The thesis approaches the issue of IS support for service work, understood as distributed knowledge work taking place as a negotiation between diverse interests. It is based on an ethnographically inspired, longitudinal case study of certification auditing according to a formal generic standard. A handful of certification auditors are followed closely, periodically and comprehensively over three years. Observations are combined with interviews of subjects and colleagues, added by exploration of other material. The practices of company ‘W’ is placed within a larger historical and institutional context. Research literature and theory is explored in four chapters from Social studies of science (STS), Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), Information systems (IS), Information infrastructures (II) and Management literature. The aim is to identify basic characteristics of service work, its opportunities and challenges, from both the company’s and workers’ perspective. Main topics are Decision Making as negotiated sensemaking, contextual rationality and judgement; Sharing of understanding and meaning as ongoing practiced articulation work aiming for trust and an equifinal level of accord that will ‘find and allow common action’; Perseverance in a capable role that will allow calibration of distributed knowledge is vital for auditors. Common Information Spaces (CIS) is used as a framework to explore the heterogeneous circumstances of identity work in work practices; Predictability in production is sought through various strategies of standardization. Approaches to avoid and counter the inherent side-effects of standardization are described. The empirical results of the research project are presented and analysed in four chapters that look at the issue of i) being an accomplished service worker and ii) practicing service work. Both issues are addressed from a local, individual perspective, and from an organizational perspective in terms of the continuation of quality production. The thesis closes with a Conclusion of organized and standardized service work as displaying Practical drift, in response to the research question RQ0. How is IS supported distributed service work negotiated?, followed by implications for IS research and practice. The empirical case displays the role of information systems (IS) support in distributed service work - as part of a larger assembly of standardization measures, a broad-spectrum approach, displaying practical drift in its effect. The service work of certification auditing is characterized by ongoing negotiation of partly contradictory interests. It is heterogeneously standardized through material, rational/immaterial and social/organizational measures, many in place long before the advent of advanced IS. Traditionally, there are release mechanisms that, on the auditors’ discretion, alleviate the inappropriate effects of standardization. With new harmonising efforts the scope of this personal latitude needs to change, but when first implemented the IS along with new procedures start off as too tight. However, over time adaptations are made, making the overall process self regulatory with feedback mechanisms. On the whole, the thesis aims to contribute to the literature on information infrastructures, on knowledge work in general, and CSCW by drawing on insights from this specific collaborative work in controversial settings. The case provides practical insights for resilient systemizing of knowledge based global service work practices.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 162-169.

Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία παρουσιάζει ένα μοντέλο πιστοποίησης της ποιότητας ψηφιακού εκπαιδευτικού υλικού κατάλληλου για εκπαίδευση ενηλίκων με τη μέθοδο της εξ αποστάσεως εκπαίδευσης. Το προτεινόμενο μοντέλο υιοθετεί το πρότυπο ποιότητας λογισμικού ISO/IEC 9126, λαμβάνει υπόψη τις θεωρίες μάθησης ενηλίκων και βασίζεται σε δύο μοντέλα διδακτικού σχεδιασμού: το μοντέλο (κύκλος μάθησης) του Kolb και το μοντέλο των Gagne, Briggs & Wager. Αρχικά περιγράφεται η συσχέτιση των τμημάτων του εκπαιδευτικού υλικού με το μοντέλο διδακτικού σχεδιασμού των Gagne, Briggs & Wager και το μοντέλο του Kolb. Ακολουθεί η περιγραφή, η ανάλυση και η κατηγοριοποίηση των κατάλληλων χαρακτηριστικών, υπο-χαρακτηριστικών και γνωρισμάτων ποιότητας του ψηφιακού εκπαιδευτικού υλικού τα οποία συνιστούν τις διαστάσεις ποιότητας. / This paper presents a model for the quality certification of digital educational material that is appropriate for adult education by means of distance learning. The proposed model adopts the software quality standard ISO/IEC 9126, takes into account adult learning theories and is based on two instructional design models: Kolb’s model (the learning cycle) and Gagne, Briggs &Wager’s model. Initially, the relationship of educational material modules to the two models is described. Then follows the description, analysis and classification of the appropriate characteristics, sub-characteristics and quality attributes of digital educational material that constitute the dimensions of quality.

