Information Value Chain Research Articles

Factors Influencing Investments in Tectona grandis and Pinus patula Tree Seeds Production in Tanzania

Investments in Tectona grandis and Pinus patula seeds have had a significant role in the economic growth of the forest sector in the World. Investors not only provide capital but also facilitate access to international markets, management and organizational abilities, as well as advanced and efficient technologies. This study investigated the main factors influencing investments in tree seed production focusing mainly on Tectona grandis and Pinus patula seeds. The study assessed the factors that attract or discourage investors from investing in the production of Tectona grandis and Pinus patula seeds. A purposive sampling design was employed for selecting species and study sites. Data were collected using mixed techniques including Key Informants’ Interviews (KII), Focus Group Discussions (FGD), researcher’s direct observation and literature review. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using various techniques. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS (version 23.0) and Excel programs. In addition, descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings indicate that the availability of market information and favourable government policies and regulations were among the factors attracting investors in the tree seeds production industry. On the other hand, unavailability of market information, unfavourable government policy and regulation, inadequate awareness of the tree seeds production value chain and the longtime nature of tree seeds investment were factors discouraging investors from engaging in the tree seeds industry. Further, factors influencing tree seed price setting include demand for seeds, quality of seeds and costs of production. Investors require a substantial amount of information that could guarantee safety and a favourable business environment to enable easy control of tree seed business risks and uncertainties. Tree seeds market and production value chain information should therefore be provided to investors through various media. In order to regulate and protect the tree seeds sector in the country, the Government policies and regulations pertaining to tree seeds should be enacted

Beyond technical website compliance: Identifying and assessing accessible tourism value chain information content on national tourism organisation websites

Beyond technical website compliance: Identifying and assessing accessible tourism value chain information content on national tourism organisation websites

Using Clinical Simulation to Evaluate AI-Enabled Decision Support.

Clinical simulation is a useful method for evaluating AI-enabled clinical decision support (CDS). Simulation studies permit patient- and risk-free evaluation and far greater experimental control than is possible with clinical studies. The effect of CDS assisted and unassisted patient scenarios on meaningful downstream decisions and actions within the information value chain can be evaluated as outcome measures. This paper discusses the use of clinical simulation in CDS evaluation and presents a case study to demonstrate feasibility of its application.

The Impact of the Internet on the Development of Agricultural Product Value Chain

With the popularization and rapid development of the Internet, the development of the value chain of agricultural products has also been profoundly affected. The purpose of this paper is to study the application of the Internet in the production, processing, circulation, consumption and extension of each link in the value chain of agricultural products, analyze the impact of the Internet on the development of the value chain of agricultural products, and point out the problems of information security and value chain financing of agricultural products in the process of promoting the development of the value chain of agricultural products, so as to put forward countermeasures and suggestions to promote the development of agricultural products e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce of agricultural products, improve the Internet application ability of farmers, and increase the support for the value chain financing of agricultural products. This is of great significance for promoting the deep integration of the Internet and agriculture and promoting the realization of agricultural modernization in China.

Assessment of ginger production value chain information needs for sustainable livelihood in Kachia Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Ginger production is dominated by small holder low-income farmers, though experienced, yield remained consistently and relatively low. Hence the study investigated information needs of farmers using closed structured questionnaires, randomly but purposefully distributed to 120 farmers in Agunu, Gidan Tagwai, Gumel, Kurmin Musa, Kwaturu and Sabon Sarki wards in Kachia. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics, mathematical techniques(Confrontation indexes), correlation and regression analyses at p ≤ 0.05. Results showed that 80.83 % married male (66.67 %) within the ages of 31-40 years (46.67 %) dominated production with average farm size of 1-2 ha and farming experience of 6-7 years. Of the 14 identified information needs, six were needed with pest management (3.85), fertilizer (3.84), marketing information (3.59) and source of credit ranking high while seven were rarely needed but irrigation and water management were not needed. Evidently, ginger farming is basically on traditional technology as major source of information is from parents and friends (39.86 %) coupled with problems like irregular power (3.63), inadequate funds for digital information (3.44) and inadequate information dissemination (3.43). Positive and significant correlation and regression coefficient between demographic data and information needs (sex (R2 = 0.847), farm size (R2 = 0.728) and family size (R2 = 0.707)) indicated strong influence. Therefore, inter alia emphasis on the use of digital knowledge, women involvement, funding, functional extension services, training and retraining of farmers are imperative to improve production and livelihood of farmers.

