Website Performance Evaluation and Estimation in an E-business Environment

This thesis introduces a new Predictus-model for performance evaluation and estimation in a multi-layer website environment. The model is based on soft computing ideas, i.e. simulation and statistical analysis. The aim is to improve energy consumption of the website's hardware and investment efficiency and to avoid loss of availability. The aim of optimised exploitation is reduced energy and maintenance costs on the one hand and increased end-user satisfaction due to robust and stable web services on the other. A method based on simulation of user requests is described. Instead of ordinary static parameter set, the dynamic extraction from previous log files is used. The distribution of existing requests is exploited to generate the actual based natural load. By loading the server system with valid and well-known requests, the behaviour of the server system is natural. The control back loop on the generation of work load assures the validity of the work load in the long-term. A method for identifying the actual performance of the website is described. Using the well-known load in simulation of usage by a large number of virtual users and observing the utilisation rate of server resources ensure the best information for the internal state of the system. The disturbance of the service website usage can be avoided using the mathematical extrapolation method to reach the saturation point on the single server resource

Constructing an online serviceScape for the funeral industry

An online servicescape serves as a moderator for excellence in Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The study approached the online servicescape from the perspective of the funeral industry. Nowhere is the relevance of an online servicescape more apparent than in an industry which is firstly, unsought, and secondly, perceived as dismal. During the process of arranging a funeral, the customer is experiencing an unusual purchase situation as it is a purchase that cannot be avoided. The possibility also exists that the customer most likely did not seek information about a funeral home prior to the demise of a loved one. A third contributing factor is the emotional state of the customer which will, in a time of bereavement, have a strong impact on the rational decision-making process. Considering these conditions, the study approached the online servicescape based on three elements, namely Search Engine Optimisation, perceived value, and perceived usefulness of the online servicescape. These elements contribute to trust in the funeral home’s online offerings, which could influence the purchase outcomes significantly. The aim of the study was to construct a functional servicescape for an unsought business such as a funeral home, hence contributing significantly to the CRM body of knowledge as it was determined that this has not been explored before from an academic perspective. A quantitative, exploratory methodology was implemented. The exploration is depended on Bitner's (1992a:60) seminal model of servicescapes, Harris and Goode's (2010:230-243) model for online servicescapes, and the key constructs of Simon's (1996:141-142) Design Theory to provide a methodological basis with which to construct the key elements for a funeral industry based online servicescape. The data collection process followed a twostep process. A content analysis was conducted on existing websites from five English speaking countries, followed by a survey that largely reflected the content analysis variables to gain customer insights. The data was analysed using a descriptive analysis process. v It was determined that customers would trust a functional servicescape, which will most probably lead to a purchase situation. However, customers also indicated the opposite if they detect anything on the website that might lead to distrust. It was therefore concluded that it is imperative for a funeral home to ensure that their online servicescape meets the functional needs of customers in order ensure trust and purchase intention.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202

Constructing an online serviceScape for the funeral industry

An online servicescape serves as a moderator for excellence in Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The study approached the online servicescape from the perspective of the funeral industry. Nowhere is the relevance of an online servicescape more apparent than in an industry which is firstly, unsought, and secondly, perceived as dismal. During the process of arranging a funeral, the customer is experiencing an unusual purchase situation as it is a purchase that cannot be avoided. The possibility also exists that the customer most likely did not seek information about a funeral home prior to the demise of a loved one. A third contributing factor is the emotional state of the customer which will, in a time of bereavement, have a strong impact on the rational decision-making process. Considering these conditions, the study approached the online servicescape based on three elements, namely Search Engine Optimisation, perceived value, and perceived usefulness of the online servicescape. These elements contribute to trust in the funeral home’s online offerings, which could influence the purchase outcomes significantly. The aim of the study was to construct a functional servicescape for an unsought business such as a funeral home, hence contributing significantly to the CRM body of knowledge as it was determined that this has not been explored before from an academic perspective. A quantitative, exploratory methodology was implemented. The exploration is depended on Bitner's (1992a:60) seminal model of servicescapes, Harris and Goode's (2010:230-243) model for online servicescapes, and the key constructs of Simon's (1996:141-142) Design Theory to provide a methodological basis with which to construct the key elements for a funeral industry based online servicescape. The data collection process followed a twostep process. A content analysis was conducted on existing websites from five English speaking countries, followed by a survey that largely reflected the content analysis variables to gain customer insights. The data was analysed using a descriptive analysis process. v It was determined that customers would trust a functional servicescape, which will most probably lead to a purchase situation. However, customers also indicated the opposite if they detect anything on the website that might lead to distrust. It was therefore concluded that it is imperative for a funeral home to ensure that their online servicescape meets the functional needs of customers in order ensure trust and purchase intention.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202

