Expanding the Technology Acceptance Model to examine Personal Computing Technology utilization in government agencies in developing countries

This study assessed the use of “Personal Computer Technology” in public organizations of developing countries in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan [Qazi, R. (2006). Expanding the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): A Consideration of Personal Computer Technology Use in Public Organizations of a Developing Country of South Asia, Pakistan (Doctoral dissertation, George Washington University, 2006). Dissertation Abstracts]. The study expanded the “Technology Acceptance Model” by adding additional external factors such as ‘Organizational Culture’ and ‘Individual Factors’ (e.g. ‘Level of Education’ and ‘Duration of Training’), and belief factors such as ‘Perceived Personal Utility.’ Financial compensation to employees was used as a control variable because preliminary data analysis showed that it explicitly differentiated results of the study between those employees who felt they were adequately rewarded (financially) and those who were not. For example, when respondents replied ‘Compensation’ was ‘Yes,’ i.e. that at least some level of direct compensation was provided for PCT utilization then a statistically significant, positive relationship between ‘Level of Education’ and ‘PCT Use’ was found. However, when respondents replied that ‘Compensation’ was ‘No,’ a statistically significant, negative relationship between ‘Level of Education’ and ‘PCT Use’ exists. Additional results of this study are presented in this article.     

Universal museums, museum objects and repatriation: The tangled stories of things

This paper discusses the contribution of the 2003 ‘Declaration on the Importance and Value of Universal Museums’ to the debate on repatriation. The ‘Universalist’ approach taken by the Declaration is first considered, noting the implications of its emphasis on art, the heritage of museums and objects, along with its focus on the sculpture of ancient Greece and the enlightenment origin of museums such as the British Museum. It is argued that it reveals an essentialist approach that derives from a particular Western perspective, rather than being truly ‘universal’, and then considers whether a similar problem underlies many of the arguments advocating repatriation. The second part of the paper explores the opportunities offered by an approach which emphasises the ‘biography of objects’. This demonstrates how the tangled histories of objects and their many meanings can be considered. Repatriation is shown to be able to result in an increase in knowledge and understanding, rather than its destruction, and so meets the declared aim of the Declaration to ‘foster knowledge by a continuous process of reinterpretation’.     

When virtual reality meets realpolitik: Social media shaping the Arab government–citizen relationship

Since most activists participating in the recent uprisings in Arab countries have been using social media to an unprecedented extent, public analyst and researchers have rushed to reflect on and explain the phenomena, often attributing a ‘change agency’ to social media as such. This argumentative research collects evidence from literature, recent surveys and focus groups in order to contextualize our understanding of the role of social media and its usage in reshaping the Arab government–citizen relationship: Are the traits of social media significant enough to single them out and discuss their specific impact on the government–citizen relationship? Are we well advised to attribute an ‘agency’ of social media in shaping politics and inducing political change? And in view of the actual use of social media: What are the options of containing emerging ‘destructive’ phenomena and ‘improving’ the government–citizen relationship? Answers are outlined to support contextualized design of social media technology and regulation: (1) Arab citizens basically support democratic concepts; however (2) social media as such do not act and therefore do not ‘create’ e.g. democracy; rather (3) social media enable a new political sphere for Arab citizens, nevertheless challenged by realpolitik; and (4) social media need care taking in terms of shaping political communication and shaping the media itself in order to serve well as mediator among citizens and between citizens and government.     

Publishing public performance results on the Internet: Do stakeholders use the Internet to hold Dutch public service organizations to account?

This paper analyzes the relation between publishing public performance results on the Internet, stakeholder accountability, and the effectiveness and legitimacy of Dutch public service organizations. The empirical research focuses on Web sites with performance results of schools and hospitals. These results are published on the Internet by ‘third parties’ (government organizations, associations of public service organizations, and newspapers). Publications of performance results stimulate schools and hospitals to score better on performance indicators because they feel the ‘public eyes’ on them. However, the risk of a ‘performance paradox’ and adverse effects is great since strategic behavior may lead to higher scores but not improve the effectiveness of these organizations. The research provides moderate support for negative effects on the legitimacy of schools and hospitals which may be attributed to the sole use of the Internet as a medium for access to information and negligence of its communicative potential.     

