This research investigated whether Group Information Behavioural Norms (GIBNs) are correlated with the effective use of a collaborative information system. Previous research seeking to conceptualize ‘social influence’ in technology adoption has not attempted to include GIBNs. The dependent variable, ‘Effective Use’, comprised two subjective Effectiveness Judgments and three objective Actual Use measures. A mediating variable, ‘Group Adoption’ (GA) of the information system, was conceived as a behavioural expression of group norms and hypothesized to correlate with both GIBNs and Effective Use. It was also hypothesized that GIBNs would have a stronger relationship with Effective Use than the widely used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) dimensions of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use. A mixed-methods case study approach was used because measurement of stable norms in workplace groups was required. A medium-sized engineering firm was chosen, and the collaborative information system studied was Knowledge Forum (KF), an educational research tool that was implemented to promote the exchange of information. There were both expected and unexpected results. GIBNs outperformed the TAM in explaining all three Actual Use variables, although the TAM was the sole significant correlate for one Effectiveness Judgment variable. Information Sharing and Proactive Information Use had opposite correlations with Effective Use, suggesting the existence of distinct information ‘sharing’ and ‘proactive use’ group norms. In addition, the TAM and GIBNs seem to have complementary influences on Effective Use. GA was unexpectedly observed to have the strongest relationship with Effective Use, having a significant relationship with four of five Effective Use measures. GA was also observed to mediate the TAM but not GIBNs. The results of a case study cannot be extensively generalized. However, the findings are important in three ways. First, this research provides evidence that GIBNs and the TAM exert complementary influences on Effective Use, and that Effective Use is best explained by also including GA. Second, GA may represent a valuable ‘social influence’ extension to the TAM, as a behavioural expression of group norms for collaborative information systems. Finally, this study illustrates the importance of a multi-dimensional conceptualization of ‘Effective Use’ of an information system.

This research investigated whether Group Information Behavioural Norms (GIBNs) are correlated with the effective use of a collaborative information system. Previous research seeking to conceptualize ‘social influence’ in technology adoption has not attempted to include GIBNs. The dependent variable, ‘Effective Use’, comprised two subjective Effectiveness Judgments and three objective Actual Use measures. A mediating variable, ‘Group Adoption’ (GA) of the information system, was conceived as a behavioural expression of group norms and hypothesized to correlate with both GIBNs and Effective Use. It was also hypothesized that GIBNs would have a stronger relationship with Effective Use than the widely used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) dimensions of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use. A mixed-methods case study approach was used because measurement of stable norms in workplace groups was required. A medium-sized engineering firm was chosen, and the collaborative information system studied was Knowledge Forum (KF), an educational research tool that was implemented to promote the exchange of information. There were both expected and unexpected results. GIBNs outperformed the TAM in explaining all three Actual Use variables, although the TAM was the sole significant correlate for one Effectiveness Judgment variable. Information Sharing and Proactive Information Use had opposite correlations with Effective Use, suggesting the existence of distinct information ‘sharing’ and ‘proactive use’ group norms. In addition, the TAM and GIBNs seem to have complementary influences on Effective Use. GA was unexpectedly observed to have the strongest relationship with Effective Use, having a significant relationship with four of five Effective Use measures. GA was also observed to mediate the TAM but not GIBNs. The results of a case study cannot be extensively generalized. However, the findings are important in three ways. First, this research provides evidence that GIBNs and the TAM exert complementary influences on Effective Use, and that Effective Use is best explained by also including GA. Second, GA may represent a valuable ‘social influence’ extension to the TAM, as a behavioural expression of group norms for collaborative information systems. Finally, this study illustrates the importance of a multi-dimensional conceptualization of ‘Effective Use’ of an information system.

