Hospital Information System (HIS) is considered as an important factor in health care sector for managing the administrative, financial and clinical aspects of a hospital. A large number of hospitals from both developing and developed countries are adopting hospital information system to bring efficiency in their current system. Current study is conducted to contribute to the literature regarding HIS implementation in developing country settings as there is scarce literature. This study attempts to improve the understanding of HIS implementation in developing countries.  In this study, socio technical model is used to understand the current working system of cardiology department of Combined Military Hospital (CMH). Qualitative case study is conducted for this research. Data is collected with the help of interviews done online via Skype and some secondary data resources to highlight the problems and solutions before HIS implementation. The data collection, generation of results and analysis is done on the basis of structure, people, technology, and process perspective originating from the socio-technical model. Findings of this study are presented in the form of recommendations which need to be considered for making a HIS implementation plan.

This thesis is about the work of Nordel, an advisory body set up in 1963 by the largest power companies in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The purpose of Nordel was to strengthen and consolidate Nordic cooperation in the production and transmission of electrical power. The analysis has been conducted by using Elinor Ostrom’s framework for studying common-pool resources, which is described in her book Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action (1990). The thesis concludes that Nordel reaffirmed the bilateral practises already established by the individual power companies and was circumscribed by national energy policies. Nordel’s main contribution to the Nordic cooperation was to act as a forum for common technical issues and general aims, and as a knowledge-producing organisation.

Carbon reduction commitments and renewable energy targets have become legal drivers of electricity policy in the UK. Meeting those targets will require a transition in the way that electricity is generated, supplied and consumed. This thesis argues that small-­‐scale renewable electricity technologies (<5MW) could have an important role in driving that transition. The thesis evaluates the role of the feed-­‐in tariff -­‐ a policy mechanism designed to stimulate the deployment of small-­‐scale renewable electricity technologies -­‐ in electricity system transition in the UK. The research is based on empirical information generated from 37 industry interviews, observations of industry and government meetings and events, and secondary analysis of consultation responses, publications and statistics from government and the energy regulator, Ofgem. The analysis is structured with a framework that draws on transition theory and breaks down the findings into a niche (micro/developing) level, a regime (incumbent electricity system) level and a landscape (contextual) level. The thesis finds that the FIT has driven solar photovoltaic development and innovation at an unprecedented rate. The other renewable technologies supported under the FIT (wind, hydropower and anaerobic digestion) have not been as widely deployed. It is argued that additional policy support is required to overcome the non-­‐financial barriers that these technologies face. The thesis concludes that the role of the FIT in system transition has been to drive a level and pace of activity in the solar sector that has demonstrated the potential for alternative generation options. This has informed the politicised debate around electricity policy in the UK but it is argued that continued, broader, stable support is required if small-­‐scale renewable technologies are to have a positive role in electricity system transition. The research has relevance to both academic and policy circles focused on electricity policy, the decarbonisation of energy systems and socio-­‐technical system transitions.

No description available.

