While knowledge is one of an organization’s greatest assets, it remains a challenge to facilitate knowledge transfer between people within an organization. Social influence has been studied in its role of facilitating information diffusion, which is necessary for knowledge transfer to occur. Among this research, tie strength, a quantifiable characteristic of a social network that determines the link between two nodes, has been measured to determine the impact of social influence on knowledge transfer and information dissemination within a social network. Current research that explores the impact of social influence on information diffusion has been conducted within public social networks due to the availability of data that can be gathered from public social online network systems, such as Facebook. With the emergence of collaboration technologies that exist in online social network tools being utilized within organizations, there is an opportunity to digitally collect information regarding information dissemination within a collaborative network. This study captured data from an online social network, specifically a unified communication tool, being used within a collaborative social network at a mid-sized South Central corporation. A content analysis of Lync messages for 1,749 connections was performed to quantitatively measure the influence of tie strength on information dissemination within a collaborative social network. The results demonstrated that tie strength had a significant impact on information dissemination using a collaborative system. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that tie strength had the largest impact on information dissemination using the instant messaging modality of a collaboration system.

<p>Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka hur arbetsterapeuter går till väga för att genomföra en informationsöverföring till alla personliga assistenter hos en brukare samt hur arbetsterapeuter anser att informationsöverföringen till personliga assistenter fungerar. En kvalitativ ansats valdes och informationen inhämtades via intervjuer med 9 arbetsterapeuter i öppenvården i Västmanlands och Gävleborgs län. Resultatet visar att: det är få av arbetsterapeuterna som tycker att informationsöverföringen fungerar riktigt bra. Flertalet anser att det är lättare att nå fram och få en bra kommunikation med de personliga assistenterna om de är intresserade och insatta i sitt arbete. Arbetsterapeuterna beskriver att informationsöverföringen sker utifrån varje enskilt fall och hur många som är närvarande beror på vad som arbetsterapeuten vill informera om. Valet av tillvägagångssätt och hur många som man träffar inom gruppen beror mycket på vad ärendet handlar om och vilken kompetensnivå som de personliga assistenterna har. Att nå fram till alla i gruppen med information är svårt, eftersom de personliga assistenterna oftast jobbar på olika tider. Det är också svårt att veta vilka som tar eller får del av informationen då det inom vissa grupper ofta byts personal. Det är nästan uteslutande arbetsterapeuten som tar initiativ till uppföljning genom att ringa och fråga hur det har gått. Författarna kan konstatera att arbetsterapeuterna är flexibla, arbetar med både offensiv och defensiv informationsöverföring beroende på de personliga assistenternas kunskapsnivå. I sitt informationsgivande förhållande till de personliga assistenterna använder sig de flesta arbetsterapeuterna av den induktiva principen (Christensen och Jensen 2004) genom att utgå ifrån det enskilda ärendet i informationsöverföringsstillfället. Vid framtida studier av ämnet bör även de personliga assistenternas bild av informationsöverföringsprocessen delges för att ge en bredare bild av processen.</p>

Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka hur arbetsterapeuter går till väga för att genomföra en informationsöverföring till alla personliga assistenter hos en brukare samt hur arbetsterapeuter anser att informationsöverföringen till personliga assistenter fungerar. En kvalitativ ansats valdes och informationen inhämtades via intervjuer med 9 arbetsterapeuter i öppenvården i Västmanlands och Gävleborgs län. Resultatet visar att: det är få av arbetsterapeuterna som tycker att informationsöverföringen fungerar riktigt bra. Flertalet anser att det är lättare att nå fram och få en bra kommunikation med de personliga assistenterna om de är intresserade och insatta i sitt arbete. Arbetsterapeuterna beskriver att informationsöverföringen sker utifrån varje enskilt fall och hur många som är närvarande beror på vad som arbetsterapeuten vill informera om. Valet av tillvägagångssätt och hur många som man träffar inom gruppen beror mycket på vad ärendet handlar om och vilken kompetensnivå som de personliga assistenterna har. Att nå fram till alla i gruppen med information är svårt, eftersom de personliga assistenterna oftast jobbar på olika tider. Det är också svårt att veta vilka som tar eller får del av informationen då det inom vissa grupper ofta byts personal. Det är nästan uteslutande arbetsterapeuten som tar initiativ till uppföljning genom att ringa och fråga hur det har gått. Författarna kan konstatera att arbetsterapeuterna är flexibla, arbetar med både offensiv och defensiv informationsöverföring beroende på de personliga assistenternas kunskapsnivå. I sitt informationsgivande förhållande till de personliga assistenterna använder sig de flesta arbetsterapeuterna av den induktiva principen (Christensen och Jensen 2004) genom att utgå ifrån det enskilda ärendet i informationsöverföringsstillfället. Vid framtida studier av ämnet bör även de personliga assistenternas bild av informationsöverföringsprocessen delges för att ge en bredare bild av processen.