The reason for performing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to incorporate environmental concern in different kinds of plans and projects. The purpose of such an assessment is to identify and describe direct, indirect and cumulative environmental impacts. Geographical Information System (GIS) is a tool that can be used to combine spatial extension of both sensitive areas and different environmental impacts in a quick and easy way. Because of that, descriptions of environmental impacts and motivation of different standpoints on a specific issue can be more correct and easier to make if GIS is used as a tool. Hence, GIS can contribute to improve the quality of Environmental Impact Assessments. If the benefits of using GIS are to out weight the costs, geographical information of satisfactory detail, actuality and accuracy need to be available at reasonable prices. In this paper, case studies are carried out for three different geographical analyses to investigate the use of GIS as a tool in EIA. From these case studies, more general conclusions about the benefits and limitations of using GIS for Environmental Impact Assessments are also drawn. The criteria, after which benefits and limitations of GIS have been estimated, are data availability, time consumption for performing the analyses and how the results from the performed analyses can make impact assessments easier, motivate different standpoints and increase the comprehensiveness of the EIA-report. The three different GIS-analyses includes calculation of pollution load in a catchment area, estimation of the visual impact from planned buildings and generation of alternative locations for underwater pipes. These analyses have been applied on one ongoing EIA for a freight terminal and one ongoing EIA for an underwater wastewater transmission pipe. The analyses in these case studies have been undertaken with ArcGIS software using the extensions “Spatial Analyst” and “3D Analyst”. It is shown in this study that due to uncertainty in available model values and the time consuming data manipulation, it is unlikely that calculations of pollution loads with GIS will be used to any larger extent in EIA. To carry out visual assessments with help of GIS to estimate visual impacts is on the other hand assumed to be useful in EIA-work. Both to assess impacts and to estimate how changes in building design can alter those impacts. To use GIS to produce alternative locations for underwater pipes is also considered valuable in EIA-work, even though there is a considerable lack of data to predict the environmental class of marine areas and the connections between available data and real environmental values are weak. However, the risk of damaging vulnerable and high valued marine areas should decrease when applying this type of analyse. / Miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar (MKB) genomförs för att möjliggöra att hänsyn om miljön tas vid olika typer av exploateringsprojekt och exploateringsplaner. Syftet med en miljökonsekvensbeskrivning är att identifiera och beskriva direkta, indirekta och kumulativa miljöeffekter. Geografiska informationssystem (GIS) är ett verktyg som kan användas för att snabbt och enkelt kombinera rumslig utsträckning av både känsliga områden och olika miljökonsekvenser. GIS kan därför användas för att underlätta beskrivningar av miljökonsekvenser och motivera olika ställningstaganden. Därigenom kan GIS bidra till bättre grundade och mer rättvisande miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar. Men för att vinsterna av att genomföra GIS-analyser ska överstiga kostnaderna krävs att geografisk information av tillräcklig detaljeringsgrad, aktualitet och säkerhet finns att tillgå till rimliga kostnader. Syftet med denna studie har varit att genom fallstudier undersöka om tre olika GIS-analyser kan användas som verktyg i miljöbedömningar med idag tillgänglig data, samt att utifrån fallstudierna dra mer allmänna slutsatser om vinster och begränsningar av att använda GIS i miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar. De kriterier som har använts för att bedöma vinster och begränsningar är tidsåtgång för analyserna, tillgång på data samt hur analyserna kan vara ett stöd i MKB-arbetet genom att underlätta beskrivningar av konsekvenser, motivera ställningstaganden som görs och öka rapportens begriplighet. De tre genomförda GIS-analyserna innefattar beräkning av föroreningsbelastning inom ett avrinningsområde, bedömning av byggnaders landskapspåverkan genom synlighetsanalys samt generering av förslag till alternativ ledningsdragning för en undervattensledning. Dessa analyser har tillämpats på en pågående MKB för en detaljplan för en partihall och en pågående MKB för en avloppsvattenledning under vatten. Analyserna i fallstudierna har genomförts i programmet ArcGIS med tilläggen ”Spatial Analyst” och ”3D Analyst”. Studien visar att det på grund av osäkerheter i tillgängliga schablonvärden och tidsåtgång för databehandling är osannolikt att beräkning av föroreningsmängd inom ett avrinningsområde med GIS kommer att användas till någon större utsträckning i MKB. Att med GIS genomföra synlighetsanalyser för att utvärdera landskapspåverkan bedöms däremot kunna användas i MKB, både för att bedöma påverkan och för att utvärdera hur en förändring i en byggnads utformning kan förändra den påverkan. Även att med GIS generera förslag till alternativa ledningsdragningar under vatten bedöms kunna fylla en funktion i MKB trots att tillgången på data för att kunna beskriva olika marina områdens naturvärden är klart bristfällig och kopplingen mellan tillgängliga data och verkliga naturvärden är osäker. Denna typ av analys bör ändå minska risken att värdefulla och skyddsvärda marina områden skadas vid lednignsdragning.

