Renewable Energy: Problems and Prospects in Coachella Valley, California

The book analyzes the problems and potential of renewable energy development for the Coachella Valley of California and provides a useful case study for renewable energy feasibility assessments for other areas. A conceptual model, Integrated Policy Assessment Theory for Renewable Energy, is given and justified for renewable energy development in the Valley. Further, Central Place Theory, well known in urban geography, is discussed and it is seen to be very relevant to the understanding the Coachella Valley’s city sizes and renewable energy markets, compared to the greater Los Angeles region. The book’s research methods include geospatial mapping and analysis and interviews leaders in small innovative firms, government agencies, and nonprofits. The many findings of the book include evaluation of how the Valley’s socioeconomic and transportation features influence renewable energy development, the scope of markets for solar and wind energy in the Valley, spatial confluences of renewable energy facilities with other features, and the future potential of ground-source heat pumps. Benchmark comparison of the Coachella Valley is done with two leading wind and solar regions elsewhere in the country, to assess the Valley’s evolution and opportunities in renewable energy. The book concludes by evaluating the prospects and problems for the growth of renewable entrepreneurship, manufacturing, assembly, and operations in Coachella Valley. This leads to policy recommendations grounded in the book’s research findings, which are intended for use by governments, businesses, and nonprofits. The hope is that many of the developmental experiences from the Coachella Valley will be helpful not only within the Valley but to other communities nationwide and worldwide.https://inspire.redlands.edu/oh_books/1055/thumbnail.jp

Geographic Information Systems: A Tutorial and Introduction

his tutorial provides a foundation in GIS including its basic structure, concepts, and spatial analysis. GIS is a new field in business schools and presents opportunities for research. It is derived from about a dozen disciplines, some unfamiliar to most IS researchers. Following an overview of vertical-sector uses of GIS, the paper introduces their costs and benefits. The links of GIS to related technologies such as GPS, wireless, location-based technologies, web services, and RFID are examined. Conceptual models and research methodologies are discussed, including Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSS), and GIS in visualization, organizational studies, and end user computing. Suggestions for future research are presented

Technology for Rural Telecenters In India: A Model and Exploratory Study of Diffusion of Information For Telecenter Use and Sustainability

In this paper, we use key concepts in strategic management, such as value, and use the conceptual framework of diffusion of innovations to understand factors underlying the lack of demand for rural telecenters. We present a background of ICT use in rural areas, examining both the prospects and current situation. We then develop a framework that explains rural telecenter performance using literature from strategic management, and information systems (notably diffusion of innovation). We then present the results of a pilot study of farmers in India who used/did not use ICT telecenters. We chose India as it has a large number of the world’s poor, and is pioneering in the use of technology in rural areas and has by far the largest number of ICT telecenters. Findings indicate the research questions are mostly supported

A Global Model of Technological Utilization Based on Governmental, Business Investment, Social, and Economic Factors

This paper presents a model of governmental support and openness, business and technology investment, and socio-economic factors that influence technological utilization for 110 countries. The conceptual framework is based on prior research showing that these factors impact the usage of technology and vice versa. Structural equation modeling is applied to conceptualize and test the model. This model uses latent and observable variables and the application tests five hypotheses for the overall model and relationships between its factors. Data are recent and from the World Bank and World Economic Forum. The findings indicate a critical pathway of influences between the factors of government support and openness, socio-economic level, and technology utilization. The paper suggests policy steps for national governments of developed and developing nations especially for policy clusters of government emphasis on ICT, openness, and strengthening of R&D and technology investment

Redesign of a Master\u27s in Information Systems Curriculum: The Influence of Global Sourcing

We present a case study of a successful response to outsourcing, and IS job and enrollment declines through an IS curriculum redevelopment in a business school. First, we examine literature on outsourcing/offshoring phenomenon and on IS curricular redesign. A conceptual framework is presented that is useful in understanding the role of global collaborative group projects for learning about outsourcing in the IS graduate curriculum. A case study of one approach to an IS graduate curriculum redesign is then presented. The case examines the results of a survey of IT executives that informed the design of the curriculum. The case study curriculum is compared to the MSIS 2006 national model, and results are interpreted from prior literature and workforce trends

