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1 – 10 of over 11000Dimitra Skoumpopoulou and Teresa Waring
Organisations spend a lot of money, time and resources on enterprise system (ES) implementation and often they do not realise the expected benefits from these complex systems…
Abstract
Purpose
Organisations spend a lot of money, time and resources on enterprise system (ES) implementation and often they do not realise the expected benefits from these complex systems. There is a gap in the literature in providing sufficient insight into the implementation process or how an ES might influence or contribute to a culture change. The purpose of this paper is to address the gap in the ES literature around culture by exploring the implementation that was undertaken within a large UK university.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper contributes to the higher education (HE) and ES literature through an in-depth study of an ES, Strategic Information Technology Services (SITS) implementation within a university in the UK. The study was undertaken over a three-year period where one of the authors was embedded within the organisation.
Findings
Using a cultural analysis framework, the extensive rich data were analysed and the outcomes indicate that SITS has had a huge influence on the culture of the university; the technology’s rigid structure has imposed many changes that had not been anticipated.
Originality/value
ES have recently emerged in the HE sector where they are intended to support the management of student data and provide strategic management information. Although there are many studies which have explored important aspects of the implementation of ES, one area that appears to have been under-researched is how these systems are implicated in culture change within organisations. The results of this study will enable managers as well as IT specialists to gain rich insights into an ES implementation in the HE sector and to use this knowledge for future implementations.
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Nico Martins and Hester Nienaber
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the influence of time on the results of the dimensions of employee engagement; and second, to determine whether there…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the influence of time on the results of the dimensions of employee engagement; and second, to determine whether there are any significant differences between the levels of engagement of the different demographic groups, so as to determine specific future interventions to improve employee engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a quantitative approach employing a survey which used a questionnaire to collect data from the same convenience sample, over a three-year period. The differences were tested by measuring change through an analysis of variance.
Findings
Three dimensions, namely, team commitment, team orientation and organisational strategy and implementation were significantly higher in the third than first period. Africans and respondents on lower job grades reported significantly lower levels of engagement than white respondents and top management.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of the study is the low participation rate of some groups.
Practical implications
Top management can foster engagement in addition to introducing effective interventions, based on sound measurement, to improve employees’ engagement levels.
Social implications
Engaged employees are happy/healthy, which can be expected to spill over to their lives outside of the workplace and thus favourably influence society.
Originality/value
Limited longitudinal research in connection with employee engagement is published. This study provides evidence of a valid barometer for a multicultural, developing economy, against which employee engagement can be measured.
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Ann Brown, Martin Rich and Clive Holtham
The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a new undergraduate one-term double module called management practice and skills – which sought to change the learning…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a new undergraduate one-term double module called management practice and skills – which sought to change the learning environment for the new intake of undergraduate students based on constructivist ideas aimed at creating a high level of student engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Action research focusing on the evaluation stage of the first cycle of an intervention. The intervention is described in a case study explaining the features of the new module combined with the statistical analysis of the hard data collected on the first cohort of students taking the module using mainly correlation techniques.
Findings
The module design did achieve to a great extent the objective of catering to all learning styles and personalities within the cohort. The results from the first cohort established the elusive nature of the concept of student engagement and the challenge in measuring it quantitatively.
Research limitations/implications
This is an evaluation of one case example of the application of constructivist ideas in teaching and hence can make no claim to generalisability. The quantitative measure of student engagement was developed for this study – hence it needs to be applied in other situations and tested for credibility. The student data did not include any measures of their views on the module. The collection of their levels of satisfaction at the end of the module and again after two more years at university would offer a richer view of student engagement.
Practical implications
This type of module makes high demands on the teaching staff. It requires, for example – design effort, tutors with both business and teaching experience, administration of the logistics, expertise in handling moodle. The role of the moodle virtual learning environment is key to delivering the module and to collecting much of the data.
Social implications
The module design explicitly aims to foster students’ social interaction and create a community of learning among them. It supports students’ personal development, development of individual business and team working skills as well as relevant management theory.
