A global, collaborative, E-learning ecosystem: An academic/industry partnership in action

A number of apparent failures in the use of education technology should provide a warning as universities and training institutes progress their strategy and management plans for elearning. Fundamental problems in the academic environment relate to the lack of training in new technologies available to academics responsible for elearning. No less importantly the synergies among commercial providers of Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN) software, pedagogical knowledge and experiential learning requirements have not been addressed in the vision and strategy statements provided by senior management. The requisite solution is seen to be a framework for all stakeholders to evaluate e-learning proposals to ensure the effectiveness and value propositions are based in reality. What can we learn from the e-business environment and, in particular, the Cisco Network Academy Program (Academy Connection) that would inform the structure and deliverables required to support the proposed framework? This proposed framework also needs to accommodate value propositions for the diverse student cohorts involved in e-learning, having particular regard to professional practical requirements

Public Participation in River Research and Management: Scale, Levels of Participation and the Contexts of Knowledge Co-production

The call to utilise participation in river research and management has grown steadily over the last few decades and features in many policy guidelines (most notably the Water Framework Directive). However, with little detailed guidance on the appropriate levels of participation, and on the appropriate participants, river management organisations are left to determine these for themselves, within given temporal and financial restrictions. Consequently, participation often comes second to meeting the environmental goals of the organisation. It is argued here that participation need not necessarily be viewed as an ‘add-on’, but that when used effectively, it can be beneficial both to the environment and the communities involved. Furthermore, within any aspect of river research (academic or managerial), participation of those who live daily with the river can enhance process understandings and lead to context specific research. This study, therefore, aimed to identify and evaluate innovative approaches to river research and management which place a focus on the integration of a diverse range of knowledges, in an effort to move beyond the traditional scientific approaches, focusing on the acclaimed benefits of high-level participation and knowledge co-production, in a range of situations. The two-step approach, involving a review of organisational practice and a local case study, was both interdisciplinary and participatory. The methodological approach allowed the Organisational Review step to provide context for the wider project, while the case study focused on the development of research objectives with the community who would be affected by their outcomes. The integration and deliberation of both scientific and experiential knowledge led to a process of knowledge co-production among the participants. The results of the participatory investigation into the impacts of weir restoration (on the River Derwent in County Durham/Northumberland) suggested that changing the profile of the weir would cause some localised, small scale changes to hydraulic aspects such as flow level upstream of the weir, but that flow rate and sediment transport would be relatively unaffected. The Organisational Review concluded that factors such as scale, resources, motivations and attitudes strongly influenced the uptake and success of participatory processes. Analysis of the participatory approach led to the conclusion that selection of a single participatory approach may be unsuitable in practical situations due to the changing nature of projects, and that a reflexive approach is likely to increase the success of participation. Universal application of high-level participation is recommended only with caution and the context of each individual project should be carefully considered before opting for the approach. Existing environmental controversies can be utilised to facilitate co-production of knowledge through a high-level participatory approach. While caution and contextual consideration are advised, high-level participation can offer a number of benefits, including the co-production of a context-specific knowledge, relevant research questions, and social learning for all involved. The results showed that experiential knowledge can be highly valuable in researching and managing rivers at a range of scales

The metamorphosis of e-learning

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Customer Knowledge Management: Improving Performance in Tunisian Hotels Through Customer Value

We investigate the effects of customer knowledge management (CKM) on customer value (CV) and performance using a questionnaire survey of the Tunisian hotel industry. Tunisia offers an exemplary case, exhibiting a serious requirement to reattract tourists and critical need to improve hotel profitability. The industry suffered dramatic reductions in tourist numbers as a result of terrorist attacks. The study develops a conceptual account of knowledge as an asset and how it is used. We employ two contrasting samples; hotel managers (n= 121) and hotel customers (n= 597).Our review of the literature enabled us to build hypotheses which we tested with a logit model. We found robust evidence that good knowledge management is related to perceptions of value. In turn, this enhances performance. Nonetheless, CKM directly enhances financial performance rather than non-financial performance. However, the indirect effects of CKM on both financial and non-financial performance were significant. We conclude that good knowledge management offers a very useful approach to enhancing perceptions of value and hotel performance

