Managing A Paradox–Design Principles for Executives’ IT Support

How are companies managed today and what part does state-of-the-art IT play? Executive information systems (EIS) should support top managers in managing their companies. But many executives complain that EIS bear little relevance to their management task (functional requirements) and fail even more to accommodate their working style (design requirements). This article focuses on the latter and contributes to new-generation EIS by identifying twelve principles for their design. The first step in doing so is to systematically develop requirements criteria for EIS design. On this point, our research revealed a twofold gap: as the rigor of scientific models (e.g. structural models of IS user satisfaction and technology acceptance) increases, they become less relevant for direct use in practice. At the same time, practitioner journals demonstrate relevance, but do not evidence strong rigor. Linking the requirements criteria with rigor and relevance, this article applies the principle of economic efficiency. In a second step, using that schema, design principles for new-generation EIS are derived. They are based on gaps identified in an empirical study and the findings of four instantiations within the chemicals, logistics, high-tech, and automotive supplier industries

A Maturity Model for Management Control Systems: Five Evolutionary Steps to Guide Development

Corporate management in today's international companies has become increasingly complex. To cope with the growing challenges, information technology (IT)-based management control systems (MCSs) covering reporting, planning, and consolidation have been deployed. Despite their tradition in management research, the ‘right' setup of MCSs is still challenging. Maturity models (MMs) are an established instrument to identify strengths and weaknesses of certain domains. As existing MMs rather focus on single MCS domains, neglect an IT perspective and miss a sound methodical foundation, this paper outlines an empirically and algorithmically constructed MCS MM. The model consists of three partial MMs for reporting, planning, and consolidation, which are integrated into one holistic MCS MM. The five levels of the MCS MM guide MCS evolution from a basic, mandatory/external-driven MCS (level1) to a balanced MCS (level2), and a comprehensive MCS (level3). Ultimately, MCSs show a strong strategic focus (level4) and leverage the potentials of modern IT (level5

A Maturity Model for Management Control Systems - Five Evolutionary Steps to Guide Development

Corporate management in today’s international companies has become increasingly complex. To cope with the growing challenges, information technology (IT)-based management control systems (MCSs) covering reporting, planning, and consolidation have been deployed. Despite their tradition in management research, the ‘right’ setup of MCSs is still challenging. Maturity models (MMs) are an established instrument to identify strengths and weaknesses of certain domains. As existing MMs rather focus on single MCS domains, neglect an IT perspective and miss a sound methodical foundation, this paper outlines an empirically and algorithmically constructed MCS MM. The model consists of three partial MMs for reporting, planning, and consolidation, which are integrated into one holistic MCS MM. The five levels of the MCS MM guide MCS evolution from a basic, mandatory/external-driven MCS (level 1) to a balanced MCS (level 2), and a comprehensive MCS (level 3). Ultimately, MCSs show a strong strategic focus (level 4) and leverage the potentials of modern IT (level 5)

Quantitative Analysis of Protein Dynamics during Asymmetric Cell Division

SummaryIn dividing Drosophila sensory organ precursor (SOP) cells, the fate determinant Numb and its associated adaptor protein Pon localize asymmetrically and segregate into the anterior daughter cell, where Numb influences cell fate by repressing Notch signaling. Asymmetric localization of both proteins requires the protein kinase aPKC and its substrate Lethal (2) giant larvae (Lgl) [1–3]. Because both Numb and Pon localization require actin and myosin [4–6], lateral transport along the cell cortex has been proposed as a possible mechanism for their asymmetric distribution [5]. Here, we use quantitative live analysis of GFP-Pon and Numb-GFP fluorescence and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) to characterize the dynamics of Numb and Pon localization during SOP division. We demonstrate that Numb and Pon rapidly exchange between a cytoplasmic pool and the cell cortex and that preferential recruitment from the cytoplasm is responsible for their asymmetric distribution during mitosis. Expression of a constitutively active form of aPKC impairs membrane recruitment of GFP-Pon. This defect can be rescued by coexpression of nonphosphorylatable Lgl, indicating that Lgl is the main target of aPKC. We propose that a high-affinity binding site is asymmetrically distributed by aPKC and Lgl and is responsible for asymmetric localization of cell-fate determinants during mitosis

3D printing of inherently nanoporous polymers via polymerization-induced phase separation

3D printing offers enormous flexibility in fabrication of polymer objects with complex geometries. However, it is not suitable for fabricating large polymer structures with geometrical features at the sub-micrometer scale. Porous structure at the sub-micrometer scale can render macroscopic objects with unique properties, including similarities with biological interfaces, permeability and extremely large surface area, imperative inter alia for adsorption, separation, sensing or biomedical applications. Here, we introduce a method combining advantages of 3D printing via digital light processing and polymerization-induced phase separation, which enables formation of 3D polymer structures of digitally defined macroscopic geometry with controllable inherent porosity at the sub-micrometer scale. We demonstrate the possibility to create 3D polymer structures of highly complex geometries and spatially controlled pore sizes from 10 nm to 1000 µm. Produced hierarchical polymers combining nanoporosity with micrometer-sized pores demonstrate improved adsorption performance due to better pore accessibility and favored cell adhesion and growth for 3D cell culture due to surface porosity. This method extends the scope of applications of 3D printing to hierarchical inherently porous 3D objects combining structural features ranging from 10 nm up to cm, making them available for a wide variety of applications

Is MRCP necessary to diagnose pancreas divisum?

Background: The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of three-dimensional magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (3D-MRCP) with non-MRCP T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for diagnosis of pancreas divisum (PD). Methods: This is a retrospective study of 342 consecutive patients with abdominal MRI including 3D-MRCP. 3D-MRCP was a coronal respiration-navigated T2-weighted sequence with 1.5 mm slice thickness. Non-MRCP T2-weighted sequences were (1) a coronal inversion recovery sequence (TIRM) with 6 mm slice thickness and (2) a transverse single shot turbo spin echo sequence (HASTE) with 4 mm slice thickness. For 3D-MRCP, TIRM, and HASTE, presence of PD and assessment of evaluability were determined in a randomized manner. A consensus read by two radiologists using 3D-MRCP, non-MRCP T2-weighted sequences, and other available imaging sequences served as reference standard for diagnosis of PD. Statistical analysis included performance analysis of 3D-MRCP, TIRM, and HASTE and testing for noninferiority of non-MRCP T2-weighted sequences compared with 3D-MRCP. Results: Thirty-three of 342 patients (9.7%) were diagnosed with PD using the reference standard. Sensitivity/specificity of 3D-MRCP for detecting PD were 81.2%/69.7% (p < 0.001). Sensitivity/specificity of TIRM and HASTE were 92.5%/93.9 and 98.1%/97.0%, respectively (p < 0.001 each). Grouped sensitivity/specificity of non-MRCP T2-weighted sequences were 99.8%/91.0%. Non-MRCP T2-weighted sequences were non-inferior to 3D-MRCP alone for diagnosis of PD. 20.2, 7.3%, and 2.3% of 3D-MRCP, TIRM, and HASTE, respectively, were not evaluable due to motion artifacts or insufficient duct depiction. Conclusions: Non-MRCP T2-weighted MRI sequences offer high performance for diagnosis of PD and are noninferior to 3D-MRCP alone. Trial registration Not applicable