Information Management: Support Systems & Multimedia Technology edited by George Ditsa University of Wollongong, Australia IRM Press Publisher of innovative scholarly and professional information technology titles in the cyberage Hershey • London • Melbourne • Singapore • Beijing Acquisitions Editor: Mehdi Khosrow-Pour Senior Managing Editor: Jan Travers Managing Editor: Amanda Appicello Copy Editor: Michelle Wilgenburg Typesetter: Jennifer Wetzel Cover Design: Michelle Waters Printed at: Integrated Book Technology Published in the United States of America by IRM Press (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.) 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200 Hershey PA 17033-1240 Tel: 717-533-8845 Fax: 717-533-8661 E-mail: cust@idea-group.com Web site: http://www.irm-press.com and in the United Kingdom by IRM Press (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.) 3 Henrietta Street Covent Garden London WC2E 8LU Tel: 44 20 7240 0856 Fax: 44 20 7379 3313 Web site: http://www.eurospan.co.uk Copyright © 2003 by IRM Press. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy- ing, without written permission from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ditsa, George. Information management : support systems & multimedia technology / George Ditsa. p. cm. Issued also as an e-book. ISBN 1-931777-41-1 (soft-cover) -- ISBN 1-931777-57-8 (e-book) 1. Electronic data processing. 2. Management information systems. I. Title. QA76.D59 2003 658.4'038'011--dc21 2002156227 British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library. New Releases from IRM Press Excellent additions to your institution’s library! Recommend these titles to your Librarian! To receive a copy of the IRM Press catalog, please contact (toll free) 1/800-345-4332, fax 1/717-533-8661, or visit the IRM Press Online Bookstore at: [http://www.irm-press.com]! Note: All IRM Press books are also available as ebooks on netlibrary.com as well as other ebook sources. Contact Ms. Carrie Skovrinskie at [cskovrinskie@idea-group.com] to receive a complete list of sources where you can obtain ebook information or IRM Press titles. • Multimedia and Interactive Digital TV: Managing the Opportunities Created by Digital Convergence/Margherita Pagani ISBN: 1-931777-38-1; eISBN: 1-931777-54-3 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Virtual Education: Cases in Learning & Teaching Technologies/ Fawzi Albalooshi (Ed.), ISBN: 1-931777-39-X; eISBN: 1-931777-55-1 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Managing IT in Government, Business & Communities/Gerry Gingrich (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-40-3; eISBN: 1-931777-56-X / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Information Management: Support Systems & Multimedia Technology/ George Ditsa (Ed.), ISBN: 1-931777-41-1; eISBN: 1-931777-57-8 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Managing Globally with Information Technology/Sherif Kamel (Ed.) ISBN: 42-X; eISBN: 1-931777-58-6 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Current Security Management & Ethical Issues of Information Technology/Rasool Azari (Ed.), ISBN: 1-931777-43-8; eISBN: 1-931777-59-4 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • UML and the Unified Process/Liliana Favre (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-44-6; eISBN: 1-931777-60-8 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Business Strategies for Information Technology Management/Kalle Kangas (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-45-4; eISBN: 1-931777-61-6 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Managing E-Commerce and Mobile Computing Technologies/Julie Mariga (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-46-2; eISBN: 1-931777-62-4 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Effective Databases for Text & Document Management/Shirley A. Becker (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-47-0; eISBN: 1-931777-63-2 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Technologies & Methodologies for Evaluating Information Technology in Business/Charles K. Davis (Ed.), ISBN: 1-931777-48-9; eISBN: 1-931777-64-0 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • ERP & Data Warehousing in Organizations: Issues and Challenges/Gerald Grant (Ed.), ISBN: 1-931777-49-7; eISBN: 1-931777-65-9 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Practicing Software Engineering in the 21 st Century/Joan Peckham (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-50-0; eISBN: 1-931777-66-7 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Knowledge Management: Current Issues and Challenges/Elayne Coakes (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-51-9; eISBN: 1-931777-67-5 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Computing Information Technology: The Human Side/Steven Gordon (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-52-7; eISBN: 1-931777-68-3 / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Current Issues in IT Education/Tanya McGill (Ed.) ISBN: 1-931777-53-5; eISBN: 1-931777-69-1 / US$59.95 / © 2003 Information Management: Support Systems & Multimedia Technology Table of Contents Preface vii George Ditsa, University of Wollongong, Australia Chapter I. An Intelligent Agent-Based Cooperative Information Processing Model . 