DigitUMa
Repositório Institucional da Universidade da Madeira
Entradas recentes
Organizational engineering processes: integration of the cause-and-effect analysis in the detection of exception kinds
Publication . Pacheco, Dulce; Aveiro, David; Tenório, Nelson; Pacheco, Dulce; Aveiro, David
Enterprises are dynamic systems that struggle to adapt to the constant changes in their environment. The
complexity of these systems frequently originates inefficiencies that turn into the loss of resources and might
even compromise organizations’ viability. Control and G.O.D. (sub)organizations allow enterprises to specify
measures and viability norms that help to identify, acknowledge, and handle exceptions. Organizational
engineering processes are deployed to treat dysfunctions within the G.O.D. organization but often fail to
eliminate or circumvent the root cause of it. In this paper, we propose an extension in the model to allow a
thorough investigation of the root causes of dysfunctions within the organizational engineering processes.
Grounded on the seven guidelines for Information System Research in the design-science paradigm, we claim
that the organizational engineering process should be supplemented with a systematic and broader
investigation of causes, namely the Ishikawa approach of cause-and-effect analysis. The main contributions
of this paper are the improvement of the organizational engineering process for handling unexpected
exceptions in reactive change dynamics and the freely available Dysfunctions Bank with common
dysfunctions and its probable causes. This work should trigger a reduction in the number of organizational
dysfunctions and help to keep updated the organizational self and the organization’s ontological model.
MementoKey: keeping passwords in mind
Publication . Jeong, Bongkeum ; Vallat, Alexander; Csikszentmihalyi, Chris ; Park, Junwu ; Pacheco, Dulce; Pacheco, Dulce
In this paper, we introduce a novel system of password generation, MementoKey, consisting of private
words that exist only in a user’s memory and a corresponding set of public (non-secret) words that
will facilitate users’ recall of the private words, which they are associated with. We will demonstrate
how MementoKey offers a useful alternative to existing options for storing passwords in password
managers, or to using cryptographically weak, but memorable, passwords. We have conducted a
user study to evaluate the word-association technique for recalling passwords, and the effectiveness of our prototype software training and checking system to guide the user successfully through the
memorization process.
Our study involving 60 diverse participants indicates that our prototype can effectively lead users
through a visualization and memorization technique to create a strong word-association memory
between pairs of adjectives and nouns.
The influence of the leaders‘ selection method on team performance
Publication . Pacheco, Dulce; Pacheco, Dulce; Soares, Luísa; Soares, Luísa; Soares, Ana Luisa
Leadership impacts team performance. More effective leadership at the
workplace may improve team performance and, consequently, increase both employees
and employers work satisfaction. There is a wide array of studies on effective leadership,
but the influence of the way the leader is select on team performance and is not yet clear.
We discuss the relationship between the methods used to select the leader and team
performance. A study was conducted with a sample of 112 bachelor students working in 17
teams during an 8-week long class project. Team performance was measured by the sub
scale Perceived Team Collaboration of the instrument Team Collaborator Evaluator (TCE)
and also by the final project grade given by the instructors. Results show that teams have
higher performances when their members unanimously choose the leader. Practical
implications for the selection of team leaders are discussed.
Collaborative learning: team size and the scientific field as influencers
Publication . Pacheco, Dulce; Pacheco, Dulce; Soares, Luísa; Soares, Luísa; Soares, Ana Luisa
Some individuals seem to intuitively collaborate better in teams, and some teams have repetitively
superior results. Cooperative work is a growing need in all workplaces, and it has been thoroughly
studied. However, literature has not yet clearly identified its predictors, as it does not present
consistent results. Some authors report a reluctance in students to collaborate in teams, whereas
others describe its huge advantages. This work intends to explore variables that might influence
collaborative learning. We hypothesize that the team size and the scientific field of the students
might affect team collaboration and team performance. In this study with Pre- and Post-test, team
collaboration was measured using the Team Collaboration Evaluator (TCE) and team performance
was assessed by the students’ perceived team effectiveness and by the final project grade given
by the instructors. Analysis of a sample of 99 students, from both Computer Science and
Psychology bachelor programs, indicates that larger teams show lower team collaboration, but
higher team performance. Collected data confirm differences in the evolution of the perceived team
collaboration, according to the students’ scientific field. Results are discussed considering the
Team Collaboration Evaluator framework.
Co-work between university teachers: is it possible to build a common language?
Publication . Soares, Luísa; Pacheco, Dulce; Soares, Ana Luisa; Soares, Luísa; Pacheco, Dulce
Some of the ideas/categories that resulted from this work suggest a common language should be built between different professionals that work together: i) consider the human side of technology; ii) important behaviours for team work are complementarity, cohesion and synchronization; iii) attention to details motivates students; iv) stimulate new experiences/new thoughts; v) master four different abilities: inform, educate, inspire and entertain; vi) the essential will always remain, although times are changing and new fields of science are coming; vii) the web changed the way we work and learn and that´s more important than the way we interact with the contents of the web; viii) technology should improve teaching skills; ix) working together can be painful, so eliminating personnel barriers could result in a good cooperation/collaboration; x) team building; xi) create relevant contents; xii) build channels to reach all over the world; xiii) bridging programs can be very useful after a 1st graduation course where the main abilities from one area are already consolidated; xiv) Commitment to the team goals; xv) Psychologists are needed in teams and xv) dream university is the one that has pleasant and large spaces to be used by people and to inspire them.