Submitted by Caroline Falcao (caroline.rfalcao@ufpe.br) on 2017-06-01T17:32:43Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Simone de Almeida TESE.pdf: 2230420 bytes, checksum: cff8e5133d8b8f52c2f804a82d87bf4c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T17:32:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Simone de Almeida TESE.pdf: 2230420 bytes, checksum: cff8e5133d8b8f52c2f804a82d87bf4c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-03 / A determinação do preço de venda de medicamentos manipulados tem envolvido cada vez mais fatores que contribuem com a satisfação do consumidor, transformando-se em um dos principais esforços na busca de maior competitividade neste ramo de negócio. Neste contexto, este trabalho propõe duas novas abordagens de agregação de preferências de stakeholders acerca da definição metodológica de precificação de produtos farmacêuticos, se concentrando no caso particular das farmácias magistrais da região Sul do Brasil. Ambas as abordagens utilizam-se do método Value-Focused Thinking (VFT), a fim de propiciar um melhor entendimento do problema pelos membros envolvidos. Além disso, apoiam a identificação de um objetivo fundamental a partir de várias percepções do problema, estabelecendo uma visão unificada do objetivo a ser alcançado, devido à participação de todos os atores. Para isso, são identificados os valores individuais, permite-se a criação de alternativas, onde cada participante contribui com suas percepções e valores individuais, sendo definidas as medidas naturais, diretas e/ou indiretas de acordo com a experiência e conhecimento de cada stakeholder e determina-se as constantes de escala, refletindo suas preferências. A primeira abordagem utiliza-se do consenso entre os membros do grupo para se obter a preferência global, sendo que todas as etapas de desenvolvimento do modelo são realizadas com a participação de todos os atores. A segunda abordagem propõe uma maneira individualizada de participação dos stakeholders, incluindo a utilização de mapas cognitivos a fim de organizar e registrar os valores identificados pelos stakeholders acerca de suas preferências, assim, ao final do processo de estruturação da situação problema, os mapas individuais são agregados por meio da união das diferentes percepções, obtendo um modelo unificado. Percebe-se então, um ambiente com reduzido conflito, visto que praticamente todo o processo é realizado isoladamente e garantindo-se maior agilidade, podendo haver negociação somente no final do processo. O modelo final gerado, por ambas as abordagens, reflete a preferência global de todos os stakeholders. / Establishing the selling price of compounded drugs has been involved more and more factors that contribute to customer satisfaction, becoming a major effort to achieve greater competitiveness in this business. In this context, this work proposes two new approaches for aggregating of stakeholders’ preferences about the methodological definition of pricing of pharmaceutical products, focusing on the particular case of compounding pharmacy in southern Brazil. Both approaches are used the method Value-Focused Thinking (VFT), in order to provide a better understanding of the problem by the members concerned. Furthermore, this work supports the identification of a fundamental objective from various perceptions of the problem, establishing a unified vision of the goal to be achieved, due to participation of all stakeholders. For this, the individual values are identified, allow the creation of alternatives, where each participant contributes their individual perceptions and values, and defined natural, direct and / or indirect measures according to the experience and knowledge of each stakeholder, and determine the scale constant, reflecting their preferences. The first approach utilizes the consensus among the group members to obtain the global preference, and all stages of model development are carried out with the participation of all stakeholders. The second approach proposes and individualized manner of participation of stakeholders, including the use of cognitive maps, in order to organize and record the values identified by stakeholders about their preferences, so the end of the process of structuring the problem situation, the individual maps are aggregates through the union of the different perceptions obtaining a unified model. It can be seen then, an environment with reduced conflict, since practically the entire process is carried out separately, and ensuring greater flexibility and may negotiated only at the end of the process. The final model generated by both approaches, reflect the overall preference of the stakeholders.

Knowledge sharing has presented a challenge for organizations in the 21st century. Tangible organizational assets decrease in value when they are used while knowledge increases in value as they are used. Sharing knowledge has enabled organizations to obtain a competitive advantage. A large part of knowledge sharing research is technical in nature with limited consideration of the human and individual challenges that encompass each organization. This exploratory research presents an understanding of knowledge sharing in the terms of individual values of people in a closed information organization. The organizational entity that was studied is within the United States Federal Government. The research questions attempted to understand (1) what role individual values played towards maximizing knowledge sharing, and to identify what were the (2) fundamental, and (3) means objectives in a closed information environment organization. The goals were achieved by operationalizing the value-focused thinking methodology to identify fundamental objectives for knowledge sharing and means of achieving them in an organizational context. Data for the study was collected through in-depth interviews with organizational stakeholders about their values toward maximizing knowledge sharing. A comprehensive individual value hierarchy was created through 33 interviews of closed information environment organizational personnel. This resulted in a total of 141 individual values towards maximizing knowledge sharing in a closed information environment organization. Analysis of the data provided suggestions and objectives that were essential in knowledge sharing and the broader context of knowledge management. The validated fundamental and means objectives discovered for the closed information environment organization provide a theoretical foundation and value hierarchy for maximizing knowledge sharing. Understanding values of individual stakeholders enabled the creation of objectives that leveraged, but not solely depended upon technology, as the solution. A total of 10 fundamental and 14 means objectives were identified. The results provided a theoretical framework and value hierarchy for considering knowledge sharing in a manner that accounts for content and relational epistemological issues. Researchers and practitioners were presented with an understanding of knowledge sharing enablers in terms of the values of people from an organizational perspective.

