Search results
1 – 10 of over 92000
Business process re‐engineering (BPR) is certainly one of the latest buzzwords and is the subject of great interest and also great controversy. Organizations need to shake…
Abstract
Business process re‐engineering (BPR) is certainly one of the latest buzzwords and is the subject of great interest and also great controversy. Organizations need to shake themselves out of complacency to close competitive gaps and achieve superior performance standards ‐ the reason why many have embarked on huge BPR projects. In view of the high risks associated with radical change, there are, however, many problems associated with BPR. For some BPR is going off the rails before it is properly understood, and many BPR exercises are not delivering the goods. Sometimes, organizations are expecting “quick fixes”, thus displaying their lack of understanding of a complex system. It is unreasonable to expect quick results when so much change is involved, especially when these business processes involve not only machines, but also people. Many believe, such as Mumford, that the management of change is the largest task in re‐engineering. Many people perceive re‐engineering as a threat to both their methods and their jobs. Owing to this recognition, many authors concentrate on the need to take account of the human side of re‐engineering, in particular the management of organizational change.
Ahmed Shehata and Metwaly Eldakar
Social engineering is crucial in today’s digital landscape. As technology advances, malicious individuals exploit human judgment and trust. This study explores how age, education…
Abstract
Purpose
Social engineering is crucial in today’s digital landscape. As technology advances, malicious individuals exploit human judgment and trust. This study explores how age, education and occupation affect individuals’ awareness, skills and perceptions of social engineering.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research approach was used to survey a diverse demographic of Egyptian society. The survey was conducted in February 2023, and the participants were sourced from various Egyptian social media pages covering different topics. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent samples t-test and ANOVA, to compare awareness and skills across different groups.
Findings
The study revealed that younger individuals and those with higher education tend to research social engineering more frequently. Males display a higher level of awareness but score lower in terms of social and psychological consequences as well as types of attacks when compared to females. The type of attack cannot be predicted based on age. Higher education is linked to greater awareness and ability to defend against attacks. Different occupations have varying levels of awareness, skills, and psychosocial consequences. The study emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness, education and implementing cybersecurity measures.
Originality/value
This study’s originality lies in its focus on diverse Egyptian demographics, innovative recruitment via social media, comprehensive exploration of variables, statistical rigor, practical insights for cybersecurity education and diversity in educational and occupational backgrounds.
Details
Keywords
There is the need to focus on humans while designing engineering facilities for users. The need to focus on Nigerians when designing for them is presented in this paper. The paper…
Abstract
Purpose
There is the need to focus on humans while designing engineering facilities for users. The need to focus on Nigerians when designing for them is presented in this paper. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Relevant literatures were consulted on the history of ergonomics and its importance was stressed. Some instances where ergonomics should be applied in the country were identified.
Findings
The paper observed that the application of ergonomics in Nigeria is low and some constraints that are militating against the use of ergonomics in Nigeria are discussed.
Originality/value
The paper suggested ways to fully imbibe the use of human-centered engineering (ergonomics) in Nigeria.
Details
Keywords
Peter Schaab, Kristian Beckers and Sebastian Pape
This paper aims to outline strategies for defence against social engineering that are missing in the current best practices of information technology (IT) security. Reason for the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to outline strategies for defence against social engineering that are missing in the current best practices of information technology (IT) security. Reason for the incomplete training techniques in IT security is the interdisciplinary of the field. Social engineering is focusing on exploiting human behaviour, and this is not sufficiently addressed in IT security. Instead, most defence strategies are devised by IT security experts with a background in information systems rather than human behaviour. The authors aim to outline this gap and point out strategies to fill the gaps.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a literature review from viewpoint IT security and viewpoint of social psychology. In addition, they mapped the results to outline gaps and analysed how these gaps could be filled using established methods from social psychology and discussed the findings.
Findings
The authors analysed gaps in social engineering defences and mapped them to underlying psychological principles of social engineering attacks, for example, social proof. Furthermore, the authors discuss which type of countermeasure proposed in social psychology should be applied to counteract which principle. The authors derived two training strategies from these results that go beyond the state-of-the-art trainings in IT security and allow security professionals to raise companies’ bars against social engineering attacks.