Customer Knowledge Management (CKM): Perspectives & Practices

While Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to building strategies and tools for managing relationships with customers, Customer Knowledge Management (CKM) refers to strategies that help companies derive valuable insights about customers that get stored in the form of customer data / information to be shared across the value chain, which when preserved would become a knowledge repository for the future generation of managers.CKM is an art of managing business and attempts to integrate implicit and explicit knowledge and aligns it with CRM goals for realizing long term business objectives of sustained efficiency and competitive advantage.CKM aims at preserving customer knowledge for truly understanding how customers behave based on the changes in the environment from the insights obtained about the customers over a period of time.Thus the dynamics of CKM emerge from the fact that it records changes in the customer behavior across the customer lifecycle and also provides for co-creation effort with customers.This characteristic feature provides an edge for CKM to score above CRM.This paper would attempt to provide insights on those areas that truly distinguishes between CRM and CKM and would explain why companies should have broad strategies defined to achieve common goals of CKM in the long-run.It would also place a discussion on how companies can stand to gain a competitive advantage by preserving customer knowledge through a few best practices caselets

The metamorphosis of eLearning

The scope of eLearning is more comprehensive than the commonly accepted issue of technological instructional/learning materials. Confusion abounds. Which voice is believable? Is there any common ground? This paper illustrates how wise use of the technologies can provide the leverage human beings require for expanding their horizons for lifelong learning

Human-Computer Interaction

In this book the reader will find a collection of 31 papers presenting different facets of Human Computer Interaction, the result of research projects and experiments as well as new approaches to design user interfaces. The book is organized according to the following main topics in a sequential order: new interaction paradigms, multimodality, usability studies on several interaction mechanisms, human factors, universal design and development methodologies and tools

Realising increased value from using knowledge management to improve customer relationship management in a retail banking environment : the case of Standard Bank in Malawi

Retail banks globally are under the threat of reducing profitability driven by a harsh operating environment. They are facing many challenges including greater competition from non-banking entities, stricter regulatory requirements, more knowledgeable and demanding customers and speed of innovation in terms of new products and services. Customer relationship management (CRM) remains a recognised source of competitive advantage but questions still abound about how it can be deployed effectively and for the benefit of both the customer and the bank. Knowledge management (KM), on the other hand, is also a proven source of competitive advantage and this study uncovers how KM can be used to enhance CRM in order to improve profitability at SBM. This study explored how KM can be deployed to enhance CRM as well as how this resulted in improvement of customer service and satisfaction indices as well as profitability, sales, customer retention and growth in customer base. The sales and customer service teams formed the primary subjects of this study and key productivity measures such as profitability; customer satisfaction as measured through NPS and CEBS, sales trends by segment and customer cross sell ratio by segment were tracked as the output. However, multi-disciplinary teams across Standard Bank in Malawi (SBM) as well as Standard Bank Group (SBG were involved in designing the solutions to customer issues identified. A framework that combines CRM and KM, the MKC Relationship Management was developed as part of this study through literature review. The MKC Relationship Management framework was then tested through cycles of action research where a plan was developed in the first cycle, tested in the second cycle and this was followed by planning for a third cycle. The results of each cycle were measured and tracked over a period of time before being reviewed for impact. The final planning cycle was undertaken to see how further improvements could be made to the framework. The study adopted a critical theory philosophy and the approach was deductive in nature because current theories of KM and CRM were applied to the specific situation at SBM. Qualitative data collection methods were used within the two cycles of AR which included: three in-depth interviews with the heads of the business units within PBB, two focus group discussions (with the business bankers as well as the service teams) and document analysis of past research and project documents were among the qualitative data collection methods used. The data collected from all these sources was analysed using the thematic analysis method. The study resulted in a contribution to knowledge which was both conceptual and practical in nature. The MKC Relationship Management framework contributed to the ever growing theoretical knowledge of how KM and CRM can be integrated. Apart from this, the practical contribution was in the form of increased profitability in SBM Retail Banking, a structured manner of resolving issues that were resulting in negative customer experience. In addition to this, a thematic analysis approach to data analysis was applied in a banking research in Malawi. Further, a home grown IT system known as the I-serve system was commissioned at SBM and put to use to drive business results. The use of social media was also tested in order to take advantage of this growing technological revolution to drive business results using the mobile phone as a catalyst of knowledge sharing. This was among the first formally studied researches into use of such media for business in Malawi

Knowledge Management, Open innovation and e-Marketing & e-Business : As Key Factors of development of the Information and Communication Technology Sector