This research proposes a framework for adaptive information security systems that considers both the technical and social aspects of information systems security. Initial development of information systems security focused on computer technology and communication protocols. Researchers and designers did not consider culture, traditions, ethics, and other social issues of the people using the systems when designing and developing information security systems. They also seemed to ignore environments where these systems run and concentrated only on securing parts of the information systems. Furthermore, they did not pay adequate attention to the enemies of information systemsand the need for adaption to a changing enviroment. The consequences of this lack of attentions to a number of important factors have given us the information security systems that we have today, which appear to be systemically insecure.   To approach this systemic insecurity problem the research was divided into mini studies that were based on the Systemic-Holistic paradigm, Immune System concepts, and Socio-Technical System theory. Applying the holistic research process the author started first by exploring adaptation systems. After exploring these systems, the focus of the research was to understand the systems and features required for making information security systems learn to adapt to the changing environments. Designing and testing the adaptive framework were the next steps. The acquired knowledge from this research was structured into domains in accordance to ontological principles and relationship between domains was studied. These domains were then integrated with the security value-based chain concept, which include deterrence, prevention, detection, response, and recovery functions to create a framework for adaptive information security systems.   The results of the mini studies were reported in a number of papers, which were published in proceedings of international conferences and a journal. For this work, 12 of the thesis papers are included. A framework for adaptive information security system was created. Trials to apply and validate the framework were performed using three methods. The first method was a panel validation, which showed that the framework could be used for providing adaptive security measures and structuring  security work. The second method mapped the framework to the security standards, which showed that the framework was aligned with the major information systems security standards. The third and last validation method was to map the framework with reported ICT crimes cases. The results indicated that most crimes appear to occur because the security systems in place lacked deterrence security measures and had weak prevention, detection, and response security measures. The adaptive information security systems framework was also applied to a number of areas including a secure e-learning, social networks, and telemedicine systems.   It is concluded in this thesis that this adaptive information security system framework can be applied to minimize a number of  systemic insecurity problems and warrants more applied research and practical implementations. / Q 20110608

O processo de seleção de uma tecnologia de tratamento de esgoto envolve a análise de diferentes fatores como as características dos efluentes brutos, demanda por energia e material humano qualificado, disponibilidade de terreno, condições climáticas, geração de subprodutos e sua destinação final e capacidade suporte dos cursos d’água receptores, dentre outros. O processo de seleção torna-se mais complexo quando conduzido no âmbito de uma bacia hidrográfica, uma vez que deverão ser considerados corpos d’águas com diferentes capacidades de autodepuração e a disposição final de efluentes com diferentes vazões e condições de qualidade. Este trabalho teve como objetivo central estabelecer uma metodologia que permita a seleção de sistemas de tratamento, no âmbito de bacias hidrográficas, considerando o emprego combinado de modelagem matemática de qualidade de água, técnica de otimização e método de análise multicriterial. Ainda que aplicável a quaisquer bacias hidrográficas, a metodologia proposta foi aplicada à Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Pardo, curso d´água localizado na porção sul do estado do Espírito Santo. Eficiências mínimas de remoção de matéria orgânica, estimadas com emprego combinado de modelo matemático de qualidade de água e técnica de otimização, permitiram a pré-seleção dos sistemas de tratamento de esgoto, observadas a manutenção dos padrões de qualidade dos corpos d’água e/ou dos efluentes e a equidade no esforço de tratamento entre os diferentes sistemas objetos da seleção. Uma pesquisa qualitativa, conduzida por grupos focados, permitiu a validação dos subsistemas sociotécnicos (Ambiental, Tecnológico, Operação e Social) e dos critérios de seleção. A partir do emprego do método baseado na Teoria de Utilidade Multiatributo (MAUT) foi apropriado um Índice Sociotécnico que permitiu estabelecer, por localidade da área de estudo, o ranking das tecnologias de tratamento de esgoto pré-selecionadas. Para as sedes municipais de Ibatiba e Iúna (maiores aglomerados urbanos da área de estudo), o Índice Sociotécnico conduziu à priorização de variações dos sistemas de lodos ativados ou de tanque sépticos com biodisco como opções de tratamento. Para a sede do município de Irupi e para os povoados de Santíssima Trindade e Nossa Senhora das Graças, função da capacidade de autodepuração dos cursos d’água e/ou dos pequenos contingentes populacionais, o Índice Sociotécnico conduziu à priorização de sistemas mais simples, como diferentes variações do sistema de lagoas de estabilização. / The selection process of a sewage treatment technology involves the analyses of different factors, such as, the characteristics of raw effluents, electricity and qualified human material demand, land availability, weather conditions, production of by-products and final destination and bearing capacity of water resources, among others. The selection process becomes more complex when carried out in a river basin ambit, once water bodies with capacities of selfdepuration and the final destination of effluents with different outflows and quality conditions must be taken into consideration. This work’s main goal was to establish a methodology that enabled the