Originality/value
The training strategies outline how interdisciplinary research between computer science and social psychology can lead to a more complete defence against social engineering by providing reference points for researchers and IT security professionals with advice on how to improve training.
Details
Keywords
A. Pérez‐Foguet, S. Oliete‐Josa and A. Saz‐Carranza
To show the key points of a development education program for engineering studies fitted within the framework of the human development paradigm.
Abstract
Purpose
To show the key points of a development education program for engineering studies fitted within the framework of the human development paradigm.
Design/methodology/approach
The bases of the concept of technology for human development are presented, and the relationship with development education analysed. Special attention is dedicated to the role of case studies in engineering courses. After that, the development education program pushed by the Civil Engineering School of Barcelona and Engineering without Borders is explained, focusing on two major contributions: two optional courses about international aid and development and nine classroom case studies about different technologies used in real co‐operation projects.
Findings
This work provides a conceptual basis for incorporating development education into engineering studies, a general overview of different activities promoted in Spanish technical universities and practical information about optional courses and classroom case studies.
Research limitations/implications
The proposal is based on the experience in Spanish engineering curricula (mostly in five‐year degrees). Some of the topics covered by the courses and the case studies can be better adapted at postgraduate level in three‐ or four‐year degrees.
Practical implications
It is shown that development education can be incorporated into engineering studies through different specific non‐expensive activities.
Originality/value
This work presents and puts in context the development education activities pushed coordinately between a non‐governmental organization and an engineering school. Thus, it can be of major interest for both teachers and workers of the international development field.
Details
Keywords
A. Shanmugam and T. Paul Robert
The purpose of this paper is to present a literature review on human factors in aircraft maintenance and to analyze and synthesize the findings in the literature on human factors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a literature review on human factors in aircraft maintenance and to analyze and synthesize the findings in the literature on human factors engineering in aircraft maintenance.
Design/methodology/approach
The review adopts a threefold approach: searching and collecting the scientific literature; sorting them on the basis of relevance and applications; and review of the scientific evidences. Broad areas of aircraft maintenance regulations are identified and each area was explored to study the level of scientific growth and publications. Notable theories, models and concepts are being summarized.
Findings
Application of human factor principles in aviation spread beyond the technical arena of man-machine interface. The discipline has created a great impact on aircraft design, operations and maintenance. Its applications have percolated into design of aircraft maintenance facilities, task cards and equipment. Human factor concepts are being used for maintenance resource management. The principles are applied to shape the safety behavior and culture in aviation maintenance workplace. Nevertheless, the review unfolds immense potential for future research.
Research limitations/implications
Research outcomes of non-aviation studies are also reviewed and consolidated to extend the applications to the aviation industry.
Practical implications
This review would be a consolidated source of information confining to the physical aspect of human factors engineering in aircraft maintenance. It is intended to serve as a quick reference guide to the researchers and maintenance practitioners.
Social implications
It brought out the benefits of adopting the principles of human factor engineering in aircraft maintenance. Application of human factor philosophy ensures enhanced safety in air transport, personal safety and well-being of maintenance personnel.
Originality/value
This is a unique review based on aircraft maintenance regulations that are baseline performance standards made mandatory by regulatory authorities. Therefore, the review has been considered to be made on aircraft maintenance regulatory requirements that surpass corporate or competitive strategies in aviation maintenance organization.
Details
Keywords
Bernt Ivar Olsen, Niels Windfeld Lund, Gunnar Ellingsen and Gunnar Hartvigsen
This conceptual article aims to discuss how the concept of a document and documentation along with a general document model could inform us in the design and engineering of…
Abstract
Purpose
This conceptual article aims to discuss how the concept of a document and documentation along with a general document model could inform us in the design and engineering of information or rather documentation systems.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a broad and complementary document model, derived from the last couple of decades' discussion on what is a document and what is documentation. This model is used as a basis for a method, a conceptual tool or a template for analysis of socio‐technical systems.
Findings
The authors contend that the document systems analysis is a holistic approach compared to the traditional systems design and engineering reductionist approach, and also in the context of sociotechnical systems design. The document model is a taxonomy of the constituents of the document and, the authors argue, a potential communication tool in systems design.
