Journal
of International Technology and Information Management
Spring
2003, Volune 12, Number 1
SECTION
I: CONCEPTS, THEORY, AND ANALYSIS
1
KEYNOTE PAPER: Implementation Of Simulation Software Packages For Healthcare
Scheduling
Simulation
methodology is considered an effective decision making tool in the process of
patient scheduling in healthcare centers.
In spite of the large number of simulation software packages that are
commercially available, operation researches still are facing difficulties to
implement simulation models in healthcare centers. In many cases, healthcare schedulers must spend extra efforts
trying to mold scheduling requirements to conform to the features of the
package. In this paper, we offer a
systematic approach that can be used by practitioners to successfully adopt the
available software simulation packages, develop simulation models, and
transform their findings into practical scheduling rules. A radiology center in a Midwestern Hospital
is used to illustrate the proposed methodology.
15 An Examination Of The Relationship Between Digital
Divide And Economic Freedom: An International
Perspective
Ravi Nath & N.R. Vasudeva Murthy
Due to various economic, political and social
reasons, the Internet usage remains relatively low in many countries around the
world. The difference in access to new
information technologies and the Internet among countries, is known as the
“digital divide.” This is a significant
economic phenomenon that warrants the attention of analysts and policy
makers. Furthermore, since information
technologies and the Internet have proven to be key drivers for economic growth
and global trade, many nations are in danger of being marginalized. This paper examines the relationship between
economic freedom as indicated by the Economic Freedom Index (EFI), proposed by
Beach and O’Driscoll (2003) and the digital divide. By analyzing data from sixty-two countries that include variables
such as the cost of Internet access, number of personal computers and phones,
personal income level, and innovation capability, it is shown that EFI is
significantly related to the diffusion rate of the Internet. Therefore, countries need to examine and
implement economic policies that are conducive to narrowing the digital gap.
25 The Virtual Organizing Process – A
Critical Tool for Enterprise Competitiveness in the Information
Era
F Wu, L. K. Chu , H. Z. Li, X. M. Han & D.
Sculli
The term virtual enterprise has generated considerable confusion because of its rather liberal interpretation. This paper argues that the successful establishment of a virtual enterprise is mainly dependent on the virtual organizing processes of an enterprise’s strategies (VOPES), rather than on the actual manifested transformation of the whole into a single virtual organization. A three-dimensional dynamic framework for VOPES is presented, with the aim of providing a coherent model for positioning the various virtual organizing strategies, and at the same time giving VOPES dynamic tendencies towards market negotiation, co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration. To achieve a competitive advantage, the top management of an enterprise operating in an intense information environment can organize their enterprise virtually by using the three-dimensional framework of: virtual customer relationship, virtual out-sourcing, and virtual knowledge and expertise. The generic IT architecture of VOPES is also described and discussed.
43 The
Development Of A Business Rules Engine:
A Condition-Action Rule Algorithm For Finite Static Lists
Terri D. Giddens & Kevin E. Gaasch
An on-going theme in Information Systems research is the methods by which business rules are gathered and implemented. Additionally, many efforts have been made to develop reusable algorithms for processing business rules to reduce system development, testing, and maintenance time. The objective of this paper is to present a reusable algorithm for condition-action rules that are applied to finite static lists. More importantly, the algorithm is generalized for complex rules that are complicated by differences in user authorizations and other dependencies.
Melody Lo & Chang-Tseh Hsieh
This paper examines the feasibility of applying data mining techniques to testing market efficiency hypothesis using a high frequency, up to one thousand of a second, electronic brokerage data. Results suggest the existence of a pattern of negative autocorrelation in returns of DEM/USD over relative short lags (less than 40 seconds). However, this pattern is not feasible by two reasons: (1) the structure of autocorrelation pattern is inconsistent and changes too rapidly (2) the largest potential speculative profit is smaller than the regulated tick size. These results indicate that dealers have engaged in any potential profitable speculations based on past price information.
Jack T. Marchewka, Chang Liu & Charles G.
Petersen
The proliferation of unsolicited electronic mail or spam is becoming a global concern for many organizations. This paper explores perceptions of unsolicited email, its impact on personal productivity, the question of whether spam is an invasion of privacy, the perceived need to control spam, and the effectiveness of unsolicited email. The results clearly show that while the respondents find spam annoying, they spend very little time in dealing with it. Although the respondents express the need to control spam, they do not believe that governmental control is the solution, but rather that Internet Service Providers and organizations should take the responsibility for controlling unsolicited email. Lastly, the respondents are very unlikely to open, let alone read, and respond to unsolicited email. The results of this study will be useful for guiding organizational, university, and public policies.
93 Salaries Of
Information Technology Managers: A
Trend Analysis
During the economic boom of the last decade, companies and organizations have to offer lucrative salaries and a wide variety of incentive programs to attract and to retain highly skilled IT workers. While it is true that the economic downturn has affected the dramatic rise in salary trends, determining the worth of an employee as measured by wages will always remain a critical management issue. History has shown that irrespective of economic conditions, salaries will continue to rise. As the economy recovers and given the projected mass exodus of governmental information technology workers in the coming years, managers will need to be ready to deal with the difficult issue of high salary again. This study examines national and regional salary trends of IT managers. Specifically, the salaries examined are for the years 1991 through 2000, the period where salaries were often adjusted because of the imbalance between the supply of and the demand for IT professionals. From the employee who is looking for a reasonable salary package to the employer who must determine a sufficient pay raise to retain an IT manager, the findings and trends reported in this study should be useful and interesting.
107 Selecting Middleware For N-Tier Applications
This paper describes middleware for n-tier architecture, describes how
this middleware is meeting the unique demands of Internet applications and
e-commerce, and suggests selection guidelines to assist business managers in
choosing appropriate types of middleware for n-tier systems that will meet
their internet needs. Different types
of middleware provide the functionality for addressing many distinct and
disparate problems arising from the distributed processing associated with
n-tier systems. This paper associates
the type of middleware with the nature of the system being developed.
121 Electronic Data Interchange: A
Perspective From Taiwan
Mary C. Jones, Ronald L. Berry & Catherina Yi-Fang Ku
This study presents findings about perceptions and use of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in Taiwan. It was undertaken to help build a framework within which to better understand EDI in a global setting. Findings indicate that there are differences and similarities between perceptions and use of EDI in Taiwan and what we know about EDI use in Western cultures. Possible explanations are offered for these findings. Several research questions arise out of the findings that can guide future research about EDI in a variety of cultures, and sets of propositions for each research question are suggested.
137 A Study of .Net
Framework, XML Web Services and Supply Chain
Management
Huei Lee, Vance Etnyre & Kuo Lane Chen
The primary purpose of this paper is to explore Microsoft's platform -
.Net, Web services, and XML for supply chain management. The following topics
are studied: 1) The development of scripting languages for a supply chain
management application; 2) The use of XML to enhance compatibility of the
scripted applications; and 3) The implementation issues of Microsoft .Net
platform. To answer the research
questions, a technique similar to content analysis is used in this study. Seventeen case studies regarding the
implementation of the .Net Web Services are examined.