The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is: How can... more The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is: How can university information systems courses add enough value to students that they will choose to study with us for three years rather than opt for a one-year certification course leading ...
Abstract On the 1 January 2000, the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Bill 1999 c... more Abstract On the 1 January 2000, the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Bill 1999 came into force. It aims to censor online what is currently censored offline. Information Technology Professionals should be concerned about censorship of the ...
ICT artefacts can confer benefits but also harm. Should ICT professionals be ethically neutral in... more ICT artefacts can confer benefits but also harm. Should ICT professionals be ethically neutral in regard to the design, development and installation of such artefacts? Given this premise what ethical leadership can be reasonably expected from an ICT Professional Body? This paper addresses this question with reference to a sample of ICT Professional Bodies. Specifically, what is the nature and extent of ethical leadership that is provided? The paper concludes, that with a few notable exceptions, ICT Professional Bodies do not currently exercise strong ethical leadership.
One of our unknown futures concerns the role of Information technology (IT) for business and soci... more One of our unknown futures concerns the role of Information technology (IT) for business and society. This paper describes a conceptual model of factors and their relationships that determine the success of effective and efficient use of IT for government service delivery. Specifically, it formally models the domain of Information Systems Management (ISM) using a system dynamics approach. The maintenance stage of this domain is important in ensuring sustainability. Expectancy theory from the field of human resource (HR) management is used as a basis to model the dynamic structure of some key success factors and their relationships. The next stage of this research will be to validate the model using desk checks and field tests.
Previous studies investigating the success of electronic and mobile government service delivery (... more Previous studies investigating the success of electronic and mobile government service delivery (EMGSD) have identified the factors that promote or mitigate against realisation of the benefits of such delivery. Models have lacked formality and have generally ignored the complexity of relationships between factors and factor sets. The studies have generally been concerned with EMGSD in a developed country. This paper reports on research-inprogress to address these areas. A preliminary formal model is presented with indicative examples of modelled relationships, together with a brief description of how the usefulness of the model will be validated for developing countries.
Many young Christian men faced a moral dilemma when selective military conscription was introduce... more Many young Christian men faced a moral dilemma when selective military conscription was introduced in Australia during the Vietnam War from 1964–72. The legislation was the National Service Act in 1964 (NSA). Some believed that their Christian conscience did not allow them to kill or serve in the army. Most of them sought exemption as a conscientious objector decided at a court hearing. Others chose non-compliance with the NSA. All exercised nonviolent Holy Disobedience in their individual opposition to war and conscription for it. Holy disobedience stresses the importance of nonviolent individual action, which was an idea of A.J. Muste, a great Christian pacifist. The research reported here is strongly influenced by his approach. It is believed to be the first study which explicitly considers Christian conscientious objectors. A data set was compiled of known Christian conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War years from authoritative sources. Analysis allowed identification o...
The Internet provides access to speech both conventional and unconventional. Some speech is consi... more The Internet provides access to speech both conventional and unconventional. Some speech is considered harmful to minors. This chapter discusses the important social issue of how to best protect minors from such speech without violating the free speech rights of adults. It examines the Australian experience, one that has relevance to other relatively open societies like those found in North America and Europe. It concludes that the Australian regulatory framework has limited success in protecting minors from harmful Internet content and it risks compromising the free rights of adults.
This paper appeared at the 2nd Australian Institute of Computer Ethics Conference (AICE2000), Can... more This paper appeared at the 2nd Australian Institute of Computer Ethics Conference (AICE2000), Canberra. Conferences in Research and Practice in Information Technology, Vol. 1. J.Weckert, Ed. Reproduction for academic, not-for profit purposes permitted provided this text is included
Challenges of Information Technology Education in the 21st Century
The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is how univ... more The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is how university information systems courses can add enough value to students that they will choose to study in higher education for a full degree rather than opt for a one-year certification course leading to similar economic and status outcomes in the short term. This chapter assesses the feasibility and desirability of achieving a better match between delivery of information systems education and the professional workplace through Problem-Based Learning (PBL). A brief introduction to cognitive and learning principles is followed by a discussion of PBL and its potential to help to achieve a better fit between student aspirations and employer requirements. The chapter concludes with an illustration of the use of PBL in a systems analysis and design course.
Describes some research that is designed to help businesses to maximise the application of Intern... more Describes some research that is designed to help businesses to maximise the application of Internet technology to add value to their product or service. Uses the type of consumer good as a basis to develop a decision chart to help organisations to identify ways of adding value to a consumer good using Internet technology. Provides a classification scheme that businesses can examine in relation to their goods. Follows a path which leads to the suggested Internet features that provide added value for the consumer. A study involving small business consultants found that the initial chart had its limitations, and needed to be simplified so that it could be understood by small businesses and would be versatile enough to be applicable to firms with a number of different goods. Their suggestions have been incorporated in the updated decision chart. Anticipates that the chart can be used to provide organisations with a structured approach to determining suitable Web site features.
The authors introduce a decision chart previously developed to identify web site features that wo... more The authors introduce a decision chart previously developed to identify web site features that would be suitable for small businesses in their interactions with customers. The decision chart is designed to assist a business to examine the characteristics of its products and services and offers suggestions on web site content based on those characteristics. This paper reports on a study that examines how the decision chart, which was developed mainly from theory, matches the actual features on the web sites of 54 businesses whose goods fall into the categories of the chart. The study showed that whilst there is some correspondence between the chart and the web sites of the businesses, there is a need to recognise web sites are built on a staged basis – with perhaps some never developing their web sites beyond the most basic level.