Spatial Analysis of the Global Digital Divide

The global pattern of social, economic, and political influences on technology utilization is analyzed through a combinationof linear regression and spatial analysis. The conceptual framework is based on prior research findings on the global digitaldivide, including non-spatial determinants and on geographic differences. The theory posits that higher levels oftechnological utilization are based on known factors and it further provides that significant geographic differences will bepresent in world regions. The paper tests the theory by first conducting ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. For theworld, the most significant determinants are tertiary education, innovation capacity, judicial independence, and foreign directinvestment. For each regression equation, the spatial autocorrelation of the residuals are tested for significant spatialautocorrelation. After determining that geographically weighted regression cannot be applied, based on residual spatialmapping, OLS regression is performed for three world UN-defined regions and two sub-regions. Findings reveal distinctivedeterminants for these regions and sub-regions. The paper contributes insights to the global digital divide literature stemmingfrom the geospatial analysis methods

A Dual Census Geographical Information System: Is It a Data Warehouse?

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for governmental applications are beginning to be applied on a dual-census or multi-census basis. A dual census GIS is one that references the data of two censuses in an integrated way. Nearly every nation worldwide has a census that constitutes its primary repository of spatially referenced social and economic data. However, censuses vary a lot in their data quality, attribute definitions, and spatial design. This paper has the primary goal to examine to what extent a dual census GIS corresponds to a data warehouse. The paper first presents a contemporary design for a dual census GIS, followed by an example. Then it reviews the key features of a data warehouse and examines feature by feature whether or not a dual census GIS corresponds to a data warehouse. The paper concludes that a dual census GIS mostly corresponds to a data warehouse. It succeeds on features of combining data from multiple sources, but falls short on multi-dimensionality. A dual census GIS emphasizes calculation and modeling to a greater extent than most data warehouses. In this respect, the dual census GIS meets the OLAP criteria, and in particular that of data manipulation. The paper points out that the real advantage of incorporating data warehousing may be to combine it into a spatial decision support system, in order to provide decision support in a bi-national or multi-national context

A Spatial and Regression Analysis of Social Media in the United States Counties

The locational distribution and socio-economic determinants of social media are analyzed for the United States counties in 2012. A theory of determinants is presented that is modified from the Spatially Aware Technology Utilization Model (SATUM). Socio- Economic factors including demography, economy, education, innovation, and social capital are posited to influence social media factors, while spatial analysis is conducted including exploratory analysis of geographic distribution and confirmatory screening for spatial randomness. The determinants are identified through OLS regression analysis. Findings for the nation indicate that the major determinants are demographic factors, service occupations, ethnicities, and urban location. Further subsample analysis is conducted for the U.S. metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural subsamples. The subsamples differ most evidently in effects of ethnicities and construction occupations, and there are inverse effects of social capital at the micropolitan and rural levels. The regression findings are discussed in terms of the literature mostly of larger geographic units, and the few nationwide studies at the county level. The exploratory spatial analysis generally indicates similar national geographic patterns of use. Among the results is that although Twitter users are more heavily concentrated in southern California and have strong presence in the lower Mississippi region, Facebook users are highly concentrated in Colorado, Utah and adjacent Rocky Mountain States. Social media usage is lowest in the Great Plains, lower Midwest, and South with the exceptions of Florida and the major southern cities such as Atlanta. The overall extent of spatial agglomeration is very high and is examined in detail for the nation and subsamples. The paper concludes by discussing the policy implications of the analysis at the county as well as the national levels

Economic and Social influences on Technology Utilization and A vailability in China, 2006 - 2009: a Regression and Spatial Analysis

China’s technology levels have grown rapidly in the first decade of the 21st century. This study examines the economic and social influences on technology utilization and availability in China’s 31 administrative units. An exploratory conceptual model is established, based on prior research and including screening for spatial clustering of like-valued residuals. The empirical research goals are (1) to statistically analyze the determinants of technology usage in China at the provincial level using the most recent technology, economic, and social data, and (2) to statistically analyze the impact of spatial autocorrelation on Chinese provincial technology levels and on regression residuals. Findings indicate the most significant determinant of China’s provincial technology levels is export commodities value, followed by published books, tertiaryand non-state-owned employment, and to a lesser extent innovation. Spatial autocorrelation isonly slightly present following the regression analysis. The implications of the study for government policies in China are examined