This book, originally published in 1984, established the need for a strategic managerial response to the new technology, which relies on an understanding of the real effects of technology - on organisational structure, manageemnt style and employee relations. It assesses the impact of the new information technology on manufacturing systems, employment levels and types, industrial relations and finally on marketing and external relationships.

When this book was originally published in 1988, this book was the first to include a large number of reports on British and US companies' experience with computers in company training in such areas as banking, finance, insurance, manufacturing, IT, the retail industry, transport, telecommunications and energy. It provided a critical analysis of the situation and discusses company experiences, development, testing and implementation as well as cost-effectiveness and future trends.

The emergence of new platform business models, notably the sharing economy, is impacting the economy in various ways, altering the structure of many industries, and raising a number of economic and political issues. This book investigates the widespread influence of the sharing economy on businesses and society, as well as examining its underpinning economic principles and development. This volume presents an exhaustive review of the existing knowledge on the sharing economy and addresses several major areas of concern for incumbent businesses. It also explains the business models for those who are interested in embarking on their own ventures and provides an excellent source for further research. It takes an in-depth look at controversial labour policies, such as using labour as self-employed contractors or using regulatory grey areas to expand in markets. It is highly multidisciplinary, establishing links between economics, finance, marketing and consumer behaviour. This contribution on the sharing economy will enable researchers and graduate and doctoral students to expand and improve their understanding of this topic and identify new research problems in all of these areas. The book will also appeal to policy makers, regional and local government decision makers, and those interested in labour markets transformation.

PRAISE FOR ACHIEVING BUSINESS VALUE FROM TECHNOLOGY

"Clearly, IT investments have never before played such a critical part in business growth. The book addresses the weakness existing in most management systems involving the lack of a systematic process to realize the economic benefits of the IT investment and provides a clear A-Z methodology for business to bridge this gap. This book is clearly written for all levels and backgrounds in business management and is a must-do for those whose business involves IT, is considering IT, or would like to significantly tailor IT investments for their economic advantage."
–Professor Richard P. Wool, University of Delaware
President and CEO, Cara Plastics Inc.

"Tony Murphy addresses the difficult question of the value of IT investments head on. He translates an elegant theory into effective practice. The case studies in the book effectively reinforce his key messages."
–Dr. Dermot Moynihan
Senior Vice President, World Wide Chemical Development, GlaxoSmithKline

"This book is the answer to most CIOs’ need for a well-structured, pragmatic, and easily implemented set of tools and practices designed to answer the universal problem of managing and measuring IT’s contribution to the business. Tony Murphy’s unique blend of practical experience, industry best practice, and excellent communication skills provides the reader with a valuable–and highly readable–guide on how best to achieve that elusive objective of reliably realizing the business benefits of IT investments."
–Michael Rice
Group Director of IT, Kerry Group plc

"At Oxfam we are one year into a three-year IT strategy based on the principles Tony Murphy lays out in this book, and there is a real, positive difference in how IT is perceived, and in its real strategic position within the organization. If you have ever wondered just how you can gain strategic alignment for your IT function, and then how to make the practical link to IT investment for the organization, Tony has provided a framework that joins them both."
–Simon Jennings
Head of Information Systems, Oxfam GB

This volume explores from a legal perspective, how blockchain works. Perhaps more than ever before, this new technology requires us to take a multidisciplinary approach. The contributing authors, which include distinguished academics, public officials from important national authorities, and market operators, discuss and demonstrate how this technology can be a driver of innovation and yield positive effects in our societies, legal systems and economic/financial system. In particular, they present critical analyses of the potential benefits and legal risks of distributed ledger technology, while also assessing the opportunities offered by blockchain, and possible modes of regulating it. Accordingly, the discussions chiefly focus on the law and governance of blockchain, and thus on the paradigm shift that this technology can bring about.

This book provides a historical inquiry into the quantification of needs in humanitarian assistance. Needs are increasingly seen as the lowest common denominator of humanity. Standard definitions of basic needs, however, set a minimalist version of humanity - both in the sense that they are narrow in what they compare, and that they set a low bar for satisfaction. The book argues that we cannot understand humanitarian governance if we do not understand how humanitarian agencies made human suffering commensurable across borders in the first place. The book identifies four basic elements of needs: As a concept, as a system of classification and triage, as a material apparatus, and as a set of standards. Drawing on a range of archival sources, including the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), and the Sphere Project, the book traces the concept of needs from its emergence in the 1960s right through to the present day, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call for "evidence-based humanitarianism." Finally, the book assesses how the international governmentality of needs has played out in a recent humanitarian crisis, drawing on field research on Central African refugees in the Cameroonian borderland in 2014-2016. This important historical inquiry into the universal nature of human suffering will be an important read for humanitarian researchers and practitioners, as well as readers with an interest in international history and development.

