Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Globalization, socio-institutional factors and North–South knowledge diffusion: Role of India and China as Southern growth progenitors

Nexus between income inequality and technology capture is explored in a global CGE model to explore the ricochet effect of technology transmission and its capture. In particular, the model shows that exogenous technology shock from developed North, vehicled via trade, transmits to developing Souths and induces productivity growth. This spillover capture, aided by human capital based adoptive capability, better governance and institution, causes increase in income and welfare and subsequently, leads to decline in income inequality. Dynamism of Southern Engines of Growth – India and China – caused them to emerge as ‘core’ South. Thus, triangular innovation diffusion between dynamic and peripheral South is also simulated to show how the backward or peripheral South could catch up via South–South Cooperation in a declining North–South trends in trade. This accrual of benefits could lead to sustained productivity growth and consequential relief of incidence of poverty in low-income countries

Globalization, socio-institutional factors and North–South knowledge diffusion: Role of India and China as Southern growth progenitors

Nexus between income inequality and technology capture is explored in a global CGE model to explore the ricochet effect of technology transmission and its capture. In particular, the model shows that exogenous technology shock from developed North, vehicled via trade, transmits to developing Souths and induces productivity growth. This spillover capture, aided by human capital based adoptive capability, better governance and institution, causes increase in income and welfare and subsequently, leads to decline in income inequality. Dynamism of Southern Engines of Growth – India and China – caused them to emerge as ‘core’ South. Thus, triangular innovation diffusion between dynamic and peripheral South is also simulated to show how the backward or peripheral South could catch up via South–South Cooperation in a declining North–South trends in trade. This accrual of benefits could lead to sustained productivity growth and consequential relief of incidence of poverty in low-income countries

The impact of mfinance initiatives in the global south: a review of the literature

After more than two decades of research on technological interventions in the transition to information societies, the burgeoning of mobile phones in developing countries has shifted the information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) research lens to the different domains of mDevelopment. While advances have been made in domains of mHealth, mGovernment, mBusiness and mEducation, mFinance initiatives have had impressive adoption upon implementation in certain geographic locations. Services such as M-Pesa have been widely reported in the mainstream press and form the test beds for various scholarly investigations

ICT and gamified learning in tourism education: a case of South African secondary schools

