Showing papers by "Georgia State University published in 1998"

Coping with systems risk: security planning models for management decision making

Abstract: The likelihood that the firm's information systems are insufficiently protected against certain kinds of damage or loss is known as "systems risk." Risk can be managed or reduced when managers are aware of the full range of controls available and implement the most effective controls. Unfortunately, they often lack this knowledge, and their subsequent actions to cope with systems risk are less effective than they might otherwise be. This is one viable explanation for why losses from computer abuse and computer disasters today are uncomfortably large and still so potentially devastating after many years of attempting to deal with the problem. Results of comparative qualitative studies in two information services Fortune 500 firms identify an approach that can effectively deal with the problem. This theory-based security program includes (1) use of a security risk planning model, (2) education/training in security awareness, and (3) Countermeasure Matrix analysis.

A Typology of Consumer Responses to Cause-Related Marketing: From Skeptics to Socially Concerned:

Abstract: Although cause-related marketing has become increasingly popular, academic researchers have only begun to examine how consumers respond to it. In this study, the authors explore in depth how consum...

A framework for identifying software project risks

Abstract: We've all heard tales of multimillion dollar mistakes that somehow ran off course. Are software projects that risky or do managers need to take a fresh approach when preparing for such critical expeditions? Software projects are notoriously difficult to manage and too many of them end in failure. In 1995, annual U.S. spending on software projects reached approximately $250 billion and encompassed an estimated 175,000 projects [6]. Despite the costs involved, press reports suggest that project failures are occurring with alarming frequency. In 1995, U.S companies alone spent an estimated $59 billion in cost overruns on IS projects and another $81 billion on canceled software projects [6]. One explanation for the high failure rate is that managers are not taking prudent measures to assess and manage the risks involved in these projects. is Advocates of software project risk management claim that by countering these threats to success, the incidence of failure can be reduced [4, 5]. Before we can develop meaningful risk management strategies, however, we must identify these risks. Furthermore, the relative importance of these risks needs to be established, along with some understanding as to why certain risks are perceived to be more important than others. This is necessary so that managerial attention can be focused on the areas that constitute the greatest threats. Finally, identified risks must be classified in a way that suggests meaningful risk mitigation strategies. Here, we report the results of a Delphi study in which experienced software project managers identified and ranked the most important risks. The study led not only to the identification of risk factors and their relative importance, but also to novel insights into why project managers might view certain risks as being more important than others. Based on these insights, we introduce a framework for classifying software project risks and discuss appropriate strategies for managing each type of risk. Since the 1970s, both academics and practitioners have written about risks associated with managing software projects [1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8]. Unfortunately , much of what has been written on risk is based either on anecdotal evidence or on studies limited to a narrow portion of the development process. Moreover, no systematic attempts have been made to identify software project risks by tapping the opinions of those who actually have experience in managing such projects. With a few exceptions [3, 8], there has been little attempt to understand the …

Production and transaction economies and IS outsourcing: a study of the U.S. banking industry

Abstract: This paper studies economic determinants of IS outsourcing. It argues that a focus on comparative economic theories and models can improve our ability to explain outsourcing within the larger context of organizational strategy and environment. Specifically, the research constructs of production cost, transaction cost, and financial slack are examined simultaneously to understand what influences the outsourcing decision. To empirically test these relationships, information was gathered from senior IT managers in 243 U.S. banks. Financial indices from the archives of the Federal Reserve Bank were a second important source of data.Results of the study show that IS outsourcing in banks was strongly influenced by production cost advantages offered by vendors. Transaction costs played a role in the outsourcing decision, but it was much smaller than production costs. Finally, financial slack was not found to be a significant explanator, although firm size was a significant control factor. The paper has important implications for research and practice. For researchers, the findings provide evidence that financial criteria can be key factors in outsourcing decisions and compare the relative effects of production and transaction costs. For practitioners, the findings suggest that managerial sourcing strategies need to weigh both costs when hiring systems integrators.

