A Cross-National Comparison E-government Success Measures: A Theory-Based Empirical Research

The continuing rapid convergence of government and e-technologies presents new opportunities for research to investigate the ways citizens interact with e-government. The literature in the area is, however, still in its infancy with little or no theoretically grounded empirical research conducted in the area. The present research investigates citizen experience with e-government in the United States and Spain by utilizing difference tests. Results of the difference tests show that the Spanish e-government citizens put more emphasis on information quality in terms of relevance, reliability, timeliness, clarity, conciseness, and currency. Results of the difference tests also show that for the system usage construct, e-government citizens on both side of the Atlantic agree that their e-government should provide superior user training, facilitate use of extranets to communicate with governmental agencies, allow automated transmitting and processing of data, and allow real time monitoring of citizen request for information in an e-government integrated with governmental agencies environment

Tuning Tabu Search strategies via visual diagnosis

Abstract: While designing working metaheuristics can be straightforward, tuning them to solve the underlying combinatorial optimization problem well can be tricky. Several tuning methods have been proposed but they do not address the new aspect of our proposed classification of the metaheuristic tuning problem: tuning search strategies. We propose a tuning methodology based on Visual Diagnosis and a generic tool called Visualizer for Metaheuristics Development Framework (V-MDF) to address specifically the problem of tuning search (particularly Tabu Search) strategies. Under V-MDF, we propose the use of a Distance Radar visualizer where the human and computer can collaborate to diagnose the occurrence of negative incidents along the search trajectory on a set of training instances, and to perform remedial actions on the fly. Through capturing and observing the outcomes of actions in a Rule-Base, the user can then decide how to tune the search strategy effectively for subsequent use

Supply network science: Emergence of a new perspective on a classical field.

Supply networks emerge as companies procure goods from one another to produce their own products. Due to a chronic lack of data, studies on these emergent structures have long focussed on local neighbourhoods, assuming simple, chain-like structures. However, studies conducted since 2001 have shown that supply chains are indeed complex networks that exhibit similar organisational patterns to other network types. In this paper, we present a critical review of theoretical and model based studies which conceptualise supply chains from a network science perspective, showing that empirical data do not always support theoretical models that were developed, and argue that different industrial settings may present different characteristics. Consequently, a need that arises is the development and reconciliation of interpretation across different supply network layers such as contractual relations, material flow, financial links, and co-patenting, as these different projections tend to remain in disciplinary siloes. Other gaps include a lack of null models that show whether the observed properties are meaningful, a lack of dynamical models that can inform how layers evolve and adopt to changes, and a lack of studies that investigate how local decisions enable emergent outcomes. We conclude by asking the network science community to help bridge these gaps by engaging with this important area of research

Designing and comparing multiple portfolios of parameter configurations for online algorithm selection

National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its International Research Centres in Singapore Funding Initiativ

The causes of food waste in the supplier–retailer interface: Evidences from the UK and Spain

Food and drink waste is a significant problem for economic, environmental and food security reasons. Government efforts have focused on diverting waste away from landfill through regulation, taxation and public awareness. However, efforts to understand why waste occurs have been limited, particularly in the interface between retailers and suppliers. This research aims to address this problem by identifying the main root causes of waste in the supplier–retailer interface. The research is exploratory in nature as there is a paucity of studies focusing on food waste across the supply chain. Data were collected through 43 interviews with managers in food manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing in two countries: the UK (24) and Spain (19). Data from the interviews and supplementary documentation were analyzed using causal maps. This approach helped to identify the main root causes of waste which were categorized into three groups: (1) mega-trends in the marketplace, (2) natural causes related to the products and processes, and (3) management root causes on which practitioners have a direct impact. The paper discusses the root causes of food waste and good practices identified from the interviews. Differences between the UK and Spain are discussed, presenting potential learning opportunities for practitioners in these countries and highlighting opportunities for further research

ON-LINE TIMETABLE RE-SCHEDULING IN REGIONAL TRAIN SERVICES

In the daily activity of regional railway traffic, when the circulation frequencies are high, any anomaly that alters the scheduled circulation of trains may distort any of all of the established timetables and involve re-scheduling many of the services, due to the numerous possible alternatives for resolving the situation. An on-line model is presented in this article which helps in choosing the most appropriate solution based on an intelligent exploration of the solutions space. The tool has been implemented in the Spanish national railways company