Small-scale Business Enterprises (SBEs) lack proper mechanisms for supporting the provision and access to business information that can nurture their development in Kenya. This study investigated the role that public libraries could play in supporting the development of SBEs in Meru County with a view to developing a model that would enable public libraries to effectively support the development of SBEs. The study used the pragmatic paradigm to explore the identified phenomena. It applied the mixed methods approach and survey research design; collected data from 355 SBEs, 21 staff from three public libraries and two staff from the enterprise development unit of Meru County. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. The response rate was 83.4% and 95% for SBEs and public library staff respectively. The descriptive and inferential statistics were used with the help of SPSS and Excel. Thematic analysis was applied on qualitative data. The study found that the factors that influence the development of SBEs are anchored in the environmental, cultural and personality factors of SBEs. SBEs have a myriad of business information needs which are sector-specific and cut across all the stages of business development. To fulfil these needs, most SBEs consult informal information sources and places. Technology-related tools were a popular means of accessing business information. Public libraries were poorly stocked with business information sources while business information services were in a desolate state. The study concludes that public libraries have facilitative and functional roles of providing business information solutions to SBEs by collaborating with like- minded stakeholders. The availability and accessibility of business information sources and services at public libraries is critical in addressing the information needs of SBEs. The study recommends repositioning of public libraries as business community development centres by providing value-based information sources and services. Public libraries need to revise their collection development policy, increase budget allocation, establish business information centres, seek partnerships, improve ICT facilities, ensure adequate staffing, engage business services librarians, open more libraries and widen their business outreach activities for effective support of SBEs. Policy framework and support systems for symmetrical access to business information, and entrepreneurial training for SBEs and for public library staff are needed. The proposed model of public library’s support for the development of SBEs is valuable and contribute to knowledge in business development. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Die Arbeit geht dem Status quo der unternehmensweiten Suche in österreichischen Großunternehmen nach und beleuchtet Faktoren, die darauf Einfluss haben. Aus der Analyse des Ist-Zustands wird der Bedarf an Enterprise-Search-Software abgeleitet und es werden Rahmenbedingungen für deren erfolgreiche Einführung skizziert. Die Untersuchung stützt sich auf eine im Jahr 2009 durchgeführte Onlinebefragung von 469 österreichischen Großunternehmen (Rücklauf 22 %) und daran anschließende Leitfadeninterviews mit zwölf Teilnehmern der Onlinebefragung. Der theoretische Teil verortet die Arbeit im Kontext des Informations- und Wissensmanagements. Der Fokus liegt auf dem Ansatz der Enterprise Search, ihrer Abgrenzung gegenüber der Suche im Internet und ihrem Leistungsspektrum. Im empirischen Teil wird zunächst aufgezeigt, wie die Unternehmen ihre Informationen organisieren und welche Probleme dabei auftreten. Es folgt eine Analyse des Status quo der Informationssuche im Unternehmen. Abschließend werden Bekanntheit und Einsatz von Enterprise-Search-Software in der Zielgruppe untersucht sowie für die Einführung dieser Software nötige Rahmenbedingungen benannt. Defizite machen die Befragten insbesondere im Hinblick auf die übergreifende Suche im Unternehmen und die Suche nach Kompetenzträgern aus. Hier werden Lücken im Wissensmanagement offenbar. 29 % der Respondenten der Onlinebefragung geben zudem an, dass es in ihren Unternehmen gelegentlich bis häufig zu Fehlentscheidungen infolge defizitärer Informationslagen kommt. Enterprise-Search-Software kommt in 17 % der Unternehmen, die sich an der Onlinebefragung beteiligten, zum Einsatz. Die durch Enterprise-Search-Software bewirkten Veränderungen werden grundsätzlich positiv beurteilt. Alles in allem zeigen die Ergebnisse, dass Enterprise-Search-Strategien nur Erfolg haben können, wenn man sie in umfassende Maßnahmen des Informations- und Wissensmanagements einbettet. / The dissertation pursues the status quo of enterprise search within large companies in Austria and examines which aspects take influence on it. From the analysis of the current state the demand for enterprise search software is derived and the conditions of how it can be implemented successfully are outlined. The study is based on an online survey in 2009 among 469 large companies in Austria (response rate of 22 %), which was complemented by semi-structured interviews with twelve participants of the online survey. The theoretical part puts the examination in the field of information and knowledge management. It focuses on the strategy of enterprise search, its differences compared with web search, and its technical features. The empirical part investigates how companies organize information and which problems might arise as a result. This is followed by an analysis of the state of information retrieval within the company. Finally, the degree of awareness and use of enterprise search software and the basic conditions for its installation are explored. Above all, the respondents and interviewees identify deficits concerning metasearch features as well as the search for experts within the company. This in turn reveals gaps in knowledge management efforts. Moreover, 29 % of the online survey’s respondents indicate that their company either sometimes or often take wrong decisions because of insufficient information. 17 % of the responding companies take advantage of enterprise search software. In principle, the changes due to enterprise search software are seen positively. In summary, the results show that enterprise search risks to fail as a success-ful strategy unless it is embedded in comprehensive information and knowledge management activities.

