Knowledge transfer in globally distributed teams:the role of transactive memory

This paper explores the role of transactive memory in enabling knowledge transfer between globally distributed teams. While the information systems literature has recently acknowledged the role transactive memory plays in improving knowledge processes and performance in colocated teams, little is known about its contribution to distributed teams. To contribute to filling this gap, knowledge-transfer challenges and processes between onsite and offshore teams were studied at TATA Consultancy Services. In particular, the paper describes the transfer of knowledge between onsite and offshore teams through encoding, storing and retrieving processes. An in-depth case study of globally distributed software development projects was carried out, and a qualitative, interpretive approach was adopted. The analysis of the case suggests that in order to overcome differences derived from the local contexts of the onsite and offshore teams (e.g. different work routines, methodologies and skills), some specific mechanisms supporting the development of codified and personalized ‘directories’ were introduced. These include the standardization of templates and methodologies across the remote sites as well as frequent teleconferencing sessions and occasional short visits. These mechanisms contributed to the development of the notion of ‘who knows what’ across onsite and offshore teams despite the challenges associated with globally distributed teams, and supported the transfer of knowledge between onsite and offshore teams. The paper concludes by offering theoretical and practical implications.

Trends in Digital Cultural Heritage Management and Applications

We present some recent trends in the field of digital cultural heritage management and applications including digital cultural data curation, interoperability, open linked data publishing, crowd sourcing, visualization, platforms for digital cultural heritage, and applications. We present some examples from research and development projects of MUSIC/TUC in those areas.

Social media and sentiment in bioenergy consultation

he push to widen participation in public consultation suggests social media as an additional mechanism through which to engage the public. Bioenergy companies need to build their capacity to communicate in these new media and to monitor the attitudes of the public and opposition organisations towards energy development projects. Design/methodology/approach This short paper outlines the planning issues bioenergy developments face and the main methods of communication used in the public consultation process in the UK. The potential role of social media in communication with stakeholders is identified. The capacity of sentiment analysis to mine opinions from social media is summarised, and illustrated using a sample of tweets containing the term ‘bioenergy’ Findings Social media have the potential to improve information flows between stakeholders and developers. Sentiment analysis is a viable Purpose The push to widen participation in public consultation suggests social media as an additional mechanism through which to engage the public. Bioenergy companies need to build their capacity to communicate in these new media and to monitor the attitudes of the public and opposition organisations towards energy development projects. Design/methodology/approach This short paper outlines the planning issues bioenergy developments face and the main methods of communication used in the public consultation process in the UK. The potential role of social media in communication with stakeholders is identified. The capacity of sentiment analysis to mine opinions from social media is summarised, and illustrated using a sample of tweets containing the term ‘bioenergy’ Findings Social media have the potential to improve information flows between stakeholders and developers. Sentiment analysis is a viable methodology, which bioenergy companies should be using to measure public opinion in the consultation process. Preliminary analysis shows promising results. Research limitations/implications Analysis is preliminary and based on a small dataset. It is intended only to illustrate the potential of sentiment analysis and not to draw general conclusions about the bioenergy sector. Originality/value Opinion mining, though established in marketing and political analysis, is not yet systematically applied as a planning consultation tool. This is a missed opportunity.

A tudásmenedzsment és az IT audit kapcsolódási pontjai - a tudásmenedzsment-rendszerek auditja (Connection points of knowledge management and IT audit – audit of knowledge management systems)

A cikkben a szerzők megvizsgálják a tudásmenedzsment komplex rendszerfejlesztési projektekben és az informatikai auditban játszott szerepét. Fő céljuk, hogy a tudásmenedzsment-rendszerek fejlesztéséhez kapcsolódó audit támogatására értékelési modellt készítsenek. Cikkükben megvizsgálják a tudásmenedzsmentnek az IT-auditban játszott általános szerepét, az auditban érintett tudásvagyon védelmének kérdését, a tudásmenedzsment-folyamatok szerepét a rendszerfejlesztésben (auditszempontból), a kontrollok implementálását, valamint a tudásmenedzsment és az IT-audittal kapcsolatos szabványok, módszertanok kapcsolatát. Az eredmények illusztrálására egy az Európai Unió 7. keretprogramjából finanszírozott nemzetközi projekt (GUIDE, IST–2003–507498) szolgál. ________________ Authors investigate the role of knowledge management in complex system development projects and IT audit. The primary goal is to provide an evaluation framework for an assessment of the development of special knowledge management solutions. On the other hand IT audit itself is a knowledge-dependent activity. The paper analyses the role of knowledge management in IT audit in general, the protection of knowledge assets during an audit, the role of knowledge management processes during system development (from audit point of view) and in the implementation of controls, the relationship of knowledge management with audit standards. Authors investigate the specialities of KM developments from audit point of view (particularly important aspects of audit, specific control objectives) A case study, based on experiences gained from GUIDE project (IST-2003-507498 funded by the European Commission’s 6th Framework Programme) illustrates the findings.

ALBA: A Political Tool for Venezuela’s Foreign Policy

Despite its founding by Hugo Chávez on the heels of the failed Free Trade Area for the Americas (FTAA) negotiations which took place November 2003, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA, as it is known for its Spanish acronym) has evolved into a political tool that uses “social power” to facilitate Venezuela‟s positioning as the leader of the anti-U.S. agenda in the region. Fostering political favors and goodwill through the financing of social development projects, ALBA has created a political environment whereby countries on the take and their respective leaders seem deterred from taking public opposing viewpoints to Chávez. To that end, it has provided billions in economic aid to several nations in Latin American and the Caribbean, winning their favor and support for its policies. To date, ALBA counts on eight member nations. Besides Venezuela, it includes Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It also has several observer nations, among them, Grenada, Haiti, Paraguay, Uruguay, and a non-Latin American country, Syria. Throughout its recent history Venezuela has used its oil wealth to pursue political capital. Under the Chávez government it is doing so as part of a strategic effort countering the U.S. Following Cuba‟s demise in the region as the anti-American socialist camp leader, Chávez is attempting to step into Cuba‟s shoes, picking up where Cuba left off over a decade ago and has used the ALBA as a mechanism to help promote his foreign policy. Relying on its own resources, not those of the Soviet Union as Cuba once did, Venezuela has already shown its influence in the international arena, challenging U.S. positions at the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations, and even in matters having little if nothing to do with the region, such as Iran‟s nuclear proliferation. Taking advantage of Venezuela‟s oil prices bonanza, Chávez has been spreading economic aid throughout the region, funding several development projects. From stepping in to buy Bolivia‟s soy beans when the U.S. ceased doing so, to helping finance and construct an airport in Dominica, Venezuela‟s ALBA has provided assistance to many states in the region. As in the past, Venezuela has invested significantly both in time and money in the Caribbean, providing development assistance and oil at a discount to Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Dominican Republic, although the latter two are neither member nor observer states of ALBA. The aid Chávez has been spreading around may be coming at a cost. It seems it has begun to cause cracks within the CARICOM community, where ALBA already counts on six of its 15 members, leading experts and leaders in the region to question traditional alliances to each other and the U.S. Yet, ALBA‟s ability to influence through aid is dependent on the Venezuelan economy. Its success hinges on continued Venezuelan oil sales at stable prices and the ability of Chávez to remain in power.

Innovating from the War Economy: Formal, Informal, and Illicit Economic Activities of the Military in Colombia

Over the last decade, the Colombian military has successfully rolled back insurgent groups, cleared and secured conflict zones, and enabled the extraction of oil and other key commodity exports. As a result, official policies of both the Uribe and Santos governments have promoted the armed forces to participate to an unprecedented extent in economic activities intended to consolidate the gains of the 2000s. These include formal involvement in the economy, streamlined in a consortium of military enterprises and social foundations that are intended to put the Colombian defense sector “on the map” nationally and internationally, and informal involvement expanded mainly through new civic action development projects intended to consolidate the security gains of the 2000s. However, failure to roll back paramilitary groups other than through the voluntary amnesty program of 2005 has facilitated the persistence of illicit collusion by military forces with reconstituted “neoparamilitary” drug trafficking groups. It is therefore crucially important to enhance oversight mechanisms and create substantial penalties for collusion with illegal armed groups. This is particularly important if Colombia intends to continue its new practice of exporting its security model to other countries in the region. The Santos government has initiated several promising reforms to enhance state capacity, institutional transparence, and accountability of public officials to the rule of law, which are crucial to locking in security gains and revitalizing democratic politics. Efforts to diminish opportunities for illicit association between the armed forces and criminal groups should complement that agenda, including the following: Champion breaking existing ties between the military and paramilitary successor groups through creative policies involving a mixture of punishments and rewards directed at the military; Investigation and extradition proceedings of drug traffickers, probe all possible ties, including as a matter of course the possibility of Colombian military collaboration. Doing so rigorously may have an important effect deterring military collusion with criminal groups. Establish and enforce zero-tolerance policies at all military ranks regarding collusion with criminal groups; Reward military units that are effective and also avoid corruption and criminal ties by providing them with enhanced resources and recognition; Rely on the military for civic action and development assistance as minimally as possible in order to build long-term civilian public sector capacity and to reduce opportunities for routine exposure of military forces to criminal groups circulating in local populations.

