Information modeling is the cornerstone of information systems analysis and design. Information models not only provide the abstractions required to facilitate communication between designers and end users, they also provide a formal basis for tools and techniques used in developing and using information systems. This dissertation reports on four empirical studies in information modeling. The four studies focus on an important, yet controversial, construct in information modeling — the relationship construct. The theoretical foundation for the four experimental studies comprises theories and findings from the information systems, cognitive psychology, computer science, philosophy, and communication literature. Because of the paucity of empirical research in the area, a two-stage research design, consisting of the exploratory and formalized phases, is employed in this dissertation. Two studies were conducted in the exploratory phase. The first exploratory study investigated the effect of domain familiarity on selection of mandatory or optional connectivity for the relationship construct by modeling experts. The findings indicate that modeling experts tend to choose optional over mandatory relationships, even for domains that are totally unfamiliar to them. The second exploratory study analyzed the effect of conflicting textual information and structural constraints on selection of mandatory or optional connectivity by modeling experts. The results show that modeling experts tend to focus on the information depicted by the structural constraints and ignore the textual information. This exploratory phase allowed us to explore and develop empirical research methods and instruments for studying the relationship construct in information modeling. In the second phase, two formalized studies were conducted. The first formalized study investigated the differences between modeling experts and novices in their interpretation of information models. The results show significant differences in the way modeling experts and novices interpret information models. Modeling experts focus mainly on the structural constraints and de-emphasize the textual information. Modeling novices, on the other hand, pay more attention to the textual information than modeling experts. The second formalized study examined the effect of different representations of relationship on the interpretation of information models by modeling novices. The findings indicate that the explicitness of relationship construct and the use of verb versus noun description for relationship have a profound impact on the accuracy of interpretation. The best combination is one that uses an explicit relationship construct and verb for relationship description. The worst combination is one where the relationship construct is represented implicitly and described using noun. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

In contrast with the bulk of conventional neoclassical economic theory this thesis treats the generation of technical change as an integral part of the producer's decision problem. The production of technical knowledge is modelled in the same manner as other outputs. To achieve this, the changeable pool of knowledge pertaining to the technical arts is denoted by a vector of stock variables. A general model of production with endogenous factor augmenting technical changes is specified as an optimal control problem in which these durable knowledge goods are the state variables. The corresponding co-state variables are the knowledge good shadow prices while the output of the various knowledge goods constitutes the control variables. This specification overcomes a number of the limitations that have commonly beset previous models of induced innovation, including the exclusion of interaction between the production of knowledge and the production of conventional outputs. The shadow price of factor i augmenting knowledge in this production model is well defined. It is the discounted present value of the future stream of expenditure on factor i per unit of type i knowledge. In addition to the familiar qualitative implications of such an optimal control problem this model implies that the optimal rate of Hicks neutral technical change increases in response to a scalar increase in the non-knowledge factor endowments. To derive an estimable econometric model of the production technology underlying this endogenous factor augmenting technical change model, the continually revised steady state values of the co-state variables are employed as approximations to the knowledge good shadow prices. A generalised Leontief variable profit function is postulated to represent the production technology in dual space. The estimable econometric model is constructed from the derived wage equations. This thesis presents estimates of three simple models each having endogenous technical change together with an analogous conventional model which has exponential exogenous rates of factor augmenting technical change for the private sector of the Canadian economy over the period 1947 to 1973. They are the cases of endogenous Hicks neutral technical change, Harrod neutral technical change and general factor augmenting technical change, when there are just two inputs (labour services and capital services) and one non-knowledge output. Maximum likelihood estimates for the first and third of these models yielded statistical evidence supporting the fundamental null hypothesis that the pattern of technical change in the Canadian economy between 1947 and 1973 has been significantly influenced by the knowledge good shadow prices. Furthermore, the empirical results for all three models reveals that the Canadian economy has experienced significant endogenous technical change during this period, given the absence of exogenous technical change. Similarly the estimation of the exogenous technical change model indicated that there has been significant non-neutral exogenous technical change during this period, given that there has been no endogenous technical change. However, due to the statistical evidence that the pattern of technical change has been significantly induced, modelling technical change endogenously has the important advantage of providing an explanation of the pattern of technical progress in terms of profit maximising behaviour. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Unknown

