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The marketing literature uses five different experience terms that are supposed to represent different streams of research. Many papers do not provide a definition, most of the used definitions are unclear, the different experience terms have similar dimensionality and are regularly used interchangeably or have the same meaning. In addition, the existing definitions are not adequately informed from other disciplines that have engaged with experience. This paper aims to build a comprehensive conceptual framework of experience in marketing informed by related disciplines aiming to provide a more holistic definition of the term.

This research follows previously established procedures by conducting a systematic literature review of experience. From the approximately 5,000 sources identified in three disciplines, 267 sources were selected, marketing (148), philosophy (90) and psychology (29). To address definitional issues the analysis focused on enlightening four premises.

This paper posits that the term brand experience can be used in all marketing-related experiences and proposes four premises that may resolve the vagaries associated with the term’s conceptualization. The four premises address the what, who, how and when of brand experience and aim to rectify conceptual issues. Brand experience is introduced as a multi-level phenomenon.

The suggested singular term, brand experience, captures all experiences in marketing. The identified additional elements of brand experience, such as the levels of experience and the revision of emotions within brand experience as a continuum, tempered by repetition, should be considered in future research.

The multi-level conceptualization may provide a greater scope for dynamic approaches to brand experience design thus providing greater opportunities for managers to create sustainable competitive advantages and differentiation from competitors.

This paper completes a systematic literature review of brand experience across marketing, philosophy and psychology which delineates and enlightens the conceptualization of brand experience and presents brand experience in a multi-level conceptualization, opening the possibility for further theoretical, methodological and interdisciplinary promise.

The financial crisis of 2008 resulted in calls for change. Commentators suggested that co-operatives, in particular credit unions, could provide accountability and sustainability through their open governance and mutual status. However, such suggestions assumed that co-operative principles and practice continued to underpin the efficacy of co-operative banking, and that credit unions, one of the most prevalent forms of co-operative banking, could offer a viable financial alternative. Instead, in the case of Cyprus, the financial crisis and the associated aftershocks triggered the nationalisation and demutualisation of credit unions. This prompted the researchers to question both the viability of a co-operative banking future and the extent to which co-operative principles were shaping decision making, governance, accountability and sustainability. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A case study approach was adopted to explore the degree to which co-operative principles still shaped credit union thinking and stakeholder relationships.

As is the case elsewhere within the co-operative movement, the findings point the fact that governance is weaken by the low membership participation and that the principles are no longer universally applied. Credit unions, if not co-operative banking, may not offer the financial assurances that commentators have called for. Moreover, the guiding principles may no longer be embedded within the fabric of the movement.

Findings are important for practitioners/supervisory body as they highlight possible impacts on co-operative’ future and especially on their governance model and level of autonomy and independence in case of state intervention.

The research undertaken is original as it is the first time credit unions in Cyprus were examined for adherence to co-operative principles.

MBA programmes, especially those not provided by the recognised premier league business schools, are often criticised as being “all things to all men”. They are essentially product driven and “sold” to the potential client. When organisations think about developing people to fulfil organisational goals and roles, there is a tendency to assume that MBAs offer personal development, not necessarily business or organisational benefits. This article examines the MBA supplier buyer divide from a business and people development perspective. The “product” driven approach, as it relates to the needs of the client, be they corporate or individual, is examined. An alternative business focused model is suggested. A practical case is provided to illustrate design, partnership and implementational issues.

Summarizes the findings of a recently completed research project on Competence in higher education at Glasgow University Business School and outlines a subsequently developing competence assessment programme.

The purpose of this research is to report on research to date concerning the creation of a hybrid model for managing performance and decision making with elements of an IBM supply chain.

As part of a wider research programme this paper utilises survey, focus group and case analysis techniques to examine the supply chain interactions.

A cross‐functional process‐orientated team was assembled to look at the end‐to‐end process logic, skills alignment, effective codified knowledge systems, and the prioritisation of change to overcome inhibitors of change originating from functional/IT‐focused processes/solutions.

The results of this paper have, as yet, not been validated beyond the process performance targets set by IBM. Validation across and within industry boundaries, based on survey and case analysis, is about to commence.

Too often “management” play too active a role in the operational aspects of team‐based solution methodologies – and can potentially reinforce the functional inhibitors of change. This paper suggests that management sets the scene and prioritises process outcomes – allowing non‐managerial professionals the scope to reach optimal outcomes.

This research draws upon a number of inter‐disciplinary fields in an effort to better understand how knowledge is created, managed and exploited within complex solutions.

On the basis of the Collective Intelligence Genome framework, which was developed to describe private, for profit ventures, this study aims to review the recent public sector initiatives launched by the American federal government and the European Union. The study's goal is to examine if, and how, the Genome construct would apply to not for profit.

This paper builds on an existing classification methodology for collective intelligence initiatives and extends it to pubic sector initiatives.

The findings suggest that, although the framework offers a generally good fit, it does not fully address all the factors at play and the paper proposes expanding the gene pool. In addition, it confirms that Collective Intelligence initiatives do indeed co‐create value and conform to the emerging services dominant logic concept.

