Search results

Emerging markets are witnessing rapid changes in their economy owing to the ongoing liberalization and globalization. India, as one of the emerging markets in south Asia, is also experiencing a dramatic change in its business ecosystem. This poses huge opportunities to the companies, both start-ups and established ones. In this direction, the business model innovation offers a strategic renewal mechanism. The study aims to explore the practices of an online transport network company (OLA) creating a distinctive place for itself in Indian taxi service sector.

Methodologically, an exploratory case study of an India-based online transport company (OLA) business model innovation is reported.

This paper reveals that OLA has been able to gain competitive advantage in the Indian emerging market by developing an innovative business model with its distinctive features of personalised customer service, asset sharing, usage-based pricing, collaborative ecosystem, agile and adaptive organising and successful expansion strategies.

This study adds to current knowledge concerning the theoretical foundations and antecedents of business model innovation as a competitive advantage. The paper is explorative in nature because the analysis is mostly based on literature review. Furthermore, in consideration of the analysis of business model of a single company, further research is required to generalize the results.

The understanding of the intricacies of business model innovation can be of great concern to existing and prospective managers and entrepreneurs of emerging markets.

The paper discusses the features of innovative business models and how firms can make their business models more relevant to the competitive markets. As such, the study is hopeful to aid practitioners engaged in the pursuit of beating the competition with innovation driven business models.

In every industry there are resources. Some are moving, others more fixed; some are technical, others social. People working with the resources, for example, as buyers or sellers, or users or producers, may not make much notice of them. A product sells. A facility functions. The business relationship in which we make our money has “always” been there. However, some times this picture of order is disturbed. A user having purchased a product for decades may “suddenly” say to the producer that s/he does not appreciate the product. And a producer having received an order of a product that s/he thought was well known, may find it impossible to sell it. Such disturbances may be ignored. Or they can be used as a platform for development. In this study we investigate the latter option, theoretically and through real world data. Concerning theory we draw on the industrial network approach. We see industrial actors as part of (industrial) networks. In their activities actors use and produce resources. Moreover, the actors interact − bilaterally and multilaterally. This leads to development of resources and networks. Through “thick” descriptions of two cases we illustrate and try to understand the interactive character of resource development and how actors do business on features of resources. The cases are about a certain type of resource, a product − goat milk. The main message to industrial actors is that they should pay attention to that products can be co-created. Successful co-creation of products, moreover, may require development also of business relationships and their connections (“networking”).

In the context of lifelong learning society, education experts pay more and more attention to online assessment (OLA) correlated with the concept of e-learning environment. This chapter builds upon these issues concerning the e-learning environment and the inevitable move to using OLA which is a natural outcome of the increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) assisting in enhancing flexible learning and assessment.

The main purpose of this research is to (a) analyze the postgraduates’ perceptions toward OLA they had taken part in, and (b) identify if there are significant differences in these perceptions based on the variables of gender and skills of using ICTs. Subjects were postgraduate students of master third level enrolled in “Advanced seminar in Islamic Education” syllabus in Faculty of Education, Umm Al Qura University, K.S.A. The study used an e-questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to investigate postgraduate students’ attitudes and opinions about OLA.

The results of the study indicated highly positive perceptions of OLA. In addition, the study concluded that gender and ICTs familiarity significantly affect postgraduate students’ responses in most of the areas studied. The study recommended the necessity of implementing OLA culture as a way to the formation of the knowledge-based society.

This article begins with an analysis of the information society, discussing its repercussions and defining the term, information literacy. It also describes the need for, as well as the creation and development of, an online information literacy tutorial, named Olas at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) Libraries. Olas follows international best practice and its overall framework is based on US, Australian and UK information literacy models, while its learning outcomes follow those produced by both the Council of Australian University Librarians and Peter Godwin, South Bank University, London. Olas aims to introduce basic and advanced concepts of information literacy to the broadest possible range of learners both on‐campus and remotely. Olas is currently being piloted at WIT. Apart from the integrated commercial database products to which access is contractually limited to WIT students and staff, it is freely available from WIT Libraries' Web site. Further development is focused on building an improved version of the course in the WebCT virtual learning environment. The WebCT version will include more richly interactive content, will facilitate credited assessment of WIT‐registered students, and will address outstanding accessibility issues.

