Culture in international business research: a bibliometric study in four top IB journals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct a study on the articles published in the four top international business (IB) journals to examine how four cultural models and concepts – Hofstede’s (1980), Hall’s (1976), Trompenaars’s (1993) and Project GLOBE’s (House et al., 2004) – have been used in the extant published IB research. National cultures and cultural differences provide a crucial component of the context of IB research. Design/methodology – This is a bibliometric study on the articles published in four IB journals over the period from 1976 to 2010, examining a sample of 517 articles using citations and co-citation matrices. Findings – Examining this sample revealed interesting patterns of the connections across the studies. Hofstede’s (1980) and House et al.’s (2004) research on the cultural dimensions are the most cited and hold ties to a large variety of IB research. These findings point to a number of research avenues to deepen the understanding on how firms may handle different national cultures in the geographies they operate. Research limitations – Two main limitations are faced, one associated to the bibliometric method, citations and co-citations analyses and other to the delimitation of our sample to only four IB journals, albeit top-ranked. Originality/value – The paper focuses on the main cultural models used in IB research permitting to better understand how culture has been used in IB research, over an extended period.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wearables as Augmentation Means: Conceptual Definition, Pathways, and Research Framework

Wearables pervade many facets of human endeavor, thanks to their integration into everyday artifacts and activities. From fitness bands to medical patches, to augmented reality glasses, wearables have demonstrated immense potential for intelligence augmentation (IA) through human-machine symbiosis. To advance an understanding of how wearables engender IA and to provide a solid foundation for grounding IS research on wearables and IA, this study draws from Engelbart’s framework for augmenting human intellect to: (1) develop a conceptual definition of wearable technology as a digitally enhanced body-borne device that can augment a human or non-human capability by affording context sensitivity, mobility, hands-free interaction, and constancy of operation, (2) extend Engelbart’s framework to the sociomaterial domain to account for the emergence of augmented capabilities that are neither wholly social nor wholly material, and (3) propose and elaborate four augmentation pathways —complementation, supplementation, mediation, and mutual constitution—to facilitate IA research

Facial Emotional Expressions Of Life-Like Character Based On Text Classifier And Fuzzy Logic

A system consists of a text classifier and Fuzzy Inference System FIS to build a life-like virtual character capable of expressing emotion from a text input is proposed. The system classifies emotional content of sentences from text input and expresses corresponding emotion by a facial expression. Text input is classified using the text classifier while facial expression of the life-like character are controlled by FIS utilizing results from the text classifier. A number of text classifier methods are employed and their performances are evaluated using Leave-One-Out Cross Validation. In real world application such as animation movie the lifelike virtual character of proposed system needs to be animated. As a demonstration examples of facial expressions with corresponding text input as results from the implementation of our system are shown. The system is able to show facial expressions with admixture blending emotions. This paper also describes animation characteristics of the system using neutral expression as center of facial expression transition from one emotion to another. Emotion transition can be viewed as gradual decrease or increase of emotion intensity from one emotion toward other emotion. Experimental results show that animation of lifelike character expressing emotion transition can be generated automatically using proposed system

Affective Computing for Emotion Detection using Vision and Wearable Sensors

The research explores the opportunities, challenges, limitations, and presents advancements in computing that relates to, arises from, or deliberately influences emotions (Picard, 1997). The field is referred to as Affective Computing (AC) and is expected to play a major role in the engineering and development of computationally and cognitively intelligent systems, processors and applications in the future. Today the field of AC is bolstered by the emergence of multiple sources of affective data and is fuelled on by developments under various Internet of Things (IoTs) projects and the fusion potential of multiple sensory affective data streams. The core focus of this thesis involves investigation into whether the sensitivity and specificity (predictive performance) of AC, based on the fusion of multi-sensor data streams, is fit for purpose? Can such AC powered technologies and techniques truly deliver increasingly accurate emotion predictions of subjects in the real world? The thesis begins by presenting a number of research justifications and AC research questions that are used to formulate the original thesis hypothesis and thesis objectives. As part of the research conducted, a detailed state of the art investigations explored many aspects of AC from both a scientific and technological perspective. The complexity of AC as a multi-sensor, multi-modality, data fusion problem unfolded during the state of the art research and this ultimately led to novel thinking and origination in the form of the creation of an AC conceptualised architecture that will act as a practical and theoretical foundation for the engineering of future AC platforms and solutions. The AC conceptual architecture developed as a result of this research, was applied to the engineering of a series of software artifacts that were combined to create a prototypical AC multi-sensor platform known as the Emotion Fusion Server (EFS) to be used in the thesis hypothesis AC experimentation phases of the research. The thesis research used the EFS platform to conduct a detailed series of AC experiments to investigate if the fusion of multiple sensory sources of affective data from sensory devices can significantly increase the accuracy of emotion prediction by computationally intelligent means. The research involved conducting numerous controlled experiments along with the statistical analysis of the performance of sensors for the purposes of AC, the findings of which serve to assess the feasibility of AC in various domains and points to future directions for the AC field. The AC experiments data investigations conducted in relation to the thesis hypothesis used applied statistical methods and techniques, and the results, analytics and evaluations are presented throughout the two thesis research volumes. The thesis concludes by providing a detailed set of formal findings, conclusions and decisions in relation to the overarching research hypothesis on the sensitivity and specificity of the fusion of vision and wearables sensor modalities and offers foresights and guidance into the many problems, challenges and projections for the AC field into the future