This thesis deals with the book-keeping on the computer and accounting software evaluation. The theoretical part includes chapters about history of book-keeping, legal regulation related to book-keeping using ICT, impacts and risks of ICT on book-keeping and business information system. The knowledge from the theoretical part is used in the practical part, which is addressed to the evaluation of specific information system Navision.

Nowadays the information system has an increasingly important role, including the smallest companies. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate current information system used in KAC, spol. s r.o., analyze its drawbacks and weak spots, then propose system upgrade and select the appropriate solution, that will to its improvement and thus to increase company’s performance.

This thesis analyzes and defines requirements of framework, which helps with quick and effortless development of business information systems. The main goal of the framework is development acceleration, price reduction and overall improvement of product quality. The thesis also compares and evaluates existing tools. The result is detailed design and implementation of own flexible solution that fulfills all defined requirements and removes disadvantages of existing solutions. In the scope for further studies framework development possibilities and directions are listed.

Das Interuniversitäre Doktorandenseminar Wirtschaftsinformatik ist eine regelmäßige Veranstaltung, in deren Rahmen Doktoranden der Universitäten Chemnitz, Dresden, Freiberg, Halle, Ilmenau, Jena und Leipzig ihr Promotionsprojekt präsentieren und sich den kritischen Fragen der anwesenden Professoren und Doktoranden aller beteiligten Universitäten stellen. Auf diese Weise erhalten die Promovierenden wertvolles Feedback zu Vorgehen, Methodik und inhaltlichen Aspekten ihrer Arbeit, welches sie für ihre Promotion nutzen können. Darüber hinaus bietet das Interuniversitäre Doktorandenseminar Wirtschaftsinformatik eine Plattform für eine fachliche Auseinandersetzung mit aktuellen Themen und sich ankündigenden Trends in der Forschung der Wirtschaftsinformatik. Zudem wird ein akademischer Diskurs über die Grenzen der jeweils eigenen Schwerpunkte der Professur hinaus ermöglicht. Das nunmehr 20. Jubiläum des Doktorandenseminars fand in Chemnitz statt. Der daraus entstandene Tagungsband enthält fünf ausgewählte Beiträge zu den Themenfeldern Service Engineering, Cloud-Computing, Geschäftsprozessmanagement, Requirements Engineering, Analytics und Datenqualität und zeigt damit anschaulich die Aktualität und Relevanz, aber auch die thematische Breite der gegenwärtigen Forschung im Bereich Wirtschaftsinformatik. / The inter-university PhD seminar Business Information Systems (“Interuniversitäres Doktorandenseminar Wirtschaftsinformatik”) is an annual one-day event which is organized by the Business Information Systems chairs of the universities of Chemnitz, Dresden, Freiberg, Halle, Ilmenau, Jena and Leipzig. It serves as a platform for PhD students to present their PhD topic and the current status of the thesis. Therefore, the seminar is a good opportunity to gain further knowledge and inspiration based on the feedback and questions of the participating professors and students. The 20th Interuniversitäre Doktorandenseminar Wirtschaftsinformatik took place in Chemnitz in October 2016. The resulting proceedings include five selected articles within the following topic areas: service engineering, cloud computing, business process management, requirements engineering, analytics und data quality. They illustrate the relevance as well as the broad range of topics in current business information systems research. In case of questions and comments, please use the contact details at the end of the articles.

