Designing and managing ERP systems for virtual enterprise strategy:a conceptual framework for innovative strategic thinking

The business environment today is transforming towards a collaborative context compounded by multi-organizational cooperation and related information system infrastructures. This chapter aims to examine Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems development and emerging practices in the management of multi-organizational enterprises and identify the circumstances under which the so-called ‘ERPIII' systems fit into the Virtual Enterprise paradigm; and vice versa. An empirical inductive study was conducted using case studies from successful companies in the UK and China. Data were collected through 48 semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Grounded-Theory based Methodology (GTM) to derive a set of 29 tentative propositions which were then validated via a questionnaire survey to further propose a novel conceptual framework referred to as the ‘Dynamic Enterprise Reference Grid for ERP (DERG-ERP)'; which can be used for innovative decision-making about how ERP information systems and multi-organizational enterprises – particularly the Virtual Enterprise may be co-developed

Transmedia storytelling edutainment and the new testament lesson

Storytelling is the most ancient form of teaching that can enhance the learning experience, and trans-media is a technique where elements of a story get dispersed across multiple media with each story creating a cohesive entertainment experience. The storytelling framework is a viable solution to engage a universal audience, and the socio-cultural theory of learning presented underpins how cultural beliefs and attitudes impact instruction and learning. The study explores how the pre-historic practice of transmedia storytelling can be used and practiced by educators. Narratives transverse across media and can be traced back to the presentation of Biblical stories. The Bible story has been told across many different forms of media, from print to icons to stained glass windows. Jesus, the master teacher, used storytelling methods of instruction to convey his message to his learners across different platforms. The chapter explores the parallels between Biblical transmedia and contemporary transmedia and considers transmedia edutainment as a pedagogical practice in higher education.</p

Autonomous systems in a military context (part 2) : A survey of the ethical issues

This is the second paper of two on the role of autonomy in the unmanned systems revolution currently underway and affecting military forces around the globe. In the last paper, the authors considered the implications of autonomy on the legal obligations of military forces and their ability to meet these obligations, primarily through a survey of the domestic law of a number of drone wielding nations and relevant international legal regimes, including the law of armed conflict, arms control law, international human rights law, and others. However, the impact of autonomy in the military context extends well beyond the law and also encompasses philosophy and morality. Therefore, this paper addresses perennial problems concerning autonomous systems and their impact on what justifies the initial resort to war, who may be legitimately targeted in warfare, the collateral effects of military weaponry and the methods of determining and dealing with violations of the laws of just war theory