International entrepreneurial values elicited through repertory test and laddering analysis : an SME, internet-enabled tourism perspective

This study explores the international entrepreneurial values influencing the intensity of Internet use in the internationalization process of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), within the Australian tourism industry. The findings point to a relationship between the values of international entrepreneurs and the inclination of the firm to develop and initiate international activity. And so, this study endeavors to offer insight into issues that remain unresolved in existing tourism and international entrepreneurship (IE) literature. Two effective but underutilized qualitative methods were used in this study to identify the values of international entrepreneurs. They are repertory test and laddering analysis.

Internet-enabled international entrepreneurship : a conceptual exploration of the link between a firm’s resource base, dynamic capabilities and international market performance

It has been suggested that the accumulation of valuable resources and capabilities, such as Internet application, is not enough to support a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage, especially for high technology-mediated firms; which often operate in fast changing dynamic environments. While the idea of ‘Internet-enabled resources and capabilities’ has been recognised by RBV theorists, the notion has largely been ignored in conceptual and empirical studies. Given this finding, a conceptual framework is constructed and research issues are then developed in order to focus attention on the relationship between, the Internet and a firm’s resource base, dynamic capabilities and international market performance. We postulate that successful Internet-enabled market performance arises from those international entrepreneurial-oriented firms which encompass: international vision, international business experience, Internet-international marketing capabilities and international networking capabilities. Recommendations for future theory development are presented, along with the implications for international entrepreneurial managers in Australian small and medium sized firms

Internet-enabled tourism entrepreneurs. International entrepreneurial values elicited through repertory test and laddering analysis

Although the tourism industry has been dramatically altered due to the Internet, there has been limited research published about international entrepreneurial values and Internet use in tourism firms. The findings of this study point to a relationship between the values of Internet-enabled international entrepreneurs in small-sized to medium-sized enterprises and the inclination of the firm to develop and initiate international activity. The findings of this study suggest that Internet-enabled tourism entrepreneurs share similar construct values. Two effective but underutilized qualitative methods were used in this study. The first method, repertory test, is an efficient technique for exploring constructs in decision making; the second method, laddering analysis, facilitates understanding of the perceived consequences and personal values guiding behaviour.

Physical internet-enabled hyperconnected distribution assessment

L’Internet Physique (IP) est une initiative qui identifie plusieurs symptômes d’inefficacité et non-durabilité des systèmes logistiques et les traite en proposant un nouveau paradigme appelé logistique hyperconnectée. Semblable à l’Internet Digital, qui relie des milliers de réseaux d’ordinateurs personnels et locaux, IP permettra de relier les systèmes logistiques fragmentés actuels. Le but principal étant d’améliorer la performance des systèmes logistiques des points de vue économique, environnemental et social. Se concentrant spécifiquement sur les systèmes de distribution, cette thèse remet en question l’ordre de magnitude du gain de performances en exploitant la distribution hyperconnectée habilitée par IP. Elle concerne également la caractérisation de la planification de la distribution hyperconnectée. Pour répondre à la première question, une approche de la recherche exploratoire basée sur la modélisation de l’optimisation est appliquée, où les systèmes de distribution actuels et potentiels sont modélisés. Ensuite, un ensemble d’échantillons d’affaires réalistes sont créé, et leurs performances économique et environnementale sont évaluées en ciblant de multiples performances sociales. Un cadre conceptuel de planification, incluant la modélisation mathématique est proposé pour l’aide à la prise de décision dans des systèmes de distribution hyperconnectée. Partant des résultats obtenus par notre étude, nous avons démontré qu’un gain substantiel peut être obtenu en migrant vers la distribution hyperconnectée. Nous avons également démontré que l’ampleur du gain varie en fonction des caractéristiques des activités et des performances sociales ciblées. Puisque l’Internet physique est un sujet nouveau, le Chapitre 1 présente brièvement l’IP et hyper connectivité. Le Chapitre 2 discute les fondements, l’objectif et la méthodologie de la recherche. Les défis relevés au cours de cette recherche sont décrits et le type de contributions visés est mis en évidence. Le Chapitre 3 présente les modèles d’optimisation. Influencés par les caractéristiques des systèmes de distribution actuels et potentiels, trois modèles fondés sur le système de distribution sont développés. Chapitre 4 traite la caractérisation des échantillons d’affaires ainsi que la modélisation et le calibrage des paramètres employés dans les modèles. Les résultats de la recherche exploratoire sont présentés au Chapitre 5. Le Chapitre 6 décrit le cadre conceptuel de planification de la distribution hyperconnectée. Le chapitre 7 résume le contenu de la thèse et met en évidence les contributions principales. En outre, il identifie les limites de la recherche et les avenues potentielles de recherches futures.

Internationalization of IT company: Case study of a Finnish MOOC platform

The interest to small and media size enterprises’ (SMEs) internationalization process is increasing with a growth of SMEs’ contribution to GDP. Internet gives an opportunity to provide variety of services online and reach market niche worldwide. The overlapping of SMEs’ internationalization and online services is the main issue of the research. The most SMEs internationalize according to intuitive decisions of CEO of the company and lose limited resources to worthless attempts. The purpose of this research is to define effective approaches to online service internationalization and selection of the first international market. The research represents single holistic case study of local massive open online courses (MOOCs) platform going global. It considers internationalization costs and internationalization theories applicable to online services. The research includes preliminary screening of the markets and in-depth analysis based on macro parameters of the market and specific characteristics of the customers and expert evaluation of the results. The specific issues as GILT (Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation) approach and Internet-enabled internationalization are considered. The research results include recommendations on international market selection methodology for online services and for effective internationalization strategy development.

Domestic energy monitoring in Victorian households with PV solar installations : feasibility report for GV Community Energy

Australia requires decisive action on climate change and issues of sustainability. The Urban Informatics Research Lab has been funded by the Queensland State Government to conduct a three year study (2009 – 2011) exploring ways to support Queensland residents in making more sustainable consumer and lifestyle choices. We conduct user-centred design research that inform the development of real-time, mobile, locational, networked information interfaces, feedback mechanisms and persuasive and motivational approaches that in turn assist in-situ decision making and environmental awareness in everyday settings. The study aims to deliver usable and useful prototypes offering individual and collective visualisations of ecological impact and opportunities for engagement and collaboration in order to foster a participatory and sustainable culture of life in Australia. Raising people’s awareness with environmental data and educational information does not necessarily trigger sufficient motivation to change their habits towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle. Our research seeks to develop a better understanding how to go beyond just informing and into motivating and encouraging action and change. Drawing on participatory culture, ubiquitous computing, and real-time information, the study delivers research that leads to viable new design approaches and information interfaces which will strengthen Australia’s position to meet the targets of the Clean Energy Future strategy, and contribute to the sustainability of a low-carbon future in Australia. As part of this program of research, the Urban Informatics Research Lab has been invited to partner with GV Community Energy Pty Ltd on a project funded by the Victorian Government Sustainability Fund. This feasibility report specifically looks at the challenges and opportunities of energy monitoring in households in Victoria that include a PV solar installation. The report is structured into two parts: In Part 1, we first review a range of energy monitoring solutions, both stand-alone and internet-enabled. This section primarily focusses on the technical capacilities. However, in order to understand this information and make an informed decision, it is crucial to understand the basic principles and limitations of energy monitoring as well as the opportunities and challenges of a networked approach towards energy monitoring which are discussed in Section 2.

Managing distraction in 21st century learning environments

First year students attend face-to-face classes armed with an arsenal of internet enabled digital devices. The conundrum is that while these devices offer scope for enhancing opportunities for engagement in face-to-face learning, they may simultaneously distract students away from learning and compound isolation issues. This paper considers how to best to use these devices for maximum engagement in first year face-to-face learning so as to assist students in connecting with other learners and instructors within the learning environment

