International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management (6 papers in press)

Special Issue on: "Advancing Software and Knowledge Engineering in a Connected World"
Guest Editors: Zoe Wong, Griffith University, Australia Robert Steele, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

• A Model-Driven Framework for Business IT Alignment
  by Martin Juhrisch, Jens Weller, Werner Esswein 
  Abstract: Business IT alignment focus the efficiently support of business processes by information technology. Therefore, existing software artefacts are addressed within business process models. When these process models and the processes respectively alter, however, there is need to adjust the supporting software systems. Thus, already during the design phase of business process models, IT artefacts have to be considered. In this paper, we propose an approach aiming at the restriction of freedom in process modelling. Thus, previously defined software artefacts are used already in business process modelling. Therewith the gap between the business and the IT layer can be closed. To support such restrictions, a meta-modelling method is introduced and its usage for composing SOA services is illustrated.
  Keywords: Business IT alignment; restriction of freedom; process modelling; service-oriented architectures
   
• Constraints in Conceptual Modelling - Outlining an Approach to Business Driven Web Service Composition
  by Martin Juhrisch, Gunnar Dietz 
  Abstract: With service-oriented architectures (SOA) companies are facing a paradigm shift towards services as the key unit of their enterprise architectures. An exploitation of the potential of service-oriented architectures is up to the applicability of semi-formal business models for a transformation into service compositions. However, several conceptual shortcomings prevent semi-formal models from being a suitable resource of an automated transformation process. Problems result from a multitude of modelling aims, objects, and procedures. Enhancements in order to solve these problems require both systematic preparation, and a methodical approach. This article provides a modelling method for business process-oriented SOA design using a meta-model based approach. An integrated modelling environment gives an overview of business requirements and allows appropriate assignment of SOA services to the business functions at the same time. Our research refers to the example of process-oriented analysis and optimisation of administrative procedures in German universities.
  Keywords: Conceptual modelling; Description Kits; Service-oriented Architecture; Web service; Model-Driven Architecture; Constraints
   
• UML Profile for Perdurant Ontology of Domain Interlocking Institutional Worlds
  by Mohammad Nazir Ahmad 
  Abstract: Nowadays, almost all enterprises are supported by information systems. For a group of systems (information systems) to interoperate, the organizations responsible for the systems must first agree on what the words mean in the interoperation. This agreement is called an ontology, a description of the world shared by the participants. This paper presents a set of high level concepts (upper ontology) for interoperating information systems taking into account not only the ontology of information objects but also the ontology of messages and the actions performed by the interoperating systems. It integrates an existing formal ontology for information objects with an upper ontology for messages and actions based on speech act theory, represented in a uniform way using UML profiles.
  Keywords: Ontology, interlocking, institutional worlds; semantic web; UML; domain ontology.
   
• BEHAVIOUR APPROACH FOR EVALUATING TEAM PERFORMANCE IN SOFTWARE REVIEW: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
  by Yuk Wong 
  Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate the importance of the relationship between the Behaviour Tree and software review performance. Results from an experimental study conducted in late 2006 suggest that there is a weak relationship between group meeting process and software review performance using the Behaviour Tree approach. Human issues such as communication, status effect, and teamwork and discussion quality during the software review meetings can be minimized using the Behavior Tree approach. The overall findings suggest that (1) communication has an effect on software review performance; (2) status effect has an effect on software review performance; (3) there is little impact of teamwork on the group review performance; and (4) key indicators for discussion quality are the appropriateness of group discussions and environment setting of a group meeting.
  Keywords: Software Quality, Behavioral Approach, Software Review, Team Performance
   

• Understanding Mobile Communication and Entertainment Service Usage: A Comparison Study
  by Yaobin Lu, Shuting Zhang, Bin Wang 
  Abstract: Mobile commerce has experienced tremendous growth in China. We explore the antecedents to mobile service usage based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior. By examining mobile communication and entertainment service adoption, we find that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control are determinants of the behavioral intention. Trust and personal innovativeness predict attitude for both services, while enjoyment is closely related to attitude in mobile entertainment service adoption. We also identify differences in the results across the two services examined, indicating separate operational directions for them both theoretically and practically.
  Keywords: Theory of planned behavior (TPB), decomposed theory of planned behavior, mobile service usage
   
• Sharing NPD knowledge in e-business: A grounded theory case study of a mobile phone company
  by Kenneth Strang 
  Abstract: A grounded-theory case study method was applied to a profitable multinational e-business company in the mobile communication service/product industry. The objective was to examine how new product development (NPD) subject matter specialists learned and acquired knowledge to produce innovative designs. An overarching research motive was to determine why it seemed this multinational organization and its NPD community of practice did not apparently value contemporary university education. A brain storming technique was used in a focus group (n=17) to capture and contrast the NPD knowledge acquisition process with educational psychology theories applied in similar e-businesses studies. Three models were created to externalize the tacit NPD processes. The unique features in the NPD models were: A knowledge continuum (innate, tacit, and explicit); and a knowledge acquisition methodology that contained three similar phases when compared to a common educational psychology theory, but the phases were ordered differently and in the opposite direction.
  Keywords: multinational e-business, new product development, collaborative commerce, e-business integration, iInnovation and product development, knowledge management