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM ) has been used to interpret people's adoptions of several kinds of technology. However, while people accept online application service technology with security threats, the perceived risk is generally ignored by past TAM studies. This study proposes an extension of TAM to an online application context.

The research was done through a survey of 1,259 registered users who had used a free trial version of online antivirus (OLA) applications.

The results reveal that perceived risk indirectly impacts intentions to use an online application under security threats. Notably, while perceived usefulness is important to the trial‐and‐leave group, perceived risk more strongly influences the continuous use group.

The findings offer a useful insight for software companies that typically offer free trial versions for continuous use as promotions.

Recent rapid pace in the introduction of innovations has made adopting new technologies, such as those used for electronic procurement, a routine practice. But successful technology adoption depends on a multitude of factors, including those related to the adopter, to the technology, to the provider and the network within which they operate. Without careful consideration of these factors, effectiveness of benchmarking of technology adoptions may be remiss of predictable outcomes. The paper aims to aid in understanding when and how benchmarking applies to technology adoptions by introducing a new conceptual framework.

The paper combines facets of established theories of innovation adoption to develop a new broad‐based framework. It then applies the framework to develop propositions on the adoption of two distinct types of e‐procurement technologies (EPT), namely electronic data interchange and online auctions.

Three prominent adoption theories that explain innovation adoption are highlighted and it is noted that while useful, on their own, these theories may have limited explanatory power. These paradigms are leveraged to develop an interlocked framework that helps better explain the factors that influence innovation adoption. The factors are categorized into four groups, namely that of the technology, the adopting firm, its trading partners and the network within which it operates.

The paper's conceptual hypotheses need to be empirically validated in a later study.

The paper suggests that application of proper benchmarking practices that are reflective of the technology, the adopter, the provider, and network factors.

This paper fulfils a need to study how benchmarking of innovation adoptions in general, and for EPT in particular, can be made more effective by applying a multi‐dimensional perspective on their adoption.

Selecting the most effective leveraging methods is crucial for national Olympic sponsors, who have limited time to achieve their sponsorship objectives. This paper presents the Optimal Leveraging Activity (OLA) model, which suggests that leveraging activities for high involvement products/services should primarily focus on enhancing brand image, knowledge and involvement, while for low involvement products/services a more sales-oriented approach is favourable. The leveraging activities of four Grand National Sponsors of the Athens Olympic Games illustrate the differences.

The need for learning support programmes in academic libraries is discussed. The development and progress of WIT Libraries programme, from its origin in 1996 to its present day initiatives, is documented. The service began on a small scale in a small library building in 1996. Today, seven years and a new library building later, the service is going from strength to strength. Advances have been made in line with learner needs and expectations and according to the goals of the Library Strategic Plan. The programme currently consists of a number of modules, including a specific programme for first years, one for second to final years and tailored research sessions for postgraduates and staff. Furthermore, it incorporates a combination of modes of delivery. Face‐face training is complemented by an evolved online element.

The purpose of the paper is to report on the experience of a library‐based Learning Support Unit at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). It examines the background to the educational experience in libraries, major trends and resources in the area of library education, emerging strategies and how they are being translated into practical activities at WIT.

The paper provides an overview of the educational initiatives of libraries in general and of WIT Libraries in particular. It takes a descriptive or instructional “how to” approach to its topic. Research methods used include a qualitative analysis of contemporary writings on the subject, first hand accounts and evaluations of the experience of library staff at WIT Libraries, and formal and informal student surveys.

The paper underlines the need for the library to be an equal partner in the educational process. The value of the librarian/lecturer partnership to the student experience is recognised. The paper finds that, in WIT's experience, it has been possible to position the library over a comparatively short timeframe as a major strategic asset for its institution simply by drawing largely on the skills and experiences of existing library staff in partnership with lecturing staff on curriculum‐related projects.

The paper shows that it is possible for a comparatively small unit to advance library education in its parent organisation in practical, achievable steps.