Browsing by Subject "Management information systems"
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Item A case study analysis of organizational communication effectiveness between user-managers and information service department personnel(Texas Tech University, 1978-12) Spence, Jimmy WayneNot availableItem A conceptual model and an implementation of adaptive decision support systems(Texas Tech University, 1998-12) Chuang, Ta-tao; Yadav, Surya B.; Bravoco, Ralph R.; Menon, Nirup M.; Zhang, Hong-ChaoAdaptation of decision support systems (DSS) is an important issue in DSS research. Previous research into adaptation of DSS has been focused on individual elements of traditional three-component architectures. The dissertation proposes and validates an integrated conceptual model of adaptive decision support systems (ADSS) which adapts its functions, stmcture, and interfaces in order to support the changing needs of decision makers. The conceptual model is a generic architecture for the development of domain-specific ADSS. Following a unified research methodology, the dissertation specifically addresses the following issues: 1. What is the adaptive behavior of an ADSS? 2. What knowledge and capabilities are needed to embody the identified adaptive behaviors? 3. What architecture is required to support these capabilities? Based on previous research into adaptivity of information systems, five adaptive behaviors of ADSS are identified. Eight different types of knowledge are recognized to support the five adaptive behaviors. The model of reflexive systems and a framework of decision making organization are used as theoretical foundations for stmcturing various components. The ADSS conceptual model consists of three units at two levels: the meta-level and the basic-level. Two units at the basic-level are user interface unit and problem processing unit, which are responsible for communicating with the user and carrying out the task of decision support, respectively. The meta-level unit has an introspection mechanism and a self-knowledge base, which comprise a controlling unit capable of introspecting the system's knowledge and limitations, and determining an appropriate action to adjust the capabilities of basic-level units. The notion of software agents was employed to develop a prototype system in order to examine the feasibility ofthe conceptual model. Software agents were organized in the form of a federate agent-based architecture. The field of real estate was used as the problem domain in developing the prototype. Three types of decision tasks were implemented in the prototype system. A panel of three experts knowledgeable about information systems evaluated the prototype system against five major features. The evaluation results validate the feasibility and usability ofthe conceptual model of ADSS.Item A conceptual model and prototype for a case-based adaptive analyst support system(Texas Tech University, 1999-05) Gwinn, William HFew researchers have addressed the question of how information system requirements should be derived. The rapidly changing needs of increasingly complex organizations are pressuring the analyst to rapidly produce information requirements This means the analyst needs the capability to rapidly acquire, organize and analyze organizational facts from which information requirements are derived. This research concerns the development of an adaptive analyst support system to assist the analyst with the gathering and managing of organizational facts. A check-list for analyst fact gathering activities is suggested. The knowledge needs, conceptual model, and architecture for a case-based adaptive analyst support system are developed and a prototype support system is implemented. This tool provides a means for an analyst to recall facts and information requirements from previously analyzed organizations rapidly and adapt the recalled information to current organizational needs. The prototype demonstrates the feasibility of a case-based approach to an adaptive support system. The implemented prototype's adaptability is demonstrated by the growth of its case-base with repeated use. The primary contribution of this research is to provide the MIS community with a new analysis tool concept. The research describes the tools ability to gather, organize store, recall, and adapt organizational facts to a current situation rapidly and efficiently This enhances the analyst's ability to rapidly produce information requirementsItem A field study of organizational factors affecting DSS implementation(Texas Tech University, 1983-05) Sanders, George LawrenceNot availableItem A knowledge-based decision support system for managerial problem recognition and diagnosis(Texas Tech University, 1985-08) Ata Mohamed, Nassar HCurrent decision support systems lack in providing support for the early phases of decision making (i.e., problem finding and problem diagnosis). This research develops a conceptual model for managerial problem recognition and diagnosis, develops a system architecture, implements a prototype system based on a computer-based simulated management game, and tests the prototype with a set of problems. The conceptual model is based on Pounds' model of problem finding and Sage's model of cognitive processing. The conceptual model consists of a problem finding component (Monitor) that detects deviations in specified variables, and a problem processor. The problem processor supports routine diagnoses (that have occurred in the past) through the experiential knowledge base. New problem diagnosis is supported through several processes such as construction of causation trees, hypotheses generation, hypotheses evaluation, verification of diagnosis, and statistical verification of user's models. The elements of the full system architecture consist of a User Interface, Performance Monitor, Security System, Monitor for Problem Detection, Problem Processor, Structural Model Knowledge Base, System Dictionary, and a Process Controller. In the prototype implementation, the components Performance Monitor and Security System were not included; also the problem processor implementation did not include the component for statistical verification of the user's models. Structural modeling was used for knowledge representation since it allows representation of causal relations among variables, which is important in business problem domains. Results show the technical feasibility of the approach and confirm the view of some researchers that perhaps the domain of business problems requires more than one method of knowledge representation. Results also indicate that the quality of diagnosis depends on the quality of the model from which diagnosis is inferred. These results were discussed in relation to the type of models for which the approach is appropriate and new questions for future research were proposed.Item A methodology for design of the intranet as a hyperdocument application(Texas Tech University, 1998-08) Lee, Seung C.The overall research question arising from the problem described is how to organize and represent hyperdocuments to be put on an Intranet implemented as a hyperdocument application? This question leads to several other questions. First, how to identify user information needs? Second, how to organize information into global and local structures? Third, how to present the global and local information structures to users?Item A model of the effects of change in communication technology on the sources of information for organizational decision making(Texas Tech University, 1985-08) Meile, Larry CarlThe technology supporting computer assisted communication (CAC) is becoming an increasingly significant factor affecting the decision-making process. Current models do not adequately represent this situation. A framework is synthesized from literature representing three fields of study: management information systems, communication, and decision making. The framework views all available decision-making information as either currently residing In the mind of the decision maker or being provided through communication sources. Furthermore, the communication sources are divided into a formal (system supplied) versus informal (non-system supplied) dichotomy. A conceptual model is then created, based on the framework, that is useful in qualitatively assessing the effects of installing or upgrading CAC on the decision-making information that is available to the decision maker. This model Is then used as a basis for analyzing some of the cost/benefit tradeoffs of employing CAC. The primary contribution of this research is a model that provides a tool for analyzing the effects of CAC technology on the source of decision-making information and on the cost of making decisions using CAC.Item Alternative report format effects of a decision support system(Texas Tech University, 1984-12) Dunikoski, Robert HenryThis dissertation examined the influence of report format on decision support system use and performance. The major independent variable, report format, was operationalized as either menu driven or fixed report. The major dependent variable was a qualitative measure of performance. The influence of cognitive style on decision making performance was a part of the study. A business simulation game and its accompanying interactive decision support system provided the experimental environment. Eighty-five undergraduate senior business majors enrolled in a capstone course participated in the study as a part of the course. Subjects were organized as teams making decisions in simulated industries. The subjects were exposed to two different industries of the game over a five week period. Subjects initially made four sets of "practice" decisions to acquaint themselves with the simulation and the decision support system. The analytic results of the dissertation were based on the subjects performance in seven subsequent "official" decisions. The primary subject motivation was the basing of a large portion of the student's course grade on performance in the simulation.Item An architecture for interfacing coarse-grained components in software applications(Texas Tech University, 2000-05) Helton, David ArthurNot availableItem An automated police information system for a small town(Texas Tech University, 1972) Parsa, John HooshangSince the first English colonists in the early 17th Century, expanding civilization and environmental quality have often been in direct conflict. By the mid-1800's reduced wildlife populations, declining natural resources, and vanishing wilderness settings had become problems of such magnitude that a significant number of sensitive citizens began to