selection of systems of treatment, in river basin ambits, considering the combined use of water quality mathematical modelling, optimization technique and the method of multicriterial analysis. Even applicable to any river basin, the methodology proposed was applied to Rio Pardo river basin, watercourse located in the south of Espírito Santo State. Minimum efficiencies of organic material removal, estimated with the combined use of water quality mathematical modelling and optimization technique, allowed the pre-selection of sewage treatment systems, observed the maintenance of quality standards of water bodies and/or effluents and the equity regarding the treatment effort among the selection’s objects systems. A qualitative research, conducted by focus groups, allowed the validation of socio-technical subsystems (Environmental. Technological, Operation and Social) and the selection criteria. By using the method based on the Multi-attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), an Environmental Index was settled in order to allow the establishment, according to the study area location, of a ranking of pre-selected sewage treatment technologies. For the municipal headquarters in Ibatiba and Iúna (the biggest urban settlements within the study area), the Environmental Index conducted the prioritization of systems variations of activated sludge or septic tank with biodiscs as options for treatment. As for the municipal headquarter in Irupi and the Santíssima Trindade and Nossa Senhora das Graças villages, the self-depuration capacity function of the watercourses and/or small population contingent, the Environmental Index led to the prioritization of more simple systems, with different variations of the stabilization ponds system.

This study explicates Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) as a textually mediated discursive management tool. EBT is the mandatory method for food benefits and replaces the previous food stamp coupons, but the broad reaching significance is that this program is just a developmental infrastructure. The goal of the U.S. Treasury is for all government transactions, approximately $2.5 trillion a year, to be electronically conducted (National Performance Review 1993). To initiate the process, they set the first target as the 126 government benefit programs, including Social Security, Social Security, Veteran's Administration, Student Loans, Medicaid, Medicaid, Unemployment, even tax refunds. The food stamp program (now called SNAP) was selected to develop the foundational architecture of EBT. It is the forerunner of things to come. With every transaction, EBT collects data not about shopping activities or food purchases, but social and life activities that are used to construct an institutional hyperreality. EBT is to create invisible access to and uninterrupted use of data as hypertext to manufacture and orchestrate a discursive hyperreality and ideologically imagined users. These data are a social hypertext (Smith 1990, 1999). They are connected and arranged, and applied in very specific ways to communicate, activate, and articulate social and institutional relationships. They are used to represent not the lived experience but the institutional view. While they have meaning and use in their original form, hypertexts take on new proportion and significance in terms of social relations. Using institutional ethnography, I begin with the standpoint of the lived experiences of people with disabilities using EBT as the point of entry, then follow EBT's workings to reveal how it is shaping social relations and hegemonic restructuring. Topics covered include disability, age, welfare, privatization, data mining, data warehousing, and socio-technical systems and products. They lead to findings I conceptualize as hyperveillance: the use of data not just for surveillance and control, but to reify social constructs and orchestrate ruling relations. Hyperveillance is how data as hypertext are institutionally managed to invisibly insert and mediate power, mediate interdependent discursive linkages, and orchestrate social relations on both and individual and class level. To achieve this, I analytically explicate a five step Hyperveillance Circuit in terms of a digital dialectic. It begins with the swipe of the EBT card that generates the data (i.e., hypertext) and follows it through collection, analysis, ideological assemblage, and finally, its use to construct events in the institutional lens to reify hyperreality and sociological constructs. Along the hyperveillance circuit, I make analytical departure that informs broader social relations and hegemonic restructuring. This includes analytic indulgence to the fact that data as hypertext are mined, warehoused, and cross-matched with up to 2000 additional databases, and shared with other institutions and agencies for a virtually endless array of applications. At this point, I examine the implications of the ubiquitous and atemporal aspects of these practices of hyperveillance to include how they are changing social relations and how they contemporize foundational sociological concepts, especially objectification, interaction, and reification. Another analytical direction inculpates a hyperveillance industry: the government pays private companies to use the hypertext to manufacture socio-technical products that reify institutional ideology, then the companies further their profits and power by selling the products back to the government. These finding lead me to offer a Dynamic Model of Institutionalization as a research tool to explicate other digital discourses and socio-technical processes. It consists of three primary components - a target population, a dialectic of hypertext, and a legislated policy; ideology is used to unify and operationalize discursive workings. Throughout my work, the supporting analytical framework is digital discourse consisting of hypertext and what I conceptualize as hyperveillance. My research on EBT shows how hyperveillance is weaving itself into our social fabric as a way of life, and into ruling relations as an `improved' discursive approach. EBT has been uncontested and unrecognized as a discursive management tool and insertion of social and ruling relations. My research changes that, but what remains unanswered is the extent to which EBT, digital discourse, will ultimately change our social structure.