Using value chain approaches to evaluate the end-to-end warning chain

Abstract. The weather information value chain provides a framework for characterising the production, communication, and use of information by all stakeholders in an end-to-end warning system covering weather and hazard monitoring, modelling and forecasting, risk assessment, communication and preparedness activities. Warning services are typically developed and provided through a multitude of complex and malleable value chains (networks), often established through co-design, co-creation and co-provision. In November 2020, a 4-year international project under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Weather Research Programme was instigated to explore value chain approaches to describe and evaluate warning systems for high impact weather by integrating physical and social science. It aims to create a framework with guidance and tools for using value chain approaches, and to develop a database of high impact weather warning case studies for scientists and practitioners to review, analyse and learn from previous experience using value chain approaches. Here we describe a template for high-impact weather event case study collection that provides a tool for scientists and practitioners involved in researching, designing and evaluating weather-related warning systems to review previous experience of high impact weather events and assess their efficacy.

Marketing Analytics: Driving Roi through Data-Driven Marketing Strategies

An organization’s ability to develop and execute strategy relies on its grasp of customer behavior, especially in today’s volatile business climate. Achieving market dominance relies on it. Consequently, customer centricity should permeate all aspect of a company’s operations. In order to assist businesses locate the “right” customers, retain and expand their customer base, and maintain growth and profitability, marketers must utilize big data through data driven marketing (DDM). Aiming to increase shareholder value through establishing “customer centricity” is the focus of this research, which also delves into DDM adoption techniques. The decision-making process has grown in significance with the advent of analytics and the raging digital era. Also essential to the process are intuition and judgment. Choosing the right thing to do isn’t something that can be done purely rationally. This study provides the answers to the research questions about how data analytics in one department affects that department and the company as a whole. To be more specific, it uses an information value chain technique to hypothesize the link between the marketing unit’s and the firm’s performance in terms of quality data and the sensing capabilities of IT- based analytics. Supporting the predictions, a survey of 346 companies found evidence of both direct and partially mediated effects on sensing capabilities, as well as partially mediated effects on quality data.

Research on emotional polarization mechanism of knowledge community from the perspective of social network structure —An empirical study on ‘Zhihu’ question and answer learning community

Information overload and cocoon effect make the phenomenon of emotional polarization easily appear in online knowledge community. The mechanism of emotional polarization of users in knowledge community is analyzed, so as to reveal the formation rule of users’ emotional polarization in knowledge community and summarize the intervention measures, provide a theoretical basis for further effective control of polarized emotions of knowledge community users. Starting from the theory of social network structure, based on the PAD emotional model, starting from the dimensions of Pleasure, Arousal and Dominance, focusing on the degree of user centrality, an index framework of emotional polarization is constructed around three behavioral patterns of information retrieval, information selection and information interaction. SOR model is used to dynamically explore the polarization mechanism under this framework. The results show that the heterogeneity of social network structure has an effect on participants’ emotional perception and information behavior. The polarization of Pleasure has a positive effect on user centrality, and the polarization of Arousal and Dominance have a negative effect. User centrality positively affects their information selection and interaction behavior, but has no significant effect on retrieval behavior. The emotional polarization in the process of community knowledge sharing is decomposed from different perspectives, and the polarization mechanism is shared by combining social network structure and information behavior. From the perspective of application, this is conducive to promoting knowledge sharing, communication learning and information value chain remodeling, and also provides a kind of insightful analysis paradigm for this field.

