Murali Raman

Wiki Technology as A “Free” Collaborative Tool within an Organizational Setting

Abstract This article provides a brief tutorial of Wiki technology as a collaborative tool. A case example from a university administration context suggests that – like many other end-user technologies – training and support needs should be carefully considered before the potential value of using this “free” technology to support knowledge management efforts can be satisfactorily realized.

WHOSE ICT INVESTMENT MATTERS TO ECONOMIC GROWTH: PRIVATE OR PUBLIC? THE MALAYSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Theoretical and empirical research on the economic benefits of ICT is represented in academic and policy‐related publications worldwide. Most of these studies assess the impact of ICT in countries as a cohort and most conclude that ICT is indeed a key driver for economic growth. Nevertheless, we are of the opinion that there is room for more research on this issue, especially pertaining to developing countries such as Malaysia, in light of the extensive ICT‐based investments undertaken by the country in recent years. Consequently, we examined the effect of ICT investment carried out by both the private and public sector on Malaysias economic growth over the period 1992 – 2006 using the ARDL econometrics approach. The empirical results suggest that ICT has had a significant impact on Malaysias economic growth during this period of time, suggesting good payoffs from the investment. Specifically, ICT investments made by the private sector seem to have contributed significantly to the countrys growth compared to investments made by the government. This implies that the private sector has adapted well to the various ICT‐based policies implemented in the country over the years. This also shows that Malaysias economy is being driven by the private sector, especially by the manufacturing and wholesale industries. We are however of the opinion that in order to sustain economic growth leveraged against ICT, more concerted efforts need to be made in order to escalate ICT diffusion in the country. Such initiatives will ensure that the value potential of ICT investments in the economy is maximized, due to greater ICT‐enabled community that will translate to escalated economic growth.

Knowledge Management System for Emergency Preparedness: An Action Research Study

This paper is about the design and implementation of an information system, using Wiki technology to improve the emergency preparedness efforts of the Claremont University Consortium. For some organizations, as in this case, responding to a crisis situation in done within a consortia environment. Managing knowledge across the various entities involved in such efforts is critical. This includes having the right set of information that is timely, relevant, and is governed by an effective communication process. Our study suggests that training in use of system(s), a knowledge sharing culture between entities involved in emergency preparedness, and a fit between task and technology/system must be there to support emergency preparedness activities given such structures.

Knowledge Management Systems for Emergency Preparedness: The Claremont University Consortium Experience

This article is about the design and implementation of an information system, using Wiki technology to improve the emergency preparedness efforts of the Claremont University Consortium. For some organizations, as in this case, responding to a crisis situation is done within a consortium environment. Managing knowledge across the various entities involved in such efforts is critical. This includes having the right set of information that is timely and relevant and that is governed by an effective communication process. This study suggests that Wiki technology might be useful to support knowledge management in the context of emergency preparedness within organizations. However, issues such as training in the use of a system(s), a knowledge-sharing culture among entities involved in emergency preparedness, and a fit between task and technology/system must be there in order to support emergency preparedness activities that are given such structures.

Knowledge Management in Support of Crisis Response

Most organizations face difficult challenges in managing knowledge for crisis response, but it is crucial for response effectiveness that such challenges be overcome. Organizational members must share the knowledge needed to plan for emergencies. They also must be able during an emergency to access relevant plans and communicate about their responses to it. This article examines the role and relevance of knowledge management (and knowledge management systems therein) in support of crisis response. We begin by discussing what knowledge management and crisis response mean. We move on to suggest why crisis response efforts within an organizational context, might benefit from knowledge management initiatives. Specific examples of how knowl edge management efforts have supported crisis response in the past are then presented. We end by offering researchers with some suggestions for future research work in light of this subject domain. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com]

Technology adoption in the public sector: an exploratory study of e-government in Malaysia

All around the world, the quest to improve government service delivery is becoming an important agenda for most governments. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the Internet in particular have opened new possibilities for the government and the governed. Successful delivery of online services has rapidly become an important measure of effective public sector management and this has made many governments to deploy Electronic Government (e-Government) as a tool to achieve this vision. The dual objectives of e-Government are to reinvent the government of Malaysia in terms of service delivery through the use of ICT and to catalyze the successful development of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) with ICT as one of the leading sectors of the economy. This paper provides the various initiatives taken by the government in implementing e-Government projects as well as the issues, challenges and benefits derived. A brief case study on electronic procurement as one of the projects in e-Government initiative will be presented.