Originality/value
The paper describes an unusual application of constructivist concepts to teaching in a business degree and the development of an innovative and distinctive approach to the creation of a quantitative measure of student engagement.
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All sectors of the economy have shortfalls in the quantity and quality of management development, but a notably large skills gap is in the not‐for‐profit sector, compounded by a…
Abstract
Purpose
All sectors of the economy have shortfalls in the quantity and quality of management development, but a notably large skills gap is in the not‐for‐profit sector, compounded by a reluctance among many managers in the sector to engage with learning management skills. The purpose of this paper is to report on a novel approach which has successfully deployed web technology to create a soap‐opera style of material for the purposes of informal experiential learning for managers in that sector.
Design/methodology/approach
An action learning approach was used.
Findings
It has proved feasible to deploy the processes and style of soap‐opera (continuing drama) to the development of non‐formal management development materials. It has also been feasible to find and develop a team of authors with suitable management experience and fiction‐writing skills.
Research limitations/implications
This is based on a single case study developed in a particular set of circumstances, so its generalisability has not been fully evaluated.
Practical implications
Significant appropriate management and technical resources are needed to set up and produce this type of material on a continuing basis.
Social implications
Many managers are unable to participate in formal management education, but are hard to reach. Their needs are not simply for information, but also for a sense of a learning community and for engaging material, communicated with some drama and clearly relevant to their everyday experience.
Originality/value
The project relates to a unique large‐scale initiative to address hard‐to‐reach groups in need of management development.
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This synthesis covers academic research on the use of valuation, tax, information technology (IT), and forensic specialists on audit engagements. The importance and role of…
Abstract
This synthesis covers academic research on the use of valuation, tax, information technology (IT), and forensic specialists on audit engagements. The importance and role of specialists on audit engagements have recently increased, and specialist use has garnered significant attention from regulators and academics. Given the PCAOB’s (2017b) recent proposal to revise auditing standards regarding specialists’ involvement, it is important to review the specialist literature as a whole. By integrating research across these four domains, I identify commonalities and differences related to: (1) factors associated with the use of specialists on audit engagements (including the nature, timing, and extent of use); (2) factors impacting auditors’ interactions with specialists (including specialists contracted by the auditor or management); and (3) outcomes associated with the use of specialists. This integrated analysis of the specialist literatures shows variation in the use of specialists, and various factors affecting both if and how they are involved and whether auditors use specialists internal or external to the audit firm. Additionally, research has sometimes (but not always) linked specialist involvement to higher audit quality. The commonalities and areas of variation identified are informative to audit research and practice, particularly as regulators and audit firms look to improve the quality of audits using specialists. Throughout the synthesis, I also provide a number of directions for future research.
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Deniz A. Appelbaum, Alex Kogan and Miklos A. Vasarhelyi
There is an increasing recognition in the public audit profession that the emergence of big data as well as the growing use of business analytics by audit clients has brought new…
Abstract
There is an increasing recognition in the public audit profession that the emergence of big data as well as the growing use of business analytics by audit clients has brought new opportunities and challenges. That is, should more complex business analytics beyond the customary analytical procedures be used in the engagement and if so, where? Which techniques appear to be most promising? This paper starts the process of addressing these questions by examining extant external audit research. 301 papers are identified that discuss some use of analytical procedures in the public audit engagement. These papers are then categorized by technique, engagement phase, and other attributes to facilitate understanding. This analysis of the literature is categorized into an External Audit Analytics (EAA) framework, the objective of which is to identify gaps, to provide motivation for new research, and to classify and outline the main topics addressed in this literature. Specifically, this synthesis organizes audit research, thereby offering guidelines regarding possible future research about approaches for more complex and data driven analytics in the engagement.
