Shifting the maturity needle of ICT for Sustainability

The ubiquity of ICT means the potential of ICT4S covers a broad range of sustainability topics and application domains. However, ICT4S research can be ill positioned with regard to the complexity of transforming society in such a way that people and environmental ecologies can coexist in a sustainable system. The danger is that ICT4S becomes partitioned into a small subset of sustainability and using a limited set of the levers at our disposal. Grounded in the Mann-Bates maturity scale for sustainability this paper performs an analysis of the ICT4S conference corpus to measure how mature the research is in our field with regard to sustainability. Based on this analysis we identify areas in which the ICT4S community can begin to shift the maturity of research in order to promote sustainable futures. By applying the Transformation Mindset our article demonstrates through a series of illustrative how ICT4S can apply this mindset to shift ICT4S research towards more sustainable trajectories. This is an essential first step in taking stock, highlighting shortcomings and identifying opportunities in ICT for sustainability

Sidewalk and Toronto: Critical Systems Heuristics and the Smart City

`Smart cities', urban development projects that design computational systems and sensory technology to monitor activity and regulate energy consumption and resource distribution, are a frontier for the prospective deployment of ICTs for sustainability. Often reduced to technological problems of optimization, these projects have implications far beyond narrow environmental and consumptive frames of sustainability. Studying them requires frameworks that support us in examining technological and environmental sustainability dimensions jointly with social justice perspectives. This paper uses Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) to examine the design of Sidewalk Toronto, an ongoing smart city development. We explore how the professed values guiding the project are contentiously enacted, and we argue that key stakeholders and beneficiaries in the planning process significantly constrain the emancipatory and transformative potential of the project by marginalizing the role of residents in determining project purposes. This analysis contributes an example that illustrates the relevance of critical systems thinking in ICT4S and offers CSH as a conceptual frame that supports critical reflection on the tensions between the visions and realities of `sustainable' ways of organizing human life.Comment: 1 figur

Sustainable Software Engineering:A Perspective of Individual Sustainability

Sustainable software engineering is a mean of developing sustainable software with sustainable software engineering process activities while balancing its various dimensions for instance economic, environmental, social, technical and individual. It is conveyed that the economic, technical, environmental and social dimensions are explored to satisfactory degree however the individual dimension of sustainable software engineering which is concerned with wellbeing of software engineers is not explored to satisfactory degree with respect to its understanding and challenges. Therefore, the aim of the study is to highlight and prioritize the challenges regarding individual sustainability dimension. The study also provides the mitigation strategies for the top five individual sustainability challenges. The systematic literature review has been performed to report the challenges and mitigation strategies. The study finding shows that lack of domain knowledge, lack of methodologies and tool support, lack of education, varying and unidentified situations and lack of sustainable software engineering practices are top most challenges regarding individual sustainability. These challenges need an urgent attention to achieve the goal of sustainable software engineering. The study also reports various mitigation strategies to overcome the risk of identified top most individual sustainability challenges such as to introduce sustainable software engineering education and knowledge in software engineering curricula, development of knowledge sharing frameworks and awareness regarding unclear and varying situations for each software engineering activity etc.  The study will be beneficial for sustainable software engineering body of knowledge, sustainable software engineering practitioners and researchers by providing classified list of individual sustainability challenges and their mitigation strategies

Industrial system dynamics for environmental sustainability: a case study on the UK medical technology sector

This paper investigates environmental sustainability dynamics of an industrial system through a case study on the UK medical technology sector. This paper builds on an industrial system framework involving institutions, specialist firms, value/supply chains and industrial actors. Environmental sustainability dynamics are explored through infrastructure and structure factors of industrial systems that are primarily developed from theoretical domains of manufacturing systems, production networks and supply chains. Research findings suggest that structural components influence the industry system more radically than the infrastructural components. Environmental sustainability dynamics depend on the size of industrial actors, types/characteristics of product and process, and availability of specialist (funding/technology) firms