Submitted by Aelson Maciera (aelsoncm@terra.com.br) on 2017-08-25T18:31:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGMR.pdf: 2791855 bytes, checksum: 3e707fcaeafbe44747001bd27a789cca (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (bco.producao.intelectual@gmail.com) on 2018-01-29T18:18:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGMR.pdf: 2791855 bytes, checksum: 3e707fcaeafbe44747001bd27a789cca (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (bco.producao.intelectual@gmail.com) on 2018-01-29T18:18:58Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGMR.pdf: 2791855 bytes, checksum: 3e707fcaeafbe44747001bd27a789cca (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-29T18:22:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseGMR.pdf: 2791855 bytes, checksum: 3e707fcaeafbe44747001bd27a789cca (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-02 / Não recebi financiamento / There are few hospitals with accredited and/or certified status in Brazil. However, it was observed that a small number of private hospitals has been invested in multiple certification and/or accreditation strategy, cumulating two or more certificates. This unusual condition outbursts on the hypothesis that these hospitals integrate their management systems in some degree, resulting in integrated management systems (SGI). Despite the SGI theory has been covered many manufacturing and service sectors, it is still under development stage and needs more research in healthcare field. This work has performed case studies in four hospitals which have integrated two or more management systems, seeking to identify the integration model, the integration degree, the integration strategy, and the integration maintenance mechanism used. It applied a retrospective multiple case study approach, using a semi-structured interview as main instrument to interview managers in charge of the management systems at the analysis units. All analysis units are in Minas Gerais state and were selected by convenience. The case studies indicated external stimulus as main ground to adopt multiple certification and/or accreditation strategy. As for the management systems integration process, this did not rely straightly on the models proposed by the literature, but it has emerged from the need of rule and integrate crucial disciplines in healthcare (safety, risk management, clinical pharmacy, hospital governance, etc.), which become possible through complementation of different management system standards requirements. It was not recognized any use of structured integration model, but the observed characteristics of the SGIs resembled the theoretical tecnocentric model, the integration degree just achieved the tactical and operational stratums at partial and full integrated levels, respectively. The integration strategy was characterized as mixed in three analysis units and sequential in another one. The maintenance of the SGIs has been performed by the mechanism of assimilation in all the analysis units. At the end, it presents a framework to guide the management system integration process of the standards NBR ISO 9001:2015 and NIAHO based on the model of systems. / Existem poucos hospitais acreditados e/ou certificados no Brasil. Contudo, observou-se que um reduzido grupo de hospitais privados tem investido na múltipla certificação e/ou acreditação, acumulando duas ou mais acreditações e/ou certificações. Essa situação particular culminou na hipótese de que os sistemas de gestão implementados nesses hospitais estivessem integrados em algum grau, resultando em um sistema de gestão integrado (SGI). Apesar da teoria de SGI já ter coberto diversos setores de manufatura e de serviços, essa ainda está em desenvolvimento e carece de pesquisas na área da saúde. Este trabalho realizou estudo de casos em quatro hospitais que integraram dois ou mais sistemas de gestão, buscando identificar o modelo, o nível e a estratégia de integração e o mecanismo de manutenção utilizados. Empregou-se o procedimento de estudo de casos múltiplos retrospectivos, utilizando como principal instrumento de pesquisa entrevistas semiestruturadas junto aos gestores responsáveis pelos sistemas de gestão. As unidades de análise constituíram-se de hospitais escolhidos por conveniência sediados no estado de Minas Gerais. A análise dos casos apontou como principal motivação para a adoção da estratégia de múltipla certificação e/ou acreditação estímulos externos. Quanto ao processo de integração identificado, esse não se apoiou diretamente em modelos propostos na literatura específica, mas na necessidade de se dominar e integrar disciplinas críticas à área da saúde (segurança, gestão de riscos, farmácia clínica, governança hospitalar etc.), o que foi possível pela complementação de requisitos de diferentes normas de sistemas de gestão. Não foi identificada a aplicação de nenhum modelo teórico de integração estruturado, mas as características dos SGIs observadas se aproximaram daquelas atribuídas ao modelo teórico tecnocêntrico, a integração alcançou apenas os estratos organizacionais tático e operacional em nível parcialmente integrado e totalmente integrado, respectivamente. A estratégia de integração foi classificada como mista em três unidades de análise e sequencial em uma. Em todas as unidades de análise a manutenção do SGI foi realizada pelo mecanismo de assimilação. Apresenta-se ao final uma estrutura de orientação para o processo de integração das normas NBR ISO 9001:2015 e NIAHO embasada no modelo sistêmico.

