Traditional information systems for crisis response and management are centralized systems with a rigid hierarchical structure. Here we propose a decentralized system, which allows citizens to play a significant role as information source and/or as helpers during the initial stages of a crisis. In our …

Energy Valley cluster and internationalisation. There is a need for more dynamic approaches to strategy development for clusters due to the complex internal and external environments that are part of clusters. The research introduced complex adaptive systems (CAS) approach to cluster theory where contextual …

Social work organizations, research institutions, government agencies and housing associations are partners in many urban redevelopment programmes. Combining the interests of these organizations can be an interesting management challenge, and developing information systems to suit the combined information …

Training systems with intelligent virtual agents provide an effective means to train people for complex, dynamic tasks like crisis management or firefighting. Virtual agents provide more adequate behavior and explanations if they not only take their own goals and beliefs into account, but also the assumed …

As multimedia gradually becomes more and more an integrated part of video conferencing systems, the use of multimedia integrated desktop video conferencing technology (MIDVCT) will open up new educational possibilities for synchronous learning. However, the possibilities and limitations of this technology …

This article presents the results of experiments performed with agents based on an operalization of an information-theoretic model for trust. Experiments have been performed with the ART test-bed, a test domain for trust and reputation aiming to provide transparent and recognizable standards. An agent …

In this study the question is raised how family support should be organized so that it is as efficient and effective as can be. Exchange theory can provide an answer to this question while taking into account that the needs of individuals will differ. In the study that is presented here, generalized …

Teachers in Europe are educated in a wide variety of institutes and by a wide range of curriculum models. The main aim of teacher education is the same throughout Europe – the education of teachers – but the underlying ideas and the contexts differ, leading to significant differences between teacher education …

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are social learning systems that can be, to a certain extent, designed. Wenger (1998) proposes the following paradox; “ no community can fully design the learning of another, but at the same time, no community can fully design its own learning” (p:234). My interpretation …

Metaphor is one of the important discursive themes in organizational literature (Grant et al.,2001). Metaphors play an important role in the discourse within organizations as well as in theorizing about organizations. This empirical paper focuses on the latter by analysing the role of metaphor in the …