Freedom of information and ‘vexatious’ requests — The case of Scottish local government

This paper investigates the cost and incidence of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within councils in Scotland and in particular, the cost and incidence of requests which have been defined as ‘vexatious’ in order to investigate if the negative perceptions surrounding the cost and misuse of the legislation are justified. Additionally, the criteria and guidelines that councils are using to define ‘vexatious’ are also examined. The approach taken to the research in this study is a survey of the 32 councils in Scotland using freedom of information requests as the data collection method.     

Do they want it? Do they use it? The ‘Demand-Side’ of e-Government in Australia and New Zealand

Drawing on 435 telephone interviews in Australia and 498 in New Zealand, this paper investigates the ‘demand’ side of e-government. That is, we examine the use of and support for e-government measures. Whilst respondents were generally supportive of e-government on a number of measures, we find that the majority were reluctant to use some of the more sophisticated ‘transactional’ e-government measures, and less than half had even visited a government website. High users of information and communications technologies (ICT) were more likely to use e-government measures, and are more positive towards e-government in general across several measures. Similar to a number of U.S. studies, we find a ‘digital divide,’ where older age, and less education were associated with lower ICT and e-government use and support. Income level was not a statistically significant predictor in all cases however, and gender was not significant for e-government support.     

Improving the process of E-Government initiative: An in-depth case study of web-based GIS implementation

Research on E-Government has largely focused on understanding the “outcomes and outputs of the E-Government project” [Yildiz, M. (2007). E-Government research: Reviewing the literature, limitations, and ways forward. Government Information Quarterly, 24(3), 646–665.]. It is argued that the existing research on E-Government tends to oversimplify the phenomenon. To address the call, the current study focuses on the process of an E-Government initiative by loosely drawing on the ‘technology enactment framework,’ in conjunction with the ‘systems development life cycle’ approach. Using a case study orientation, this study describes in detail how a geographic information systems implementation project is conducted at a local government in the United States. Insights into E-Government initiatives are presented and discussed.     

Social media strategies: Understanding the differences between North American police departments

Within a short timeframe, social media have become to be widely used in government organizations. Social media gurus assume that the transformational capacities of social media result in similar communication strategies in different organizations. According to them, government is transforming into a user-generated state. This paper investigates this claim empirically by testing the claim of convergence in social media practices in three North-American police departments (Boston, Washington DC and Toronto). The research shows that the social media strategies are widely different: the Boston Police Department has developed a ‘push strategy’ while the Metropolitan Police Department in DC has developed a ‘push and pull strategy and the Toronto Police Service a ‘networking strategy’. The paper concludes that a combination of contextual and path-dependency factors accounts for differences in the emerging social media strategies of government organizations. Social media have a logic of their own but this logic only manifests itself if it lands on fertile soil in a government bureaucracy.     

Public memories and private tastes: The shifting definitions of museums and their visitors in the UK

There is no doubt that museums now operate in a distinctly different market to those of the past. Rottenberg [Rottenberg, B. (2002). Museums, information and the public sphere. Museum International, 54(4), 21-28] identifies the two major trends in museums in the latter years of the 20th century as being ‘the prevalence of a new market-orientated ideology that stressed the importance of revenue generation’ and ‘the introduction of new technologies that transfixed not only the museum profession, but also the world’. The main impact, which these and other changes have had is the revision of the museum into a setting for recreational experiences [Foley, M. and McPherson, G. (2000). Museums as leisure. International Journal of Heritage Studies 16(2), 161-174; Stephen, A. (2001). The contemporary museum and leisure: Recreation as a museum function. MuseumManagement and Curatorship 19(3), 297-308], rather than an educative one. This paper attempts to address some of these shifts in ideology and purpose.The main concern that museums face as they become more ‘recreation-focused’ is that they will lose what has long been believed to be their ‘integrity’, and thus stray from their original missions to preserve and educate, with critics suggesting that they may simply become arenas for pleasure rather than education.This paper concludes that in future, it seems inevitable that museums will become ‘hybrid places, combining recreation and learning, allowing visitors diversions from the intense stimuli of strolling through galleries and viewing multitudinous objects’ [Kotler, N. (2004). New ways of experiencing culture: the role of museums and marketing implications. Museum Management and Curatorship, 19(4), 417-425], with entertainment and education working together to fulfil the museum's mission. Museums need not be afraid of using entertainment, but should embrace it as a tool for learning, potentially attracting a wider and more diversified public.     

