Developing and teaching information systems for construction management students: a perspective in Deakin University

A new unit named Information Systems in Construction was developed and taught for the first time in the School of Architecture and Building at Deakin University in Semester 1 2003 for first-year construction management students. This paper reports on key issues that arose during the unit development process and the implementation of teaching activities. Special consideration is given to the learners (first year students), the teaching environment (online teaching and learning), the unit background (information technology and information system), and the discipline (international construction). Several suggestions are outlined for improving the unit development and delivery in the next round.

Consumer choice, information product quality, and market implications

The paper concerns with the peculiarities of consumer choice in information product markets. This is a multidisciplinary study based on both information system research and microeconomic theory. An extension is introduced to the conventional general theory of consumer choice for explicitly taking into account the impact of information product quality on consumer behaviour. Multiple quality characteristics, considered against the price of product, are an essential reason for consumer choice of high tech product in general and information product in particular. We assume that consumers are able to aggregate their preferences of multiple product characteristics into a product preference order. On the supply side, the product quality characteristics incur costs. In the case of information product, those costs are the costs of the first copy, and marginal costs are near zero. All of the above constitute the distinctive characteristics of the competitive mechanism in the digital economy and in information product markets. A model, based on the game theory is used to consider two special cases. The first one deals with monopolistic competition for a share of the market with a limited number of customers. Conditions are derived for IT firm survival. The second one considers conditions at which a monopoly is able to successfully introduce a new version if its information product.

The propagation of technology management taxonomies for evaluating investments in information systems

To provide managers with a critical insight into the management of new technology, this paper uses a case study research strategy to examine the technology management experiences of a leading UK manufacturing organization during its adoption of a vendor-supplied Manufacturing Resource Planning information system.

Designing information systems which manage or avoid privacy incidents

In this paper, we consider an information system (IS) to be a set of technologies together with a set of rules about those technologies. An IS is considered to be prone to a privacy incident if it does not fully protect the private information of a user or if a dishonest user can take advantage of the privacy protection offered by the IS. This work identifies the potential privacy incidents that may occur in an IS, and proposes a framework, the MAPI Framework (Manage or Avoid Privacy Incidents), which designs IS to manage or avoid privacy incidents. The MAPI Framework can also be used for evaluating IS by identifying the missing or inappropriate technologies which may lead to privacy incidents.

Value perception in music information systems

When referring to the value that IS adds to business and provides to consumers, we often (implicitly or explicitly) pertain to monetary value. However, perspectives exist regarding the notion of value which go beyond the monetary significance and maintain a direct influence on businesses and their performance. This paper explores the concept of value, its importance in IS, and the importance of understanding of how IS stakeholders perceive value. The paper focuses on the challenge of studying value in IS -although value manifests in properties of an information system, it can only be experienced and perceived subjectively through sense perception, experience and judgement of the system stakeholders. To address this challenge, the paper suggests the existence of a clearly shifting trend in the perception of IS technology and comments on the social impacts of end-users (consumers) being absorbed into the value-creation process for an information system in the music industry.

The decision-making journey of a family carer : information and social needs in a cultural context

While the important role of family as carer has been increasingly recognised in healthcare service provision, particularly for patients with acute or chronic illnesses, the carer's information and social needs have not been well understood and adequately supported. In order to provide continuous and home-based care for the patient, and to make informed decisions about the care, a family carer needs sufficient access to medical information in general, the patient's health information specifically, and supportive care services. Two key challenges are the carer's lack of medical knowledge and the many carers with non-English speaking and different cultural backgrounds. The informational and social needs of family carers are not yet well understood. This paper analyses the web-log of a husband-carer who provided support for his wife, who at the time of care was a lung cancer patient. It examines the decision-making journey of the carer and identifies the key issues faced in terms of informational and social practices surrounding care provision.

Living with cancer : an ethnographic study of Thai cancer patients

This thesis is an ethnographic investigation aimed at describing the lived experiences of Thai cancer patients residing in Cancer Hostel, a shelter provided for the needy whilst undergoing radiation treatment at Siam Hospital. All names, including the hospital, the shelter, and all respondents have been altered to preserve anonymity. The practice of withholding the true diagnosis from Thai patients meant that very little was known about their own feelings on cancer and its treatment. That, coupled with entrenched medical practice beliefs, presented an unusual challenge, for which an ethnographic research method was advocated as being most appropriate in helping toward a better understanding of the problem and resolving the existing dilemma. To understand the real experiences of Thai cancer patients, it was extremely important that the researcher get as near as possible to becoming one of them. Therefore, by physically 'being with’, establishing rapport, and gaining patients trust, the researcher was assured of acceptance as an insider, and was thus allowed to share the experiences of their life encounters. Research findings graphically illustrated the flaws in the practice of protecting patients from their diagnosis, who almost universally, wanted to know more about their diagnosis in order to seek help from the medical care system. Towards this, patients created meaning by linking folk beliefs, culturally inherited knowledge and a common sense, albeit naive approach in trying to make sense of their illness and treatment. Although patients saw cancer illness and its treatment, especially radiotherapy, as life threatening, it was the fear of radiation treatment, not cancer illness which turned patients away from medical treatment. As well, uncertainty, fear and frustration through the lack of information and involvement in their treatment saw patients employ strategies of both reciprocal and fatalistic acceptance; stoic resistance; and thinking positively in their efforts at coping with those life threatening situations.

