Software Application Outsourcing Contracts: An Agency Theory Perspective

Scholars have proposed agency, game, resource-dependency, and transaction cost theories as a means to study outsourcing. Although risks faced by outsourcing firms and developers (i.e., vendors) and corresponding agency costs have been identified, key agency constructs (e.g., firm competence, risk-neutrality of the developer) and their linkage to outsourcing practice (e.g., monitoring, screening) have not been extensively studied. In this research, we extend the classical agency theory by examining the impact of risk orientation of the outsourcing parties, application features, multi-period attributes and environmental factors on monitoring, bonding, compensation, screening, and signaling. By developing the agency framework, we set the stage for future empirical testing of key outsourcing constructs and their linkages

Information Systems Outsourcing: Linking Transaction Cost and Institutional Theories

In this article, we apply transaction cost theory (TCT) and institutional theory to the realm of IS outsourcing. TCT posits that firm\u27s outsourcing governance is influenced by transaction cost factors, namely, bounded rationality, opportunism, and risk. Institutional theory, on the other hand, has been advocated to explain non-choice behavior of organizations in the context of competitors, norms, and professional associations. Although TCT has been used extensively in the extant literature to study outsourcing arrangements, we argue that as IS outsourcing practices propagate in organizational fields, TCT explanations will take a back seat to institutional explanations. We appropriate the transaction cost framework to the IS outsourcing setting and consider when and how firm\u27s decision to adopt outsourcing and corresponding ex-ante screening and ex-post monitoring of the vendor will be influenced by mimetic, normative, and coercive institutional pressures. More specifically, we argue that greater the density and rate of adoption in outsourcing during innovation diffusion and stability stages, the greater the possibility that transaction cost factors will be replaced by institutional factors in explaining firms\u27 governance structures (decision to adopt outsourcing, and corresponding screening and monitoring). Conversely, we posit that when the institutional pressures are relatively weak, TCT better explains the intricacies of IS outsourcing arrangements. In conclusion, future research directions and managerial implications of the institutional environment on IS outsourcing governance are discussed

Simulation and Visualization Enhanced Engineering Education- Development and Implementation of Virtual Experiments in a Laboratory Course

This paper presents results from a National Science Foundation grant titled Simulation and Visualization Enhanced Engineering Education , funded by the EEC division. Although the scope of the project is quite broad, embracing a wide range of courses in three engineering disciplines, the present work describes the results obtained from application of simulation and visualization for development and implementation of web-based virtual engineering laboratories. The present work leverages the advancement in hardware and software technologies to map physical experiments into web-based virtual experiments that can be used to enrich student\u27s laboratory experience. Four physical experiments in the thermo-fluids laboratory course have been mapped into virtual experiments, and the newly created virtual experiments have been used by students to conduct pre-lab practice sessions prior to performing corresponding physical experiment sessions. By performing virtual experiments, students learn in more detail about the objectives, procedure and expected outcomes ahead of scheduled physical experiments. Use of virtual experiments in the supplementation mode makes students better learners, and the assessment results show that students are better prepared and get more out of physical laboratory sessions. To test the efficacy of the proposed pre-lab practice session pedagogy, assessment instruments and statistical experimental designs have been developed and implemented to objectively determine whether implemented virtual experiments, used in supplementation mode, enhance student learning compared to the pre-implementation setting (without virtual experiments) and to test if the learning gains are statistically significant or not. The pedagogy of supplementation of physical experiments with pre-lab practice sessions with virtual experiments shows promise, based on results obtained in this project. Impact of various demographic factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, student level etc. on student learning was also analyzed

Lifting-line theory for subsonic axial compressor rotors

July 1972Includes bibliographical references (leaf 25)The three-dimensional compressible vortex theory of an axial compressor rotor or ducted fan is extended by relating blade loading to blade geometry in the lifting-line approximation. The resulting integral equation, which is valid up to high subsonic Mach numbers, is solved for both design and off-design problems. It is shown that three-dimensional effects must be taken into account, for rotors with non-uniform spanwise loading, in order to obtain accurate predictions of flow angles and other performance parameters.This Research carried out in the Gas Turbine Laboratory, M.I.T., supported by NASA Lewis Research Center, under Grant No. NGL 22-009-38