Leisure—A function of museums? The Taiwan perspective

The main factor preventing non-visitors from visiting museums is ‘lack of interest’. But the causes of this ‘lack of interest’ are different in Taiwan than in western countries. Taiwanese non-visitors on low incomes are deterred by the strong association of museums with education. They want an experience that will be relaxing, enjoyable and pleasurable, and one which will not require any effort. They do not perceive museums as providing this. Non-visitors want museums to function more obviously as leisure venues that the whole family can actively enjoy. They say museums need to promote themselves as places for exploration and entertainment, as well as for education and learning. If museums wish to attract low-income non-visitors, they must consider how the needs of the non-visiting public can be met.     

基于全社会层面的弱势群体知识援助体系建设

总结近年来弱势群体知识援助研究的理论,针对公共图书馆知识援助存在的局限性,结合文献信息单位分布的特点,探讨建立全社会层面弱势群体知识援助体系的必要性。初步构建适应现时代弱势群体知识援助的五种模式,即以公共图书馆为主体的知识援助模式,以“农家书屋”工程为主的新闻出版援助模式,以“文化共享工程”为主的文化、财政援助模式,以“三下乡”社会实践活动为主的高校知识援助模式,以志愿者服务和社会捐助为主的民间知识援助模式。提出知识援助体系正常运行的保障措施。     

Museums at the crossroad: Contributing to dialogue, curiosity and wonder in natural history museums

The first natural history collections opened to the public were inspired by a sense of curiosity and wonder about the products of nature. They were ‘cabinets of curiosities’ that offered a first-hand interaction between owner and visitors. Nowadays, these two facets of the museum experience—dialogue and wonder—have been lost, in part, due to the information overload coming via the media and the impersonal nature of the museum visit. This paper offers some reflections on the evolution of the museum visit, suggests some ways to rediscover this ‘sense of wonder’ and provides ideas on how to promote two-way communication with museum visitors. Two examples of exhibitions are offered as illustrations of the points discussed.     

数字图书馆知识组织语义互联影响因素研究

数字图书馆知识组织语义互联是一个复杂的过程,在这一过程中主体、客体和环境等诸多因素直接或间接地影响其实现。主体包括数字图书馆知识组织者和数字图书馆用户;客体主要是语义互联对象、语义模型、技术与标准;环境主要是宏观环境、中观环境和微观环境。主体通过对客体进行的一系列活动,影响和控制着语义互联的表现结果、发展与变化;环境通过作用于主体影响和控制着语义互联的进展。所以,正确识别其影响因素就显得尤为重要。     

社会变迁下的当代国民阅读与国民素质

从个体行为的“阅读”到“国民阅读”经历了复杂的历史演变。当代社会变迁对国民阅读产生的影响主要体现在：知识结构需求是国民阅读增长的原动力;出版业的面向市场导致国民阅读内容的大众化、娱乐化、通俗化趋势;图书发行体制及方式的变化导致国民阅读方式的多样化;新型大众传媒塑造的阅读品味促进国民阅读的趣味导向。国民阅读是提升国民素质的重要手段之一,为此,应当从阅读导向、阅读方式、阅读内容等层面加以调整与引导。     

The role of cognitive competence in the art museum experience

The gap between the potential for works of art in museums to offer unique experiences, and the actual outcomes of visitor encounters, highlights the importance of the cultural competence of museum visitors. However, when applied to museum visiting, cultural competence should be primarily treated as perceptual and cognitive—one needs to exercise the perceptual activities that works of art require in order for a museum visit to register as some form of satisfying experience. The main part of the paper is devoted to discussion of some aspects of the perceptual basis of cultural competence required for perception of works of art—the problem of attention, the misplaced dichotomy of ‘museum viewing’ versus ‘everyday perception’, and the problem of defining the current cognitive style. It is argued that one of the greatest challenges to the museological profession is the problem of how to engage the complex issues of perception, vision and subjective experience more properly in the museological discourse, so that they can be reflected in theories of presentation and interpretation.     

