International entrepreneurship and firm performance over economic crisis

Small and medium firms (SMEs) that operate in global markets are vulnerable to external shocks in uncertain, hostile and volatile business environments given their limited resources and inexperience. In such environments entrepreneurial firms respond by making strategic choices to mitigate such vulnerabilities. This research examines one such important strategic choice – entrepreneurial posturing and its link to financial performance in Finnish SMEs during the global financial crisis. Findings suggest that the dimensions of entrepreneurial posturing have a differential effect on firm performance depending upon the severity of the business environment as well as the firm’s degree of internationalization. Implications for theory and practice are discussed and directions for future research provided.

Bug reproduction : a collaborative practice within software maintenance activities

Software development settings provide a great opportunity for CSCW researchers to study collaborative work. In this paper, we explore a specific work practice called bug reproduction that is a part of the software bug-fixing process. Bug re-production is a highly collaborative process by which software developers attempt to locally replicate the ‘environment’ within which a bug was originally encountered. Customers, who encounter bugs in their everyday use of systems, play an important role in bug reproduction as they provide useful information to developers, in the form of steps for reproduction, software screenshots, trace logs, and other ways to describe a problem. Bug reproduction, however, poses major hurdles in software maintenance as it is often challenging to replicate the contextual aspects that are at play at the customers’ end. To study the bug reproduction process from a human-centered perspective, we carried out an ethnographic study at a multinational engineering company. Using semi-structured interviews, a questionnaire and half-a-day observation of sixteen software developers working on different software maintenance projects, we studied bug reproduction. In this pa-per, we present a holistic view of bug reproduction practices from a real-world set-ting and discuss implications for designing tools to address the challenges developers face during bug reproduction.

Perceptions of online learning in an Australian university: an international students’ (Asian Region) perspective – enjoyment

Several researchers have reported that cultural and language differences can affect online interactions and communications between students from different cultural backgrounds. Other researchers have asserted that online learning is a tool that can improve teaching and learning skills, but its effectiveness depends on how the tool is used. To delve into these aspects further, this study set out to investigate the kinds of learning difficulties encountered by the international students and how they actually coped with online learning. The modified Online Learning Environment Survey (OLES) instrument was used to collect data from the sample of 109 international students at a university in Brisbane. A smaller group of 35 domestic students was also included for comparison purposes. Contrary to assumptions from previous research, the findings revealed that there were only few differences between the international Asian and Australian students with regards to their perceptions of online learning. Recommendations based on the findings of this research study were made for Australian universities where Asian international students study online. Specifically the recommendations highlighted the importance of upskilling of lecturers’ ability to structure their teaching online and to apply strong theoretical underpinnings when designing learning activities such as discussion forums, and for the university to establish a degree of consistency with regards to how content is located and displayed in a learning management system like Blackboard.

Critical reflections on the use of participatory methodologies to build evaluation capacities in international development organisations

There has been a greater focus on strengthening evaluation capacity building (ECB) within development organisations in recent years. This can be attributed in part to the growing appreciation of the value of participatory and collaborative forms of evaluation. Evaluation is increasingly seen as an ongoing learning process and an important means of strengthening capacity and improving organisational performance (Horton et al., 2003:7). While there are many benefits of using participatory methodologies in ECB projects, our experiences and a review of the literature in this area highlight the many challenges, issues and contradictions that can affect the success of such ECB efforts. We discuss these issues, drawing on our learnings from the ongoing participatory action research (PAR) project 'Assessing Communication for Social Change’ (AC4SC). This four year project, which began in 2007, is a collaboration between communication and development academics and evaluation specialists from two Australian universities and communication for development practitioners and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) staff in the NGO Equal Access Nepal (EAN). The aim is to develop, implement, and evaluate a participatory methodology for assessing the social change impacts of community radio programs produced by EAN. It builds on previous projects that used ethnographic action research (EAR) methodology (Tacchi et al., 2007).

