Implications of Negotiation Theory for Research and Development of Negotiation Support Systems

This paper summarizes a parametric theory of negotiation as a basis forshedding light on negotiation support system possibilities. Previously, thetheory has been used to analyze prior research accomplishments in the area ofnegotiation support systems. Here, we discuss implications of the theory thatare relevant for future research and development of negotiation supportsystems. The implications are concerned with three topics: a high-levelgeneric characterization of these systems, an identification of theirpossible support functions, and a taxonomy for classifying suchsystems.     

A decision support system for area-wide water quality planning†

The Generalized Planning System is presented as the framework for implementation of a decision support system for area-wide water quality planning. Special attention is given to the method of data organization, a method of system interface for nonprogramming planners, and to the need for system flexibility that allows adaptation to changing conditions.     

Firm performance: the interactions of corporate social performance with innovation and industry differentiation

The impact of corporate social performance on firm financial performance has been examined previously with mixed results. This study examines the possibility that corporate social performance enhances financial performance by allowing the firm to differentiate, and that this effect may be moderated both by innovation, which also drives firm differentiation, and the level of differentiation in the industry. Hypotheses concerning both direct and moderating effects are developed and tested using secondary data. Our results support both innovation and the level of differentiation in the industry as moderators for a positive relationship between corporate social performance and financial performance: corporate social performance most strongly affects performance in low‐innovation firms and in industries with little differentiation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

China and the WTO: The implications of membership in historical context

China's accession to the WTO can be seen as the culmination of not just a 15‐year negotiation but also of a process that actually began 150 years ago with the projection of Western imperialist power into the Chinese mainland. China now appears to have joined the global community on mutually agreeable terms. The commitments China has made are significant and, if implemented, will facilitate continued change in the nation's legal/regulatory structure for economic growth. WTO accession has many implications, both economic and political, for China and the rest of the world; it is important not to forget historical context and current realities in assessing them. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The development of an expert system for managerial evaluation of internal controls

Both practitioners and researchers have devoted signi?cant effort to the study of decision aids, especially expert systems, to assist auditors in internal control evaluations. In addition to being used as a decision aid, researchers have long contended that expert systems could be used to train non‐expert users. Even though the professional accounting literature makes it clear that responsibility for maintaining an effective internal control system rests with management rather than auditors, the focus to date has been on expert systems aimed at assisting/training auditors, not an organization's management. In contrast, this study focuses on management as users of an expert system for internal control evaluation. We describe the development process, explain how the resulting system was evaluated, and discuss results of that evaluation. These results suggest that such a system gives a new way to help managers increase effectiveness and ef?ciency of a critical organizational process: the evaluation of internal controls. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implementation of a large scale water quality data management system

This paper looks at the application of the Generalized Planning System (GPLAN) to a large scale water pollution problem. A discussion of the GPLAN system is presented along with a discussion of its application to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972. A discussion is then presented describing what extensions were required to make the GPLAN system more adaptable to the planning process. This included extending the network query language so that it would be “relatively complete”.     

The Pulse of Multiparticipant Systems

Multiparticipant systems comprise a major area of information systems research—a growth area of considerable vitality. Here, we examine the pulse of this research stream. This is done using the Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce as a lens to develop a high-level perspective on the nature, progression, and diversity of research in the area of multiparticipant systems.