32 research outputs found

    Strategies for Improving Supply Chain Management in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions

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    Managers of the United Nation’s humanitarian operations are under rigid pressure to deliver their programs efficiently due to 75% of supply chains experiencing disruptions, accounting for 60 to 80% of the expenses due to limited funding and increasing scrutiny by member states. Humanitarian operations are inextricably linked to the performance of a supply chain. Therefore, if the supply chain managers in the United Nations (UN) fail to understand and adopt dynamic capabilities, they can experience operational underperformance, affecting trust from financial supporters. Grounded on dynamic capability theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies that executive supply chain managers of the UN use to leverage operational efficiencies in a peacekeeping program. The research participants comprised nine UN staff members in leadership positions who have successfully developed and implemented strategies resulting in operational efficiencies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and relevant organizational public documents. Three themes emerged during the data analysis process, analytical, innovation, and knowledge management; effective supply chain leadership; and risk management, resulting in several strategies to be considered to operationalize humanitarian aid more efficiently. A key recommendation includes the application of analytical, innovative, technological capabilities and effective leadership that fosters accountability, change management, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and partnerships. Conclusively, an efficient supply chain can help the UN to meet its global sustainable goals, thus improving social well-being and achieving a sustainable future for everybody

    Strategies for Improving Supply Chain Management in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions

    Get PDF
    Managers of the United Nation’s humanitarian operations are under rigid pressure to deliver their programs efficiently due to 75% of supply chains experiencing disruptions, accounting for 60 to 80% of the expenses due to limited funding and increasing scrutiny by member states. Humanitarian operations are inextricably linked to the performance of a supply chain. Therefore, if the supply chain managers in the United Nations (UN) fail to understand and adopt dynamic capabilities, they can experience operational underperformance, affecting trust from financial supporters. Grounded on dynamic capability theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies that executive supply chain managers of the UN use to leverage operational efficiencies in a peacekeeping program. The research participants comprised nine UN staff members in leadership positions who have successfully developed and implemented strategies resulting in operational efficiencies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and relevant organizational public documents. Three themes emerged during the data analysis process, analytical, innovation, and knowledge management; effective supply chain leadership; and risk management, resulting in several strategies to be considered to operationalize humanitarian aid more efficiently. A key recommendation includes the application of analytical, innovative, technological capabilities and effective leadership that fosters accountability, change management, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and partnerships. Conclusively, an efficient supply chain can help the UN to meet its global sustainable goals, thus improving social well-being and achieving a sustainable future for everybody

    Information Technology's Role in Global Healthcare Systems

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    Over the past few decades, modern information technology has made a significant impact on people’s daily lives worldwide. In the field of health care and prevention, there has been a progressing penetration of assistive health services such as personal health records, supporting apps for chronic diseases, or preventive cardiological monitoring. In 2020, the range of personal health services appeared to be almost unmanageable, accompanied by a multitude of different data formats and technical interfaces. The exchange of health-related data between different healthcare providers or platforms may therefore be difficult or even impossible. In addition, health professionals are increasingly confronted with medical data that were not acquired by themselves, but by an algorithmic “black box”. Even further, externally recorded data tend to be incompatible with the data models of classical healthcare information systems.From the individual’s perspective, digital services allow for the monitoring of their own health status. However, such services can also overwhelm their users, especially elderly people, with too many features or barely comprehensible information. It therefore seems highly relevant to examine whether such “always at hand” services exceed the digital literacy levels of average citizens.In this context, this reprint presents innovative, health-related applications or services emphasizing the role of user-centered information technology, with a special focus on one of the aforementioned aspects

    Strategies Information Technology Outsourcing Managers Use to Improve Business Performance and Employee Retention

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    AbstractVoluntary employee turnover can result in adverse business outcomes. Information technology (IT) managers are concerned with voluntary turnover, which is the number one reason for actual turnover. Grounded in the transaction cost theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies IT managers use to improve business performance and employee retention. The participants comprised four IT managers from two firms in Arizona who effectively used strategies to improve business performance and employee retention. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, a review of archival company documents, and field notes. The data were thematically coded and analyzed, and four themes emerged: communication and relationships, labor costs, organizational learning and culture, and vendor management. A key recommendation is for IT managers to implement effective communication and relationships with vendors to achieve efficient labor costs in ITO contracts. The implications for positive social change include the potential for IT managers to create job opportunities, maintain socioeconomic stability for local citizens, provide social amenities and welfare, and promote regional communities’ economic development across the globe

