Using the Sayre Model to analyze Internet privacy

The Internet continues to evolve as a transportal of electronic commerce. It has penetrated into every facet of organizational life, from the ordering of commodity goods to providing a means to speed the recording and payment of federal income taxes. Internet usage continues to expand rapidly, surfacing issues in its wake that must be managed in order for it to ensure that it is viable as a long-term strategic tool for government and industry. To bridge the legal gap that has emerged as a result of the dynamic growth of the Internet, the United States Congress has acted to begin to address issues such as access to information and the unauthorized use of personal data. Though the issues themselves are not new, the amount of information and the rapidity of transfer of the information have been greatly expanded by the use of the Internet. This paper explores the relationship between the three dimensions (government, individual consumer needs and business as represented by industry groups) that are influencing the development of a legislated Internet privacy model

Building Relationships That Last: Integrating Public Relations Into Web Design

This paper explores the relationship between web site design, public relations strategy, and a consumer\u27s intention to return to a web site. This relationship is defined through a model that explores the influence of information satisfaction, particularly when the web site design is congruent with the consumer\u27s expectations. The public relations dimension extends the consumer web site design model by interjecting a long-term focus on relationship building that organizations will need to make electronic commerce a viable investment in information technology resources. This is significant because it recognizes the importance of developing loyalty and trust online

E-Commerce Adoption in the Insurance Industry

While other industries within the financial sector have vigorously embraced the Internet to obtain sustainable competitive advantage, the insurance industry has been slow to fully adopt e-commerce. This article examines the barriers as well as the success factors involved in making the transition to a Web-enabled insurance model. Emerging standards and technologies that will make possible the next generation of e-commerce in the insurance industry are discussed and a proposed research agenda is presented

A Primary Study of Attributes of Innovations during the Prediffusion Stage

We provide a theoretical model for testing the adoption of information technology during the prediffusion stage (research and development and early trials) of an innovation. The model was tested using Linux based applications of Open Source Software (OSS). The results of surveying 1000 members of the Linux User Groups WorldWide (LUGWW) are presented. This study is significant because it provides empirical evidence that attributes of innovations correlate with adoption during the prediffusion stage (research and development) of an innovation. This extends diffusion of innovations research and has important implications for DOI theory and practice

Neuroscience and Juvenile Justice

Recent advances in the field of neuroscience, especially improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, are providing scientists and decision-makers with an increasingly complex understanding of how our brains develop from birth to adulthood. While these studies are still in their infancy, they have already made it clear that the brain typically continues to develop long after the point at which an individual becomes a legal adult (i.e., at age 18), and that the slow maturation process that plays out in the social context is mirrored by a slow maturation process at the neural level. Despite the tentative nature and unsettled meaning of this information (i.e., we do not yet understand the actual link between brain structure and behavior), neuroscience is increasingly implicated in long-standing debates about the treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system and the extent to which adolescents can be held legally responsible for their acts. To date, the most notable example of this trend has been Roper v. Simmons, in which the Supreme Court banned the death penalty for offenders under the age of 18. The case revolved around the trial, sentencing, and habeas corpus petition of Christopher Simmons, who brutally murdered an elderly woman during the course of a burglary when he was 17 years old. The Court held that although the execution of juveniles was once considered acceptable in American society, a national consensus had emerged that such a punishment was cruel and unusual and, thus, in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The majority agreed with Simmons’ claim that adolescents do not possess the emotional, intellectual, or biological maturity necessary to be reliably classified among the worst offenders. Although adolescents should certainly be punished for their crimes, they should not pay the ultimate price for impulses that they were unable to control. Simmons’ argument was premised largely on new brain imaging evidence suggesting that the adolescent brain is not as well developed as the adult brain

Diffusion and System Change - A Case Study of Innovations in a Course Management System

This case study in progress compares two stages of usage of a Course Management System at a private university: before a major functionality upgrade, and after. Here, we report the initial study of usage before the upgrade. It extends current research by taking into account prior use, and noting features (whether in the previous system or not) that attract new implementers. The focus of the study is on Perceived Characteristics of Innovations and management behaviors that facilitate effective implementation of system features. The instrument used by Van Slyke, Lou and Day will be used to study secondary adoption both before and after the upgrade, as described by Gallivan (2001). Results of the first phase of research will be available for presentation at the conference

Model Management Using Fuzzy Belief Functions

Model management is the task of selecting and applying appropriate analytical models by a Decision Support System. The selection of a model in current model management systems requires definitive boundaries or explicit rules and reasoning. Selection of a model, however, often requires examining choice attributes that have no clear definitions or that overlap in their applicability. The selection of a single model from among various alternative models may thus require components of fuzzy reasoning. In this paper, we examine the use of belief graphs, a fuzzy technique, to select an appropriate integer programming solution methodology based upon several problem formulation characteristics. Our prototype shows that belief graphs are effective at selecting model methodologies within the scope of the decision settin