ICT application for promotion of integrated farming system

ICT is an umbrella term that includes communication devices like computer, mobile phone, radio, television, network hardware, satellite system etc. as well as services like audio and video call, text and multimedia messages. During first decade of twenty- first century, there had been spurt in experimentation of ICT in agriculture by the government, private, co-operative and non-government organizations (NGOs). The initiatives gave mixed result of success and failures. The initial challenges like lack of power back up, poor connectivity, high cost, lack of computer literacy and absence of digital content are disappearing at a faster rate. The growth in network infrastructure, cloud computing, decreasing price of computer and mobile phone and digital literacy have increased the internet access. The present-day initiatives involve multiple channels like web, mobile app, SMS and IVR in multiple languages. At the same time the gamut of information has been increasing from crop specific information to value chain information. The emergence of social media has opened new vista for agricultural extension through which two-way information in multimedia format can be exchanged at virtually no cost. These technologies can effectively be used for promotion of IFS. However, the response of research and extension system is not very encouraging. The extension professionals should gear up to develop technical competence and exposure so that content could be developed as per channel and in local language of the clients. The frontier technologies like sensor based diagnostic equipments, remote sensing and GIS, GPS technology as well as robotics and drone in agriculture are poised to change the landscape of agricultural extension.

Value creation through marketing data analytics: The distinct contribution of data analytics assets and capabilities to unit and firm performance

This study answers research calls regarding data analytics in a specific unit and its impact at the unit and organizational level. In doing so, it takes an information value chain approach to theorize about how quality data and IT-enabled data analytics sensing capability in the marketing unit relate differently to the unit performance as well as to firm-level performance. Results from a survey of 346 firms confirm the hypotheses by showing partially and fully mediated effects for quality data, and direct and partially mediated effects for sensing capability.

Design and Application of e-Commerce Platform System Based on Blockchain Technology on the Internet of Things

Focusing on the problems of platform monopoly, power rent-seeking and high cost in the current Internet e-commerce platform system, a new method and paradigm of e-commerce platform is introduced in this paper based on the blockchain, smart contract technology, tokenomics thought, and e-commerce professional theory. The interconnection of e-commerce information value chain can be realized by means of blockchain related technology and the construction of circulation system, payment system, and credit system in the core module of e-commerce platform. From the perspective of users of e-commerce platform, the optimizing of the application process and operation structure of e-commerce operation can significantly improve users’ service experience, avoid information disclosure risk, and reduce process redundancy as well. The prominent advantages of this e-commerce platform include data security, data sharing, shopping cost reduction, monopoly elimination, community construction, and commercial form innovation. The e-commerce function was originally defined as building an e-commerce platform, optimizing and promoting various search products, maintaining, refactoring and extending the e-commerce platform, and developing and monetizing online products. It has 6 operating modes: direct sales model, yellow pages model, coupon model, brokerage model, reservation model, and market model.

Chain upgrading, technology transfer, and legitimacy: The Schumpeterian character of China in the information and communication technology sector in SSA

Drawing on technical change and technology transfer theories, we explore the Schumpeterian character of China in the information and communications technology (ICT) value chain in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using data collected from various online sources, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS) databases, we establish three key findings. First, relative to the traditional Global North sources, China has become a major source of ICT in SSA. Second, over the past two decades, Chinese firms operating in SSA have adopted a Schumpeterian character to gain legitimacy in the communities in which they operate. Third, with the easier transfer of ICT from China, local ICT firms in SSA have upgraded their value chains from only delivering information services to becoming important players in the financial sector, including the provision of mobile money transfer services. We conclude that China's expansive size, coupled with its ability to produce technologies for low-income economies, is likely to ensure that it will remain the dominant source of ICT innovations for SSA.

