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1 – 10 of over 3000Allan Pérez-Orozco, Juan Carlos Leiva and Ronald Mora-Esquivel
This study explores the mediating role of marketing management in the relationship between online presence and product innovation among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the mediating role of marketing management in the relationship between online presence and product innovation among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The sample comprises 205 Costa Rican SMEs collected by the Global Competitiveness Project during the first half of 2019. The data were analyzed using a two-stage modeling strategy for ordinary regression models to analyze mediation effects.
Findings
Marketing management as a strategic resource or capability accounts for the relationship between online presence and product innovation performance in SMEs, meaning that online presence resources require complementary organizational capabilities in marketing management to enhance product innovation.
Originality/value
This study, grounded in the resource-based view theory, contributes to the innovation field by identifying marketing management capabilities as an intermediate strategic interaction between online presence and product innovation performance in SMEs. Thus, managers should recognize the advantages of integrating marketing management principles and tactics into online presence tools to realize the value of their products by tailoring them to their client’s needs.
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Suné Maré and Ashley Teedzwi Mutezo
This paper aimed to determine the self- and co-regulation influences on the community of inquiry (CoI) for collaborative online learning.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aimed to determine the self- and co-regulation influences on the community of inquiry (CoI) for collaborative online learning.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey was used on a sample of (N = 626) enrolled postgraduate students in a South African Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) university. The measuring instruments were the CoI and the shared metacognitive surveys. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the association and influence of self- and co-regulation on the CoI.
Findings
The results indicated that self- and co-regulation related to the CoI (teaching, cognitive and social) presences. In addition, the results revealed that self- and co-regulation influence the CoI presences. Self-regulation had the highest influence on teaching and cognitive presence, while co-regulation influenced social presence.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s convenience sampling method from a single university limited the applicability of the findings to other online learning environments.
Practical implications
Higher educational teachers who encourage student self- and co-regulation may enhance their online teaching, cognitive and social presence when studying online. The research’s findings may be valuable to teachers to enable them to provide a more collaborative and interactive online learning environment and promote productive online communities.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge about the relationship between teaching, social and cognitive presence and self- and co-regulation within the CoI framework. Furthermore, there has also been limited research focussing on the dynamics of shared metacognition within the CoI framework in an ODeL context.
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Felix Westermann, Linda Doll, Maren Duprés, Sofia Späth and Petra Monika Schweizer-Ries
How can social presence, participation and a sense of community be formed in an online setting without compromising on social connectedness through physical distancing? Under…
Abstract
Purpose
How can social presence, participation and a sense of community be formed in an online setting without compromising on social connectedness through physical distancing? Under consideration of the goals for an Education for Sustainable Development, transformative science and the social techniques of Theory U, developed by Otto Scharmer (2016), an online Community of Inquiry of researchers, practitioners and learners was to be developed, followed and observed to discuss the question whether and how it was possible to create an awareness-based, future-oriented and socially committed online community that would enrich social transformation processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Methods of 1st, 2nd and 3rd person research were applied, as well as group discussions, one Mentimeter survey and one standardised questionnaire with an open question.
Findings
Results indicate that it is not only possible to create a feeling of community in an online setting, but also point to the terms and conditions which act as enablers and influencers, like seeing each other face-to-face, collective check-ins and check-outs as well as small group break-out sessions. Video conferencing and the practicing of rules of conduct and communication, also referred to as netiquette, enable a transcendence of the physical distance to reach a feeling of belonging and social presence in the perception of the participants.
Originality/value
In line with global sustainable development, the study also sets an example for how to reduce personal emissions when planning an international conference. Also, it shows how to create online spaces to connect people worldwide, which will support to take over responsibilities as world citizens.
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Emma Kavanagh, Chelsea Litchfield and Jaquelyn Osborne
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the presence of abuse enacted through virtual mediums with a specific focus on how athletes can become the targets of online hate. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the presence of abuse enacted through virtual mediums with a specific focus on how athletes can become the targets of online hate. The chapter introduces social media and explores the role it has played in the increasing reliance on virtual worlds. The impact of digital technology on sport in particular is framed in order to demonstrate how digital technologies are now a vital component in our consumption of sport. The primary focus of the chapter is on how virtual spaces can pose significant risk(s). Freedom of speech, shifting power and the lack of safety and regulation in virtual spaces are all presented. Finally, recommendations are made for future research in the area in order to develop understanding of abuse augmented by virtual environments and to develop the focus on virtual safeguarding in sport and beyond.
Design/methodology/approach
This chapter synthesises and discusses existing literature from the disciplines of sport, social media and abuse, with a view to understand and address prominent issues encountered by athletes in the virtual world.
Findings
By examining abuse through a sociological lens, this chapter focusses on the factors that promote or enable abuse to occur online (often without regulation). The types of abuse experienced in virtual spaces are legion and this adds to the complexity of policing and/or safeguarding online environments.
