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Dennis Kira

Concordia University (Canada), DS&MIS, Faculty Member

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Miguel Isoni Filho

Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie

D. Harrison McKnight

Michigan State University

Concordia University (Canada)

American University of Kuwait

khalil kalantari

University of Tehran

Daimler AG - Research and Development

Anastasios A Economides

University of Macedonia

Vasileios Terzis

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Papers by Dennis Kira

Computer Anxiety in E-Learning: The Effect of Computer SelfEfficacy

It has been reported that as many as fifty percent of adults, including first-year University stu... more It has been reported that as many as fifty percent of adults, including first-year University students, have some sort of computer-related phobia. This report demonstrates that the use of computers still has some unpleasant side effects despite the Internet boom in the past decade. Past research shows that computer anxiety influences how users perceive ease of use of an information system. However, few have investigated the role of computer self-efficacy in mediating computer anxieties on perceived ease of use. Therefore, in this study we base our contribution on the variables of computer self-efficacy and computer anxieties. These two variables are believed to impact an individual’s use of computers and performance for computer-based tasks. Anxiety has been argued to impact computer-based learning by affecting levels of self-efficacy anchored in social learning and outcome expectation theories. Self-efficacy is determined by levels of anxiety such that reduced anxiety and increased...

On Learning and Predicting Preference with Artificial Neural Networks: Some Preliminary Results

This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Network (A... more This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique in learning and predicting preference. ANNs were used to learn preference patterns of holistic judgments on a sample of multi-criteria decision alternatives defined by the orthogonal design. Then a comparative study was conducted with utility theory-based models and ANNs to predict decision makers’ choice. In all cases, the predictive ability of ANN was found to be as good as or better than those of utility theory-based models. Introduction Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) involves making choices on a set of alternatives, taking into consideration many conflicting qualitative and/or quantitative criteria. To determine a preference profile, literature has suggested various assessment techniques based on the utility theory. Thus far, however, the agreement among decision maker (DM)’s preferences assessed by using different methods has been inconclusive. Assuming that the...

Learning and Predicting Group Preference: Modeling Group Utility Function with Artificial Neural Networks

This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Networks (... more This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in approximating group preference. Given the existence of a group utility function in a multi-criteria decision context, an ANN, as a universal function approximator, would be able to recognize group decision patterns, approximate the underlying functional relationship, and generalize over new cases. The merit of ANN over the traditional utility theory approach is in its ability to learn group preference without imposing strong assumptions on the functional form and behavior of decision patterns.

Designing Optimal Knowledge Base for Integrated Neural Expert Systems

This paper reports on the design of an optimal knowledge base for integrated Artificial Neural Ne... more This paper reports on the design of an optimal knowledge base for integrated Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Expert Systems (ES). In this system, an orthogonal plan is used to define an optimal set of examples to be taken from a problem domain. Then holistic judgments of experts on these examples will provide a training set for an ANN to serve as an initial knowledge base for the integrated system. Any counter-examples in generalization over the new cases will be added to the training set to retrain the network in order to enlarge its initial knowledge base.

Business Strategies in Credit Rating and the Control of Misclassification Costs in Neural Network Predictions

This paper reports on an investigation into the control of misclassification costs in Artificial ... more This paper reports on an investigation into the control of misclassification costs in Artificial Neural Network (ANN) prediction. Given the availability of a small historical data set and without imposing any strong assumptions on the behavior of the underlying variables, this study investigates the enhancement of ANN prediction with a training set containing the replication of interested cases. With this replicated training set, the ANN will learn more about patterns of a particular category and then improve the accuracy in predicting the membership of this category. In a context of small business loan application, depending on the cost to the financial institution in the case of misclassification, one may consider replicating the accepted or rejected cases in the training set in an appropriate proportion. Consequently, one can achieve a more accurate ANN prediction on the interested category.