call for conservation. The environmental movement as we know it today had its roots in the efforts of men such as John Wesley Powell, George Perkins Marsh, Gifford Pinchot and John Muir to foster a sense of stewardship toward the natural environment. Mounting scientific evidence during the 1960's of human health effects and ecological damage resulting from anthopogenic pollutants gave rise to a spate of environmental legislation designed to protect human health and welfare, as well as enhance environmental quality. One of the most important pieces of environmental legislation, to date, is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. It not only established a national policy of commitment to maintaining environmental quality and promoting harmony between man and nature, but also set up the Council on Environmental Quality and instituted requirements for Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for major federal actions significantly affecting the environment. (A va of techniques are currently available for determining the impact of proposed action on the environment; however, a common shortcoming of these methodologies is their inability to adequately predict and assess changes in the socioeconomic environment As increasing emphasis is placed by planners and decision-makers on the human factors associated with a proposed project, better methods for establishing the critical socioeconomic indicators and measuring attribute changes will become imperative. ^At the present time, there is no standard, reliable methodology for analyzing the socioeconomic implications of contemplated programs.Item An examination of an expectancy theory model of decision support system use(Texas Tech University, 1982-05) DeSanctis, Gerardine LThis dissertation developed a conceptual model of user behavior based on expectancy theory, a psychological theory of motivation. A portion of the proposed model was examined in a controlled laboratory study. The major independent variable in the study was predicted motivation, or ''force" to use a decision support system. Amount of DSS use was the dependent variable. A business simulation "game†and its accompanying interactive support program served as the research contexts Eighty-eight undergraduate business students participated in the study. The procedure required each subject to play the role of a manager in a competitive industry consisting of three firms: the student's firm and two phantom firms. Over a three-week period, the subject was required to make two "practice†decisions and five "real" decisions. Subjects were trained in the use of the DSS which accompanied the simulation, but they were not required to use the system beyond the practice decision period. The subjects received monetary and grade-based rewards which were contingent upon their level of performance in the simulation. Results of the study suggest some support for the hypothesized model of user behavior. The strength of the force - behavior relationship, as in previous expectancy theory research, was not strong. However, the presence of significant across-subjects correlations between activation to use a DSS and actual use of the system imply that expectancy theory constructs any offer some explanatory power in a comprehensive theory of user behavior. Tests for hypotheses of the influence of the two personality variables, locus of control and cognitive style, on components of the expectancy model yielded no significant findings. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the expectancy theory literature, for the MIS literature, and for development of behavioral-science based theory within the field of MIS.Item An experimental investigation of a graphical interactive problem structuring aid for decision support systems(Texas Tech University, 1982-08) Pracht, William EverettThe ecology of field-feeding dabbling ducks wintering on the Southern High Plains of Texas was studied on a 50 km2 study area in Castro County, from September-March 1979-82. Ducks relied primarily on waste corn that averaged 364 j^ 12 kg/ha/field. Fields harvested at 14-21^ moisture lost more than twice the corn as fields harvested at 22-36^ moisture. Therefore, moisture content of corn at harvest provided a useful measure to predict initial waste. Waste cornfields underwent a variety of agricultural treatments that affected the abundance and availability of waste corn to waterfowl. Burning stubble maximized abundance and availability, whereas deep plowing reduced abundance by 975o. Disking and grazing reduced abundance by 77^ and 84-%, respectively. However, landowners tended to graze cattle on fields where initial waste was high and thus substantial amounts of waste corn remained when grazing was terminated. Manual salvage by migrant workers removed 58% of initial corn waste. Field-feeding waterfowl conducted 2 flights daily to cornfields near playa lakes where the birds concentrated. The average morning flight was initiated 52 j^ 1.5 min before sunrise and terminated in 23 _+ 1 .4 min. The average evening flight began 25 j^ 2.0 min after sunset and terminated in 37 j^ 4.2 min with duration increasing as the season progressed. Dabbling ducks fed longer and participated more in evening as compared to concurrent daily morning flights. Minimum temperatures were correlated negatively with duration