Next Generation Social Networks:Elicitation of User Requirements

Abstract—When it comes to discussing the future of electronic communication, social networking is the buzzword. The Internet has become a platform where new social networks emerge and the Internet it itself support the more traditional computer supported communication. The way users build and verifies different online networks for communities of people who share interests or individuals who presents themselves through user produced content is what makes up the social networking of today. The purpose of this paper is to discuss perceived user requirements to the next generation social networks. The paper is based on a survey of users working within the ICT field as well as user requirement categorizations developed within the WWRF. Index Terms—Computer supported communication, social networks, user requirements, Web-applications. I

Sociedad de la información y educación: contextos para la actividad gerencial

Comprende un análisis de los conceptos básicos sobre la sociedad de la información y sus dimensiones, de lo cual se deriva el abordaje de los ámbitos educativos considerando la propia dimensión que éstos dan al tema aquí estudiado. Pone de manifiesto la importancia de establecer una concordancia entre los propósitos de los sistemas educativos nacionales con los mercados laborales, ya que ambos representan los mecanismos de culturización de sujetos de una forma más ordenada. Finalmente, incluye un listado de herramientas metodológicas por medio de las cuales los individuos, especialmente los relacionados con la ciencia de la información, pueden contribuir de forma directa al desarrollo de la sociedad de la información y otras más, que representan las competencias generales que se deben generalizar y cuya adquisición y aplicación tienen que ver más con las habilidades naturales de los individuos

Factors influencing intention to share knowledge among academic staff in Aden University Yemen

Knowledge has become a basic component of economic and social growth in developing countries. In this context, Yemen is one of the emerging countries that shows an increased interest in sustainable economic growth, as well as the ability of society to create, choose, and adapt the new world economy which is based on the knowledge. Therefore, intention to share knowledge is seen as one of the important sources to introduce rudimentary changes in the educational systems in Yemen. This study explored the effects of attitude, social network, organizational support as predictors of intention to share knowledge to enhance academic staff effectiveness at Aden University in Yemen. Theory of reasoned action (TRA) and social capital theory (SCT) have been used to investigate intention to share knowledge among the academic staff in Social Science Colleges at Aden University. The study used a quantitative method through survey instrument and 111 usable questionnaires were collected from academic staff of Aden University. SPSS software was employed to analyse the data. Results showed support relationship between attitude, social network, and intention to share knowledge. Whereas, the relationship between organizational support, and intention to share knowledge was not supported. The results of this study offer a link to its useful applications, the study also useful and has importance for policy makers, and academicians, specifically, for the Academic Staff in order to improve sharing knowledge. Besides, it includes limitations for future studies to enhance intention to share knowledge in Yemen universities

Improving Information Alignment and Distributed Coordination for Secure Information Supply Chains

Industries are constantly striving to incorporate the latest technology systems into their operations so that they can maintain a competitive edge in their respective markets. However, even when they are able to stay up to speed with technological advancement, there continues to be a gap between the workforce skill set and available technologies. Organizations may acquire advanced systems, yet end up spending extended periods of time in the implementation and deployment phases, resulting in lost resources and productivity. The primary focus of this research is on streamlining the implementation and integration of new information technology systems to avoid the dire consequences of the process being prolonged or inefficient. Specifically, the goal of this research is to mitigate business challenges in information sharing and availability for employees and managers interacting with business tools and each other. This was accomplished by first interviewing work professionals in order to identify gap parameters. Based on the interview findings, recommendations were made in order to enhance the usability of existing tools. At this point, the research setting was shifted from network operations to supply chain operations due to the restrictive nature of network operations. The research team succeeded in developing a user-centered methodology to implement and deploy new business systems to mitigate risk during integration of new systems as the transition is made from the classic way of performing tasks. While this methodology was studied in supply chain operations, it enabled the identification of a common trend of challenges in operations work settings, regardless of the business application. Hence the findings of this research can be extrapolated to any business setting, besides the ones actually studied by the team. In addition, this research ensures that operational teams are able to maximize their benefit out of the technology available, thus enabling them to keep up with the rapidly evolving world of technology while minimizing sacrifices in resources or productivity in the process

Knowledge creation in innovative projects: Comparison between the planning and implementation phases using multiple case studies

During the past two decades, there have been intensive discussions around knowledge management. One of the most cited models is suggested by Nonaka and his colleagues (e.g., Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; and Nonaka et al., 2008). They focus on knowledge creation, and suggest a perspective that knowledge is created dynamically. Most cases in knowledge creation research are shown with respect to projects for innovation, as knowledge creation research is historically related to innovation research. However, the two fields have not been integrated with each other. This research works toward further integration between two research fields, by analyzing a process of innovation from the perspective of knowledge creation theory. In particular, this research divides the process associated with an innovative project into the planning phase and the implementation phase, and analyzes the distinctions between the two phases using Nonaka’s theory. As the literature relative to the topic is limited, this research adopts a theory building approach, in which theory is developed through a continuous loop between proposition and testing. Then, this research sets out initial propositions about the topic, and tests them through empirical study. Multiple case studies are selected as the research method. Six cases are extracted in following three companies: Valio Oy, Fujitsu Services Oy, and Rautakirja Oy. As a result of the research, some differences are identified between the project planning phase and the project implementation phase. Especially in the planning phase, opportunities about innovation are recognized by individuals subjectively, and the opportunities are articulated in organizations. Because the process is different from the Nonaka-proposed spiral process within teams in the implementation phase, it requires a new process specific model. As a result, the thesis concludes with a second set of propositions, which will be tested in future research

Virtual communities of enterprise value creation potential for regional clusters

The research examines regionally networked small business practices. A new concept Virtual Communities of Enterprise is proferred to explain the nature of knowledge sharing both interpersonally and online, and its potential for creating value for small businesses and their regions. Social capital emerges as an essential pre-requisite for accessing value

An Investigation into Knowledge Sharing in CrossProfessional Teams in Healthcare A Multi-Method, Qualitative Case Study Design

This research maps team types within a tertiary teaching hospital in Oman and deepens our understanding of the factors influencing KS in cross-professional teams with a focus on tacit knowledge. It maps the intersections between cross-professional teamwork and tacit knowledge, aiming to reconcile practice and evidence. A qualitatively driven exploratory multi-method design using a constructivist interpretivist approach. The research analysed 36 documents, 26 semi-structured interviews and 7 hybrid focus groups (HFGs) using participant-led creative exercises, the latter creating a non-traditional methodological approach to eliciting rich data. The data were integrated, and a thematic analysis applied to present a holistic exploration of the phenomena under study. This study contributes to understanding the factors affecting KS within crossprofessional teams in Oman. Tensions around team membership and KS between departments created unease for KS behaviours, but patient-centred care (PCC) was considered a unifying factor for teamwork and KS at every level. The use of HFGs allowed for the co-production of visual artefacts mapping KS and teamwork, creating rich data. These could be adapted for further research