Evaluation of the Wadden Sea Particularly sensitive Sea Area. On behalf of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat.

The purpose of this document is to present the high level outcomes for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Wadden Sea PSSA, seven years after its designation by the IMO. Key changes with regard to IMO and EU shipping policy are identified and described, followed by a review of ‘expert’ opinion focused on the issues relating to PSSAs. The development of an evaluative framework and the resulting findings are introduced and discussed in context. Using existing data against this evaluative framework we conclude that six key elements require action in order to fully describe the efficacy of the designation, and our recommendations to address these concerns are presented.<br/

Hokey Religions: Star Wars and Star Trek in the Age of Reboots

Disney’s recent “decanonization” of the decades-old Star Wars “Expanded Universe” in preparation for the release of The Force Awakens once again raises the question of the triangular relationship between the corporate ownership of intellectual property, the mainstream audience to whom the blockbuster films are addressed, and the much smaller hardcore fanbase whose loyalty sustains a franchise during its lean years. Considering fandom investment in the processes of world-building and continuity construction across the landscape of SF media forms, this article will focus specifically on two key franchises in mainstream SF, each in its own way paradigmatic of the “merely” science fictional, and each of which has recently undertaken a radical revision of its “expanded universe”: Star Wars and Star Trek. A concluding discussion extends these observations to other two franchises: Superman comics and the long-running British television series Doctor Who

Towards a practice-based view of Information Systems Resilience Using the Lens of Critical Realism

Disasters, natural or otherwise, are not rare events and organizations must develop resilience as a governance mechanism for business continuity, growth, and sustainability. It is critical for organizations not only to survive after a disaster but also to bounce back. Organizational resilience has gained upward attention in recent years. This research focuses on an aspect of organizational resilience, i.e., on Information Systems (IS) resilience. This study focuses on understanding the decision making process of senior executives in context to IS resilience in large organizations. Authors present an in-depth case study of a large New Zealand organization adapting with the aftermath of crisis, as well as the lessons they learned along the way. The case study vividly follows dramaturgical guidelines as prescribed by Myers and Newman. The paper shares some important lessons learned by the organization and also proposes a model for IS resilience planning and decision making in light of a strategy-implementation bicycle and causal model to understand decision-makers’ perspective to understand decision priorities

Developing a Capacity for Organizational Resilience Through Organizational Culture of Collaborative Networks among Information Workers

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities of the traditional physically co-located office, forcing many organizations to work remotely. During COVID-19, many knowledge workers work from home regularly, and as a result, the power distance between remote e-workers and their previously on-site colleagues has disappeared. An in-depth organization-wide case study was conducted to answer our research questions, how does the involuntary working from home requirement due to COVID-19 affect team collaboration and performance? What are the enabling factors to design and implement a hybrid way of working in knowledge organizations? And how does organizational culture influence IT governance performance in global virtual teams in a large organization during volatile and uncertain situations? The main conclusion of this research is that organizational culture does influence the performance outcomes of IT governance

An agent-based signal processing in-node environment for real-time human activity monitoring based on wireless body sensor networks

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An Agent-based Approach for Improving the Performance of Distributed Business Processes in Maritime Port Community

In the recent years, the concept of “port community” has been adopted by the maritime transport industry in order to achieve a higher degree of coordination and cooperation amongst organizations involved in the transfer of goods through the port area. The business processes of the port community supply chain form a complicated process which involves several process steps, multiple actors, and numerous information exchanges. One of the widely used applications of ICT in ports is the Port Community System (PCS) which is implemented in ports in order to reduce paperwork and to facilitate the information flow related to port operations and cargo clearance. However, existing PCSs are limited in functionalities that facilitate the management and coordination of material, financial, and information flows within the port community supply chain. This research programme addresses the use of agent technology to introduce business process management functionalities, which are vital for port communities, aiming to the enhancement of the performance of the port community supply chain. The investigation begins with an examination of the current state in view of the business perspective and the technical perspective. The business perspective focuses on understanding the nature of the port community, its main characteristics, and its problems. Accordingly, a number of requirements are identified as essential amendments to information systems in seaports. On the other hand, the technical perspective focuses on technologies that are convenient for solving problems in business process management within port communities. The research focuses on three technologies; the workflow technology, agent technology, and service orientation. An analysis of information systems across port communities enables an examination of the current PCSs with regard to their coordination and workflow management capabilities. The most important finding of this analysis is that the performance of the business processes, and in particular the performance of the port community supply chain, is not in the scope of the examined PCSs. Accordingly, the Agent-Based Middleware for Port Community Management (ABMPCM) is proposed as an approach for providing essential functionalities that would facilitate collaborative planning and business process management. As a core component of the ABMPCM, the Collaborative Planning Facility (CPF) is described in further details. A CPF prototype has been developed as an agent-based system for the domain of inland transport of containers to demonstrate its practical effectiveness. To evaluate the practical application of the CPF, a simulation environment is introduced in order to facilitate the evaluation process. The research started with the definition of a multi-agent simulation framework for port community supply chain. Then, a prototype has been implemented and employed for the evaluation of the CPF. The results of the simulation experiments demonstrate that our agent-based approach effectively enhances the performance of business process in the port community