Web Site\u27s Findability and Company\u27s Image

It the mid 1990s many corporate executives realised that websites might influence companies’ image immensely. Nowadays it is evident that in e-business environment this influence is becoming more visible. Furthermore, the companies’ perceptions of the importance of the customers’ impressions of web sites play a vital role in a company’s success. In this paper we investigate the change of the perceptions of company’s image after visiting and evaluating their web sites; and the influence of particular features of a web site such as the intuitive URL, intuitive keywords, use of Meta tags and frames, etc., on a company’s image

Integrated Gasification System for Power and Hydrogen Production

The growth of economic and living standard leads to more electricity demand. Unfortunately, due to more limitation of power station area and electricity grid development, energy delivery issue is rising up; hence, new method of delivering the power by different energy carrier is necessary to investigate. Hydrogen has the promising potential as an energy carrier due to its high gravimetric energy density and cleanliness to the environment. For comfortable storage and transportation, hydrogen is covalently bonded to methylcyclohexane (MCH) and liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC). In this chapter, novel integrated gasification systems for coproduction of electricity and MCH from low-rank coal and microalgae have been proposed. The total energy efficiency is improved by applying enhanced process integration (EPI) technology to minimize exergy losses throughout the integrated system. The integrated system for microalgae is capable to provide more than 60% of total energy efficiency, while the integrated system for low-rank coal delivers the total energy efficiency of 84%

A Study of the Progression of E-Business Maturity in Australian SMEs: Some Evidence of the Applicability of the Stages of Growth for E-Business Model

This paper reports on the results of an empirical study investigating the progression of ebusiness maturity in Australian SMEs and the applicability of the stages concept in explaining that progression. Using multiple case studies within medium-sized manufacturing organisations, the authors explore the issues and challenges experienced by organisations when moving forward with their e-business initiatives. The paper is particularly interested in establishing the applicability of the stages of growth for e-business model for mapping the ebusiness progression faced by these organisations. The cases presented in this paper suggest that the stages of growth model provides a valuable perspective in examining the progression of the organisation's e-business

Exploring the Perceptions of Inhibitors and Drivers of eBusiness Progression Among SMEs at Different Stages of eBusiness Maturity

It is imperative for an organisation to identify potential drivers and inhibitors of e-business in order to minimise the risk and maximise the benefits derived from its e-business initiative. Although the issues of drivers and inhibitors of e-business/e-commerce have been the subject of intensive discussions elsewhere, the literature bears no indication of any attempt to look into the distinction of the drivers and inhibitors of e-business perceived by organisations at different level of e-business maturity. Hence, in this paper, it is our intention to explore this issue further. Using a stage model we developed to distinguish organisational maturity in approaching their e-business initiatives, we found that there are differences in emphasis on how organisations at different level of maturity. Arguably, by realising and understanding which issues need to be prioritised, organisation would be better equipped in anticipating any difficulties in progressing through with their e-business initiatives

Towards a Conceptualisation of Trust in IS Outsourcing

Despite the implicit recognition of trust in IS outsourcing, comparatively few research could be found in this area. While addressing the nature of trust in IS outsourcing, we found surprisingly many aspects on the concept of trust which have not been captured in the mainstream research on IS outsourcing. This paper presents an interdisciplinary view on trust and attempts to call for a greater understanding and focus on the role and impact of trust in an outsourcing context. It is argued that trust does play a significant role in many aspects of IS outsourcing and potentially could be one of the key elements that contributes to the success of an outsourcing activity. The paper suggests a multidimensional approach to the exploration of trust in outsourcing relationships with a greater focus on multi-faceted aspects of trust as well as the mediating factors that influence the success and/or failure of IS outsourcing activities

Advancing Enterprise-Wide Information Systems Strategy: Exploring Power Differentials In Parent – Subsidiary Relationships

Power has been an important topic amongst scholars in Information Systems (IS) research. Despite the vast literature on power in IS research, we found there is a lack of study that investigates the significance of power in a Parent-Subsidiary relationship. As a part of an ongoing research to explore the role of IS in the Parent-Subsidiary relationship, this paper highlights the impact of Enterprise Systems (ES) on the evolution of power as a critical aspect of that relationship. Using case study as a research method, we explore four scenarios, namely: Domination, Consultative, Empowerment, and Incitement; each with its own distinct aspects of power and its implication to ES in a corporate group environment. Ongoing research will attempt to explore the scenarios in greater details as well as expanding the number of corporate groups

Towards Better Understanding of the Relationship between Formal Controls and Trust in IS Outsourcing

It is interesting to discover that there is a reasonably small but growing literature on the issue and role of trust in IS outsourcing in the past few years. Built on the premise that over-reliance on outsourcing contract and/or other form of formal controls do not necessarily deliver a successful outsourcing partnership and/or outcomes, we have explored another dimension of outsourcing relationship – ‘trust’. This paper is written to further explore the role of trust and its relationship with formal controls within the context of IS outsourcing. The paper advocates that ‘trust’ is a powerful factor that is intricately linked to the success of outsourcing activities and that those engaged in an outsourcing relationship needs to find a balance between trust and formal controls