Numerous IS researchers have argued that IS Security can be more effectively managed if the emphasis goes beyond the technical means of protecting information resources. In an effort to adopt a broader perspective that accounts for issues that transcend technical means alone, Dhillon and Torkzadeh (2006) present an array of 9 fundamental and 16 means objectives that are essential for maximizing IS security in an organization. These objectives were derived using a value-focused thinking approach and are organized into a conceptual framework. This conceptual framework provides a rigorous theoretical base for considering IS security in a manner that accounts for both technical and organizational issues; however, no direction is provided for using these objectives so that informed decisions can be made. As a result, the goal of this dissertation is to develop a decision model using Multiple Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) techniques that seek to provide informed alternatives to decision makers who desire to maximize IS security within an organization.

Information security research states that corporate security policy and information security training should be socio-technical in nature and that corporations should consider training as a primary method of protecting their information systems. However, information security policies and training are predominately technical in nature. In addition, managers creating security policies rely heavily on security guidelines, which are also technically oriented. This study created a series of information security training videos that were viewed by four groups of managers. One video discussed the socio-technical aspects of security, another discussed only the social aspects of security, the third detailed only the technical aspects of security, and the fourth was a control video unrelated to information security. Each group was shown the video, and after this viewing, each group’s values toward information security were ascertained and converted into security objectives following Keeney (1992)’s value-focused thinking approach. Each group’s list of security objectives were used as the input to Schmidt (1997)’s ranking Delphi methodology, which yielded a more concise and ranked list of security objectives. The results thus obtained, indicate that manager’s objectives towards information security are affected by the nature and scope of the information security training they receive. Information security policy based on each group’s value-based security objectives indicate that manager’s receiving socio-technical training would produce the strongest information security policy when analyzing the value-focused thinking list of security objectives. However, the quality of security policy decreases when analyzing the ranked Delphi list of security objectives, thus providing mixed results. The theoretical contribution of this research states that technically oriented information security training found in corporations today affects manager’s values and security objectives in a way that leads them to create and support technically oriented security policies, thus ignoring the social aspects of security. The practical contribution of this research states that managers should receive socio-technical information security training as a part of their regular job training, which would affect their values and lead to socio-technical information security policy based on the manager’s socio-technical security objectives. The methodological contribution of this research demonstrates the successful use of the value-focused thinking approach as the input to the ranking of the Delphi methodology.

The rapid expansion of cloud technology provides enormous capacity, which allows for the collection, dissemination and re-identification of personal information. It is the cloud’s resource capabilities such as these that fuel the concern for privacy. The impetus of these concerns are not too far removed from those expressed by Mason in 1986, when he identified privacy as one of the biggest ethical issues facing the information age. There seems to be continuous ebb and flow relationship with respect to privacy concerns and the development of new information communication technologies such as cloud computing. Privacy issues are a concern to all types of stakeholders in the cloud. Individuals using the cloud are exposed to privacy threats when they are persuaded to provide personal information unwantedly. An Organization using a cloud service is at risk of non-compliance to internal privacy policies or legislative privacy regulations. The cloud service provider has a privacy risk of legal liability and credibility concerns if sensitive information is exposed. The data subject is at risk of having personal information exposed. In essence everyone who is involved in cloud computing has some level of privacy risk that needs to be evaluated before, during and after they or an organization they interact with adopts a cloud technology solution. This resonates a need for organizations to develop privacy practices that are socially responsible towards the protection of their stakeholders’ information privacy. This research is about understanding the relationship between individual values and their privacy objectives. There is a lack of clarity in organizations as to what individuals consider privacy to be. Therefore, it is essential to understand an individual’s privacy values. Individuals seem to have divergent perspectives on the nature and scope of how their personal information is to be kept private in different modes of technologies. This study is concerned with identifying individual privacy objectives for cloud computing. We argue that privacy is an elusive concept due to the evolving relationship between technology and privacy. Understanding and identifying individuals’ privacy objectives are an influential step in the process of protecting the privacy in cloud computing environments. The aim of this study is to identify individual privacy values and develop cloud privacy objectives, which can be used to design a privacy audit for cloud computing environments. We used Keeney’s (1992) value focused thinking approach to identify individual privacy values with respect to emerging cloud technologies, and to develop an understanding of how cloud privacy objectives are shaped by the individual’s privacy values. We discuss each objective and how they relate to privacy concerns in cloud computing. We also use the cloud privacy objectives in a design science study to design a cloud privacy audit framework. We then discuss the how this research helps privacy managers develop a cloud privacy strategy, evaluate cloud privacy practices and develop a cloud privacy audit to ensure privacy. Lastly, future research directions are proposed.

