Taking the Tablet: An Introspective Perspective on Using Pen-Based Computing in the Executive Case Class

The predicament of modern classrooms is that they are usually designed by administrators, architects and technicians, without, or despite the advice of experienced case instructors. By the time the instructor gets to teach in the class it is often too late, and generally too expensive to change anything. While the classrooms are long on technology and aesthetics, they are often very short on teaching comfort and convenience. In this short introspective paper (and here I follow in the tradition of consumer researchers such as Holbrook 1995) I suggest the use of a Tablet PC to overcome most of the problems described above. The paper begins by introducing the innovation, and then describes how the innovation solves the problems. Next, it gives preliminary results and makes some observations that may be useful to those considering adopting the innovation, and also considers some problems that may be encountered. It concludes by reflecting on other possible applications of the technology

South African management literature over the past fifteen years: content analysis of the three top South African management journals

This article analysed 15 years, from 1996 to 2010, of research published in the three leading South African business management journals. The three journals chosen were the South African Journal of Business Management, the South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences and Management Dynamics. Content analysis was used to compare five broad themes in the journals: firstly the nature of authorship was examined, and then the most published as well as most prolific authors were identified. Thirdly, the most prominent universities and departments were identified whereafter the research themes and disciplines of the articles and authors were analysed. Lastly, various manuscript characteristics were investigated. This article provides a clear picture of the evolution of South African management literature over the past fifteen years

Organizational commitment and users’ perception of ease of use : a study among bank managers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the issue of perceived ease of use of a web-based customer relationship management system and consider the role of organizational commitment as a possible antecedent. Design/methodology/approach – Data for this study were collected from among managers of a major player in the community banking sector within the EU. A total of 274 valid responses were obtained from 398 managers. Findings – Results have been mixed and partially conditioned by service providers’ willingness to leverage the possibilities that the technology can provide. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to a single organization and consequently the results should be generalized with caution. Replication studies with improved measures, in other countries and contexts are desirable. Practical implications – The results can be useful for management, since Web-based customer relationship management systems have been adopted by many service providers in their quest to offer better one-to-one marketing possibilities to their customers. Originality/value – This paper demonstrates the importance of fostering a sense of organizational commitment amongst key service providers, as this in turn seems to enable them to overcome many impediments pertaining to technology use.peer-reviewe

Applicability of the SERVQUAL instrument under South African conditions : an assessment of four situations

On-going research in recent years has shown quality of product and service, as perceived by customer, relative to competition, to be the single most important factor contributing to organizational well-being. Quality of product and service also presents one of the most significant opportunities for corporate differentiation. A major requirement for the successful management of quality is therefore effective measurement. In the case of physical goods, progress has been made over a long period. However, in the case of services, real advances have only occurred within the past decade. The importance of service quality is also highlighted by the fact that most businesses today are losing customers due to its inadequacy, rather than poor products. Indeed, from the customer's point of view, services and products probably do not exist in a dichotomy, but, rather, along a spectrum. Therefore, the measurement of service quality is critical, not only in traditional service organizations, but in manufacturing situations as well. The development of the SERVQUAL questionnaire in 1988, offered researchers, perhaps for the first time, an apparently reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of service quality. However, to date the instrument has not been subjected to rigorous testing for reliability and validity in South Africa, across a range of service organizations, within a typology. In this study, the SERVQUAL instrument was used to measure service quality across a range of firms within the Larsson-Bowen contingency framework, under South African conditions. Its main objectives were to assess its reliability and validity in these circumstances. It was found that SERVQUAL performed well across all organizations within the Larsson-Bowen framework, under South African conditions, with regard to reliability, convergent and nomological validity. Its construct validity proved to be less sound, and it was not found to possess discriminant validity. It is suggested that this is less attributable to South African circumstances than to the nature of the organizations. In cases of low diversity of demand, the instrument appears to capture the essence of service quality less effectively. Means of overcoming this in future studies are suggested, as well as other directions for research in the area of service quality measuremen

Are there excellent service firms, and do they perform well?

While the construct of business excellence, as defined in the very successful hook by Peters and Waterman, had a marked influence on managers in the 1980s, and in all likelihood in the 1990s, it met with some scepticism in academic circles. This was because the construct as conceptualised did not meet the more rigorous requirements of reliability and validity established by critical researchers, and also because many of the so-called excellent firms later showed themselves to be rather ordinary performers at best. Recently, an apparently successful instrument to measure the original Peters and Waterman excellence construct named EXCEL has been developed by Shama et al., in the United States. In this article the authors describe the use of EXCEL in a sample of large UK service firms and comment on its reliability and validity. Links are also established between excellence and overrall business performance in these firms.peer-reviewe

Web-based Education: Revolution or Fad?

This debate will follow the traditional model. Two speakers will argue that the Web will revolutionize education and two will present the opposing argument. Gordon Davis will adjudicate the debate and make a concluding statement

www.Betfair.com: World-Wide Wagering

Many industries are being fundamentally changed as entrepreneurs discover how to use the Internet to create higher customer value. Betfair has turned the gaming industry upside down with its exchange for gamblers. It has found a very efficient and effective way to match those who want to make and take bets, and also made these gamblers 10 percent better off compared to betting via traditional channels. The case describes the development of Betfair, its business model, and addresses the problems it faces as it expands beyond the boundaries of the United Kingdom

Industrial marketing and the internet : framework for assessing communication strategies

This paper discusses the role of the Web as a strategic communication tool for industrial marketers and its position in the business-to-business communication mix. Using the concepts of purchasing decision processes and hierarchy of effects models, the paper adapts the framework for the measurement of consumer web site efficiency developed by Berthon et al. (1996) to the industrial marketing setting. Examples are given of both large and small industrial organisations that are currently using their Web sites to achieve these objectives. The strategic implications of the framework and model are discussed.peer-reviewe

The state of theory in three premier advertising journals : a research note

Despite its importance, little is known about the prevalence of theory in the literature on advertising research. Utilising a content analysis of the three premier advertising journals over an 11-year period, it is found that only 17% of articles have made explicit use of theory. Psychology is the discipline from which the greatest number of articles drew their theoretical frameworks, followed by sociology and economics – indeed, theories from marketing and advertising are in the minority. Limitations are noted and implications of the results are discussed.peer-reviewe