Information Relevance and Availability: Toward Effective Management of Projects in Public Sector

Information plays a critical role in the different stages of managing a project. This study examines the views of one hundred and two (102) Portuguese Public sector officials on the relevance, availability and sharability of information as practiced in their organizations. Cluster analysis, gap analysis and confirmatory factor analysis procedures are utilized to analyze the collected data. The results of this study tend to underscore the growing need to have well- designed information systems, which are capable of enhancing the availability and promoting the sharability of relevant information

Global Information Systems: A Joint Venture between Business and Education

The expanding role of computers and information processing in today\u27s global business environment makes it imperative that business students receive the appropriate computer education. This article evaluates the role of business schools in preparing students to meet the challenges of the global information age. Business and academic perspectives on computers and information processing and their influence on computer education in the business school are presented. The authors conclude that the general lack of enforceable standards in computer business education is a global concern, affecting businesses, educational institutions, and computer hardware and software vendors alike. Recommendations for the globalization of computer education in business schools are provided

Social Sustainability Strategy Across the Supply Chain: A Conceptual Approach From the Organisational Perspective

Much of the existing literature on the social aspects of sustainability in the supply chain has focused on dyadic buyer-supplier relationships. However, supply chains are much more extensive, featuring multi-tiered systems consisting of many interconnected sequential and parallel dyadic relationships; therefore, a more expansive and holistic approach to exploring the management and integration of social sustainability standards across the extended supply chain is desirable. This research attempts to help fill this void and considers the extent to which a series of sequential upstream and downstream supply chain partners, rather than only a focal organization’s immediate suppliers and buyers, influence the formulation process of the social aspects of a sustainability strategy and the deployment of associated practices across the extended supply chain. Findings in the literature indicate that, inter alia, sustainability efforts in the supply chain are likely to be guided by stakeholders’ sustainability desires/requirements, the geographical location of buyers and suppliers and the associated sustainability enforcement regulations and cultural norms, and the volume of trade between the buyer and supplier. This paper uses the results gleaned from a review of the literature to propose a conceptual framework for selection of sustainability strategy across the multi-tiered supply chain. Finally, we introduce a conceptual approach to the process of implementing and deploying the social aspects of sustainability strategies and practices across the supply chain using an integrated social-sustainability information management system (ISIMS)

Performance Measurements Utilizations Among Iranian and Portuguese Manufacturing Organizations: Similarities and Differences

This study compares the extent of utilization of five performance dimensions in the manufacturing organizations in Iran and Portugal. These dimensions include Financial, Product Quality and Customer Satisfaction, Quality and Independence of Management, Human Resource Management, and Social Responsibility. Results show that while there are some similarities among the two groups of participants in the two countries, there are major differences. These differences are particularly evident in the ranking of the performance measures, which could be attributed to the differences in the business culture. The similarities, however, might be linked to the global nature of doing business, which is competition-drive

Strategies employed by e-commerce firms in Portugal : an empirical investigation

A survey integrating different theoretical views of value creation was developed, then sent to Portuguese e-ommerce firms to assess the underlying dimensions and the most important characteristics of their e-Commerce strategies. The survey was sent to 188 firms in 2007 and repeated in 2010 to validate the results, obtaining a total sample of 62 e-Commerce firms. Through factorial analysis, three e-Commerce strategy dimensions were identified: one relates to differentiation via marketing based on reputation and brand identification, in which advertising and innovation in marketing techniques and methods are important; a second differentiation dimension focuses on product development and is supported by technical capabilities; and a cost leadership dimension which uses strategic networks to obtain economies of scale and scope, and exploits technological advancements to reduce transaction costs

Revisiting the applicability of porter’s model to the portuguese manufacturing : a departure from traditional strategies

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the strategies utilized in the Portuguese manufacturing environment, and to compare the results with those of a similar study conducted in 1993. Self-administered surveys were employed and a total sample of 229 firms were used for the analysis. The responses were factor analyzed to establish patterns of strategic behaviours. In comparison with 1993, today’s Portuguese manufacturing firms are using more product development and innovation in order to offer many new customized products to different markets. In most cases, they are capitalizing on flexible manufacturing to achieve more depth and breadth in their product lines

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Amygdalin in Sweet and Bitter Almond Kernel in Erbil City Using GC-FID Technique

This paper described the determination of amygdalin in sweet and bitter almond kernel in Erbil City using GC-FID technique. The effect of wavelength, selecting the best solvent as a mobile phase, flow rate, injection volume, pH, and temperature had been studied, in which the flow rate 10.0 ml min-1 at the concentration range (20-600) μg ml-1 with correlation coefficient and relative error (0.9990, 1.501%)respectively

Deaggregation of Probabilistic Ground Motions for Selected Jordanian Cities

Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) approach was adopted to investigate seismic hazard distribution across Jordan. Potential sources of seismic activities in the region were identified, and their earthquake recurrence relationships were developed from instrumental and historical data. Maps of peak ground acceleration and spectral accelerations (T=0.2 and T=1.0 sec.) of 2% and 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years were developed. This study deaggregated the PSHA results of 2% and 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years results of twelve Jordanian cities to help understand the relative control of these sources in terms of distances and magnitudes. Results indicated that seismic hazard across these cities is mainly controlled by area sources located along the Dead Sea Transform (DST) fault system. Cities located at short distances from the DST tend to show close deaggregation behavior. Some discrepancies may exist due to the proximity or remoteness of these cities relative to the DST seismic sources and local seismicity. The modal or most probable distance distribution indicated that the distance to the earthquake which contributes most to the hazard at each city is mainly controlled by shaking along faults associated with near seismic area sources. The influence of adjacent seismic sources to the seismic hazard of each city is more evident for the long period spectral acceleration. Distant sources, such as the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, Suez and the southern region of the Gulf of Aqaba are relatively low, but can not be neglected due to the intrinsic uncertainties and incomplete seismic data

Biopiracy <i>versus </i>one-world medicine – from colonial relicts to global collaborative concepts

Background: Practices of biopiracy to use genetic resources and indigenous knowledge by Western companies without benefit-sharing of those, who generated the traditional knowledge, can be understood as form of neocolonialism.Hypothesis: : The One-World Medicine concept attempts to merge the best of traditional medicine from developing countries and conventional Western medicine for the sake of patients around the globe.Study design: Based on literature searches in several databases, a concept paper has been written. Legislative initiatives of the United Nations culminated in the Nagoya protocol aim to protect traditional knowledge and regulate benefit-sharing with indigenous communities. The European community adopted the Nagoya protocol, and the corresponding regulations will be implemented into national legislation among the member states. Despite pleasing progress, infrastructural problems of the health care systems in developing countries still remain. Current approaches to secure primary health care offer only fragmentary solutions at best. Conventional medicine from industrialized countries cannot be afforded by the impoverished population in the Third World. Confronted with exploding costs, even health systems in Western countries are endangered to burst. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular among the general public in industrialized countries, although the efficacy is not sufficiently proven according to the standards of evidence-based medicine. CAM is often available without prescription as over-the-counter products with non-calculated risks concerning erroneous self-medication and safety/toxicity issues. The concept of integrative medicine attempts to combine holistic CAM approaches with evidence-based principles of conventional medicine.Conclusion: To realize the concept of One-World Medicine, a number of standards have to be set to assure safety, efficacy and applicability of traditional medicine, e.g. sustainable production and quality control of herbal products, performance of placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials, phytovigilance, as well as education of health professionals and patients