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é apresentar um protocolo para avaliação de compatibilidade entre a gestão de procedimentos e a complexidade do sistema sócio-técnico em que esses são aplicados. Tal protocolo consiste das seguintes etapas: (a) delimitação do sistema sócio-técnico a ser estudado; (b) caracterização do sistema sócio-técnico; (c) caracterização da complexidade do sistema em estudo; (d) aplicação de dois tipos de questionários aos membros do sistema investigado; um deles destinado a avaliar a percepção em relação a um conjunto de princípios acerca de como os procedimentos deveriam ser gerenciados em um sistema complexo; outro destinado a avaliar a percepção acerca da extensão pela qual os princípios realmente são usados; (e) uma reunião de retorno dos resultados da avaliação aos membros do sistema sócio-técnico; (f) elaboração de recomendações para melhorar a gestão de procedimentos. A aplicação do protocolo é ilustrada por meio de um estudo de caso na sala de controle de uma refinaria de petróleo. / The main objective of this dissertation is to introduce a protocol for assessing the compatibility between the procedures management and the complexity of a socio-technical system in which these are applied to. This protocol consist of the following steps: (a) definition of the socio-technical system to be studied, (b) characterization of socio-technical system, (c) characterizing of the system under study complexity, (d) applying two questionnaires of different kinds to the members of the system investigated, one of them to assess the perceptions in relation to a set of principles about how the procedures should be managed in a complex system, and another designed to assess the perception of the extent to which the principles are actually used, (e) carrying out a return meeting of the assessment results to the members of socio-technical system, (f) developing of recommendations to improve management procedures. The application of the protocol is illustrated through a case study in an oil refinery control room.

Transições sociotecnológicas são processos de modificação e substituição de regimes sociotecnológicos, estruturas sociais que englobam sistemas tecnológicos e produtivos, bem como políticas públicas, sistemas econômicos e significados simbólicos associados. A transição sociotecnológica tem sido discutida como um caminho para o desenvolvimento sustentável, dada a possibilidade de substituição de regimes sociotecnologicos vigentes por regimes que representem menores impactos sociais e ambientais. Apesar da atenção que a transição sustentável tem recebido em anos recentes, observa-se na literatura uma lacuna no estudo da função de agência na transição. O objetivo da presente pesquisa é analisar a agência no processo de transição sociotecnológica sustentável, e a principal contribuição está na proposição de um modelo conceitual estruturado para a explicação desta agência. No desenvolvimento do modelo adotou-se a perspectiva multinível, a qual estuda a transição a partir de três diferentes níveis de análise: nicho, regime e cenário. O modelo está consolidado em três ideias centrais, que se constituíram em hipóteses de trabalho no desenvolvimento da pesquisa. Propõe-se como primeira hipótese que a agência na transição seria distribuída, resultando de uma ação coletiva do nicho. Propõe-se também como segunda hipótese de trabalho que a agência seria exercida por meio da construção pelos atores nicho de um sistema de narrativas, o qual direcionaria as expectativas dos demais atores, bem como o compromisso resultante destas expectativas. Por fim, propõe-se como terceira hipótese que expectativas e compromisso seriam continuamente ajustados pelo desempenho do sistema, e a principal medida de desempenho na transição tecnológica estaria na capacidade do nicho em desenvolver aprendizado. Adotou-se no desenvolvimento da pesquisa uma abordagem multimétodo, a partir de um posicionamento epistemológico de complexidade organizacional; outra contribuição significativa de pesquisa está no tratamento metodológico adotado no teste do modelo proposto. O modelo conceitual proposto foi operacionalizado em uma fase de pesquisa qualitativa, a partir de em análise de conteúdo de narrativas socialmente construídas, e outra quantitativa, através de modelagem computacional por meio de um sistema multiagente. Para o desenvolvimento destas fases adotou-se como objeto de pesquisa o nicho de energia eólica brasileiro, o qual se entende como uma transição em andamento dado seu expressivo crescimento recente. Na fase qualitativa de pesquisa buscou-se caracterizar os processos