Morphometric analyses of human dry tali of South Indian origin

Background: Talus is the key bone of the human body as it carries the whole weight of the body. Since the talus endures a lot of differential forces during locomotion, the stress patterns across the talus influence its overall dimensions. Research in skeletal biology and methodological approaches to the identification of human skeletal remains have advanced significantly in recent years. This study was undertaken because of the scarcity of the morphometric data in adult human dry tali of South Indian origin. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to estimate the angles of declination and inclination in adult human dry tali; to estimate the differences in the angles between right and left tali; and to report and estimate the differences in other morphological parameters such as maximum anterioposterior length of the talus, maximum transverse width of the talus, trochlear length, length of the sulcus tali, and width of the sulcus tali of right and left sides. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on 50 (25 right and 25 left) adult dry tali of unknown ages and sexes over a period of 6 months in the Department of Anatomy, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences. The angles of declination and inclination were measured with goniometer. Other parameters were measured with digital Vernier calipers. Results: The mean angles of declination were 26° and 27° and those of inclination were 120° and 122° on the right and left sides, respectively. All the parameters measured showed no statistically significant difference between the right and left sides. Conclusion: The values of this study were relatively closer to the other studies. The parameters of this study may be helpful to surgeons, orthopedicians, and forensic anthropologists

ORGANIZATIONAL CYNICISM.

What is the nature of the extremely negative attitudes expressed by so many employees toward their organizations? To respond to this question, we introduce the concept of organizational cynicism. We review the literature from several disciplines on this concept and suggest that organizational cynicism is an attitude composed of beliefs, affect, and behavioral tendencies toward an organization. Following our review and conceptualization, we derive implications of this concept and propose a research agenda for organizational cynicis

E-Learning Hub (Online)

E-Learning is the use of technology to enable people to learn anytime and anywhere. E-learning is basically the computer and network-enabled transmission of skills and knowledge. E-learning system include Web based learning, computer based learning, i.e. Virtual Education over Web. Content are delivered via the internet or intranet/extranet. It can be self-paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, streaming audio-video lectures. Digital Signal Processing and Image Processing will be used to solve the limitations of a limited network bandwidth. Algorithms will attempt to code videos in smaller size thereby reducing the buffering of videos. Adaptive testing will use item response theory to be equitable to the examinees level

ADDING NEW RACKS AND RECABLING WITHOUT NETWORK DISRUPTION AND FACILITATING MIS-CABLING DETECTION

As network fabric deployments continue to grow larger and more immense, there are challenges involving the management cabling arrangements and debugging mis-cabling issues for large-scale full mesh leaf-spine networks. Additionally, the need for the automatic discovery of every component of a large fabric, which can be expanded dynamically, becomes a challenging task. Accordingly, techniques are presented herein that aid in the automatic detection of mis-cabling issues, the automatic discovery of a rack’s location within a large-scale data center, and the automatic detection of the addition of a new rack to a data center, all without disrupting network traffic within a dynamically expanding fabric. Aspects of the presented techniques provide an algorithm that can automatically detect such mis-cabling issues. Further aspects of the presented techniques support a tool that may be used to detect mis-cabling (e.g., in the case of inter-communication failures among the nodes)

Frequency of ICU Specific Interventions After Middle Meningeal Artery

Background: Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) is increasingly performed for the treatment of chronic subdural hematomas. Some authors have described managing minimally symptomatic patients with MMAE in the outpatient setting. Our practice, however, has been to routinely admit patients after MMAE to the neuro-intensive care setting. Objective of this research is to analyze the frequency of ICU level interventions after MMAE in the neuro-intensive care unit. Methods: A consecutive series of MMA embolizations for cSDH were retrospectively reviewed from 2020 to 2022 at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, TX, USA. Frequency of ICU specific interventions such as need for post procedural mechanical ventilation, need for intravenous vasopressor or antihypertensive medications was recorded. Results: A total of 50 MMA embolizations were performed during the study period. The average age of patients included in the study was 63 years old +/- 16 years with 30% being female. 34% patients did not receive any sort of ICU level intervention at all. Among the remaining who did, 32% required mechanical ventilation post procedurally. 14% needed a vasopressor and 48% required intravenous antihypertensives to maintain systolic blood pressure within goal parameters. Conclusions: 34% of patients who underwent MMAE did not require any ICU level interventions afterwards. The most common reason for an ICU intervention after MMAE was for correction of blood pressure to maintain within specified goal. Further investigation is warranted but it suggests that liberalizing blood pressure parameters could reduce the need for ICU utilization after MMAE