1 Li Yao, National University of Defense Technology, China Weiming Zhang, National University of Defense Technology, China Chapter II. Knowledge-Based Personalization 26 Tamara Babaian, Bentley College, USA Chapter III. Customizing Digital Storefronts Using the Knowledge-Based Approach 34 Fiona Y. Chan, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong William K. Cheung, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Chapter IV. Managing Process Compliance 48 Larry Y.C. Cheung, Loughborough University, UK Paul W.H. Chung, Loughborough University, UK Ray J. Dawson, Loughborough University, UK Chapter V. Integrating the End User into Infrastructure Systems: A Customer Centric Approach to the Design and Function of Intelligent Transportation Systems . 63 Thomas A. Horan, Claremont Graduate University, USA Chapter VI. Implementing the Shared Event Paradigm: Architecture, Issues and Lessons Learned 78 Dirk Trossen, Nokia Research Center, Boston, USA Erik Molenaar, University of Technology, Aachen, Germany Chapter VII. The Effect of Training Set Distributions for Supervised Learning Artificial Neural Networks on Classification Accuracy 93 Steven Walczak, University of Colorado at Denver, USA Irena Yegorova, City University of New York, USA Bruce H. Andrews, University of Southern Maine, USA Chapter VIII. Executive Information Systems Use in Organisational Contexts: An Explanatory User Behaviour Testing . 109 George Ditsa, University of Wollongong, Australia Chapter IX. Culture and Anonymity in GSS Meetings . 156 Moez Limayem, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Mohamed Khalifa, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong John Coombes, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Chapter X. Asynchronous and Distributed Multi-Criteria Decision Making Using a Web-Based Group Support System . 168 Sajjad Zahir, University of Lethbridge, Canada Brian Dobing, University of Lethbridge, Canada Chapter XI. Activity Theory as a Theoretical Foundation for Information Systems Research 192 George Ditsa, University of Wollongong, Australia Chapter XII. Publishing Model for Web Applications: A User-Centered Approach . 232 Roberto Paiano, University of Lecce, Italy Leonardo Mangia, University of Lecce, Italy Vito Perrone, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Chapter XIII. LEZI: A Video Based Tool for Distance Learning 256 Mario A. Bochicchio, University of Lecce, Italy Nicola Fiore, University of Lecce, Italy Chapter XIV. Electronic Journalism in Peru 277 Antonio Díaz, Escuela de Administración de Negocios para Graduados, Peru Martín Santana, Escuela de Administración de Negocios para Graduados, Peru Chapter XV. An Integrated Network Management Framework Using CORBA, Mobile Agents and Web-Based Technologies . 298 Dongming Cui, The University of Auckland, New Zealand Jairo A. Gutiérrez, The University of Auckland, New Zealand About the Authors . 310 Index 318 Preface vii Advances in computer technology and information systems have created new opportunities as well as challenges to the management of information re- sources. In the past two decades or so, information management has become a key issue of interest to both researchers and practitioners since the advent of computers. The issue has become more of a concern and a challenge to both communities with the tremendous advances in computer technology and informa- tion systems in recent times. The heightened concern and challenge is, in part, due to the tremendous amount of information generated with the advancement of com- puter technology and information systems. Information support systems are designed in a way to help solve some of the concerns and challenges of managing information resources. These systems pro- vide the tools and means of managing information resources on persons, groups, and organizations. Without doubt, support systems are key topics for current and future research efforts aimed at maximizing the management of information re- sources. Multimedia technology has drastically changed the way we view, interact with, and use computers. Multimedia technology succeeded in transforming com- puters to the real “second person.” Like never before, multimedia technology has made it possible for us to see, hear, read, feel, and talk to computers. Multimedia technology has transformed and further deepened our understanding and use of computers in a more meaningful way. Without doubt, multimedia technology is a key topic for current and future application of information technology. John Waterworth, in an attempt to draw our attention to the significance of multimedia technology, states: viii The widespread application of technology that combines photographic images, graphics, text, motion video and audio material in a well-integrated way is bound to have a major impact on the development of information systems that are more than word processors, computational number crunchers, or a combination of the two. This impact will be seen in business, in science, in education, in the home, and in public places. It will reach people at almost all levels of society, and will have significant, but as yet unknown, societal impacts. This makes multimedia a uniquely exciting field to be working at the moment (1991, p. 20). Sheu and Ismail (1998) have further stated how multimedia technology has pervaded our lives and “has forever changed the way we live, work, entertain, and learn. With wide access to the Internet, kids can spend more time online experimenting with and learning from computers through the Information Super- highway than on the TV. Once the power of image, video, and graphic through high-speed fiber-optics transmission or wireless communication is enjoyed, the old-fashioned approach of using plain text as a main source of information will be a thing of the past” (p. xxi). Multimedia technology has also offered the means and ways of managing information resources. This book