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Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify staff skills and competencies on which Chinese open universities should focus their professional development activities in order to enhance the quality of open and distance learning (ODL) in China.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from surveys of 220 academic and academic-related Chinese staff, each of whom participated in one of seven 3-day Learning Design and Course Creation (LDCC) workshops at three large regional open universities in China between 2017 and 2019. The workshops were based on the UK Open University (UKOU) approach to learning design (LD) and course creation. Using content analysis methodology, textual responses were analysed and compared against the Instructional Design Competencies framework provided by the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction (IBSTPI).
Findings
(1) Designing instructional interventions, (2) keeping up to date with design theories, (3) communicating in order to manage stakeholders, teams and projects were the main competencies identified from the participants responses. However, these three identified competencies differed in emphasis between the institutions that took part.
Originality/value
In Western higher education institutions (HEIs), LD has developed as an important approach to improving quality. A need has been identified for robust approaches to quality and professional development opportunities to enhance teaching and learning standards in open and distance learning (ODL) in China. This paper identifies and discusses specific LD skills and competencies that could be targeted to improve the quality of ODL in China.
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Iman Ghalehkhondabi, Ehsan Ardjmand, William A. Young and Gary R. Weckman
The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature in the field of tourism demand forecasting.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature in the field of tourism demand forecasting.
Design/methodology/approach
Published papers in the high quality journals are studied and categorized based their used forecasting method.
Findings
There is no forecasting method which can develop the best forecasts for all of the problems. Combined forecasting methods are providing better forecasts in comparison to the traditional forecasting methods.
Originality/value
This paper reviews the available literature from 2007 to 2017. There is not such a review available in the literature.
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Asad Ali Qazi, Andrea Appolloni and Abdul Rehman Shaikh
The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of the stakeholder's relationship with supply chain resilience (SCR) and organizational performance (OP) using the lens of…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of the stakeholder's relationship with supply chain resilience (SCR) and organizational performance (OP) using the lens of stakeholder theory in the manufacturing and service industry. Investigating the supply chain community in Pakistan, this paper explores the relationship between SCR, OP and the stakeholder's relationship (including customers and suppliers).
Design/methodology/approach
A partial least square (PLS) – structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using SmartPLS 3.3.3 was used to test the hypotheses. Data were collected through a survey (questionnaire) completed by 202 supply chain representatives. All respondents were supply chain professionals working in different organizations in Pakistan.
Findings
The findings of the study revealed that supplier relationship (SR) and customer relationship (CR) have a positive and significant impact on SCR and a positive and significant relationship between SCR and OP. A positive and significant relationship between customer relationship and OP was also noted. The mediating role of SCR is also found positive and significant.
Practical implications
The outcomes of the study will help managers to strengthen SCR through relationship management. The study is also helpful to increase OP through stakeholder management.
Originality/value
This study empirically tests an inclusive model with a PLS-SEM technique where SCR plays a mediating role in the mechanism, which is crucial since the supplier and customer (stakeholder) relationship has been never tested to gauge the OP by positioning SCR as a mediator while using the lens of stakeholder theory.
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Ramatu Abdulkadir, Dante Benjamin Matellini, Ian D. Jenkinson, Robyn Pyne and Trung Thanh Nguyen
This study aims to determine the factors and dynamic systems behaviour of essential medicine stockout in public health-care supply chains. The authors examine the constraints and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine the factors and dynamic systems behaviour of essential medicine stockout in public health-care supply chains. The authors examine the constraints and effects of mental models on medicine stockout to develop a dynamic theory of medicine availability towards saving patients’ lives.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a mixed-method approach. Starting with a survey method, followed by in-depth interviews with stakeholders within five health-care supply chains to determine the dynamic feedback leading to stockout and conclude by developing a network mental model for medicines availability.
Findings
The authors identified five constraints and developed five case mental models. The authors develop a dynamic theory of medicine availability across cases and identify feedback loops and variables leading to medicine availability.
Research limitations/implications
The need to include mental models of stakeholders like manufacturers and distributors of medicines to understand the system completely. Group surveys are prone to power dynamics and bias from group thinking. This survey’s quantitative output could minimize the bias.
Originality/value
This study uniquely uses a mixed-method of survey method and in-depth interviews of experts to assess the essential medicine stockout in Nigeria. To improve medicine availability, the authors develop a dynamic network mental model to understand the system structure, feedback and behaviour driving stockouts. This research will benefit public policymakers and hospital managers in designing policies that reduce medicine stockout.
