Thesis (M.S.) in Computer Engineering--University of Maine, 2004. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-51).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-90). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2007. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-146). Also available on the World Wide Web.

No description available.

Owing to a recent online trend of web 2.0, societies have emerged not only culturally but also technologically/virtually. This coupled with semantic web and Web Services have provided end-users with more opportunities to contribute to the web and consequentially have also multiplied their digital needs. One such requirement of a modern-day end-user is to combine the data, view and/or process presented across the web to suit his/her ephemeral needs by developing a novel application known as a service mashup. The end user development of mashup poses significant challenges to the end users. First challenge addressed in this thesis is the scope vs complexity challenge which refers to the impossibility of fully eliminating the technical barrier between a tool and the end user due to the corresponding complexity creeping in while developing new features in tool and extending its scope to provide added functionality. The second challenge arises from the utility=value/effort equation which implies that effort required in developing a mashup decreases the value and hence neutralizes the utility. Given these challenges and the related issues, I made three contributions. The central theme of my proposed approach - for managing these inherent challenges - is that the end user must be integrated into the process of a service composition application. My approach - A Goal-Oriented Mashup Development (GO-MaDe) framework defines, organizes and addresses the problems faced by end-users while composing their applications by proposing a new style of development in the mashup area in a bid to render irrelevant the underlying inherent tensions of the paradigm. My first contribution in this regard is a classification model that takes into account end user centered usability criteria for calibrating mashup tools efforts. Secondly, this research is the pioneer study about the integration of an agile-style analysis-cum-design phase into the mashup development process. Hence, it presents a redefined process of service-based applications development by introducing a spiral process model that introduces a phased, incremental concept of mashup development lifecycle. Based on the spiral model, I have presented a method (KAReM) annotated with domain theory for better acquisition and representation of user requirements encompassed by the APIs or Web Services that are composed to develop a mashup by incorporating the dynamics of goal decompositions using goal based templates. It serves to enhance the end-user experience by facilitating them to explore the problem space and helping them derive the visual representations of their requirements which can then be translated into service compositions. To evaluate my contributions qualitatively and quantitatively I conducted literature reviews, and validated my framework by scenarios and a controlled experiment.