Tourism is often introduced as a subject in formal education curricula because of the increasing and significant economic contribution of the tourism industry to the private and public sector. This is especially the case in emerging economies in Asia and Africa (Hsu, 2015; Mayaka & Akama, 2015; Cuffy et al., 2012). Tourism in South Africa – which is the geographical setting of this research – is recognised as a key economic sector. At secondary level, tourism has been widely introduced at schools throughout South Africa since 2000 and has experienced significant growth (Umalusi, 2014). Furthermore, information and communication technology (ICT) has rapidly penetrated public and private sectors of the country. ICT affords novel opportunities for social and economic development, and this has especially been observed in the fields of both tourism and education (Anwar et al., 2014; Vandeyar, 2015). Yet, the many uses and implications of ICT for tourism education in South Africa are unclear and under-theorised as a research area (Adukaite, Van Zyl, & Cantoni, 2016). Moreover, engagement has been identified as a significant indicator of student success in South Africa (Council for Higher Education, 2010). Lack of engagement contributes to poor graduation rates at secondary and tertiary institutions in South Africa (Strydom et al., 2010; Titus & Ng’ambi, 2014). A common strategy to address lack of student engagement is introducing game elements into the learning process: the so-called gamification of learning (Kapp, 2012). The majority of research in this field has been conducted in more economically advanced and developed regions, and there is a paucity of research in emerging country contexts. It is argued that gamification can be effectively utilised also in these contexts to address learner engagement and motivation. This study aims to contribute in this respect: firstly, by investigating the extent to which ICT supports tourism education in South African high schools through the lenses of Technology Domestication Theory (Habib, 2005; Haddon, 2006) and Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1977). Secondly, the study aims to examine gamified learning acceptance within tourism education in a developing country context. The research assimilates three separate studies. Study 1. The Role of Digital Technology in Tourism Education: A Case Study of South African Secondary Schools The study was designed as an exploratory analysis, based on 24 in-depth interviews (n=24) with high school tourism teachers and government officials. An analysis reveals that teachers recognize ICT as essential in exposing students to the tourism industry. This is especially the case in under-resourced schools, where learners do not have the financial means to participate in tourism activities. However, ICT is still limited in its integration as a pedagogical support tool. The major obstacles toward integration include: technology anxiety, lack of training, availability of resources, and learner resistance to use their personal mobile devices. Study 2. Raising Awareness and Promoting Informal Learning on World Heritage in Southern Africa. The Case of WHACY, a Gamified ICT-enhanced Tool The goal of the study was to present the World Heritage Awareness Campaign for Youth (WHACY) in Southern Africa. A campaign was dedicated to raise awareness and foster informal learning among Southern African youth about the heritage and sustainable tourism. The campaign employed an online and offline gamified learning platform, which was supported by a dedicated website, Facebook page, wiki and offline materials. In one year of operation the campaign reached more than 100K audience. For the evaluation of the campaign, a mixed methods approach was used: focus groups with students (n=9), interviews (n=19) and a survey with teachers (n=209). The study attempted to assess user experience in terms of engagement and conduciveness to learning and explored the possibility of a gamified application to be integrated into the existing high school tourism curriculum. The perspectives of South African tourism students and teachers were here considered. Study 3. Teacher perceptions on the use of digital gamified learning in tourism education: The case of South African secondary schools. The study is quantitative in nature and investigated the behavioural intention of South African tourism teachers to integrate a gamified application within secondary tourism education. Data collected from 209 teachers were tested against the research model using a structural equation modelling approach. The study investigated the extent to which six determined predictors (perceptions about playfulness, curriculum relatedness, learning opportunities, challenge, self-efficacy and computer anxiety) influence the acceptance of a gamified application by South African tourism teachers. The study may prove useful to educators and practitioners in understanding which determinants may influence gamification introduction into formal secondary education

Technology Acceptance, Acceptabilty and Appropriation in Professionnal Bureaucracies : The Case of RFID for Improving Mobile Assets Management in Hospitals

