Technological advancement has significantly impacted people and organizations during the last decade. Society is exposed to an increasing rate of cyber-attacks utilizing sophisticated tools to accomplish their objectives. Previously attackers’ primary focus was exploiting technological vulnerabilities to access organizations’ information; however, attackers have shifted their focus to exploiting the vulnerabilities in people’s human nature instead. This has resulted in organizations acknowledging that technical security measures alone are insufficient in providing adequate protection for organizations and need to invest in mitigating the risk people pose to an organization’s cybersecurity. Thus realizing the need to address cybersecurity’s social-technical nature. Organizations have begun implementing cybersecurity awareness-raising initiatives to increase people’s cybersecurity awareness to reduce human-instigated breaches. This is especially crucial for organizations in the public sector to achieve because they tend to produce more destructive and widespread repercussions to society. To provide organizations in the public sector with the means to achieve good cybersecurity awareness, this thesis aims to develop a guideline for managers in large Swedish public organizations to assist them in their complex cybersecurity awareness-raising endeavors. The thesis employs a design science research strategy to develop, evaluate, and validate the guideline with the assistance of cybersecurity awareness experts. The results show six principal factors have been established as significant for raising cybersecurity awareness in large Swedish public organizations. These factors range from user-oriented, managerial, and technical, supporting the assertion that cybersecurity is a complex socio-technical matter. The key contribution of this thesis is to introduce a highly abstract guideline to enhance large Swedish public organizations’ cybersecurity awareness efforts.

Today students all over the world use different types of social media to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas. It can either be expressed in a close environment, such as group chats or to a more open environment such as a feed for example on facebook, which could be seen by anyone and not only students. The purpose of this thesis is to research how to develop a prototype platform where the students have the choice to express themselves in other ways than writing and share their thoughts, feelings and ideas with other students around the world. For inspiration for design, existing tools and technologies have been researched on how they can attract and engage students into using them for different activities in educational settings. Furthermore research has been made on how to maximize the students’ creativity and keep them engaged with the prototype for them to be able to express themselves freely and creatively. After that the prototype was tested to measure its impact on the students in regards to the engagement and fun and also if they could see this as a new potential way of connecting and sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings with students worldwide. After analyzing and receiving feedback from the students, it was discovered that the final prototype platform needs further work and improvement in order to increase the engagement and fun in the prototype platform. Furthermore future development ideas were discovered, both when the results were analyzed and during the development of the prototype platform.

In accordance with the guidelines set forth by PBSGEO, this study aims to highlight the significance of public greenspaces within cemeteries and to propose cost-saving solutions for graveyard maintenance. This research employs a Design Science approach to examine the impact of various factors, including geospatial data, on cemetery maintenance costs. Through a case study of graveyards in Frankfurt, this thesis explores alternative solutions and presents graphical data analysis to better understand the properties of public greenspaces and graveyards. The main findings of this study indicate that effective cost estimation can significantly decrease maintenance costs and improve long-term profitability for cemetery management. While no specific model has been created, the availability of a comprehensive analysis and management portal will assist managers in making informed decisions in the future. The research concludes with the presentation of an online interactive map that can be utilized by cemetery management to reduce costs and enhance productivity. This thesis provides valuable insights into the importance of public greenspaces in cemeteries and the ways in which they can be maintained more efficiently. In addition to its exploratory analysis, this study offers practical implications for the cemetery management industry. The proposed cost-saving solutions can be easily implemented by cemetery management, leading to a reduction in maintenance costs and an improvement in the overall profitability of cemeteries. Furthermore, the findings of this study can also inform future research on the topic and contribute to the development of more sustainable cemetery management practices.