Cultural Influences on Service Quality Expectations

Abstract: Service quality has been conceptualized as the difference between perceived service performance and expected service level. The authors study the effect of consumers' cultural orientation on their ...

Diversity in information systems action research methods

Abstract: Discussions of action research in information systems (IS) often proceed as if there were one definitive action research method. This paper describes and analyses the different frameworks, assumptions and goals that characterise the diverse forms of action research. A more inclusive action research paradigm is delineated that offers a basis for validating a wider range of IS research. Acceptance of the full range of the diverse forms of action research may enable the IS field to be more explicit about its research methodology, thereby enabling criteria to be improved and applied to a broader range of IS research.

The spatial mismatch hypothesis: A review of recent studies and their implications for welfare reform

Abstract: In 1992, Housing Policy Debate published John Kain's comprehensive review of the extensive scholarly literature on the spatial mismatch hypothesis. This hypothesis maintains that the suburbanization of jobs and involuntary housing market segregation have acted together to create a surplus of workers relative to the number of available jobs in submetropolitan areas where blacks are concentrated. Since Kain's review, more than two dozen new studies on the spatial mismatch hypothesis have been completed. Generally, these studies use more suitable data and superior methodologies than earlier studies and therefore provide the most reliable evidence to date on the spatial mismatch hypothesis. This article critically reviews the new studies and assesses what implications can be drawn for welfare reform.

Employee Behavior in a Service Environment: A Model and Test of Potential Differences between Men and Women:

Abstract: The authors examine the attitudes and behaviors of employees who provide frontline service and address the extent to which relationships vary among male and female employees. The overall model pred...

Corporate Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, and Competence Development

Abstract: The literature highlights the importance of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) for improving a company's market and financial performance. This paper extends the literature by focusing on the knowledge-creation processes within a firm's formal and informal CE activities. This multifaceted knowledge, which encompasses organizational, technical, and social dimensions, is developed by individuals or groups and diffused throughout the organization. Whether radical or incremental, this knowledge can generate new skills, which a company can then use to reconfigure the sources of its competitive advantage. This paper also discusses the role of intrapreneurs and CE champions, particularly in the creation and use of social capital, in the development of dynamic competencies.

Attachment and Adolescent Psychosocial Functioning

Abstract: To explore the meaning and function of attachment organization during adolescence, its relation to multiple domains of psychosocial functioning was examined in a sample of 131 moderately at-risk adolescents. Attachment organization was assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview; multiple measures of functioning were obtained from parents, adolescents, and their peers. Security displayed in adolescents' organization of discourse about attachment experiences was related to competence with peers (as reported by peers), lower levels of internalizing behaviors (as reported by adolescents), and lower levels of deviant behavior (as reported by peers and by mothers). Preoccupation with attachment experiences, seen in angry or diffuse and unfocused discussion of attachment experiences, was linked to higher levels of both internalizing and deviant behaviors. These relations generally remained even when other attachment-related constructs that had been previously related to adolescent functioning were covaried in analyses. Results are interpreted as suggesting an important role for attachment organization in a wide array of aspects of adolescent psychosocial development.

High Cerebrospinal Fluid Tau and Low Amyloid β42 Levels in the Clinical Diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease and Relation to Apolipoprotein E Genotype