Critical reflections on the use of participatory methodologies to build evaluation capacities in international development organisations

"In this chapter the authors present a critique of Participatory Evaluation as worked in development projects, in this case, in Nepal. The article works between established claims that Participatory Evaluation builds capacity at programmatic and organisational levels, and the specific experiences of these claims in the authors’ current work. They highlight the need to address key difficulties such as high turn-over of staff and resulting loss of capacity to engage in Participatory Evaluation, and the difficulty of communication between academic as compared with local practical wisdoms. A key issue is the challenge of addressing the inevitable issues of power inequities that such approaches encounter. While Participatory Evaluation has been around for some time, it has only enjoyed more widespread recognition of its value in comparatively recent times, with its uptake in international development environments. To this extent, the practice is still in its early stages of development, and Jo, June and Michael’s work contributes to strengthening and more comprehensively understanding it. With regard to the meta-theme of this publication, this chapter is an example of how context not only influences the methodology to be used and the praxis of how it is to be used, but contributes to early explication of the core nature of an emerging methodology."

Estimating hidden message length in binary image embedded by using boundary pixels steganography

In this paper, we propose a new steganalytic method to detect the message hidden in a black and white image using the steganographic technique developed by Liang, Wang and Zhang. Our detection method estimates the length of hidden message embedded in a binary image. Although the hidden message embedded is visually imperceptible, it changes some image statistic (such as inter-pixels correlation). Based on this observation, we first derive the 512 patterns histogram from the boundary pixels as the distinguishing statistic, then we compute the histogram difference to determine the changes of the 512 patterns histogram induced by the embedding operation. Finally we propose histogram quotient to estimate the length of the embedded message. Experimental results confirm that the proposed method can effectively and reliably detect the length of the embedded message.

Considering a whole-of-community approach to integrating nature in cities, an international case study of Vauban, Germany

Globally, cities face a convergence of complex and rapidly evolving challenges, including climate change, resource shortages, population growth and urbanization, and financial pressures. Biophilic urbanism is an emerging design principle capable of considering the multidimensional and interdependent complexities of urban systems and infrastructure, which through the use of natural design features, can meet society’s inherent need for contact with nature, and assist efforts to respond to these growing challenges. Considering the imperative for addressing these challenges, this paper proposes that significant lessons can be learned from existing examples of biophilic urbanism, avoiding ‘re-invention of the wheel’ and facilitating accelerated innovation in other areas. Vauban is a 38-hectare brownfield development located 3 kilometers from the centre of Germany’s ‘ecological capital’ of Freiburg city. It was developed using an innovative process with strong community participation and reinterpreted developer roles to produce an example of integrated sustainability. Innovation in transport, energy, housing, development and water treatment has enabled a relatively high-density, mixed-use development that integrates a considerable amount of nature. This paper discusses Vauban in light of research undertaken over the last two years through the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre in Australia, to investigate emerging elements of ‘biophilic urbanism’ (nature-loving cities), and their potential to be mainstreamed within urban environments. The paper considers the interplay between the policies, community dynamics and innovations in Vauban, within the context of the culture, history and practice of sustainability in Germany, and how these have enabled nature to be integrated into the urban environment of Vauban while achieving other desirable goals for urban areas. It highlights potential applications from Vauban for Australian cities.

Introduction to the first international workshop on process management for highly dynamic and pervasive scenarios(PM4HDPS 2008)

Nowadays, process management systems (PMSs) are widely used in many business scenarios, e.g. by government agencies, by insurance companies, and by banks. Despite this widespread usage, the typical application of such systems is predominantly in the context of static scenarios, instead of pervasive and highly dynamic scenarios. Nevertheless, pervasive and highly dynamic scenarios could also benefit from the use of PMSs.

Engineering education for sustainable development : a review of international progress

Since the late 1980s there have been increasing calls around the world for embedding sustainability content throughout engineering curricula, particularly over the past decade. However in general there has been little by way of strategic or systematic integration within programs offered by higher education institutions(HEIs). Responding to a growing awareness towards the issues surrounding sustainability, a number of professional engineering institutions (PEIs) internationally have placed increasing emphasis on policies and initiatives relating to the role of engineering in addressing 21st Century challenges. This has resulted in some consideration towards integrating sustainable development into engineering curricula as envisaged by accreditation guidelines. This paper provides a global overview of such accreditation developments, highlighting emerging sustainability competencies (or ‘graduate attributes’) and places these in the context of relevant PEI declarations, initiatives, policies, codes of ethics and guideline publications. The paper concludes by calling for urgent action by PEIs, including strategic accreditation initiatives that promote timely curriculum renewal towards EESD.