På företaget AFRY i Karlstad har en medarbetare med fika varje fredag och turordningen för detta sker i dagsläget med en Excel-fil vilket är problematiskt då inte alla har tillgång till filen och kan då inte se när det är deras tur att ta med fika, vilket resulterar i att det glöms av att ta med fika. Författaren har fått i uppdrag av AFRY att ta fram en webbaserad applikation där personalen kan se schemat för vems tur det är att ta med fika. En kravspecifikation upprättades av uppdragsgivaren tillsammans med en lista på den tekniska uppsättningen för webbapplikationen som gäller. Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilka komplikationer som uppstår vid implementationen samt hur användarna mottar applikationen. För detta har två undersökningsfrågor upprättats som ligger till grund för studien: Vad resulterar utvärderingarna i och vilka förslag till förbättring mottogs? Vilka komplikationer uppstår vid implementationen och hur har dessa lösts? Design Science Research applicerades som forskningsstrategi för studien där momenten Specificera krav, Implementering och Utvärdering användes för att skapa artefakten som det studeras kring. En agil arbetsmetod låg till grund för att föra arbetet framåt där det utvecklades i tre sprintar. Artefakten utvärderades av testpersoner som var personal hos uppdragsgivaren och det genomfördes Black Box- och Manuella tester där testpersonerna fick uttrycka och reflektera kring implementationen som utförts. Data samlades in med hjälp av strukturerade intervjuer där författaren förde anteckningar på vad som uttrycktes. Utvärderingarna resulterade i att det som implementerades saknade funktionalitet som testpersonerna efterfrågade. Flertalet data samlades in som påvisar att de krav som ställdes skulle behövt specificerats ytterligare för att uppnå högre tillfredsställelse från testpersonerna. De komplikationer som påträffades under implementationen kunde antingen lösas genom att läsa dokumentationen för teknik som användes eller att testpersonerna, som innehar mer erfarenhet än författaren, kunde lösa dessa. Slutsatsen för studien är att krav som ställs måste specificeras mer detaljrikt för att artefakten skall bli så likt användarnas bild av den som möjligt.

There is a widespread problem of cookie banners not being compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which negatively impacts user experience and violates personal data rights. To mitigate this issue, strides need to be made in violation detection to assist developers, designers, lawyers, organizations, and authorities in designing and enforcing GDPR-compliant cookie banners. In this thesis, we present a novel method and an open-source tool for automatically analyzing the GDPR compliance of cookie banners. The tool uniquely leverages large language models together with static code analysis to locate and analyze any cookie banner, using only the website address as input. Informed by the Design Science Research methodology, our research process involved interviews with GDPR legal experts and a thorough review of current literature in order to understand the problem context and define the objectives for our solution. After an initial version of the tool was created, an evaluation was performed by a GDPR legal expert. The feedback revealed that even at this early development stage, the tool approaches the capabilities of a trained eye, which illustrates its potential. Furthermore, our proposed method is generalizable and can be used under many domains to solve various problems (e.g., more generalized web scraping). However, further development and testing with the help of legal experts is required to enhance the tool's accuracy and validity.

Screening programs for cervical cancer are performed to diagnose the early stage of cancer and prevent its development. Historically, the screening test was taken every three years, but it gradually varied due to continuous changes in technology, guidelines, and a new type of test. These changes made the screening participants uncertain and worried about understanding and interpreting the meaning of various test results and frequent follow-ups. These test results are manual and time-consuming to date. The participants seek it as digital, allowing easy and fast access to information. The primary research challenge of the proposed study is to present simple and complex test history data to the participants in an easily understandable way. The proposed research helped to design an artifact (prototype) that can be utilized to develop a digital service that does not cause any uncertain worry for the participants in understanding the complex test history data. For this, the proposed thesis study used state-of-the-art visualization techniques following the guidelines of design science research.