Youth alcohol and drug good practice guide 1: A framework for youth alcohol and other drug practice

This Guide outlines a framework for working with young people whose AOD use creates significant vulnerability to current or future harm. The target audience is practitioners who work with young people who have problematic AOD use and the managers of these practitioners. Areas of content include the elements of a framework for AOD practice, an appreciation of the developmental, social and institutional location of young people, key concepts and understandings regarding good youth centered context responsive practice, and key policy constructs and directions

Industry 4.0 for SMEs

This open access book explores the concept of Industry 4.0, which presents a considerable challenge for the production and service sectors. While digitization initiatives are usually integrated into the central corporate strategy of larger companies, smaller firms often have problems putting Industry 4.0 paradigms into practice. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) possess neither the human nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. Addressing this obstacle, the international team of authors focuses on the development of smart manufacturing concepts, logistics solutions and managerial models specifically for SMEs. Aiming to provide methodological frameworks and pilot solutions for SMEs during their digital transformation, this innovative and timely book will be of great use to scholars researching technology management, digitization and small business, as well as practitioners within manufacturing companies

Transition and Opportunity

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Multinational corporations (MNCs) have long played a crucial role in the Chinese economy. This role is one that is set to continue in the post-pandemic era as China works to transit to a high-quality growth model that is more sustainable and innovation-driven. With global experience and front-line involvement in some of the most pressing economic, technological, and environmental issues of our day, leading figures in MNCs and chambers of commerce are well placed to share insights that could potentially contribute to policymaking and development strategies so that everyone can “make the most” of China’s future. This collection of essay aims to share these invaluable insights with a wider audience, offering balanced and diverse perspectives from companies and advocacy groups working on a range of issues related to China’s domestic development, international economic cooperation, and China-US competition. These insights are useful not only for the wider business community, but also for academics, policymakers, students, and anyone trying to deepen their understanding of this exciting period of “transition and opportunity,” and make the most of China’s bright future

Industry 4.0 for SMEs

This open access book explores the concept of Industry 4.0, which presents a considerable challenge for the production and service sectors. While digitization initiatives are usually integrated into the central corporate strategy of larger companies, smaller firms often have problems putting Industry 4.0 paradigms into practice. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) possess neither the human nor financial resources to systematically investigate the potential and risks of introducing Industry 4.0. Addressing this obstacle, the international team of authors focuses on the development of smart manufacturing concepts, logistics solutions and managerial models specifically for SMEs. Aiming to provide methodological frameworks and pilot solutions for SMEs during their digital transformation, this innovative and timely book will be of great use to scholars researching technology management, digitization and small business, as well as practitioners within manufacturing companies

Design, implementation and evaluation of a new eHealth pharmaceutical service for cooperative disease management using an interactive platform: opportunities to improve health systems performance