As computers become pervasive and better connected, the popularity of peer-to-peer computing has grown immensely. The sharing of unused resources at peers is desirable and practically important because they can collectively comprise a powerful system. The potential benefit, however, can be undermined by uncooperative behavior of some peers because they are managed individually and hence may not follow the expected protocols. To build robust systems, we must incorporate proper trust and incentive mechanisms so that peers would rather cooperate. In this dissertation, we demonstrate that building robust peer-to-peer information dissemination systems is important and viable, using four concrete cases. First, we investigate the incentive mechanism of BitTorrent, an exchange-based file distribution protocol. Our framework based on iterated prisoner's dilemma provides an insight into users' tension between eagerness to download and unwillingness to upload. By using both analytical and experimental approaches, we show that the current incentive mechanism of BitTorrent is susceptible to free riding. We propose an improved mechanism that punishes free riders effectively. Second, we present a trust-aware overlay multicast system that performs well in the presence of uncooperative nodes, which may block, delay, fabricate, or forge the messages they forward. We develop (1) a set of protocols that detect uncooperative behavior, (2) a scheme of trust value assignment according to the behavior of nodes, and (3) an algorithm that adapts the multicast tree based on trust values, all of which allows the system to remain stable and responsive over time. Third, we propose an alternative news feed dissemination system, called FeedEx, in which feed subscribers mesh into a network and exchange news feeds with neighbors. The collaborative exchange in FeedEx, with the help of the incentive-compatible design using the pair-wise fairness principle, reduces the server load and hence increases the scalability. Fourth, we introduce a new concept of peer-to-peer computing, that is, continual service using ephemeral servers. To this end, we develop a system model for the concept and implement a discrete-time simulator to find the conditions and the system support for eliciting cooperation. All four cases are substantiated by experimental results.

Chemical pollution has become an environmental and human health concern. Small and medium-sized enterprises are becoming the focus of environmental researchers, as they have been found to collectively contribute a significant amount of the pollution due to improperly managed chemicals. This case study of Nova Scotia small and medium-sized enterprises aimed to collect baseline information regarding environmental and chemical management including what positive practices were in place, what areas required more assistance, what information is being requested and who should be the focus of information programs. Results indicated that there is significant room for improvement in both the environmental and chemical management practices of small and medium-sized enterprises, even though participants indicated they were employing responsible practices. Participants were however, able to provide multiple suggestions regarding information they require in order to improve their business operations and environmental performance, thereby indicating they are aware improvements are needed.

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo e de revisão da literatura cujo objetivo foi a elaboração de materiais informativos para os participantes de projetos de pesquisa clínica, seus familiares e médicos assistenciais, tais como Orientações ao Participante, Orientações sobre Pesquisa Clínica para Familiares, Comunicação de Inclusão em Pesquisa ao Médico Assistente, Comunicação de Encerramento de Participação em Pesquisa, Comunicação de Encerramento de Participação em Pesquisa para o Médico Assistente. Para embasar a elaboração destes materiais foram realizadas entrevistas semi-abertas sobre as percepções de pacientes participantes em um protocolo de pesquisa em Oncologia. Estas informações foram cotejadas com as vivências da aluna, que atuava como coordenadora de estudos clínicos. / It is a qualitative study and literature review whose objective was the elaboration of informational materials for the participants of clinical research projects, their families and care physicians, such as Participant Guidelines, Guidelines on Clinical Research for Families, Communication of Inclusion in Research for the Assistant Physician, Communication of Termination of Participation in Research, Communication of Termination of Participation in Research for the Assistant Physician. To support the preparation of these materials, semi-open interviews were carried out on the perceptions of patients participating in a research protocol in Oncology. This information was compared with the experiences of the student, who acted as coordinator of clinical studies.

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo e de revisão da literatura cujo objetivo foi a elaboração de materiais informativos para os participantes de projetos de pesquisa clínica, seus familiares e médicos assistenciais, tais como Orientações ao Participante, Orientações sobre Pesquisa Clínica para Familiares, Comunicação de Inclusão em Pesquisa ao Médico Assistente, Comunicação de Encerramento de Participação em Pesquisa, Comunicação de Encerramento de Participação em Pesquisa para o Médico Assistente. Para embasar a elaboração destes materiais foram realizadas entrevistas semi-abertas sobre as percepções de pacientes participantes em um protocolo de pesquisa em Oncologia. Estas informações foram cotejadas com as vivências da aluna, que atuava como coordenadora de estudos clínicos. / It is a qualitative study and literature review whose objective was the elaboration of informational materials for the participants of clinical research projects, their families and care physicians, such as Participant Guidelines, Guidelines on Clinical Research for Families, Communication of Inclusion in Research for the Assistant Physician, Communication of Termination of Participation in Research, Communication of Termination of Participation in Research for the Assistant Physician. To support the preparation of these materials, semi-open interviews were carried out on the perceptions of patients participating in a research protocol in Oncology. This information was compared with the experiences of the student, who acted as coordinator of clinical studies.

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Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:26:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:04:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:26:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:04:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP