM needs of the parties are met by establishing synergies is highlighted as well as how it is assessed.

Impact Of Psychological Factors On Investment Decision Making Mediating By Risk Perception: A Conceptual Study, Lubna Riaz, Ahmed Imran Hunjra, Rauf I. Azam

Ahmed Imran Hunjra (PhD)

Every individual is different from others due to various factors which include demographic factors, age, race and sex, education level, social and economic background; same is the situation with the investors. The most critical challenge faced by them is the investment decision; they act in a rational manner and usually follow their instincts and emotional biases while making investment decisions. The investigation of previous studies reveals the importance of various psychological factors which affect their investment decision. Keeping this in view, a study model has been developed to describe the impact of risk propensity, asymmetric information and problem framing on …

An Estate Dilemma - Inaccessible Assets Hiding Behind Passwords And Encryption, Douglas J. Henderson

DOUGLAS J HENDERSON

Every person living in the modern world holds valuable assets, data, or information in digital mediums. Digital mediums include not only digital hardware storage mediums in personal possession (like external hard drives and internal hard drives within laptop and desktop computers, personal digital assistants, cell phones, and the like), but also those only accessible through a network. Because so much is held in digital mediums, when an individual dies or becomes incapacitated, another person must know how to access the incapacitated person’s digital assets and other important information (this person is known herein as the ‘Responsible Party’). There are potential …

The Influence Of Infrastructural Trust On Electronic Commerce Development In Indonesia, Mira Kartiwi, Robert C. Macgregor

Dr Mira Kartiwi

The advent of E-commerce opens an opportunity for fostering an environment that promotes the globa/isation of markets throughout the world, especially those in developing countries /ike Indonesia. The importance of trust as a key facilitator of E-commerce is increasingly being recognized in academic and practitioner communities. However, empirical research in this area has been overwhelmed by contradictory conceptions of the trust construct, while inadequate attention is paid to the influence of trust constructs on E-commerce development in different cultural environments and settings. It is, therefore, the aim of this paper to address the gap by providing an exploratory study on …

Complex Modeling In Marketing Using Component Based Sem, Shahriar Akter, Umme Hani

Shahriar Akter

Structural equation modeling (SEM) is an important tool for marketing researchers to estimate a network of causal relationships linking two or more complex concepts. The PLS approach to SEM, also known as component based SEM, is becoming more prominent in estimating complex models due to its soft modeling assumptions. This study elucidates the use of component based SEM in estimating a complex higher order model with a small sample size. The utility of the approach is illustrated empirically by estimating a third-order, reflective, hierarchical service quality model in the context of mHealth. The findings of the study confirm the conceptual …

Foundations Of Ontology-Based Mas Methodologies, Ghassan Beydoun, Numi Tran, Graham Low, Brian Henderson-Sellers

Associate Professor Ghassan Beydoun

Support for software extensibility, interoperability and reuse are critical concerns for long term commercial viability of any MAS and they underpin the eventual adoption of agent technology by industry. Existing AOSE methodologies lack adequate support for these concerns. We argue in this paper that a methodology that uses ontologies as a central modelling artifact, beyond the analysis phase, is better equipped to address those concerns.

We observe that the influence of ontologies in Knowledge-based Systems (KBS) methodologies extended well beyond the initial analysis phase, leading to domain-independent KBS methodologies in the ’90s. We reflect on those lessons and on the …

Optimal Population Size And Urban-Rural Composition Of A Distant, Large, Arid Island: A Model And Some Numerical Simulations, Amnon Levy, Reza Zamani

Dr Reza Zamani

Low population density and large distance from civilization centers generate high costs of isolation. Immigration reduces these costs for veteran residents but reduces social and cultural cohesion, increases the demand for scarce resources and affects the rate of urban unemployment. An expected net benefit maximization model for determining the optimal population size and the equilibrium urban-rural composition of an island similar to Australia is constructed. The model is simulated for various agricultural water prices. The simulation results illustrate the central role of the effect of immigration on urban unemployment rate in the determination of the island’s optimal population size.