Quality as the criterion for delivered information systems effectiveness

One of the major challenges of MIS activities is the difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of delivered systems. The principal purpose of my research is to explore this field in order to develop an instrument by which to measure such effectiveness. Conceptualisation of Information System (IS) Effectiveness has been substantially framed by DeLone and McLean's (1992) Success; Model. But with the innovation in Information Technology (IT) over the past decade, and the constant pressure in IT to improve performance, there is merit in undertaking a fresh appraisal of the issue. This study built on the model of IS Success developed by DeLone and MeLean, but was broadened to include related research from the domains of IS, Management and Marketing. This analysis found that an effective IS function is built on three pillars: the systems implemented; the information held and delivered by these systems; and, the service provided in support of the IS function. A common foundation for these pillars is the concept of stakeholder needs. In seeking to appreciate the effectiveness: of delivered IS applications in relation to the job performance of stakeholders, this research developed an understanding of what quality means in an IT context I argue that quality is a more useful criterion for effectiveness than the more customary measures of use and user satisfaction. Respecification of the IS Success Model was then proposed. The second phase of the research was to test this model empirically through judgment panels, focus groups and interviews. Results consistently supported the structure and components of the respecified model. Quality was determined as a multi-dimensional construct, with the key dimensions for the quality of delivered IS differing from those used in the research from other disciplines. Empirical work indicated that end-user stakeholders derived their evaluations of quality by internally evaluating perceived performance of delivered IS in relation to their expectations for such performance. A short trial explored whether, when overt measurement of expectations was concurrent with the measurement of perceptions, a more revealing appraisal of delivered IS quality was provided than when perceptions alone were measured. Results revealed a difference between the two measures. Using the New IS Success Model as the foundation, and drawing upon the related theoretical and empirical research, an instrument was developed to measure the quality/effectiveness of delivered IS applications. Four trials of this instrument, QUALIT, are documented. Analysis of results from preliminary trials indicates promise in terms of business value: the instrument is simple to administer and has the capacity to pinpoint areas of weakness. The research related to the respecification of the New IS Success Model and the associated empirical studies, including the development of QTJALIT, have both contributed to the development of theory about IS Effectiveness. More precisely, my research has reviewed the components of an information system, the dimensions comprising these components and the indicators of each, and based upon these findings, formulated an instrument by which to measure the effectiveness of a delivered IS.

Management information systems in job shops : design of interfaces

A study of management information system technology suitable for the job shop environment, highlighting deficiencies in generic software with respect to supplying users the information they actually require. To solve this problem a set of flexible interfaces was developed through the use of object-oriented programming. The methods used were simple enough to be adopted by vendors of any generic MIS application.

Structuration theory and information systems development - frameworks for practice

Giddens’ structuration theory (ST) offers an account of social life in terms of social practices developing and changing over time and space, which makes no attempt to directly theorize the Information Systems (IS) domain. IS researchers have long been interested in it as a way of deepening understanding; a common application is the analysis of empirical situations using Giddens’ ‘dimensions of the duality of structure’ model. Other writers, most notably Orlikowski, have used it help theorize the field. Often the mode of research employed has been the interpretative case study. However, direct attempts to influence practice (an important component of working in an applied field), perhaps through the vehicle of action research, have yet to be undertaken. There are at least three serious problems with attempting this. The first is the inaccessibility of the theory to IS researchers and practitioners. The second is the absence of specific theories of technology. The third is Giddens’ own disinterest in practical uses of his work – which leaves no obvious path to follow. This paper explores that path, in the context of information system development (ISD). Some frameworks for practice are suggested which are translated into forms of discourse that are more accessible to the IS community. In particular, we include an empirical illustration to demonstrate the potential of ISD tools based on structuration theory.

Web health portal to enhance patient safety in Australian healthcare systems

The use of a web Health Portal can be employed not only for reducing health costs but also to view patient's latest medical information (e.g. clinical tests, pathology and radiology results, discharge summaries, prescription renewals, referrals, appointments) in real-time and carry out physician messaging to enhance the information exchanged, managed and shared in the Australian healthcare sector. The Health Portal connects all stakeholders (such as patients and their families, health professionals, care providers, and health regulators) to establish coordination, collaboration and a shared care approach between them to improve overall patient care safety. The paper outlines a Health Portal model for designing a real-time health prevention system. An application of the architecture is described in the area of web Health Portal.

Information needs and the implications for monitoring health systems : the Australian experience

This paper outlines the information needs underlying the health information system in Australia and the implications these have for the ability to monitor the performance of the health system. We discuss the use of indicators in performance monitoring and the role of information frameworks in providing a basis for their development. The major Australian data sources to support the development of performance indicators are outlined, and their current and likely futures uses for performance monitoring discussed.

Supporting emotion communication in information systems

Society is becoming increasingly reliant on Information Systems to meet its everyday communication requirements, yet many current implementations lack support for important conversational cues. One such cue is emotion communication. Emotion communication carries with it many signals that affect our behaviour, the interpretation of the message and provide a catalyst to other forms of communication such as empathy and the formation of social ties. Emotion itself can affect the very decision to communicate, or the way in which one may respond to a given communication. To explore the ways in which systems may better support emotion communication between members of a social group, a cloud-based information system was developed and trialled which both large and small groups. This paper presents results on how Information Systems can best support emotion communication in social groups.