Research limitations/implications
The document model presented in this article is discussed more or less solely in the context of information systems design, specifically sociotechnical systems. Moreover, the authors have tried to fit the theory and model within this context here, even though the concepts and thoughts can have much more general implications.
Practical implications
This presentation of a novel document model and framework is presented as a potential tool for systems analysis and design. The authors regard this as a realistic vision for the framework, but at the current stage of development for the model it is probably more useful as draft for such a tool or framework; a point of departure for the discussion of practical – and theoretical – implications of a broad and holistic document model.
Originality/value
A novel, unpublished document model, derived from theoretical discourses of document ontology in the “neo‐documentalist” movement spawned from a particular research community in Tromsø, Norway, is presented and discussed in the light of information systems design.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to show and explain an innovative educational program in management and engineering called “Human Re‐Engineering for Action” that provides the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show and explain an innovative educational program in management and engineering called “Human Re‐Engineering for Action” that provides the students with different distinctions to make in their observations to allowing to face and manage complex embodied organizational problems and situations.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology used in the program is based on the creation of conditions which allow embodied learning and therefore, creating enactive meta‐observers able to open new possibilities of action in different organizational contexts and domains. The program uses labs, maps, workshops, and ludic storytelling sessions structured through an ontological tool called CLEHES© which serves as a facilitator of observations of experience to enhance awareness of constructive possibilities.
Findings
Observations made by the graduates of the course over years have shown that the major achievement of the program is that it changes the graduates' paradigm in use from an external of reality to an embodied one which they have been using to cope more effectively with seemingly very complex organizational problems.
Practical implications
This approach evokes a new conception of responsibility in self‐management, giving senior staff new abilities and embodied skills to deal with practical organizational problems in a more effective way.
Originality/value
A new strategy for educating managers and engineers is presented and explained in this paper, where through the richness of distinctions in aspects of complexity based on the CLEHES dimensions, a variety of different recursive and recurrent organizational problem situations are brought to closure through the actions of the very same human beings who had created the organizations in the first place.
Details
Keywords
Lily Pharris and Begona Perez-Mira
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative research study is to understand the essence of what it is like to be an information systems professional working in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative research study is to understand the essence of what it is like to be an information systems professional working in the USA while managing and defending against social engineering attacks on an organization. The findings add to the information system (IS) body of literature by uncovering commonly shared attitudes, motivations, experiences and beliefs held by IS professionals who are responsible for protecting their company from social engineering attacks.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study that was developed to gain a deeper understanding about the essence of what it is like to be an IS professional defending a US business against social engineering attacks. This research design is used when sharing the experiences of study participants is more important than presenting the interpretations of the researcher. To target participants from the industries identified as regularly targeted by social engineers, purposive sampling was used in conjunction with the snowball sampling technique to find additional participants until saturation was reached.
Findings
Ten themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) foster a security culture, (2) prevention means education, (3) layered security means better protection, (4) prepare, defend and move on, (5) wide-ranging responsibilities, (6) laying the pipes, (7) all hands on deck, (8) continuous improvement, (9) attacks will never be eliminated and (10) moving pieces makes it harder. The ten themes, together, reveal the essence of the shared experiences of the participants with the phenomenon.
Originality/value
Understanding how to defend an enterprise from social engineering attacks is an international issue with implications for businesses and IS professionals across the world. The findings revealed that to prevent social engineer attacks, all employees – IS and non-IS professionals alike – must be unified in their desire to protect the organization. This means IS professionals and organizational leadership must establish a strong security culture, not only through layered technology and electronic controls but also through open communication between all departments and continuously engaging, training and reinforcing social engineering education, policies, procedures and practices with all employees.
Details
Keywords
EVERYONE today is busily engaged in devising new methods, bringing about economies in motions, and applying incentives, but is enough attention being paid to the maintenance…
Abstract
EVERYONE today is busily engaged in devising new methods, bringing about economies in motions, and applying incentives, but is enough attention being paid to the maintenance mechanics, from the human aspect, in these applications of work study?