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Technological change bears the promise of addressing environmental problems without reneging on economic development. However, taping its full potential requires an understanding of its drivers and barriers. The three chapters of this dissertation are a modest attempt at casting light on some of the factors that can foster technological change towards more environmental-friendly technologies. In Chapter One, I provide the first quantitative evidence that the Montreal Protocol, and its following amendments to protect the ozone layer, triggered a large increase in research and innovation on alternatives to ozone-depleting molecules. To do this, I use the full text of patents and scientific articles and implement a difference-in-differences strategy and a synthetic control method. To compare molecules’ chemical and industrial characteristics, I construct descriptive variables by applying machine learning techniques to the documents’ text. In Chapter Two, I investigate barriers to adopting solar lanterns in the context of rural Indian households. I design and implement a randomized controlled trial on people’s willingness to pay for such lanterns, and find that, despite the relative simplicity of the product, information barriers to adopting solar lanterns remain high. Chapter Three theoretically investigates firm-level barriers to green technological change. I outline a mechanism that explains why coordination at the industry level might be necessary. I argue that radical innovations (such as electric cars) require complementary innovations in interdependent components, and show that, when technological change requires investment by both suppliers and producers, coordination within an industry is needed and can be difficult to obtain.

University of Macau / Faculty of Science and Technology / Department of Computer and Information Science

Background Telehealth is a communication technology that allows exchange of data between patients and health care providers. Disease management is a structured multifaceted intervention to patient care that promotes self-management skills and improves patient-doctor communication. This systematic review aims to determine the effectiveness of “telehealth diabetes management programmes” for patients with type-2 diabetes (T2DM) in improving outcomes such as glycaemic control, diabetes related mortality, hospital admissions and overall cost-effectiveness of programme. Its applicability to Hong Kong will be reviewed. Methods A literature search of electronic bibliographic databases was performed to identify relevant articles. Both randomised control trials and observational studies on patients with T2DM published up to March 2013 were included in the analysis. Results A total of 14 articles were eligible (n=9708 subjects). Eight were randomised controlled trials and six observational studies. Ten studies reported on mean change in HbA1c level, three on health care utilization and three on cost-effectiveness of telehealth management programme. No studies had diabetes related mortality as their outcome measure. Across these trials, telehealth diabetes management programme resulted in an improvement in glycaemic control, likely reduction in health service utilization and a probable cost-effective programme. Discussions The current Hong Kong’s health care system faces challenges from long wait-list for medical consultations and rising health care costs. The applicability of the results from this review to the setting in Hong Kong, and feasibility of implementation will be discussed. Conclusion Telehealth disease management programmes had clinically modest but significant improvement in HbA1c among adults with T2DM and likely to be cost-effective. The results of this review have potential important implications for policy makers in the allocation of health care resources. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

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The purpose of this study is to examine the work environment of research and development (R & D) subsystems and ascertain the relationship between technological innovation and the work environment. The focus of the study is the semiconductor industry, (SIC 3674), which is a prime example of a rapid growth, research intensive industry. The industry, in the past decade, has been characterized by very rapid technological advances with a subsequent high growth rate for most firms in the industry. Two instruments were developed to measure technological innovation. The first instrument, the innovation index, estimated the actual innovations developed by each company since 1970. The index consisted of a comprehensive list of technological innovations that could have been adopted and developed by the companies in the industry. The second instrument, the perceived innovativeness questionnaire, assessed company innovativeness as perceived by the R & D personnel. The R & D work environment was assessed with the work climate questionnaire which consisted of ten work climate dimensions, selected for their theoretical relevance and importance in the light of prior research on innovation. These dimensions were: autonomy, cooperation, supportiveness, structure, level of reward, performance-reward dependency, achievement motivation, status polarization, flexibility and decision centralization. Interviews were conducted as part of the research study to provide information on the development of innovations in the semiconductor industry and, secondly, to determine what changes, if any, had occurred in the nature of the work environment of the R & D subsystems of the semiconductor companies. Data for the study were collected from eight semiconductor companies (SIC 3674). Respondents included all the vice presidents for the R & D subsystems of the companies and a total of 136 research and development personnel from the eight companies. Content analysis of the interviews suggests that: (1) innovation development in the semiconductor industry is perceived as a multiphased process rather than a single event. This process consists of three stages: idea generation and evaluation (initiation stage); approval and adoption stage; and development and implementation stage; and (2) the work environment of the R & D subsystem is characterized by relative stability of work climate over a period of time. Statistical analyses of the data offer some support for the view that technological innovation is related to the R & D subsystem work climate. Significant positive relations were found between technological innovation and the work climate dimensions of performance-reward dependency, flexibility, achievement motivation, autonomy, cooperation, supportiveness and perceived innovativeness; significant negative relationship was found between technological innovation and decision centralization. Work climate differences between the high innovative group and low innovative group showed significant differences between the two groups in the work climate dimensions of autonomy, performance-reward dependency, achievement motivation, flexibility, decision centralization and perceived innovativeness. The results of the study suggest that: (1) technological innovation is related to R & D subsystem work climate; (2) the nature of work climate that characterizes the R & D subsystems of highly innovative companies is different from that which characterizes their less innovative counterparts.

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Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-164). / x, 164 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm