ITSM ProcessGuide – a longitudinal and multi-method field study for real-world DSR artifact evaluation

Process guidance supports users to increase their process model understanding, process execution effectiveness as well as efficiency, and process compliance performance. This paper presents a research in progress encompassing our ongoing DSR project on Process Guidance Systems and a field evaluation of the resulting artifact in cooperation with a company. Building on three theory-grounded design principles, a Process Guidance System artifact for the company’s IT service ticketing process is developed, deployed and used. Fol-lowing a multi-method approach, we plan to evaluate the artifact in a longitudinal field study. Thereby, we will not only gather self-reported but also real usage data. This article describes the development of the artifact and discusses an innovative evaluation approach.

Design principles for an enterprise systems chartering method

Our research follows a design science approach to develop a method that supports the initialization of ES implementation projects – the chartering phase. This project phase is highly relevant for implementation success, but is understudied in IS research. In this paper, we derive design principles for a chartering method based on a systematic review of ES implementation literature and semi-structured expert interviews. Our analysis identifies differences in the importance of certain success factors depending on the system type. The proposed design principles are built on these factors and are linked to chartering key activities. We specifically consider system-type-specific chartering aspects for process-centric Business Intelligence & Analytics (BI&A) systems, which are an emerging class of systems at the intersection of BI&A and business process management. In summary, this paper proposes design principles for a chartering method – considering specifics of process-centric BI&A.

Ontological representation of design science research publications

A search result provided by existing digital library and web search systems typically comprises only a prioritised list of possible publications or web pages that meet the search criteria, possibly with excerpts and possibly with search terms highlighted. The research in progress reported in this poster contributes to a larger research effort to provide a readable summary of search results that synthesise relevant publications or web pages to provide results that meet four C’s: comprehensive, concise, coherent, and correct, as a more useful alternative to un-synthesised result lists. The scope of this research is limited to searching for and synthesising Design Science Research (DSR) publications that present the results of DSR, as an example problem domain.

Achieving continuous professional development in higher education

Traditional higher education technology emphasizes knowledge transmission. In contrast, the Community platform presented in this paper follows a social approach that interleaves knowledge delivery with social and professional skills development, engaging with others, and personal growth. In this paper, we apply learning and complex adaptive systems theory to motivate and justify a continuous professional development model that improves higher education outcomes such as placement. The paper follows action design research (ADR) as the research method to propose and evaluate design principles.

A support system for mentors of novice entrepreneurs

In this study we present online software to rapidly assess the impact of mentoring techniques on a novice entrepreneur. We have built a prototype that collects data from team members in less than five minutes and that automatically returns a diagnostic analysis to the mentor. Between 2012 and 2015 we have tested three versions of our prototype with longitudinal analyses of teams attending startup weekend competitions, to confirm that our prototype supports mentors with few and yet relevant information. The results of our studies open several avenues of research regarding rapid diagnostic of project teams, whereas, from a practical point of view, our prototype entirely done with Google Docs can be easily used by anyone interested in entrepreneurship education. Keywords: Entrepreneurship education, effectuation, mentoring, decision support, design science.

IS capability assessment - the MIND canvas

With the increasing ubiquity and growing pervasiveness of Information Systems (IS) in todays’ organisations, one of the capabilities of essential value to an organisation is its IS/IT (henceforth IS) capability. However, despite this increasing importance of the IS capability, research has barely focused on providing a measure for assessing the IT capability of an organization. In overview, IS capability has contributed significantly in understanding how information technology remains a valuable component of any modern day firm (Bharadwaj 2000, Santhanam and Hartono 2003). While these prior research focus in itself is of value in establishing the importance of IS capability, this current study posits that this research area is attaining maturity and it is about time we extend this stream to provide a measure for assessing and evaluating the IS capability that defines an organization. To borrow a quote from Peter Drucker - “if it can be measured; it can be improved”.

Designing and evaluating an interactive assessment instrument to improve the process for mobile service application innovation

Published Version

An overview of online-research in information systems

As the Internet has changed communication, commerce, and the distribution of information, so it is changing Information Systems Research (ISR). The goal of this paper is to put the topic of application and reliability of online research into the focus of ISR by exploring the extension of online research methods (ORM) into its popular publication outlets. 513 articles from high ranked ISR publication outlets from the last decade have been analyzed using online content analysis. The findings show that in ISR online research methods are applied despite the missing discussion on the validity of the theories and methods that were defined offline within the new environment and the associated challenges.

Dental topography and molar wear in Alouatta palliata from Costa Rica.