Interest in generally expanding the understanding of small and medium-sized enterprises, especially understanding their strategies and operations to enter international markets, is growing rapidly among researchers and academics globally. Government officials, regional and economic specialists, and international trade advisers are directly involved in assisting small and medium-sized enterprises in developing their international marketing expertise. Motivating SMEs to Cooperate and Internationalize consists of research studies, cases, and experiences obtained by researchers and academics from managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Europe as they worked closely with managers on issues and problems leading to internationalization of enterprises. This book will map not only the attempts of small and medium-sized enterprises in Northern Europe to enter foreign markets, but also to understand how researchers and academics can help small and medium-sized Northern European enterprisers achieve their objectives. This compilation of approaches, perspectives, and experiences will serve as a resource tool for researchers and academics active in international management training programs worldwide and help illustrate how to close the gap between publishing results of their findings and efforts to disseminate their findings among managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in their domains. This book is the first attempt to integrate results of research studies and practices as an illustration of how knowledge of small and medium-sized enterprises has evolved since the 1980s with the contributions of individual researchers and academics in Northern Europe. It will be of relevance to academics and researchers interested in working closely with small and medium-sized enterprises to meet their goals in entering international markets.

Customers are increasingly seeking "low-cost, high-quality" or what is known as frugal products that meet the buyer's needs while reducing the associated cost of ownership. This book examines the developing principles and theories of frugal innovations across the globe. The authors identify frugal innovation (FI) using a multi-method approach to data analysis. They argue that the concept of frugality as a societal/ethical value has undergone several changes and propose a differentiated model of frugal innovations. They address frugal innovations that have never been accessible to the public. Hands-on case studies across various industry sectors and countries, supported by theory, provide multiple learning opportunities. The authors explore the relationship between FI and digitalisation and technology, and discuss how FI can be applied in the context of contemporary issues such as food security. Further, they articulate the mechanisms by which FI beliefs and values can be incorporated into organisational culture. The final chapters address both ethical and controversial views of frugal innovation. The book is a valuable resource for students in business courses, for industry professionals wanting to improve their triple bottom line, and for educators wanting to influence and change the mindsets of the younger generations to effectively deal with today's and tomorrow's challenges.

Crowdfunding is emerging as a new source of financing for creativity and innovation. It promotes the launching and scaling of new projects for different types of creators by providing networked platforms and handy digital tools. This book provides insight into crowdfunding and how crowdfunding contributes to our communities and society. The book includes an overview of existing discussions across different disciplines, i.e. entrepreneurship, information systems, marketing, and correlates the literature to the best crowdfunding practices. The book begins with origins, basic notions, and antecedents of crowdfunding. In the main parts, it demonstrates the five distinguished facets of crowdfunding: Creativity, diversity, balance, connection, and change. It also addresses the drawbacks of crowdfunding and subsequent outcomes of crowdfunding success. Finally, it provides a perspective on the future of crowdfunding.

This book presents 3D3C platforms - three-dimensional systems for community, creation and commerce. It discusses tools including bots in social networks, team creativity, privacy, and virtual currencies & micropayments as well as their applications in areas like healthcare, energy, collaboration, and art. More than 20 authors from 10 countries share their experiences, research fi ndings and perspectives, off ering a comprehensive resource on the emerging fi eld of 3D3C worlds. The book is designed for both the novice and the expert as a way to unleash the emerging opportunities in 3D3C worlds. This Handbook maps with breadth and insight the exciting frontier of building virtual worlds with digital technologies. David Perkins, Research Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education This book is from one of the most adventurous and energetic persons I have ever met. Yesha takes us into new undiscovered spaces and provides insight into phenomena of social interaction and immersive experiences that transform our lives. Cees de Bont, Dean of School of Design & Chair Professor of Design, School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University When you read 3D3C Platforms you realize what a domain like ours -- 3D printing -- can and should do for the world. Clearly we are just starting. Inspiring.David Reis, CEO, Stratasys Ltd This book provides a stunning overview regarding how virtual worlds are reshaping possibilities for identity and community. Th e range of topics addressed by the authors- from privacy and taxation to fashion and health care-provide a powerful roadmap for addressing the emerging potential of these online environments. Tom Boellstorff , Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine Handbook on 3D3C Platforms amassed a unique collection of multidisciplinary academic thinking. A primer on innovations that will touch every aspect of the human community in the 21st century. Eli Talmor, Professor, London Business School

European venture capital (VC) funds have historically underperformed their US counterparts. This has resulted in reduced investment into European VC by the traditional institutional investors. This book investigates the factors that give rise to the performance difference. It is based on the author's research at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow which involved a qualitative study of some 64 VC firms in the UK, continental Europe and the US, supplemented by 40 interviews with other stakeholders, including limited partner investors, corporate venturers, entrepreneurs and advisors. Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of the various structural, operational and wider environmental factors that impact on the performance difference between UK/European and US VC funds. The study is unique in that it provides, for the first time, a holistic and extensive analysis of the entire investment process from sourcing deals to exiting deals specifically contrasting Europe and the US in terms of the variables pertaining to the investment process and the impact on the fund performance. Factors impacting on the performance differential are structural, resulting from characteristics of the funds themselves, operational such as the investment practices of the VC firms which manage the funds and environmental such as culture and attitude to risk and the wider ecosystem in which the funds operate. These factors are set out clearly for the reader. The characteristics of the better performing funds in Europe and the US are also investigated. The book is aimed at academics who are researching venture capital fund performance and investment practices and also at practitioners, advisors and policymakers who want to learn about best VC investment practices. Whilst the book is focused on European and US VC investing, the best practices are also pertinent for VC firms and funds setting up in other geographies, particularly in emerging markets. To this end, best practice guidelines based on the research are included.

The recent surge of technology outsourcing has intensified the cross-cultural effects of information systems designs and constructions, as well as the potential shortage of suitable information specialists at strategic locations. Millions of dollars of investments in information systems are at risk of being underutilized or rejected by users for cultural reasons. ""Information Resources Management: Global Challenges"" addresses challenges in managing information resources in dynamic social environments across cultures, including research on key factors for social acceptance of information technology, and user adoption of information management methods. ""Information Resources Management: Global Challenges"" explores new paradigms under which information resources will generate original meanings for a contemporary generator of users, with increasing interest toward user-centered and culturecentric information systems.

"Everybody loves an innovation, an idea that sells." But how do we arrive at such ideas that sell? And is it possible to learn how to become an innovator? Over the years Design Thinking - a program originally developed in the engineering department of Stanford University and offered by the two D-schools at the Hasso Plattner Institutes in Stanford and in Potsdam - has proved to be really successful in educating innovators. It blends an end-user focus with multidisciplinary collaboration and iterative improvement to produce innovative products, systems, and services. Design Thinking creates a vibrant interactive environment that promotes learning through rapid conceptual prototyping. In 2008, the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research Program was initiated, a venture that encourages multidisciplinary teams to investigate various phenomena of innovation in its technical, business, and human aspects. The researchers are guided by two general questions: 1. What are people really thinking and doing when they are engaged in creative design innovation? How can new frameworks, tools, systems, and methods augment, capture, and reuse successful practices? 2. What is the impact on technology, business, and human performance when design thinking is practiced? How do the tools, systems, and methods really work to get the innovation you want when you want it? How do they fail? In this book, the researchers take a system's view that begins with a demand for deep, evidence-based understanding of design thinking phenomena. They continue with an exploration of tools which can help improve the adaptive expertise needed for design thinking. The final part of the book concerns design thinking in information technology and its relevance for business process modeling and agile software development, i.e. real world creation and deployment of products, services, and enterprise systems.

Researchinbothacademicandnon-academiccircleshasremainedvirtuallyiden- calinitsconductandorganizationoverthelastfewdecades. Disparategroupsof researchershaveworkedontheirideas,projectsandinventionsinisolatedclusters, withlittlesharingofinformationandsynergiesfromcollaboration. Theadventof social networks and Web technologies has led to the creation of new research networksthathavedramaticallyreducedthebarriersandobstaclestocollaboration forresearcherswhoaregeographicallyandorganizationallydistant. Webtechnologiesusebroadbandconnections,improvedbrowsers,and"rich" multimediainconcertwithanewgenerationofwebsitesthatencouragedusersto contribute to content. Blogs, forums, wikis, and other forms of user-generated contentare,inmanycases,themajorsourceofcontentforthesewebsites. Theevolutionofsocialnetworksbeganwiththetrulysocialnetworksoffriends pavingthewayforbusinessnetworks,whichinturnledtothecurrentresearch networksthatconnectacademicandnon-academicresearchersacrosstheworld. Beingmuchmorerobustthantheoriginalsocialnetworksandthebusinessn- worksthatfollowed,collaborativeresearchnetworkshavethepotentialtoeven- ate in technological advances, innovation, and economic contributions to both industryandnations. Currently,tensofthousandsofresearchersareusingresearchnetworks,ushering in a new paradigm for research. In this paradigm, collaboration is made much easier,andsharingofresearchknowledgeisinstant. Synergiesfromroutinecoll- oration will yield huge advances in research productivity and innovation. The challengeforadministratorsinbothindustryandacademiaistounderstandhow researchnetworksarechangingthepracticeofresearchandtodecidehowbestto embracesuchtechnologiesandusethemtotheirbestadvantage. v . Contents PartI e-ResearchCollaboration:Theory AnOverviewofe-ResearchCollaboration ...3 1 Introduction...3 2 SocialNetworksandResearchCollaboration ...6 3 WebTechnologies,SocialNetworksande-ResearchCollaboration...6 4 AnOverviewofThisBook...7 5 PartOne:e-ResearchCollaboration:Theory...8 6 PartTwo:e-ResearchCollaboration:Technologies...9 7 PartThree:e-ResearchCollaboration:Challenges...10 8 Conclusions...12 References...1 2 AnAnatomyofCollaborationWithintheOnlineEnvironment ...15 1 IntroductiontoCollaborationTheory...15 2 De?ningCollaboration...16 2. 1 Cooperation...16 2. 2 Coordination...17 2. 3 Collaboration...18 3 EssentialElementsofCollaboration...19 3. 1 Communication...19 3. 2 TrustandRespect ...20 3. 3 EqualityandPower...21 3. 4 StrategicAlliances...22 3. 5 IncentiveandValue...23 3. 6 Negotiation...23 3. 7 Inter-organisationalKnowledgeSharing...24 vii viii Contents 4 ComparisonofCooperation,CoordinationandCollaboration...25 5 PracticalImplicationsforCollaborationTheory...30 References...32 Time,PlaceandCyberspace:FoundationsforSuccessful e-ResearchCollaboration ...35 1 Introduction...35 2 Context:RoleofCommunicationinCollaborations ...36 3 Methodology:CaseStudyofDigitalHumanitiesCommunity...39 4 Findings:e-ResearchCommunicationTools,UsesandDrawbacks...40 5 ImplicationsofResearchResults:FindingtheBalance Betweene-ResearchToolsandIn-personCommunications...43 6 ConclusionsandRecommendationsforGlobalResearchTeams...46 References...47 GapsandBridgesinInterdisciplinaryKnowledgeIntegration ...49 1 Introduction...49 2 KnowledgeIntegrationWithinandBeyondEpistemicCultures...5 1 3 ThePuzzleofInterdisciplinaryKnowledgeIntegration...51 4 ResearchApproach...54 5 COMDEV ...54 6 CollaborationGapsandBridges...55 6. 1 CollaborationBridges...56 7 EntrepreneurialGaps ...57 8 EntrepreneurialBridges...59 9 Conclusion...60 References...63 BuildingaConceptualFrameworkforCreatingNewKnowledge ThroughaVirtualInterdisciplinaryEnvironmentProcess ...

Value-creation in Middle Market Private Equity by John A. Lanier holistically examines the ecosystem relationships between middle market private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Small business is the job creating engine in the US economy, and consequently is a prime target market for private equity investment. Indeed, private equity backs over six of each 100 private sector jobs. Both the small businesses in which private equity firms invest, and the private equity firms making the investments, face inter- and intra-company fiduciary leadership challenges while implementing formulated strategy. The architecture of each private equity firm-portfolio company relationship must be uniquely crafted to capitalize on the projected return on investment that is memorialized in the investment thesis. Given the leveraged capital structure of portfolio companies, the cost of a misstep is problematic. Individual private equity professionals are typically members of multiple investment teams for the firm. Not only may each investment team have its own unique leadership style, but its diverse members have to assimilate styles for each team in which they participate relative to a specific portfolio company. Acquisitions and their subsequent integrations add exponential complexity for both private equity investment and portfolio company leadership teams; indeed, cultural integration ranks among the most chronic acquisition obstacles. Accordingly, the stakeholders of private equity transactions do well to embrace leadership best practices in applying value-creation toolbox best practices. The perspectives of both the private equity investment team and the portfolio company leadership team are within the scope of these chapters.

This book summarizes the results of Design Thinking Research carried out at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, USA and Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany. The authors offer readers a closer look at Design Thinking with its processes of innovations and methods. The contents of the articles range from how to design ideas, methods and technologies via creativity experiments and wicked problem solutions, to creative collaboration in the real world and the connectivity of designers and engineers. But the topics go beyond this in their detailed exploration of design thinking and its use in IT systems engineering fields and even from a management perspective. The authors show how these methods and strategies work in companies, introduce new technologies and their functions and demonstrate how Design Thinking can influence as diverse a topic area as marriage. Furthermore, we see how special design thinking use functions in solving wicked problems in complex fields. Thinking and creating innovations are basically and inherently human - so is Design Thinking. Due to this, Design Thinking is not only a factual matter or a result of special courses nor of being gifted or trained: it's a way of dealing with our environment and improving techniques, technologies and life.

This book explores the influence of the modes of knowledge transfer and environmental dynamism on the relationship between strategic actions and the sustainable balanced scorecard measurement of performance. Special emphasis is placed on emerging multinational enterprises in Kenya, a country that is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. The chapters address the best strategy for sustainable performance, the integral modes of knowledge transfer on strategy for sustainable performance and the achievement of sustainable performance in dynamic business environments. Providing innovative research on 25 diverse MNEs in Kenya, this book can be used by managers, investors, consultants, researchers and postgraduate students to understand the strategic mechanisms used by these emerging enterprises.

This book is a guide to asset and risk management from a practical point of view. It is centered around two questions triggered by the global events on the stock markets since the middle of the last decade:

- Why do crashes happen when in theory they should not?

- How do investors deal with such crises in terms of their risk measurement and management and as a consequence, what are the implications for the chosen investment strategies?

The book presents and discusses two different approaches to finance and investing, i.e., modern portfolio theory and behavioral finance, and provides an overview of stock market anomalies and historical crashes. It is intended to serve as a comprehensive introduction to asset and risk management for bachelor s and master s students in this field as well as for young professionals in the asset management industry. A key part of this bookis the exercises to further demonstrate the concepts presented with examples and a step-by-step business case. AnExcel file with the calculations and solutions for all 17 examples as well as all business case calculations can be downloaded at extras.springer.com."

This book explores the possibility of using social media data for detecting socio-economic recovery activities. In the last decade, there have been intensive research activities focusing on social media during and after disasters. This approach, which views people's communication on social media as a sensor for real-time situations, has been widely adopted as the "people as sensor" approach. Furthermore, to improve recovery efforts after large-scale disasters, detecting communities' real-time recovery situations is essential, since conventional socio-economic recovery indicators, such as governmental statistics, are not published in real time. Thanks to its timeliness, using social media data can fill the gap. Motivated by this possibility, this book especially focuses on the relationships between people's communication on Twitter and Facebook pages, and socio-economic recovery activities as reflected in the used-car market data and the housing market data in the case of two major disasters: the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The book pursues an interdisciplinary approach, combining e.g. disaster recovery studies, crisis informatics, and economics. In terms of its contributions, firstly, the book sheds light on the "people as sensors" approach for detecting socio-economic recovery activities, which has not been thoroughly studied to date but has the potential to improve situation awareness during the recovery phase. Secondly, the book proposes new socio-economic recovery indicators: used-car market data and housing market data. Thirdly, in the context of using social media during the recovery phase, the results demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between social media data posted both by people who are at or near disaster-stricken areas and by those who are farther away.

This comprehensive textbook is a basic reference which should be recommended to students and teachers in engineering, technology and management as well as to the whole community of professionals already working in quality-related areas. The book aims to be a step-by-step introduction to statistical quality assurance. It has been specifically designed for self-study and includes over 100 fully solved exercises and worked examples. In addition to traditional quality control procedures the book also presents very carefully elaborated results of recent research in order to encourage their adoption into practice.