基于一种映射计算模型的应用纲要编码方式

OCLC的自动元数据映射服务(Godby, Smith and Childress, 2008)一文规范了“映射”的概念。如Gill等所定义的,隐藏起具体的技术细节,而以语义元素的对等关系作为中心内容。这样做可以让元数据专家(他们通常并不是程序员)负责建立映射所需的逻辑关系电子表格,程序据此自动将其转换成可执行的代码。论述DC-Term(限定版DC)应用纲要与MARC映射的管理及实现方法。对应用纲要进行编码时,映射方案需要在对照表的基础上增加两项内容：一是标注元素所属的命名域,二是标注“上位元素”和“下位元素”的关系,例如DC的Coverage（范围）元素和Spatial（空间）元素就存在这种关系。这些信息可以供“OCLC语义对等描述语言（Semantic Equivalence Expression Language,SEEL）”生成脚本文件,用于“元数据自动映射Web服务”进行“生产级”的元数据翻译工作。由于这样只需要关注元素,元素可以混搭、匹配、增添和再定义,因此元数据“应用纲要”（Heery and Patel,2000）非常适合采用这个翻译模型,通过成对元素之间的映射,实现元数据方案的互操作。     

当前我国国民阅读状况分析

以中国出版科学研究所主持开展的第三、四、五次“全国国民阅读调查”为依据,从我国国民媒体阅读率、学生阅读现状、家庭藏书、图书馆情况等方面考察。得出国民阅读率整体上止住连续六年下滑趋势,略有回升,存在城乡差异性,学生阅读现状不容乐观。最后就如何提高我国国民阅读率提出浅陋看法。     

基于社会网络视角的知识转移研究述评

已有的社会网络视角的知识转移研究,把知识转移分为知识获取和知识吸收两个环节,从对偶关系和多元网络结构两个层面,分别考察网络特征对于知识转移的影响。对偶关系的研究关注不同联系强度在知识转移的不同环节的作用,并引入知识特性、转移渠道等变量,寻找多变量之间的匹配。多元网络结构的研究从网络位置、密度、异质性等维度探讨网络特征对知识转移的影响。在比较评述两类研究的基础上提出未来研究的方向。     

Continuing professional development for RMIT International University Vietnam library staff: Adding value through an international partnership: A case study

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of blended learning – the fusion of face-to-face and online learning experiences – to implement an effective and culturally sensitive program of professional development in an Australian university working in a developing country. It sought insight into pertinent pedagogical approaches for staff development across multiple locations including across national boundaries. The project demonstrated how learners can develop new capabilities and approaches by building on existing skills and knowledge as they interact in communities of practice. The immediate purpose was to design and deliver a continuing professional education program to meet the needs of librarians working at RMIT International University Vietnam in the context of the demands of the academic community and in the light of the challenge library staff experienced in seeking to meet explicit and tacit expectations. The project ran from late January to mid December 2010. The research questions were: ‘Is blended learning effective as an approach to continuing professional development when working across cultures in a multinational organization?’ and ‘What contribution do face-to-face and online components make to learning outcomes?’ The methodology used was an action learning approach. A 2009 consultant’s report into the RMIT Vietnam Library established professional developmental needs which were further detailed in February 2010 by the project leader from RMIT University, Melbourne using a skills audit. Workshops in Vietnam, visits to Melbourne by several Vietnam staff members, and an online forum were then delivered. Reflective practice and ongoing input from staff were utilized to form a feedback loop to modify the project timing and approaches as needed. Evaluation included participant feedback on workshops, tracking changes in Library services, a customer survey, a project-end survey of participants’ behavioral changes against learning topics as self-reported, and discussion with participants. The authors were actively involved in the project: Julia Leong as project leader and Loc Nguyen as project champion at the Saigon South Campus. Blended learning was found to be effective in meeting continuing professional developmental needs and in promoting positive changes in library service provision. Online discussions were effective for extending existing knowledge, gaining practical hints, and examining attitudes. Face-to-face workshops and visits were more effective for learning new material in a systematic way. It is recommended that consideration be given to applying the blended learning model used in this project to continuing professional developmental work in similar contexts.     

Regime formation and consequence: The case of internet security in the East-Asia ‘Four Tigers’

The purpose of this article is to identify the process in which each nation appropriates a new technological force challenging regulatory regimes. Departing from regime theory, this paper critically assesses the interaction between Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation and the East-Asia ‘Four Tigers’ in formulating Internet security policy. A particular concern is about the formation of global information policy regime that arbitrates the tension between citizens' right to privacy and free information flow. This paper argues that the potential of the greater protection of information privacy are curtailed as market incentives of information flow dominate over the region's policy effort. A 2003 Bangkok meeting epitomizes such policy formulation in the interaction between international and national regimes that are particular to the region's regulatory legacies. Implications are discussed in terms of the function of industrial legacies in new information policy.