Knowledge Management, Open Innovation and e-Marketing & e-business as Key Factors of Development of Information and Com- munication Technology Sector, is aimed to compile a selection of papers published during the period of 2015-2016 & 2017 by profes- sors of the Phd Management Sciences, of the University of Guada- lajara, to show how is proposed the design of their interaction and what were the first meaningful findings for the information and com- munication technologies sector located in Jalisco, Mexico. For instance, the first article where the information and commu- nication technologies is the principal source of producing new and innovative forms of teaching-learning process, the research is aimed to unveil an empirical model for mobile learning and their determi- nants factors. This research applied a documentary study to select the variables with specialists in m-Learning using Analytic Hierarchy Process (ahp) determining the final Factors: Technology (T); Con- tents & Teaching-Learning Management (c&tlm); Teacher Student Rol (tsr); and 60 Variables. The study was applied on: 20 teachers and 800 students both participating in social sciences courses, from 7 Universities located at Metropolitan Zone of Guadalajara, México (umzg) during the period 2013-2014.The data of the questionnaires, were analyzed by structural equations modeling (sem), using eqs 6.1 software. The final results suggest reinforce 9 variables to improve the interaction with mL model at umzg. The second study tell us how the Innovation is a key factor to in- crease the competitive advantage for business. When the Innovation is improved by the Knowledge Management, it does in the Firms ba- sed on the sense of information: for, from and about the customers and is called: Customer Knowledge Management. So, the aim of this study is to solve: which are the latent factors between Innovation and Customer Knowledge Management relationship? To achieve it, a questionnaire was designed and applied to the 500 Chief Execu- tive Officers from the Small & Media Enterprises Software Sector in Guadalajara, Mexico, that are part of the value chain, involving: designers, manufacturers and suppliers. The study applied the Struc- tural Equations Model as a quantitative method to discover the un- derlying relationships amongst the most relevant variables between Innovation on Customer Knowledge Management, as: Driver of In- novation; Support; other Sources of Knowledge, Satisfaction, Expe- rience and Performance with a total of 15 indicators. The third project, shows how the Knowledge Management (km) in Innovation process (innov), is a powerful engine that drives the company towards competitiveness (insead, 2014; wef, 2014); howe- ver, many small and media enterprises (smes) in México, ignore it. So, the aim of the present study is to discover the key factors of km that are involved in the innov, prevailing in the field of software sector smes in Guadalajara (ssg), Mexico. This research is based on a documental study about km and how is related as driver on the innov; to achieve this, it was designed a questionnaire divided in two parts: the first one, corresponding to km that involved (5) factors: km Leadership (kmld); km Capture and Acquisition (kmca); km Training and Mentoring (kmtm); km Policies and Strategies (kmps); km Communications and Rewards (kmcr) with 23 total indicators as variables. The second one, innov that involved (6) factors: In- novation Value Added (ivadd); Innovation Input Items (iiit); In- novation Process (inproc); Innovation Output Items (ioit); Inno- vation Performance (iperf) and Innovation Feedback (ifeed) with 39 total indicators as variables. It was designed a questionnaire (62 variables), as a measurement instrument based on Likert Scale (1to 5 interval) in order to determine the degree of agreement with well Cronbach’s Alpha confidence (0.8432). It proceeded to do a survey to the total 200 ceos belonging to the smes from ssg. The results were analyzed using Structural Equations Modeling (sem) to find validity and reliability of the structure to discover by the system equations, the underlying variables and their interrelationships. Fi- nally, it was found most representative km variables to drive the in- nov, were: kmca (0.9095); kmcr (0.8845); kmtm (0.8815); kmld (0.8780); kmps (0.8235). Finally were solved the (5) hypotheses fin- ding the relationship between the km factors and innov have signi- ficant positive effects. The originality and value of this research lied in the design of a construct that identify the underlying km factors and variables sized according an exploratory and multi-correlational study to drive the innov. All the factors and variables were collec- ted from the principal theories about both subjects and jointed in a solid set by sem to find their respective correlations. The practical implications shall serve to the ssg to identify what variables and fac- tors from km, are able to drive the innov and get a better place for competitiveness. The fourth work describes how at the beginning of the xxi cen- tury, several authors affirm that open business models (obm) enable an organization to be more effective in creating as well as capturing value and are a prerequisite for successful co-development partner- ships. As a result of both trends, the rising development costs and shorter product/service lifecycles, companies are finding it increa- singly difficult to justify investments in innovation. The obm solve both trends, underscoring the terms: “industry ecosystem” and/or “collaborative business model”. Not only it changes the innovation process but it also modifies organizations themselves by reconfigu- ring value chains and networks. For the firms, it creates a heuristic logic, based on the current business model and technology to extend them with strategy, to the development of innovation to create value and increasing revenues and profits. It emphasizes the external com- munities with governance as valuable resources with several roles that promote corporate competitiveness. So, for a specialized sector with high technology such as the information technologies sector of metropolitan zone of Guadalajara (itsmzg), it was posed the next research question: Which are the determinant factors of the obm as an empirical model to be applied at the itsmzg? This was a do- cumentary study to select the main variables among specialists in itsmzg practicing the obm process using analytic hierarchy process (ahp) and Delphi’s Panel to contrast the academic terms with the specialist experience. It’s a descriptive, exploratory, correlational, cross-sectional, qualitative-quantitative study to obtain a final ques- tionnaire in Likert scale, with reliability tested through a pilot survey (Cronbach’s Alpha>0.75), applied during Jan. 2015-May 2016 to the total population asked: 600 specialists of itsmzg (150 it teachers and 150 representatives of consulting firms as “consultant part”; 290 it sme ceo and 10 it le ceo as the “decision-making part”, since 1 year in the market, 80% with bachelor degree, 20% with postgrad, 20% women and 80% men). It was designed a first-order structural equation modeling (sem) as a confirmatory factor analysis (cfa) te- chnique, using the eqs 6.1 software to analyze the obm underlying variables, to determine a final empirical model. The result is an em- pirical obm based on 5 main factors: business management bmg (10 variables/76 indicators), strategy (str, 3 variables/14 indicators), technology (tec, 3 variables/24 indicators), new entrepreneurships (nwe, 3 variables /7indicators) and open innovation orientation (oio, 3 variables/18 indicators), empirically proved for the itsmzg. Although the final empirical obm has a significant positive effect among its variables, also showed different levels of factor loadings, meaning opportunities to improve the model for the itsmzg. The fifth article is aimed to disclose an empirical model of Open Innovation (oin) in the Information Technologies Sector of Metro- politan Zone of Guadalajara, Mexico (itsmzg) to achieve a useful model to be used. The variables for the theoretical framework were determined using Delphi’s focus group panel and Analytic Hierarchy Process (ahp) obtaining academic and expert visions. The was a des- criptive, exploratory and a cross-sectional study, with a final Likert scale questionnaire, tested for reliability and validity with survey applied to 400 itsmzg specialists (Jan-2017-Jun-2017). The results of oin model were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (efa) by spss 20 ibm, obtaining 3 underlying variables: knowledge mana- gement (kmg), open business models (obm), innovation ecosystem (iec), with 26 dimensions/64 indicators. The sixth project is aimed to disclose how Digital Broadband (dbd) is affecting the practice of Open Innovation (oin) in the In- formation Technologies Sector of Metropolitan Zone of Guadala- jara, Mexico (itszmg) to achieve a model, for the improvement of relationships. It is a descriptive, exploratory, correlational, cross- sectional, qualitative-quantitative research. As a qualitative study, it is based on a deep literature review after which, it was used Delphi Panel with Analytic Hierarchy Process (ahp), determining the main factors: dbd (1 factor/ 6 variables/43 indicators) and oin (3 factors/23 variables/161 indicators) in a questionnaire Likert scale, involving 600 itszmg specialists at 200 smes. The survey was on the period of September-December 2016. As a quantitative study, it applied Con- firmatory Factor Analysis using eqs 6.2 software. The value of this study, is to propose a generalized model involving the relationship between dbd-oin for itszmg, and identify the underlying variables and their relationships to make suggestions about how to be more innovative, among the firms in the sector. The final results: 5/6 dbd variables have significant positive effect on 18/23 oin variables. This implies opportunities to develop the model. It was obtained an em- pirical model capable of identifying its own dbd-oin relationships in order to be, a more innovative firm in the itszmg. The seventh article shows how the Innovation (innov) process is considered as a driver to increase the competitiveness in the Digital Marketing (dm) sector; however, many firms ignore how their own dm resources and capabilities affect the innov process. So, through a dm-innov proposed conceptual model, the aim of this study is to determine which are the main factors of