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Executives who are engaged in strategic planning for higher education generally complain about the process and the lack of clear outcomes from the strategic plan. They generally argue that the process is complex and sometimes confusing and the end result does not justify the time spent in preparing the plan. The extant literature on strategic planning in higher educational institutions (HEIs) is replete with these types of complaints. The work undertaken in this paper provides a solution to this problem. This paper proposes a simplified and efficient strategic planning model which executives can use to facilitate strategic planning in HEIs. This model takes into consideration, all the elements of previous models and synthesize them into a manageable, simplified framework that can be adapted to meet the planning needs of senior executives in any HEI.

The paper uses the action research framework to ground the solution to the problem identified. The action research framework is a sound research method that assists in resolving some of the practical problems executives in HEIs encounter as they move towards strategic planning. The researcher and a client in the higher educational sector, the UWI, engaged in collaborative problem-solving to develop a strategic plan for the client. To derive the solution, the researcher drew on the experience of the strategic planning process at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and also a number of selected universities in North American, Europe, Asia and Africa. The researcher then synthesized the outcomes from the deliberations and consultations with the client, the UWI and drew on theoretical knowledge in strategic management to derive the simplified model for strategic planning in higher education.

The research presented in this paper found that the existing strategic planning models used in higher education are generally complex, mostly designed specifically for an individual institution and lacks clarity regarding the implementation process. To overcome these problems for strategic planners in higher education, this paper proposes a simplified model that can be adapted by any HEI to assist with their strategic planning process. The Brainstoming- Visioning Action Results (B-VAR), the solution to the problem, presents the various elements of the strategic planning process that will need to be in place in order to develop a workable strategic plan and one that is implementable and will deliver tangible results for the HEI.

Besides adding to our knowledge in strategic management and specifically, strategic management in higher education, the greatest value from this paper is the solution it presents to solve the long-standing problem of having complex and ineffective planning models to lead strategic plan development in HEIs. The added value is that the model is integrative as it draws on elements of previous planning models but simplified them for their adaptation to any HEI.

This paper aims to empirically explore the TOE (technology-organisation-environment) factors influencing small to medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') adoption of enterprise applications (EA).

Direct interviews were used to collect data from a random sample of SMEs located in the northwest of England. Using partial least squares (PLS) technique, 102 responses were analysed.

Results indicate that technology, organisation and environment contexts impact SMEs' adoption of EA. This suggests that the TOE model is indeed a robust tool to predict the adoption of EA by SMEs.

Although this study focused on examining factors that influence SMEs' adoption of a set of systems such as CRM and e-procurement, it fails to differentiate between factors influencing each of these applications. The model used in this study can be used by software vendors not only in developing marketing strategies that can target potential SMEs, but also to develop strategies to increase the adoption of EA among SMEs.

This model could be used by software vendors to determine which SMEs they should target with their products. It can also be used by policy makers to develop strategies to increase the rate of EA adoption among SMEs.

This paper provides a model that can predict SMEs' adoption of EA. SMEs, adoption, enterprise applications, enterprise systems, ICT, PLS, technology-organisation-environment framework, TOE

This study examines the efforts of many developing countries to promote their economies as sites for foreign direct investment. It develops a model of determinants of foreign direct investment flows to test the extent to which countries are able to differentially attract foreign direct investment through promotional activities. The statistical study lends support to the concept that the convergence of policy and promotional activities around the developing world is leading to a movement toward the maturity phase of the life cycle of the differential effectiveness of special attraction efforts. While this trend does not support a discontinuation of these special attraction efforts, we do suggest that it does make it critical that promotional organizations in developing countries emphasize “functional” rather than “selective” policy reforms and promotional activities that are non‐discriminatory in relation to local investors.