Tese de Programa Doutoral. Sistemas Sustentáveis de Energia. Universidade do Porto. Faculdade de Engenharia. 2012

This report describes a method of incorporating decision analysis principles to enhance a simulation being created by The University of Texas at Austin’s Institute for Advanced Technology (IAT). The simulation is called Virtual Simulation Learning Platform (VSLP) and the scenario created to test the platform is called Virtual Platoon Leader (VPL). Recommendations include a method of implementing value-focused decision making, the implementation of decision tools to build a scenario within the simulation, a dialogue process between the developer and the subject matter expert, a design for the implementation of graphical user interfaces for the decision tools used to build a scenario and a user scoring methodology. / text

This dissertation examines the identity threats perceived by individuals and organizations in Online Social Networks (OSNs). The research constitutes two major studies. Using the concepts of Value Focused Thinking and the related methodology of Multiple Objectives Decision Analysis, the first research study develops the qualitative and quantitative value models to explain the social identity threats perceived by individuals in Online Social Networks. The qualitative value model defines value hierarchy i.e. the fundamental objectives to prevent social identity threats and taxonomy of user responses, referred to as Social Identity Protection Responses (SIPR), to avert the social identity threats. The quantitative value model describes the utility of the current social networking sites and SIPR to achieve the fundamental objectives for averting social identity threats in OSNs. The second research study examines the threats to the external identity of organizations i.e. Information Security Reputation (ISR) in the aftermath of a data breach. The threat analysis is undertaken by examining the discourses related to the data breach at Home Depot and JPMorgan Chase in the popular microblogging website, Twitter, to identify: 1) the dimensions of information security discussed in the Twitter postings; 2) the attribution of data breach responsibility and the related sentiments expressed in the Twitter postings; and 3) the subsequent diffusion of the tweets that threaten organizational reputation.

This dissertation investigates the relationship between social engineering tactics and the facilitation of online sex trafficking, with a focus on prevention strategies. First, the impact of parenting strategies on adolescent run-away behavior, focusing on both physical and online dimensions is explored. Drawing on existing literature, we investigate how parental responsiveness and psychological control influence adolescents' perceptions and behaviors related to physical and online runaway tendencies. The study highlights the nuanced role of parental strategies, emphasizing the importance of coherence and alignment in parental communication to mitigate the risks associated with adolescent runaway behavior. Second, this research investigates how heuristic (e.g., social cues), systematic (e.g., informativeness, persuasiveness) factors and personality impact susceptibility to deceptive job posts. Using the heuristic-systematic model and an experimental design, it examines how these factors influence the likelihood of falling victim to fraudulent job offers on social media, particularly Instagram. Then, objectives are developed to combat online sex trafficking using standpoint theory and value focused thinking. This study prioritizes marginalized perspectives and employs value focused thinking to integrate stakeholder values in the decision-making process to ensure a safer digital environment.

A systematic customer value assessment process (CVAP) was developed to give system engineering teams the capability to qualitatively and quantitatively assess customer values. It also provides processes and techniques used to create and identify alternatives, evaluate alternatives in terms of effectiveness, cost, and risk. The ultimate goal is to provide customers (or decision makers) with objective and traceable procurement recommendations. The creation of CVAP was driven by an industry need to provide ballistic missile defense (BMD) customers with a value proposition of contractors’ BMD systems. The information that outputs from CVAP can be used to guide BMD contractors in formulating a value proposition, which is used to steer customers to procure their BMD system(s) instead of competing system(s). The outputs from CVAP also illuminate areas where systems can be improved to stay relevant with customer values by identifying capability gaps. CVAP incorporates proven approaches and techniques appropriate for military applications. However, CVAP is adaptable and may be applied to business, engineering, and even personal every-day decision problems and opportunities. CVAP is based on the systems decision process (SDP) developed by Gregory S. Parnell and other systems engineering faculty at the Unites States Military Academy (USMA). SDP combines Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) decision analysis philosophy with Multi-Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) quantitative analysis of alternatives. CVAP improves SDP’s qualitative value model by implementing Quality Function Deployment (QFD), solution design implements creative problem solving techniques, and the qualitative value model by adding cost analysis and risk assessment processes practiced by the U.S DoD and industry. CVAP and SDP fundamentally differ from other decision making approaches, like the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), by distinctly separating the value/utility function assessment process with the ranking of alternatives. This explicit value assessment allows for straightforward traceability of the specific factors that influence decisions, which illuminates the tradeoffs involved in making decisions with multiple objectives. CVAP is intended to be a decision support tool with the ultimate purpose of helping decision makers attain the best solution and understanding the differences between the alternatives. CVAP does not include any processes for implementation of the alternative that the customer selects. CVAP is applied to ballistic missile defense (BMD) to give contractors ideas on how to use it. An introduction of BMD, unique BMD challenges, and how CVAP can improve the BMD decision making process is presented. Each phase of CVAP is applied to the BMD decision environment. CVAP is applied to a fictitious BMD example.