bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the Mobile Phone a Disruptive Technology?
Authors: Columbus Simon
Published: February 2012

The authors of this chapter provide an inter-disciplinary review of studies on economic impacts of mobile telephony in developing countries, giving particular attention to the disruptive potential of the technology and its associated social practices. Four major areas of impact are identified: the emergence of a mobile phone economy around retail and service provision, including mobile banking; a significant reduction in search costs with profound impacts on market efficiency and, possibly, welfare distribution; changes in the formation and maintenance of trusting relationships between market actors as face-to-face contact is replaced with remote communication; and facilitated organisation and cooperation within and among firms, as well as changing credit procurement practices. While the mobile phone has been hailed for its transformative power, the authors tentatively conclude that its impact in most areas is not primarily disrupting, but rather amplifying existing structures.
VoIP vs GSM Technology
Authors: Oghogho Ikponmwosa , Odikayor Dickinson C. , Adebayo Abayomi-Alli , Wara Samuel T.
Published: February 2012

This chapter presents VoIP as a disruptive technology to GSM technology as well as the issues, controversies, and problems surrounding its deployment. It gives a general introduction of the evolution of communication systems from the POTS, to GSM, and now VoIP. Several issues that surround the deployment of VoIP such as provision of PSTN equivalent services by VoIP service providers, regulation of the service, introduction of latency and other counter measures by some operators, threat posed to PSTN providers due to emergence of VoIP, the need for technical standardization of VoIP, security issues, different cost structure, and quality of service provided were also discussed in details. Solutions and recommendations were suggested to overcome the challenges outlined. VoIP is presented as the way of the future for communication. When this finally happens depends on how fast the challenges outlined in this chapter are addressed. Future and emerging research trends in the deployment of VoIP such as locating users in a secure and reliable way, monitoring VoIP networks, as well as intrusion detection and prevention on SIP were also considered, after which, conclusion was made. This chapter is both informative and interesting.
Technology Transfer Means and Processes
Authors: Kamalu Ngozi C. , Kamalu Johnson A.
Published: February 2012

This chapter defines technology and technology transfer and the nature of the challenges posed by technology transfer and decision processes to recipient emerging nations; it discusses types of technology, mechanisms, or channels of technology transfer, as well as the appropriateness of technology to receiving states; reviews related literature and research on the theme; discusses technology transfer decision processes; determines factors that drive as well as impede technology transfer; and it explores other aspects or dimensions of technology transfer, such as the meaning of technology transfer, technology diffusion, and the need to transfer technology. Further, it assesses the impacts, strengths, and weaknesses of the experiences of technology seller-states and consumer-states as informed by empirical research on the issue. The research concludes with recommendations of the best practices of how to improve the system of technology transfer from developed to developing states from infrastructural development and sustainability points of view. The strategies include upgrading research and development, as well as appropriateness of information systems; effective methods of transferring technology and most suitable methods for introduction into a country and the efficacy and types of problems it can solve, including developing capacity, technical upgrading, and increased financial support, providing subsidies for recipient entities through the purchase of exclusive technology licenses.
Planning and Designing Educational Technology for Low-Income Communities
Authors: Ezumah Bellarmine
Published: February 2012

This chapter is an excerpt of a study that addressed the above concern using the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) projects in Nigeria and Ghana as a case. It also situates the OLPC XO-laptop as a disruptive technology, because it aims at altering the existing pedagogy of the communities in which it was introduced through its constructivist approach. Moreover, as with most disruptive technologies, the XO laptop project is considered revolutionary, dramatically cheaper than regular laptops, convenient, and provides a different kind of learning content. As with the theme of this chapter, the XO laptop, although possessing disruptive technological qualities, was unable to achieve its goal due to lack of thorough planning and implementation of the adoption process. Results from the study informed the author to posit a model for technology adoption in low-income communities that is considered inclusive, participatory, and proactive, involving all stakeholders in setting up a policy. Such policy is expected to serve as benchmark for measuring the congruency of any proposed product whether disruptive or sustainable to the local need before its adoption.
Dream and the Reality
Authors: Nurunnabi Mohammad , Pereira Ella , Chowdhury Abdul Hannan
Published: February 2012

