[AISWorld] IJITSA 5(1) ToC

[Manuel Mora T.]

Dear colleagues interested in the Systems Approach:
IJITSA 5(1) ToC is reported FYI. Next submissions are welcome before
or on March 31, 2012. Thanks. Sincerely,
IJITSA Editorial Team

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International Journal of Information Technologies and Systems Approach
(IJITSA)
Official Publication of the Information Resources Management Association
Volume 5, Issue 1, January-June 2012
Published: Semi-Annually in Print and Electronically
ISSN: 1935-570X EISSN: 1935-5718
Published by IGI Publishing, Hershey-New York, USA
www.igi-global.com/ijitsa
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Special Issue: System Dynamics and other Simulation-Based Approaches for
Information Systems

GUEST EDITORIAL PREFACE

Peter Otto, Union Graduate College, USA
Andrej Skraba, University of Maribor, Slovenia

To read the preface, click on the link below, and then visit this issue of
IJITSA.
http://www.igi-global.com/ijitsa

PAPER ONE

The Information System for Bridge Networks Condition Monitoring and
Prediction

Khalid Aboura, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Bijan Samali, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

This paper introduces an information system for estimating lifetime
characteristics of elements of bridges and predicting the future
conditions of networks of bridges. The Information System for Bridge
Networks Condition Monitoring and Prediction was developed for the Roads
and Traffic Authority of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The
conceptual departure from the standard bridge management systems is the
use of a novel stochastic process built out of the gamma process. The
statistical model was designed for the estimation of infrastructure
lifetime, based on the analysis of more than 15 years of bridge inspection
data. The predictive curve provides a coherent mathematical model for
conducting target level constrained and funding based maintenance
optimization.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/article/information-system-bridge-networks-condition/62025

To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=62025

PAPER TWO

Improving Health Care Management through the Use of Dynamic Simulation
Modeling and Health Information Systems

Daniel Goldsmith, MIT Sloan School of Management, USA
Michael Siegel, MIT Sloan School of Management, USA

To better understand the performance of hospital operations in response to
IT-enabled improvement, this paper reports the results of a system
dynamics model designed to improve core medical processes. Utilizing
system dynamics modeling and emerging Health Information Systems (HIS)
data, the authors demonstrate how current behavior within the hospital
leads to a ‘stove-pipe’ effect, in which each functional group employs
policies that are rational at the group level, but that lead to
inefficiencies at the hospital level. The authors recommend management
improvements in both materials and staff utilization to address the
stove-pipe effect, estimate the resultant cost-saving, and report the
results of an experiment conducted in the hospital to validate the
approach. Results indicate that the major gains in health information
systems use will accompany new information gathering capabilities, as
these capabilities result in collections of data that can be used to
greatly improve patient safety, hospital operations, and medical decision
support.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/article/improving-health-care-management-through/62026

To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=62026

PAPER THREE

The Key Role of Interfaces in IT Outsourcing Relationships

Francois Duhamel, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Mexico
Isis Gutiérrez-Martínez, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Mexico
Sergio Picazo-Vela, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Mexico
Luis Felipe Luna-Reyes, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Mexico

Many IT outsourcing operations fail, and when they do not fail they often
impose renegotiations over the life of the contract between outsourcers
and service providers. Possible remedies include the improvement of
knowledge-sharing processes over organizational boundaries between
partners, who may learn more about the problems that occur while looking
at possible solutions together. Ensuring the right flow of knowledge in
the two directions is central to the success of IT outsourcing operations,
particularly in the transition stage of the relationship. However, these
solutions do not fully acknowledge the different interrelationships
between the main factors affecting knowledge transfer in outsourcing
relationships in a dynamic way. In this paper, previous research on
modeling knowledge-sharing across boundaries is applied to IT outsourcing
contracts during the transition phase of the IT outsourcing relationship.
Simulation experiments suggest that four reinforcing processes play key
roles in the progress of the outsourcing relationship: trust, outsourcers’
and providers’ knowledge, commitment, and interfacing.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/article/key-role-interfaces-outsourcing-relationships/62027

To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=62027

PAPER FOUR

Towards a Minimal Realisable System Dynamics Project Model

A. S. White, Middlesex University, UK

This paper looks at the established Systems Dynamics (SD) methods applied
to Software projects in order to simplify them. These methods are highly
non-linear and contain large numbers of variables and built in decisions.
A SIMULINK version of an SD model is used here and conclusions are made
with respect to the initial main controlling factors, compared to a NASA
project. The eigenvalues of the linearised system indicate that the
important factors are the hiring delay time, the assimilation time and the
employment time. This illustrates how the initial state of the system is
at best neutrally stable with control only being achieved with complex
non-linear decisions. The purpose is to show the minimum level of
complexity required for “good” simulation of project behaviour considering
the Abdel-Hamid software project model and three simpler versions. These
models give clues to the decision structures that are necessary for good
agreement with reality.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/article/towards-minimal-realisable-system-dynamics/62028

To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=62028

PAPER FIVE

Dynamics in Strategic Alliances: A Theory on Interorganizational Learning
and Knowledge Development

Peter Otto, Union Graduate College, USA

The objective of this paper is to develop a dynamic theory of
interorganizational learning and knowledge acquisition in strategic
alliances. Strategic alliances are becoming an increasingly important
organizational form to gain access to new knowledge and to leverage
existing knowledge. By establishing an alliance with one or more partners,
an organization will gain valuable learning opportunities to acquire
knowledge and to enhance its competitiveness. The degree to which the
partners can realize their learning objectives is dependent on their
absorptive capacities and the collaborative strategies adopted by the
partners. These collaborative strategies may include the trust between
alliance partners as well as the willingness to share existing knowledge.
In order to gain insights into the dynamics of interorganizational
learning and knowledge acquisition, the authors propose a simulation model
to test different conditions influencing the outcome of an alliance. The
results can improve our understanding of the key factors that influence
the acquisition of knowledge in strategic alliances. The paper concludes
with a discussion of guidelines to assess and manage the outcome of
strategic alliances.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/article/dynamics-strategic-alliances/62029

To read a PDF sample of this article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=62029

INTERVIEW

Interview with George P. Richardson: O’Leary Professor of Public
Administration and Policy, and Informatics—Rockefeller College of Public
Affairs and Policy, University at Albany, USA

Peter Otto, Union Graduate College, USA
Andrej Skraba, University of Maribor, Slovenia

To read the interview, click on the link below, and then visit this issue
of IJITSA.
http://www.igi-global.com/ijitsa

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For full copies of the above articles, check for this issue of the
International Journal of Information Technologies and Systems Approach
(IJITSA) in your institution's library. This journal is also included in
the IGI Global aggregated "InfoSci-Journals" database:
http://www.igi-global.com/eresources/infosci-journals.aspx.
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Editors-in-Chief:
Frank Stowell, University of Portsmouth, UK; and
Manuel Mora, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, México
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