discursivos envolvidos em transições tecnológicas sustentáveis. Observou-se que narrativas atuaram no estabelecimento de expectativas sobre nicho tecnológico, defendendo a existência de grande potencial de geração no Brasil, e a sustentabilidade da geração de energia eólica. A caracterização de narrativas resultado da fase qualitativa de pesquisa foi adotada na fase quantitativa de pesquisa como base para o desenvolvimento do processo de modelagem e simulação. O modelo computacional foi considerado como valido dada sua capacidade de representar o processo de constituição de um nicho tecnológico, e as três hipóteses de trabalho que consolidam o modelo conceitual proposto foram testadas por meio deste modelo. Os resultados de simulação observados dão suporte à aceitação das primeira e segunda hipóteses, embora indiquem pela rejeição da terceira. A principal implicação dos achados está na sugestão que a transição sustentável deve ser entendida como um processo iminentemente coletivo, não podendo ser conduzida de forma isolada por um único agente. / Socio-technological transitions are processes of change and replacement of socio-technical regimes, social structures that include technological and production systems, as well as the associated public policies, economic systems and symbolic meanings. Socio-technical transitions have been discussed as a path to sustainable development, due to the opportunity of replacement of incumbent socio-technical regimes by regimes that account for lesser social and environmental impacts. Despite the attention that sustainable transitions have recently received, it is observed in the literature a gap in the study of agency in the transition. The aim of this research is to analyze agency in the socio-technical transition to sustainability, and the main contribution is the proposition of a structured conceptual model in order to explain this agency. In developing the model, it was adopted the multi-level perspective, which studies the transition through three different levels of analysis: niche, regime and landscape. The model is consolidated in three core ideas, which constituted themselves in working hypotheses for the development of research. At first, it is proposed a first hypothesis the adoption of a conception of distributed agency, resulting from a collective action of the niche. It is also proposed as second work hypothesis that agency would be exerted through the construction by the social actors of the niche of a system of narratives, which would direct the expectations of other actors, as well as the commitment resulting from these expectations. Finally, it is proposed as the third work hypothesis that expectations and commitment would be continuously adjusted by system performance, and the main performance measure in the sociotechnical transition would be in the ability of the niche to develop learning. It was adopted in the research a multimethod design, from an epistemology of organizational complexity; another significant contribution of the research is the methodological approach adopted in testing the proposed model. The proposed conceptual model was operationalized in a qualitative research phase, using a content analysis of socially constructed narratives, and other quantitative phase, by means of computational modeling using a multi-agent system. To the development of these phases it was adopted as a research subject the Brazilian wind energy niche, which is understood as a transition in progress, given its significant recent growth. In qualitative research phase, we attempted to characterize the discursive processes involved in sustainable technological transitions. It was observed that narratives have acted in establishing expectations about technological niche, defending the existence of a large generation potential in Brazil, and the sustainability of wind power generation. The characterization of narratives resulting of the qualitative research phase was adopted in the quantitative phase as the basis for the development of modeling and simulation process. The computational model was considered valid, given its ability to represent the process of establishment of a technological niche. The three working hypotheses that consolidate the proposed conceptual model were tested using this model. The observed simulation results supported the acceptance of the first and second hypotheses, while indicating the rejection of the third one. The main implication of the findings is the suggestion that the transition to sustainability must be considered as a collective process, and cannot be conducted by a single individual agent.