Electronic Documentation In Residential Aged Care Facilities - A Review Of The Literature On Organisational Issues And Early Findings On Initial Conditions From A Case Study, Kieren Diment, Ping Yu, Karin H. Garrety

Dr Ping Yu

This paper discusses the theoretical rationale for an empirical study of organisational change arising from introduction of electronic nursing documentation in residential aged care facilities. The study draws on a processual view of organisational change, which is related to the theory of complex adaptive systems. First we review existing literature on electronic nursing documentation with an organisational focus to provide a context to help outline the research aims of the present study. Then we describe a method to explore the hierarchical nature of the work environment based on the sociological theory of Institutional Ethnography. Finally we use this approach to …

Source Of Value Online For Recreational Travellers: Customer Information Needs In The Buying Process And Internet Capability, Robert Grant

Robert Grant

The information needs of buyers of high involvement recreational travel products are potentially a source of customer value in their decision making process. The internet's ability to provide large amounts of information in real time with high levels of customer convenience are compounded by the ability to deliver information from multiple sources. In theory then, the internet seems able to largely replace the value delivered by retail travel intermediaries in the physical world. This critical review suggests however that the physical world intermediaries and online information sources are more likely to be complementary rather than competitive resources for shoppers for …

Online Information Values For Recreational Travellers: A Review Of Online Sources In Decision Making For An Unfamiliar Long Haul Destination, Robert Grant

Robert Grant

Acquisition or purchase of travel arrangements involves an exchange of information which is theoretically suited for transfer from offline to online interaction. The ability to digitise material and ease access through searchability based on metatags (Reedy and Schullo, 2004, p 276) make the internet a potentially ideal medium for information gathering and exchange. This paper reviews the value of information sources for consumer decision making for a high involvement experience product with multiple and variable components and points to further research which help our understanding of the value of electronic networks.

Towards Executable Specification: Combining I* And Agentspeak(L), Farzad Salim, Chee Fon Chang, Aneesh Krishna, Aditya K. Ghose

Professor Aditya K. Ghose

Agent-oriented conceptual modeling(AoCM) approaches in Requirements Engineering (RE) have received considerable attention recently. Semi-formal modeling frameworks such as i* assist analysts in requirements elicitation and reasoning of early-phase RE. AgentSpeak( L) is a widely accepted agent programming language. The Strategic Rationale (SR) model of the i* framework naturally lends itself to AgentSpeak(L) programs. Furthermore, the Strategic Dependency (SD) component of the i* framework prescribes the interaction between the agents in a multi-agent environment. This paper proposes a formal methodology for transforming a SR model to an AgentSpeak( L) agent. The constructed AgentSpeak(L) agents will then form the essential components of …

Designing A Regional E-Logistics Portal, Adrian Collins, George Ditsa, Aditya K. Ghose, Peter N. Hyland, Sim K. Lau

Professor Aditya K. Ghose

A variety of optimization and negotiation technologies hold the promise of delivering value to the logistics processes of businesses both small and large, yet they tend to remain inaccessible to SMEs (largely due to price and complexity concerns). This paper describes the early-phase steps in a project to develop a regional e- logistics portal. The project seeks to make constraint-based optimization and automated negotiation technologies accessible to SMEs within a portal that also serves their information needs. The paper highlights several novel aspects of the design of the portal, as well as a novel requirements gathering process involving community consultation.

Organisational Control And The Self: Critiques And Normative Expectations, Karin Garrety

Karin Garrety

This article explores the normative assumptions about the self that are implicitly and explicitly embedded in critiques of organisational control. Two problematic aspects of control are examined – the capacity of some organisations to produce unquestioning commitment, and the elicitation of ‘false’ selves. Drawing on the work of Rom Harré, and some examples of organisational-self processes gone awry, I investigate the dynamics involved and how they violate the normative expectations that we hold regarding the self, particularly its moral autonomy and authenticity. The paper concludes by arguing that, despite post-structuralist challenges, some notion of a ‘core’ or ‘real’ self still …

Accounting For Corruption: Abuse Of Rank And Privilege, Kathleen A. Cooper, Ian K. Fargher