Abstract: Objective To evaluate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid β protein ending at amino acid 42 (Aβ42) and tau as markers for Alzheimer disease (AD) and to determine whether clinical variables influence these levels. Design Cohort study. Setting Six academic research centers with expertise in dementia. Subjects Eighty-two patients with probable AD, including 24 with very mild dementia (Mini-Mental State Examination score >23/30) (AD group); 60 cognitively normal elderly control subjects (NC group); and 74 subjects with neurological disorders, including dementia (ND group). Main Outcome Measures Levels of Aβ42 and tau were compared among AD, NC, and ND groups. Relationships of age, sex, Mini-Mental State Examination score, and apolipoprotein E (Apo E) genotype with these levels were examined using multiple linear regression. Classification tree models were developed to optimize distinguishing AD from NC groups. Results Levels of Αβ42 were significantly lower, and levels of tau were significantly higher, in the AD group than in the NC or ND group. In the AD group, Αβ42 level was inversely associated with Apo E ϵ 4 allele dose and weakly related to Mini-Mental State Examination score; tau level was associated with male sex and 1 Apo E ϵ 4 allele. Classification tree analysis, comparing the AD and NC subjects, was 90% sensitive and 80% specific. With specificity set at greater than 90%, the tree was 77% sensitive for AD. This tree classified 26 of 74 members of the ND group as having AD. They had diagnoses difficult to distinguish from AD clinically and a high Apo E ϵ 4 allele frequency. Markers in CSF were used to correctly classify 12 of 13 patients who later underwent autopsy, including 1 with AD not diagnosed clinically. Conclusions Levels of CSF Αβ42 decrease and levels of CSF tau increase in AD. Apolipoprotein E ϵ 4 had a dose-dependent relationship with CSF levels of Αβ42, but not tau. Other covariates influenced CSF markers minimally. Combined analysis of CSF Αβ42 and tau levels discriminated patients with AD, including patients with mild dementia, from the NC group, supporting use of these proteins to identify AD and to distinguish early AD from aging. In subjects in the ND group with an AD CSF profile, autopsy follow-up will be required to decide whether CSF results are false positive, or whether AD is a primary or concomitant cause of dementia.

Subtypes of reading disability: Variability around a phonological core.

Abstract: Eight measures of cognitive and language functions in 232 children were subjected to multiple methods of cluster analysis in an effort to identify subtypes of reading disability. Clustering yielded 9 reliable subtypes representing 90% of the sample, including 2 nondisabled subtypes, and 7 reading-disabled subtypes. Of the reading-disabled subtypes, 2 were globally deficient in language skills, whereas 4 of the 5 specific reading-disabled subtypes displayed a relative weakness in phonological awareness and variations in rapid serial naming and verbal short-term memory. The remaining disabled subtype was impaired on verbal and nonverbal measures associated with rate of processing, including rate and accuracy of oral reading. Studies showed evidence for discriminative validity among the 7 reading-disabled subtypes. Results support the view that children with reading disability usually display impairments on phonological awareness measures, with discriminative variability on other measures involving phonological processing, language, and cognitive skills.

ICCD Speckle Observations of Binary Stars. XIX. An Astrometric/Spectroscopic Survey of O Stars

Abstract: We present the results of a speckle interferometric survey made with the CHARA speckle camera and 4 m–class telescopes of Galactic O-type stars with V 59% have a visual or spectroscopic companion) but less so among field and especially runaway stars. There are many triple systems among the speckle binaries, and we discuss their possible role in the ejection of stars from clusters. The period distribution of the binaries is bimodal in log P, but we suggest that binaries with periods of years and decades may eventually be found to fill the gap. The mass ratio distribution of the visual binaries increases toward lower mass ratios, but low mass ratio companions are rare among close, spectroscopic binaries (probably because of the difficulty of spectroscopic detection rather than a real deficit). We present distributions of the eccentricity and longitude of periastron for spectroscopic binaries with elliptical orbits, and we find strong evidence of a bias in the longitude of periastron distribution (the Barr effect), which is probably caused by line distortions introduced by circumstellar gas.

The Development and Testing of a Measure of Skepticism Toward Environmental Claims in Marketers' Communications