Differentiator factors in the implementation of social network sites

Estágio realizado na Business Analyst da Documento Crítico - Desenvolvimento de Software, S. A. (Cardmobili) e orientado pelo Eng.ª Catarina MaiaTese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Informática e Computação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

Internet Marketing for Profit Organizations: A framework for the implementation of strategic internet marketing

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/828 on 13.03.2017 by CS (TIS)The development of the Internet has significantly changed the face of established markets and operation approaches across a tremendous spectrum of different industries. Within the competitive environment of those industries, the opportunities and risks derived from the new platform are so ubiquitous that unused opportunities quickly translate into potential risks. Those opportunities and risks demand for a structured approach how to implement a sustainable Internet marketing strategy that targets clear business objectives. Marketing and strategic management theory describes very clear structural principles towards their operational implementation. Based on those principles an extensive literature review has been conducted which confirms the result from representative statistics that demonstrate the lack of a comprehensive framework for strategic Internet marketing. The distinct result of this research is such a comprehensive framework which has been directly derived from the illustrated principles of strategic management and Internet marketing. All major components of this generic framework are designed, evaluated in dedicated surveys and validated in extensive case studies. The main achievements of the research are: • A comprehensive review of the current state-of-the-art Internet marketing strategies • Conceptual specification of a strategic Internet marketing framework with generic applicability to profit organizations • Demonstration of the practical feasibility of the proposed framework at the implementation level (via several examples like the SIMTF and SIMPF) • Confirmation of the applicability of the framework based upon a survey of potential beneficiaries • Validation of the effectiveness of the approach via case study scenarios Changing the understanding of a former technical discipline, the thesis describes how Internet marketing becomes a precise strategic instrument for profit organizations. The new structured, complete and self-similar framework facilitates sales organizations to significantly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their marketing operations. Furthermore, the framework ensures a high level of transparency about the impact and benefit of individual activities. The new model explicitly answers concerns and problems raised and documented in existing research and accommodate for the current limitations of strategic Internet marketing. The framework allows evaluating existing as well as future Internet marketing tactics and provides a reference model for all other definitions of objectives, KPI and work packages. Finally this thesis also matures the subject matter of Internet marketing as a discipline of independent scientific research providing an underlying structure for subsequent studies.Darmstadt Node of the CSCAN Network at University of Applied Sciences, Darmstad

Management Assessment of the Public Works Department: City of Lowell, Massachusetts

This report presents the results of the management assessment of the Lowell Public Works Department conducted by the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Collins Center for Public Management. The project team conducted a comprehensive organization and management analysis of the Department\u27s existing operations, service levels, infrostructure management, organizational structures and staffing levels. The analysis was to be fact-based and include all aspects of service provision by the Department

Sustainability reporting on Malaysian local authority websites

This thesis examines the extent of sustainability reporting on Malaysian local authority websites. The use of websites by government in Malaysia is closely associated with the public service administrative reforms. The central underlying theme of the thesis is the importance of local authority websites in disseminating sustainability information to society. Institutional theory isomorphism is employed as a theoretical lens for both the quantitative and qualitative phases of the thesis. This is one of only a small number of studies examining local government website sustainability reporting, both in Malaysia and internationally. Thus it makes a significant contribution given this dearth of international literature on website sustainability reporting in local government.This thesis employs two methods to measure the extent of sustainability reporting on websites, namely: the content analysis and disclosure index methods. The content analysis and disclosure index instruments were specifically developed to measure the extent of sustainability information disclosure on websites in the context of local government.Sustainability information disclosure for the 139 councils varies significantly from 2 to 785 sentences with a mean of 106 sentences and the mean disclosure is 15 out of 57 items in the disclosure index method. Overall, the disclosure level is low despite the special features and technological capabilities of websites to contain more information compared to other mediums of reporting. In the quantitative phase, the disclosure index method was able to produce more significant results in explaining the level of sustainability information disclosure. The significant explanatory variables are: size (logrevenue), jurisdictions, internal goals and the LA 21 program. The justification for the differences in results from the content analysis and disclosure index methods make a contribution to the limited issue in the CSR literature.The qualitative phase findings added meaningful insights to the explanatory variables hypothesized in the quantitative phase. The additional factors identified under normative isomorphism include motivations to receive an award, and the key personnel in charge of the sustainable development program in councils. As well, the interview findings explained the reasons as to why jurisdiction was a significant predictor in the quantitative phase and the most noticeable variable within the institutional theory framework. The interview findings also provided evidence of copying of the sustainable development activity implementation from other councils’ websites in the same organizational field under the mimetic isomorphism.The thesis found a blurring of boundaries between coercive, mimetic and normative pressures for variables such as the size of councils, LA 21 implementation and awards, in both the quantitative and qualitative phases. The use of LA 21 was a significant explanatory variable in the thesis and should be considered in future research for public sector sustainability reporting. Following Malaysia's participation in the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government implemented LA 21 in local authorities in such a way that it filtered down and encouraged more participation from the people. This situation is also expected to happen in other countries all over the world. Hence, Malaysia is a good example of success in regards to LA 21 and the implementation process could be replicated by other countries worldwide. Finally, it is put forward here that local authority websites can become a useful tool to maintain or achieve legitimacy.Overall, the empirical findings have implications for various stakeholders with respect to improving the level of sustainability information disclosure on Malaysian local authority websites, namely: 1) policy makers; 2) communities; 3) local authorities; 4) the tertiary accounting education curriculum; 5) NGOs; and 6) universities. The findings provide an overview of the extent of sustainability information disclosure in the public sector in Malaysia. The differences highlighted between councils in urban and rural areas can serve as a basis for future studies. It is expected that the use of the website as a medium of disclosure will be increased in the future with more support from the management, clear directives from the government and a higher education level of the people. The thesis makes a significant contribution to the CSR and public sector accounting literature especially for Malaysian local authorities. Additionally, several ideas for future research could make further valuable contributions in this area

