Database knowledge discovery In marketing companies

In recent years, technological development in both the computing and data transmission fields has allowed the storage and management of large volumes of data. Today, businesses move in highly competitive and continuous changing environments. Market dynamics requires companies to handle the right information at the right time so that managers can make the appropriate business decisions. For this reason, companies have understood that the large volumes of data residing in their systems can, and must, be analyzed and exploited to gain new knowledge. This research develops a Database Knowledge Discovery process for assisting in the decision-making of a group of distribution companies. In this sense, subjects related to Data Mining and its application in the environment of economic, financial, and management indicators are described, obtaining models of association and grouping to support the work of managers at different levels of the organization

Building and sharing spatial metaphors for thecatalogue of Oregon Marine and Coastal Information (COMCI)

Spatialization is an innovative way to expand searching capabilities for a marine/coastal reference database by using a metaphorical map framework to establish a sense of place for non-spatial information. Spatializing the Catalogue of Oregon Marine and Coastal Information (COMCI), a coastal reference database, enables the marine and coastal resource community to quickly access pertinent information in a dynamically changing marine environment that will aid them in making decisions on management, protection, and conservation. Geographic information systems, including ESRI’s ArcGIS and ArcIMS, are used in conjunction with an Access database of nongeographic data to create visualizations that facilitate the use of an interactive search interface. Using a self organizing map (SOM) technique to spatialize the coastal database, a metaphorical information space was created and implemented into an interactive graphical display

A collaborative-project memory tool for participatory planning

Technology is more and more providing planners and designer with tools and methods to collect and communicate spatial data and assist spatial analysis. When we think about new technologies supporting planning we mainly think about GIS, urban modelling, simulation models and virtual reality. But many other challenges to the planning practice need for tools to support and improve planning activities. In this paper we discuss the need of new tools to support knowledge representation and knowledge sharing in participatory planning processes. The paper describes the use of a hypermedia and sensemaking tool (Compendium) to structure the knowledge produced in a real participatory planning process. In the present application Compendium has been used not for real-time capturing but for a post-hoc analysis of a real participatory planning experience. Compendium has been used to represent and reconstruct the group memory of consultation meetings in order to allow both the planning team and the citizens to navigate into the contents of those meetings. Moreover the paper describes the main features and potential of the use of Compendium in Participatory Planning domain, and it describes the results of the group memory reconstruction. Finally the case study opens reflections on the need of new planning technologies supporting participatory knowledge generation, representation and management

Emotion-affected decision making in human simulation

Human modelling is an interdisciplinary research field. The topic, emotion-affected decision making, was originally a cognitive psychology issue, but is now recognized as an important research direction for both computer science and biomedical modelling. The main aim of this paper is to attempt to bridge the gap between psychology and bioengineering in emotion-affected decision making. The work is based on Ortony's theory of emotions and bounded rationality theory, and attempts to connect the emotion process with decision making. A computational emotion model is proposed, and the initial framework of this model in virtual human simulation within the platform of VirtoolsTm is presented

Making Sense and Talking Sense: A Case Study of the Correlations Between Sensemaking, Identity and Image in the New Zealand Functional Food Industry

Functional foods are purported by scientists to provide consumers with health benefits over and above food’s most basic uses: providing energy and sustaining life. Western nations, including New Zealand, face significant health challenges as their populations suffer from unprecedented rates of chronic illnesses like cancer and obesity, and health-conscious consumers appear willing and able to purchase these products. The functional food industry has been growing rapidly for the last decade and is widely tipped to continue this growth. However, there is concern that the market is largely unregulated and consumers are confused by the sheer volume of news and information about functional food and health issues. The purpose of this study is to examine the way that a functional food producer makes sense of its role in this complex social, political and economic context, particularly regarding its contribution to public health. The study takes a communication perspective and uses primarily a thematic analysis. Theories of organisational sensemaking, identity and image provide a framework for the case study analysis focusing on organisational communication with stakeholders and attempts to manage contextual issues that affect both the case study organisation and the whole industry. Data was gathered by interviewing higher-level managers from a range of divisions in the organisation, and by collecting a selection of corporate communication documents produced by the organisation for consumers. The study found that the case study organisation’s identity was heavily influenced by health values that align with the product’s proven health benefits. However, the organisation promotes the product as a premium food product, which prices a number of consumers out of the market, and illustrates the limitations this particular product has for improving consumer health. At the same time, the organisational identity comes under threat from challenges to the sustainability of the organisation’s production methods. Analysing the way organisational members respond to these threats provides an interesting picture of the way sensemaking processes are affected by external influences as internal stakeholders re-assess the organisation’s identity

Professional Development On-line

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is making increased use of the Web to develop and support communities of professionals. This paper outlines the factors driving the adoption of CPD and highlights areas where the Web can aid in the development of successful professional communities. Current work to provide on-line support for approximately 500 teachers of computing is then presented, highlighting those aspects of the Web site designed to foster and engage participants in the professional development activity