Abstract: With the growth of public concern about the environment and business response to this concern, the 1990s has been declared the decade of environmentalism (Drumwright 1994; Kangun, Carlson, and Grove 1991). Roper's national opinion poll on attitudes toward the environment shows that the majority of Americans regard a number of issues as "very serious," including industrial water and air pollution, destruction of ozone and rain forests, industrial accidents, oil spills, and hazardous waste (Roper Starch Worldwide 1996). Many people believe that businesses should play a major role in confronting these issues, as evidenced by a national Cone/Roper survey on cause-related marketing (Cone Communications Press Release 1994) where they found that quality of the environment ranked second only to crime among issues businesses should work hardest on solving. Response to this public concern is indicated by the dramatic increase in the number of "green" product introductions between 1985 and 1990 (Drumwright 1994). Furthermore, there is evidence that more marketers are making environmental claims about their products. For example, Mayer, Gray-Lee, Scammon, and Cude's (1996) audit of grocery store products across the United States uncovered environmental product or package claims, either explicit or implied, for 66 percent of the 397 brands they audited. In spite of the apparent proliferation of green marketing, however, actual consumer purchasing has lagged behind verbally-expressed concern for the environment (Mayer, Scammon, and Gray-Lee 1993; Shrum, McCarty, and Lowrey 1995). One reason for this lack of consumer responsiveness may be the confusion about and skepticism toward green marketing communications (Gray-Lee, Scammon, and Mayer 1994), possibly spawned by distrust for advertising in general. For instance, 72 percent of the respondents in a consumer panel study of attitudes toward television advertising indicated that less than one-quarter of TV ads are honest and credible (Mittal 1994). Gray-Lee, Scammon, and Mayer (1993) argue that the nature of environmental claims makes these communications especially likely to mislead consumers. In support of this argument, Moore's (1993) in-depth interviews with consumers found pervasive distrust of marketing "hype," leading respondents to perceive little association between "green" products and helping the environment. To the extent that consumers do not believe the environmental benefits touted in ads and on product labels, the costs of both developing and communicating the benefits of these new or improved "green" products are wasted. Furthermore, consumers who are skeptical of such marketing claims may inadvertently forego the chance to help the environment by purchasing genuinely beneficial or less harmful products. These arguments have lead some to assert that consumer distrust of advertising and other forms of marketing communications reduces marketplace efficiencies (c.f. Pollay and Mittal 1993). On the other hand, the Federal Trade Commission and other public policy and consumer groups, who are concerned with the potential to mislead consumers, argue that skepticism provides consumers with a "healthy" viewpoint from which to make product evaluations. They also suggest that skepticism should be enhanced through education and training. From a public policy standpoint, a desired state for consumers is that they are skeptical in those areas where there is greater potential to mislead and less skeptical in areas where there is less potential to mislead. When this is not the situation, then public policy action in the form of additional regulation or consumer education may be called for. In 1992 the Federal Trade Commission issued guidelines for the use of environmental marketing claims (FTC News 1992; Federal Trade Commission 1992). The guides were intended to reduce confusion by helping consumers understand the basis for environmental claims, to increase consumer confidence in such claims so they would be more likely to make product comparisons and choices using environmental criteria, and to enable consumers to use the power of the marketplace to achieve environmental goals. …

Apes, Language, and the Human Mind

Abstract: PART 1: ENTRY INTO LANGUAGE PART 2: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL IMPLICATIONS NOTES REFERENCES INDEX

Examining degree of balance and level of obligation in the employment relationship: a social exchange approach

Abstract: Summary A typology of four exchange relationships defined by two dimensions (degree of balance in employee and employer obligations; level of obligation) was evaluated. Three hundred and twenty seven working MBA students participated in the study. Results generally supported the existence of our proposed four-group typology since: (1) four distinct patterns of obligations emerged in the cluster analysis, and (2) mean diAerences were shown for the four exchange types on the criterion variables. Of particular note was the finding that the mutual high obligations relationship (both employee and employer obligations were consistently perceived to be high) showed much higher levels of perceived organizational support, career future, and aAective commitment, and lower levels of turnover intention than all other types of exchange relationships. This suggests the importance of diAerences in the type of exchange relationship, as perceived by the employee, for both employees and organizations. #1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Using FACETS to model rater training effects

Abstract: This article describes a study conducted to explore differences in rater severity and consistency among inexperienced and experienced raters both before and after rater training. Sixteen raters (eight experienced and eight inexperienced) rated overlapping subsets of essays from a total sample of 60 essays before and after rater training in the context of an operational administration of UCLA’s English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE). A three-part scale was used, comprising content, rhetorical control, and language. Ratings were analysed using FACETS, a multi-faceted Rasch analysis program that provides estimates of rater severity on a linear scale as well as fit statistics, which are indicators of rater consistency. The analysis showed that the inexperienced raters tended to be both more severe and less consistent in their ratings than the experienced raters before training. After training, the differences between the two groups of raters were less pronounced; however, significant diffe...

