1.
Smedberg, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
Stress Management 2.0 : A Holistic Approach to Self-management Online
2010
Ingår i: International Multi-Conference on Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics (IMCIC 2010). - Orlando, Florida USA : International Institute of Informatics and Systemics (IIIS). ; , s. 312-317
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
The last years have put stress management on the agenda of healthcare. Intense lifestyles with job and domestic demands let people experience high levels of stress and to react strongly to different stressors. Long-term sickness and absence from work can be a consequence of too high stress exposure during a long period of time. This negative trend can be counteracted if we allow a combination of actions to support people who experience stressful lives. Different online programs are available for people with stress symptoms. However, there is a lack of conceptual understanding and a holistic approach to learning online for this group of people. In this article, we present a holistic and integrated approach to ‘stress management 2.0’ that considers several areas: stress management, self-management, informatics and continuous learning through communication and feedback. The approach is based on findings from previous research studies of web based solutions for learning new lifestyles, stress management and results from clinical trials. At the end of the article, we present some design principles to be used for developing systems in accordance with ‘stress management 2.0’ from a holistic view.
2.
Smedberg, Åsa
(författare)
Web Communities for Preventive Health Care - Experienced Usability and Health Impact among Smokers and Overweight People
2010
Ingår i: SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EHEALTH, TELEMEDICINE, AND SOCIAL MEDICINE. - LOS ALAMITOS : IEEE COMPUTER SOC. - 9780769539508 ; , s. 153-158
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
The number of web based health communities has increased during the latest years, and so has also the number of users. Among these, we find the health communities for people who suffer from lifestyle problems. These communities aim at helping people change their habits, and thereby preventing them from getting severe illnesses later. The communities are used for conversations about everyday struggles for a healthier lifestyle, and they contain issues concerning treatments, exercises, motivation, setbacks, etc. The question is in what ways and to what extent these communities support self-management among the members. This paper presents the results from a survey to members of a web community on overweight and another one on smoking. The results showed the members' appreciation for existing conversational topics on facts and motivation. They also thought that answers in which the senders offer new perspectives were valuable and could increase.
3.
Aghaee, Naghmeh, et al.
(författare)
Interaction Gaps in PhD Education and ICT as a Way Forward: Results from a Study in Sweden
2016
Ingår i: International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. - : Athabasca University Press. - 1492-3831. ; 17:3, s. 360-383
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Many research studies have highlighted the low completion rate and slow progress in PhD education. Universities strive to improve throughput and quality in their PhD education programs. In this study, the perceived problems of PhD education are investigated from PhD students' points of view, and how an Information and Communication Technology Support System (ICTSS) may alleviate these problems. Data were collected through an online open questionnaire sent to the PhD students at the Department of (the institution's name has been removed during the double-blind review) with a 59% response rate. The results revealed a number of problems in the PhD education and highlighted how online technology can support PhD education and facilitate interaction and communication, affect the PhD students' satisfaction, and have positive impacts on PhD students' stress. A system was prototyped, in order to facilitate different types of online interaction through accessing a set of online and structured resources and specific communication channels. Although the number of informants was not large, the result of the study provided some rudimentary ideas that refer to interaction problems and how an online ICTSS may facilitate PhD education by providing distance and collaborative learning, and PhD students' self-managed communication.
4.
Aghaee, Nam, et al.
(författare)
Communication and Collaboration Gaps among PhD Students and ICT as a Way Forward : Results from a Study in Sweden
2015
Ingår i: Proceedings of E-Learn. - : Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. ; , s. 237-244
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
The low completion rate and slow progress in PhD education have been highlighted in many studies. However, the interaction problems and communication gaps that PhD students encounter make this attempt even more challenging. The aim of this study is to investigate the peer interaction problems and ICT based solutions from PhD students’ perspectives. The data collection method was an online questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used to follow up. The target group for the survey was the PhD students in Computer Science at Stockholm University. The total number of respondents for the survey was 53 PhD students and eleven randomly selected PhD students for the interviews. The results reflected a lack of peer interaction as an important issue in the perspective of the students. Based on this, the study showed several ICT solutions that have the potential to reduce the interaction problems and thereby improve PhD students’ collaborative learning and research quality.
5.
6.
Bathallath, Sameer, et al.
(författare)
Impediments to Effective Management of Project Interdependencies : A Study of IT/IS Project Portfolios
2017
Ingår i: Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations. - 1539-2937 .- 1539-2929. ; 15:2, s. 16-30
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Interdependencies between projects have come to play a more active role in the decision on IT/IS portfolios and their constituent projects. However, managing these interdependencies can be a complex task, especially when the number and degree of interdependencies among projects are high. In times of uncertainty, unexpected challenges can seriously disrupt projects and, consequently, their interdependencies. This may threaten the project portfolio from achieving its final goal. The study aims to investigate the difficulties associated with managing project interdependence along the development cycle of the project portfolio. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews with managers from four leading organizations in Saudi Arabia. The findings reveal three main categories of factors that increased the difficulty of managing project interdependencies in large IT/IS project portfolios: insufficient understanding of human responsibilities in the whole portfolio, unpredictability of the environment, and technology barriers and constraints.
