High-Performance Integrated Window and Façade Solutions for California

The researchers developed a new generation of high-performance façade systems and supporting design and management tools to support industry in meeting California’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, reduce energy consumption, and enable an adaptable response to minimize real-time demands on the electricity grid. The project resulted in five outcomes: (1) The research team developed an R-5, 1-inch thick, triplepane, insulating glass unit with a novel low-conductance aluminum frame. This technology can help significantly reduce residential cooling and heating loads, particularly during the evening. (2) The team developed a prototype of a windowintegrated local ventilation and energy recovery device that provides clean, dry fresh air through the façade with minimal energy requirements. (3) A daylight-redirecting louver system was prototyped to redirect sunlight 15–40 feet from the window. Simulations estimated that lighting energy use could be reduced by 35–54 percent without glare. (4) A control system incorporating physics-based equations and a mathematical solver was prototyped and field tested to demonstrate feasibility. Simulations estimated that total electricity costs could be reduced by 9-28 percent on sunny summer days through adaptive control of operable shading and daylighting components and the thermostat compared to state-of-the-art automatic façade controls in commercial building perimeter zones. (5) Supporting models and tools needed by industry for technology R&D and market transformation activities were validated. Attaining California’s clean energy goals require making a fundamental shift from today’s ad-hoc assemblages of static components to turnkey, intelligent, responsive, integrated building façade systems. These systems offered significant reductions in energy use, peak demand, and operating cost in California

Driving IT projects to success: stakeholders’ importance: an artificial neural network model to demonstrate the potential of using stakeholder characteristics in IT projects’ success estimation

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, Specialization in Information Systems and Technology ManagementTechnology is all around, progressively present with each passing day. Companies recognize the usefulness of technology in business, leading to a growing number of Information Technology (IT) projects development. Due to its increasing scope, IT projects are getting more and more complex and expectations on their results are at an all-time high. At this rate, there is no telling where this complexity will lead, nor if expectations can be met. The development of IT project, or projects of any kind, is always met with unforeseen risks. Therefore, models that aim to estimate the success of these projects have been emerging. Some of these tools have fallen upon the bias of only taking into consideration a few project management variables for forecasting success. This may lead to inaccurate estimations, from the point-of-view of the several stakeholders. Considering the intricacy of IT projects, and the several aspects that influence them, advanced statistical models are required to give rich insight into projects’ outcome. On the other hand, project success cannot be fully determined if the stakeholders’ points-of-view are not taken into account. In other words, the success index of a project must be estimated having stakeholders taken into consideration. In order to support the mentioned concerns, a predictive model using Artificial Neural Networks was developed. Projects and stakeholders characteristics are defined, along with projects’ success criteria as inputs of the model, generating success indexes by budget, time and scope performance, as well as an overall success index as outputs. This dissertation adds to the current literature on the subject, by demonstrating the importance of stakeholder characteristics in project estimation and paving a pathway for the further exploration of the model developed. Thus making a first step into building a prediction tool to help mitigate the current risks of IT projects and software development

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThis dissertation consists of three essays that investigate the general decision process of users' choices regarding information technology (IT) applications and products, focusing on placebo effects of software pricing, incorporating user perceptions and product attributes in modeling software product choices, and firms' practices of green IT. Taking a customer-centric approach to users' assessments of IT applications and products, I address the evaluative responses of individual consumers and organizations to market information including price, product attributes, and key contextual factors. The objective of the first essay is to understand the placebo-like effects invoked by the price of software products on consumers' satisfaction, problem-solving performance, and purchasing behavior. Built upon the response expectancy theory, a research framework and a series of hypotheses are proposed. I test the hypotheses with a controlled experiment, and the data supports most of the hypotheses. Specifically, a user's outcome expectancy, as activated by software price, affects not only his/her satisfaction, but also the problem-solving performance using the software product. Satisfaction and actual problem-solving performance in turn affects the user's willingness-to-pay. In order to better explain and predict consumers' preferential choices of software products, I propose in the second essay a model that incorporates product attributes and consumer perceptions to estimate users' software product selection. The influences of product attributes on users' perceptions of product characteristics are also examined. With a choice-based conjoint study, and the collection of additional data on users' perceived product characteristics, I demonstrate that the proposed model can better explain and predict users' software choices than the model with product attributes only, or with user perceptions only, in terms of the in-sample fit and the holdout prediction hit rate at the individual-level and the aggregate-level. The third essay examines important drivers of green IT practices by firms. I propose a framework premised on social contracts theory and institutional theory, and then use it to develop a model that explains firms' decisions. I test the model and the associated hypotheses with the survey data collected from 304 major firms in Taiwan. Overall, the results show global environmental awareness, industry norms, and key stakeholders' attitudes affect a firm's green IT practices directly. Competitors seem to play a limited role, as suggested by an insignificant impact on the firm's green IT practices