Nowadays, the business world is characterized by complexity since market and customer requirements are changing rapidly. Based on this assumption, providers are facing the challenge of delivering software products in shorter terms while these products remain innovative. Agile software development has a huge impact on how software is developed worldwide and promises business value in short iterations. At the same time, requirements are the base of all software products, and consequently, Requirements Engineering (RE) plays one of the most important roles in system development. Traditional techniques referring to intended data do not cover the constantly increasing demands of RE and unintended data from digital sources has amplified the need for Data-Driven Requirements Engineering (DDRE). This study contributes to Computer and System Science by providing a process to combine DDRE and traditional RE approaches in Agile software development methodologies. In this study, the researcher is trying to provide a concrete solution to the lack of an effective process to address data-driven requirements in a Scrum environment organized by regular Sprints and the purpose of it is to suggest a new method for requirements elicitation based on digital data and combine them with traditional stakeholder-driven RE in a Scrum agile environment. The method intends to assist Agile professionals to elicit requirements from digital sources in combination with intended data derived from the stakeholders without impacting the main Agile practices. The approach to conduct this study is Design Science Research (DSR) and contains five steps: Explicate Problem, Define Requirements, Design and develop Artefact, Demonstrate Artefact, and Evaluate Artefact. Literature review has been conducted to explicate the research problem and define the requirements of the artefact. Then, a process and a collaboration board have been created based on the requirements to bring DDRE and traditional RE into the Scrum environment. The researcher performed a demonstration of two illustrative cases of the usage of the proposed artefact to three Scrum professionals and three semi-structured interviews were conducted to evaluate the artefact. After the evaluation, the researcher refined and presented the final artefact that will help the public and private organizations to reduce the costs and time plan on eliciting requirements, and to increase the customers’ satisfaction. The artefact has not been applied in a real Agile environment, but Requirement Engineers and Agile team members can build on the proposed method and bring the elicitation approach of DDRE closer to the software development process.

No description available.

Smart technology, such as the internet of things, artificial intelligence, and big data, provides consumers with a new level of convenience through various smart-connected products (SCPs). Although many experts have increasingly warned about the privacy vulnerability issues of various SCPs, consumers often underestimate privacy risks when adopting smart technology. Accordingly, this dissertation presents a literature review and three empirical studies that examine the privacy problems and suggest new concepts and models for a deeper understanding of the privacy suspension phenomenon. The first chapter reviews the literature related to the privacy suspension phenomenon by integrating the antecedents of consumers' privacy concerns. New concepts of privacy concerns, such as active and inactive privacy concerns, are suggested along with multiple propositions for the proposed privacy suspension theory, which extends the dimension of ambivalence toward trust and distrust regarding smart technology. The second chapter presents the proposed privacy–common good trade-off model and three assumptions related to privacy trade- offs, privacy reduction, and anchoring effects in the sustainable smart-connected car context. This study also discusses the relationships between governments, companies, and consumers regarding the effects of the common good of sustainability and government subsidies. The third chapter evaluates the mediation effects between sustainability, trust, privacy concerns, disclosure intentions, and purchase intentions when purchasing sustainable smart-connected cars based on the proposed sustainability–trust–behavior model. Finally, the fourth chapter provides a practical solution to resolve privacy suspension issues using the design science research approach. This study proposes privacy information type characteristics to evaluate SCPs' tailored data collection capabilities, visualizing them through a spider diagram design method with nudges. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation discusses the consumer privacy suspension phenomenon when adopting smart technology. The first chapter summarizes existing studies regarding privacy concerns, trust, distrust, and ambivalence in adopting technology. It also proposes new concepts of privacy concerns and outlines the unique relationship between consumer privacy concerns and ambivalence toward trust and distrust in smart-connected products, thus helping readers understand why consumers reduce privacy concerns when adopting smart technology. The second chapter presents an empirical study that examines how consumers trade their privacy for the common good of sustainability based on the proposed privacy–common good trade-off model and outlines three key assumptions in the sustainable smart-connected car context. The third chapter discusses the roles of sustainability and trust when consumers decide to disclose their personal information and purchase sustainable smart-connected cars based on the proposed sustainability–trust–behavior model. Last, the fourth chapter provides a practical solution to improve the current inefficient privacy notification systems that cannot apply to different smart-connected products due to various smart sensors collecting different types of personal information. Thus, this dissertation contributes to a deeper understanding of the consumer privacy suspension phenomenon and how sustainability benefits can mitigate the conflicting interests between governments, companies, and consumers when adopting smart technology. In addition, the suggested practical solution using the design science research approach can help consumers make better privacy decisions when purchasing smart-connected products.