Många lärosäten använder idag fler än en lärplattform, ibland inom en och samma institution, program eller kurs. Uppsatsens syfte var därför att ta fram riktlinjer för vad som bör beaktas vid val av lärplattform för att fylla organisationens behov och passa dess förutsättningar. Undersökningen genomfördes med en kvalitativ datainsamlingsmetod där vi genom intervjuer med fem lärare vid Linnéuniversitetet samlade in deras krav. Resultatet blev en checklista som listar lärarnas krav och genom att kritiskt granskat litteratur kan vi rekommendera organisationer vad de bör överväga inför implementationen av en lärplattform. / Today, many institutions use more than one learning management system, sometimes within the same department, education program or course. The purpose of the essay was therefore to create guidelines for what should be considered when selecting a learning management system to meet the organizations needs and best suit their circumstances. The survey was conducted by a qualitative data collection method in which we collected the requirements of five teachers at Linnaeus University through interviews. The result was a checklist that lists teachers’ demands. By critical reviews of the literature we can recommend to organizations what they should consider before implementation of a learning management system.

This Master thesis provides a framework for analysis of the resource planning and allocation processes within an IT consultant firm. The aim is, to identify information, which can be reflected in an information system. The framework has been developed using multi-grounded theory method, considering theories from the areas of information systems design, project business performance, enterprise planning, and project planning. Based on a main process view and hypothesized information requirements, the dynamic processes of sales, project resource planning, miscellaneous activity planning, project portfolio planning, resource allocation and general management are discussed, along with their underlying concepts. A case study has been conducted, to test the validity of the framework and to evaluate its applicability. The findings are compared and contrasted to our frame of reference during analysis. From a reflection on the analysis, changes are proposed to the firm under study, as well as our framework.

Waste management is a global environmental issue which concerns about a very significant problem in today’s world. There is a considerable amount of disposal of waste without proper segregation which has lead to both economic and environment sufferings. It is still practiced in many cities. There is a tremendous amount of loss in terms of environmental degradation, health hazards and economic descend due to direct disposal of waste. It is better to segregate the waste at the initial stages where it is generated, rather than going for a later option which is inconvenient and expensive. There has to be appropriate planning for proper waste management by means of analysis of the waste situation of the area. This paper would deal with, how Geographical Information System can be used as a decision support tool for planning waste management. A model is designed for the case study area in an Indian city for the purpose of planning waste management. The suggestions for amendments in the system through GIS based model would reduce the waste management workload to some extent and exhibit remedies for some of the SWM problems in the case study area. The waste management issues are considered to solve some of the present situation problems like proper allocation and relocation of waste bins, check for unsuitability and proximity convenience due to waste bin to the users, proposal of recyclable waste bins for the required areas and future suggestions. The model will be implemented on the Aurangabad city’s case study area data for the analysis and the results will suggest some modification in the existing system which is expected to reduce the waste management workload to a certain extent.