Extending the IS-Impact model into the higher education sector

The study addresses known limitations of what may be the most important dependent variable in Information Systems (IS) research; IS-Success or IS-Impact. The study is expected to force a deeper understanding of the broad notions of IS success and impact. The aims of the research are to: (1) enhance the robustness and minimize limitations of the IS-Impact model, and (2) introduce and operationalise a more rigorously validated IS Impact measurement model to Universities, as a reliable model for evaluating different Administrative Systems. In extending and further generalizing the IS-Impact model, the study will address contemporary validation issues

Designing and executing digital strategies : completed research paper

The digital economy poses existential threats to — and game-changing opportunities for — companies that were successful in the pre-digital economy. What will distinguish those companies that successfully transform from those that become historical footnotes? This is the question a group of six researchers and consultants from Boston Consulting Group set out to examine. The team conducted in-depth interviews with senior executives at twenty-seven companies in different industries to explore the strategies and organizational initiatives they relied on to seize the opportunities associated with new, readily accessible digital technologies. This paper summarizes findings from this research and offers recommendations to business leaders responsible for digital business success

Designing and Executing Digital Strategies

The digital economy poses existential threats to—and game-changing opportunities for—companies that were successful in the pre-digital economy. What will distinguish those companies that successfully transform from those that become historical footnotes? This is the question a group of six researchers and consultants from Boston Consulting Group set out to examine. The team conducted in-depth interviews with senior executives at twenty-seven companies in different industries to explore the strategies and organizational initiatives they relied on to seize the opportunities associated with new, readily accessible digital technologies. This paper summarizes findings from this research and offers recommendations to business leaders responsible for digital business success

Enterprise resource planning adoption and satisfaction determinants

JEL classification: M15 – IT Management, M10 – General Business AdministrationEnterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are at the core of every firm. Making people use this costly and time consuming investment is one of the most important issues to deal with. The main objective of the present dissertation is to find the key determinants that open the door to user satisfaction and adoption. A theoretical model was set and an online survey was conducted to understand ERP users’ perspective on such matters. The outcome was the model validation and the understanding that top management support, training, and the system quality are important constructs to assess adoption and user satisfaction. In fact, the latter (system quality) has a significant influence on the behavioural intention to use and also in the overall user satisfaction.Os sistemas de Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) fazem parte do centro nevrálgico de todas as empresas. Fazer com que as pessoas tirem partido de um investimento desta importância é um aspeto crucial que tem de se levar em conta. É o principal objetivo da presente dissertação identificar os principais determinantes que levam à satisfação e adoção por parte dos utilizadores. Para este efeito foi elaborado um modelo teórico e levado a cabo um questionário online junto dos utilizadores de sistemas ERP. O resultado foi a validação do modelo e a confirmação de que o suporte da gestão de topo, a formação e a qualidade do sistema são construtos decisivos para avaliar a adoção e satisfação por parte dos utilizadores. De fato, a qualidade do sistema tem uma influência muito forte na intenção comportamental de utilizar o sistema e também na satisfação global do utilizador