Paleoprimatologists depend on relationships between form and function of teeth to reconstruct the diets of fossil species. Most of this work has been limited to studies of unworn teeth. A new approach, dental topographic analysis, allows the characterization and comparison of worn primate teeth. Variably worn museum specimens have been used to construct species-specific wear sequences so that measurements can be compared by wear stage among taxa with known differences in diet. This assumes that individuals in a species tend to wear their molar teeth in similar ways, a supposition that has yet to be tested. Here we evaluate this assumption with a longitudinal study of changes in tooth form over time in primates. Fourteen individual mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) were captured and then recaptured after 2, 4, and 7 years when possible at Hacienda La Pacifica in Costa Rica between 1989-1999. Dental impressions were taken each time, and molar casts were produced and analyzed using dental topographic analysis. Results showed consistent decreases in crown slope and occlusal relief. In contrast, crown angularity, a measure of surface jaggedness, remained fairly constant except with extreme wear. There were no evident differences between specimens collected in different microhabitats. These results suggest that different individual mantled howling monkeys wear their teeth down in similar ways, evidently following a species-specific wear sequence. Dental topographic analysis may therefore be used to compare morphology among similarly worn individuals from different species.

Dental microwear in live, wild-trapped Alouatta palliata from Costa Rica.

One problem with dental microwear analyses of museum material is that investigators can never be sure of the diets of the animals in question. An obvious solution to this problem is to work with live animals. Recent work with laboratory primates has shown that high resolution dental impressions can be obtained from live animals. The purpose of this study was to use similar methods to begin to document rates and patterns of dental microwear for primates in the wild. Thirty-three Alouatta palliata were captured during the wet season at Hacienda La Pacifica near Canas, Costa Rica. Dental impressions were taken and epoxy casts of the teeth were prepared using the methods of Teaford and Oyen (1989a). Scanning electron micrographs were taken of the left mandibular second molars at magnifications of 200x and 500x. Lower magnification images were used to calculate rates of wear, and higher magnification images were used to measure the size and shape of microwear features. Results indicate that, while basic patterns of dental microwear are similar in museum samples and samples of live, wild-trapped animals of the same species, ecological differences between collection locales may lead to significant intraspecific differences in dental microwear. More importantly, rates of microwear provide the first direct evidence of differences in molar use between monkeys and humans.

Ritualizing Barong and Rangda: Repercussions of a Collaborative Field Experience in Kerambitan, Bali.

The dance-drama called Barong and Rangda a ritual, is one of the vital events that breathes life in the small village, Banjar Tista, and extends beyond the boundaries of its "performance" area. In this thesis, I depend on Ronald Grimes' concept of "ritualizing" as a continuum in the context of my fieldwork in Bali, Indonesia. The ritual cycle and the collaborative fieldwork process are analyzed through the impressions of each fieldworker. Barong and Rangda is a well-documented dance-drama and part of the longer Calonarang story. This dance-drama is a mythological battle between the lion, Barong, and the witch, Rangda, and is performed authentically to create spiritual balance and cleanse its community members of evil. This ritual performance reaches beyond the time and place in which the performance originates and creates a ripple affect on the village members, those in trance, musicians and cultural outsiders alike.

Splintered memories or vivid landmarks? Qualities and organization of traumatic memories with and without PTSD

One hundred and eighty-one students answered a standardized questionnaire on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): 25 reported trauma(s) and indicated a pattern of after-effects that matched a PTSD symptom profile, whereas 88 indicated trauma(s) but no PTSD symptom profile. Both groups answered a questionnaire addressing the recollective quality, integration and coherence of the traumatic memory that currently affected them most. Participants with a PTSD symptom profile reported more vivid recollection of emotion and sensory impressions. They reported more observer perspective in the memory (seeing themselves 'from the outside'), but no more fragmentation. They also agreed more with the statement that the trauma had become part of their identity, and perceived more thematic connections between the trauma and current events in their lives. The two groups showed different patterns of correlations which indicated different coping styles. Overall, the findings suggest that traumas form dysfunctional reference points for the organization of other personal memories in people with PTSD symptoms, leading to fluctuations between vivid intrusions and avoidance. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

SELECTED ACCOMPANIED AND UNACCOMPANIED FLUTE WORKS OF RIVIER, BOZZA, AND FRANCAIX

A great deal of flute music written during the twentieth century was the product of French composers for French flutists. Through the course of the century some composers and compositions made it into the standard repertory while the flute works of Rivier, Bozza, and Francaix remained on the periphery. (The composers are listed and discussed chronologically based on date of birth rather than alphabetically.) This dissertation focuses on the accompanied and unaccompanied flute works of these men. It seeks to bring to light works that are almost totally unknown, and places them in relation to the works that have made it into the secondary repertory. The pieces chosen for this project represent each period of the composers' output in relation to the flute works. This dissertation follows the stylistic and technical traits found in the flute works of each composer and, when appropriate, compares the traits among the composers. The following is a list of the works performed: Rivier's Oiseaux tendres, Sonatine, Concerto, Ballade, Virevoltes, Trois Silhouettes, Comme une tendre berceuse . ..; Bozza's Image, Aria, Divertissement op. 39, Soir dans les montagnes, Trois Impressions, Concertina da camera, Cinq Chansons sur des themes Japonais, Phorbeia; Francaix's Divertimento, Concerto, Suite, and Sonate. The written part of this performance dissertation includes biographical information on each composer, program notes for each piece performed, a discography, and a selected bibliography.