    Management and Recycling of Secondhand Electronic Devices Case of Nigeria

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    AbstractApproximately 60,000 tons of e-waste from new, secondhand, or used electrical electronics equipment/devices (UEEEDs) are disposed off at the end of their shelf life annually in Lagos, Nigeria. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand better how secondhand or UEEED e-waste was efficiently managed or recycled without resulting in environmental concerns. The study’s conceptual framework was based on Machiavellian and transactional conceptual theories. The research question focused on what influences the choice of management and recycling of electronic devices. Data were collected from 28 participants through semistructured interviews with 8 business owners and 20 focus group UEEED users. Data analysis was through thematic content analysis, and ethnography. The prevailing themes findings of the study showed that 10,000 tons of e-waste from pocket PCs, laptops, computers, and household electrical appliances, were generated weekly, amounting to 120,000 tons yearly in Lagos from Alaba International Market and Ikeja Computer Village. This number had tripled yearly compared to previous studies in Nigeria in the past 5 years due to a lack of national e-waste policy and stringent enforcement, management, and product quality monitoring by regulatory bodies in Nigeria. The result indicated that a gap in e-waste generation, management, and recycling had social and economic implications for the unabating e-waste generation from UEEED, as the United Nations pointed out. The social implications for positive change are the precursors for efficient management and recycling of e-waste from UEEED and to assuage global and local concerns highlighted by WHO in preventing the possible longterm and negative biological consequences on the ecosystem and humanity

    Leader’s Relational Transparency and Team-level Trust and Distrust

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    Team trust in teams of collaborative knowledge workers has been identified as one of the main mediators of team effectiveness, and one of the most important outcomes of effective team leadership. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to explore the relationships among relational transparency as a component of authentic leader’s behavior, and the levels of affect-based trust and distrust, as well as the relationship between both outcomes in context of the process of their emergence in a team setting. A total of 176 knowledge workers from a commercial business contact database participated. The relationships between these variables were evaluated using quantitative methods of analysis. Multiple analysis of covariance was conducted to investigate the association between the levels of relational transparency in team leaders with the team levels of affect-based trust and distrust. Regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between the affect-based trust and distrust on the team level. The study results indicated that there was a positive association between the level of leader’s relational transparency and the team levels of affect-based trust and distrust. It suggests that a leader needs to seek optimal levels of openness and transparency to promote collective trust, but concurrently needs to instill conditions allowing for certain levels of distrust to promote nonroutine information processing. The investigation has a potential to contribute to positive social change by showing how effective teams can improve workplace relationships in business enterprises seen as vehicles for the general betterment of individuals, communities, and society

    The Law of Forensics: a proof beyond the shadow of doubt

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    This book gives an understanding of the application of forensic sciences to the law. It covers the crime scene investigation process, and provides an overview of the various kinds of forensic evidence that may be collected and presented in court. Points out the identification, documentation and collection of physical evidence, including fingerprints, shoe impressions, hair fibers, firearms evidence and questioned documents, It considers biological evidence, including DNA, and tries to analyse the scientific unimpeachablity of DNA, blood spatter and other fluids, forensic anthropology and odontology. Finally, the book engages fire investigation and forensic accounting. It is designed to provide a foundation in the field of criminology who are interested in the use of science and law to solve crime, and considers the impact of television and other media on the field of Forensic Science and the courtroom

    Exploration of Effective Leadership Traits to Retain Millennials in Federal Service

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    The federal government faces critical human capital management challenges because of workforce retirements. Millennial retention is key to addressing some of these challenges. However, job satisfaction surveys have indicated retention concerns for existing millennial federal employees. The federal sector is struggling to compete with the private sector in employee retention among the millennial generation. An intrinsic motivation approach was used in this study, focusing on leadership and its role in retention. Strauss and Howe’s generational theory, the trait-based approach to leadership, and three leadership styles—transformational, ethical, and authentic—comprised the conceptual framework. The purpose was to explore the preferred leadership traits that may influence millennials to remain in federal service. A general qualitative inquiry was used, and 15 purposefully sampled federal millennial participants were recruited. The online survey data were analyzed using a deductive and inductive approach to coding. Traits were matched to their corresponding leadership style. The civilian participants favored a mix of traits, with many related to authentic and transformational leadership. A small sampling of military participants also indicated a preference for this same leadership style. This may indicate the need for the creation of a fresh style of leadership for millennials combining the preferred traits from all three leadership styles. This study’s results may lead to positive social change by helping federal leadership programs adapt leadership styles to improve employee retention among millennials. By maintaining and strengthening its millennial workforce, the federal government can continue to provide effective and efficient services on a national level