Central nervous system origins of the sympathetic nervous system outflow to white adipose tissue

Abstract: White adipose tissue (WAT) is innervated by postganglionic sympathetic nervous system (SNS) neurons, suggesting that lipid mobilization could be regulated by the SNS [T. G. Youngstrom and T. J. Bartness. Am. J. Physiol. 268 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 37): R744-R751, 1995]. A viral transsynaptic retrograde tract tracer, the pseudorabies virus (PRV), was used to identify the origins of the SNS outflow from the brain to WAT neuroanatomically. PRV was injected into epididymal or inguinal WAT (EWAT and IWAT, respectively) of Siberian hamsters and IWAT of rats. PRV-infected neurons were visualized by immunocytochemistry and found in the spinal cord, brain stem (medulla, nucleus of the solitary tract, caudal raphe nucleus, C1 and A5 regions), midbrain (central gray), and several areas within the forebrain. The general pattern of infection of WAT in both species was more similar than different and resembled that seen after PRV injections into the adrenal medulla in rats (A. M. Strack, W. B. Sawyer, J. H. Hughes, K. B. Platt, and A. D. Loewy. Brain Res. 491: 156-162, 1989). EWAT versus IWAT injected hamsters had relatively less labeling in the suprachiasmatic, dorsomedial, and arcuate nuclei. Overall, it appeared that the SNS innervation of WAT originates from the general SNS outflow of the central nervous system and therefore may play a significant role in lipid mobilization.

Neural network forecasting of the British Pound/US Dollar exchange rate

Abstract: Neural networks have successfully been used for exchange rate forecasting. However, due to a large number of parameters to be estimated empirically, it is not a simple task to select the appropriate neural network architecture for an exchange rate forecasting problem. Researchers often overlook the effect of neural network parameters on the performance of neural network forecasting. This paper examines the effects of the number of input and hidden nodes as well as the size of the training sample on the in-sample and out-of-sample performance. The British pound/US dollar is used for detailed examinations. It is found that neural networks outperform linear models, particularly when the forecast horizon is short. In addition, the number of input nodes has a greater impact on performance than the number of hidden nodes, while a larger number of observations do reduce forecast errors.

A Qualitative Assessment of Arab Culture and Information Technology Transfer

Abstract: Information technology transfer is not an easy task, and seems to be particularly daunting for developing countries. As most technology is designed and produced in developed countries, it is culturally-biased in favor of those developed countries’ social and cultural systems. This bias creates cultural and social obstacles for developing countries to transfer technology into practice. Based on focus groups, interviews of Arab-American business people, and a field study conducted in five Arab countries, this paper presents the findings of a qualitative progressive study to systematically examine the linkage between information technology transfer and sociocultural factors that support or impede a successful transfer.

The impact of developer responsiveness on perceptions of usefulness and ease of use: an extension of the technology acceptance model

Abstract: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) suggests that the perceived usefulness (PU) and the perceived ease of use (PEOU) of an information system (IS) are major determinants of its use. Previous research has demonstrated the validity of this model across a wide variety of IS types. However, prior research has not identified antecedents of PU and there has been only limited research on the antecedents of PEOU. Consequently, research has provided little guidance to IS managers on methods to increase use by augmenting PU and PEOU.Viewing IS development as an instance of Social Exchange Theory (SET), this study proposes that IS managers can influence both the PU and the PEOU of an IS through a constructive social exchange with the user. One means of building and maintaining a constructive social exchange is through developer responsiveness. The results of this study, examining the adoption of an expert system, indeed support this notion. Specifically, developer responsiveness strongly influenced both PU and PEOU, but only indirectly affected actual behavior --- IS use --- in accordance with the predictions of SET. An extension of TAM based on SET is presented and the implications of this extended model are discussed from both a managerial and theoretical perspective.