The increasing advance of technological artifacts and new manners of monitoring have become possible to know the origins of the seeds. Using applied technologies and Internet it is possible to store and access data in geographic databases which allow viewing and keeping up with all the accomplished work in the prior years in conjunction with the precision agriculture data and handlings associated to the seeds origin.Web programming tools and databases permit the integration with the data of precise agriculture, resulting in an origin history and production of seeds previously recorded.The application of geotechnologies and the spatial data of sowing places makes possible to verify the existence of agricultural activities in determined area and, at the same time, to use the information stored in the database generated by precise agriculture software of various suppliers. The results of this research can help the initiatives to elaborate projects and full monitoring of agricultural production and seed certification. / Com o crescente avanço de artefatos tecnológicos, novas maneiras de acompanhamento e conhecimento das origens das sementes através de tecnologias aplicadas e disponibilidade na rede mundial de computadores, é possivel armazenar e consultar dados em banco de dados geograficos podendo visualizar e acompanhar todo o trabalho realizado nos anos anteriores juntamente com os dados da agricultura de precisão e aplicações, manejos associados a origem das sementes. A utilização de ferramentas de programação web e banco de dados o qual possibilita uma integração com os resultados da aplicação de técnicas de agricultura de precisão possibilita um histórico da origem e produção de sementes anteriormente registradas. A aplicação das geotecnologias e o registro espacializado dos locais de plantio permite verificar a existência de atividades agronomicas em determinado território, podendo utilizar as informações armazenadas no banco de dados atraves de softwares de agricultura de precisão de diversos fornecedores. Os resultados obtidos pela pesquisa poderão auxiliar às iniciativas para elaboração de projetos e acompanhamento de produção agrícola e certificação de sementes.

Le but de ce rapport est de présenter une méthode globale de développement à partir de spécifications informelles, depuis la modélisation graphique des exigences temporelles d'un système ferroviaire critique jusqu'à une implantation systématique au moyen de méthodes formelles. Nous proposons d'utiliser ici les réseaux de Petri temporels pour décrire le comportement attendu du logiciel de contrôle-commande à construire.Tout d'abord nous construisons un modèle des exigences p-temporel prenant en compte toutes les contraintes que doit vérifier le système. Nous proposons des outils et des méthodes capables de valider et de vérifier ce modèle. Ensuite, il s'agit de construire un modèle de processus solution en réseau de Petri t-temporel. Ce modèle illustre des exigences techniques relatives à un choix technologique ou architectural. L'objectif est double : tout d'abord il est nécessaire de vérifier la traçabilité des exigences ; ensuite, il faut vérifier que l'ensemble des exigences sources sont bien implémentées dans la solution préconisée et dans sa mise en oeuvre. Enfin, nous proposons une approche visant à transformer de façon systématique le modèle de processus en machine abstraite $B$ afin de poursuivre une procédure formelle $B$ classique. Finalement, le cas d'étude du passage à niveau, composant critique dans le domaine de la sécurité ferroviaire est décrit / The introduction of new European standards for railway safety, coupled with an increasing use of software technology changes the method of development of critical railway systems. Indeed, new systems have to be at least as good as the previous ones. Therefore the appropriate safety level of critical systems has to be proved in order to obtain the necessary approval from the authorities. Accordingly a high level of reliability and correctness must be reached by the use of mathematical proofs and then formal methods. We focus on the treatment of the temporal requirements in the level crossing case study which is modelled with p-time Petri nets, and on the translation of this model in a more formal way by using the B method. This paper introduces a methodology to analyse the safety of timed discrete event systems. First, our goal is to take out the forbidden state highlighted by a p-time Petri net modelling. This model deals with the requirements of the considered system and has to contain all the constraints that have to be respected. Then we aim at describing a process identified as a solution of the system functioning. This method consists in exploring all the possible behaviours of the system by means of the construction of state classes. Finally, we check if the proposed process corresponds to the requirements model previously built.Our case-study is the level crossing, a critical component for the safety of railway systems

