Studying How E-Markets Evaluation Can Enhance Trust in Virtual Business Communities

One of the major drawbacks of conducting business online is the raised level of risk associated with business transactions. Potential business partners usually have limited information about each others reliability or product / service quality before an online transaction. In this paper, we focus on the problem of selecting a trustful electronic market (e-market), in order to perform business transactions with it. In particular, we examine how the decision of selecting an appropriate e-market can be facilitated by an e-market recommendation algorithm. For this purpose, a metadata model for collecting and storing e-market evaluations from the members of a virtual business community in a reusable and interoperable manner is introduced. Then, an e-market recommendation algorithm that can synthesize existing e-market evaluations stored using the metadata model, is designed. Finally, a scenario of how the presented e-market recommendation algorithm can support a virtual agribusiness community of the organic agriculture sector is discussed.E-market, metadata, recommender system, virtual community, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Marketing,

A Survey of Greek Agricultural E-Markets

The role that information technology plays in today’s business activities has led to an increase in firms using and/or deploying e-markets online. This development undoubtedly affects the agri-food sector, since a large number of agricultural firms are demonstrating or are expected to demonstrate e-commerce activities. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current status of agricultural e-markets in Greece, by presenting results from an analysis of 100 cases. Results indicate that Greek e-markets may still have a rather low degree of sophistication, but they demonstrate a strong B2B orientation, as well as an outreach for international customer bases.Internet, e-commerce, e-markets, agriculture, agri-food sector, survey, Consumer/Household Economics, Marketing,

ICT and farmers : lessons learned and future developments

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) evolution is well advancing Moore?s Law prediction of geometric progression of computer performance indexes. Indeed, these technologies are not only fast developed but, in addition, are giving birth to newer ones nicely branching existing “old fashion” ICT systems and tools. These innovations of ICT are not only regenerating traditional sciences, like Agriculture, and practices, like farming, but also, awake well neglected human sensitiveness and indifference for poverty, environmental protection, climatic deterioration issues and the future of our planet as a whole. To refer to a few examples of these innovations affecting Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: Cloud Computing provides equality in resources management and exploitability to small budget farms against the big ones. Web2 browser allows, as a platform, effective runtime environment and considerably easy access to applications by farmers lacking proper education and training. Parallel Computing brings exponentially increased core processing to low-end computers facilitating the use of huge computer power by small agricultural research units. Never the less agricultural and farming communities, in their majority, do not adopt new ICT tools and systems to the degree required for substantial agricultural development. In this paper, experience gained over the years is used to evaluate and reason poor performance in the area of applicability of ICT innovations and tools by the vast majority of farmers throughout the world.</jats:p

Driving Web 2.0 Tool Adoption in Agricultural Education

The new opportunities for collaboration, participatory content creation and communication offered through the advancements of Web 2.0, such as social networking, blogs, wikis, video sharing and other, are creating new learning models. In turn, tutors cannot ignore this trend and have to bear the responsibility of incorporating Web 2.0 tools in formal, informal, work-based and vocational education and approach their students in a very familiar and favourable way. In this context, this paper tries to highlight the need for enhancing tutors’ skills and drive Web 2.0 tool adoption in educational practice. Thus, it draws upon the successful example of a European project regarding agricultural tutors’ training on Web 2.0 tools. The challenge for all agricultural tutors is how to integrate Web 2.0 tools into current curricula and education.</jats:p

Mobile devices and services: bridging the digital divide in rural areas

The digital divide has been mostly affecting the world’s poorest primarily due to lack of internet connectivity. A number of e-government services especially built to serve low income citizens do not reach those in need. The rapid expansion of the use of the mobile phone raises hopes that the digital divide can be bridged faster by providing services to people living in rural and remote areas. The authors review successful implementations of secure and trusted e-services available on mobile networks. These could be utilised in addressing the needs of those living in rural areas and are currently digitally marginalised

MAPPING E-GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDER REQUIREMENTS TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OPERATIONAL NEEDS

This paper proposes a framework for e-government development projects aiming at the detection of inconsistencies, incompatibilities and mistakes during the early design stages. This is achieved by applying a Requirements Engineering methodology for the identification of stakeholder requirements and dependencies. Furthermore, a generic identification of public administration’s functions is being proposed making it possible to detect deficits in service provision. Using a Goal Oriented Requirements Engineering methodology and relevant tools, stakeholders’ and functional goals are mapped. An example of a knowledge management system, presenting the case of a Greek e-government application is discussed here in relation to the proposed framework

E- Government Systems Architecture: Contextual and Conceptual Level

Based on the inclusion of several types of stakeholders for e-government services, the authors propose an architecture of multiple levels that ensures adaptability to new technological and organizational demands for these services; thus the authors emphasize the possibility of representing public services as electronic services which can be continuously improved

Studying How E-Markets Evaluation Can Enhance Trust in Virtual Business Communities

One of the major drawbacks of conducting business online is the raised level of risk associated with business transactions. Potential business partners usually have limited information about each other's reliability or product / service quality before an online transaction. In this paper, we focus on the problem of selecting a trustful electronic market (e-market), in order to perform business transactions with it. In particular, we examine how the decision of selecting an appropriate e-market can be facilitated by an e-market recommendation algorithm. For this purpose, a metadata model for collecting and storing e-market evaluations from the members of a virtual business community in a reusable and interoperable manner is introduced. Then, an e-market recommendation algorithm that can synthesize existing e-market evaluations stored using the metadata model, is designed. Finally, a scenario of how the presented e-market recommendation algorithm can support a virtual agribusiness community of the organic agriculture sector is discussed