Effectiveness of an Interactive Application to Assist Learning: A Test Case

J. Inf. Syst. Educ., 2004

Advances in computer technologies have made it possible to develop computer-aided learning tools ... more Advances in computer technologies have made it possible to develop computer-aided learning tools for enhanced learning. Today, most researchers in the field of educational technology seem to be preoccupied with either the development of Artificial Intelligence applications or the representation of various learning theories such as constructivism by a computer program. The enthusiasm to develop technologically advanced learning tools resulted in technologies with limited application. The need to develop simple computer-based tools to assist instruction and demonstrate its effectiveness to enhance learning is paramount. Moreover, those tools need to be designed and integrated into a pedagogical framework. As a result, the instructor transforms into a content facilitator with altered needs. This paper presents the design and use of an interactive computer-aided learning tool for enhanced learning. Two participant groups were randomly selected. One group was allowed to use the interacti...

Forecasting a Mix of Temporal and Non-Temporal Economic Variables with a Mixture-of-Experts Neural Network

International Journal of Economics and Finance, Jul 11, 2018

This study investigates a versatile forecasting technique using an integrated system of Artificia... more This study investigates a versatile forecasting technique using an integrated system of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Genetic Algorithms (GA) in a mixture-of-experts architecture to solve a general economic forecasting problem involving a mix of temporal and non-temporal variables. Using Klein Model I as a context and previous estimations from traditional methods as benchmarks, the study provides evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of this integrated system. ANN helps overcome the imposition of assumptions on the behaviors of related variables, the specification of exact relationships, and the difficulty in nonlinear estimations of the economic model. GA helps overcome the sub-optimality of the tedious trial-and-error process in network building. The flexibility of the mixture-of experts network architecture offers many alternative configurations to capture the peculiarities of variables in context before aggregating intermediate estimations into the final result. The integrated system has shown its ability in processing effectively the mixture of economic variables, and producing efficient estimations and forecasts.

Explaining Performance Using a Multi-Media Tool

Proceedings of the 2019 InSITE Conference

Aim/Purpose: Multimedia has been accepted as an enhanced learning medium. We present in this pape... more Aim/Purpose: Multimedia has been accepted as an enhanced learning medium. We present in this paper the application of a multimedia tool to teach the entity relationship diagram and its effect on performance. Background: Based on the theory of flow and, more specifically, cognitive absorption and perceptions (usefulness and, ease of use, attitudes and intentions) we propose a model to explain performance after using a multimedia tool. Methodology: A survey methodology approach was used. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the model hypotheses. Contribution: Empirical work on the effects of multimedia on learning is relatively little and its effect on performance is not studied. Findings: Impact of cognitive absorption on perceptions is strong and intentions play an important role in mediating the relationship between attitudes and performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Need to consider flow by including competition and gaming into multimedia learning tools. Al...

Desarrollo e Implementación de Sistemas de Información Organizacionales Factores Humanos Críticos de Éxito Relativos al Usuario Final

Es irrefutable que las contribuciones del usuario final (UF) son criticas para el exito de los pr... more Es irrefutable que las contribuciones del usuario final (UF) son criticas para el exito de los proyectos de desarrollo e implementacion de sistemas de in-formacion (SI). Tambien lo es la necesidad de nuevas investigaciones, motivada por el numero creciente de fracasos de este tipo de proyectos, que profundicen en dichas contribuciones. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar tres factores huma-nos del UF considerados claves y determinar su impacto en el exito de los SI. Este estudio incluyo cuatro grandes empresas industriales relacionadas y se recogieron las percepciones de experimentados profesionales de SI y lideres usuarios. Un analisis cuantitativo es complementado con un analisis cualitativo, estimandose que los resultados aportan nuevo material a la teoria y a la practica gerencial en las organizaciones.

The Emotional in E-Learning

Online Learning, Feb 5, 2019

This study investigates perceived ease of use and overall computer/internet experience as emotion... more

MSCA 693F Human Computer Interaction

Understanding the Role of Personality Traits on Beliefs in Online Learning

Proceedings of the 2012 InSITE Conference

In an educational setting, the use of online learning tools impacts student's performance. Attitu... more In an educational setting, the use of online learning tools impacts student's performance. Attitudes and perceived usefulness play an important role in predicting students' decision to use these learning tools. A students' attitude towards the use of online learning tools is impacted by his/her perception of usefulness of the tools. In this study, we investigate the mediating effects of personality traits (computer playfulness and perceived personal innovativeness) and cognitive traits (enjoyment) on the perceived usefulness-attitudes relationship. The study includes ninety five participants. A survey was conducted after using the learning tool for one semester. Assessment of the psychometric properties of the scales proved acceptable and confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed hypotheses. Analysis of results demonstrate that cognitive traits while using the learning tool significantly mediate the impact of perceived usefulness on attitudes, while personality traits do not. Implications to designers and managers point towards game-based learning systems. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided.