The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is: How can... more The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is: How can university information systems courses add enough value to students that they will choose to study with us for three years rather than opt for a one-year certification course leading ...
Abstract On the 1 January 2000, the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Bill 1999 c... more Abstract On the 1 January 2000, the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Bill 1999 came into force. It aims to censor online what is currently censored offline. Information Technology Professionals should be concerned about censorship of the ...
ICT artefacts can confer benefits but also harm. Should ICT professionals be ethically neutral in... more ICT artefacts can confer benefits but also harm. Should ICT professionals be ethically neutral in regard to the design, development and installation of such artefacts? Given this premise what ethical leadership can be reasonably expected from an ICT Professional Body? This paper addresses this question with reference to a sample of ICT Professional Bodies. Specifically, what is the nature and extent of ethical leadership that is provided? The paper concludes, that with a few notable exceptions, ICT Professional Bodies do not currently exercise strong ethical leadership.
One of our unknown futures concerns the role of Information technology (IT) for business and soci... more One of our unknown futures concerns the role of Information technology (IT) for business and society. This paper describes a conceptual model of factors and their relationships that determine the success of effective and efficient use of IT for government service delivery. Specifically, it formally models the domain of Information Systems Management (ISM) using a system dynamics approach. The maintenance stage of this domain is important in ensuring sustainability. Expectancy theory from the field of human resource (HR) management is used as a basis to model the dynamic structure of some key success factors and their relationships. The next stage of this research will be to validate the model using desk checks and field tests.
Previous studies investigating the success of electronic and mobile government service delivery (... more Previous studies investigating the success of electronic and mobile government service delivery (EMGSD) have identified the factors that promote or mitigate against realisation of the benefits of such delivery. Models have lacked formality and have generally ignored the complexity of relationships between factors and factor sets. The studies have generally been concerned with EMGSD in a developed country. This paper reports on research-inprogress to address these areas. A preliminary formal model is presented with indicative examples of modelled relationships, together with a brief description of how the usefulness of the model will be validated for developing countries.
Many young Christian men faced a moral dilemma when selective military conscription was introduce... more Many young Christian men faced a moral dilemma when selective military conscription was introduced in Australia during the Vietnam War from 1964–72. The legislation was the National Service Act in 1964 (NSA). Some believed that their Christian conscience did not allow them to kill or serve in the army. Most of them sought exemption as a conscientious objector decided at a court hearing. Others chose non-compliance with the NSA. All exercised nonviolent Holy Disobedience in their individual opposition to war and conscription for it. Holy disobedience stresses the importance of nonviolent individual action, which was an idea of A.J. Muste, a great Christian pacifist. The research reported here is strongly influenced by his approach. It is believed to be the first study which explicitly considers Christian conscientious objectors. A data set was compiled of known Christian conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War years from authoritative sources. Analysis allowed identification o...
The Internet provides access to speech both conventional and unconventional. Some speech is consi... more The Internet provides access to speech both conventional and unconventional. Some speech is considered harmful to minors. This chapter discusses the important social issue of how to best protect minors from such speech without violating the free speech rights of adults. It examines the Australian experience, one that has relevance to other relatively open societies like those found in North America and Europe. It concludes that the Australian regulatory framework has limited success in protecting minors from harmful Internet content and it risks compromising the free rights of adults.
This paper appeared at the 2nd Australian Institute of Computer Ethics Conference (AICE2000), Can... more This paper appeared at the 2nd Australian Institute of Computer Ethics Conference (AICE2000), Canberra. Conferences in Research and Practice in Information Technology, Vol. 1. J.Weckert, Ed. Reproduction for academic, not-for profit purposes permitted provided this text is included
Challenges of Information Technology Education in the 21st Century
The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is how univ... more The critical question challenging information systems educators in the new millennium is how university information systems courses can add enough value to students that they will choose to study in higher education for a full degree rather than opt for a one-year certification course leading to similar economic and status outcomes in the short term. This chapter assesses the feasibility and desirability of achieving a better match between delivery of information systems education and the professional workplace through Problem-Based Learning (PBL). A brief introduction to cognitive and learning principles is followed by a discussion of PBL and its potential to help to achieve a better fit between student aspirations and employer requirements. The chapter concludes with an illustration of the use of PBL in a systems analysis and design course.
Describes some research that is designed to help businesses to maximise the application of Intern... more Describes some research that is designed to help businesses to maximise the application of Internet technology to add value to their product or service. Uses the type of consumer good as a basis to develop a decision chart to help organisations to identify ways of adding value to a consumer good using Internet technology. Provides a classification scheme that businesses can examine in relation to their goods. Follows a path which leads to the suggested Internet features that provide added value for the consumer. A study involving small business consultants found that the initial chart had its limitations, and needed to be simplified so that it could be understood by small businesses and would be versatile enough to be applicable to firms with a number of different goods. Their suggestions have been incorporated in the updated decision chart. Anticipates that the chart can be used to provide organisations with a structured approach to determining suitable Web site features.
The authors introduce a decision chart previously developed to identify web site features that wo... more The authors introduce a decision chart previously developed to identify web site features that would be suitable for small businesses in their interactions with customers. The decision chart is designed to assist a business to examine the characteristics of its products and services and offers suggestions on web site content based on those characteristics. This paper reports on a study that examines how the decision chart, which was developed mainly from theory, matches the actual features on the web sites of 54 businesses whose goods fall into the categories of the chart. The study showed that whilst there is some correspondence between the chart and the web sites of the businesses, there is a need to recognise web sites are built on a staged basis – with perhaps some never developing their web sites beyond the most basic level.
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