The present study examines General Deterrence Theory (GDT) and its "parent," Rational Choice Theory (RCT), in an information security setting, assessing the behavioral intent to violate organizational policy under varying levels of certainty, severity and celerity of negative sanction. Also assessed is the individual computer user's time orientation, as measured by the Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) instrument (Strathman et. al, 1994). How does rational consideration of violation rewards influence the impact of sanctions on individuals? How does time orientation impact intent to violate security policy? How do these operate in an IS context? These questions are examined by assessing the responses of university students (N = 443) to experimental manipulations of sanctions and rewards. Answering vignettes with the factorial survey method, intent to violate is assessed in a setting of Internet piracy of electronic textbooks while being monitored by computer security systems. Findings show that, although traditional GDT variables and reward impact intent to violate, CFC does not cause the hypothesized moderating effect on these variables. However, post-hoc analysis reveals a direct effect of time orientation on behavioral intent, as well as a weak moderating effect opposite of the hypotheses, indicating increased time orientation positively moderates, rather than negatively moderates, the impact of reward on intent to violate. Implications for theory and practice, and future research directions, are discussed.

E-handeln är en bransch som startade genom digitaliseringens avancerade. Med dagens köpbeteendesom kunder har, är e-handel en marknad som är i hög grad belastad och kräver att företagens internaprocesser är produktiva. För att skapa en intern produktivitet krävs standardiserade processer som kanminimera olika typer av risker. En grund till att utveckla verksamhetsprocesser är att skapaprocesskartläggningar över verksamheten som i sin tur kan resultera i att visualisera potentiellaförbättringsmöjligheter. Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats i informatik är att genom en entreprenöriell ansats identifiera,designa, beskriva och förklara förbättrade processkartor för att minska interna tvetydigheter undervaruhanteringsprocessen i kommunikationen mellan företrädare för avdelningarna ekonomi, inköp ochinleverans. Studien är genomförd med en entreprenöriell ansats för att i högre grad hitta nya möjligheter tillförbättringar i kombination med andra metoder för att samla in primära empiriska data. De primäraempiriska data samlades in genom tre kvalitativa SPIN-intervjuer som utgjorde underlaget för dedesignade MVP-prototyperna (Minimum Viable Product). Prototyperna har utvecklats iterativt medhjälp av fallföreträdare från fallföretaget. Resultaten av uppsatstiden blev tre välutveckladeprocesskartor med ett förbättringsförslag som minimerar riskerna för interna tvetydigheter utifrånanalysenheten. De tre viktigaste slutsatserna från studien är att iterativ utveckling av processkartor tillsammansmed avdelningsföreträdare skapar en högre grad av produktiv och ändamålsenlig utveckling. Studienhar även påvisat att ett standardiserat kommunikationsverktyg kan minska graden av tvetydighetmellan olika avdelningar. Till sist kan även ett standardiserat kommunikationsverktyg påverka detinterna informationsflödet positivt och resultera i en högre grad av produktivitet.

Industrial revolutions bring dynamic change to industry through major technological advances (Freeman & Louca, 2002). People and companies must take advantage of industrial revolutions in order to reap its benefits (Bruland & Smith, 2013). Currently, the 4th industrial revolution, industry is transforming advanced manufacturing and engineering capabilities through digital transformation. Company X’s production system was investigated in the research. Detailed evaluation the production process revealed bottlenecks and inefficiency (Melton, 2005). Using the Digital Twin and Discrete Event Factory Simulation, the researcher gathered factory and production input data to simulate the process and provide a system level, holistic view of Company X’s production system to show how factory simulation enables process improvement. The National Academy of Engineering supports Discrete Event Factory Simulation as advancing Personalized Learning through its ability to meet the unique problem solving needs of engineering and manufacturing process through advanced simulation technology (National Academy of Engineering, 2018). The directed project applied two process optimization experiments to the production system through the simulation tool, 3DExperience wiht the DELMIA application from Dassualt Systemes (Dassault, 2018). The experiment resulted in a 10% improvement in production time and a 10% reduction in labor costs due to the optimization