This book highlights state-of-the-art research on big data and the Internet of Things (IoT), along with related areas to ensure efficient and Internet-compatible IoT systems. It not only discusses big data security and privacy challenges, but also energy-efficient approaches to improving virtual machine placement in cloud computing environments. Big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are ultimately two sides of the same coin, yet extracting, analyzing and managing IoT data poses a serious challenge. Accordingly, proper analytics infrastructures/platforms should be used to analyze IoT data. Information technology (IT) allows people to upload, retrieve, store and collect information, which ultimately forms big data. The use of big data analytics has grown tremendously in just the past few years. At the same time, the IoT has entered the public consciousness, sparking people's imaginations as to what a fully connected world can offer. Further, the book discusses the analysis of real-time big data to derive actionable intelligence in enterprise applications in several domains, such as in industry and agriculture. It explores possible automated solutions in daily life, including structures for smart cities and automated home systems based on IoT technology, as well as health care systems that manage large amounts of data (big data) to improve clinical decisions. The book addresses the security and privacy of the IoT and big data technologies, while also revealing the impact of IoT technologies on several scenarios in smart cities design. Intended as a comprehensive introduction, it offers in-depth analysis and provides scientists, engineers and professionals the latest techniques, frameworks and strategies used in IoT and big data technologies.

This book focuses on why and how to achieve digital transformation for enterprises and organizations by introducing cases in China. Its purpose is to highlight the importance and improve the understanding for digital transformation and related issues, like human resource allocation, and how to improve the efficiency and success rate in a low-cost and low-risk way. In this way, the cases in the book avoid the most common traps during the digital transformation process, enabling R&D and business personnel, and data practitioners in the organization to figure out the implementation and processes involved, and hence better understand how to work with senior management team when implementing the transition plan. The middle and senior level managers such as company executives, presidents in banks and universities,  and officials in government, are also the target audience.

A disruption in your call center operation can conceivably cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. And multiple disruptions can cost in the millions. Call Center Continuity Planning shows you how to plan for - and avoid - service interruptions through disasters large and small. This book will show you how to deal with everything from power outages to major hurricanes. Should you use external Call Volume Management (CVM) solutions such as pre-established procedures for disaster call routing? Or, should you use internal solutions such as planning for a company cold site, virtual call center, or use of the excess capacity of your other call center during emergency? What about managing call volumes to cope with non-emergency seasonal or time of day peaks? Can you use your call centers minimum daily overflow of calls as a benefit rather than a problem? What is involved in contracting to outsource call handling to another call center in terms of effectiveness, expertise, technology, and human resources - and what advanced call processing techniques are available? Call Center Continuity Planning answers all these questions and more. It also provides detailed information on the concept of CVM, that treats the volume of calls as a fluid, that can be channeled from one place to another via computer-managed switching. Your Call Volume Management system acts like a series of aqueducts to manage the floodwaters of incoming calls before your call-takers are swept away.

As the use of digital technology has grown, so necessarily has the body of research into its effects at the personal, group and organizational levels, but there is no one book that looks at how digital technology has specifically influenced creativity. Digital Creativity: Individuals, Groups, and Organizations discusses all spectrums of influence that digital technologies have on creativity from the individual, team, and organization level. This book offers a new kind of creativity model encompassing all three levels of creativity. It combines each level into a unified creativity framework in which organizations regardless of their industry types could benefit in reengineering their business processes as well as strategies. For this purpose, the book considers various factors that would affect creativity- individuals' digital efficacy, heterogeneity among members (i.e., age, gender, races, tenure, education, and culture, etc), CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication), task complexity, exploitation, exploration, culture, organizational learning capability, and knowledge networks among members. This book introduces a theorized and systematic glimpse into the exciting realm of digital creativity. It is organized with contents starting from individuals to teams and ultimately to organizations, each with various techniques and cases. Each chapter shows how individuals, teams, and organizations can become more creative through use of digital technologies.

The modern dependence upon information technology and the corresponding information security regulations and requirements force companies to evaluate the security of their core business processes, mission critical data, and supporting IT environment. Combine this with a slowdown in IT spending resulting in justifications of every purchase, and security professionals are forced to scramble to find comprehensive and effective ways to assess their environment in order to discover and prioritize vulnerabilities, and to develop cost-effective solutions that show benefit to the business. A Practical Guide to Security Assessments is a process-focused approach that presents a structured methodology for conducting assessments. The key element of the methodology is an understanding of business goals and processes, and how security measures are aligned with business risks. The guide also emphasizes that resulting security recommendations should be cost-effective and commensurate with the security risk. The methodology described serves as a foundation for building and maintaining an information security program. In addition to the methodology, the book includes an Appendix that contains questionnaires that can be modified and used to conduct security assessments. This guide is for security professionals who can immediately apply the methodology on the job, and also benefits management who can use the methodology to better understand information security and identify areas for improvement.