Business Process Management Education in Academia: Status, challenges, and Recommendations

In response to the growing proliferation of Business Process Management (BPM) in industry and the demand this creates for BPM expertise, universities across the globe are at various stages of incorporating knowledge and skills in their teaching offerings. However, there are still only a handful of institutions that offer specialized education in BPM in a systematic and in-depth manner. This article is based on a global educators’ panel discussion held at the 2009 European Conference on Information Systems in Verona, Italy. The article presents the BPM programs of five universities from Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America, describing the BPM content covered, program and course structures, and challenges and lessons learned. The article also provides a comparative content analysis of BPM education programs illustrating a heterogeneous view of BPM. The examples presented demonstrate how different courses and programs can be developed to meet the educational goals of a university department, program, or school. This article contributes insights on how best to continuously sustain and reshape BPM education to ensure it remains dynamic, responsive, and sustainable in light of the evolving and ever-changing marketplace demands for BPM expertise

The EU Emissions Trading System and Climate Policy towards 2050: Real incentives to reduce emissions and drive innovation? CEPS Special Reports, 12 January 2011

With the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) now entering in its seventh year of operation, this report takes stock of the largest multi-sector greenhouse gas trading scheme in the world. It reviews the experiences of the pilot phase from 2005-07, assesses the adjustments introduced in the second phase (2008-12) and looks ahead to the radical changes that will come into effect in the third phase starting in 2013. The assessment is based on a literature review of recently published ex-post analyses and ex-ante studies and draws as well on our own calculations. It investigates the main controversies surrounding the EU ETS, such as its environmental effectiveness, economic rents, windfall profits and fairness, the role of CDM and JI and its impact of on industrial competitiveness. It also evaluates the scheme’s ability to promote innovation and low-carbon technology deployment. Finally, the study addresses the fundamental question of whether the ETS has lived up to its promise to “promote reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective and economically efficient manner”, and if not, what are the prospects of its doing so in the future and what additional changes will be required

Network experiences lead to the adaption of a firm's network competence

Networks become increasingly important as external sources of innovation for firms. Through networks firms get in contact with different actors with whom they can exchange information and collaborate. A firm’s ability to be a successful network actor depends on its network competence. This term can be defined as having the necessary knowledge, skills and qualifications for networking as well as using them effectively. In this paper we investigate the link between a firm’s network competence and the benefits resulting from it in a two-way direction. First, the network competence of the firm facilitates the adoption of information from other network actors which may lead to innovation success. Second the perceived network benefits shall in their turn influence the network competence of the firm. Consequently, firms will adapt their network strategy corresponding their experiences. The objective of this paper is to investigate the dynamics of networking and its influence on the firm’s network competence. For this exploratory research 3 Belgian networks are examined. In-depth interviews are used in combination with semi-structured interview guides to conduct the research. Our results indicate that some firms perceive benefits from their network efforts, for others it is more a burden. Furthermore, in some of our cases we found that positive experiences with clear benefits motivate the firm to enhance its network competence. This is illustrated by the fact that collaborations are more frequently initiated, trust is more easily build, firms are more open to communicate information and the confidentiality threshold is overcome

CONVERGENCE OF REGIONAL INNOVATION INFRASTRUCTURE OF UKRAINE AND THE EU

The article deals with regional innovation infrastructure as an innovative component of the EU policy, analyzes its components, the possibility of integration of its structural elements into the infrastructure of Ukrainian regions as well as participation of Ukraine in European policies to stimulate innovation development

Understanding the Drivers of Sustainable Entrepreneurial Practices in Pakistan’s Leather Industry: A Multi-Level Approach

Purpose: The main objective is to analyse the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial practices in SMEs operating in a developing economy. The secondary objectives are to explore the relationship between these drivers and to draw out the implications for policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach: The research is informed by the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship, and on the drivers of pro-environmental practices in SMEs. It reports on the results of an intensive multi-level empirical study, which investigates the environmental practices of SMEs in Pakistan’s leatherworking industry using a multiple case study design and grounded analysis, which draws on relevant institutional theory. Findings: The study identifies that coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphic pressures simultaneously drive sustainable entrepreneurial activity in the majority of sample SMEs. These pressures are exerted by specific micro, meso and macro level factors, ranging from international customers’ requirements to individual-level values of owners and managers. It also reveals the catalytic effect of the educational and awareness-raising activities of intermediary organisations, in tandem with the attraction of competitiveness gains, (international) environmental regulations, industrial dynamism and reputational factors. Practical implications: The evidence suggests that, in countries where formal institutional mechanisms have less of an impact, intermediary organisations can perform a proto-institutional role that helps to overcome pre-existing barriers to environmental improvement by sparking sustainable entrepreneurial activity in SME populations. Originality/value: The findings imply that the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial activity do not operate in a ‘piecemeal’ fashion, but that particular factors mediate the emergence and development of other sustainability drivers. This paper provides new insights into sustainable entrepreneurship and motivations for environmental practices in an under-researched developing economy context

The uncertainty in regional innovation policy: some ration-ales and tools for learning in policy making

This paper deals with two major dilemmas in regional innovation policy making: The dilemma that theory does not provide sufficient answers for the formulation of specific innovation policy measures addressing the problem configurations of single regions and the dilemma that role models are used as a substitute for orientation. In order to support policy learning, different approaches like evaluation, the development of innovation strategies and regional foresight are discussed. --