An Empirical Assessment of the Relationship Between Information Intensity and IT Leaders' Role and Structural Power

Using the theoretical lens of the contingency approach to leadership, this study explores the relationship between the information intensity of the organization’s value chains and IT leaders’ role and structural power. Based on data obtained from a sample of 174 Australian IT senior executives, a multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) is used to empirically test for differences between the IT leader’s role and structural power in high and low information intensive organizations. Findings suggest that value chain information intensity significantly influences the importance of individual CIO roles as well as the combined operational (supply) and strategic (demand) groups of roles. However, the IT leaders’ structural power was found to be unrelated to the level of information intensity of the organization. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Towards a Conceptual Approach of Analytical Engineering for Big Data

Analytics corresponds to a relevant and challenging phase of Big Data. The generation of knowledge from extensive data sets (petabyte era) of varying types, occurring at a speed able to serve decision makers, is practiced using multiple areas of knowledge, such as computing, statistics, data mining, among others. In the Big Data domain, Analytics is also considered as a process capable of adding value to the organizations. Besides the demonstration of value, Analytics should also consider operational tools and models to support decision making. To adding value, Analytics is also presented as part of some Big Data value chains, such the Information Value Chain presented by NIST among others, which are detailed in this article. As well, some maturity models are presented, since they represent important structures to favor continuous implementation of Analytics for Big Data, using specific technologies, techniques and methods. Hence, through an in-depth research, using specific literature references and use cases, we seeks to outline an approach to determine the Analytical Engineering for Big Data Analytics considering four pillars: Data, Models, Tools and People; and three process groups: Acquisition, Retention and Revision; in order to make feasible and to define an organization, possibly designated as an Analytics Organization, responsible for generating knowledge from the data in the field of Big Data Analytics.

Adoption of Blockchain Technology through Digital Twins in the Construction Industry 4.0: A PESTELS Approach

The key challenges of the building, engineering, construction, operations, and mining (BECOM) industries are the lack of trust, inefficiencies, and the fragmentation of the information value chain into vulnerable data silos throughout the lifecycle of projects. This paper aims to develop a novel conceptual model for the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) for digital twin(s) (DT) in the BECOM industry 4.0 to improve trust, cyber security, efficiencies, information management, information sharing, and sustainability. A PESTELS approach is used to review the literature and identify the key challenges affecting BCT adoption for the BECOM industry 4.0. A review of the technical literature on BCT combined with the findings from PESTELS analysis permitted researchers to identify the key technological factors affecting BCT adoption in the industry. This allowed offering a technological framework—namely, the decentralized digital twin cycle (DDTC)—that leverages BCT to address the key technological factors and to ultimately enhance trust, security, decentralization, efficiency, traceability, and transparency of information throughout projects’ lifecycles. The study also identifies the gaps in the integration of BCT with key technologies of industry 4.0, including the internet of things (IoT), building information modeling (BIM), and DT. The framework offered addresses key technological factors and narrows key gaps around network governance, scalability, decentralization, interoperability, energy efficiency, computational requirements, and BCT integration with IoT, BIM, and DT throughout projects’ lifecycles. The model also considers the regulatory aspect and the environmental aspect, and the circular economy (CE). The theoretical framework provides key technological building blocks for industry practitioners to develop the DDTC concept further and implement it through experimental works. Finally, the paper provides an industry-specific analysis and technological approach facilitating BCT adoption through DT to address the key challenges and improve sustainability for the BECOM industry 4.0.

Value Chain Creation in Business Analytics

Firms are awash in big data and analytical technology as part of the process of deriving values in the current turbulent environment. The literature has reached a consensus that investments in technology only may not reap benefits from business analytics (BA). As such, the main purpose of BA is not about how to install technical capabilities, but about how to create a process whereby a firm builds a value chain converting data into insights and ultimately into quality outcomes. Drawing upon the theory of the information value chain, this study develops a BA value chain creation model and tests it with 268 firms. Results show that organizational resilience, absorptive capacity, and analytical IT capabilities are critical antecedents of analytical decision-making quality, which in turn influences BA net benefits. In particular, organizational resilience emerges as a more significant determinant of analytical decision-making quality than technology and people in the BA value chain creation. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed in this paper.