Research limitations/implications
The chapter makes recommendations for a number of future areas of study that will extend the current understanding of abuse in virtual environments.
Originality/value
The chapter provides a synthesis of the emerging area of virtual abuse and its links to sociology as a discipline. It offers insight into power in virtual spaces as a critical frame of reference for understanding virtual interactions and parasocial relationships.
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The purpose of this paper is to describe an online faculty development pilot course on how to engage students online. A framework was used, referred to as the Trifecta of Student…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe an online faculty development pilot course on how to engage students online. A framework was used, referred to as the Trifecta of Student Engagement, for the design of the course. The Trifecta of Student Engagement proposes that students, in order to be fully engaged in a course, need to be engaged with their course content, with their peers and with their instructor. The course has three units of content that each correspond to the Trifecta of Student Engagement. This course has gone through one pilot with faculty and has impacted students and faculty positively.
Design/methodology/approach
An online faculty development course was piloted with eight faculty members across a range of disciplines who participated in the program. After taking the course, they had to apply the Trifecta of Student Engagement framework to a course they taught and share what they did via written report, webinar, or web presentation. This study summarized the faculty participants’ written reports and presentations as well as provided a qualitative evaluation on the impact this course had on students and faculty.
Findings
After faculty applied the Trifecta of Student Engagement framework to courses taught, faculty saw an improvement in student engagement, satisfaction, learning and achievement. Three faculty surveyed students to determine their engagement and satisfaction and found students to respond positively to the use of tools and activities for student-to-content engagement, student-to-student engagement and student-to-instructor engagement. Two faculty examined student grades to determine if there were changes in student outcomes. One professor saw average grades increase by 11 percent. Another professor saw grades improve by 8 percent. She also found that student assessment of learning increased by 0.57. Both faculty attributed the improvement to the effectiveness of the teaching strategies employed.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited to the eight faculty who participated in the pilot. Some faculty used methods to attempt to measure the impacts of their teaching practices by surveying students and looking at student performance data. A second pilot is needed for additional faculty to take the course and apply the Trifecta of Engagement framework to generate more data for impact.
Practical implications
Institutions looking to create an online teaching professional development course for faculty can utilize the Trifecta of Student Engagement framework for their course design. Additionally, faculty can read about tools and strategies that they can immediately apply to create more student-to-content engagement, student-to-student engagement and student-to-instructor engagement.
Social implications
Faculty can be more intentional in how they engage students in their online course experience.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the literature on faculty development regarding student-centered teaching practices. Other institutions looking to create a faculty development course or program that utilizes a student-centered framework may find aspects of this paper useful for their own online teaching professional development initiatives.
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Sheila Stela Matusse, Xi Xi and Isaque Manteiga Joaquim
The purpose of the present paper was to explore the best practices of destination management in promoting tourist destinations through the Mozambique government website (INATUR…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the present paper was to explore the best practices of destination management in promoting tourist destinations through the Mozambique government website (INATUR) and identify strategies that enhance its visibility and online presence. This was only possible by (1) exploring if people are aware of the government website’s existence; (2) examining the existence of indicators of the engagement behaviors for the web-users (visitors) in their searching process on the government website; (3) exploring if the engagement behavior and website features have influence on the government website visitors’ satisfaction and (4) providing measures to enhance the popularity of the government website at INATUR.
Design/methodology/approach
The study combined a qualitative and quantitative methodological approach from the primary data collected via an online questionnaire survey of 269 random respondents, and the selected data was analyzed and processed using Stata 13 with the descriptive statistic and ANOVA [Analysis of Variance (an econometric model)] technique. The data was collected from secondary sources and from the interview, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was applied with an interpretive approach.
Findings
The government website presents the minimum of relevant information to respond to the users’ needs and expectations. There is little knowledge regarding the existence of the government website for tourism destination marketing. Few respondents were surprised about this website’s existence. The optimistic side of responses came from those peple who used the website and it helped their expectation. The correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between the government website features and the visitors’ searching satisfaction; the interview outputs noted that the shortage of staff at INATUR with knowledge of digital marketing engagement plays a role in solving the problem of the visibility and online presence of the website.
Research limitations/implications
One of the apparent limitations of this research was the world pandemic situation (Covid-19), which influenced to make abrupt arrangements in conducting the questionnaire survey and interview compared to the planned schedule. The interview was supposed to be a field research to have direct contact with her respondents and collect nonverbal information through the respondents’ body language, but unfortunately, it was not possible. Improvising was one of the solutions and had to design an online questionnaire survey for national and international tourist respondents and an emailed interview with INATUR director. Because of that, the results showed a very significant gap between African nationals and international respondents in number of 264 and 5, respectively (about in 98,14%) caused by the lockdown and traveling limitation.
