How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries? What is the secret of their success? The consensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skilful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. Examining case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, 3M, GE, and the U.S. Marines, this book reveals how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge and use it to produce new processes, products, and services.

The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation

Power Aware Routing in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Janssen, J (2010) Paving the Way for Lifelong Learning Facilitating competence development through a learning path specification September, 17, 2010, Heerlen, The Netherlands: Open University of the Netherlands, CELSTEC SIKS Dissertation Series No 2010-36 ISBN 978-90-79447-43-5

Paving the Way for Lifelong Learning: Facilitating competence development through a learning path specification

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the factors affecting the adoption of internet banking services by domestic commercial banks in a sparsely populated small island.Design/methodology/approach – Being one of the smallest island economies in the world, North Cyprus was chosen as a case study to explore the factors that affected the penetration of internet banking services in North Cyprus over a two year period. The managers of 23 banks operating in North Cyprus were interviewed first in 2004 and later in 2006. Furthermore, the web sites of these banks were also examined both in 2004 and in 2006 in order to measure the progress made in adopting internet banking services between these periods.Findings – Evidence from survey studies and from banks' web sites indicated that banks in North Cyprus have been consistently moving towards providing internet banking services despite a very small potential market to share. In 2004, the majority of commercial banks claimed that the potential market was too small to a...

Adopting internet banking services in a small island state: assurance of bank service quality