The present study seeks to find out the present scenario of listed companies practices with digital Bangladesh concept: Are the companies compatible with the digital Bangladesh concept and is the digital Bangladesh concept dream (or) reality check? This may link between the organizational behavior in terms of technology adoption, disclosure, and the digital concept. The Digital Bangladesh means the effective and useful use of technology in education, health, jobs, markets, et cetera, to ensure the greater accountability and transparency. The stance of this study is to explore the adoption of digital concept in an emerging country’s experience where the adoption policy and the individual organization or company of the country’s experience will be examined through institutional theoretical framework which will later determine the dream or reality of the digital concept. The study finds that despite some legal provisions, only 48.14% of the listed companies had websites. The study reveals that literacy rate, infrastructure, and the cultural issues to establish real digital Bangladesh are still a dream rather than a reality. Therefore, to connect the link between the dream and reality of digital concept, in particular Digital Bangladesh, the organizational motivation and predetermined concept and cultural value should be shaped by rules and regulations. The findings are helpful for both policymakers and academics to have an overview of the challenges of establishing digital economy in emerging country with reference to Bangladesh.
Market Pitfalls and Economics of New Health Technologies in Developing Economies
Authors: Driouchi Ahmed , Malki Karim , Zouag Nada
Published: February 2012

The objective of this chapter is to provide evidence on “how” market processes are not fully helping developing economies benefit from new health technologies. This is achieved based on publications related to economics of health and impacts of new technologies. Patenting, anti-commons tragedy, neglected health hazards, risks, and limited research constitute the major sources of market pitfalls discussed in this chapter. A special emphasis is placed on developing countries where a series of pitfalls lead to market failures that affect access to new technologies and thus to better health systems. The related risks at both levels of developed and developing economies are discussed even though emergent and developed countries have generated new instruments to limit the negative effects of these constraints. Examples and cases are used to illustrate the pitfalls and the on-going continuing emergence of old diseases, among others. Finally, the expansion of access to new health technologies is suggested to be achieved within the world global health system framework with a more active involvement of countries.
Technology Diffusion and Economic Progress in Africa
Authors: Osabuohien Evans S. C. , Efobi Uchenna R.
Published: February 2012

Application of appropriate technology has been noted as one of the distinguishing factors in growth disparities across countries. Thus, this study investigates the role of technological diffusion in economic progress in Africa. This was achieved using descriptive and empirical analyses based on imitator-innovator theoretical framework. The study established that the sub-regions in Africa with higher values in technological diffusion indicators experienced higher economic progress, which is a good indication of a significant positive relationship between economic progress and technological diffusion. Thus, the study concludes that if Africa must make contribution to the global knowledge economy and move on the path of economic progress, the issue of technological diffusion through adequate investment on R&D, functional education, among others, needs to be addressed with all serious efforts.
Distance Education and Library Services
Authors: Fulkerson Diane M.
Published: February 2012

Remote access technologies for library collections are the result of the growth of distance education programs in higher education. With the increased demand for online education, students needed a way to access library collections without coming to campus. As technology improved, the ability for students to use a library’s database without coming to a physical campus became a reality. Through such technologies as virtual private networks (VPN) and EZProxy, students could use their ID and password to gain access to library collections. Distance education was the driving force behind the need to provide remote access to collections. As a result, students now have the ability to search a library’s catalog or find articles in a database without coming to campus, anytime of the day or night. Librarians also have the opportunity to promote library resources and teach synchronous instruction sessions in online classes. Remote access technologies provide students, faculty, and librarians with the opportunity to meet user needs regardless of whether or not they are on campus. This chapter examines the growth of distance education programs at post-secondary schools, a trend expected to continue for the near future.
Copyright
Authors: Fulkerson Diane M.
Published: February 2012

Copyright plays an important role in not only print materials one finds in a library but also the resources accessed from off-campus through online course management systems and electronic, or e-reserves. This chapter provides an overview of copyright as it pertains to remote access of library resources.
Social Networks and Web 2.0 Tools
Authors: Fulkerson Diane M.
Published: February 2012

Social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter can provide another opportunity for users to remotely access library resources. The creation of a library Facebook page provides the library with the ability to promote licensed databases and the information users need to remotely accesses those resources and course or electronic reserve materials. Twitter accounts provide libraries with the opportunity to keep users informed about changes to licensed databases, in other words, anytime they add or discontinue resources or there is a problem accessing them remotely. Another option is foursquare. Foursquare allows you to find your friends and discover your city or library. Libraries can use foursquare to introduce students to it resources and services. The library could develop a contest for users to earn points and badges by discovering information about the library such as, new books, databases or services. Social networks provide libraries and users with new ways to promote and provide remote access to licensed databases.
Conceptual Mapping, Visualisation, and Systems Thinking in Engineering
Authors: Russell Carol
Published: February 2012