Monteiro, Ingrid Teixeira; de Souza, Clarisse Sieckenius. Autoexpressão e engenharia semiótica do usuário-designer. Rio de Janeiro, 2015. 312p. Tese de Doutorado ± Departamento de Informática, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. / Submitted by Aline Mendes (alinemendes.ufc@gmail.com) on 2015-09-18T12:49:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_tese_itmonteiro.pdf: 31456794 bytes, checksum: 1275bff42f268c5593d202252eb65e26 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Mendes(alinemendes.ufc@gmail.com) on 2015-09-18T12:50:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_tese_itmonteiro.pdf: 31456794 bytes, checksum: 1275bff42f268c5593d202252eb65e26 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-18T12:50:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_tese_itmonteiro.pdf: 31456794 bytes, checksum: 1275bff42f268c5593d202252eb65e26 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / This thesis presents research in the area the area of End-User Development (EUD). The first studies in EUD have emerged as an attempt to help end users achieve specific goals of personalization and customization of interfaces and systems, primarily for their own benefit. As needs evolve, end users have to know and often master more complex computing concepts and practices. In this context, there have been a growing number of initiatives to encourage, teach and support users in programming and thinking computationally. In general, much emphasis is given to problem solving, logical reasoning and other common computer VFLHQWLVWV¶ VNLOOV  +RZHYHU  VXSSRUWHG E\ 6HPLRWLc Engineering, a semiotics-based theory that describes human-computer interaction as communication between designers and users, we believe that interactive computer systems are communication artifacts: that the person who creates the system sends various messages, with particular characteristics to the person who uses it. In this thesis, we present an extensive study in which end users, acting as designers, create computational artifacts for communication purposes. Research has shown that the participants took programming and other development activities not as end in themselves but as a means to build their messages. We discuss how the change in perspective (from problem-solving to communication) reveals a range of underexplored phenomena, such as self-expression of the designers and the pragmatics of interaction languages they build. Another contribution of this thesis is an extension to Semiotic Engineering, named EUME ± End-User Semiotic Engineering, a new way to look at Semiotic Engineering, in the perspective of end users acting as designers. / A tese apresenta uma pesquisa inserida na área de End-User Development (EUD). As primeiras iniciativas nesta área surgiram como uma tentativa de auxiliar os usuários finais a atingirem objetivos específicos de personalização e customização de interfaces e sistemas, prioritariamente para benefício próprio. Conforme as necessidades evoluem, os usuários finais precisam conhecer e muitas vezes dominar conceitos e práticas mais complexos de computação. Neste contexto, têm surgido várias iniciativas para incentivar, ensinar e apoiar estes usuários a programarem e a pensarem computacionalmente. Geralmente, muita ênfase é dada para a questão da resolução de problemas, raciocínio lógico e outras habilidades comuns a cientistas da computação. Entretanto, apoiados na Engenharia Semiótica, uma teoria de base semiótica que descreve a interação humano-computador como uma comunicação entre designers e usuários, consideramos que sistemas computacionais interativos são artefatos comunicacionais: quem cria o sistema transmite mensagens, com características particulares, a quem os utiliza. Nesta tese, apresentamos um estudo em profundidade em que usuários finais, atuando como designers, criaram artefatos computacionais para fins de comunicação. A pesquisa mostrou que os participantes tomaram a programação e outras atividades de desenvolvimento não como fins em si, mas como meios para construírem suas mensagens. Discutimos como a mudança de perspectiva (de resolução de problemas para comunicação) revela fenômenos ainda pouco explorados como a autoexpressão dos designers nestes artefatos e a pragmática da linguagem de interação por eles construída. Outra contribuição da tese é uma extensão da Engenharia Semiótica, batizada de EUME ± End-User Semiotic Engineering, uma forma de ver a Engenharia Semiótica na perspectiva do usuário final que atua como designer.

Abstract In today’s business world, the delivery of superior information technology services has become an important deliverable for successful organisations. This study focuses on the end user perception of information technology service quality in manufacturing organisations. The study focuses on one manufacturing organisation, namely Nissan South Africa, a supplier of quality vehicles to South African customers. The main research problem describes the necessity of having a tool in place that can measure users’ perception of information technology service quality. The two subproblems describe the change of perception regarding information technology service quality when measured from a functional area or designation level perspective. The functional area represents the various departments within an organisation and the designation level, the hierarchical position of the employee within an organisation. A broad literature review is conducted and a theoretical foundation is developed and relevant service quality models are reviewed and adjusted in order to construct a model to measure information technology from a service quality perspective. The information has been collected by means of a questionnaire, which was distributed to approximately 1200 users. i i The overall perception of the information technology service quality, as experienced by the Nissan user base, is rated as above average customer satisfaction. No significant differences are identified between the demographic levels and the dimensions of the service quality model. Even though the model used in this study provides a good indication of the information technology service quality, it needs to be refined on a continuous basis in order to ensure that it is aligned with the dynamic nature of information technology.

