NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 31: The information-seeking behavior of engineers

Engineers are an extraordinarily diverse group of professionals, but an attribute common to all engineers is their use of information. Engineering can be conceptualized as an information processing system that must deal with work-related uncertainty through patterns of technical communications. Throughout the process, data, information, and tacit knowledge are being acquired, produced, transferred, and utilized. While acknowledging that other models exist, we have chosen to view the information-seeking behavior of engineers within a conceptual framework of the engineer as an information processor. This article uses the chosen framework to discuss information-seeking behavior of engineers, reviewing selected literature and empirical studies from library and information science, management, communications, and sociology. The article concludes by proposing a research agenda designed to extend our current, limited knowledge of the way engineers process information

Identity ambiguity and the promises and practices of hybrid e-HRM project teams

The role of IS project team identity work in the enactment of day-to-day relationships with their internal clients is under-researched. We address this gap by examining the identity work undertaken by an electronic human resource management (e-HRM) 'hybrid' project team engaged in an enterprise-wide IS implementation for their multi-national organisation. Utilising social identity theory, we identify three distinctive, interrelated dimensions of project team identity work (project team management, team 'value propositions' (promises) and the team's 'knowledge practice'). We reveal how dissonance between two perspectives of e-HRM project identity work (clients' expected norms of project team's service and project team's expected norms of themselves) results in identity ambiguity. Our research contributions are to identity studies in the IS project management, HR and hybrid literatures and to managerial practice by challenging the assumption that hybrid experts are the panacea for problems associated with IS projects

Improving Critical Digital Pedagogy in the Virtual Classroom

This comprehensive review delves into the essence and pivotal role of critical digital pedagogy within the sphere of eLearning, highlighting its indispensable contribution to modern educational frameworks. Central to our discussion is the examination of the nuanced relationship between digital literacy and the dynamic interaction of individual capabilities and societal forces in leveraging technology for educational enhancement. We scrutinize the challenges and strategies pertinent to educators in integrating digital tools and pedagogies to foster a rich, engaging learning environment that transcends traditional boundaries and caters to diverse learner needs. The exploration extends to the theoretical underpinnings of critical pedagogy, transactional distance theory, and communities of practice, and their instrumental roles in shaping effective online instruction and fostering an inclusive, critical learning atmosphere. The transition towards more permanent remote education models post-pandemic has underscored the necessity for educators to refine their digital pedagogy skills, emphasizing critical engagement, adaptability, and the co-creation of knowledge. Further, the review underscores the importance of teacher education in equipping educators with the competencies required for navigating the digital landscape, thereby enhancing the overall quality of eLearning. Through the lens of critical digital pedagogy, this analysis offers valuable insights into the development of pedagogical strategies that not only accommodate but thrive on the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital age, aiming to prepare learners for a technologically advanced and interconnected world

Design methodologies for space systems in a System of Systems (SoS) architecture

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Engineering Enterprise Software Systems with Interactive UML Models and Aspect-Oriented Middleware

Large scale enterprise software systems are inherently complex and hard to maintain. To deal with this complexity, current mainstream software engineering practices aim at raising the level of abstraction to visual models described in OMG’s UML modeling language. Current UML tools, however, produce static design diagrams for documentation which quickly become out-of-sync with the software, and thus obsolete. To address this issue, current model-driven software development approaches aim at software automation using generators that translate models into code. However, these solutions don’t have a good answer for dealing with legacy source code and the evolution of existing enterprise software systems. This research investigates an alternative solution by making the process of modeling more interactive with a simulator and integrating simulation with the live software system. Such an approach supports model-driven development at a higher-level of abstraction with models without sacrificing the need to drop into a lower-level with code. Additionally, simulation also supports better evolution since the impact of a change to a particular area of existing software can be better understood using simulated “what-if” scenarios. This project proposes such a solution by developing a web-based UML simulator for modeling use cases and sequence diagrams and integrating the simulator with existing applications using aspect-oriented middleware technology

Adopting emerging integration technologies in organisations

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.A review of the innovation and diffusion literature indicates a considerable amount of research, where attention is given to a range of features which may support integration technologies adoption. However, some literature suggests that the findings derived from the study of large enterprises cannot be generalised and applied in SMEs due to the distinct characteristics of SMEs. Although the adoption of integration technologies is recognised as being different between large and small companies, the literature on its adoption by SMEs remains limited. Nevertheless, in existing work, there is a lack of studies emphasising the reasons why SMEs and large companies take the decision to adopt integration technologies, focusing specifically on the different factors. This thesis therefore identifies the significant differences in the way that SMEs and large companies approach integration technologies, based on the existing literature, theoretical diffusion theories, and resource-based theory. In doing so, the parameters that can be used to explain the adoption of integration technologies in SMEs and large firms are identified, as nature of organisations, company size, integration needs, adoption factors for SMEs and large organisations, and time. Additionally, adoption factors are found and classified into three categories: adoption factors explicit to SMEs, adoption factors explicit to large organisations, and common factors. Based on this, a conceptual model is introduced to explain the different factors that influence adoption between SMEs and large organisations. The empirical contexts of the research are one project on integration technologies adoption, and four case studies on a large firm and three SMEs, which are analysed using an interpretive and qualitative research approach. The evidence suggests that the empirical data complement the identified dimensions nature of organisations, integration needs, company size and time. The empirical data also confirm that the current integration technologies adoption factors reported in the literature can be classified into common factors, factors explicit to SMEs, and factors explicit to large firms, to support a more comprehensive view of this area. An additional factor perceived future prospect has been considered as an influence on adoption in large organisations. The findings of this research can be useful to guide analysts and researchers in determining critical aspects of the complex issues involved for integration technologies adoption, and lead to suggestions for further valid research

Health Information Technology Implementation Strategies in Zimbabwe

The adoption rate of health information technology (HIT) remains low in developing countries, where healthcare institutions experience high operating costs and loss of revenue, which are related to systems and processes inefficiency. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies leaders in Zimbabwe used to implement HIT. The conceptual framework of the study was Davis\u27s technology acceptance model (TAM). Data were gathered through observations, review of organizational documents (i.e., policies, procedures, and guidelines), and in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 10 healthcare leaders and end-users from hospitals in Zimbabwe who had successfully implemented HIT. Transcribed interview data were coded and analyzed for emerging themes. Implementation strategies, overcoming barriers to adoption, and user acceptance emerged as the themes most healthcare leaders associated with successful HIT projects. Several subthemes also emerged, including: (a) the importance of stakeholder involvement, (b) the importance of management buy-in, and (c) the low level of IT literacy among healthcare workers. The strategies identified in this study may provide a foundation on which healthcare leaders in developing countries can successfully adopt and implement HIT. The recommendations from this study could lead to positive social change by providing leaders with knowledge and skills to use information technology strategies to deliver better healthcare at lower costs while creating employment for local communities

Innovation Diffusion Theory as a Predictor of Adoption Intention for Financial EDI

This studyassesses the ability of innovation diffusion theory to predict the adoption intention of organizations for financialEDI. Sixfactorspotentiallyaffectingadoptionintentionwerestudied:relativeadvantage,compatibility, complexity, observability, trialability, and risk (operational and strategic). Both present and future adoption intentions were measured. The questionnaire was developed using a process of conceptual construct validation. It was administered to three key employees of all participating organizations through a survey. Responses were subjected to a process of empirical construct validation. Results show that present adoption intention is dependent on complexity, operational risk, and strategic risk to a greater extent, and relative advantage and observability to a lesser extent. Future adoption intention is contingent upon complexity, observability, and strategic risk to a greater extent, and trialability to a lesser extent. These findings permit financial EDI operators to shape their marketing strategies to encourage adoption

In-between Lives: Attending to age-position in adolescent refugees’ experiences of forced migration in the Horn of Africa

This study uses a qualitative approach to examine the experiences of forced displacement from the perspective of adolescent Eritrean refugees residing in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). It uses a “generational” framework to analyse the ways in which their age-position influences their lived experiences. In so doing it highlights the ways in which interconnectedness with family and peer group, within a historical and social context, combined with their stage in life, shapes the complexity of their experiences. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the perspective of this age-group and illustrates the usefulness of employing more sophisticated concepts of ‘age’ to enable more age-sensitive analysis. It demonstrates that attending to the position of adolescents, as distinct from younger children, can serve to deepen an understanding of their lived experiences. For instance, this study highlights the role of family attachments (and separations) in the interviewees’ displacement trajectories, and the age-specific impact of displacement on their educational opportunities. It also explores the important role of the peer group in providing a social identity, and a social support, in situations of exile. This analytic approach contrasts with more binary and linear accounts of forced migration, that often miss out on the processes that shape and link the different stages of displacement