Persistent robot tasking for environmental monitoring through crowd-sourcing

Persistent monitoring of the ocean is not optimally accomplished by repeatedly executing a fixed path in a fixed location. The ocean is dynamic, and so should the executed paths to monitor and observe it. An open question merging autonomy and optimal sampling is how and when to alter a path/decision, yet achieve desired science objectives. Additionally, many marine robotic deployments can last multiple weeks to months; making it very difficult for individuals to continuously monitor and retask them as needed. This problem becomes increasingly more complex when multiple platforms are operating simultaneously. There is a need for monitoring and adaptation of the robotic fleet via teams of scientists working in shifts; crowds are ideal for this task. In this paper, we present a novel application of crowd-sourcing to extend the autonomy of persistent-monitoring vehicles to enable nonrepetitious sampling over long periods of time. We present a framework that enables the control of a marine robot by anybody with an internet-enabled device. Voters are provided current vehicle location, gathered science data and predicted ocean features through the associated decision support system. Results are included from a simulated implementation of our system on a Wave Glider operating in Monterey Bay with the science objective to maximize the sum of observed nitrate values collected.

Invisible connections : investigating older people's emotions and social relations around objects

The advent of the Internet of Things creates an interest in how people might interrelate through and with networks of internet enabled objects. With an emphasis on fostering social connection and physical activity among older people, this preliminary study investigated objects that people over the age of 65 years viewed as significant to them. We conducted contextual interviews in people's homes about their significant objects in order to understand the role of the objects in their lives, the extent to which they fostered emotional and social connections and physical activity, and how they might be augmented through internet connection. Discussion of significant objects generated considerable emotion in the participants. We identified objects of comfort and routine, objects that exhibited status, those that fostered independence and connection, and those that symbolized relationships with loved ones. These findings lead us to consider implications for the design of interconnected objects.

Digital access to knowledge in the preschool classroom: Reports from Australia

Australian preschool teachers’ use of Web-searching in their classroom practice was examined (N = 131). Availability of Internet-enabled digital technology and the contribution of teacher demographic characteristics, comfort with digital technologies and beliefs about their use were assessed. Internet-enabled technologies were available in 53% (n = 69) of classrooms. Within these classrooms, teacher age and beliefs predicted Web-searching practice. Although comfortable with digital access of knowledge in their everyday life, teachers reported less comfort with Web-searching in the context of their classroom practice. The findings identify the provision of Internet-enabled technologies and professional development as actions to support effective and confident inclusion of Web-searching in classrooms. Such actions are necessary to align with national policy documents that define acquisition of digital literacies as a goal and assert digital access to knowledge as an issue of equity.

Community sense and response systems

The proliferation of smartphones and other internet-enabled, sensor-equipped consumer devices enables us to sense and act upon the physical environment in unprecedented ways. This thesis considers Community Sense-and-Response (CSR) systems, a new class of web application for acting on sensory data gathered from participants' personal smart devices. The thesis describes how rare events can be reliably detected using a decentralized anomaly detection architecture that performs client-side anomaly detection and server-side event detection. After analyzing this decentralized anomaly detection approach, the thesis describes how weak but spatially structured events can be detected, despite significant noise, when the events have a sparse representation in an alternative basis. Finally, the thesis describes how the statistical models needed for client-side anomaly detection may be learned efficiently, using limited space, via coresets.

The Caltech Community Seismic Network (CSN) is a prototypical example of a CSR system that harnesses accelerometers in volunteers' smartphones and consumer electronics. Using CSN, this thesis presents the systems and algorithmic techniques to design, build and evaluate a scalable network for real-time awareness of spatial phenomena such as dangerous earthquakes.

Service offloading in adaptive real-time systems

Smartphones and other internet enabled devices are now common on our everyday life, thus unsurprisingly a current trend is to adapt desktop PC applications to execute on them. However, since most of these applications have quality of service (QoS) requirements, their execution on resource-constrained mobile devices presents several challenges. One solution to support more stringent applications is to offload some of the applications’ services to surrogate devices nearby. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an adaptable offloading mechanism which takes into account the QoS requirements of the application being executed (particularly its real-time requirements), whilst allowing offloading services to several surrogate nodes. We also present how the proposed computing model can be implemented in an Android environment

Autenticação biométrica de usuários em sistemas de E-learning baseada em reconhecimento de faces a partir de vídeo

Pós-graduação em Ciência da Computação - IBILCE