The Significance of Information Systems Research on Emerging Technologies: Seven Information Technologies that Promise to Improve Managerial Effectiveness*

Emerging information technologies are those excitingly novel advances that decision makers are just beginning to notice. These emerging products or processes may have been invented some time ago, but are only now beginning to reveal practical applications. This paper examines this collection of seven studies exploring emerging technologies, classifying them so the context of their results can be related to other emerging technologies. Once the research is classified and the contribution and managerial significance of the research is identified, it becomes apparent that certain barriers exist, holding back the technology from wider use and appreciation. Common obstacles include resistance to, or difficulty with, using the technology; uncertainty concerning the value of the technology; and the complexities involved with implementation. This paper concludes with recommendations for future research aimed at breaking down the barriers in order to move from the technological emergence phase to the technological sublime phase in which decision makers and other end users understand the technology, realize and appreciate its value, and put the technology to its best use.     

现行医疗纠纷调整机制的法律缺陷与完善

对新颁布的<医疗事故处理条例>存在的一些问题做出法律分析,同时结合最高人民法院第33号司法解释中关于医疗纠纷的举证责任倒置的规定提出笔者的看法,并对部分法律问题的解决做了理论分析.     

国际GFP统计规则调整对中国经常账户的影响

2008年IMF发布的《国际收支与国际投资手册》（第六版）对国际加工贸易（Goods for Processing,GFP）中的项目统计进行了调整。由于我国对外贸易中GFP所占的比重较高,因此此次调整对我国国际收支平衡表中的经常项目将产生较大影响。本文通过对GFP几种主要类型的分析,探讨了这种调整分别对我国经常项目统计产生的影响。     

论国际法渊源的范畴

长期以来,国际法的渊源问题在学界难以得到一致解释,但是相当一部分学者将国际法的渊源理解为国际法的表现形式。以这种理解作为前提,《国际法院规约》第38条只是国际法院的裁判依据,而非对国际法渊源的说明,但它又的确为探究国际法渊源的范畴提供了一条线索。在对第38条所罗列的裁判依据和其他类别国际资料进行逐个分析和评论之后,现阶段,国际法渊源的范畴应当是国际习惯和国际条约,且两者之间不存在等级关系。     

Feedback in DSS as a Source of Control: Experiments with the Timing of Feedback

Well-designed feedback can improve decision making but to date there has been no comprehensive study of feedback in decision support systems (DSS) that could guide developers in its design. This work examines the opportunities and means to enhance cognitive control in decision making by providing appropriate feedback with DSS. It concentrates on the timing of feedback, which has been shown to affect the use of feedback and also demonstrates the potential advantages of using information technology over and above manual decision environments. Two experiments test the effects of controlling the timing of cognitive feedback on the user's cognitive control. The first tests the effect of timing one source of cognitive feedback, and the second tests the effect of timing two sources of feedback. The findings suggest that the design of feedback should become a routine part of the development of DSS.     

A Comprehensive Model for Measuring the Potential Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Strategic Variables*

The existing literature on the impact of information technology (IT) does not include rigorous theory building or empirical studies. This research seems to be the first comprehensive investigation towards the development of an empirically validated comprehensive model for understanding the potential impact of IT on organizational strategic variables. More specifically, organizational and industrial variables that appeared to be affected by IT are identified, measured, and operationalized in the form of a comprehensive model. This study is based on structured interviews with a carefully selected sample of 31 strategic managers who had experience using IT for strategic decisions. In addition, the variables included in the model are well grounded in the information systems literature. The variables are then empirically validated and their reliabilities critically tested. A comprehensive model is derived from these validated variables. The model is a first step towards measuring the overall potential impact of IT on an organization. The model can also be used to gauge IT's potential impact on individual strategic variables. A set of hypotheses is also presented for future research. The hypotheses primarily relate to the impact of IT on organizational strategic performance. The model provides an empirically validated foundation for testing of such hypotheses.     

Comparison of the Effects of Specific and General Performance Standards on Performance Appraisal Decisions*

This study compares specific and general performance standards as managerial decision aids. Sixty-four federal government comptrollers familiar with performance standards as a basis for judging performance evaluated five performance profiles and then assigned performance ratings. These profiles varied in levels of objective performance, prior performance, and the order in which they were evaluated. The results show that the specificity of performance standards moderates the relationship between objective and rated performance, with specific standards resulting in more accurate ratings than general standards. While objective performance was the most important determinant of performance rating, the gender of the rater, the order of evaluation, and prior performance ratings biased judgments in the general but not the specific performance standard condition. Specific performance standards are concluded to be useful decision aids that minimize performance rating bias and have potential as evaluation tools for groups, profit centers, organizations, and technology innovations.     

A Multivariate Methodology for Simultaneously Capturing and Clustering Judgment Policies

This paper presents a new linear model methodology for clustering judges with homogeneous decision policies and differentiating dimensions which distinguish judgment policies. This linear policy capturing model based on canonical correlation analysis is compared to the standard model based on regression analysis and hierarchical agglomerative clustering. Potential advantages of the new methodology include simultaneous instead of sequential consideration of information in the dependent and independent variable sets, decreased interpretational difficulty in the presence of multicollinearity and/or suppressor/moderator variables, and a more clearly defined solution structure allowing assessment of a judge's relationship to all of the derived, ideal policy types. An application to capturing policies of information systems recruiters responsible for hiring entry-level personnel is used to compare and contrast the two techniques.     

An Experimental Evaluation of Articulation of Preferences in Multiple Criterion Decision-Making (MCDM) Methods

This paper describes the results of a study done to determine how well multiple criterion decision-making methods perform in helping a decision maker arrive at a preferred solution to a multicriterion problem with conflicting objectives. The study used a factorial experiment and doctoral students as subjects. Two competing methods for solving multicriterion problems were compared along with the influence of problem complexity. The methods differed in the way preferences were articulated by decision makers. The results showed that there was no difference between the methods for several performance measures, disaffirming some prior expectations. From an actual use point of view, the study suggests that methodological improvements to existing techniques must be matched by efforts to improve information presentation and interpretation to facilitate preference judgments.     

《慈悲道场忏法》成书考

《慈悲道场忏法》中的不少语段、词语用法等多见于梁武帝《东都发愿文》等文章,而且,书中又大量汲取了《净住子》的用语、内容与套子式行文。由此可推断：《慈悲道场忏法》应为梁武帝及其统治下的皇室成员及陈真观等人所撰或所改编。