Serviços de saúde são reconhecidamente sistemas socio-técnicos complexos (SSTC) tendo em vista sua dinamicidade, diversidade, incerteza e interações entre os diversos elementos que os compõe. Outra característica importante dos SSTC é a resiliência, fundamental para manter os sistemas em funcionamento. Estudar a resiliência em SSTC é objetivo da Engenharia de Resiliência (ER), novo paradigma para gestão de segurança, com enfoque na análise do trabalho real. Esta tese explora o papel complementar de duas práticas com influência na resiliência em SSTC: o desenvolvimento de habilidades de resiliência (HR) e os procedimentos operacionais padronizados (POPs). Há um entendimento que, mesmo com procedimentos operacionais padronizados, existe uma variabilidade inerente ao SSTC, tornando impossível que o procedimento atenda a todas as situações. Este estudo tem como principal questão de pesquisa: como integrar a gestão de procedimentos operacionais padronizados ao desenvolvimento de HR em serviços de emergência hospitalar? E como objetivo principal: propor um modelo para integração entre gestão de POP e desenvolvimento de HR, enfatizando serviço de emergência hospitalar Os objetivos específicos são: (a) identificar, analisar e traçar um panorama sobre estudos na área da saúde com a ótica da ER; (b) identificar a origem das HR. A abordagem norteadora da tese é o Design Science Research que, com sua natureza prescritiva, busca desenvolver o conhecimento por meio da construção de artefatos. A tese está estruturada em três fases, que resultam em três artigos: (i) ―Contribuições da Engenharia de Resiliência para a Saúde: uma Revisão Sistemática‖, tem como principal objetivo identificar e entender como os conceitos de ER vem sendo utilizados na área da saúde; (ii) ―Habilidades de resiliência como fenômeno emergente: um estudo em departamentos de emergência no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos‖, tem como objetivo responder ao questionamento ―de onde emergem as habilidades de resiliência‖; (iii) ―Procedimentos e capacitação: recursos para ação trabalhando em conjunto para apoiar a resiliência de sistemas sócio-técnicos complexos‖, que responde a pergunta ―como integrar melhoria de POP e desenvolvimento de HR?‖. Assim, o último artigo atende o principal objetivo da tese ao propor modelo de integração entre POP e capacitações em HR. / Health services are admittedly complex socio-technical systems (CSS) considering their dynamism, diversity, uncertainty and interactions between the various elements that compose them. Another important feature of the CSS is resilience. It is critical to keep systems running. The goal of Resilience Engineering is to study resilience, the new paradigm for safety management, focusing on the analysis of current work. This thesis approaches the complementary role of two practices that influence the resilience CSS: the development of resilience skills (RS) and standard operational procedures (SOPs). There is an understanding that even with the use of SOPs, there is variability in the CSS, making it impossible for the procedure to meet all situations. This study's main research question is: how to integrate the SOP management and RS development in hospital emergency room services? The main objective of the study is: to suggest a model to integrate SOP management and RS development, with emphasis in hospital emergency room. The specific objectives are: (a) identify, analyze and give an overview of studies in health care according to Resilience Engineering; (b) identify the origens of the RS The guiding approach of this thesis is the Design Science Research which, due to its prescriptive nature, seeks to develop knowledge by building artifacts. The thesis is structured in three phases, resulting in three items: (i) ―A Systematic Review on Resilience Engineering contributions for Health Care‖ aims to identify and understand how concepts of Resilience Engineering have been used in health services (ii) "Resilience skills as emergent phenomena: a study of emergency departments in Brazil and the United States" aims to answer the question "where do resilience skills come from"; (iii) ―Procedures and training: resources for action working together to support the resilience in CSS‖, which answers the question "how to integrate SOP improvement and resilience skills development?". Thus, the last article serves the main objective of the thesis that is to suggest an integration model between SOP and RS training.