Context-Sensitive Access Control Model for Government Services

During the past two decades, e-government information systems have become less paper-based and more computer-based. Those information systems usually take the form of workflow systems. Due to the large social impact of e-government systems, computer security plays a pivotal role in ensuring its efficiency and effectiveness. Access control is one of the key aspects of computer security. Current access control models do not take into account the context of the system and its environment. In this article, we argue that a formal context-sensitive access control model can improve the development of e-government workflow systems and present a particular context-sensitive access control model. The subject of the article is a specification of the context-sensitive access control model for business processes (COBAC). By using a context-sensitive access control, it is possible to define more sophisticated access control policies that cannot be implemented by existing access control models. The COBAC's context is modeled using Web Ontology Language (OWL) in order to provide formal representation of context, rich representation of diverse contextual information, semantic interoperability between various context-aware systems, and a high degree of inference making. The presented model is applicable in different e-government systems, and supports the definition of access control policies for both simple and complex business processes. The model's prototype is verified by a case study on a real e-government business process—the national petty offense trial proceedings.     

Estimating Contagion on the Internet: Evidence from the Diffusion of Digital/Information Products

Even as the Internet continues to grow as a global platform for communication and commerce, the success of new value offerings on the Internet hinges on acquisition of new customers and retention of existing customers. Central to the flow of customers in and out of trial and repeat behavior in this burgeoning and dynamic environment, characterized by diversity among both producers and consumers of value offerings, is the process of social contagion—active word of mouth that flows among customers or passive observation of others. To estimate contagion on the Internet, the authors develop a trial-repeat purchase diffusion model for successive innovations in value offerings on the Internet. The model extends the state-of-the-art diffusion modeling by incorporating (i) dynamic market potential, (ii) heterogeneity among first-time triers, (iii) heterogeneity in word of mouth due to repeat buyers and non-repeaters (i.e., positive and negative word of mouth), and (iv) dynamic repeat purchase rate. The model also incorporates the influence of product characteristics, specifically source of innovation (i.e., whether the innovation is driven by environmental needs or competitive pressures) and product bundling, and competition. The authors test the model with weekly adoption data for 11 computer software products available on the shareware system, involving over 100 new versions in the period 1991–1994, and in a market whose size grows by a factor of fifty from early 1991 to late 1994. The findings clarify the role of word of mouth effects, competition, and product characteristics in fostering the diffusion process for digital information goods.     

The Hierarchy of Internet Communication Effects: A New Paradigm for Understanding Internet Promotion

ABSTRACT

The applicability of the traditional marketing models to online marketplaces has been of great interest since the advent of the Internet. This study examines the applicability of the Hierarchy of Communication Effects model to the online auction environment through the use of proprietary archival data. The results provide support for a new model, which we call the Hierarchy of Internet Communications Effects, which is applicable to online environments. The Hierarchy of Internet Communications Effects is analogous to other hierarchical effects models from consumer behavior literature known as the learning hierarchies. We provide suggestions to promote products or services at different stages in the Hierarchy of Internet Communications Effects; several implications and limitations are discussed, and future research is suggested.     

E-Business Method: A Cyclical-Model for Internet Commerce Development

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a methodology for designing and deploying electronic enterprises–a step beyond intuitive or rule-based approaches. As a starting point, the paper presents a cyclical-model consisting of three e-business development phases: conceptualization, simulation, and implementation. Since an e-business “idea” rarely springs forth complete and ready to go, realizing the idea–that is, turning it into a commercial product, system, process, or profitable enterprise–requires business development. Business development requires analysis of the potential organizational structures, IT architectures, HR policies and procedures, strategies, market niche, partnership agreements, and so on, until a satisfactory enterprise design is found. Such consideration and experimentation can be done mentally (intuitively), or by drawing on a napkin (informally), or more logically using strategic and marketing analysis, revenue/cost/asset/operational business models, computer simulations, and other quantitative and qualitative management practices and techniques. In any case, only rarely is the result of the first development effort completely satisfactory, perhaps the business system or process will be too difficult to develop, too complex, or too costly to implement, maintain, or sell. So, once again the business idea goes into the cycle of developing, testing, redeveloping, implementing, and re-testing. Succinctly, the methodology advocated in this paper provides a framework for guiding the e-business development process.     