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Matej Grošelj, Matej Černe, Sandra Penger and Barbara Grah
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the moderating role of psychological empowerment on the relationships between authentic leadership and innovative work behaviour, as well…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the moderating role of psychological empowerment on the relationships between authentic leadership and innovative work behaviour, as well as transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
We have applied the mixed-method research on the selected case study. The quantitative field study was conducted on a sample of 126 employees in a multinational technological company. A series of paired sample t-tests were followed by a hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The qualitative study consists of a content analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews with four leaders.
Findings
The research provides further confirmation of the positive relationship between leadership and innovative work behaviour. Specifically, the results showed that psychological empowerment moderates the relationship between leadership (authentic as well as transformational leadership) and innovative work behaviour.
Originality/value
This paper contributed to leadership and innovation literature and provided insights in studying the boundary conditions on the relationship between authentic leadership, as well as transformational leadership, in stimulating innovative work behaviour through the moderating role of psychological empowerment. The added value is expanded by introducing the comparison of the two leadership theories.
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Clara Martin-Duque, Juan José Fernández-Muñoz, Javier M. Moguerza and Aurora Ruiz-Rua
Recommendation systems are a fundamental tool for hotels to adopt a differentiating competitive strategy. The main purpose of this work is to use machine learning techniques to…
Abstract
Purpose
Recommendation systems are a fundamental tool for hotels to adopt a differentiating competitive strategy. The main purpose of this work is to use machine learning techniques to treat imbalanced data sets, not applied until now in the tourism field. These techniques have allowed the authors to analyse the influence of imbalance data on hotel recommendation models and how this phenomenon affects client dissatisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
An opinion survey was conducted among hotel customers of different categories in 120 different countries. A total of 135.102 surveys were collected over eleven quarters. A longitudinal design was conducted during this period. A binary logistic model was applied using the function generalized lineal model (GLM).
Findings
Through the analysis of a representative amount of data, the authors empirically demonstrate that the imbalance phenomenon is systematically present in hotel recommendation surveys. In addition, the authors show that the imbalance exists independently of the period in which the survey is done, which means that it is intrinsic to recommendation surveys on this topic. The authors demonstrate the improvement of recommendation systems highlighting the presence of imbalance data and consequences for marketing strategies.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the current work is to apply to the tourism sector the framework for imbalanced data, typically used in the machine learning, improving predictive models.
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Rafaela Alfalla-Luque, Darkys E. Luján García and Juan A. Marin-Garcia
The link between supply chain agility (SCA) and performance has been tested in previous research with different samples and results. The present paper quantitatively analyses and…
Abstract
Purpose
The link between supply chain agility (SCA) and performance has been tested in previous research with different samples and results. The present paper quantitatively analyses and summarises the impact of SCA on performance found in previous empirical papers and determines the influence of several identified moderators.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a meta-analysis approach based on a systematic literature review, a total of 63 empirical papers comprising a sample of 14,469 firms were meta-analysed to consider substantive (type of performance and SCA operationalisation) and extrinsic (economic region and industry) moderators.
Findings
Results confirm a significantly large, positive correlation between SCA and performance. None of the analysed moderators has enabled the identification of any significant differences between the SCA and performance correlations by subgroup. However, high heterogeneity in total variance, both in the full sample and the subgroups by moderator, demands further rigorously reported empirical research on this topic with clearly conceptualised variables and frameworks and the use of validated scales.
Research limitations/implications
Several research gaps and best practice recommendations have been indicated to improve future empirical research on this topic.
Practical implications
Practitioners in different economic regions and industries will find consistent evidence of improvements in performance through SCA.
Originality/value
No meta-analysis has been found in previous research to estimate the value of the correlation between SCA and performance and the influence of moderating variables.
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Juan Carlos Muñoz-Mora, Sebastian Aparicio, Diego Martinez-Moya and David Urbano
Motivated by a lack of evidence regarding the effect of migration on entrepreneurship in a highly informal country, such as Colombia, this paper has a twofold purpose. First, it…
Abstract
Purpose
Motivated by a lack of evidence regarding the effect of migration on entrepreneurship in a highly informal country, such as Colombia, this paper has a twofold purpose. First, it explores how Venezuelan immigration affects entrepreneurial activity in Colombian regions. Second, it intends to shed light on this relationship, by distinguishing between formal and informal sectors.
Design/methodology/approach
With a sample of 1,776,063 individuals, from the Labor Survey Gran Encuesta Integrada de Hogares (GEIH) from the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística (DANE), the authors employ an instrumental variable approach to account for the selection of immigrants into locations with more or less desirable conditions.
