INFORMS Dallas 1997 Sponsor: College on Information Systems

SA20.1 LAN/SMDS Interconnection Network Design June S. Park, Larry J. LeBlanc, Alina Chircu, Byugha Lim --- Univ. of IA, Dept. of MS, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000, (jpark@scout-po.biz.uiowa.edu)

We construct a capacitated network design model to minimize the cost¨ of interconnecting remote LANs using a combination of the SMDS¨ connection less service and point-to-point leased digital links.¨ Actual structures of the tariff rates are used which are rather¨ complex. Clustering and SA algorithms are developed.

SA20.2 Design of ATM-Based Backbone Networks with Multiple Fiber Optic Links Indranil Bose, Kemal Altinkemer --- Purdue Univ., Krannert Grad. Sch. of Mgmt., W Lafayette, IN 47906 , (bosei@vm.cc.purdue.edu)

The flow assignment problem in ATM-based backbone networks with¨ parallel links and multiple service classes having various delay¨ requirements is studied. Queuing analysis and MIP-based heuristics¨ are used to determine an 'efficient frontier' that allows users to¨ decide on the cost-delay tradeoff in backbone network design.

SA20.3 Campus Network Design June S. Park, Yinyu Ye, Lihua Zhu --- Univ. of IA, Dept. of MS, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000, (jpark@scout-po.biz.uiowa.edu)

We construct capacitated network design models to minimize the cost¨ of interconnecting LANs distributed in a campus area using¨ repeaters, LAN switches, routers and high-speed backbones.¨ Interesting subproblems and adequate solution strategies are¨ discussed.

SA20.4 Interconnection of LANs Using an ATM Backbone Frederick Kaefer --- IN Univ., Dept. of Op. & Dec. Tech., 10th & Fee Lane, Bloomington, IN 47405-1701, (fkaefer@indiana.edu)

When ATM is used in the backbone, high speed access to shared¨ resources is enabled. Furthermore, ATM is scalable and has quality¨ of service guarantees that support voice and video applications. We¨ develop mathematical models for designing a campus network that uses¨ an ATM backbone for interconnecting LANs.

SA20.5 Optimal Migration of Legacy LANs to Gigabit Ethernet Hans Kruse --- OH Univ., Sch. of Comm. Systems Mgmt., 197 RTVC, 9 S College St., Athens, OH 45701-2979, (kruse@ouvaza.cats.ohiou.edu)

With the developments of Gigabit Ethernet products and¨ specifications, organizations will soon begin migrating their legacy¨ and ATM LANs to a Gigabit Ethernet-based backbone architecture.¨ Models and solution procedures which minimize the cost of such¨ migration strategies subject to architectural and capacity¨ constraints are addressed.

SB20.1 An Architecture for Real-Time Monitoring in Electronic Commerce Prabhudev Konana, John Durett, Aloysius Mok, G. Liu --- Univ. of TX, MSIS Dept., Grad. Sch. of Bus., Austin, TX 78712 , (pkonana@cism.bus.utexas.edu)

Many electronic commerce applications require monitoring of timing¨ constraints and user defined rules. We provide an architecture for¨ monitoring conformance of such constraints in the WWW environment¨ using Java programming language and database technology. We show how¨ such an architecture can be used successfully for electronic¨ commerce in financial markets.

SB20.2 Organizing & Managing Digital Products Companies Anitesh Barua, Ramnath Chellappa, Andrew B. Whinston --- Univ. of TX, Ctr. for Res. on Elect. Comm., MSIS Dept., Grad. Sch. of Bus., Austin, TX 78712 , (barua@mail.utexas.edu)

Digital products companies face special challenges in efficiently¨ providing mass customized products. We develop an integrated¨ approach to organizing and managing their value chain processes¨ based on business value complementarity notions. This involves¨ making complementary choices of technologies, strategies, processes¨ and incentives to exploit the unique characteristics of digital¨ products.

SB20.3 Digital Libraries: A New Organizational Form for Information Trading Byungtae Lee --- Univ. of AZ, Eller Sch. of Mgmt., McClelland Hall 430, Tucson, AZ 85721 , (blee@bpa.arizona.edu)

Digital libraries (an emerging organizational form) facilitate¨ information trading by combining features of existing alternatives¨ such as bookstore and traditional libraries. Using an industrial¨ organization-based approach, I draw boundaries among these¨ alternatives and explain how they evolve when challenged by¨ alternatives, thus deriving insights into the future of e-commerce.

SD20.1 Digital Libraries: A New Organizational Form for Information Trading Byungtae Lee --- Univ. of AZ, Eller Sch. of Mgmt., McClelland Hall 430, Tucson, AZ 85721 , (blee@bpa.arizona.edu)

Digital libraries (an emerging organizational form) facilitate¨ information trading by combining features of existing alternatives¨ such as bookstore and traditional libraries. Using an industrial¨ organization-based approach, I draw boundaries among these¨ alternatives and explain how they evolve when challenged by¨ alternatives, thus deriving insights into the future of e-commerce.