Port of Kaohsiung is the most important harbor of southern Taiwan and it was once the third biggest cargo harbor in the world. Recently, the ranking of Port of Kaohsiung dropped from the 3rd to the 13th, thus the Central Government of Taiwan has introduced a plan to enhance the situations. ¡§Urban Renewal Project of Kaohsiung Port Railway Station,¡¨ involves the development planning of many sites and the waterfront regeneration along the Kaohsiung Harbor. This paper argues that the sustainability is the key of success of the project. This paper will (1) to discuss the gains from the economic developments, (2) to examine the details and discuss the coming challenges and potential obstacles in pursuing greater socio-economic goodness, and (3) outline the possible solutions, practices, and mechanisms which might be useful in attaining a sustainable development of Kaohsiung Harbor by studying other countries¡¦ success and failures in their waterfront redevelopment projects.

Outsourcing has become a popular mode of developing information system (IS) in practice during the last two decades. Although efforts have been done about evaluating vendors¡¦ capabilities and product¡¦s quality so as to assure high success rate, empirical studies keep reporting that outsourcing is not as successful as expected. Therefore, research based on different perspectives is needed to provide other plausible answers. Draws on this issue, an emerging concept is adopted, called Service-Dominant Logic (S-D logic), which highlights the importance for clients to possess required capabilities in order to maximize the value co-created. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to comprehend and examine critical capabilities that an outsourcing client should possess, and hybrid research model, consisting both traditional and S-D logic was built to reflect our intention. Survey method was then used to test our hypotheses empirically. Data collected from 400 practitioners showed that client¡¦s capabilities have stronger impact on the outcomes variables than conventional variables, such as product quality and vendor¡¦s capabilities. This study contributes to literature by incorporating a new concept, S-D logic, into IS research and emphasizing the critical role of clients¡¦ capabilities.

The west coast of Taiwan is densely populated with frequently activities for industrial and economic developments. The area is also the site with the existence of Chinese White Dolphin (CWD). Because the arising of ecosystem conservation, the government has attempted to promote the west coast as the marine protected areas (MPAs) for the CWD. Nevertheless, it is required to assess changes of environmental condition and marine environmental quality around the area before the establishment of marine protected areas to the site. If ineffective monitoring is implemented, then the establishment of marine protected areas will be no use. This study was initiated to assess the marine environmental condition by collecting and surveying the long term monitoring data that were published under the government reports and documents to assess the temporal and spatial trends of environmental factors. The data consists of rivers, trench, and marine water or sediments. The study areas covered Taichung County to Yunlin County. The methods for assessing the environmental quality included the use of geographic information system (GIS) for the biological distribution, regression analysis for the trend monitoring of chemical contaminants and physical environmental factors between 2001 ¡V 2010 year surveys. The overall environmental quality within the studied sites were further evaluated for the river pollution index (RPI) and the habitat suitability index (HSI). The survey results of 10 years river monitoring from Taichung to Yunlin showed that Hsin-Huu-Wei River belong to serious pollution with RPI 6.67 value. Yuanlin drainage, one of the six drainages of Chang Hua Coast Industrial Park, belongs to serious pollution with RPI 6.08 value. The RPI results of Six trenches around the Chang-Hua Coast Industrial Park showed that Tien-Wei trench 2, Lun-Wei trench 1, and Ji-An trench belong to mid level of pollution (RPI 3.7~3.975). In the marine water survey, the results showed that the pH values were found lower at southern-ward monitoring station nearby the Formosa Petrochemical Corporation No. 6 Naphtha Cracking Industry site. The nitrogen-NH3 concentrations were found high in Jhuo-Shuei River and No. 6 Naphtha Cracking industry. The concentration of Chlorophyll-a was high in Chang-Hua Coast Industrial Park. In the survey of sediment, Hsin-Huu-Wei River arsenic concentration (As) was over the EPA guidelines, but the concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn were within the level of required limits. In the biological survey, the results showed that abundance and species were not evenly distributed with non-comprehensive trends related to the environmental condition or changes. These indicated that biological monitoring survey displayed less important than physical and chemical monitoring for the assessment of man-made pollution or environmental impact from the industrial activities. Overall the monitor sites of river, drainage and trench were differed without a consistent sampling scheme. The offshore sites were sampled greatly in distance, i.e. the farthermost point at four sea miles that had caused difficulties for the comparison of data results collected in different time. It is very uneasy to evaluate the pollution monitoring results. Thus, it is required to develop a long-term environmental quality monitoring plan for the assessment of water quality and sediment of river and marine water with appropriate / consistency sampling method, monitor time and site scheme. Finally, the relevant authorities should implement river remediation to improve the pollution and thereby to maintain the sustainability of marine environment. It is required to establish an integral monitoring program consisting of water and sediment and bio-monitoring in rivers, estuary, and marine to better predict the marine environmental quality. Also the integral and long-term monitoring program should ensure to predict the changes of west coastal and to achieve the effectiveness of marine environment.