IoT DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTHY INDEPENDENT LIVING

The rise of internet connected devices has enabled the home with a vast amount of enhancements to make life more convenient. These internet connected devices can be used to form a community of devices known as the internet of things (IoT). There is great value in IoT devices to promote healthy independent living for older adults. Fall-related injuries has been one of the leading causes of death in older adults. For example, every year more than a third of people over 65 in the U.S. experience a fall, of which up to 30 percent result in moderate to severe injury. Therefore, this thesis proposes an IoT-based fall detection system for smart home environments that not only to send out alerts, but also launches interaction models, such as voice assistance and camera monitoring. Such connectivity could allow older adults to interact with the system without concern of a learning curve. The proposed IoT-based fall detection system will enable family and caregivers to be immediately notified of the event and remotely monitor the individual. Integrated within a smart home environment, the proposed IoT-based fall detection system can improve the quality of life among older adults. Along with the physical concerns of health, psychological stress is also a great concern among older adults. Stress has been linked to emotional and physical conditions such as depression, anxiety, heart attacks, stroke, etc. Increased susceptibility to stress may accelerate cognitive decline resulting in conversion of cognitively normal older adults to MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment), and MCI to dementia. Thus, if stress can be measured, there can be countermeasures put in place to reduce stress and its negative effects on the psychological and physical health of older adults. This thesis presents a framework that can be used to collect and pre-process physiological data for the purpose of validating galvanic skin response (GSR), heart rate (HR), and emotional valence (EV) measurements against the cortisol and self-reporting benchmarks for stress detection. The results of this framework can be used for feature extraction to feed into a regression model for validating each combination of physiological measurement. Also, the potential of this framework to automate stress protocols like the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) could pave the way for an IoT-based platform for automated stress detection and management

On the Relationship between People, Objects, & Interactive Technologies: Transforming Digital & Physical experiences through the process of Realizing Empathy

