On the Informational Comparison of Qualitative Fuzzy Measures

International audienceFuzzy measures or capacities are the most general representation of uncertainty functions. However, this general class has been little explored from the point of view of its information content, when degrees of uncertainty are not supposed to be numerical, and belong to a finite qualitative scale, except in the case of possibility or necessity measures. The thrust of the paper is to define an ordering relation on the set of qualitative capacities expressing the idea that one is more informative than another, in agreement with the possibilistic notion of relative specificity. To this aim, we show that the class of qualitative capacities can be partitioned into equivalence classes of functions containing the same amount of information. They only differ by the underlying epistemic attitude such as pessimism or optimism. A meaningful information ordering between capacities can be defined on the basis of the most pessimistic (resp. optimistic) representatives of their equivalence classes. It is shown that, while qualitative capacities bear strong similarities to belief functions, such an analogy can be misleading when it comes to information content

Complexity, BioComplexity, the Connectionist Conjecture and Ontology of Complexity\ud

This paper develops and integrates major ideas and concepts on complexity and biocomplexity - the connectionist conjecture, universal ontology of complexity, irreducible complexity of totality & inherent randomness, perpetual evolution of information, emergence of criticality and equivalence of symmetry & complexity. This paper introduces the Connectionist Conjecture which states that the one and only representation of Totality is the connectionist one i.e. in terms of nodes and edges. This paper also introduces an idea of Universal Ontology of Complexity and develops concepts in that direction. The paper also develops ideas and concepts on the perpetual evolution of information, irreducibility and computability of totality, all in the context of the Connectionist Conjecture. The paper indicates that the control and communication are the prime functionals that are responsible for the symmetry and complexity of complex phenomenon. The paper takes the stand that the phenomenon of life (including its evolution) is probably the nearest to what we can describe with the term “complexity”. The paper also assumes that signaling and communication within the living world and of the living world with the environment creates the connectionist structure of the biocomplexity. With life and its evolution as the substrate, the paper develops ideas towards the ontology of complexity. The paper introduces new complexity theoretic interpretations of fundamental biomolecular parameters. The paper also develops ideas on the methodology to determine the complexity of “true” complex phenomena.\u

Analysing Causal Complexities in IT Business Value Research

In the study of IT business value (ITBV), the notion of complementarities has been used to explain why firms with similar level of IT investments have received varying level of returns. Complementarities suggest that greater business value can be derived when IT investment is accompanied by other complementary organizational investments. This paper introduces a novel analytical approach called fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The method is based on principles of comparison used in the field of social and political science, and can be applied to explain the complex causality of IT business value. We have found that fsQCA was able to show that organizational factors in complex configurations may play different roles as core and periphery factors in affecting organizational performance. Such organizational practices have often been overlooked in many empirical studies but can play a non-trivial role in the organizational processes

Information searching in the mobile environment: Differences in involvement dimensions among product categories

In the study, we examine how specific involvement dimensions based on cognitive and affective involvement explain information search for products of different involvement levels (i.e., clothing and kitchenware). The study also assesses two aggregated models, one of which measures the dimensional differences among mobile users and non-users. Further, it uses a logistic analysis and fsQCA with data derived from online and personal surveys. The findings of the logistic regression show that information attainment is a significant dimension that explains the likelihood of search in all models, but enjoyment is a significant dimension solely for mobile users. Contrarily, the fsQCA results indicate combinational effects for the absence of search and for the presence of mobile use. Low levels of the dimensions related to cognitive involvement lead to the absence of search. In turn, high levels of the dimension associated with both cognitive and affective involvements determine search with mobile devices. This study enriches the involvement literature with findings that can assist marketing managers in designing differentiated strategies that intend to involve consumers in the current mobile environment.This work was supported by FCT, I.Pinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Designing a model to measure information intelligence based on the Indices and measures

Measuring information intelligence is especially important in information societies. The present study aimed to identify indices and measures effective and design a model for measuring information intelligence. The research used a mixed method to achieve objectives. Data collection tools included the study of scientific literature and interviews. The research population included related published literature related to scientific theories, information science experts, and psychology experts. Based on the research findings, 14 indices and 97 measures were identified as effective for measuring information intelligence in two dimensions of management and information retrieval. After weighing and prioritizing the indices, finally, a model is presented for measuring information intelligence. From the findings, it is concluded that in the information society, officials should first determine their information strategies and then address the strategic goals of the information society. One of these strategic goals can be to increase the level of information intelligence of individuals, organizations, and society. To do this, effective indices must be identified for measuring and strategies to increase the level of information intelligence of the target community. It is suggested that this be one of the priorities of an information society

Well-being Disparities Within the Paris Region. A Capabilist Spatialized Outlook

Urban riots, such as in France in 2005, have drawn attention on the spatial determinants of social discontent. We provide evidence on the pervasive collective perception of a dramatic increase of the well-being disparities within the Paris Region during the decade preceding the 2005 riots. We ground our well-being indicator on a spatialized version of Sen's normative capabilist approach, which allows to explicitly take into account the impact of one's localization on one's realizations, opportunities and freedom. Then, using multidimensional poverty indicators and ESDA, we show a global improvement of the Paris region municipalities' Capabilist Spatialized well-being (CaS) between 1999 and 2006 as well as a catching-up phenomenon between advantaged and disadvantaged municipalities. Nevertheless, we also find a growing cluster of very disadvantaged municipalities, some of which have witnessed a decrease of their CaS level. This evidence may explain the belief of a growing socio-spatial fracture within the Paris region.capabilist well-being, socio-spatial disparities, Paris region