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Kyuho Lee, Melih Madanoglu and Jae-Youn Ko
The purpose of this paper is to examine how an international joint venture (IJV) company can efficiently develop a competitive international service strategy in the competitive…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how an international joint venture (IJV) company can efficiently develop a competitive international service strategy in the competitive global marketplace. Specifically, this study seeks to highlight the key antecedents related to the development of an international service strategy and its implementation through the case of the IJV of Starbucks Korea.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study method is used. A series of in-depth personal interviews with the CEO of Starbucks Korea, a marketing manager at Starbucks Korea, and outlet managers of Starbucks Korea were conducted. Furthermore, an array of secondary data and company documentation was reviewed to triangulate the findings of the study.
Findings
Several themes illuminating the development and implementation of a successful international service strategy in the case of an international joint venture are identified. It was found that one of the critical antecedents related to the successful international service strategy in the context of an IJV is the similarity of organizational values between the IJV partners. The similarity between the corporate values and missions of the two partners in Starbucks Korea has become a major impetus in the development of a competitive international service strategy for Starbucks Korea.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of the study may not be applicable to other service firms since the study uses a single firm and a single country as its context.
Originality/value
The results of the study should help international service firms understand the importance of a successful international service strategy in the case of an international joint venture. Furthermore, the findings of the study illustrate the importance of understanding the local culture to develop a successful international service strategy.
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This paper aims to study the definition and formation of Skunk Works and how it may present itself as a viable theoretical alternative to other mainstream concepts of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the definition and formation of Skunk Works and how it may present itself as a viable theoretical alternative to other mainstream concepts of collective/corporate entrepreneurships, while dissecting some of the prevalent misconceptions of the extant literature regarding the application of Skunk Works.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a literature-based conceptual study that compares and differentiates various forms of group entrepreneurships as discussed in the academic debate.
Findings
This study shows how Skunk Works differs from other forms of collective/corporate entrepreneurship through its seven dimensions (isolation, customer needs, focus, planning, trusted project manager, cross-functional teams and leveraging overlaps) while challenging the dominant extant contenders of collective/corporate entrepreneurship.
Practical implications
Skunk Works remains a sustainable form of entrepreneurship, and it is still viable to consider it as a practical construct for smaller as well as larger organisations as a means of solving complicated innovative tasks requiring a multidisciplinary team with expert competence in a relatively quicker period of time.
Social implications
Organisations may take greater initiatives towards assembling entrepreneurial teams in the Skunk Work tradition.
Originality/value
As a means of understanding collective/corporate entrepreneurship, this study dissects some of the original fundamental cornerstones of Skunk Works entrepreneurship in an effort to present it as a viable alternative construct to the dominant construct of entrepreneurial orientation as well as other extant constructs.
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To define the similarities and differences in perceptions that mobile consumers in culturally distinct markets hold towards the mobile internet.
Abstract
Purpose
To define the similarities and differences in perceptions that mobile consumers in culturally distinct markets hold towards the mobile internet.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET), mental maps between consumers from Indonesia and Japan were developed and compared.
Findings
Results showed clear structural similarities between aggregate maps, while differences were found in experiential factors such as technical infrastructure or the underlying business model. The main barriers to widespread consumer adoption of the mobile internet were not found in cognitive structures unique to individual markets, but appeared instead to be caused by inefficiencies within the wireless ecosystem.
Research limitations/implications
These results identified factors from a number of pre‐existing theories relevant to the mobile platform, suggesting the need to develop a new, more inclusive theory of mobile consumer behavior. ZMET was also shown to be an effective comparative analysis tool applicable to cross‐cultural research.
Practical implications
Marketers can establish sustainable competitive advantage by effectively addressing the many negative aspects consumers raised about the MobileNet. Additionally, these results suggest that the mobile platform can serve as the foundation for truly co‐creative marketing initiatives.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to explore the cognitive structure and content of consumer perceptions of the mobile internet. This study was also the first to apply ZMET as a comparative tool, as well as the first to extend ZMET to include composite weights of construct dyads.
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Describes an analysis of a City of London office building in 1993.Attempts to show how the pricing process should be affected by a greaterunderstanding of the purchaser′s view…
Abstract
Describes an analysis of a City of London office building in 1993. Attempts to show how the pricing process should be affected by a greater understanding of the purchaser′s view. Based on a real case.
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