Confronting the Cañada: Tackling Real-World Problems Through Service Learning

Latin American Studie

A Comparison of Public Versus Private Sector Development and Operation of Executive Information Systems

Academic research in the field of executive information systems (EIS) has explored the features, benefits, development methodologies, implementation factors, data management issues, and success factors of these systems(Watson, Rainer, and Koh, 1991; Mohan, Holstein, and Adams, 1990). Watson, et al., (1991) provided a framework for understanding the development and operation of an EIS. They suggested that the decision to build an EIS should be driven by a specific business, and an executive sponsor should: champion the project, allocate the required resources, participate in the system\u27s design, and handle any political resistance.While previous research has rigorously addressed many issues, the managerial prescriptions offered have been generic. Few EIS researchers have investigated the role an organization\u27s environment may play in developing and operating these systems. Lederer and Mendelow (1990) developed a theoretical model which suggests that contingencies in theenvironment impact the management of information systems. As a result, managers develop strategies to manage their dependence on environmental resources and reduce the extent of environmental control. Bozeman and Straussman (1990) argued that strategic activities are impacted by sectoral differences generated by political authority. Because strategic activities largely falling into the domain of executives and other upper-level managers, these differences may not be evident in lower-and middle-level management activities. If this distinction is accurate, the impact of political authority would be evident in the activities for which EIS are specifically developed and used.The purpose of this study is to begin to incorporate environmental factors, specifically sectoral differences, into EIS research knowledge and subsequently into managerial prescriptions. The question answered by this research is: What are the differences between the private sector and public sector regarding EIS development and operation?The differences between private and government organizations are at the core of public administration theory and have been the topic of an on-going stream of research. Differences have been found, for example, in personnel management, decision making, and information systems (Bretschneider 1990). These differences often have their roots in environmental factors, organization-environment transactions, and internal structures and processes (Rainey, Backoff, and Levine 1976). Growing literature in management (Perry and Rainey, 1988) has argued that business organizations face a different environment than government organizations, thus leading to observable differences in organizational behavior and management. Some of these arguments have been applied to themanagement of computers (Bretschneider, 1990). A second argument for focusing on sectoral differences is that the existence of sectoral differences has not been readily acknowledged as an important issue by many management scholars, resulting in a need for further empirical evidence on the nature and extent of such differences (Bozeman and Bretschneider, 1986

What\u27s So Sacred About Justified Composition?

Traditionally, justified composition has been considered the epitome of typographic excellence in the publishing business

A Vindication of the Royal Martyr King Charles I. from the Irish Massacre in the Year 1641 : Cast upon Him in the Life of Richard Baxter, Wrote by Himself. and Since in the Abridgment by E. Calamy. Being a Case of Present Concern. in a Letter to a Member of the House of Commons

https://openworks.wooster.edu/notestein/1015/thumbnail.jp

Emergent Leadership in Self-managed Virtual Teams: A Replication

Carte, Chidambaram, and Becker (2006) conducted a longitudinal study of 22 self-managed virtual teams to better understand the differences in leadership behaviors engaged in by high- versus low-performing teams. We conducted a methodological replication of their study to attempt to confirm its findings. Our data were collected in a different country (Sri Lanka versus US), using different subjects (MBA versus undergraduate students) grouped into 25 teams that were collocated (rather than geographically distributed) but still using a collaborative technology (CT), and engaged in different a task (judgement versus intellective) than the original study. These changes result in opportunities to determine the robustness of previous findings. Two of five hypotheses results were replicated, indicating that certain characteristics of high-performing technology-supported teams seem universal. However, the remaining differences between the studies point to the influence of task, culture, and geographic dispersion of members in determining effective leadership behaviors in self-managed computer-supported teams

A Capabilities-Based Theory of Technology Deployment in Diverse Teams: Leapfrogging the Pitfalls of Diversity and Leveraging Its Potential with Collaborative Technology

Previous research on groups with diverse membership indicates that they generally exhibit high levels of conflict and experience low levels of cohesion; however, they also tend to outperform their homogeneous counterparts. We examine this apparent paradox and discuss a theory-based technology-oriented approach to resolving it. Based on an extensive review of three research streams~{!*~}group diversity, group development, and collaborative technologies~{!*~}we develop an integrated model of ongoing team interaction that describes how the purposeful deployment of certain collaborative technology capabilities, based on temporal milestones, can help leverage the positive aspects of diversity while limiting its negative aspects. We conclude by developing a set of propositions that can be tested empirically

Bundling, Product Choice, and Efficiency: Should Cable Television Networks be Offered A La Carte?

We conduct a numerical analysis of bundling's impact on a monopolist's pricing and product choices and assess the implications for consumer welfare in cable television markets. Existing theory is ambiguous: for a given set of products, bundling likely transfers surplus from consumers to firms but also encourages products to be offered that might not be under a la carte pricing. Simulation of "Full A La Carte" for an economic environment calibrated to an average cable television system suggests that consumers would likely benefit from a la carte sales. If all networks continued to be offered, the average household's surplus is predicted to increase by $6.80 (65.6%) under a la carte sales (despite a total bundle price that almost doubles) and reduced network profits would have to be such that 41 of 50 offered cable networks have to exit the market to make her indifferent. Simulation of a "Theme Tier" scenario provides intermediate benefits. The incremental marginal costs to cable systems of a la carte sales and its impact in the advertising market and on competition are important factors in determining consumer benefits. (JEL L12, L82, L50).

Strongylocoris ferreri n. sp. from Andalusia (Spain), southern Iberian Peninsula(Hemiptera : Heteroptera : Miridae)

A new plant bug species of the genus Strongylocoris (Miridae: Orthotylinae: Halticini) is described on the basis of a single specimen from Algeciras (province of Cádiz), Andalusia (Spain), southern Iberian Peninsula. Strongylocoris ferreri n. sp. is easily separated from the remaining species of the genus by its external morphology and the shape of the left paramere.Es descriu un nou mírid del gènere Strongylocoris (Miridae: Orthotylinae: Halticini) amb un únic mascle d'Algesires (província de Cadis), Andalusia (Espanya), sud de la península Ibèrica. Es tracta de Strongylocoris ferreri n. sp., que se separa de la resta d'espècies del gènere per la morfologia externa i per la forma del paràmer esquerre