    A Knowledge Development Perspective on Literature Reviews: Validation of a new Typology in the IS Field

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    Literature reviews (LRs) play an important role in developing domain knowledge in all fields. Yet, we observe insufficient insights into the activities with which LRs actually develop knowledge. To address this important gap, we 1) derive knowledge-building activities from the extant literature on LRs, 2) suggest a knowledge-based LR typology that complements existing typologies, and 3) apply the typology in an empirical study that explores how LRs with different goals and methodologies have contributed to knowledge development. In analyzing 240 LRs published in 40 renowned information systems (IS) journals between 2000 and 2014, we draw a detailed picture of knowledge development that one of the most important genres in the IS field has achieved. With this work, we help to unify extant LR conceptualizations by clarifying and illustrating how they apply different methodologies in a range of knowledge-building activities to achieve their goals with respect to theory

    Metadata-driven data integration

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    Cotutela: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya i Université Libre de Bruxelles, IT4BI-DC programme for the joint Ph.D. degree in computer science.Data has an undoubtable impact on society. Storing and processing large amounts of available data is currently one of the key success factors for an organization. Nonetheless, we are recently witnessing a change represented by huge and heterogeneous amounts of data. Indeed, 90% of the data in the world has been generated in the last two years. Thus, in order to carry on these data exploitation tasks, organizations must first perform data integration combining data from multiple sources to yield a unified view over them. Yet, the integration of massive and heterogeneous amounts of data requires revisiting the traditional integration assumptions to cope with the new requirements posed by such data-intensive settings. This PhD thesis aims to provide a novel framework for data integration in the context of data-intensive ecosystems, which entails dealing with vast amounts of heterogeneous data, from multiple sources and in their original format. To this end, we advocate for an integration process consisting of sequential activities governed by a semantic layer, implemented via a shared repository of metadata. From an stewardship perspective, this activities are the deployment of a data integration architecture, followed by the population of such shared metadata. From a data consumption perspective, the activities are virtual and materialized data integration, the former an exploratory task and the latter a consolidation one. Following the proposed framework, we focus on providing contributions to each of the four activities. We begin proposing a software reference architecture for semantic-aware data-intensive systems. Such architecture serves as a blueprint to deploy a stack of systems, its core being the metadata repository. Next, we propose a graph-based metadata model as formalism for metadata management. We focus on supporting schema and data source evolution, a predominant factor on the heterogeneous sources at hand. For virtual integration, we propose query rewriting algorithms that rely on the previously proposed metadata model. We additionally consider semantic heterogeneities in the data sources, which the proposed algorithms are capable of automatically resolving. Finally, the thesis focuses on the materialized integration activity, and to this end, proposes a method to select intermediate results to materialize in data-intensive flows. Overall, the results of this thesis serve as contribution to the field of data integration in contemporary data-intensive ecosystems.Les dades tenen un impacte indubtable en la societat. La capacitat d’emmagatzemar i processar grans quantitats de dades disponibles és avui en dia un dels factors claus per l’èxit d’una organització. No obstant, avui en dia estem presenciant un canvi representat per grans volums de dades heterogenis. En efecte, el 90% de les dades mundials han sigut generades en els últims dos anys. Per tal de dur a terme aquestes tasques d’explotació de dades, les organitzacions primer han de realitzar una integració de les dades, combinantles a partir de diferents fonts amb l’objectiu de tenir-ne una vista unificada d’elles. Per això, aquest fet requereix reconsiderar les assumpcions tradicionals en integració amb l’objectiu de lidiar amb els requisits imposats per aquests sistemes de tractament massiu de dades. Aquesta tesi doctoral té com a objectiu proporcional un nou marc de treball per a la integració de dades en el context de sistemes de tractament massiu de dades, el qual implica lidiar amb una gran quantitat de dades heterogènies, provinents de múltiples fonts i en el seu format original. Per