Ian Fargher

Rank, privilege and responsibility should be inseparable. However, investigations ofcorporate scandals typically reveal rank, privilege and irresponsible behaviour gohand in hand. The publicity and recriminations surrounding corporate scandals tendto focus first on corporate executives implicated in poor management or otherinappropriate behaviour and then on the relevant regulators. Where financialmanipulation is revealed, the external auditor also comes under scrutiny. Thedeficiencies in corporate regulation including accounting and audit standards aresubject to less public inspection but are often the subject of enquiry by governmentappointedbodies. Recommendations for regulatory reform follow and the public isassured the risk of similar scandals is minimised or at least …

Association Between Corporate Disclosure And Information Needs Of Company Annual Report Users In Sri Lanka, Anura De Zoysa

Anura De Zoysa

This paper examines the extent of disclosures in company annual reports of Sri Lankan listedcompanies and the user perceptions on the importance of information disclosed in company annualreports. For this purpose, annul reports of 65 Sri Lankan listed companies were analysed using adisclosure index. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey was conducted covering seven user groups toexamine the importance they attached to various information items disclosed in company annualreports. The results of the study revealed a fairly high level of overall disclosure (69.8%) in Sri Lankancompany annual reports with 90 per cent of the sample companies disclosing 43 per cent ofinformation items …

Unintended Effects Of Implementation Intentions On Goal Pursuit Initiation Vs. Persistence: Substitution And Acceleration, Jelena Spanjol, Leona Tam, Jose Rosa

Leona Tam

This research develops new insights into implementation intentions' effects on goal striving initiation vs. persistence. Across three studies, we identify and empirically explore two novel effects of implementation intentions under different conditions of regulatory fit – namely substitution and acceleration effects.

Enacting Change In Strategic Marketing Decisions: The Role Of Regulatory Focus In Teams, Jelena Spanjol, Leona Tam, William Qualls, Jonathan Bohlmann

Leona Tam

No abstract provided.

Keynes,Hayak Y Marx, Guillermo Arosemena

Guillermo Arosemena

No abstract provided.

Diseñando Colisiones De Satélites En La Guerra Cibernética Encubierta, Jan Kallberg

Jan Kallberg

La guerra concentrada en la red depende de la red de información global para capacidades de combate conjuntas.3 La capa fundamental crea la capacidad de combate global como la columna vertebral espacial de la red de información donde los haberes espaciales son el elemento decisivo. EE.UU. depende de las capacidades espaciales para su éxito y la seguridad nacional de EE.UU. se basa hoy en día en un número limitado de satélites muy utilizados. Estos satélites son cruciales para la disuasión estratégica, la vigilancia, la recopilación de inteligencia y las comunicaciones militares. Si la disuasión estratégica falla, los satélites forman parte …

Privacy Issues And Solutions In Social Network Sites, Xi Chen, Katina Michael

Associate Professor Katina Michael

The boom of the internet and the explosion of new technologies have brought with them new challenges and thus new connotations of privacy. Clearly, when people deal with e-government and e-business, they do not only need the right to be let alone, but also to be let in secret. Not only do they need freedom of movement, but also to be assured of the secrecy of their information. Solove [6] has critiqued traditional definitions of privacy and argued that they do not address privacy issues created by new online technologies. Austin [7] also asserts: “[w]e do need to sharpen and …

Forward Momentum - Global Diversity And Inclusion Are Game Changers And Major Factors Impacting Successful Sustainable Development, Effenus Henderson

Effenus Henderson

Global Diversity and Inclusion are Game Changers and Major Factors Impacting Successful Sustainable Development By Effenus Henderson

Privacy- The Times They Are A-Changin', M.G. Michael, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

This special section is dedicated to privacy in the information age. Since the rise of mobile social media in particular and the advent of cloud computing few can dispute that the times have changed. Privacy is now understood in context, and within a framework that is completely different to what it once was. The right to be let alone physically seemingly has been replaced by the right to give away as much information as you want virtually. What safeguards can be introduced into such a society? We cannot claim to wish for privacy as a right if we ourselves do …