uniquely combines both issues of support systems and multimedia technology in information management today. The book has been arranged and organized having in mind both practitioners and researchers and is, therefore, suitable for both communities. The book is also suitable for graduates and under- graduates in support systems and multimedia technology. ORGANIZATION OF THIS BOOK This book is organized into 15 chapters. The first chapter, by Li Yao and Weiming Zhang, presents a Basic Organization Structure (BOS) model for build- ing a large and complex distributed cooperative information system in large mutual networks. The chapter argues that a large and complex cooperative information system and its subsystems in a LAN can be modeled by multi-agent organization and basic organization respectively; and that with the BOS model, such a coop- erative information system can be developed easily and is more manageable, ef- fectively supporting the complicated cooperative methods under certain condi- tions. Chapter II presents a novel method for software personalization by which a set of mechanisms tailored to a particular end user and his or her task can be achieved. This chapter, by Tamara Babaian, used the proposed method in a collaborative system called Writer’s Aid. The method relies on a declarative speci- [...]... development of large-scale and complex commercial, industrial, military, educational, and medical treatment information systems So knowing how to build actual agent-based applications or multi-agent systems is still in its infancy To solve the information- processing problems by multi-agent systems cooperatively and efficiently, we present the Basic Organization Structure (BOS) model, which can support the... Copyright © 2003, Idea Group Inc Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc is prohibited Intelligent Agent-Based Cooperative Information Processing Model 7 In the DTIMS, we design and implement an agent with Belief-Desire-Intention structure, which is called CSA (Constrained-by-organization Semi-autonomic Agent), where the semi-autonomic primarily... using executive information systems (EIS) and identifies the relative importance of those factors that determine the use of EIS The chapter discusses the results of the study and its implications for research and practice x Chapter IX is on culture and anonymity in group support systems (GSS) meetings In this chapter, Moez Limayem, Mohamed Khalifa, and John Coombes used social psychology and Hofstede’s... the fixed period and under the condition of limited bandwidth, the agent can effectively cooperate and process the incomplete, inaccurate, and complicated data information to get the user-satisfied solution In this chapter we show, with the aid of an application example, that a large and complex cooperative information system and its subsystems in a LAN can be modeled by organization and basic organization... must dynamically and effectively process a great deal of complicated, incomplete, and inaccurate rude data from different information sources in order to generate information of reliability with good quality for the users Thus, there is a pressing need for new models and techniques to support the developing and managing processes of such complex information systems Agent and agent-based computing provide... Maintenance Agent UAA : User Assistant Agent SIMA: Sharing Information Management Agent MKA: Meta-Knowledge management Agent DMSA : Decision-Making Support Agent The Characteristics of an Agent in a Basic Organizational Structure If we want to view the multi-agent system as analogous to human organization, and apply the concepts and theories germane to the management science field of organization into this... Environment ( h fi d h d d f l In the figure, the dashes stand for control flow and the real lines stand for information flow Copyright © 2003, Idea Group Inc Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc is prohibited 8 Yao & Zhang and they are distributed in a LAN at different locations and interact with each other through high speed communication... Agent (UIA), and User Aid Agent (UAA) 4 PSA: Information Fusing Agent (IFA), and Situation Assessment Agent (SAA) 5 CFA: the Meta-Knowledge management Agent (MKA) and Sharing Information Management Agent (SIMA) There are two kinds of organizational relationships in the BOS model One of them is formal organizational relationship, which includes superior, subordinate, Copyright © 2003, Idea Group Inc Copying... the real time data information from the sensors, it checks the form of new information, records the new information, assesses the new information according to expertise, and sends the new information to the Information Fusing Agent (IFA) In the process of assessment, if SDPA found the new information useful to the other BOS, it sends the new information to HA; if SDPA found the new information important,... distributed artificial intelligence, data ware, data mining, and computer supported cooperating work, the cooperative information systems appear more and more in various aspects in man’s work and management Establishing a cooperative information system on the Internet or Intranet can unify the different organizations, personnel, cultures, and machines on a virtual platform; therefore, it plays an important . support systems & multimedia technology / George Ditsa. p. cm. Issued also as an e-book. ISBN 1-9 3177 7-4 1-1 (soft-cover) -- ISBN 1-9 3177 7-5 7-8 (e-book). eISBN: 1-9 3177 7-5 6-X / US$59.95 / © 2003 • Information Management: Support Systems & Multimedia Technology/ George Ditsa (Ed.), ISBN: 1-9 3177 7-4 1-1 ; eISBN: