A selected glossary of electronic data interchange and related terms

School of Managemen

Age-identities and the celebration of birthdays

There is a widespread view among social gerontologists that chronological age is an 'empty' variable, even though it is central to the construction of social identities, both in bureaucratic contexts and in less formal social interaction. This paper draws on material stored in the Mass-Observation Archive at the University of Sussex, England. A large panel of 'ordinary people' was asked to write about 'growing older' in 1992 and about 'birthdays' in 2002. An analysis of the ways in which they revealed their age demonstrates that the revelation of chronological age is unproblematic in certain contexts that are deemed appropriate. Difficulties arise as a result of the association of age with various more nebulous statuses such as 'middle-aged' and 'old'. The implications for the concept of 'the third age' are discussed and it is concluded that social gerontology should pay more attention to the theoretical significance of chronological age and age-identity and less to age statuses

An analysis of the current and future deployment of Information Systems and Technology at the University of the Western Cape

This is an archival work, not applicable today. However, it illustrates both the methodology that was taught at the time, and the quality of the work that was achieved by students at the time.In order to successfully deploy information technology and information systems, any organisation must have a strategy indicating where its business is going, an understanding of the information systems that will help to deliver that strategy, and the capability to deliver and exploit those information systems. It is commonly believed that UWC does not have a strategy (although we acknowledge that a draft document has been tabled at Senate since the main stage of this study concluded). There are relentless pressures to change the way that we work at UWC. Strategies will be needed at institutional and faculty levels, and new information systems will be required to support them. Much of our recent investment has been in information technology as much as it has been in information systems and services. These things are different, and it is the systems and services that deliver the benefits of an investment, not the technology

Writing about age, birthdays and the passage of time

How do we experience ageing, how do we interpret changes in our lives and what do we say about the passage of time? The aim of this paper is to present longitudinal evidence about the personal and social significance of birthdays in adult life and, in particular, how birthdays contribute to a sense of ageing. The primary source of data is the Mass-Observation Archive at the University of Sussex. Members of its panel of 'ordinary' people living in the United Kingdom were in 1990 invited to write anonymously about celebrations, and in 2002 they were invited to write more specifically on the topic of birthdays. A total of 120 accepted both invitations and 55 included accounts of their last birthday in both submissions. As a consequence, it is possible to compare what they wrote on the two occasions and how this reflects their unfolding experience and changing feelings about age. The analysis reveals the personal salience of the date of a birthday and of continuity in how birthdays are celebrated. Who remembers birthdays and who participates in their celebration reflect the generational structure of families and age-related patterns of friendship. Birthdays are used to celebrate collective continuity more than individual change

Assessing information management competencies in organisations

The history of the management of information systems includes many ideas that were intended to simplify the complexities of the management task, but there is still a great deal of wasted investment that produces no significant benefits. Much of the thinking has been rational and structured, but it can be argued that structured thinking will not solve the problems presented by the ever-increasing scope and depth of information systems, the need for improved responsiveness and agility, and the need to deal with a range of requirements that are sometimes behavioural and sometimes legislative. Three of the more frequently cited frameworks for information management (Zachman, Henderson & Venkatraman, Ward), are briefly reviewed and found to have common characteristics. They are combined into a new, simple arrangement of the central (and critically important) ideas. This new framework has been used as the basis of a survey instrument that is introduced and explained; it works at two levels - the "micro" and "macro" levels. It assesses perceptions of organisational capability to manage information well, as seen by respondents who are normally employees working in different roles with varying responsibilities. The survey instrument comes with an analysis and reporting package that is found to be suitable for the needs of busy managers, and the way in which micro and macro data is presently analysed and presented is demonstrated using data from a reference dataset, a CIO workshop, an investigation within a real estate agency and a large financial services organisation. The contribution of this work to the research programme from which it emanated is summarised and future directions briefly explained.Carnegie Corporation of New YorkInternational Bibliography of Social Science

The Mitsui Collection

There are many reasons why historians, social scientists, and Japanologists would benefit from acquainting themselves with the Mitsui Collection. As an aspiring financial historian, I, for one, wanted to see what I could learn about Mitsui’s role in the establishment of the early Meiji state

Designing Your Home For Maximum Natural Lighting

There are many benefits to having more natural light in your home. The most obvious of these are the savings you can achieve with a reduced utility bill. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (2012), about 10% of household electricity usage comes from lighting. The more natural light you have in your house, the less lights you have to turn on, and the less electricity you use. Another benefit, also related to energy use, is natural light can help heat homes. One of the best reasons to design your home for natural light involves the health benefits gained through exposure to natural light

Servicing advocacy in e-government: Small business development services in Cape Town

Small businesses are widely regarded by national and international bodies, including the South African government, as an "engine of economic growth". However, much available evidence suggests that establishing a new small business in South Africa is difficult because of a lack of appropriate support. The research reported here sets out to examine the actual support that has been available, and the viewpoints of both the support service providers and the intended beneficiaries – small business owners and managers. It was found that government-based support services were predominant in the minds of small businesses and other involved parties, and that much of the interest in these services was based on accessibility via the Internet, a form of electronic government service. However, despite claims of success by e-government service providers, it is found that many small businesses are not aware of available support services, and that, where they are known, there is scepticism about the benefits of engaging with them. As the problems have been found to be centred around a lack of awareness of available services, this article reports on a possible solution, based on a concept referred to here as Servicing Advocacy

Successful E-Commerce: The Importance of Brand Management

This paper identifies and examines evidence of e-commerce failure in small and large businesses, focusing specifically on their Internet branding strategies, the impact of management actions and how those actions contribute to e-commerce success. This paper argues that as we move to a more interactive mode of working with customers and competitors using Internet technology, the role of marketing is critical; within marketing, brand management is seen as a particularly important activity. The work reported here assembles evidence that brand management is indeed important, and that there is a lack of theories to guide brand management activities in an Internet context. Internet-related partnering opportunities with large firms remain a concern for smaller firms. It also reveals that much Internet research has taken a technical viewpoint although some experts have begun to make connections between Internet success and brand management