Designing Effective Websites: The Moderating Role of User Internet Experience

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of various aspects relating to execution of a Website: Presentation format, quantity and type of content. We developed experimental Websites and we found that in high-involvement context this effectiveness is not influenced as much by the format of presentation of the Website as by the quantity and type of content offered. The extension of the Website content generates more favorable, affective and behavioral responses only when such extension has an informative nature. Moreover, we found evidence of the moderating role of the individual's Web experience in the advertising persuasion process. Therefore, the results of this investigation can provide recommendations to the organizations on how to create effective Websites.     

Transport Behavior: A Role for Social Marketing

SUMMARY

This article discusses travel behavior widely acknowledged to be a significant source of pollution: the use of private transport commonly referred to as the automobile. While this behavior can be tackled in a number of ways, this article presents an overview of key issues inhibiting a voluntary change in behavior among automobile users. These topics were identified based upon qualitative research data that was gathered from a number of UK households. The research methodology adopted different social marketing collateral in each of the households during the period of research. While weaknesses are identified in the marketing collateral, the research concludes that social marketing in itself cannot persuade people to make significant changes in their travel behavior. There are deeper issues at work for commuters that need to be more fully understood by the transport research community. The value of social marketing instead may lie as an effective channel of communication that can be utilized by designated authorities in delivering important transport messages to commuters and private transport users at large.     

Employee Reactions to Internet Monitoring: The Moderating Role of Ethical Orientation

Research has demonstrated that employee reactions to monitoring systems depend on both the characteristics of the monitoring system and how it is implemented. However, little is known about the role individual differences may play in this process. This study proposes that individuals have generalized attitudes toward organizational control and monitoring activities. We examined this argument by assessing the relationship between employees’ baseline attitudes toward a set of monitoring and control techniques that span the employment relationship. We further explore the effects of employees’ generalized attitudes toward monitoring and their individual ethical orientations on their attitudinal reactions to an Internet monitoring system implemented in their workplace. Results of a longitudinal study indicate that as expected, prior beliefs and ethical orientation interact to affect employees’ reactions to monitoring systems. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

The Role of the Internet in the Delivery of Export Promotion Services: A Web Site Content Analysis

ABSTRACT

This article examines the role of the Internet in the delivery of export promotion services. Based on a content analysis of the Web sites of 250 export promotion organizations (EPOs) representing over 130 countries, it is concluded that the majority of these organizations have not fully exploited the potentials of this technology in the delivery of support services to national exporters. Use of the Internet is primarily limited to dissemination of basic information with little effort made to utilize the interactive and customization features of the technology. The managerial and policy implications of this failure in terms of increased cost of market entry, lost export revenues, and exporter attrition are discussed.     

A Start-Up Produces Infomercials for the Internet

The one thing online shopping is missing, says Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, a former Google executive, is infomercials.Ms.Singh Cassidy introduced her new shopping start-up, Joyus.It is an e-commerce site that produces videos to sell products, like a Web version of the Home Shopping Network.If you think about the ways to sell online, video is underutilized, she said.It's a new way for brands to merchandise their product.     

Awareness of Distributed Denial of Service Attacks' Dangers: Role of Internet Pricing Mechanisms

Denial of Service (DoS) attacks consist of overwhelming a server, a network or a Web site in order to paralyze its normal activity. The additional parameter in Distributed Denial of Service (DdoS) attacks is the distributing strategy. It means that DDoS attacks do not come from a single computer but stem from all accessible channels and servers. Consequences are multiple, ranging from system errors, temporary inability to access the Web site for normal users to challenging the actual reliability of the Internet. Despite this, Internet users show carelessness. The explanation lies in the specificities of DDoS attacks. We explore possibilities to raise users' awareness about the actual amplitude of problems caused by DDoS attacks. We suggest a careful examination of Internet pricing mechanisms and switching from flat to usage-constraining pricing schemes.     

Outshopping Through the Internet: A Multicountry Investigation

ABSTRACT

From the viewpoint of trade leakage for local retailers, Internet shopping bears a similarity to traditional outshopping, in the tendency to shop outside the consumer's immediate shopping areas. Yet, the relationship between consumer outshopping?related characteristics and preference for Internet shopping has received little, if any, research attention. We investigate this relationship using survey data from consumers in three countries—the United States, India, and Korea. According to the results, consumer in-home shopping proneness and perception of time pressure are positively related to consumer preference for Internet shopping mode. In contrast, consumer support for local shopping and orientation toward time management are negatively related to Internet shopping preference. Other findings and managerial implications are also reported.     