RESUMO Introdução: As doenças crónicas são a principal causa de mortalidade em toda a Europa. O aumento da prevalência de doenças crónicas está a gerar a necessidade de reformas nos sistemas de saúde. Estas reformas abordam a gestão de doenças crónicas com base em equipas multidisciplinares, com novos papéis atribuídos a profissionais não-médicos, como enfermeiros e farmacêuticos comunitários (CP). A comunicação entre profissionais e cidadãos é fundamental em todos os modelos multidisciplinares, o que torna o uso de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação (IST) cada vez mais indispensável. É de extrema importância para a ciência e a sociedade entender como serviços suportados por IST - eHealth - podem ser desenvolvidos e utilizados para enfrentar os constrangimentos e desafios dos futuros sistemas de saúde. Objetivo: O objetivo principal deste projeto foi o de desenvolver, implementar e avaliar um serviço farmacêutico de gestão de doença suportado por IST, no contexto da farmácia comunitária, utilizando a metodologia Design Science Research (DSRM) como metodologia de investigação. Métodos: A aplicação de DSRM decorre em seis fases, desde a definição e caracterização do problema até à avaliação da solução (ou artefacto). A primeira fase foi constituída por um exercício de cenarização, um estudo observacional de tempo e movimento e um questionário de preenchimento online, para avaliar as futuras possibilidades para os farmacêuticos comunitários no sistema de saúde, e a atual prestação de serviços farmacêuticos suportados por IST em farmácia comunitária. Na segunda fase, foram realizadas entrevistas qualitativas com utentes de serviços de saúde. Estas duas fases informaram o desenho da plataforma web de suporte ao serviço, que foi o objetivo da terceira fase. De seguida, nas duas etapas seguintes, a plataforma web foi testada e a usabilidade avaliada através de um estudo de caso com utentes selecionados numa universidade sénior. Resultados: A partir do exercício de cenarização, foi possível identificar as incertezas críticas que serão os “motores da mudança” para os farmacêuticos comunitários. Estas são a “capacidade de inovar e desenvolver serviços” e o “ambiente legislativo”. Tanto no estudo observacional como no inquérito, verificou-se que todas as farmácias utilizam os IST para a dispensa de medicamentos e tarefas administrativas; apenas 15% das farmácias respondentes usam os IST para responder a questões de saúde dos utentes; 50% do tempo diário do farmacêutico é despendido em interação com os utentes da farmácia e 38% em tarefas administrativas. Em média, os farmacêuticos observados têm 54 minutos de tempo livre por dia, maioritariamente em micropausas distribuídas pelo dia de trabalho. Os custos calculados para os serviços farmacêuticos observados foram muito semelhantes nas três farmácias. O custo médio do serviço de dispensa de medicamentos foi de €3,66 e do serviço de aconselhamento €1,34. Dos utentes entrevistados, 46% admitiram que procuraram o farmacêutico para informações sobre questões de saúde ligeiras antes de ir a um médico, enquanto a entrega de medicamentos ao domicílio foi o novo serviço mais solicitado. Na fase de demonstração da plataforma, verificou-se que o registo, monitorização e armazenamento de dados bioquímicos e fisiológicos, tanto pelo utente como pelo farmacêutico, contribuiu para aumentar o interesse comum na gestão da doença, o que poderá permitir uma melhoria nos resultados da saúde. Na avaliação de usabilidade, verificou-se a necessidade de melhorar o acesso rápido à informação, bem como a vi necessidade de melhorar a legibilidade da informação para melhorar a experiência de utilização dos utentes seniores. Conclusão: Atualmente, o uso de IST nas farmácias comunitárias portuguesas está principalmente focado na dispensa de medicamentos. Parece existir uma necessidade de reorganização interna das farmácias de forma a permitir aumentar a eficiência da prestação de serviços farmacêuticos e permitir a prestação de serviços farmacêuticos de eHealth. Para os serviços farmacêuticos de eHealth estarem mais integrados no modelo de negócio atual, é necessário melhorar o marketing do serviço, de forma a aumentar o recrutamento de utentes e demonstrar o valor do serviço para os doentes crónicos e médicos. A qualidade e usabilidade da plataforma eHealth é fundamental. No entanto, também o acompanhamento por um profissional de saúde e a integração dos serviços farmacêuticos com os cuidados de saúde primários são importantes para uma melhor gestão da doença. A DSRM demonstrou ser útil no desenvolvimento e implementação de serviços de eHealth, proporcionando um maior envolvimento dos utilizadores, aumentando a utilidade percebida do serviço. No próximo ciclo de DSRM, vão ser necessários os inputs de médicos de cuidados primários e outros profissionais de saúde, de modo a desenvolver um novo artefacto, para testar e avaliar o valor clínico e económico dos serviços farmacêuticos eHealth.Background: Chronic diseases are the main cause of mortality throughout Europe. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is leading to the necessity of health system reforms. These reforms address chronic-disease management based on multidisciplinary teams, with major roles for non-physicians, such as nurses and community pharmacists (CP). A cornerstone on every multidisciplinary model is the communication between stakeholders, for which the use of Information Systems and Technologies (IST) is increasingly indispensable. It is of importance to science and society to understand how IST supported services – eHealth - could be developed and used to address the challenges and constrains of future health systems. Aim: The main goal of this project was to design, implement and evaluate a disease management web-based interactive pharmaceutical service, within a community pharmacy setting, using Design Science Research Methodologies (DSRM). Methods: The application of DSRM six stages’ is described, from the definition and characterization of the problem to the evaluation of the artefact. The first stage consisted of a scenario exercise, a time and motion observational study and an online survey, to assess future roles for community pharmacists and current pharmaceutical services provision supported by IST in community pharmacy. In the second stage, qualitative interviews with health services’ users were performed. These two stages helped to inform the design of the web-platform, which was the goal in the third stage. After this, the web-platform was tested and the usability evaluated in the two following stages, through a case study with selected patients from the participant pharmacies and from a senior university. Results: The scenario exercise allowed to identify the critical uncertainties that will be the drivers of change for the Community Pharmacists. These were found to be the “Ability to develop Services”, and the “Legislative Environment”. From both the survey and observational study, it was found that pharmacies’ IST is mainly used for dispensing medicines and administrative tasks with only 15% of the respondent pharmacies using IST to answer patients’ queries; 50% of pharmacists daily time is spent with patients, 38% on administrative tasks, while still having an average of 54 minutes of idle time spread through the day, mainly in micro-pauses. The overall costs of Pharmaceutical services across three pharmacies were found to be very similar, with the average dispensing service cost at €3.66 and €1.34 for the counselling service; 46% of the interviewed users admitted that they sought healthcare provision with the CP for minor issues before going to a physician, while home delivery was the most requested new service. In the demonstration stage, we found that the registration, monitoring and storage of biochemical and physiological data, recorded by the CP and the patients in the platform, contributed to a common interest that may allow an improvement in patients’ health outcomes. From the usability evaluation, concerns about the quick access to information were perceived as well as the need to improve legibility, addressing senior users’ difficulties. Conclusion: The current state of IST usage in Portuguese community pharmacies is mainly focused on medicine dispensing. There seems to exist a need for internal reorganization of pharmacies allowing for more efficient pharmaceutical services provision and to enable eHealth pharmaceutical services provision. To make eHealthpharmaceutical services more integrated in the current pharmacy daily business, marketing efforts need to be done, to recruit and demonstrate value to the chronic patients and physicians. The quality and usability of the web-based platform is critical, as is the close professional follow-up and integration of pharmacy and primary care services focused in disease management. DSRM helps in developing and implementing eHealth services through a higher involvement of the stakeholders, increasing the perceived usefulness of the service. The next DSRM cycle will need to use the input of primary care physicians and other health professionals in order to develop an artifact to test and evaluate the clinical and economic value of eHealth pharmaceutical services

Threading the needle of the digital divide in Africa: The barriers and mitigations of infrastructure sharing

Coopetition is prevalent in today's dynamic business environment and has attracted research interests. Using coopetitive-based view, this study examines the antecedents and drivers of infrastructure sharing (IS) among local and multinational mobile network operators (MNOs) in Africa. Based on 21 interviews with different stakeholders in seven sub-Sahara African (SSA) countries, we develop an integrative framework of industry/market, technological, and institutional factors that affect IS between MNOs. We find evidence of institutional factors shaping the impact of the industry structure and technological factors on firms’ propensity to engage in coopetitive strategies. There is evidence that in contexts with low-level IS, inadequate regulatory interventions mean that the existing market conditions are reproduced, leading to further competitive behaviours from MNOs. For high- level IS, MNOs tend to engage in further coopetitive strategies through strategic learning and cooperate to resolve technological incompatibilities and engage in standards settings. We extend the existing scholarly works on coopetition and IS literature by providing an in-depth understanding of the obstacles faced by MNOs in adopting IS. The study further highlights that IS requires a shift from the competitive-based logic to a dynamic, coopetitive one, which is nonetheless challenging to achieve with limited institutional capacity and support