Findings
The results suggest Venezuelan immigration positively influences self-employment and own-account workers, but negatively affects employers. However, once these immigrants proliferate in the informal sector, the effects increase.
Originality/value
This paper brings new insights into the intersection between immigration, unofficial economies, and entrepreneurship. First, while the prior literature focuses on migration from developing to developed countries, migratory flows between developing economies and its effects on local entrepreneurial activity remain unexplored. Second, although informality is mostly common in developing countries, little (albeit growing) evidence of its role in the relationship between migration and entrepreneurship research exists. Finally, the authors bring together these two phenomena to enhance our understanding of different types of entrepreneurial activities when immigration and informality take place. Policy implications are derived from these insights.
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Alicia Orea-Giner, Ana Muñoz-Mazón, Teresa Villacé-Molinero and Laura Fuentes-Moraleda
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the future of the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in services experience provided by cultural institutions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the future of the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in services experience provided by cultural institutions (e.g. museums, exhibition halls and cultural centres) from experts’, cultural tourists’ and users’ point of view under the Industry 5.0 approach.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was conducted using a qualitative approach, which was based on the analysis of the contents obtained from two roundtable discussions with experts and cultural tourists and users. A thematic analysis using NVivo was done to the data obtained.
Findings
From a futuristic Industry 5.0 approach, AI is considered to be more than a tool – it as an integral part of the entire experience. AI aids in connecting cultural institutions with users and is beneficial since it allows the institutions to get to know the users better and provide a more integrated and immersive experience. Furthermore, AI is critical in establishing a community and nurturing it daily.
Originality/value
The most important contribution of this research is the theoretical model focused on the user experience and AI application in services experiences of museums and cultural institutions from an Industry 5.0 approach. This model includes the visitors’ and managers’ points of view through the following dimensions: the pre-experience, experience and post-experience. This model is focused on human–AI coworking (HAIC) in museums and cultural institutions.
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Vanesa F. Guzman-Parra, Juan Trespalacios Gutierrez and José Roberto Vila-Oblitas
This study aims to demonstrate the application of computer-aided text analysis (CATA) software in identifying primary associations and impressions of a specified tourist…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to demonstrate the application of computer-aided text analysis (CATA) software in identifying primary associations and impressions of a specified tourist destination.
Design/methodology/approach
The Leximancer software is applied on primary information to analyze the concepts evoked by a destination. Because no specific planning has been done for destination image marketing strategies for rural tourism in Andalusia, this study visualizes and determines clusters of the main attributes associated with this destination.
Findings
The analysis identifies the main clusters among associations and impressions of the destination that can be useful in developing strategies.
Research limitations/implications
Only a target segment is studied, with a relatively small sample size.
Practical implications
Leximancer can not only be applied to online user-generated content, but primary information can also be mapped to generate a holistic destination image. Furthermore, identification of the relevant attributes and impressions can serve to identify unique assets to help tourism organizations develop a destination.
Social implications
Several implications concerning destination marketing are outlined.
Originality/value
Although previous studies have applied Leximancer and other CATA software, the present research uses a new approach. Deriving the primary information on destination image using an unstructured methodology, the concepts evoked by a destination are mapped. Because there is a lack of research on rural tourism in Andalusia and its destination image, its associated attributes are studied.
研究目的
本论文展示如何使用CATA分析软件来确定一个具体旅游目的地的主要关系和印象。
研究设计/方法/途径
Leximancer软件主要用于分析一个目的地引发的相关概念。因为安达卢西亚至今未有确定的乡村旅游目的地形象营销策略, 本论文视觉化和决定与此目的地相关的主要因素群。
研究结果
研究结果指出了此安达卢西亚目的地的主要相关群和印象群, 这些对于指定战略计划有很大帮助。
研究理论限制
本论文只研究了单一市场群, 分析样本量较小。
研究实际启示
Leximancer不仅可以用来分析用户生成内容, 还可以分析主要信息, 以展示整体旅游目的地形象。此外, 分析指出的相关因素和印象群可以用来确立独特的资源组合, 帮助旅游机构开发旅游目的地。
研究社会启示
本论文结构指出了多个旅游目的地营销的相关启示
研究原创性/价值
尽管文献中有关Leximancer和其他CATA软件的使用文章, 本论文创立了新的使用方法。基于对旅游目的地形象的主要信息进行非结构性研究, 本论文对于旅游目的地的概念进行展开论述。由于至今未有针对安达卢西亚的乡村旅游研究以及旅游目的地形象研究, 本研究论述了其相关因素。
关键词 安达卢西亚、旅游目的地形象、旅游目的地因素、CATA软件、Leximancer
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