[ES] La crisis económica iniciada en España en el año 2007 produjo una importante reducción de la demanda que afectó seriamente a las empresas consultoras de ingeniería españolas. Muchas de ellas optaron por iniciar un proceso de internacionalización que asegurara su continuidad, decisión que adoptaron de forma urgente y sin el tiempo necesario para adquirir conocimiento del mercado exterior y de los riesgos que conlleva la actividad internacional. Esta situación se vio agravada en el caso de las Pymes, que por su naturaleza disponen de menos recursos y capacidades para afrontar una internacionalización con garantías. Con el diseño de un modelo de madurez de internacionalización este trabajo de investigación pretende ofrecer una guía a las empresas consultoras de ingeniería que van a iniciar o han iniciado un proceso de internacionalización. El diseño del modelo está basado en: (1) el conocimiento teórico de las variables que afectan al éxito internacional en el sector de la construcción, validadas mediante entrevistas a diez empresas consultoras de ingeniería internacionalizadas; (2) los aspectos que intervienen en la expansión internacional de las empresas; y (3) los modelos de madurez más relevantes. El diseño del modelo se realiza siguiendo la propuesta del Design Science Research (DSR), en el que se somete a iteraciones de diseño y validación que incrementan su aplicabilidad. En estas iteraciones se aplican diferentes técnicas de investigación: grupo focal, prueba piloto y estudios de caso múltiple; mediante estos estudios de caso se aplica el modelo a ocho empresas consultoras de ingeniería. Estas implementaciones han permitido identificar las fortalezas y debilidades de las empresas, su nivel de madurez de internacionalización y la influencia del tamaño y experiencia internacional de las empresas en su nivel de madurez y en el valor de los índices de internacionalización. / [CA] La crisi econòmica iniciada a Espanya l'any 2007 va produir una important reducció de la demanda que va afectar seriosament les empreses consultores d'enginyeria espanyoles. Moltes d'elles van optar per iniciar un procés d'internacionalització que assegurara la seua continuïtat, decisió que van adoptar de manera urgent i sense el temps necessari per a adquirir coneixement del mercat exterior i dels riscos que comporta l'activitat internacional. Esta situació es va vore agreujada en el cas de les Pimes, que per la seua naturalesa disposen de menys recursos i capacitats per a afrontar una internacionalització amb garanties. Amb el disseny d'un model de maduresa d'internacionalització el treball de recerca pretén oferir una guia a les empreses consultores d'enginyeria que iniciaran o han iniciat un procés d'internacionalització. El disseny del model està basat en: (1) el coneixement teòric de les variables que afecten l'èxit internacional en el sector de la construcció, validades mitjançant entrevistes a deu empreses consultores d'enginyeria internacionalitzades; (2) els aspectes que intervenen en l'expansió internacional de les empreses; i (3) els models de maduresa més rellevants. El disseny del model es realitza seguint la propòsta del Design Science Research (DSR), en el qual se sotmet a iteracions de disseny i validació que incrementen la seua aplicabilitat. En estes iteracions s'apliquen diferents tècniques d'investigació: grup focal, prova pilot i estudi de casos múltiple; mitjançant estos estudis de cas, s'aplica el model a huit empreses consultores d'enginyeria. Estes implementacions han permés identificar les fortaleses i febleses de les empreses, el seu nivell de maduresa d'internacionalització i la influència de la grandària i experiència internacional de les empreses en el seu nivell de maduresa i en el valor dels índexs d'internacionalització. / [EN] The Spanish economic crisis began in 2007 and it produced a significant reduction in demand that affected Spanish engineering companies seriously. Many of them started an internationalization process to ensure their continuity, but this decision was adopted in a hurry and without enough time to acquire knowledge of the foreign market and the risks that international activity entailed. This situation was aggravated in the case of SMEs, which have fewer resources and capacities to face internationalization with guarantees. With the design of an internationalization maturity model, this research aims to offer a guide to engineering companies that are going to start or have started an internationalization process. The design of the model is based on: (1) the theoretical knowledge of the variables that affect international success in the construction sector, validated through interviews with ten internationalized engineering companies; (2) the factors involved in the international expansion of the companies; and (3) the most relevant maturity models. The design of the model is carried out following the Design Science Research (DSR) approach, in which the model is subjected to design and validation iterations that increase its applicability. In these iterations several research techniques are applied: focus group, pilot test and multiple case study; through these case studies the model is applied to eight engineering companies. These implementations have made it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the companies, their level of internationalization maturity and the influence of the size and international experience of the companies on their level of maturity and on the value of the internationalization indices. / Lozano Torró, A. (2022). Modelo de madurez de internacionalización de las empresas consultoras de ingeniería españolas [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/183870