RÉSUMÉ : Les hôpitaux, même ceux de petite taille, peuvent gérer sur une base quotidienne plusieurs milliers d’actifs fixes et mobiles. Les actifs mobiles sont très diversifiés et incluent des pompes à infusion, du matériel chirurgical, des électrocardiogrammes, des machines portables à rayons X, des défibrillateurs, etc. Ces actifs circulent en permanence entre les différents services et les divers départements. Pratiquement tous les patients dépendent d'un ou plusieurs actifs mobiles lors de leur hospitalisation. Ces actifs sont également indispensables à la prestation des soins de santé et le personnel clinique consacre une partie importante de leur temps pour chercher ces actifs lorsque requis. L'incapacité de retrouver ces actifs en cas d’urgence peut mettre la vie des patients en danger. La technologie RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) a le potentiel de retracer et d’effectuer le suivi, et ce, de façon unique et transparente, les actifs mobiles et, par conséquent, d’en améliorer leur gestion dans les hôpitaux. Comparé à d’autres secteurs d’activité, le secteur de la santé adopte RFID à un rythme beaucoup plus lent, ce qui se traduit par un nombre limité d'études empiriques portant sur l’implantation de RFID dans ce secteur. Cette thèse se propose donc de contribuer à ce vide empirique par une analyse en profondeur d’une implantation réelle de RFID. Cette implantation vise à améliorer la gestion d'un type d’actifs mobiles, nommément les pompes à infusion dans un hôpital. Les données empiriques ont été recueillies pendant une période de 25 mois, de la phase de préfaisabilité jusqu’à la phase de post-implantation. Huit organisations (incluant l'hôpital qui est le principal site d'observation) et 35 participants ont été impliqués. Les résultats de la recherche peuvent être résumés comme suit. À la question, pourquoi RFID est implanté? La réduction des inefficacités existantes liées à la gestion des actifs mobiles en est la principale raison. De plus, la familiarité avec les technologies de l’information au sein de l'hôpital, la compatibilité de l’infrastructure existante (l'hôpital est presque 100% Wi-Fi) et l'expérience des partenaires technologiques sont des facteurs positifs reliés à l’implantation RFID. Comment l’implantation RFID est-elle effectuée? Les résultats montrent que le processus d’implantation est fortement itératif : les participants reviennent en effet sur les phases précédentes et modifient les décisions approuvées antérieurement. L'amélioration continue des services de soins est sans aucun doute la préoccupation principale exprimée par tous les participants de l'hôpital. Toutefois, les attentes et les exigences diffèrent entre les différents groupes de participants. Les résultats démontrent un clivage entre les points de vue de l’administration et ceux du côté clinique. Des divergences sont notées entre les infirmières et les médecins, et, entre les techniciens de l'hôpital (responsables des TIC, ingénieurs biomédicaux, et spécialistes de la maintenance) et les administrateurs. Les enjeux les plus importants ne sont pas technologiques, mais sont principalement organisationnels, ce qui semble découler de la présence de points de vue divergents. Est-ce que la RFID améliore la gestion des actifs mobiles? Les résultats suggèrent que les avantages identifiés et évalués lors l’implantation de RFID appartiennent aux catégories suivantes: amélioration de la visibilité des actifs, augmentation de l'efficacité opérationnelle, réduction de certains coûts et émergence de processus intelligents. Ce dernier point apparait comme particulièrement important. Les processus intelligents misent principalement sur les capacités d'auto-identification et de sensibilité au contexte (context-awareness) de RFID, sur le changement automatique de statuts, et sur la mise à jour automatique des applications d’hôpital (par exemple, WMS). Les résultats démontrent également que les processus intelligents améliorent la planification et la prise de décision. Est-ce que les caractéristiques intrinsèques des organisations dans lesquelles la technologie RFID est envisagée posent des contraintes à son implantation? Les hôpitaux, qualifiés de bureaucraties professionnelles, constituent un ensemble unique de contraintes dont on doit tenir compte lors d’une implantation RFID. En particulier, l'inertie, la complexité et la rigidité organisationnelles ne sont pas favorables à des changements à grande échelle dans l’hôpital et affectent la façon dont RFID est implanté. En outre, l'existence d'une structure à double pouvoir et les pièges liés à une culture forte (culture entrapment)ont un impact profond sur l'importance des avantages découlant de RFID. Est-ce que l’acceptation de la technologie, son acceptabilité et son appropriation représentent des concepts clés pour comprendre l’implantation de la RFID? Ces trois concepts ont été explorés lors de cette recherche et ont conduit à deux observations principales. Tout d'abord, on peut affirmer que si la technologie est acceptée, acceptable et appropriée, elle est utilisée, de façon partielle ou plus large. Par extension, l'acceptation, l'acceptabilité et l'appropriation pourraient être importantes non seulement pour expliquer l'ampleur de l'utilisation d'une technologie (utilisation partielle par rapport à la pleine utilisation), mais aussi pour expliquer les raisons pour lesquelles une technologie a été initialement adoptée, puis ensuite rejetée. Deuxièmement, les résultats empiriques ne confirment pas un ordre chronologique entre ces trois concepts. Par exemple, l'appropriation ne suit pas l'acceptation, même au début de l’implantation. Au contraire, l'acceptation, l'acceptabilité et l'appropriation coexistent à tout moment pendant le processus d’implantation. Cependant, l’ordre chronologique joue quand même un rôle puisque les niveaux d'acceptation, l'acceptabilité et l'appropriation varient au fil du temps. En outre, ces trois concepts sont sensibles à la fois à la technologie (dans ce cas, RFID) et au contexte dans lequel cette technologie est utilisée (l'hôpital), qui continuent de leur côté à changer au fil du temps. La thèse se termine en examinant les limites de la recherche, en proposant quelques pistes de recherche. Les contributions de cette thèse peuvent être pertinentes pour les chercheurs, les décideurs du secteur de la santé, les administrateurs d'hôpitaux, et les spécialistes et consultants en TI.