Practical implications
The adoption of the contents in “Recommendations for policy and decision-making” can help in synergizing an integrative marketing communication strategy that enables all actors to maximize local economic benefits without spending many financial resources, and support sustainability, different tourist destination suppliers, authorities and local communities’ development. Ensuring effective and efficient communication, and above all, enhancing the provision of reliable information. Reinforce the importance of the practical teaching and learning of digital platforms in tourism schools and universities; offer a thematic tool to serve as an analytical basis in future studies, encouraging continuous scientific research on the subject under study.
Social implications
Raising the awareness of the government website among tourist consumers; promoting Mozambique as a reference destination and its tourist diversity through the use of the government website; capitalizing tourists’ enterprises for communities’ development; improving the competitiveness of destinations through greater exposure of tourism products and services on the government website boosts the economic gains for the development of the tourism sector in the country. Accessibility to the information channel of Mozambican tourist destinations via the government website, and stimulating the desire to visit; improve and enrich the visitor’s experience quality on the government website in the tourist information consultation.
Originality/value
It is the first research in the country about tourism destination marketing using indicators like customers’ behavioral engagement levels based on social interactions such as likes, shares and comments on the government website, as well as its awareness and performance aspects, to analyze if the INATUR government website is being successful on its tourism destination marketer role. The research was also done to bring solutions to the current trends of the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected and disrupted the tourism industry.
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Inma Rodríguez-Ardura and Antoni Meseguer-Artola
Mobile Facebook (m-Facebook) creates many business opportunities for brands and firms while increasingly drawing interest in scientific literature. However, research is scarce on…
Abstract
Purpose
Mobile Facebook (m-Facebook) creates many business opportunities for brands and firms while increasingly drawing interest in scientific literature. However, research is scarce on the immersive experiences prompted by m-Facebook, and how these experiences facilitate users’ engagement, their positive attitude towards Facebook and their continued use of it. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper theoretically and empirically analyses m-Facebook users’ immersive experiences, along with their affective and behavioural effects.
Findings
The results reveal the important role of imagery, presence and flow in the context of m-Facebook; the interplay between these three immersive phenomena; and the influence the user’s optimum stimulation level has on them.
Originality/value
The investigation offers a foundation for understanding users’ immersive experiences on m-Facebook, and informs practitioners who aim to enhance users’ engagement with, attitude towards, and continued use of m-Facebook content.
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Julia Kasch, Margien Bootsma, Veronique Schutjens, Frans van Dam, Arjan Kirkels, Frans Prins and Karin Rebel
In this opinion article, the authors share their experiences with and perspectives on course design requirements and barriers when applying challenge-based learning (CBL) in an…
Abstract
In this opinion article, the authors share their experiences with and perspectives on course design requirements and barriers when applying challenge-based learning (CBL) in an online sustainability education setting. CBL is an established learning approach for (higher) sustainability education. It enables teachers to engage students with open, real-life grand challenges through inter-/transdisciplinary student team collaboration. However, empirical research is scarce and mainly based on face-to-face CBL case studies. Thus far, the opportunities to apply CBL in online educational settings are also underinvestigated.
Using the TPACK framework, the authors address technological, pedagogical and content knowledge related to CBL and online sustainability education. The integration of the different components is discussed, providing teachers and course designers insight into design requirements and barriers.
This paper supports the promising future of online CBL for sustainability education, especially in the context of inter-/national inter-university collaboration, yet emphasizes the need for deliberate use of online collaboration and teaching tools.
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Jorge Martins and Miguel Baptista Nunes
The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an exploratory study that investigates Portuguese academics’ conceptions concerning the temporal properties of e-learning…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an exploratory study that investigates Portuguese academics’ conceptions concerning the temporal properties of e-learning, in the context of traditional Higher Education Institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
Grounded Theory methodology was used to systematically analyse data collected in semi-structured interviews with 62 academics. Data analysis followed the constant comparative method and its three-staged coding approach: open, axial and selective coding. Data collection and analysis developed until theoretical saturation was reached.
Findings
Emergent academics’ conceptions concerning the temporal properties of e-learning indicate the existence of unregulated and unaccounted for dynamics, which are a direct consequence of transitioning from campus-based lecturing to teaching online using the affordances of virtual learning environments. This transition produces disruptions to established workload metrics and work patterns, as well as conflicts with dominant modes of instructional delivery that are not synchronised with the demands of online interaction and immediacy.
Originality/value
This paper is valuable to e-learning strategists and administrators. An understanding of the temporal properties of e-learning as perceived by academics provides actionable knowledge that is directly applicable to the design of suitable work arrangements, normative frameworks and e-learning practices that address perceived time-related barriers. To mitigate the time-related conflicts and disruptions identified in the study the authors suggest the establishment of university-wide norms of virtual presence and the implementation of temporal protocols to sustain the productive engagement between instructors and learners.
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