Diagrams and maps have uses beyond the purely technical representations that engineers routinely use as part of their work. Diagrams can also help to clarify and resolve non-technical aspects of an engineering project, by visualizing hidden assumptions, values, and priorities that might remain tacit and unresolved in a purely technical discussion. This chapter shows how systems thinking and mapping allows soft interpersonal and social aspects of an engineering project to be represented and discussed alongside hard technological activities. Any map or model of a complex and dynamic socio-technical system requires simplifying assumptions. Complex adaptive systems theory provides a conceptual framework for identifying the limitations from different types of simplification. Examples from educational technology and from mining engineering show how various types of conceptual map can help in clarifying, negotiating, and combining different perspectives on technologies in a complex human context – to overcome barriers of specialist language and tacit assumptions.
Embedding Communication Skills in the Study of the Discipline
Authors: Falkner Katrina
Published: February 2012

The development of communication skills in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) majors is increasingly identified as a priority area, with both academic and industry groups calling for a greater focus on the development of these skills within the higher education curriculum. Although widely recognised as important, there is a lack of guidance within the ICT area as to how communication skills should be taught, and the most effective means of developing these skills. This chapter reports on approaches to teaching communication skills development within the ICT discipline. The main contribution of this chapter is the categorisation of communication skills course activities reflecting the context of modern communication skills required by IT professionals that can be easily mapped to a discipline curriculum. These activities represent examples of both informal activities designed to engage students regularly with developing their communication skills, and formal activities designed to assist assessment, including self- and peer-assessment. The authors present their experiences in the design and delivery of an intensive communications skills course designed for international articulation students. An initial analysis of the progress of these students demonstrates increased clarity in the students’ understanding of study and communication requirements, and improved performance in language-rich assessments.
Educating the 21st Century’s Engineers and IT Professionals
Authors: Andreatos Antonios
Published: February 2012

In this chapter, some important aspects of preparing engineers and IT professionals of the 21st century are examined, especially in the context of new media communication skills in trans-national and trans-cultural globalised environments. Initially, the chapter refers to the value and need of informal and continuing education; next, it reviews recent learning theories aiming at covering learning in today’s complex, networked, and trans-cultural landscape; it also presents competences demanded in contemporary and emerging engineering and IT workplaces, as well as the skills needed by the 21st century’s engineers and IT professionals. Finally, the chapter has proposed educational policies, enterprise policies, and suggestions for self-directed learning which will help preparing engineers and IT professionals for the workplace and will also enable them to continue learning, individually or in teams, both face to face and distance mode, and participating in real or in virtual communities of practice.
Negotiation Protocol Based on Budget Approach for Adaptive Manufacturing Scheduling
Authors: Renna Paolo , Padalino Rocco
Published: February 2012

The research proposed concerns the development of a multi-agent scheduling approach able to support manufacturing systems in different dynamic conditions. The negotiation protocol defined budget approach is based on a financial asset that each part obtains when it is released into the manufacturing system for processing. The part spends the budget to perform the manufacturing operations by the workstations; the virtual market in which part agent and workstation agents coordinate the decentralized system. A fuzzy tool is proposed to assign the budget to each part based on the objectives pursued. A simulation environment based on Rockwell ARENA® platform has been developed in order to test the proposed approach. The simulations are used to compare the proposed approach with classical dynamical scheduling approaches proposed in literature. The results show how the proposed approach leads to better results, and it can be selective among the different priority of the parts.
Supply Chain Management and the Other Half
Authors: Bhatnagar Kaninika
Published: February 2012

Supply Chain Management operations have traditionally been a gendered career. The role of a diverse workforce, particularly women, is reexamined from the perspective of maximizing the bottom-line and profit sharing in the logistics industry. The unique and problematic diversity issues that underlie both practices and policy in the industry are discussed. These include the more obvious inequities in salaries, to the more insidious and often invisible assumptions that may underlie policy. The net result is detrimental for both business and the basic ethical imperative of equity. The narrative places the discussion of logistics business operations and decision-making in the context of the current research on gender differences, and examines possible ways to create more equitable enterprises, while maintaining and improving the bottom-line.
Identifying the Determinants of Customer Retention in a Developing Country Context
Authors: Kassim Norizan Mohd
Published: February 2012