----------ABSTRACT : Hospitals, even small ones, handle on a daily basis several thousands of mobile and fixed assets. Mobile assets are very diverse, ranging from infusion pumps, surgical equipment, electrocardiograms, portable x-ray machines, defibrillators to wheelchairs and rotate constantly between different medical wards. Since virtually every patient depends on one or more mobile assets during his or her hospital stay, they are also indispensable in healthcare delivery. Clinical staff spends a significant share of their working time searching for these essential, but commonly misplaced assets. Locating mobile assets is not only a time consuming activity, but the inability to find them when needed is remarkably costly, and possibly life threatening. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) holds the potential to uniquely and seamlessly track and trace mobile assets and, thus, to improve mobile asset management in hospitals. Compared to other sectors, healthcare organizations adopt RFID at a much slower pace and only a limited number of empirical studies address RFID adoption and implementation in the context of healthcare. This thesis intends to contribute the research arena by analysing a real-life RFID implementation in order improve the management activities of one type of mobile assets, namely infusion pumps in hospital settings. The research focuses on a real-life RFID implementation in one European hospital. Empirical data was collected for a 25 month period from the pre-feasibility stage to post-implementation stage from eight organizations (including the hospital as the main observation site) and from thirty-five participants. Research results can be summarized as follows. To the question why RFID is implemented? The most straightforward answer is to reduce the existing inefficiencies related to mobile assets management. Technological preparedness and readiness drive RFID implementation: This includes familiarity with IT innovations within the hospital, compatibility with existing IT infrastructure (the hospital is almost 100% Wi-Fi enabled), and experience of technological partners with RFID implementation in various sectors. How RFID implementation is carried out? The answer seems to be through a highly iterative five stage process where participants revisited and modified previously agreed steps. The continuous improvement of care services was without a doubt the superseding concern expressed by all participants from the hospital. However, expectations and requirements differ among different groups of participants. The empirical evidence demonstrates not only a cleavage between the administrative and clinical perspectives, but also within the clinical perspective. Divergences run deep within each perspective (for instance, nurses vs. doctors) and between the technologists in the hospital (ICT managers, biomedical engineers, and maintenance specialists) and the administrators. The most significant issues related to such implementation are not technological but are mainly organizational, as they seem to arise from the presence of diverging perspectives. Does RFID really improve mobile assets management? Results suggest that the benefits identified and evaluated during the real life RFID implementation belong to the following broad categories: improving assets visibility, promoting operational efficiency, reducing costs and facilitating the emergence of intelligent processes. Intelligent processes are mainly derived from the RFID capabilities for auto-identification and context-awareness, process automatic status change, and automatic update in hospital’s enterprise applications (i.e. WMS). Results further demonstrate that intelligent processes improve planning and decision-making. Do the intrinsic characteristics of organizations play a role in RFID implementation? The very characteristics of hospitals, qualified as complex professional bureaucracies, constitute a unique set of constraints to be taken into account for RFID implementation. In particular, organizational inertia, complexity and inflexibility are not conductive to hospital-wide changes and affect how RFID is implemented. Moreover, the existence of a dual power structure and a tendency to culture entrapment may have a profound impact on the importance of the benefits derived from RFID. Do technology acceptance, acceptability and appropriation represent key concepts that should be considered to understand the implementation of RFID? These three concepts were explored in the research. This leads to two main observations. First, it could be stated that if technology is accepted, acceptable and appropriated, then it is fully used. By extension, acceptance, acceptability and appropriation could be significant not only in explaining the extent of use of a technology (partial use vs. full use), but also the reasons why a technology was initially adopted and then discarded. Second, empirical results reject the presence of a chronological order between the three concepts. For instance, appropriation does not follow acceptance, even initially. Rather, acceptance, acceptability and appropriation coexist at any time during the implementation process. However, chronology still matters since the levels of acceptance, acceptability and appropriation vary over time. Furthermore, these three concepts are sensitive to both the technology (in this case RFID) and to the context where it is use (the hospital), which are also changing over time. The thesis examines research limitations, proposes some research avenues and outlines contributions that may be relevant for researchers, healthcare policy makers, hospital administrators, IT specialists and IT consultants