of evening flights, but not morning flights. There was no correlation between the amount of waste corn in, or the condition of, a field selected by feeding ducks with duration or initiation of feeding flights. However, the amount of corn present was correlated negatively with duration of the evening flight. Snowfall was positively correlated with duration of evening flights, but not morning flights. Feeding flocks selected fields based on an abundance/availability hierarchy, apparently attempting to minimize foraging time. Eurned fields were preferred most when available, followed by disked fields, especially those containing >60 kg waste corn/ha. Field-feeding is an adaption to widespread agriculture, but also is a learned response to changes in wetland habitats.Item An investigation into the factors that may affect the perceived utilization of computer-based decision support systems(Texas Tech University, 1979-08) Fuerst, William LeeNot availableItem Attitudes of university departmental chairmen toward university information systems(Texas Tech University, 1973-05) Thorn, Ronald GeorgeNot availableItem Automated data management in systematics collections(Texas Tech University, 1997-05) Monk, Robert RichardSystematics collections are valuable resources both to the scientific community in particular, and to society in general. The justification for maintaining collections is based on the wealth of data that may be acquired by the examination of specimens contained in them (Yates, 1987). Some of the disciplines that use the specimens in systematics collections include genetics, molecular biology, evolutionary biology, environmental toxicology, public health, ecology, biogeography, systematics, and taxonomy. Obviously, there are many other fields that make use of systematics collections, but the aforementioned serve to illustrate the diversity of use. Collections of specimens have been used innumerable times for many unportant scientific studies, not the least of which was the formulation of the theory of evolution by Darwin in 1859 (Baker, 1994). The recent increase in biodiversity-related research and the use of computer-based geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite-linked global positoning systems (GPS) have renewed public awareness of the value of systematics collections (for example, see Baker et al., 1996).Item Causal modeling as a basis for the design of an intelligent business problem formulation system(Texas Tech University, 1986-05) Paradice, David BryanPast research has shown that humans demonstrate many biases when they attempt to formulate the structure of a problem. These biases can be very detrimental to actually solving the problem at hand. In some cases, the problem formulation process may be so biased that the wrong problem is formulated entirely. Prior research has demonstrated that the process of building a model of the problem situation is beneficial to problem solution. Model construction in the domain of business problems is a very complex task, however, due to the large number of potentially relevant variables, the dynamic characteristics of business organizations, and the temporal nature of relationships in the problem domain. Much of the prior research in management information systems has assumed that any problem formulation involved has generated a correct formulation. This research explores a computer-based methodology aimed at assisting a manager in producing a correct formulation of his problem environment. A prototype system has been developed that allows a user (1) to access an organizational database of information, (2) to hypothesize and test relationships between items in the database, (3) to store relationships for use at a later session, (4) construct model based on these stored relationships, and (5) give advice regarding ways of manipulating variables in order to achieve goals. Furthermore, a rudimentary process for automatic discovery of relationships has been installed in the system. The prototype was evaluated by comparing its ability to determine relationships in the database with human subjects from a prior study. Since the database used was generated by a management simulation game, it was possible to determine the "true" relationships in the database by examining the program code for the game. The system and the student subjects agreed on approximately seventy per cent of the relationships identified. Of the remaining thirty per cent, the student subjects were correct one-third of the time, the system was correct one-third of the time, and the remainder were vaguely specified making it impossible to determine exactly which was "correct." The limitations of the methodology used herein is discussed, as well as areas for future research.Item Design of a decision support system facilitating model management and utilization(Texas Tech University, 1982-05) Minch, Robert PaulNot availableItem Effects of human needs, group influence, and management style on change-related behavioral intentions in information systems(Texas Tech University, 1986-08) Mann, Gary JNot availableItem Essays of new information systems design and pricing for supporting information economy(2005) Fang, Fang; Whinston, Andrew B.Item Essays on market-based information systems design and e-supply chain(2005-12) Guo, Zhiling, 1974-; Whinston, Andrew B.