Prediction with limited advice and multiarmed bandits with paid observations

We study two problems of online learning under restricted information access. In the first problem, prediction with limited advice, we consider a game of prediction with expert advice, where on each round of the game we query the advice of a subset of M out of N experts. We present an algorithm that achieves O(√(N/M)TlnN ) regret on T rounds of this game. The second problem, the multiarmed bandit with paid observations, is a variant of the adversarial N-armed bandit game, where on round t of the game we can observe the reward of any number of arms, but each observation has a cost c. We present an algorithm that achieves O((cNlnN) 1/3 T2/3+√TlnN ) regret on T rounds of this game in the worst case. Furthermore, we present a number of refinements that treat arm- and time-dependent observation costs and achieve lower regret under benign conditions. We present lower bounds that show that, apart from the logarithmic factors, the worst-case regret bounds cannot be improved.

Promoting resilience and effective workplace functioning in international students in health courses

The purpose of this project was to improve the quality of the learning experiences of international students in nursing, public health and nutrition and dietetics, both at university and in the clinical setting. The university worked in partnership with three major metropolitan health care facilities/services in Queensland to develop a framework and resources designed to promote quality work-integrated learning experiences for international students and clinical supervisory staff. The Resilience in International Student Education (RISE) model consists of student and staff workshops complemented by a purpose-built Cultural Connections for Learning (CCL) website that provides access to a wide variety of information and other learning resources. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations indicate that the approach is highly valued by participants as it promotes useful dialogue, sharing of experiences and greater understanding regarding quality learning experiences for international students in the health workplace. It provides an ideal springboard for promoting collaboration between international students and clinical supervisors in the workplace. The resources developed have the potential to enhance student learning as well as clinical teaching. The challenge will be to achieve continued progress within international student education through the development of sustainable strategies to embed the program within the context of individual curricula.

Direct observation of the gas phase reaction of the cyclohexyl radical with dioxygen using a distonic radical ion approach

Alkylperoxyl radicals are intermediates in the oxidation Of hydrocarbons. The reactive nature of these intermediates, however, has made therin elusive to direct observation and isolation. We have employed ion trap mass spectrometry to synthesize and characterize 4-carboxylatocyclohexyl radical anions ((center dot)C(6)H(10)-CO(2)(-)) and observe their reactivity in the presence of dioxygen. The resulting reaction is facile (k = 1.8 x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) or 30% of calculated collision rate) and results in (i) the addition Of O(2) to form stabilized 4-carboxylatocyclohexylperoxyl radical anions ((center dot)OO-C(6)H(10)-CO(2)(-)), providing the first direct observation of a cyclohexylperoxyl radical, and (ii) elimination of HO(2)(center dot) and HO(center dot) radicals consistent with recent laser-induced fluorescence studies of the reaction of neutral cyclohexyl radicals with O(2). Electronic structure calculations at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level of theory reveal viable pathways for the observed reactions showing that formation of the peroxyl radical is exothermic by 37 kcal mol(-1) with subsequent transition states its low as -6.6 kcal mol(-1) (formation of HO(2)(center dot)) and -9.1 kcal mol(-1) (formation of HO(center dot)) with respect to the entrance channel. The combined computational and experimental data Suggest that the structures of the reaction products correspond to cyclohexenes and epoxides from HO(2)(center dot) and HO(center dot) loss, respectively, while alternative pathways leading to cyclohexanone or ring-opened isomers ate not observed, Activation of the charged peroxyl radical (center dot)OO-C(6)H(10)-CO(2)(-) by collision induced disassociation also results in the loss Of HO(2)(center dot) and HO(center dot) radicals confirming that these products are directly connected to the peroxyl radical intermediate.