7.
Bathallath, Sameer, et al.
(författare)
Investigating the Sources of Difficulties in Managing Project Interdependencies : A Study of IT/IS Project Portfolios
2016
Ingår i: Proceedings of the 9th IADIS International Conference Information Systems 2016. - : IADIS Press. - 9789898533500 ; , s. 71-82
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
Interdependencies between projects can take a major role in IT/IS project portfolios. However, managing these interdependencies can be a difficult task, especially when the number and diversity of projects grow large in scale. In times of unexpected events, extra management efforts are inevitable for treating the subsequent effects on the projects and their interdependencies, and for maintaining high-performance portfolios. Complexity is also a concern for managers, and a growing complexity level may threatens the project portfolio from achieving its final goal. This paper investigates the managerial issues and difficulties in handling project interdependencies. For a closer look at these interdependencies and to gain more understanding of the problem area, a qualitative study was conducted based on semi-structured interviews with managers from four leading organizations in different industries in Saudi Arabia. The findings reveal three main sources of difficulty in managing project interdependencies in IT/IS project portfolios: 1) Insufficient understanding of human responsibilities in the whole portfolio, 2) Environmental change and 3) Technological constraints.
8.
Bathallath, Sameer, et al.
(författare)
Managing project interdependencies in IT/IS project portfolios : a review of managerial issues
2016
Ingår i: International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management. - 2182-7796 .- 2182-7788. ; 4:1, s. 67-82
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat) abstract
Adequately managing project interdependencies among diverse and simultaneous projects is deemed critical for successful implementation of project portfolios. The challenge is significant because it may entail managing a complex network of project interdependencies that keeps changing over time. The present study investigates the managerial challenges that may undermine effective management of project interdependencies in IT/IS project portfolios. The investigation is based on evidence from reviewing relevant literature and documented studies associated with managing project interdependencies. The main contribution of this study is to discuss three managerial challenges of project interdependencies in project portfolios. We discuss the challenges from three perspectives: types of interdependencies; patterns of interaction in interdependencies; and cost/benefit impact of project interdependencies.
9.
Bathallath, Sameer, et al.
(författare)
Project interdependency management in IT/IS project portfolios : from a systems perspective
2016
Ingår i: Procedia Computer Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 1877-0509. ; 100, s. 928-934
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Capitalizing on inter-project interdependencies is widely accepted as being crucial for Information Technology/Information Systems (IT/IS) project portfolio success. However, handling these interdependencies becomes a source of increased management complexity as project portfolios get larger, increasingly diverse, and are much influenced by their environments. This then can lead to less predictable situations regarding the portfolio performance as a whole. Though there are many methods available for optimally selecting projects and cross-checking possible synergies and interdependencies among the projects in the portfolio, it remains unclear how one can gain control over the complexity of managing these interdependencies. In this study, we address the problem of handling many project interdependencies that continuously change and develop within a large IT/IS project portfolio. We found that the existing methods for selecting and managing the projects within a portfolio do not focus enough on how interdependencies can disrupt the balance of the whole project portfolio system. To tackle the problem, we propose a systemic approach using the Viable System Model to enhance the way that these interdependencies can be effectively managed in view of the overall portfolio system. We suggest that the Viable System Model, as a supplement to traditional IT/IS project portfolio management approaches, is recursively applied to diagnose and manage the complexity of project interdependencies within IT/IS project portfolios.
10.
Bathallath, Sameer, et al.
(författare)
The Viable System Model for Diagnosing and Handling IT-Project Interdependencies in Large Portfolios
2018
Ingår i: International Journal of Information Technology Project Management. - 1938-0232 .- 1938-0240. ; 10:1, s. 72-87
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat) abstract
Adequately considering project interdependencies has shown to be a determinant of how successful IT/IS project portfolios are managed. However, this can be especially troublesome since there is no universal way to handle many project interdependencies that continue to change over time due to environmental uncertainty or unexpected decisions. This can seriously disrupt portfolio performance. In this article, the authors used the systems perspective to address the problem of managing multiple IT-project interdependencies in complex IT/IS portfolio environment. In particular, the authors propose using the cybernetic model Viable System Model to facilitate thinking and reasoning concerning the difficulty of managing IT-project interdependencies. To validate their approach and to ensure the appropriateness of it, the authors used real-world problem situations drawn from multiple case studies conducted in four leading organizations in Saudi Arabia. The findings support that the Viable System Model can be applied to assist in diagnosing and handling of IT-project interdependencies.