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Standards in Information Systems.- 1.2 Motivation and research questions.- 1.3 Structure of the thesis.- 1.4 Methodology and definitions.- 1.4.1 Methodology.- 1.4.2 Standard semantics.- 1.4.3 Empirical data from Fortune 1,000 study.- 2 Standardization problems.- 2.1 A brief history of standardization.- 2.1.1 From DNA to railways.- 2.1.2 From production side to demand side economies of scale.- 2.2 Network effect theory as theoretical foundation.- 2.2.1 Basics.- 2.2.1.1 General findings of network effect theory.- 2.2.1.2 Related literature.- 2.2.2 Path dependency, lock-in and multiple equilibria.- 2.2.3 Instability ("tippy networks").- 2.2.4 Excess inertia: The start-up problem.- 2.2.5 Excess momentum: Too much standardization.- 2.2.6 Internalizing network effects in sponsored networks.- 2.2.7 Pareto-inferior market results and monopolies.- 2.2.8 Laissez-faire vs. dirigisme.- 2.3 Reconsidering network effect theory.- 2.3.1 Network effects versus network externalities.- 2.3.2 Direct vs. indirect network effects.- 2.3.3 Inefficiency and market failure.- 2.3.4 Costs of network size.- 2.3.5 Homogeneous network effects.- 2.3.6 Confusion of centralized and decentralized decision making.- 2.3.7 Ambiguous empirical evidence.- 2.3.7.1 Keyboards: QWERTY vs. Dvorak's DSK.- 2.3.7.2 The battle for VCR standards: beta isn't always better.- 2.3.7.3 Nuclear power reactors.- 2.3.7.4 Automobiles: Gas vs. Gasoline.- 2.3.8 Normative Implications.- 2.3.9 Summary.- 3 A standardization framework.- 3.1 Modeling the standardization problem: A basic model.- 3.1.1 A standardization model for centrally coordinated networks.- 3.1.2 A standardization model for decentrally coordinated networks.- 3.2 Equilibria in standardization problems.- 3.2.1 Information.- 3.2.2 Basic games.- 3.2.3 Equilibria.- 3.2.4 Efficiency of equilibria.- 3.2.4.1 Pareto efficiency.- 3.2.4.2 Kaldor-Hicks efficiency.- 3.3 Standardization games.- 3.3.1 Standard standardization games.- 3.3.2 Static non-cooperative 2-player standardization games.- 3.3.3 Sequential non-cooperative 2-player standardization games.- 3.3.3.1 Complete, perfect information.- 3.3.3.2 Complete, imperfect information.- 3.3.3.3 Incomplete information.- 3.3.3.4 Bayes-Nash-Equilibria.- 3.3.4 Dynamic n-player standardization games.- 3.3.4.1 Incomplete, imperfect information.- 3.3.4.2 Incomplete, perfect information.- 4 A simulation model for the standardization problem.- 4.1 Simulation design.- 4.1.1 Decision functions.- 4.1.2 Simulation parameters and pattern.- 4.2 The basic standardization problem.- 4.2.1 The single-period basic standardization problem.- 4.2.1.1 The standardization gap.- 4.2.1.2 Stability of the standardization gap.- 4.2.2 The multi-period basic standardization problem.- 4.2.2.1 The standardization gap.- 4.2.2.2 Single standard implementation vs. continuous license costs.- 4.2.3 Sequential choice.- 4.2.4 Individual consequences.- 4.2.4.1 Individual gains and losses.- 4.2.4.2 Wrong decisions.- 4.2.5 Agent size and standardization time.- 4.2.5.1 Stationary state period and agent size.- 4.2.5.2 Stationary state period and network size.- 4.2.6 Variation of network structure.- 4.2.6.1 Errors in different topologies.- 4.2.6.2 Standardization costs and network density.- 4.2.6.3 Summary.- 4.2.7 Installed base effects.- 4.2.8 Summary of multi-period one standard problems.- 4.3 The extended standardization model.- 4.3.1 The standardization gap and the equilibrium process.- 4.3.1.1 Simultaneous decisions, single choice.- 4.3.1.2 An adapted Herfindahl index.- 4.3.1.3 Simultaneous choice with reversible decisions.- 4.3.2 Five diffusion patterns.- 4.3.2.1 No standardization.- 4.3.2.2 Mixed solution.- 4.3.2.3 Monopoly.- 4.3.2.4 Oligopoly.- 4.3.2.5 Dynamic equilibrium.- 4.3.2.6 Comparing the diffusion paths.- 4.3.2.7 Summary.- 4.3.3 Sequential choice.- 4.3.4 Individual consequences.- 4.3.5 Agent size.- 4.3.6 Variations of network structure.- 4.3.7 Installed base effects.- 4.4 A different decentralized anticipation calculus.- 4.5 Adapting the diffusion model.- 4.5.1 From standardization to diffusion.- 4.5.1.1 The diffusion model.- 4.5.1.2 An integration.- 4.5.1.3 Further research.- 5 Solution mechanisms and empirical data.- 5.1 Empirical data for the standardization problem.- 5.1.1 Standardization problems in corporate networks.- 5.1.2 The importance of network effects.- 5.1.3 Diffusion of EDI-Standards.- 5.1.4 EDI data: costs and benefits.- 5.1.4.1 Empirical EDI benefits in the literature.- 5.1.4.2 Empirical EDI costs in the literature.- 5.1.5 EDI data from large enterprises.- 5.1.6 EDI data from SMEs.- 5.1.6.1 Results of the retailers survey.- 5.1.6.2 Results from the producers and wholesalers survey.- 5.1.7 MIS managers opinion on general standardization issues.- 5.2 Closing the standardization gap.- 5.2.1 Solution designs for standardization problems.- 5.2.2 Problems of centralized coordination.- 5.2.2.1 Data problem.- 5.2.2.2 Complexity problem.- 5.2.2.3 Implementation problem.- 5.2.3 Excursion: A word on centralization and decentralization.- 5.3 The implementation problem.- 5.3.1 A case of X.500 Directory Services.- 5.3.1.1 Directory Services.- 5.3.1.2 Empirical data.- 5.3.1.3 Profitability analysis.- 5.3.2 A network ROI.- 5.3.2.1 A two player solution.- 5.3.2.2 An n-player solution.- 5.3.3 A network ROI for a virtual principal.- 5.3.4 Problems associated with the ROI.- 5.4 The data problem.- 5.4.1 An adapted Groves mechanism for the decentralized standardization model.- 5.4.1.1 The Groves mechanism.- 5.4.1.2 A Groves example.- 5.4.1.3 A Groves mechanism for decentralized standardization problems.- 5.4.1.4 Example of dominant strategies for the adapted Groves mechanism.- 5.4.1.5 Summary.- 5.4.2 Problems associated with the Groves mechanism.- 5.5 A bidding mechanism.- 5.5.1 Two examples.- 5.5.2 A comparison between the bidding mechanism and centralized coordination.- 5.6 Managerial and policy implications.- 5.6.1 Some general findings.- 5.6.2 Networks as a competitive advantage.- 5.6.3 Committees and consortia.- 5.6.4 Asymmetric network costs and gains.- 5.6.5 Infrastructure subsidies and SME integration.- 6 Theoretical implications: towards an interdisciplinary network theory.- 6.1 General drawbacks of the neo-classical paradigm.- 6.1.1 Absence of externalities.- 6.1.2 Complete rationality of the homo oeconomicus.- 6.1.3 Exclusion principle.- 6.1.4 Consumption paradigm.- 6.1.5 Separation of consumers and producers.- 6.1.6 Divisibility of resources.- 6.1.7 Concave utility functions / no complementarities.- 6.1.8 Absence of transaction costs.- 6.2 Towards an interdisciplinary theory of network effects.- 6.3 Required modeling power of an interdisciplinary theory of network effects.- 6.3.1 Modeling of knowledge and uncertainty/bounded rationality.- 6.3.2 Evolutionary system dynamics.- 6.3.3 Emergence of system components and links.- 6.3.4 Abolishment of convexity and divisibility assumptions.- 6.3.5 Economics of intermediation.- 7 Conclusions and further research.- 7.1 Summary of the findings.- 7.2 Further research.- Variables and symbols.- List of equations.- List of figures.- List of tables.- References.