això, proposem un procés d’integració compost d’una seqüència d’activitats governades per una capa semàntica, la qual és implementada a partir d’un repositori de metadades compartides. Des d’una perspectiva d’administració, aquestes activitats són el desplegament d’una arquitectura d’integració de dades, seguit per la inserció d’aquestes metadades compartides. Des d’una perspectiva de consum de dades, les activitats són la integració virtual i materialització de les dades, la primera sent una tasca exploratòria i la segona una de consolidació. Seguint el marc de treball proposat, ens centrem en proporcionar contribucions a cada una de les quatre activitats. La tesi inicia proposant una arquitectura de referència de software per a sistemes de tractament massiu de dades amb coneixement semàntic. Aquesta arquitectura serveix com a planell per a desplegar un conjunt de sistemes, sent el repositori de metadades al seu nucli. Posteriorment, proposem un model basat en grafs per a la gestió de metadades. Concretament, ens centrem en donar suport a l’evolució d’esquemes i fonts de dades, un dels factors predominants en les fonts de dades heterogènies considerades. Per a l’integració virtual, proposem algorismes de rescriptura de consultes que usen el model de metadades previament proposat. Com a afegitó, considerem heterogeneïtat semàntica en les fonts de dades, les quals els algorismes de rescriptura poden resoldre automàticament. Finalment, la tesi es centra en l’activitat d’integració materialitzada. Per això proposa un mètode per a seleccionar els resultats intermedis a materialitzar un fluxes de tractament intensiu de dades. En general, els resultats d’aquesta tesi serveixen com a contribució al camp d’integració de dades en els ecosistemes de tractament massiu de dades contemporanisLes données ont un impact indéniable sur la société. Le stockage et le traitement de grandes quantités de données disponibles constituent actuellement l’un des facteurs clés de succès d’une entreprise. Néanmoins, nous assistons récemment à un changement représenté par des quantités de données massives et hétérogènes. En effet, 90% des données dans le monde ont été générées au cours des deux dernières années. Ainsi, pour mener à bien ces tâches d’exploitation des données, les organisations doivent d’abord réaliser une intégration des données en combinant des données provenant de sources multiples pour obtenir une vue unifiée de ces dernières. Cependant, l’intégration de quantités de données massives et hétérogènes nécessite de revoir les hypothèses d’intégration traditionnelles afin de faire face aux nouvelles exigences posées par les systèmes de gestion de données massives. Cette thèse de doctorat a pour objectif de fournir un nouveau cadre pour l’intégration de données dans le contexte d’écosystèmes à forte intensité de données, ce qui implique de traiter de grandes quantités de données hétérogènes, provenant de sources multiples et dans leur format d’origine. À cette fin, nous préconisons un processus d’intégration constitué d’activités séquentielles régies par une couche sémantique, mise en oeuvre via un dépôt partagé de métadonnées. Du point de vue de la gestion, ces activités consistent à déployer une architecture d’intégration de données, suivies de la population de métadonnées partagées. Du point de vue de la consommation de données, les activités sont l’intégration de données virtuelle et matérialisée, la première étant une tâche exploratoire et la seconde, une tâche de consolidation. Conformément au cadre proposé, nous nous attachons à fournir des contributions à chacune des quatre activités. Nous commençons par proposer une architecture logicielle de référence pour les systèmes de gestion de données massives et à connaissance sémantique. Une telle architecture consiste en un schéma directeur pour le déploiement d’une pile de systèmes, le dépôt de métadonnées étant son composant principal. Ensuite, nous proposons un modèle de métadonnées basé sur des graphes comme formalisme pour la gestion des métadonnées. Nous mettons l’accent sur la prise en charge de l’évolution des schémas et des sources de données, facteur prédominant des sources hétérogènes sous-jacentes. Pour l’intégration virtuelle, nous proposons des algorithmes de réécriture de requêtes qui s’appuient sur le modèle de métadonnées proposé précédemment. Nous considérons en outre les hétérogénéités sémantiques dans les sources de données, que les algorithmes proposés sont capables de résoudre automatiquement. Enfin, la thèse se concentre sur l’activité d’intégration matérialisée et propose à cette fin une méthode de sélection de résultats intermédiaires à matérialiser dans des flux des données massives. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats de cette thèse constituent une contribution au domaine de l’intégration des données dans les écosystèmes contemporains de gestion de données massivesPostprint (published version
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