Stochastic Dominance Rules for Multi-attribute Utility Functions

The Review of Economic Studies

... au(p) o3us(P) &amp;amp;gt; (2us( P)Y for any (xl, x2, ..., xn). Applying the Cauchy-Schwa... more ... au(p) o3us(P) &amp;amp;gt; (2us( P)Y for any (xl, x2, ..., xn). Applying the Cauchy-Schwartz inequality, we obtain E aus(P) [a3Us(P)], [ [as2 d33u(P)}]2 r [EFJt -i EFn-I 1 i*EFI-l &amp;amp;gt; EFn-I |-. a&amp;amp;#x27; X3 3 EFn _1 aXn2ll Page 3. HUANG, KIRA &amp;amp;amp; VERTINSKY STOCHASTIC DOMINANCE 613 ...

The convergence of conditional expectations on A o-algebra

Desarrollo e Implementación de Sistemas de Información Organizacionales – Factores Humanos Críticos de Éxito Relativos al Usuario Final. Development and Implementation of Business Information Systems – Critical Human Success Factors Related to the End user

6Th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management Xvi Congreso De Ingenieria De Organizacion 6th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management Xvi Congreso De Ingenieria De Organizacion 18 07 2012 20 08 2012 Vigo, Jul 1, 2012

Summative and Formative Evaluations of Internet-Based Teaching

Issues, Trends and Opportunities, 2000

Performance of a Regulatory Agency as a Function of its Structure and Client Environment: A Simulation Study

Management Science, 1982

ABSTRACT This paper examines some of the interrelationships between the formal organization of a ... more ABSTRACT This paper examines some of the interrelationships between the formal organization of a regulatory agency and its task environment. Central to the analysis is the development of a simulation model of a regulatory agency. The model depicts the agency as an hierarchical assemblage of decision units whose overall goal is to satisfy clients without antagonizing competitive interests. The model of the agency incorporates the formal structure of authority, the communication network and the process of exchange of informal obligations between agency decision units. The agency&#39;s task environment is composed of clients, each of whom communicates his problems to be solved to a different decision unit. As we posit a number of competitive and complementary relationships between clients, the resolution of a problem for one client will impose positive and negative externalities on other clients. While the goals of different decision units may come into conflict, decision units in the model cannot act independently; a coalition is required to resolve a problem. Simulation experiments were conducted to investigate the proposition that formal organizational structure will affect agency performance. In particular we hypothesized: (I) that alignment of agency structure (formal lines of authority) with environmental structure (relationships between clients) will significantly affect organizational performance; and (II) that organizational performance will be highest when all clients with mutual interests (competitive and complementary) are served by a single division of the agency. Organizational performance was measured by: input effectiveness---number of internal messages required to solve a problem; processing capacity---average waiting time per message; and agency responsiveness---a client satisfaction index combining waiting time for solution and agency response. Results of the simulation experiments confirmed hypothesis I and rejected hypothesis II. In task environments which favored prompt resolution of problems, inter-divisional communication was facillitated by separating complementary interests into different divisions while concentrating competitive interests within divisions. In environments which favored inaction, the reverse organization had best performance.

A specific decision support system (SDSS) to develop an optimal project portfolio mix under uncertainty

IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 1990

A specific decisior. support system (SDSS) that can be used as a methodology for choosing an opti... more A specific decisior. support system (SDSS) that can be used as a methodology for choosing an optimal portfolio mix of information systems projects is developed. An SDSS is developed by applying a number of well-known techniques in management science. A net present value (NPV) of the projects is maximized within limited resources and the solution of the model provides the optimal project start period, system development language, and staff size. The SDSS conducts a risk analysis on those variables that are deemed critical when determining the optimal solution. The final phase of the SDSS establishes the value of perfect information on these critical variables. To demonstrate the usefulness of the model, an example consisting of five information system (IS) projects are presented. It is shown that given the estimates of the exogenous parameters of the IS project environment, the model can determine when to begin the project development, which systems development language to use, and the number of systems development staff to assign to each project. hrthermore, the degree of the variability of the estimates of exogenous parameters is evaluated through empirical probability distributions.

Value-Added Systems

Affective Learning: Mediating Experience and Perceived Ease of Use

Computer Anxiety in E-Learning: The Effect of Computer SelfEfficacy

It has been reported that as many as fifty percent of adults, including first-year University stu... more It has been reported that as many as fifty percent of adults, including first-year University students, have some sort of computer-related phobia. This report demonstrates that the use of computers still has some unpleasant side effects despite the Internet boom in the past decade. Past research shows that computer anxiety influences how users perceive ease of use of an information system. However, few have investigated the role of computer self-efficacy in mediating computer anxieties on perceived ease of use. Therefore, in this study we base our contribution on the variables of computer self-efficacy and computer anxieties. These two variables are believed to impact an individual’s use of computers and performance for computer-based tasks. Anxiety has been argued to impact computer-based learning by affecting levels of self-efficacy anchored in social learning and outcome expectation theories. Self-efficacy is determined by levels of anxiety such that reduced anxiety and increased...

On Learning and Predicting Preference with Artificial Neural Networks: Some Preliminary Results

This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Network (A... more This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique in learning and predicting preference. ANNs were used to learn preference patterns of holistic judgments on a sample of multi-criteria decision alternatives defined by the orthogonal design. Then a comparative study was conducted with utility theory-based models and ANNs to predict decision makers’ choice. In all cases, the predictive ability of ANN was found to be as good as or better than those of utility theory-based models. Introduction Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) involves making choices on a set of alternatives, taking into consideration many conflicting qualitative and/or quantitative criteria. To determine a preference profile, literature has suggested various assessment techniques based on the utility theory. Thus far, however, the agreement among decision maker (DM)’s preferences assessed by using different methods has been inconclusive. Assuming that the...

Learning and Predicting Group Preference: Modeling Group Utility Function with Artificial Neural Networks

This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Networks (... more This paper reports on an empirical investigation into the ability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in approximating group preference. Given the existence of a group utility function in a multi-criteria decision context, an ANN, as a universal function approximator, would be able to recognize group decision patterns, approximate the underlying functional relationship, and generalize over new cases. The merit of ANN over the traditional utility theory approach is in its ability to learn group preference without imposing strong assumptions on the functional form and behavior of decision patterns.

Designing Optimal Knowledge Base for Integrated Neural Expert Systems

This paper reports on the design of an optimal knowledge base for integrated Artificial Neural Ne... more This paper reports on the design of an optimal knowledge base for integrated Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Expert Systems (ES). In this system, an orthogonal plan is used to define an optimal set of examples to be taken from a problem domain. Then holistic judgments of experts on these examples will provide a training set for an ANN to serve as an initial knowledge base for the integrated system. Any counter-examples in generalization over the new cases will be added to the training set to retrain the network in order to enlarge its initial knowledge base.

Business Strategies in Credit Rating and the Control of Misclassification Costs in Neural Network Predictions

This paper reports on an investigation into the control of misclassification costs in Artificial ... more This paper reports on an investigation into the control of misclassification costs in Artificial Neural Network (ANN) prediction. Given the availability of a small historical data set and without imposing any strong assumptions on the behavior of the underlying variables, this study investigates the enhancement of ANN prediction with a training set containing the replication of interested cases. With this replicated training set, the ANN will learn more about patterns of a particular category and then improve the accuracy in predicting the membership of this category. In a context of small business loan application, depending on the cost to the financial institution in the case of misclassification, one may consider replicating the accepted or rejected cases in the training set in an appropriate proportion. Consequently, one can achieve a more accurate ANN prediction on the interested category.

Effectiveness of an Interactive Application to Assist Learning: A Test Case

J. Inf. Syst. Educ., 2004

Advances in computer technologies have made it possible to develop computer-aided learning tools ... more Advances in computer technologies have made it possible to develop computer-aided learning tools for enhanced learning. Today, most researchers in the field of educational technology seem to be preoccupied with either the development of Artificial Intelligence applications or the representation of various learning theories such as constructivism by a computer program. The enthusiasm to develop technologically advanced learning tools resulted in technologies with limited application. The need to develop simple computer-based tools to assist instruction and demonstrate its effectiveness to enhance learning is paramount. Moreover, those tools need to be designed and integrated into a pedagogical framework. As a result, the instructor transforms into a content facilitator with altered needs. This paper presents the design and use of an interactive computer-aided learning tool for enhanced learning. Two participant groups were randomly selected. One group was allowed to use the interacti...