Economics of Standards in Information Networks

We describe a web-based Educational MarketPlace that matches student requests for learning materials to available and appropriate resources. We address technical issues such as: I) resource acquisition and data mining techniques to facilitate access to large-scale educational repositories: 2) negotiation. contract execution and verification of instructional resources. and 3) digital repository testbeds to evaluate agent behavior. Societal issues include understanding web-based educational interactions. individual learning processes and organizational dynamics in the distributed. digital instructional realm. The Educational MarketPlace is different from other Internet spaces in that it requires independent scoring of resources and certification of teaching. This chapter discusses these issues and the open learning environment where a learner has choices: it describes how the Internet might replace the existing education monopoly and help dissolve the cottage industry of education in which a teacher handcrafts materials fixed by space and time.

Electronic Business and Education

Foreword. Preface. 1. A Digital Marketplace for Education B.P. Woolf, et al. 2. Information TeAchnology: Using the Internet for Student Research J.R. Murray. 3. A Constructivist Learning Studio Based on Cognitive Time Analysis F. Ramos, E. Espinosa. 4. Web-Based Adaptive Educational Systems Towards an Evaluation and design support framework C.M. Papaterpos, et al. 5. Personalized Intelligent Training on the Web: a Multi-Agent Approach N. Capuano, et al. 6. From Data to Intelligent Agents, Directions in a Data Intensive Data Processing Project A. Schuster, et al. 7. An Overview of E-Education Challenges in Latin America Case: Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM) D.L.G. Banales. 8. A Conceptual Framework for the Evaluation and Development of the Agent Persona in the Adele Web Based Medical Continuing Educational Program D.B. Millar. 9. The Goose, the Gander, or the Strasbourg Pate for all: Medical Education, World, and the Internet D.K.J.E. von Lubitz, et al. 10. Personalizing the Museum Exhibitions: Arrangement Issues R. Kadobayashi, et al. 11. TaniNet: a Portal for Farming Community Development in E-Business A. Deraman, et al. 12. Virtual Reality and Content-Based Management of Three-Dimensional Objects for E-business E. Paquet, et al. 13. Anatomy of Electronic Commerce Infrastructure in Hong Kong and Singapore Using a Generic Framework Periscope S. Ko, V. Cho. 14. Development of Open Service Collaborative Platform for Coming Ecs by International Joint Efforts M. Funabashi, et al. 15. Mobile Multimedia Systems P.J.M.Havinga, G.J.M. Smit. 16. Design Principles of Reliable Cellular Systems H.G. Sandalidis, P. Stavroulakis. 17. Application Service Provider Model: Perspectives and Challenges L. Tao.