Water for the Wayuu: Procurement and maximization of a limited resource among indigenous pastoralists on the Guajira Peninsula of northern Colombia

For the Wayuu of the Guajira Peninsula of northern Colombia, water procurement has historically been challenging. The ancestral territory of this indigenous pastoral society is windy and arid, with low rainfall, high temperatures and an absence of perennial rivers or streams. In the past, the Wayuu adapted to these environmental conditions by practicing transhumance during the prolonged dry seasons, digging spring wells and artificial ponds and by following guiding principles for water usage. Since the 1930s, the government has made efforts to build additional wind-powered wells and ponds for a growing native population. Notwithstanding, these water solutions have only partly met the necessities; public water sources are limited or unreliable and few attempts are made to generate safe drinking water. Furthermore, the ubiquitous practice of animal husbandry places added pressure on existing sources; livestock consume more water than the human populations in the areas visited. Rapid assessments in four Wayuu areas on the peninsula were conducted by the author and an interdisciplinary team working for the Cerrejón Foundation for Water in La Guajira from 2010 to 2013. The assessments were part of a larger pilot project to design and implement a sustainability plan for reservoir-based water supply systems in the region. This study brings cultural practices and local knowledge to the forefront as key elements for the success of water works and other development projects carried out in Wayuu territory.

University City or Little Managua? Studentification and Housing Renewal in Sweetwater, Florida

The “University City project” is a public-private partnership between Florida International University (FIU), the City of Sweetwater, and private investors. The project focuses on redeveloping certain areas of Sweetwater near FIU with the goal of enticing members of the university community to become residents. Building on previous research findings regarding how redevelopment prospects in the City of Sweetwater are affecting residents of the Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park, I examine how these changes are affecting residents in the immediate vicinity of the University. Using a combination of semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I seek to answer the following questions: How do Sweetwater residents feel about development projects in the community of Sweetwater? In what ways do these changes affect their lives? How powerful or powerless do they feel in the face of these changes, or how much say do they believe they have in their implementation? This research will add depth and context to the emerging interdisciplinary study of the “studentification” phenomenon, a form of gentrification that is centered on students, which has received little attention in the United States.

Uma proposta de indicadores para o acompanhamento de alunos em projetos de desenvolvimento colaborativo de software com foco no desenvolvimento de habilidades transversais

Soft skills and teamwork practices were identi ed as the main de ciencies of recent graduates in computer courses. This issue led to a realization of a qualitative research aimed at investigating the challenges faced by professors of those courses in conducting, monitoring and assessing collaborative software development projects. Di erent challenges were reported by teachers, including di culties in the assessment of students both in the collective and individual levels. In this context, a quantitative research was conducted with the aim to map soft skill of students to a set of indicators that can be extracted from software repositories using data mining techniques. These indicators are aimed at measuring soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership, problem solving and the pace of communication. Then, a peer assessment approach was applied in a collaborative software development course of the software engineering major at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). This research presents a correlation study between the students' soft skills scores and indicators based on mining software repositories. This study contributes: (i) in the presentation of professors' perception of the di culties and opportunities for improving management and monitoring practices in collaborative software development projects; (ii) in investigating relationships between soft skills and activities performed by students using software repositories; (iii) in encouraging the development of soft skills and the use of software repositories among software engineering students; (iv) in contributing to the state of the art of three important areas of software engineering, namely software engineering education, educational data mining and human aspects of software engineering.

Uma proposta de indicadores para o acompanhamento de alunos em projetos de desenvolvimento colaborativo de software com foco no desenvolvimento de habilidades transversais

Soft skills and teamwork practices were identi ed as the main de ciencies of recent graduates in computer courses. This issue led to a realization of a qualitative research aimed at investigating the challenges faced by professors of those courses in conducting, monitoring and assessing collaborative software development projects. Di erent challenges were reported by teachers, including di culties in the assessment of students both in the collective and individual levels. In this context, a quantitative research was conducted with the aim to map soft skill of students to a set of indicators that can be extracted from software repositories using data mining techniques. These indicators are aimed at measuring soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership, problem solving and the pace of communication. Then, a peer assessment approach was applied in a collaborative software development course of the software engineering major at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). This research presents a correlation study between the students' soft skills scores and indicators based on mining software repositories. This study contributes: (i) in the presentation of professors' perception of the di culties and opportunities for improving management and monitoring practices in collaborative software development projects; (ii) in investigating relationships between soft skills and activities performed by students using software repositories; (iii) in encouraging the development of soft skills and the use of software repositories among software engineering students; (iv) in contributing to the state of the art of three important areas of software engineering, namely software engineering education, educational data mining and human aspects of software engineering.

Samarbete i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt : Vilka mänskliga faktorer påverkar samarbetets effektivitet?

Mänskliga faktorer som till exempel kommunikation och tillit påverkar hur människor interagerar med varandra. I agil systemutveckling ingår relationer, samspel och samarbete mellan människor och dessa påverkar om systemutvecklingsprojektet anses framgångsrikt eller ej. Men ofta i systemutvecklingsprojekt så läggs det mer tid på själva tekniken än de sociala aspekterna, där de mänskliga faktorerna i många fall är en avgörande faktor för projektets slutresultat. Syftet med det nuvarande arbetet är att beskriva vilka mänskliga faktorer som är viktiga för att effektivisera samarbete i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt, samt att beskriva hur agil systemutveckling på Trafikverket utförs. Trafikverket ville ha studien genomförd för att resultatet av studien skulle hjälpa till att minska antalet mindre framgångsrika systemutvecklingsprojekt på Trafikverket. Huvudfrågan i arbetet är: Vilka mänskliga faktorer är viktiga för att effektivisera samarbetet mellan verksamhetskunniga och utvecklare i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt? En fallstudie utfördes vid Trafikverket genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer som följdes upp av enkäter och dokumentstudier. Det sammanlagda resultatet tyder på att för att effektivisera samarbetet mellan verksamhetskunniga och utvecklare i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt på Trafikverket krävs fokus på följande fem mänskliga faktorer: kommunikation, tillit, ledarskap, kunskap och motivation.

Samarbete i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt : Vilka mänskliga faktorer påverkar samarbetets effektivitet?

Mänskliga faktorer som till exempel kommunikation och tillit påverkar hur människor interagerar med varandra. I agil systemutveckling ingår relationer, samspel och samarbete mellan människor och dessa påverkar om systemutvecklingsprojektet anses framgångsrikt eller ej. Men ofta i systemutvecklingsprojekt så läggs det mer tid på själva tekniken än de sociala aspekterna, där de mänskliga faktorerna i många fall är en avgörande faktor för projektets slutresultat. Syftet med det nuvarande arbetet är att beskriva vilka mänskliga faktorer som är viktiga för att effektivisera samarbete i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt, samt att beskriva hur agil systemutveckling på Trafikverket utförs. Trafikverket ville ha studien genomförd för att resultatet av studien skulle hjälpa till att minska antalet mindre framgångsrika systemutvecklingsprojekt på Trafikverket. Huvudfrågan i arbetet är: Vilka mänskliga faktorer är viktiga för att effektivisera samarbetet mellan verksamhetskunniga och utvecklare i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt? En fallstudie utfördes vid Trafikverket genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer som följdes upp av enkäter och dokumentstudier. Det sammanlagda resultatet tyder på att för att effektivisera samarbetet mellan verksamhetskunniga och utvecklare i agila systemutvecklingsprojekt på Trafikverket krävs fokus på följande fem mänskliga faktorer: kommunikation, tillit, ledarskap, kunskap och motivation.

Pratiquer l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes au sein des organisations : étude de cas des ONG au Mali.

Cette thèse analyse les pratiques d’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes au sein des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) maliennes qui ont reçu du financement canadien. En effet, l’aide publique au développement a subi des transformations majeures depuis les années 1950. L’une de ces transformations a été le rôle important joué par les ONG dans les années 1990, à la suite de l’adoption des politiques d’ajustements structurels et de la fin de la monopolisation par l’État en ce qui a trait à l’aide publique pour les projets de développement. Entre autres, les ONG ont été sollicitées pour promouvoir les politiques d’égalité entre hommes et femmes. L’importance des ONG dans l’aide publique au développement a créé des relations de dépendances vis-à-vis des bailleurs de fonds qui imposent des conditionnalités. Nos résultats ont montré que les bailleurs de fonds exigent l’égalité entre les sexes en ce qui concerne les bénéficiaires des programmes, mais, paradoxalement, ne l’exigent pas à l’intérieur des ONG et dans leurs ressources humaines. En analysant la composition du personnel de huit ONG maliennes, nos résultats montrent que 34 % du personnel sont des femmes alors que 66 % sont des hommes, ce qui démontre un déséquilibre assez important en matière de parité. Cependant, une analyse plus fine nous indique que les pratiques d’égalité entre femmes et hommes dans les structures et dans la gestion des ressources humaines diffèrent d’une ONG à une autre. Ces pratiques dépendent beaucoup de la volonté et des valeurs des gestionnaires. Notre recherche a fait ressortir plusieurs explications de cette disparité au niveau de l’emploi des femmes. Les raisons souvent mentionnées étaient : 1) la nécessité d’avoir du personnel compétent, 2) la conciliation famille-travail, 3) le contexte socioculturel, 4) l’interprétation de la religion musulmane en matière d’égalité. En effet, nos résultats ont démontré que sous l’influence des bailleurs de fonds les ONG se sont professionnalisées, que l’impact de la professionnalisation a été différent selon le genre et que celle-ci s’est faite aux dépens des femmes. Ainsi, certains gestionnaires, quel que soit leur sexe, préfèrent recruter plus d’hommes parce qu’ils les jugent plus compétents.Nos résultats confirment la théorie du plafond de verre qui met en exergue le fait que les femmes ont de la difficulté à accéder à des postes de responsabilité. Nos résultats ont aussi démontré qu’au Mali, le contexte socioculturel et la religion jouent un grand rôle dans les relations sociales et surtout en ce qui concerne la place des femmes au sein de la société.

Affordable Housing Policies: An Overview

As urban housing markets throughout the United States increasingly exhibit challenges of affordability, federal, state, and local governments have placed renewed emphasis on housing, specifically mixed-income housing, which integrates affordable housing incentives into multifamily development projects. With such incentives, one must wonder what comprises a successful affordable housing policy and how affordable housing can be successfully implemented into a community. This article attempts to answer these questions by detailing the history of affordable housing policies, exploring some of the current affordable housing policies and programs, comparing affordable housing programs from different regions, and discussing some successful affordable housing programs and lessons that can be learned from them.

Digital accessibility challenges: the impact of locality, usability and technology

Abstract: It is estimated that 1 in 5 will, at some point in their lives, experience a long-term illness or disability that will impact their day to day lives. Access to digital information and technologies can be life changing and a necessity to fully participate in education, work and society. Specialist assistive technologies, such as screen readers, have been available for many years and are now built-into operating systems and devices. In addition, web accessibility standards have been compiled and published since the advent of the World Wide Web over two decades ago. However, internet use by people with disabilities continues to lag significantly behind those with no disability and use of assistive technologies remains lower than should be the case with tools often abandoned. In this seminar we will talk about our work to identify digital accessibility challenges; the barriers experienced by those with disabilities and how computer scientists can play a part in removing obstacles to access and ease of use. We will discuss some of our projects focussing on: • Development of assistive technologies for niche groups of users, • improving accessibility standards to cover a wider range of disabilities, • creating accessibility training resources for developers and stakeholders • embedding accessibility practice within development projects.