innov are affected from dm, in Guadalajara, México. The design is based on innov process model, construct published previously by Mejía-Trejo et al. (2014) and complemented with the dm model construct proposed here, with variables which are tested for validity and reliability through a pilot survey in order to get the final model. The study subjects were the most important customers of Monster Online (a mexican com- pany, specialized in dm) and analyzed by inferential statistics determi- ning the Cronbach’s Alpha reliability in a pilot test and multiple linear regression (mlr) based on Stepwise Method using spss 20 program. The methodology is proposed as a descriptive, exploratory, correlatio- nal and a transversal study, based on documentary research to obtain a final questionnaire using the Likert scale applied to the total popula- tion: 900 Monster’s Online relevant ceo clients. So, it proposed: For dm: Web integration (wbi); Web Experience (wbe); Web Strategy (wbs) and Technological Resources (trs) For innov process by Mejía-Trejo’s et al. (2014) conceptual model with: Innovation Value Added (ivadd); Innovation Income Items (iiit); Innovation Process (inproc); Innovation Performance (iperf); Innovation Feedback Items (ifeed); Innovation Outcome Items or Results of Innovation (ioit). The approach is based on the importance to relate the dm on innov process to determine their main factors that are affected and generate more innovation in the dm sector. This article is aimed to determine the main factors that drive the dm on innov process to get more, about this, by mean of original theoretical models as a pro- duct of the principal related theories about dm and innov process. The Value of the study, is to obtain a first settlement for a generali- zed model able to be applied in other sectors in Mexico. The results obtained, will allow measuring the level of correlation amongst the variables in study, and discover how the main factors of innov pro- cess are influenced for dm components. The eight article tell us how to build a construct relating the na- tional competitiveness model (ncm) with the proposition of digital marketing innovation model (dmim), for a digital campaign design. The methodology is based on a literature review using Delphi Panel with Analytic Hierarchy Process (ahp) among 200 (100 professors and 100 ceo) digital marketing specialists located at Guadalajara, Mexico. The results pointed out to a final questionnaire supporting a construct with 8 main variables of the ncm and 10 main variables involved into the dmim for a Digital Campaign Design. The ninth work, is aimed to propose a construct relating the na- tional competitiveness model (ncm) with our proposition of digital marketing innovation model (dmim) for a digital campaign design. The design is a final questionnaire in Likert scale, applied during Jan. Apr. 2017 to the total population: 200 specialists (100 professors/100 ceos) of digital marketing campaign designers in Guadalajara, México (called specialists). The methodology is based on a documentary research to determine the variables related into ncm-dmim. As a qualitative study, the variables obtained were analyzed by 10 specia- lists using Delphi Panel and Analytic Hierarchy Process (ahp). The results were two visions, among academics (professors) and the ex- perts (ceos) vision (called conceptual evidence) with different rates of importance and order of appearance of each determined variables of the ncm-dmim construct. As a quantitative study (the empirical evidence), we practiced correlation and multiple linear regression techniques to determine the most important variables and their rela- tionships in such construct. As a finding, it is the first settlement for a generalized model able to explain the variables involved in the re- lationship between ncm-dmim construct. The research limitations: there are no previous models relating the main ncm-dmim variables. The social and practical implications are aimed to the marketing sec- tor recommending improvements of ncm-dmim relationships as a measuring tool. The originality is based on the empirical disclosing of the main ncm-dmim variables using an original theoretical model adapted to the context. Finally, the tenth project is aimed to determine a construct of electronic business (e-business) innovation (ebim). This study is based on a documentary research to determine the main variables of the ebim as academic vision and based on a focused group of e- Business experts using the Delphi Panel method and the Analytic Hierarchy Process we obtained the expert vision of the ebim, as a general conceptual model. Based on both visions it was obtained the 19 variables and 3 factors to be included in the final ebim proposal, which: 9/19 variables are according to the both visions, 6/19 are su- ggested by expert vision and 4/19 are suggested by academic vision. The conceptual ebim obtained has the potential to be used. Further studies regarding the ebim, are: an exploratory factor analysis to ve- rify the grouping of such variables; a confirmatory factor analysis to disclose the underlying variables and factors relationships and a mul- tiple linear regression to determine how is the correlation amongst these variables