SD20.2 Ethical/Legal Issues on the Internet Sue Conger --- SMU, Cox Sch. of Bus., Dallas, TX 75275 , (sconger@aol.com)

The internet, in addition to growing 35% yearly in number of US¨ users, has spawned numerous legal issues, including copyright and¨ citation protections as well as trademarked and registered words,¨ phrases and ideas. Current legal ruling and pending litigation¨ relating to these issues are discussed.

SD20.3 Networked Organization Partner Selection Strategies Sury Ravindran --- Univ. of TX, Dec. Sciences, Sch. of Mgmt., 2601 N. Floyd Rd., Richardson, TX 75080 , (suryan@utdallas.edu)

Electronic computer networks have brought organizations interested¨ in electronic commerce the mixed blessing of vast amounts of data¨ which sometimes overwhelm their information processing capability.¨ We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of compensatory and¨ non-compensatory choice models of networked organizational partner¨ selection.

SD20.4 Focused Broadcasting: Classified Advertising in the New Media James K. Ho --- Univ. of IL, MC 294, 601 S Morgan, Chicago, IL 60607 , (jimho@uic.edu)

Amidst the debate over push vs. pull technologies on the Internet,¨ opportunities for truly compelling applications using a balanced¨ approach are becoming feasible. Focused broadcasting, the matching¨ up of classified and want ads in cyberspace, can be a prime example¨ of such developments as indicated by a pilot study on user¨ attitudes.

SE20.1 From an Organization with Networks to a Networked Organization Efrem Mallach, Dorothy J. Eastman --- Univ. of MA, Coll. of Mgmt., 1 University Ave., Lowell, MA 01824 , (mallache@woods.uml.edu)

In a fully networked organization, the nature of information sharing¨ changes. Information flow becomes unpredictable and information¨ loses traceability to its originator. We study the barriers to¨ networked organizations, the implications for organizational¨ behavior patterns, for information quality and for the required¨ supporting technology.

SE20.2 Mapping Business Processes into SAP for Organizational Integration Kimberly Queenan, Reza Barkhi --- Stream Intl., , , (kqueenan@stream.com)

Implementation of SAP requires business processes to be defined¨ precisely and compiled tightly. We propose a framework that may help¨ establish and structure business processes so that they facilitate¨ implementation in SAP. We explore the mapping of business process¨ definitions in to SAP modules using data flow diagrams via¨ decomposition and leveling. In this framework, convergence and¨ harmonization are discussed.

SE20.3 Managing Investments in Robotics or Other Technology Thomas Klammer --- Univ. of North TX, Dept. of Acct., Denton, TX 76205 , (klammer@cobaf.unt.edu)

Problems frequently arise in managing investments in robotics or¨ other technology. Project sponsors (the technical staff) often do¨ not communicate with the evaluators (the financial staff).¨ Disconnects between top management and the technical and financial¨ staffs can create adversarial relationships. We summarize ways to¨ reduce these types of problems.

SE20.4 Information-Based Technology Investment Decisions Norma C. Powell, Reza Barkhi --- Univ. of MA, Lowell, MA 01844 , (powelln@woods.uml.edu)

Companies make investment decisions in order to increase the value¨ of the firm. The investment decision impacts the value of the firm¨ in 1 of 2 basic ways: an increase in the revenue stream or a¨ decrease in costs. Traditional investment justification models may¨ not apply to information-based technologies. The reason may be due¨ to an inadequate understanding and measurement of cost-benefit for¨ information-based technologies....

MA20.1 Social Constructs & AIS Research Jesse Dillard --- Univ. of NM, Anderson Sch. of Mgmt., 1924 Las Lomas, Albuquerque, NM 87131 , (dillard@unm.edu)

The application of sociology in AIS research is needed in order to¨ better understand AISs in action. Four organizational sociology¨ research paradigms are discussed: functionalism, interpretism, anti¨ and non. The AIS research using the alternative paradigms is¨ reviewed. The AIS field must broaden its perspective of what¨ constitutes legitimate research and encourage the application of¨ alternative paradigms.

MA20.2 Misleading Graphs: Effects on Decision Making Vairam Arunachalam --- Univ. of MO, Sch. of Accountancy, 319 Middlebush Hall, Columbia, MO 65211 , (acctva@showme.missouri.edu)

Graphs are widely used in annual reports to supplement financial¨ information presented in tabular format. Research has shown that¨ annual reports contain graphs that are misleading in the sense that¨ they portray a magnitude of changes in the graphs either over or¨ understating the numerical magnitude of change in the underlying¨ variables. Little is known about the effects of such misleading¨ graphics on decision making...

MA20.3 Logical Modeling of Embedded Audit Functions Robert A. Nehmer --- Berry College, Campbell Sch. of Bus., PO Box 5024, Mt. Berry, GA 30149-5024, (rnehmer@berry.edu)

Logical models of accounting systems have appeared infrequently in¨ the literature, yet their descriptive and predictive power is quite¨ formidable. We present the initial results of adding a practical¨ functionality and embedded audit routines to logical models of¨ accounting systems. This extends the use of such models to auditing¨ practice.