Cette thèse vient proposer une notion d’action de groupe processuelle. Cette notion est dégagée suivant la méthode comparative. L’action de groupe est censée résoudre différents types de litiges qui mettent en cause un nombre élevé de personnes. L’étude de droit comparé montre en ce sens une notion qui semble plurielle puisqu’il existe différents modèles d’action de groupe. La manière de la concevoir diffère d’un modèle à autre. La terminologie relative à ce sujet est surabondante, souvent considérée en tant que synonyme de l’action collective, du recours collectif, des actions de classe, des procédures modèles, des jugements pilotes... En dépit de cela, il est possible de trouver une notion spécifique, ayant des caractères propres et typiques. Mais cette notion spécifique ne peut être que processuelle. Le procès est un outil de protection des droits et des intérêts juridiques et légitimes, sans importer leur nature. Il est logique que la résolution de ce type de litiges soit envisagée depuis cette perspective. De plus, c’est au niveau procédural que la protection de ce type de situations pose autant de problèmes. L’action de groupe vient alors s’inscrire naturellement dans cette discipline juridique, dévoilant une notion spécifique qui place le juge au cœur de la résolution de ce type de litiges. / The aim of this thesis is to offer a specific notion of the idea of group litigation, in a procedural and comparative perspective. The mass consumer society in which we live has generated a style of litigation that involves a vast number of people. Grouping claimants together in a class action is meant to resolve this sort of litigation. But comparative law illustrates the complexity of the topic. A large number of different models of class action exist. Terminology is vast and often spans interchangeably terms such as group litigation, collective actions, class action, procedural models and pilot decisions. Each model shows different ways to solve the same problem. In spite of this, we can still find a specific framework with distinct and typical characteristics. However, this specific notion can only be procedurally based. Clearly, resolving this type of litigation must be viewed from this perspective. Judicial process is the way by which to protect rights and legal and legitimate interests without considering their nature. But it is at procedural level that protecting this type of situation raises the most problems. Class actions therefore naturally fall within this legal discipline, and bring to light a specific idea that makes the judge the linchpin when deciding the outcome of litigation.

This qualitative study contributes to the research field on legitimacy theory and creating shared value (CSV) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), regarding helping entrepreneurs and business owners better understand the journey of engaging with social and environmental issues. Recent years have seen a growing number of organisations engage in CSV, which builds on identifying societal needs and approaching these as business opportunities. A standard that purports to uphold these values and is comprised of for-profit companies committed to sustainability-related initiatives is the B Corp label. We consider B Corp certification and explore how sustainably oriented SMEs engage with their wider community in a way that fosters corporate credibility and legitimacy.  Empirical data about five SMEs organisational narratives working with CSV, implementation of social and environmental activities, and effects of B Corp certification were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with company representatives and a range of secondary data materials. Analysing the data from these five interviewed companies established them to be engaging with the notion of CSV and regard addressing societal or environmental issues as the purpose of their business. Furthermore, findings suggested that values and beliefs incorporated by the SMEs supersede the generally adopted values in society, thereby representing a paradox with legitimacy theory. As a result, these businesses aim to close the perceived legitimacy gap by trying to raise awareness and engage the public with the appropriateness of their business, thereby slowly providing citizens with a more conscious mindset.

No description available.

The paper identifies three topics in order to evaluate the improvements in the regulation of the National System of EnvironmentalImpact Assessment, looking to benefit the people’s trust in the environmental certification. The first one consists in the gradual transition from the prevention paradigm to the integration one, as the purpose of the different instruments that compose the system; the second involves the enrichment in the evaluation of the Environmental Impact Study (EIS), by incorporating the scoping phase; and the third involves adopting additional measures that reinforce the independence of the teams in charge of the elaboration and evaluation of the EIS. / El artículo identifica tres áreas para evaluar mejoras a la regulacióndel Sistema Nacional de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental, con miras a favorecer la aparición de confianza ciudadana respecto de la certificación ambiental. La primera tiene que ver con transitar gradualmente del paradigma preventivo al integrativo como finalidad de los instrumentos que componen el sistema; la segunda, con enriquecer la evaluación del estudio de impacto ambiental (EIA) incorporándole una etapa de scoping a cargo del Estado; y la tercera, con adoptar medidas adicionales que refuercen la independencia de los equipos de elaboración y evaluación del EIA.