THE GREAT RUSSIAN PIANO TRADITION: SELECTED REPERTOIRE BY TCHAIKOVSKY, RACHMANINOFF AND PROKOFIEV

This dissertation explores representative piano music by three great Russian composers: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. The areas of research include: 1) the short character piece; 2) the Russian piano transcription tradition; 3) the concerto and sonata cycle; 4) extra-musical imagery; 5) the influence of popular and dance music of the period. Perhaps the most important result of this research is learning how the art of incorporating a singing quality at the piano stands at the center of Russian pianistic heritage. The first recital features compositions by Sergei Prokofiev. The Seventh Sonata exhibits rebellious, uncompromisingly dissonant treatment of its musical content. Ten Pieces from “Cinderella” shows an ascetic approach to piano texture - a common characteristic in Prokofiev’s late works. The Third Concerto is Prokofiev’s masterpiece in the genre. One of the 20th century’s most performed concerti, it overflows with pianistic challenges. For my second dissertation recital, I have chosen Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. These short character pieces were inspired by literary sources. The text portrays Russian rural life, nature, moments of intimate reflection, and imaginary experiences and impressions. Tchaikovsky’s gift as a melodist and remarkable musical individualist is represented in his two Nocturnes as well as in the Nutcracker Suite, masterfully transcribed by Mikhail Pletnev. The final program features Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Ten Preludes, Op. 23, regarded as a culmination of the turn-of-the-century grand Russian pianistic style. The Fantasy Pieces helped establish Rachmaninoff’s reputation as a pianist-composer, a profoundly lyrical poet of the piano. The three Rachmaninoff transcriptions, the Minuet, the Hopak and the Polka de W.R. preserve the spirit of the Golden Era’s musical salon. These pieces were written to delight and dazzle audiences with their bold character, musical taste, virtuosic tricks and technical finesse. The three recitals comprising this dissertation were presented in Gildenhorn Recital at the University of Maryland School of Music on November 13, 2010, April 11, 2011 and February 27, 2012. The recitals were recorded on compact discs and are archived within the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).

THE GREAT RUSSIAN PIANO TRADITION: SELECTED REPERTOIRE BY TCHAIKOVSKY, RACHMANINOFF AND PROKOFIEV

This dissertation explores representative piano music by three great Russian composers: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. The areas of research include: 1) the short character piece; 2) the Russian piano transcription tradition; 3) the concerto and sonata cycle; 4) extra-musical imagery; 5) the influence of popular and dance music of the period. Perhaps the most important result of this research is learning how the art of incorporating a singing quality at the piano stands at the center of Russian pianistic heritage. The first recital features compositions by Sergei Prokofiev. The Seventh Sonata exhibits rebellious, uncompromisingly dissonant treatment of its musical content. Ten Pieces from "Cinderella" shows an ascetic approach to piano texture - a common characteristic in Prokofiev's late works. The Third Concerto is Prokofiev's masterpiece in the genre. One of the 20th century's most performed concerti, it overflows with pianistic challenges. For my second dissertation recital, I have chosen Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky's The Seasons. These short character pieces were inspired by literary sources. The text portrays Russian rural life, nature, moments of intimate reflection, and imaginary experiences and impressions. Tchaikovsky's gift as a melodist and remarkable musical individualist is represented in his two Nocturnes as well as in the Nutcracker Suite, masterfully transcribed by Mikhail Pletnev. The final program features Sergei Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23, regarded as a culmination of the turn-of-the-century grand Russian pianistic style. The Fantasy Pieces helped establish Rachmaninoff's reputation as a pianist-composer, a profoundly lyrical poet of the piano. The three Rachmaninoff transcriptions, the Minuet, the Hopak and the Polka de W.R. preserve the spirit of the Golden Era's musical salon. These pieces were written to delight and dazzle audiences with their bold character, musical taste, virtuosic tricks and technical finesse. The three recitals comprising this dissertation were presented in Gildenhorn Recital at the University of Maryland School of Music on November 13, 2010, April 11, 2011 and February 27, 2012. The recitals were recorded on compact discs and are archived within the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM).