The emerging role of the Board of Directors in enterprise business technology governance

In an increasingly business technology (BT) dependent world, the impact of the extraordinary changes brought about by the nexus of mobile and cloud technologies, social media and big data is increasingly being felt in the board room. As leaders of enterprises of every type and size, board directors can no longer afford to ignore, delegate or avoid BT-related decisions. Competitive, financial and reputational risk is increased if boards fail to recognize their role in governing technology as an asset and in removing barriers to improving enterprise business technology governance (EBTG). Directors’ awareness of the need for EBTG is increasing. However, industry research shows that board level willingness to rectify the gap between awareness and action is very low or non-existent. This literature review-based research identifies barriers to EBTG effectiveness. It provides a practical starting point for board analysis. We offer four outcomes that boards might focus on to ensure the organizations they govern are not left behind by those led by the upcoming new breed of technology-savvy leaders. Most extant research looks backward for examples, examining data pre-2010, the time when a tipping point in the personal and business use of multimedia and mobile-internet devices significantly deepened the impacts of the identified nexus technology forces, and began rapidly changing the way many businesses engage with their customers, employees and stakeholders. We situate our work amidst these nexus forces, discuss the board’s role in EBTG in this context, and modernize current definitions of enterprise technology governance. The primary limitation faced is the lack of scholarly research relating to EBTG in the rapidly changing digital economy. Although we have used recent (2011 - 2013) industry surveys, the volume of these surveys and congruence across them is significant in terms of levels of increased awareness and calls for increased board attention and competency in EBTG and strategic information use. Where possible we have used scholarly research to illustrate or discuss industry findings.

The birds of the Bush Heritage, Cravens Peak Reserve

Bird communities were studied in two subregional areas of Cravens Peak, the Toko Plains and the Simpson-Strzelecki Dunefields, using the point counts method. A total of 42 2ha 20 minute surveys, 46 five-hundred metre radius area surveys and 170 5km drive through area surveys were conducted and observations made. Bird species were identified, counted and recorded. The data were compared in the two subregions and, as a whole, considering species groups according to land system on which the ecosystem occurs, the specific ecosystem and according to their general feeding habits (insectivore, omnivore, frugivore, granivore, nectarivore and carnivore). Species richness and species relative abundance were compared using Simpson’s Diversity Index and the data revealed that species are distributed largely on the basis of habitat. In general, areas with a greater number of vegetation strata recorded greater species diversity. Overall, the Tall Open Acacia georginae Shrubland on alluvial floodplains has a greater diversity of birds in a 2ha area (0.87, Simpson’s Index of Diversity 1-D) compared to the other survey sites.

Birds : indicators of environmental repair in oil affected coastlines

Bird coastal communities were studied along Bribie Island and Moreton Island, two islands within Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, using the point counts method. A total of 128 five-hundred metre radius area surveys and 81 beach drive surveys were conducted and observations made over four seasons. Bird species were identified, counted and recorded. The data was compared between the two islands and, between sites on each island as oil-spill affected sites to non-oil spill affected sites. Species such as waders, shorebirds, terns/gulls and raptors were identified as species at most risk from an oil spill and the data was selected to look mainly at these species. The data indicated that sites affected by the oil spill contained 50% less oil-affected species than sites not affected by the oil spill. Bribie Island held on average 5 species per site in the oil affected sites compared to 12 species in non-oil affected sites. This same trend was observed on Moreton Island which held 6 species compared to 14 species. Bird data will continue to be counted over several years to determine whether the observed data is a true reflection of the affects of an oil spill on the habitat of shorebirds.

Inside the boardroom : exploring board member interactions

This study aims to open-up the black box of the boardroom by directly observing directors’ interactions during meetings to better understand board processes. Design/methodology/approach: We analyse videotaped observations of board meetings at two Australian companies to develop insights into what directors do in meetings and how they participate in decision-making processes. The direct observations are triangulated with semi-structured interviews, mini-surveys and document reviews. Findings: Our analyses lead to two key findings: (i) while board meetings appear similar at a surface-level, boardroom interactions vary significantly at a deeper level (i.e. board members participate differently during different stages of discussions) and (ii) factors at multiple levels of analysis explain differences in interaction patterns, revealing the complex and nested nature of boardroom discussions. Research implications: By documenting significant intra- and inter-board meeting differences our study (i) challenges the widespread notion of board meetings as rather homogeneous and monolithic, (ii) points towards agenda items as a new unit of analysis (iii) highlights the need for more multi-level analyses in a board setting. Practical implications: While policy makers have been largely occupied with the “right” board composition, our findings suggest that decision outcomes or roles’ execution could be potentially affected by interactions at a board level. Differences in board meeting styles might explain prior ambiguous board structure-performance results, enhancing the need for greater normative consideration of how boards do their work. Originality/value: Our study complements existing research on boardroom dynamics and provides a systematic account of director interactions during board meetings.

The significance of owner participation for a successful detached housing development in Malaysia

The detached housing scheme is a unique and exclusive segment of the residential property market in Malaysia. Generally, the product is expensive and for many Malaysians who can afford them, owning a detached house is a once in a lifetime opportunity. In spite of this, most of the owners failed to fully comprehend the specific need of this type of housing scheme, increasing the risk of it being a problematic undertaking. Unlike other types of pre-designed "mass housing" schemes, the detached housing scheme may be built specifically to cater the needs and demands of its owner. Therefore, owner participation during critical development stages is vital to guarantee the success of the development as a whole. In addition, due to its unique design the house would have to individually comply with the requirements and regulations of relevant authorities. Failure by the owner to recognise this will result in delays, penalties, disputes and ultimately cost overruns. These circumstances highlight the need for a research to guide the owner through participation during the critical development stages of a detached house. Therefore, this research aims to develop a guideline to improve owner participation for a successful detached house development in Malaysia. To achieve the aim, questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the detached house owners' and consultants' & contractors' responses through their experiences in developing detached houses in Malaysia. Stratified and random sampling were utilised to gather information from both parties to represent Malaysian detached house participants. The questionnaire responses were analysed through the application of quantitative analysis such as descriptive analysis, factor analysis and structural equation modelling which were substantiated through qualitative analysis procedure such as content analysis. This research had identified that in order to produce a successful outcome detached house owners are required to participate during critical stages of the development. In the planning stage, the owner needs to provide proper specific input to the consultant regarding his/her expectations of the cost for the entire development, its detailed specification and general idea of the internal and external design of the detached house and its compound. In the contracting stage, the owner must make the appropriate choice of selecting the right contractor for the job. This decision may be taken after recommendations from the consultants or from the owner's personal contacts or experiences but it is not recommended for the owner to select a contractor primarily on the basis of the lowest bid. In the completion stage, the owner may need to attend a number of important site meetings to ensure that the progress of the works is according to what had been planned and the completion date is achievable. By having the owners undertake an active role during critical stages of the development, not only the quality and delivery of the development improved but also there is an increase in satisfaction to the owners themselves.

Economic burden of malignant neoplasms in Shandong province [山东省恶性肿瘤经济负担分析]