Forecasting a Mix of Temporal and Non-Temporal Economic Variables with a Mixture-of-Experts Neural Network

International Journal of Economics and Finance, Jul 11, 2018

This study investigates a versatile forecasting technique using an integrated system of Artificia... more This study investigates a versatile forecasting technique using an integrated system of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Genetic Algorithms (GA) in a mixture-of-experts architecture to solve a general economic forecasting problem involving a mix of temporal and non-temporal variables. Using Klein Model I as a context and previous estimations from traditional methods as benchmarks, the study provides evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of this integrated system. ANN helps overcome the imposition of assumptions on the behaviors of related variables, the specification of exact relationships, and the difficulty in nonlinear estimations of the economic model. GA helps overcome the sub-optimality of the tedious trial-and-error process in network building. The flexibility of the mixture-of experts network architecture offers many alternative configurations to capture the peculiarities of variables in context before aggregating intermediate estimations into the final result. The integrated system has shown its ability in processing effectively the mixture of economic variables, and producing efficient estimations and forecasts.

Explaining Performance Using a Multi-Media Tool

Proceedings of the 2019 InSITE Conference

Aim/Purpose: Multimedia has been accepted as an enhanced learning medium. We present in this pape... more Aim/Purpose: Multimedia has been accepted as an enhanced learning medium. We present in this paper the application of a multimedia tool to teach the entity relationship diagram and its effect on performance. Background: Based on the theory of flow and, more specifically, cognitive absorption and perceptions (usefulness and, ease of use, attitudes and intentions) we propose a model to explain performance after using a multimedia tool. Methodology: A survey methodology approach was used. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the model hypotheses. Contribution: Empirical work on the effects of multimedia on learning is relatively little and its effect on performance is not studied. Findings: Impact of cognitive absorption on perceptions is strong and intentions play an important role in mediating the relationship between attitudes and performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Need to consider flow by including competition and gaming into multimedia learning tools. Al...

Desarrollo e Implementación de Sistemas de Información Organizacionales Factores Humanos Críticos de Éxito Relativos al Usuario Final

Es irrefutable que las contribuciones del usuario final (UF) son criticas para el exito de los pr... more Es irrefutable que las contribuciones del usuario final (UF) son criticas para el exito de los proyectos de desarrollo e implementacion de sistemas de in-formacion (SI). Tambien lo es la necesidad de nuevas investigaciones, motivada por el numero creciente de fracasos de este tipo de proyectos, que profundicen en dichas contribuciones. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar tres factores huma-nos del UF considerados claves y determinar su impacto en el exito de los SI. Este estudio incluyo cuatro grandes empresas industriales relacionadas y se recogieron las percepciones de experimentados profesionales de SI y lideres usuarios. Un analisis cuantitativo es complementado con un analisis cualitativo, estimandose que los resultados aportan nuevo material a la teoria y a la practica gerencial en las organizaciones.

The Emotional in E-Learning

Online Learning, Feb 5, 2019

This study investigates perceived ease of use and overall computer/internet experience as emotion... more

MSCA 693F Human Computer Interaction

Understanding the Role of Personality Traits on Beliefs in Online Learning

Proceedings of the 2012 InSITE Conference

In an educational setting, the use of online learning tools impacts student's performance. Attitu... more In an educational setting, the use of online learning tools impacts student's performance. Attitudes and perceived usefulness play an important role in predicting students' decision to use these learning tools. A students' attitude towards the use of online learning tools is impacted by his/her perception of usefulness of the tools. In this study, we investigate the mediating effects of personality traits (computer playfulness and perceived personal innovativeness) and cognitive traits (enjoyment) on the perceived usefulness-attitudes relationship. The study includes ninety five participants. A survey was conducted after using the learning tool for one semester. Assessment of the psychometric properties of the scales proved acceptable and confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed hypotheses. Analysis of results demonstrate that cognitive traits while using the learning tool significantly mediate the impact of perceived usefulness on attitudes, while personality traits do not. Implications to designers and managers point towards game-based learning systems. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided.