La manera com les persones es relacionen amb el seu entorn, ja sigui físic o digital, és cada cop més complexa i fugaç, fent que la relació de l'usuari amb els seus objectes i eines digitals, de vegades, sigui extrema i de curta durada. Tanmateix, la propietat d'objectes i objectes tecnològics interactius no és buida de significat, són mostres de reflexió i representació per als altres i del seu paper a la societat. La clau per mantenir una relació i el significat amb aquests objectes rau en el disseny i la intenció de l'experiència interactiva creada. Inspirats en les disciplines de la psicologia, el procés de disseny, la interacció humà-ordinador i els models de negoci, aquesta tesi explora, analitza, crea i prova els fonaments teòrics sobre l'empatia i el concepte d'entaular una relació de llarga durada entre les persones i les tecnologies interactives.  Amb aquesta finalitat, aquesta tesi es divideix en 4 fases: (1) l’estudi en profunditat de les referències bibliogràfiques dins del sector HCI, amb especial atenció al rol del disseny i la psicologia amb la intenció de respondre preguntes com: “Com podem construir relacions de llarga durada entre persones i objectes intel·ligents?” (2) Recopilar i adoptar definicions, eines i terminologia de treballs relacionats que aportin a la construcció de la contribució principal d'aquesta tesi, (3) Crear i presentar un model d'interacció entre persones i tecnologia que aporti a una interacció de llarga durada, i (4) presentar un cas d’estudi on s’implementi el model proposat.  Després del treball bibliogràfic, al sector de l'HCI, s'ha identificat un buit, fruit de les principals preocupacions expressades: la manca de connexió entre la teoria i la pràctica del disseny, així com una mancança en l’àmbit de l'Empatia. El resultat fa que molts dels models d’interacció amb intenció empàtica i afectiva no se sustentin entre si. Això ens ha portat a la segona fase de la tesi on aprofitem les referències de múltiples disciplines per estudiar què és l'empatia, com s'implementa, com es percep i com evoluciona cap a l'objectiu d'una relació a llarg termini, com a punt focal cap a les principals contribucions de la tesi. .  Després de reunir i analitzar exhaustivament les referències al voltant de l'empatia, entrem a la tercera fase on presentem el model teòric d'interacció amb el potencial d'establir una interacció a llarg termini i l’anomenat Procés de realització de l'empatia (RE). Més que intentar definir què és l'empatia, aquesta proposta intenta oferir una perspectiva diferent de l'empatia i visualitza el seu abast com un procés influenciat per models de diàleg i col·laboració amb el propòsit de crear comprensió mútua i donar significat a aquest intercanvi.  Amb un model clar i una sòlida base teòrica, la fase final de la tesi cerca provar el model proposat amb l'objectiu d'observar si es poden detectar indicadors d'afecció afectiva i confiança entre una persona i el seu objecte tecnològic. En aquest cas, vam tenir l'oportunitat de treballar amb robots socials com el nostre “altre actor” per dissenyar les proves del model. Aquestes proves pretenien capturar els indicadors d'empatia entre un humà i un robot que abraça: l'aferrament afectiu, la confiança, la regulació de les expectatives i la reflexió sobre la perspectiva de l'altre dins un conjunt d'estratègies de col·laboració. Plantegem la hipòtesi que una estratègia de col·laboració activa condueix a un compromís més significatiu de generar empatia entre un humà i un robot en comparació amb una estratègia passiva. Els resultats són encoratjadors i clarament estableixen un camí per a futures investigacions sobre el disseny d'aquest model. La forma en que las personas se relacionan con su entorno, ya sea físico o digital, se vuelve cada vez más compleja y fugaz, haciendo que la relación del usuario con sus objetos y herramientas digitales, en ocasiones, sea extrema y de corta duración. Sin embargo, la propiedad de objetos y objetos tecnológicos interactivos no es vacía de significado, son muestras de reflexión y representación para los demás y de su papel en la sociedad. La clave para mantener una relación y significado con estos objetos radica en el diseño y la intención de la experiencia interactiva creada. Inspirados en las disciplinas de la psicología, el proceso de diseño, la interacción humano-ordenador y los modelos de negocio, esta tesis explora, analiza, crea y prueba los fundamentos teóricos sobre la empatía y el concepto de entablar una relación de larga duración entre las personas y las tecnologías interactivas.  Con este fin, esta tesis se divide en 4 fases: (1) estudio en profundidad de las referencias bibliográficas dentro del sector HCI, con especial atención al rol del diseño y la psicología con la intención de responder a preguntas como: “¿Cómo podemos construir relaciones de larga duración entre personas y objetos inteligentes?”(2) Recopilar y adoptar definiciones, herramientas y terminología de trabajos relacionados que aporten a la construcción de la contribución principal de esta tesis, (3) Crear y presentar un modelo de interacción entre personas y tecnología que aporte a una interacción de larga duración, y (4) presentar un caso de estudio donde se implemente el modelo propuesto.  Tras el trabajo bibliográfico en el sector del HCI se ha identificado un vacío, fruto de las principales preocupaciones expresadas: la falta de conexión entre la teoría y la práctica del diseño, así como una falta en el tema de la Empatía. El resultado hace que muchos de los modelos de interacción con intención empática y afectiva no se sustenten entre sí. Esto nos ha llevado a la segunda fase de la tesis en la que aprovechamos las referencias de múltiples disciplinas para estudiar qué es la empatía, cómo se implementa, cómo se percibe y cómo evoluciona hacia el objetivo de una relación a largo plazo, como punto focal hacia las principales contribuciones de la tesis. .  