Objective: To evaluate the economic burden of malignant neoplasms in Shandong province in order to provide scientific evidence for policy-making. Methods: The main sources for this study were the data from the third sampling survey of death cause in 2006 and cancer prevalence survey in 2007 in Shandong province. The direct medical cost was calculated based on the survey data. The indirect cost due to mortality and morbidity were estimated with human capital approach based on the data of disability-adjusted life years derived from the two surveys and gross domestic product (GDP) data. The total economic burden was the sum of direct medical cost and indirect cost. The uncertainty analysis was conducted according to the methodology in global burden of disease study. Results: The total cost of cancer in Shandong province in 2006 estimated was 18 057 million Yuan RMB (95% confidence interval:16 817 － 19 393 million), which accounted for 0. 83% of the total GDP. The direct medical cost，indirect mortality cost and indirect morbidity cost accounted for 17.28%, 78.53%, and 4.20% of total economic burden of malignant neoplasms, respectively. Liver，lung and stomach cancer were the top three tumors with heavier economic burden, with accounted for more than one half (57. 83%) of the total economic burden of all cancers. The uncertainty of total burden estimated was around ± 7%, which mainly derived from the uncertainty of indirect economic burden. Conclusion: The influence of cancers on social economy is dominated by the loss of productivity, especially by the productivity loss due to premature death. Liver, lung and stomach cancer are the major cancers for disease control and prevention in Shandong province. Abstract in Chinese 目的 评价山东省恶性肿瘤经济负担,为卫生决策提供科学依据. 方法 以2006年山东省第3次死因回顾抽样凋查资料和2007年山东省恶性肿瘤现患状况抽样调查资料为基础,测算全省直接医疗成本;采用人力资本法测算死亡间接负担和伤残间接负担;参考全球疾病负担研究的方法对测算结果的不确定性进行分析. 结果 2006年山东省因恶性肿瘤导致的总经济负担为180.57亿元(95%CI=16 817～19 393),占全省GDP总量的0.83%,其中直接医疗成本占总负担的17.28%,死亡造成的间接经济负担占78.53%,伤残所致间接经济负担占4.20%;肝癌、肺癌和胃癌为山东省经济负担最重的3种恶性肿瘤,总经济负担合计占全部恶性肿瘤的57.83%;总经济负担估计结果的不确定性范围在±7%左右,主要取决于间接经济负担的不确定性. 结论 恶性肿瘤对社会经济的影响主要通过生产力的损失产生作用,并以死亡所致生产力损失为主;肝癌、肺癌和胃癌应是山东省恶性肿瘤预防控制的重点.

The use of acoustic indices to determine avian species richness in audio-recordings of the environment

Interpreting acoustic recordings of the natural environment is an increasingly important technique for ecologists wishing to monitor terrestrial ecosystems. Technological advances make it possible to accumulate many more recordings than can be listened to or interpreted, thereby necessitating automated assistance to identify elements in the soundscape. In this paper we examine the problem of estimating avian species richness by sampling from very long acoustic recordings. We work with data recorded under natural conditions and with all the attendant problems of undefined and unconstrained acoustic content (such as wind, rain, traffic, etc.) which can mask content of interest (in our case, bird calls). We describe 14 acoustic indices calculated at one minute resolution for the duration of a 24 hour recording. An acoustic index is a statistic that summarizes some aspect of the structure and distribution of acoustic energy and information in a recording. Some of the indices we calculate are standard (e.g. signal-to-noise ratio), some have been reported useful for the detection of bioacoustic activity (e.g. temporal and spectral entropies) and some are directed to avian sources (spectral persistence of whistles). We rank the one minute segments of a 24 hour recording in descending order according to an "acoustic richness" score which is derived from a single index or a weighted combination of two or more. We describe combinations of indices which lead to more efficient estimates of species richness than random sampling from the same recording, where efficiency is defined as total species identified for given listening effort. Using random sampling, we achieve a 53% increase in species recognized over traditional field surveys and an increase of 87% using combinations of indices to direct the sampling. We also demonstrate how combinations of the same indices can be used to detect long duration acoustic events (such as heavy rain and cicada chorus) and to construct long duration (24 h) spectrograms.

A systematic review of telemedicine services for residents in long term care facilities

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on telemedicine use in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and assessed the quality of the published evidence. A database search identified 22 papers which met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was assessed and if they contained economic data, they were rated according to standard criteria. The clinical services provided by telemedicine included allied health (n = 5), dermatology (3), general practice (4), neurology (2), geriatrics (1), psychiatry (4) and multiple specialities (3). Most studies (17) employed real-time telemedicine using videoconferencing. The remaining five used store and forward telemedicine. The papers focused on economics (3), feasibility (9), stakeholder satisfaction (12), reliability (5) and service implementation (2). Overall, the quality of evidence for telemedicine in LTCFs was low. There was only one small randomised controlled trial (RCT). Most studies were observational and qualitative, and focused on utilisation. They were mainly based on surveys and interviews of stakeholders. A few studies evaluated the cost associated with implementing telemedicine services in LTCFs. The present review shows that there is evidence for feasibility and stakeholder satisfaction in using telemedicine in LTCFs in a number of clinical specialities.