This thesis presents the Simple Internet of Things Enabler (SITE), a smart home solution that allows users to specify and centrally control IoT smart objects. Unlike most existing systems, SITE supports End-User Development (EUD). It includes features that make the system accessible to users that do not possess a background in Information Technology (IT). Hence, it defines a simple language for the specification of control rules for smart objects. It also provides a user interface to graphically illustrate data received from smart objects. Furthermore, we present the SITE architecture and describe the components that enable users to define, register, and operate smart objects within a smart home environment. Since deploying applications on the cloud renders many advantages pertaining to data security, robustness, and elasticity of resources, we additionally propose a cloud-based architecture for SITE. In this case, SITE acts as a service hosted on a cloud platform that realizes monitoring and control of a smart home remotely. Moreover, since most of the objects in any environment are not inherently smart, we propose a framework that affords “everyday” objects the necessary modules to measure and report their state. Hence, users realize the smart objects using a transducer network framework that supports the amalgamation of multiple transducers into a single smart object. To make these objects easily reconfigurable, we apply a plug and play mechanism to enable the clustering of any number of transducers. We propose an algorithm that dynamically detects added and removed transducers from a smart object. To assess the usability of SITE, we conduct an empirical study involving 20 participants belonging to two user groups: users with technical training (IT users) and users without technical training (Non-IT users). We demonstrate that both user groups can satisfactorily build smart objects and define control rules in a smart home environment using SITE.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in the field of Strategic Marketing, Johannesburg 2019 / There is increased usage of self-service technology in efforts to deliver superior service quality in business schools. This transition from face-to-face interaction has led to both satisfaction and dissatisfaction with service quality delivered. This study sought to ascertain the impact self-service technologies have on the perception of service quality (Servqual) dimensions of reliability, tangibility, assurance, responsiveness and empathy. A survey research instrument based on an adapted Servqual questionnaire that was self-administered was employed. Convenience sampling was utilised on the Wits Business School campus, with 210 students’ views captured. Then, the data was analysed using GAP analysis and descriptive statistics extrapolated from the data. The results of the study indicate that a transition to self-service portals does not lead to customers having a positive view of all the service quality dimensions as most customers were neutral in their perceptions. Students, therefore, need to have both self-service technologies and walk-in centres for face-to-face interaction. The study contributes to the ever-increasing knowledge on the usage of self-service technology in higher education in emerging markets. While there are significant shifts towards usage of the portals in business schools, there is a need to control the pace of change and avoid drastic adoption without other options as it may not lead to positive customer perceptions. The study recommends that transition not be drastic, that focus be on user-friendliness of the portals, that there be increased use of interactive technologies such as chatbots to increase responsiveness as well as a provision of people to engage with when there is need for escalation of issues aiding service recovery. / XL2019

Why do some employees go out of their way to follow prescribed information security protocols, while others all but ignore organizational information security measures? A body of research known as organizational citizenship behavior provides insight into this issue. Theories of organizational citizenship behavior draw mainly from the psychological and sociological disciplines. They are used to explain the behaviors of employees who act in the best interest of the company, even when they don’t have to. Examples of citizenship behaviors include information sharing, voluntary reduction of compensation, and relinquishment of power for the benefit of the organization (Nathanson & Becker 1973). Although organizational citizenship behavior has seen little exposure in the area of organizational information security compliance, it stands to provide exceptional explanatory power in this area. Information security practices, such as creating difficult passwords or conducting virus scans, are generally seen as additional tasks which require extra effort while offering no gains in personal productivity (Shropshire et al., 2006; Warkentin et al., 2004; Warkentin et al., 2006). These activities could be construed as out-of-role-behaviors because employee compliance may not be mandatory. Furthermore, it is difficult to enforce information security standards (Whitman, 2003). Thus, it would appear that those who follow information security protocols are motivated by something other than financial compensation. Currently, there has been little work toward integrating endpoint security with theories of organizational citizenship behavior. This may be due to two reasons: although it embodies a relatively mature stream of research, organizational citizenship behavior has seen little exposure within the information systems context; secondly, the behavioral aspects of endpoint security remain a critical but overlooked aspect of organizational information security. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop a theoretical model for predicting individual compliance with organizational information security practices. The results could be used by managers to more accurately predict adherence to information security practices and to better manage and motivate employees. Such a model might also be of utility in the area of employee selection and screening; recent political and economic events have caused an increase in demand for employees who can be trusted to safeguard sensitive information. This study provides a substantial contribution to knowledge by empirically testing a predictive model for information security compliance among employees. The findings associated with this research are offered in the form of recommendations for future theoretical and empirical research. Practical implications for entrepreneurs and policymakers are also discussed.