Knowledge construction using web-based constructivist approach : a critical evaluation of students' performance

Although web technology is widely used in today's classrooms, educationists are still unsure of its capacity to generate meaningful learning. As the numbers of web-based learning (WBL) materials keep increasing tremendously, more students will rely on such resources in their learning process. A WBL that applies a constructivist approach offers an alternative as it allows the users to explore the environment based on a given problem. This study investigates the effectiveness of two learning approaches in a WBL environment (constructivist and objectivist) on the achievemnt of students in terms of their knowledge level, retention and motiation with different cognitive style (field independent, FI and field dependent, FD). Two verson of a WBL material (constructivist and objectivist) were developed for this purpose. A 2x2 quasiexperiment pre-test, post-test design was utilized. The sample for this study comprised a total of 141 form four students from two secondary schools in Malaysia. The findings revealed that: (i) the FI students performed significantly better than the FD students after learning through the web learning based on constructivist approach. (ii) there were no significant different between the FI students and the FD student after learning through the web learning based on objectivist approach (iii) the FI students who learned through the web learning based on constructivist approach performed significantly better than the FI studetns who learned through the web learning based on objectivist approach. (iv) there were no significant differences for the FD students after learning using both approaches. (v) there were no significant difference on students' retention and motivation towards web learning. These findings suggest that the constructivist approach has the potential to be an effective learning approachj in a web environment. Other than that, to ensure the web based instruction effectiveness, cognititve style differences is among the factors that should be considered and applied in the said learning material environment.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceUniversity Malaysia TerengganuGBUnited Kingdo

Hybrid Approach for Website Quality Evaluation: Linear Weightage Model and Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process

In rece~t years, many people have devoted their efforts to the issue of quality of website. The ',concept of quality is consisting of many criteria: quality of service ' perspective, a user perspective, a content perspective or indeed ,a usability perspective. The very spec,ial nature of the web applications and website' pose unique software testing challen'g es. Webmasters, Web applications developers, and Website quality assurance managers need tools and methods that can match up to the new needs. The result of this study confirmed that criteria of website quality consist of eleven criteria I (load time, response time, page rank, frequency of update, traffic,;, design optimization, size, nu mber of ite\ns, accessibility error, markup validation, and broken link). Online diagnostic tools 'provided in the internet can be used to measure V)'ebsite quality related with criteria that' was determined in this research. This decreases the economic and noneconomic cost for conducting website evaluation. Online diagn9stics tools allow the website designer or researcher to evaluate many websites and to detect potential problems as well' as actual problems. This research conducts some tests to measure the ' quality website of Asian countries via web diagnostic tools on.line. The researcher proposes a methqdology for determining and evaluating the best e-government, Asian ' airlines, and Malaysian universities sites based on many criteria, of website quality. Applying Hybrid model between LWM and F AHP approach for website evaluation has resulted in significant acceleration of implementation, raised the overall effectiveness ' with respect to the underlying methodology and ultimately enabled more efficient procedure. The result of this study confirmed most of Asian web~ites are neglecting performance and airlines websites have the best quality performancre based on Hybrid Model Evaluation. According to the results of the evaluation process, Airlines sector has ' the highest average. score compare to e-govemment and university. Keywords:-performance, quality, website, Hybrid model.In compliance with the terms of the Copyright Act 1987 and the IP Policy of the university, the copyright of this thesis has been reassigned by the author to the legal entity of the university, Institute of Technology PETRONAS Sdn Bhd. Due acknowledgement shall always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. © Handaru Jati, 2010 Institute of Technology PETRONAS Sdn Bhd All rights reserved. vi