Are we there yet? A step closer to theorizing information systems success

The need for native Information Systems (IS) theories has been discussed by several prominent scholars. Contributing to their conjectural discussion, this research moves towards theorizing IS success as a native theory for the discipline. Despite being one of the most cited scholarly works to-date, IS success of DeLone and McLean (1992) has been criticized by some for lacking focus on the theoretical approach. Following theory development frameworks, this study improves the theoretical standing of IS success by minimizing interaction and inconsistency. The empirical investigation of theorizing IS success includes 1396 respondents, gathered through six surveys and a case study. The respondents represent 70 organisations, multiple Information Systems, and both private and public sector organizations.

An exploration of the professional competencies required in engineering asset management

Engineering asset management (EAM) is a rapidly growing and developing field. However, efforts to select and develop engineers in this area are complicated by our lack of understanding of the full range of competencies required to perform. This exploratory study sought to clarify and categorise the professional competencies required of individuals at different hierarchical levels within EAM. Data from 14 field interviews, 61 online surveys, and 10 expert panel interviews were used to develop an initial professional competency framework. Overall, nine competency clusters were identified. These clusters indicate that engineers working in this field need to be able to collaborate and influence others, complete objectives within organisational guidelines, and be able to manage themselves effectively. Limitations and potential uses of this framework in engineering education and research are discussed.

Tracking spatio temporal movement of human in terms of space utilization using media access control address data

Using Media-Access-Control (MAC) address for data collection and tracking is a capable and cost effective approach as the traditional ways such as surveys and video surveillance have numerous drawbacks and limitations. Positioning cell-phones by Global System for Mobile communication was considered an attack on people's privacy. MAC addresses just keep a unique log of a WiFi or Bluetooth enabled device for connecting to another device that has not potential privacy infringements. This paper presents the use of MAC address data collection approach for analysis of spatio-temporal dynamics of human in terms of shared space utilization. This paper firstly discuses the critical challenges and key benefits of MAC address data as a tracking technology for monitoring human movement. Here, proximity-based MAC address tracking is postulated as an effective methodology for analysing the complex spatio-temporal dynamics of human movements at shared zones such as lounge and office areas. A case study of university staff lounge area is described in detail and results indicates a significant added value of the methodology for human movement tracking. By analysis of MAC address data in the study area, clear statistics such as staff’s utilisation frequency, utilisation peak periods, and staff time spent is obtained. The analyses also reveal staff’s socialising profiles in terms of group and solo gathering. The paper is concluded with a discussion on why MAC address tracking offers significant advantages for tracking human behaviour in terms of shared space utilisation with respect to other and more prominent technologies, and outlines some of its remaining deficiencies.

Managing cost implications for highway infrastructure sustainability

Highway construction works have significant bearings on all aspects of sustainability. With the increasing level of public awareness and government regulatory measures, the construction industry is experiencing a cultural shift to recognise, embrace and pursue sustainability. Stakeholders are now keen to identify sustainable alternatives and the financial implications of including them on a lifecycle basis. They need tools that can aid the evaluation of investment options. To date, however, there have not been many financial assessments on the sustainability aspects of highway projects. This is because the existing life-cycle costing analysis (LCCA) models tend to focus on economic issues alone and are not able to deal with sustainability factors. This paper provides insights into the current practice of life-cycle cost analysis, and the identification and quantification of sustainability-related cost components in highway projects through literature review, questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews. The results can serve as a platform for highway project stakeholders to develop practical tools to evaluate highway investment decisions and reach an optimum balance between financial viability and sustainability deliverables.