Wiki Technology and Emergency Response: An Action Research Study

This paper is about the design and implementation of a wiki-based knowledge management system for improving emergency response. Most organizations face difficult challenges in managing knowledge for emergency response, but it is crucial for response effectiveness that such challenges be overcome. Organizational members must share the knowledge needed to plan for emergencies. They also must be able during an emergency to access relevant plans and communicate about their responses to it. This study, which employed action research methods, suggests that wiki technology can be used to manage knowledge for emergency response. It also suggests that effective use of a knowledge management system for emergency response requires thorough training, a knowledge-sharing culture, and a good fit between emergency-response tasks and system capabilities. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-0167-3.ch005

Affordability of private tertiary education: a Malaysian study

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the affordability of private tertiary education for households in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach - The relevant literature is reviewed to provide an overview of the affordability of private tertiary education. Data are obtained randomly from a private university in Malaysia and the results are analyzed using the one-sample Findings - The proxy of affordability, which is the average household income, reveals the per capita average is more than three times the national average, which points out the non-affordability of students from low and average earning households to afford private tertiary education in Malaysia. Financial assistance of students at the tertiary level is insufficient and may warrant further policy and administrative improvements to reach deserving students. There is also difference in income and hence affordability between urban-rural households, a perspective that demands changes in the current income distribution policies. In order to address the issues highlighted in this study, salient suggestions have been proposed. Originality/value - This paper reinforces the need to address the issue of affordability of tertiary education and its significant importance, especially to developing countries.

Individual antecedents of ACAP and implications of social context in joint engineering project teams: a conceptual model

Purpose – This paper attempts to propose a conceptual model to explain the micro-level antecedents of absorptive capacity (ACAP) and social context of joint engineering project teams. It delineates ACAP into four dimensions and suggests specific level for each dimension. Revisiting the micro-foundational origin of ACAP, acquisition of partners embedded knowledge through joint project teams requires complex interaction among individuals, thus the effect of individual differences and perception in the teams context is proposed. Design/methodology/approach – Cohen and Levinthals assertion on the conceptual affinity that ACAP shares with creative capacity and organizational learning was revisited. Upon synthesizing pertinent literature, individual antecedents were conceptualized, while strategic alliance literature was examined to theorize on the social context. Findings – Propositions relating individual antecedents and social context to associated dimension of ACAP are postulated. Furthermore, the paper ...

Hybrid genetic algorithm and association rules for mining workflow best practices

Business workflow analysis has become crucial in strategizing how to create competitive edge. Consequently, deriving a series of positively correlated association rules from workflows is essential to identify strong relationships among key business activities. These rules can subsequently, serve as best practices. We have addressed this problem by hybridizing genetic algorithm with association rules. First, we used correlation to replace support-confidence in genetic algorithm to enable dynamic data-driven determination of support and confidence, i.e., use correlation to optimize the derivation of positively correlated association rules. Second, we used correlation as fitness function to support upward closure in association rules (hitherto, association rules support only downward closure). The ability to support upward closure allows derivation of the most specific association rules (business model) from less specific association rules (business meta-model) and generic association rules (reference meta-model). Downward closure allows the opposite. Upward-downward closures allow the manager to drill-down and analyze based on the degree of dependency among business activities. Subsequently, association rules can be used to describe best practices at the model, meta-model and reference meta-model levels with the most general positively dependent association rules as reference meta-model. Experiments are based on an online hotel reservation system.