Electronic Business and Education: Recent Advances in Internet Infrastructures

Foreword. Preface. - 1: B2C: Making Your Own E-Commerce Site, Step by Step. 1.1. Introduction to E-Commerce. 1.2. Yahoo! Store. 1.3. The ecBuilder. 1.4. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). 1.5. Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition. 1.6. Microsoft Commerce Server 2000. 1.7. Automatic Credit Card Payment within the ASP Apps. 1.8. Concusion. 1.9. Problems. 1.10. References. - 2: B2B: Challenges and Solutions. 2.1. Introducing the B2B. 2.2. XML: The Data Standard for Electronic Business. 2.3. B2B Solutions. 2.4. Problems. 2.5. References. - 3: E-Banking Nuts and Bolts. 3.1. The Basics. 3.2. Security Problems. 3.3. Solving Security Problems. 3.4. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). 3.5. Internet Bank Architecture. 3.6. Application Service Providers. 3.7. Make Internet Channel Work. 3.8. Searching for the Financial Information. 3.9. Problems. 3.10. Acknowledgements. 3.11. References. - 4: E-Government. 4.1. Introduction. 4.2. E-Government Architecture. 4.3. Digital Government Applications. 4.4. Experience in the Field. 4.5. Strategy Planning. 4.6. Summary. 4.7. Problems. 4.8. Acknowledgements. 4.9. References. - 5: Denial of Service Attacks: Methods, Tools, Defences. 5.1. Introduction. 5.2. Methods of Attacks. 5.3. Techniques of Attacks. 5.4. Evolution of Attacks. 5.5. Distributed Denial of Service Tools. 5.6. Defences. 5.7. Conclusion. 5.8. Problems. 5.9. Acknowledgement. 5.10. References. - 6: Ad Hoc Networks and the Wireless Internet. 6.1. Introduction. 6.2. Mobile Networks. 6.3. Routing in Ad Hoc Networks. 6.4. Issue of Security in Ad Hoc Networks. 6.5. Bluetooth. 6.6. Multihop Ad Hoc Sensor Network Project - Do It Yourself. 6.7. New Horizons. 6.8. Getting Started with Wireless Development. 6.9. Conclusion. 6.10. Problems. 6.11. Acknowledgement. 6.12. References. Index.

Mastering E-Business Infrastructure

This chapter will provide some basic introduction to Denial of Service attacks (DoS attacks). We will start with explanation of DoS attacks and all of its variations. Later on, we will focus on a subclass of DoS attacks — the ones committed from outside of victim’s system. In order to give good overview of DoS attacks, we will start with some of obsolete types of attack and show how the attacks have evolved: from simple tools to complex distributed systems. At the end of this chapter, reader will be able to see some defenses and some more general advices on how to improve organization of network staff in order to minimize the damage done by this kind of attack.

Denial of Service Attacks: Methods, Tools, Defenses

Banking business is subject to change, like everything else in this age of electronic communication. As a result, banking consumers today have more options then ever before: one can go to a traditional “brick and mortar” institution that has a building and personal service representatives; or one can go to a “brick and click” (as someone nicely called it) financial institution that has a physical structure but also provides Internet banking services. Finally, one can opt for a “virtual bank” that has no public building and exist only online. This chapter was conceived as your “ticket behind the Scene” to the world of e-Banking. You will see what is an e-Bank; what are the advantages and shortcomings of e-Banking; we will describe security problems related to it, and how those problems can be mitigated; we will try to shed some light on the subjects such as Internet bank architecture, the role of Application Service Providers, process of searching for financial information on the Web, etc.

Frederic Patricelli

Papers

Electronic Business and Education

Electronic Business and Education: Recent Advances in Internet Infrastructures

Mastering E-Business Infrastructure

Denial of Service Attacks: Methods, Tools, Defenses

E-Banking Nuts and Bolts