National culture and on-line trust: a study of internet Egyptian users

This research-in-progress investigates cultural issues in e-commerce trust. An experiential survey was conducted with three hundred and seventy Egyptian Internet users, exploring two book-seller web sites. Structure equation modeling analysis suggested that, for the target sample, perceived reputation and perceived familiarity with an Internet store have significant effect on building trust for that store. The paper discusses the importance of these two factors within the Egyptian culture

The impact of national culture on e-government implementation: A comparison case study

Over the past decade there has been increasing interest in the IS research literature on the impact of cultural differences on the development and use of information and communications technologies (Ives & Jarvenpaa, 1991; Shore & Venkatachalam, 1995; Tractinsky & Jarvenpaa, 1995, Myers and Tan, 2002, Ali and Brooks, 2008). In this paper the authors explore the influence of national culture on eGov implementation. The authors have conducted a comparative case study in two different countries the UK as a developed country and Sari Lanka as a developing country. The research findings highlight the potential influence of cultural differences on eGov implementation

Simulation discounted cash flow valuation for internet companies

Discounted cash flow (DCF) is the most accepted approach for company valuation. It is well grounded in theory and practice. However, the DCF approach, which is commonly used for traditional companies valuation, presents a number of serious weaknesses within the Internet companies’ context. One of these weaknesses is tackling the uncertainty that characterize future cash flows of these companies. Specifically DCF assumes that future cash flow streams are highly predictable. The effects of uncertainty are therefore tackled implicitly by discounting the expected value of the cash flows at a risk-adjusted interest rate. However, under uncertainty, future cash flows of these companies can no longer be characterized by a single value but rather by a range of values of its possible consequences. This paper looks at the way in which uncertainty can be incorporated into the traditional DCF approach so that the latter, which is otherwise conceptually sound, becomes relevant. This is done by recognizing that the DCF input variables are uncertain and will have a probability distribution pertaining to each of them. Thus by utilizing a probability-based valuation model (using Monte Carlo Simulation) it is possible to incorporate uncertainty into the analysis and address the shortcomings of the current model. The MC simulation assigns a range of values in order to cope with uncertainty underlies each key cash flow variable. The process leads to a probability distribution of the valuation criterion used, giving investors a quantitative measure of risk involved

High-Torque-Density Low-Cost Magnetic Gear Utilizing Hybrid Magnets and Advanced Materials

Two major challenges of existing high-performance magnetic gears are: (i) High content of rare-earth permanent magnets which results in high cost as well as price fluctuation; (ii) Conflict between mechanical and electromagnetic performances, especially in the design of highspeed rotor. A magnetic gear using a blend of magnet types, i.e NdFeB, or Dy-free NdFeB and ferrites, is proposed in this paper. The goal is to bring down the cost while retaining comparable torque-transducing performance to a baseline magnetic gear only using rare-earth NdFeB magnets. A variety of topologies based on different combinations of magnet types and geometric shapes have been studied and compared. In addition, the potential impact of using an advanced dual-phase material is evaluated. The goal is to eliminate the well-known tradeoff between rotor mechanical integrity and PM flux leakage

Alan Sked’s case for Brexit: a six-point rebuttal

Shortly before the referendum, Alan Sked delivered a lecture at the LSE arguing that Britain should leave the EU. Ali M El-Agraa rebuts several of his key points

Improving solar gain control strategies in residential buildings located in a hot climate (Tripoli-Libya)

A large number of recently-built residential buildings in Libya provide a poor quality indoor environment or require a huge amount of energy to run the air conditioning, therefore influencing the thermal comfort, energy consumption and carbon emissions. As the use of energy in buildings is the major contributor to air pollution and global climate change, improving energy efficiency through the application of bioclimatic design principles in residential buildings in Libya is a critical factor in reducing energy consumption, securing thermal comfort, and hence is an effective policy for reducing the environmental impacts such as global warming and ozone layer depletion. This research assumes that the use of appropriate orientation, materials and building configuration would offer suitable solutions for energy and environmental problems in hot, arid countries. This hypothesis is examined through an example located in Libya. A domestic building in Libya was studied with a view to reducing its energy consumption. The study included detailed monitoring for 45 days continuously, followed by computer simulation of a range of intervention strategies. A field study including temperature, humidity and electricity consumption measurements was carried out and results from the study were gathered and analysed. Moreover a computer simulation model was built using IES software, a fully dynamic simulation model to investigate the potential influence of changes to the building. The thermal comfort of users in a residential building in Tripoli, Libya was investigated. Field measurements and subjective environmental perception survey were used. It was established that building design in hot arid regions must consider thermal requirements