Richard P. Will

True and false dependence on technology: Evaluation with an expert system

Abstract There is a danger inherent in labeling systems “expert.” Such identification implies some levels of “intelligence” or “understanding” within the confines of the system. It is important to know the limitations of any system, including realistic expectations of the real or implied power of an expert system. The “blindness” or boundaries inherent in expert system development extends to users who may misplace trust in false technology. This study investigates the use of an incorrect advice-giving expert system. Expert and novice engineers used the faulty system to solve a well test interpretation task. Measures of decision confidence, system success, state-anxiety and task difficulty were taken. Subjects expressed confidence in their “wrong” answer to the problem, displaying true dependence on a false technology. These results suggest implications for developers and/or users in areas of certification, evaluation, risk assessment, validation, and verification of systems conveying a level of “expertise.”

Digital multimedia offers key to educational reform

Digital Multimedia Offers eyT o Multimedia technologies, like most other technologies, have evolved over the past few years. Originating largely in analog media, multimedia has made several inroads along the digital path. Both analog and digital multimedia formats have unique characteristics that provide relative advantages in different situations. It is important to understand the technical features that distinguish the digital multime-dia format in order to assess the capabilities and potential of this latest technology.

Identifying long-term success issues of expert systems

Abstract This investigation identifies issues associated with the long-term success of expert systems and the specific nature of maintenance. Open-ended structured interviews were conducted with several expert system developers to assess factors critical to the long-term success of expert systems. The interviews provide an opportunity to examine the developers perspective. Questions regarding general expert system issues and questions addressing maintenance-specific issues were the basis for the interviews. The interviews were analyzed by three reviewers, and the results were aggregated to create a list of relevant issues associated with long-term success of expert systems. Maintenance, verification and validation, case-based reasoning, realistic user expectations, and problem definition were the five most identified issues. Perceptions of expert systems maintenance were specifically investigated. The dynamic nature of systems was mentioned most often as a critical issue for maintaning expert systems. Results from this investigation provide an awareness of the issues associated with long-term maintenance of expert systems and its relative importance for an expert system development methodology.

A New Mission for the Information Systems Discipline

The information systems (IS) discipline is concerned with the information that computer systems provide and with the corresponding business processes that enable information technology to bring economic value to the enterprise. IS professionals consider both organizational and technical factors as they plan, coordinate, and facilitate the firms computer-related activities. Ultimately, these professionals serve as a bridge between the organizations technical and management communities. Today, the IS discipline stands at a crossroads. Despite a strong global demand for IS graduates and a growing demand for unbiased research relevant to the application of information technology within the firm, the IS discipline faces declining university enrollments, engages in scholarly debates about the relevance and identity of IS research, and seeks remedies to address the needs of the global IT worksforce.

Information systems development: can there be “good” conflict?

Successful information systems development (ISD) is a perennial concern of both practitioners and researchers. As the scope of ISD expands to provide enterprise-wide and web-based systems, the set of individuals in ISD includes many whose responsibilities and experiences cross organizational functions. The involvement of this diverse set of individuals in ISD can lead to increased levels of conflict within the development group. However, not all conflict is detrimental to organizational tasks. This paper presents conflict and the resulting conflict resolution as a facet of team development. Conflict can take two general forms. The first form of conflict, interpersonal, has a negative or dysfunctional impact on group tasks and relations, and can lead to turnoever. The second form, task conflict, has a positive impact on group tasks. The need for ISD teams to recognize different types of conflict and successfully resolve them is presented within the context of an overall model of team and systems development.

Individual differences in the performance and use of an expert system

Abstract This field investigation studied the use of an expert system technology to gain some additional insight into specifiic behavioral implications for information system designers. Twenty-eight engineers in an oil and gas exploration and production company participated in this study by solving a well pressure buildup analysis problem. Half of the subjects utilized a well test interpretation expert system to assist them while the other subjects solved the problem manually. The groups were balanced across age, cognitive style and trait anxiety. Independent variables consisted of the expert system treatment, dogmatism and experience with performing the task. Impact measures consisted of decision confidence, decision quality, decision time, state anxiety and a system success indicator for those subjects utilizing the expert system. Although decision confidence was higher in the group utilizing the expert system, there was no corresponding increase in decision quality. Also, experts utilizing the expert system experienced an increase in state anxiety, and rated the expert system significantly worse than the novices did. This may imply that expert system technology may be more useful or appropriate to novices than experts.

Transference of power: shifting expertise to expert system developers

As expert system developers transfer expert knowledge into a system, the potential exists for the surrogate system to disrupt the prior balance of power between experts and developers in the organization. Although there has been extensive research in expert systems, there is a lack of investigations into both the organizational impacts of expert system development and more specifically, the potential power shifts within the organization. In the field of management, there have been numerous studies of how participants within an organization vie for and deal with power. This paper uses the organizational power model proposed by Pfeffer (1981) as the theoretical foundation for the discussion of transference of expertise, and thus power, in expert systems development. This paper contributes to the current literature by proposing a new theoretical base for expert system research in organizations.<<ETX>>

Assessing the need for training in IT professionals: a research model

Training is critical to hiring and retaining information technology professionals. In order to improve the efficiency of the training of these professionals, a research model is proposed as a basis for future research regarding the methods that exist for assessing training needs in information technology professionals.

University of South Florida Credit Union and USF College Of Business: Marshall Center Branch

Rick Skaggs was once again recently reminded of the Pogo saying... “We are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities.” Sometimes it certainly felt like that. Rick was not complaining about having too many prospects, he was just examining the “opportunities” within the context of available resources and other opportunities. For over three years now, Rick Skaggs has been President and CEO of the USF Federal Credit Union. Yet, Rick was recently presented with another endeavor. The dean of the College of Business at the University of South Florida, Dr. Moez Limayem, had approached Mr. Skaggs with a proposition involving students enrolled in the college. Dr. Limayem proposed that a branch of the USF Federal Credit Union, currently located on campus at the student Marshall Center, be operated and managed by students from the college of business. The dean viewed this relationship as a potential showcase for the college of business and also indicated he would like this to happen as soon as possible.

USF FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Rick Skaggs took a deep breath and stared intently out the window of his corner office located on the campus of the University of South Florida. He had heard that renowned professors at MIT were paid to stare out their window and think about hard problems. He was thinking about hard problems and he was staring out the window, but he was not a professor at MIT. Rick Skaggs had been the President and CEO of the USF Federal Credit Union for the last two years. The Chairman of the Board of Directors often “joked” about Mr. Skaggs as still being on probation. Sometimes it felt like that.