With the growing success of profit motivated internet‐based collaborative ventures, including Innocentive, VenCorps, Threadless and many others, governments have taken notice and engaged. Recent public sector initiatives, including Open.gov, Peer 2 Patent, innovation.ED.gov among others, have begun to leverage collaborative internet media through similar means. These initiatives not only engage a broader community in the co‐creation of value, but also foster what has been termed as Collective Intelligence. This paper details one of the first forays into what might be termed sense making within the public sector usage of Collective Intelligence using the Genome framework and, as such, provides researchers and practitioners with a means of assessing value, potential impact and making comparisons.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between management education, the performance of German engineering enterprises and the strategic knowledge status of the executives running those enterprises.

The paper is based upon the results of an online/posted self‐administered questionnaire conducted within Germany, augmented by micro case studies.

Findings suggest that the curricula in German Engineering Faculties fail to fully embrace business and management studies, in particular strategic management which has virtually no presence. Engineers dominate senior management positions within the German machinery and equipment sector yet they display limited knowledge of strategic management tools. There is also evidence that links performance with the application of management knowledge.

The study is limited to senior executives within German SMEs from the machinery and equipment sector. It is likely that the findings would be applicable throughout the German engineering industry; however, generalisability to other countries may be limited. Only a single year's performance (2007) was considered and this is also a limitation of the study. This was mitigated by a request that anomalies be noted, such as extraordinary write offs or a windfall profit, within the year in question, this was then taken into account during the analysis.

Based on the findings it is suggested that German faculties of engineering should enhance and expand management education, particularly strategic management, thus enhancing future performance potential within German SMEs.

This paper examines the level of management education attained by senior engineering executives with a key economic industrial sector in Germany, as such it is one of few such studies which investigates the link between management education and performance.

This paper aims to explore to what extent senior executives, particularly within the German machinery and equipment small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), gather and apply knowledge pertaining strategic management (SM) tools. Furthermore, the study aims to provide research evidence as to whether or not the companies derive any performance enhancing benefit from the appliance of said with the knowledge.

The research relied on a self-administered questionnaire mailed or posted to the entire population of about 6,000 enterprises. The resulting data were analyzed with the statistical package for social science (SPSS) statistical software package.

Executives within the sector, especially those with a predominantly engineering background, lack both knowledge and understanding of SM in general and strategic tool-kits in particular. Interestingly, educational background, in association with toolkit usage, appears to enhance organizational performance.

The German educational system, in conjunction with the associated professional development infrastructures, may impact the generalizability of the research findings.

The results from this study can be used for lobbying policy-makers and shapers, e.g. government, higher education, industry and professional bodies, to improve and expand engineering management education so that practitioners have the knowledge of and competency in SM.

The study provides an insight look of how executives in one of Germany’s most successful industries deal with the knowledge and application of SM tools and their impact on performance. Extant research has not dealt with Germany or this sector in relation to the appliance of strategy-related knowledge and performance.

Industry, government and funding bodies have long called for the inclusion of entrepreneurship and enterprise within education provision at all levels: engagement with enterprise develops entrepreneurial skills, which in turn will enhance both the employability of the recipient and contribution to the knowledge led economy. This paper seeks to examine an innovative approach to the development, implementation and assessment of enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The authors were directly engaged with a Scottish Enterprise programme between November 2006 and 2008 inclusive. The observations drawn from this time are part of an ongoing study, which has adopted an action research approach, to assess and deliver transferable skills.

The programme delivers skills and economic benefits within an international setting. Enterprise agencies, universities and employers have come together to deliver a programme that generates economic benefit while enhancing participant and client capability. It does so by combining and addressing business and technology connectivity, experiential learning and reflective practice.

This paper examines the rationale behind such initiatives and links this to the direct experience of programme development, delivery and assessment; the aim being to “unpack” the programme in such a way as to allow others to access the experience. This should in itself encourage discussion around the academic and pedagogical underpinnings of such enterprise offerings.

The authors hope that this paper helps inform the policy debate (within government, funding and enterprise agencies and representatives of industry and commerce) by addressing the question: how best to engage with practice in a meaningful and enterprise led manner?

The purpose of this research is to examine the manner in which employees access, create and share information and knowledge within a complex supply chain with a view to better understanding how to identify and manage barriers which may inhibit such exchanges.

An extensive literature review combined with an in‐depth case study analysis identified a range of potential transfer barriers. These in turn were examined in terms of their consistency of impact by an end‐to‐end process survey conducted within an IBM facility.

Barrier impact cannot be assumed to be uniform across the core processes of the organization. Process performance will be impacted upon in different ways and subject to varying degrees of influence by the transfer barriers. Barrier identification and management must take place at a process rather than at the organizational level.

The findings are based, in the main, on an extensive single company study. Although significant in terms of influencing both knowledge and information systems design and management the study/findings have still to be fully replicated across a range of public and private organizations.

The deployment of generic information technology and business systems needs to be questioned if they have been designed and implemented to satisfy organizational rather than process needs.