Innervation of mammalian white adipose tissue: implications for the regulation of total body fat

Abstract: We review the extensive physiological and neuroanatomical evidence for the innervation of white adipose tissue (WAT) by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) as well as what is known about the sensory innervation of this tissue. The SNS innervation of WAT appears to be a part of the general SNS outflow from the central nervous system, consisting of structures and connections throughout the neural axis. The innervation of WAT by the SNS could play a role in the regulation of total body fat in general, most likely plays an important role in regional differences in lipid mobilization specifically, and may have a trophic affect on WAT. The exact nature of the SNS innervation of WAT is not known but it may involve contact with adipocytes and/or their associated vasculature. We hypothesize that the SNS innervation of WAT is an important contributor to the apparent “regulation” of total body fat.

Predicting general it use : applying tam to the arabic world

Abstract: Information technology adoption and use has been extensively studied in the industrialized world, yet there is dearth of knowledge regarding less developed countries (LDCs). The need for understanding how and why technology has or has not adopted by these potential knowledge workers is important for managers and providers alike. This study extends Davis’ diffusion model—the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) — and builds toward an understanding of the problem and possible solutions. Toward that end, this study tested TAM successfully in five LDC Arab nations in the Middle East. In addition to demonstrating the robustness of TAM in the developing world, the study extends TAM methodology. This was accomplished by expanding TAM’s artifact of study from specific technologies to generic personal computing. This is critical for understanding information technology adoption and use in the developing world where there may be formidable barriers to computer technology in general.

Sexual Coercion, Domestic Violence, and Negotiating Condom Use Among Low-Income African American Women

Abstract: Coercion to engage in unwanted sex places women at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A survey of 125 women living in low-income housing developments in Fulton County, Georgia, showed that 53 (42%) women had engaged in unwanted sex because a male partner threatened to use force or used force to obtain sexual access. Women who had been sexually coerced were more likely to have used marijuana and crack cocaine and to have abused alcohol. Coerced women were more likely to have been physically abused by a domestic partner. These women were also more likely to perceive that requesting male partners to use condoms would create a potentially violent situation. These results suggest that women experience an interactive constellation of social problems that create risks for HIV infection and, therefore, that efforts to prevent HIV infection among women will require multifaceted intervention strategies to reach both men and women at risk.

The effects of state and local antidiscrimination policies on earnings for gays and lesbians

Abstract: In the last 25 years, many cities and counties, as well as a few states, have adopted policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in private or public employment. These policies may increase earnings for gays and lesbians by decreasing discrimination in hiring, firing, promotion, or pay. This study uses data from the 1990 U.S. census to estimate the effects of these policies on individual earnings and household income. The results suggest that the policies have been adopted in places with higher earnings and that same-sex couples are more likely to live in areas that have adopted policies. However, after controlling for individual and location characteristics, the results show no evidence of a direct effect of antidiscrimination policies on average earnings or income for members of same-sex couples. Antidiscrimination policies may be more important both for a small number of individuals and as symbols of full citizenship and legitimacy for gays and lesbians.

Impact of Recess on Classroom Behavior: Group Effects and Individual Differences

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of a recess break on classroom behavior, specifically working, fidgeting, and listlessness. A southern urban school district with a policy against recess granted permission for 2 Grade 4 classes to have recess once a week so that subsequent behavior on recess and nonrecess days could be compared. A multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures and subsequent analyses of variance indicated that the 43 children, who were used as their own controls, differed on recess and nonrecess days, becoming more on task and less fidgety when they had recess. Sixty percent of the children, including all 5 of those with attention deficit disorder, and a balance of boys and girls benefited considerably. They worked more or fidgeted less (or both) on recess days.