The impact of users' characteristics on their ability to detect phishing emails

We investigate how email users' characteristics influence their response to phishing emails. A user generally goes through three stages of behaviour upon receiving a phishing email: suspicion of the legitimacy of the email, confirmation of its legitimacy and response by either performing the action requested in the phishing email or not. Using a mixed method approach combining experiments, surveys and semi-structured interviews, we found that a user's behaviour at each stage varies with their personal characteristics such as personality traits and ability to perceive information in an email beyond its content. We found, for example, that users who are submissive, extraverted or open tend to be less suspicious of phishing emails while users who can identify cues such as inconsistent IP address, can avoid falling victim to phishing emails. Our findings enable us to draw practical implications for educating and potentially reducing the incidence of phishing emails victimisation.

Population variation in biomonitoring data for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) : an examination of multiple population-based datasets for application to Australian pooled biomonitoring data

Background Australian national biomonitoring for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) relies upon age-specific pooled serum samples to characterize central tendencies of concentrations but does not provide estimates of upper bound concentrations. This analysis compares population variation from biomonitoring datasets from the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Belgium to identify and test patterns potentially useful for estimating population upper bound reference values for the Australian population. Methods Arithmetic means and the ratio of the 95th percentile to the arithmetic mean (P95:mean) were assessed by survey for defined age subgroups for three polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 138, 153, and 180), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), 2,2′,4,4′ tetrabrominated diphenylether (PBDE 47), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Results Arithmetic mean concentrations of each analyte varied widely across surveys and age groups. However, P95:mean ratios differed to a limited extent, with no systematic variation across ages. The average P95:mean ratios were 2.2 for the three PCBs and HCB; 3.0 for DDE; 2.0 and 2.3 for PFOA and PFOS, respectively. The P95:mean ratio for PBDE 47 was more variable among age groups, ranging from 2.7 to 4.8. The average P95:mean ratios accurately estimated age group-specific P95s in the Flemish Environmental Health Survey II and were used to estimate the P95s for the Australian population by age group from the pooled biomonitoring data. Conclusions Similar population variation patterns for POPs were observed across multiple surveys, even when absolute concentrations differed widely. These patterns can be used to estimate population upper bounds when only pooled sampling data are available.

Insomnia : A Self Help Handbook

This book is a practical and useful tool for getting your sleep back on track. Even if you have suffered from insomnia for many years, this book contains simple, easy to learn strategies to manage your sleep loss through evidence-based techniques such as cognitive therapy and stimulus control. Dr. Sacre will guide you through these approaches and explain how they work and why they are recommended above other approaches. There is a chapter on special populations that tells you what to do if you are a shift worker, long distance traveller, parent, older adult, woman (including pregnancy and menopause) or an elite athlete. If you want to enjoy natural, healthy and satisfying sleep again, this handbook gives you all the tools you need to achieve it. You only need to have the motivation and discipline to apply the strategies and stick to them over time. This handbook first explains what normal sleep is all about and challenges some myths about sleep and insomnia. Then you will be guided through a thorough sleep assessment. Insomnia is then described in detail including different types of insomnia and the kinds of factors that contribute to sleep loss. Through the following chapters, you will be shown step-by-step what to do to bring about change in your sleeping patterns and habits, through addressing the factors that perpetuate poor sleep. These factors mainly revolve around unhelpful thinking, compensatory behaviors, poor sleep hygiene and environmental influences. These are all things that are within your control and Dr. Sacre will show you how. Dr. Sacre has worked in the fields of sleep health, mental health and addictive disorders for 25 years and over that time, she has encountered hundreds of people who have struggled with insomnia and sleep loss due to other causes. She currently heads the Therapy Programs department at Belmont Private Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, where there is an emphasis on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) program. A psychologist and nurse, Dr. Sacre is a long-time member of the Australasian Sleep Association and the Australian Psychological Society. She has conducted research into the function of dreaming, online sleep surveys and the usefulness of sleep self-help guides for students, older adults and carers of people with dementia. She has also published on diverse topics, including the management of nightmares in war veterans. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane and lectures professionals, including psychologists, school counselors and psychiatrists, on sleep disorders and their management as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.