A qualitative study of stakeholders' perspectives on the social network service environment

Over two billion people are using the Internet at present, assisted by the mediating activities of software agents which deal with the diversity and complexity of information. There are, however, ethical issues due to the monitoring-and-surveillance, data mining and autonomous nature of software agents. Considering the context, this study aims to comprehend stakeholders' perspectives on the social network service environment in order to identify the main considerations for the design of software agents in social network services in the near future. Twenty-one stakeholders, belonging to three key stakeholder groups, were recruited using a purposive sampling strategy for unstandardised semi-structured e-mail interviews. The interview data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis method. It was possible to identify three main considerations for the design of software agents in social network services, which were classified into the following categories: comprehensive understanding of users' perception of privacy, user type recognition algorithms for software agent development and existing software agents enhancement

Strategies to Promote IT Project Success

Many project managers and business leaders lack effective strategies to manage information technology (IT) projects, which may inhibit business leaders from successfully implementing IT changes. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that IT leaders use to successfully implement IT projects. The target population consisted of IT leaders in IT organizations located in the Saint Louis Metro East area. The conceptual framework consisted of the general systems theory and the coordination theory. Data collection included organizational documents and semistructured interviews with 6 qualified participants. Data analysis included coding and thematic analysis, member checking, and methodological triangulation. The 4 themes emerging from the data analysis included (a) effective communication, (b) project planning, (c) project execution management, and (d) project closure. The themes highlighted practical strategies to effectively manage the implementation of IT projects. Findings may enhance the organization\u27s position and provide additional employment opportunities in the community

Sustainability Strategies of Barber Salons

Many barber salons and other small businesses in the United States fail to succeed beyond the first 5 years. The factors responsible for the low survival rate of salons may include the limited training and education levels mandated by state certification requirements. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify business strategies successful barber salon owners use to overcome the business management and staffing challenges associated with a small pool of skilled barbers and the high turnover in a low wage profession. The theory of transformational leadership served as the conceptual framework. The data collection included interviews of 3 successful barber salon owners who met the study participation eligibility criteria of licensed, registered, operating a salon business in the Indiana region for more than 5 years, and over the minimum age of 25 years. The 4 themes emerging from the interview data analysis were (a) barber salon operating structures, (b) salon leadership and managerial strategies, (c) licensed barber skill enhancement, and (d) salon operating strategies effectiveness and sustainability. The data analysis also involved the triangulation of the primary research against secondary data from the Small Business Administration and barber industry reports. The expertise and knowledge shared by the interviewees could serve the quest of barber salon businesses in the Indiana region to overcome the profitability and financial sustainability challenges of this industry. The study findings may potentially contribute to positive social change by improving the economic standing and welfare of barber salon owners and professionals in the community

Artificial Intelligence Ethics, governance and policy challenges. Report of a CEPS Task Force, February 2019

Like an unannounced guest, artificial intelligence (AI) has suddenly emerged from nerdy discussions in university labs and begun to infiltrate larger venues and policy circles around the globe. Everywhere, and particularly in Europe, the debate has been tainted by much noise and fear, as evidenced in the European Parliament’s resounding report on civil law rules for robotics, in which Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is evoked on the opening page (European Parliament, 2016). At countless seminars, workshops and conferences, self-proclaimed “experts” voice concerns about robots taking our jobs, disrupting our social interactions, manipulating public opinion and political elections, and ultimately taking over the world by dismissing human beings, once and for all, as redundant and inefficient legacies of the past