Suchergebnisse

Sharing Information begets Information

This volume thoroughly covers the sub-field of information, and is one of the first in a series which synthesizes the research literature on major concepts in the field of communication. Each concise volume includes a research definition (concept explication) and presents a state-of-the-art analysis of theory and empirical findings related to the concept. After defining the word `information', the author contrasts non-linear and reflexive ideas about human communication with linear perspectives. Information is equated with uncertainty. The result presents a pattern for the process of concep

Discusses information policy issues for electronic information resources, including the scholarly communication process and changes in the relationship between information, the producer, and the user; the right of access to information, including government information; privacy and democratic governance; and intellectual property or ownership of information.

To reduce the chances of policy failures, policy makers need information about the effects of policies. Sometimes, policy makers can rely on agents who already possess the information. Often, the information does not exist yet. This raises two questions. First, how much resources should be devoted to the production of information? Second, should information be produced by a profit- maximizing firm (a private consultant) or by someone who has an interest in policy outcomes (a political adviser)? This paper shows that policy makers may prefer hiring a political adviser for two reasons. First, in contrast to a private consultant, a political adviser need not be fully compensated for exerting effort. Second, a political adviser with moderate preferences produces information of a higher expected quality than a private consultant is induced to do by the optimal monetary incentive scheme. The cost of hiring a political adviser is that she may distort policy decisions by manipulating information. As long as a political adviser is not too biassed, the policy maker prefers consulting a political adviser to consulting a private consultant, even if a political adviser and a private consultant are equally costly. Competition among political advisers is shown to reduce the willingness of political advisers to produce information.

AbstractAnother in our occasional series giving information about associations which are of potential interest to those concerned in strategic change.

AbstractHere is the first in a planned series of notes on associations and societies which are relevant to those interested in strategic change. Introducing… efmd, The European Foundation for Management Development—Europe's forum for information, research, networking and dialogue on innovation and best practice in management development.

"We consider a two-player contest for a prize of common but uncertain value. We show that less resources are spent in equilibrium if one party is privately informed about the value of a prize than if either both agents are informed or neither agent is informed. Furthermore, the uninformed agent is ex ante strictly more likely to win the prize than is the informed agent." (author's abstract)

Vor dem Hintergrund der Tatsache, dass Information Warfare in den letzten Jahren, vor allem durch das Internet, zu einem globalen Problem von sicherheitspolitischer Bedeutung geworden ist, behandelt der Beitrag verschiedene Möglichkeiten und Methoden von Information Warfare, angefangen von Computerviren über Spionagetechniken bis hin zum Einsatz von Computer-Mäusen oder Computer-Küchenschaben. Thematisiert werden auch die diversen Internet-Aktivitäten terroristischer Vereinigungen und die Frage, inwiefern Information Warfare, d.h. ein Krieg mit elektronischen Mitteln, nach dem heutigen Kriegsrecht überhaupt als Krieg zu werten ist. Darüber gibt es gegenwärtig zwar eine internationale Debatte, aber keine einheitliche Auffassung. Ausgehend von der in vielen Staaten unterschätzten, jedoch realen Gefahr von Information Warfare wird im weiteren Verlauf ein Überblick über die bisher in der Vergangenheit stattgefundenen Angriffe auf Computersysteme und elektronische Spionageversuche auf internationaler Ebene gegeben. Abschließende Überlegungen befassen sich mit Möglichkeiten, wie man sich gegen Gefahren und Viren aus dem Internet schützen kann. (ICH)