Stochastic Dominance Rules for Multi-attribute Utility Functions

The Review of Economic Studies

... au(p) o3us(P) &amp;amp;gt; (2us( P)Y for any (xl, x2, ..., xn). Applying the Cauchy-Schwa... more ... au(p) o3us(P) &amp;amp;gt; (2us( P)Y for any (xl, x2, ..., xn). Applying the Cauchy-Schwartz inequality, we obtain E aus(P) [a3Us(P)], [ [as2 d33u(P)}]2 r [EFJt -i EFn-I 1 i*EFI-l &amp;amp;gt; EFn-I |-. a&amp;amp;#x27; X3 3 EFn _1 aXn2ll Page 3. HUANG, KIRA &amp;amp;amp; VERTINSKY STOCHASTIC DOMINANCE 613 ...

The convergence of conditional expectations on A o-algebra

Desarrollo e Implementación de Sistemas de Información Organizacionales – Factores Humanos Críticos de Éxito Relativos al Usuario Final. Development and Implementation of Business Information Systems – Critical Human Success Factors Related to the End user

6Th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management Xvi Congreso De Ingenieria De Organizacion 6th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Industrial Management Xvi Congreso De Ingenieria De Organizacion 18 07 2012 20 08 2012 Vigo, Jul 1, 2012

Summative and Formative Evaluations of Internet-Based Teaching

Issues, Trends and Opportunities, 2000

Performance of a Regulatory Agency as a Function of its Structure and Client Environment: A Simulation Study

Management Science, 1982

ABSTRACT This paper examines some of the interrelationships between the formal organization of a ... more ABSTRACT This paper examines some of the interrelationships between the formal organization of a regulatory agency and its task environment. Central to the analysis is the development of a simulation model of a regulatory agency. The model depicts the agency as an hierarchical assemblage of decision units whose overall goal is to satisfy clients without antagonizing competitive interests. The model of the agency incorporates the formal structure of authority, the communication network and the process of exchange of informal obligations between agency decision units. The agency&#39;s task environment is composed of clients, each of whom communicates his problems to be solved to a different decision unit. As we posit a number of competitive and complementary relationships between clients, the resolution of a problem for one client will impose positive and negative externalities on other clients. While the goals of different decision units may come into conflict, decision units in the model cannot act independently; a coalition is required to resolve a problem. Simulation experiments were conducted to investigate the proposition that formal organizational structure will affect agency performance. In particular we hypothesized: (I) that alignment of agency structure (formal lines of authority) with environmental structure (relationships between clients) will significantly affect organizational performance; and (II) that organizational performance will be highest when all clients with mutual interests (competitive and complementary) are served by a single division of the agency. Organizational performance was measured by: input effectiveness---number of internal messages required to solve a problem; processing capacity---average waiting time per message; and agency responsiveness---a client satisfaction index combining waiting time for solution and agency response. Results of the simulation experiments confirmed hypothesis I and rejected hypothesis II. In task environments which favored prompt resolution of problems, inter-divisional communication was facillitated by separating complementary interests into different divisions while concentrating competitive interests within divisions. In environments which favored inaction, the reverse organization had best performance.

A specific decision support system (SDSS) to develop an optimal project portfolio mix under uncertainty

IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 1990

A specific decisior. support system (SDSS) that can be used as a methodology for choosing an opti... more A specific decisior. support system (SDSS) that can be used as a methodology for choosing an optimal portfolio mix of information systems projects is developed. An SDSS is developed by applying a number of well-known techniques in management science. A net present value (NPV) of the projects is maximized within limited resources and the solution of the model provides the optimal project start period, system development language, and staff size. The SDSS conducts a risk analysis on those variables that are deemed critical when determining the optimal solution. The final phase of the SDSS establishes the value of perfect information on these critical variables. To demonstrate the usefulness of the model, an example consisting of five information system (IS) projects are presented. It is shown that given the estimates of the exogenous parameters of the IS project environment, the model can determine when to begin the project development, which systems development language to use, and the number of systems development staff to assign to each project. hrthermore, the degree of the variability of the estimates of exogenous parameters is evaluated through empirical probability distributions.

Value-Added Systems

Affective Learning: Mediating Experience and Perceived Ease of Use