The west coast of Taiwan is enriched with biological resources. The areas are the economic development sites with highly industrialized activities and densely population. The government attempts to promote the sites for the establishment of marine protected areas (MPA) because of the existence of Chinese White Dolphin (Sousa Chinensis) which is the most important issues against the sustainable development of economy. Thus, the present study was initiated to assess the marine environmental quality (MEQ) in the west coast of Taiwan. The research consists of the integral monitoring assessments of rivers, estuaries and the marine areas. This work collected, reviewed and analyzed the environmental monitoring data from industrial environmental impact assessment reports and governmental documents for the evaluation of spatial and temporal trends of the west coast areas over the last ten year. The assessment is required to understand the possible interactive problems between the marine protected areas and the marine environmental quality prior to the establishment of MPA acts. The present work consists of the subsection of coastal areas ranging from Hsinchu Country to Taichung Harbour. Ten annual monitoring data including the water quality or sediments of rivers, estuaries, and marine were assessed for the spatial and temporal trends of physical, chemical and biological changes over the years. The approaches for assessing the sites included the geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis method and linear regression of monitoring data. The levels of pollution were also evaluated by using the river pollution index (RPI). The effect of habitat suitability index (HSI) was also calculated. The results of river water quality assessment showed that the Ke-ya-si, Jhong-gang river, and Nan-gan river were seriously polluted with RPI¡Ö6. The river seiment contaminants (Cu¡BNi) were significantly increased in the Ke-ya-si and Jhong-gang river. The water quality of Taichung Port drainage showed serious pollution with low dissolved oxygen (DO), high concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, and high counts of coli-forms. The Taichung Port drainage sediment contaminants (As¡BCu¡BHg¡BZn) had higher than the average of EPA guidelines. This could be resulting from the significant point source of industries pollutants discharged into the river. The significant amounts of waste water discharged into ocean could cause the impacts to the marine environment. The present study demonstrated the impacts to the river monitoring site although the ocean water quality monitoring contaminants were found without signicant changes in all time. This suggests that the ocean water quality monitoring sites were inconsistently sampled at 4 nm away from the coast which caused the dilution of contaminant concentrations and affecting the monitoring effectiveness. The sediment contaminants in Taichung Port monitoring site showed with the exception of appearing unusual change. The results also showed that there is lack of bio-monitoring program carried out in rivers, estuary, and marine that are imperatively needed to resolve the ineffective sampling protocol implemented in the current coastal environmental monitoring. This is owing to the non unified for authorization between the municipality and environmental bureau. The Canada Ocean Acts on assessing the water and sediment and bio-monitoring in rivers, estuary, and marine as a whole concept were compared with the present study. Finally, the relevant authorities should implement river remediation to improve the pollution and thereby to maintain the sustainability of marine environment. It is needed to establish an integral monitoring program consisting of water and sediment and bio-monitoring in rivers, estuary, and marine to better predict the marine environmental quality. Also the integral and long-term monitoring program should ensure to predict the changes of west coastal and to achieve the effectiveness of marine management.