Después de una reunir y analizar exhaustivamente las referencias en torno a la empatía, entramos en la tercera fase donde presentamos el modelo teórico de interacción con el potencial de entablar una interacción a largo plazo y denominado Proceso de realización de la empatía (RE). Más que intentar definir qué es la empatía, esta propuesta trata de ofrecer una perspectiva diferente a la empatía y visualiza su alcance como un proceso influenciado por modelos de diálogo y colaboración con el propósito de crear comprensión mutua y dar significado a ese intercambio.  Con un modelo claro y una sólida base teórica, la fase final de la tesis busca probar el modelo propuesto con el objetivo de observar si el modelo puede detectar indicadores de Apego Afectivo y Confianza entre una persona y su objeto tecnológico. En el caso de este trabajo, tuvimos la oportunidad de trabajar con robots sociales como nuestro “otro actor” para diseñar las pruebas del modelo. Estas pruebas pretendían capturar los indicadores de de empatía entre un humano y un robot que abarca: el apego afectivo, la confianza, la regulación de las expectativas y la reflexión sobre la perspectiva del otro dentro de un conjunto de estrategias de colaboración. Planteamos la hipótesis de que una estrategia de colaboración activa conduce a un compromiso más significativo de generar empatía entre un humano y un robot en comparación con una estrategia pasiva. Los resultados son alentadores y claramente establecen un camino para futuras investigaciones sobre el diseño de este modelo. How people engage with their surroundings, whether physical or digital, becomes increasingly complex and rapid, making the user’s relationship with their objects and digital tools, at times, extreme and short-lived. Yet, there is still meaning in ownership of objects and interactive technological objects, they are tokens of reflection and representation to others and their role in society. The key to sustaining a relationship and sense of meaning with these objects lies in the design and intention of the interactive experience created. Inspired by disciplines of psychology, design, Human-computer interaction, and business modeling, this thesis explored, analyzed, created, and tested theoretical foundations on Empathy and the concept of initiating a long-term relationship between people and their interactive technologies.  To that end, the thesis book was managed in 4 main stages: (1) presenting a deeper dive into bibliographic references within HCI and the role of both design and psychology in the attempt to tackle questions like: “How can we build long-term relationships between people and their smart objects?” (2) Collect and adopt from related works that helped build the main contributions of the thesis book, (3) Create an interaction model between humans and their technology that lent itself for potential long-term engagement, and (4) a case study that implemented and instantiated the model designed.     After mapping the HCI bibliographical works in the first phase, a gap was revealed indicative of the main concerns expressed: a lack of connection between theory and design practice as well as a lack in the topic of Empathy. The result makes many of the models of interaction with empathetic and affective intention unsupported between each other. This has led us to the second phase of the thesis where we leveraged references across multiple disciplines to survey what empathy is, how it is implemented, perceived and evolved toward the goal of long-term relationship, as a focal point toward the main thesis contributions.   After an exhaustive gathering and analysis of the work around Empathy, we entered the third phase where we present the proposed theoretical model of interaction with the potential for long-term engagement named the Process of Realizing Empathy (RE). Rather than attempting to further define empathy, this proposal is about offering a different perspective to empathy that visualizes its scope as a process influenced by dialogue and collaborative models with the goal to reach meaning between the actors involved.  With a clear model in place and a strong theoretical foundation, the final phase of the thesis looked to test the proposed model with the goal of observing if the model can provoke its indicators of Affective Attachment and Trust between a person and their technological object. In the case of this thesis work, we had the opportunity to work with social robots as our “other actor” to design the tests for the model. This testbed meant to capture the indicators of early empathy realization between a human and a robot encompassing affective attachment, trust, expectation regulation, and reflecting on the other’s perspective within a set of collaborative strategies. We hypothesized that an active collaboration strategy is conducive to a more meaningful and purposeful engagement of realizing empathy between a human and a robot compared to a passive one. The results are encouraging and clearly establish a path for further research on this model’s design.

AVEC 2019 workshop and challenge: state-of-mind, detecting depression with AI, and cross-cultural affect recognition

The Audio/Visual Emotion Challenge and Workshop (AVEC 2019) "State-of-Mind, Detecting Depression with AI, and Cross-cultural Affect Recognition" is the ninth competition event aimed at the comparison of multimedia processing and machine learning methods for automatic audiovisual health and emotion analysis, with all participants competing strictly under the same conditions. The goal of the Challenge is to provide a common benchmark test set for multimodal information processing and to bring together the health and emotion recognition communities, as well as the audiovisual processing communities, to compare the relative merits of various approaches to health and emotion recognition from real-life data. This paper presents the major novelties introduced this year, the challenge guidelines, the data used, and the performance of the baseline systems on the three proposed tasks: state-of-mind recognition, depression assessment with AI, and cross-cultural affect sensing, respectively