Cash versus Debit Card: The Role of Budget Control

Due to the financial crisis, an increasing number of households face financial problems. This may lead to an increasing need for monitoring spending and budgets. We demonstrate that both cash and the debit card are perceived as helpful in this respect. We show that, on average, consumers responsible for financial decision making within a household find cash and the debit card equally helpful for monitoring their household finances. Individuals differ in major respects, however. In particular, low earners and the liquidity‐constrained prefer cash as a budgeting tool. Finally, we present evidence that at an aggregated level, such preferences strongly affect consumer payment behavior. These findings suggest that the substitution of cash by cards may slow down because of the financial crisis.     

大学生互联网消费金融风险与控制策略研究

互联网消费金融作为一种新的金融模式,具有高效率、即时性和普遍性等特点。大学生群体是互联网消费金融一个发展空间巨大但尚未完全开发的市场。大学生互联网消费金融在规模和速度上都迅速发展,但由于缺乏相应的法律制度和成熟的技术,存在法律、操作、技术等风险。阐述大学生互联网消费金融的定义,分析大学生互联网消费金融兴起和发展的原因,通过信息收集和比较,发现大学生互联网消费金融业面临的风险,并提出相应的对策。     

A framework for analysing strategies of Internet Service Providers

The fast proliferation of services over the Internet and the development of new Internet standards and technologies are affecting the existing business models of the traditional telecommunications market. This holds, in particular, for the ISP market. This paper assesses the impacts of basic elements of business strategies on the relative competitive position of selected types of ISPs. One result is that the incumbent telcos have a relatively strong starting point in the ISP market, while small regional ISPs have a weak starting point.     

Anomie and the Marketing Function: The Role of Control Mechanisms

The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management’s control mechanisms on the environment of the marketing function. Based on a literature review and in-depth field interviews with marketing managers in diverse industries, a conceptual model is proposed that incorporates the two managerial control mechanisms, viz. output and process control, and relates their distinctive influence to anomie in the marketing function. Three contingency variables, i.e., resource scarcity, power, and ethics codification, are proposed to moderate the relationship between control mechanisms and anomie. The authors also argue for the link between anomic environments and the propensity of unethical marketing practices to occur. Theoretical and managerial implications of the proposed conceptual model are discussed. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Accounting for the Benefits of Social Security and the Role of Business: Four Ideal Types and Their Different Heuristics

Germany is considered to be a pioneer of social security systems; nonetheless, globalization and demographic changes have put enormous pressure on them. A solution is not yet in sight as the debate on the future of the German social security systems still lacks consensus. We argue that ideas matter and that the debate can benefit from a deeper reflection on the concept of social security. This objective is pursued along two lines. First, we take a historical perspective and reconstruct the development of Germany’s social security systems. Second, we scrutinize from a theoretical perspective how social security is conceptualized in public and theoretical debates. Behind the various positions, we identify four basic ideal types. We then analyze how these ideal types account for the benefits of social security systems and what role they assign to corporations in providing social security. While two ultimately reinforce potential conflicts between different groups in society, the other two ideal types reveal possible benefits for all. The last ideal type actually conceptualizes social security systems as insurance that fosters risky but overall productive investments in human and other forms of capital. Therefore, it can be shown that social security systems are not necessarily threatened by globalization and that incentives exist for corporations to invest in the provision of social security.     

The Empire Strikes Back: Digital Control of Unfair Terms of Online Services

The authors argue that it is possible to partly automate the process of abstract control of fairness of clauses in online consumer contracts. The authors present a theoretical and empirical argument for this claim, including a brief presentation of the software they have designed. This type of automation would not replace human lawyers but would assist them and make their work more effective and efficient. Policy makers should direct their attention to the potential of using algorithmic techniques in enforcing the law regarding unfair contractual terms, and to facilitating research on and ultimately implementing such technologies.     

关于我国粮食安全评价指标体系的探讨

本文对粮食安全的概念进行了梳理,全面介绍了联合国粮农组织和美国农业部的粮食安全评价指标体系和评价结果,对国内已有的研究成果进行了客观、具体的评价.在充分借鉴国内外学术界最新研究成果的基础上,对构建和完善我国粮食安全状况评价指标体系进行了深入探讨,建立了新的更加符合实际的粮食安全系数计算方法,并运用这一方法对我国及其他主要粮食生产国或消费国的粮食安全状况进行了测算,得出了我国粮食安全程度较高的结论.