Role of gatekeeping on Facebook in creating information benefits for vulnerable, pregnant women in the rural United States

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate why and how gatekeepers on social networking sites (SNS) create what types of information benefits for gated, vulnerable, pregnant women in the rural United States.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study adopts “network gatekeeping” as a theoretical lens to implement a combination of deductive and inductive qualitative approaches for analyzing in-depth interviews with members and administrators of a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Group on Facebook with a membership of over 500 pregnant women in rural Appalachia in the United States.FindingsThe VBAC group administrators' (a) vision of transforming the existing doctor-centric birth culture to a more mother-centric birth culture in the rural United States, (b) expertise and experience in healthcare and (c) valuing scientific, evidence-based information lead to recurring, authoritative but evolving manifestations of combinations of nine network gatekeeping mechanisms. Implementations of nine network gatekeeping mechanisms (i.e. localization, infrastructure, cost effect, channeling, censorship, regulation, editorial, user-interaction and value adding mechanisms) help VBAC group administrators control interactions and information on the group, thereby creating 16 information benefits for the gated, vulnerable women before, during and after pregnancy.Originality/valueThis sociological study of network gatekeeping posits and proves an “information value chain” (i.e. Why to create information benefits? – How to create information benefits? – What types of information benefits?) for vulnerable, pregnant women on Facebook. Rarely any study shows the role of network gatekeeping mechanisms in implementing an information value chain.

Big Data Analytic Framework for Organizational Leverage

Web data have grown exponentially to reach zettabyte scales. Mountains of data come from several online applications, such as e-commerce, social media, web and sensor-based devices, business web sites, and other information types posted by users. Big data analytics (BDA) can help to derive new insights from this huge and fast-growing data source. The core advantage of BDA technology is in its ability to mine these data and provide information on underlying trends. BDA, however, faces innate difficulty in optimizing the process and capabilities that require merging of diverse data assets to generate viable information. This paper explores the BDA process and capabilities in leveraging data via three case studies who are prime users of BDA tools. Findings emphasize four key components of the BDA process framework: system coordination, data sourcing, big data application service, and end users. Further building blocks are data security, privacy, and management that represent services for providing functionality to the four components of the BDA process across information and technology value chains.

Proposing an information value chain to improve information services to disabled library patrons using assistive technologies

Information services offered by academic libraries increasingly rely on assistive technologies (AT) to facilitate disabled patrons’ retrieval and use of information for learning and teaching. However, disabled patrons’ access to AT might not always lead to their use, resulting in the underutilization of information services offered by academic libraries. We adopt an inward-looking, service innovation perspective to improve information services for disabled patrons using AT. The open coding of qualitative responses collected from administrators and librarians in 186 academic libraries in public universities in the United States, reveals 10 mechanisms (i.e. modified work practices), which involve searching, compiling, mixing, framing, sharing, or reusing information, and learning from it. Based on this information-centric reorganisation of work practices, we propose an ‘information value chain’, like Porter’s value chain, for improving information services to disabled patrons using AT in academic libraries, which is the major theoretical contribution of our study.

Datafication, value and power in developing countries: Big data in two Indian public service organizations

AbstractMotivationDatafication—the growing presence, use and impact of data in social processes—is spreading to all sectors in developing countries. But, to date, there are few analyses of real‐world experiences of datafication in developing country organizations.PurposeWe address this knowledge gap by analysing evidence of big data in practice in relation to three key issues: implementation, value and power.Approach and methodsUsing interview, observation and documentary sources, we analyse the implementation and impact of big data systems in Indian electricity and transport public sector organizations.FindingsBig data systems have been much slower to implement than anticipated, and the article exposes the nature and scale of the implementation challenge facing such systems. These are already delivering value for some managers within public service organizations but are, as yet, more operational than strategic and incremental not transformative. Big data systems are facilitating a shift in power from the public sector to the private sector, and from labour and middle management to panopticon‐type control by central managers. Big data intersects with politics especially around the imaginaries of wider stakeholders, changing their view of the financial and political issues that technology can address.Policy implicationsPolicy‐makers and practitioners can better understand and plan for big data in development using three frameworks presented in the article: information value chain, decision pyramid, and big data–power model. These expose key issues of implementation, organizational value and power that must be incorporated into big data policy and projects. Benefits of datafication have been largely restricted to senior managers, private contractors and some politicians. To spread these to other stakeholders, including workers and citizens, action must be taken to address both practical and political issues arising in the datafication of development.