This chapter investigates how image, perceived service quality, and satisfaction determine customer retention in the retail banking industry in Malaysia. Data was obtained using a self-administered survey involving a convenience sample of 134 retail banking customers in Malaysia. The results show that image is both directly and indirectly related to retention through satisfaction, while perceived service quality is indirectly related to retention through satisfaction. The chapter concludes that satisfaction is not the sole determinant of retention in retail banking. Some managerial implications of this research find that the interrelationships between the determinants (image, quality, and satisfaction) allow bank managers to better understand the dynamics of customer retention formation.
Evaluation of Key Metrics for Performance Measurement of a Lean Deployment Effort
Authors: Tetteh Edem G. , Eyob Ephrem , Amewokunu Yao
Published: February 2012

To meet customer’s needs for high-quality goods and avoiding risks of product-liability, global firms continually evaluate the performance of their supply chain for optimum design. Lean management is one of the key techniques businesses adopt in redesigning their processes. The technique is a vital strategy to increase productivity and effectiveness with respect to the movement of goods. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was utilized to evaluate the performance of work cell, shift, worker’s experience, and kaizen event participation level during a lean enterprise deployment effort at a multinational organization. The significance of the effects of these variables were assessed based on various lean supply chain factors such as First In First Out (FIFO), Setup Wheel System (SWS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Clip System(CS), and Key Performances Indicators (KPI). The results support the criticality of metrics and their impact in implementing a lean manufacturing process in a global supply chain environment.
Design for Sustainment
Authors: Uzochukwu Benedict M. , Udoka Silvanus J.
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this chapter is to chronicle and analyze existing challenges and theoretical issues in the domain of product, system, and the emerging area of global supply chain sustainment. These challenges encompass the provision of reliable, efficient, cost-effective, and quality services by key players and major stakeholders in product and global supply chain. The authors argue that sustainment concept serves as a vehicle for elevating the rate of product and system utilization. This will have a tremendous impact at reducing the burden of product or system’s operational issues thereby allowing for the leveraging of the enormous potentials of sustainment. Both contemporary as well as classical journal papers and publications are included in this study to trace and describe the development, state of sustainment perspectives, available tools, and methodologies in product and global supply chain system sustainment.
QTDFS-ALOHA
Authors: Yan Xinqing , Yin Zhouping
Published: February 2012

Proposed protocols work clumsily in resolving the collisions occurred in dense RFID tag environment. QTDFS-ALOHA, a hybrid protocol which combines the query tree protocol and the dynamic frame slot ALOHA protocol, is proposed. In each frame of this protocol, only tags in the active set are allowed to answer in randomly selected slots. Afterwards, the population of tags in the active set is estimated. According to the identification accuracy required, the protocol may choose to continue the identification of the active set with delicately calculated frame length, or to divide the active set into multiple subsets using some binary prefix strings and identify each subset subsequently in the following frames. This process is performed recursively for all tag sets until the required accuracy is achieved. Proposed tag population estimation methods are summarized and evaluated. Numeric simulation verifies that this hybrid protocol outperforms other frame slot ALOHA based protocols.
Analysis of the Cargo Service Dynamics in East Asian Airports
Authors: Low Joyce M.W , Tang Loon Ching , Yuan Xue-Ming
Published: February 2012

This paper examines the effects of primary production and key economic factors on air cargo traffic between 1999 and 2005 in the East Asian airport industry through econometric and clustering analyses. This paper’s findings show that while the relative importance of physical capital to human capital has dramatically risen, adequate provisions and utilizations of physical facilities for landside operations appear to be a more significant driving force for an airport’s cargo traffic performances compared to those of airside operations. Even though cost savings are found to have regained their importance in the recent years, the degree of scale economies has fallen so sharply that airports can no longer rely on size for competitive edge. Nevertheless, there is still a close positive relationship between a nation’s economic development and the volume of cargo traffic at its airport.
Analyzing Requirements and Approaches for Sourcing Software Based Services
Authors: Gangadharan G.R. , Fielt Erwin
Published: February 2012

Increasingly, software is no longer developed as a single system, but rather as a smart combination of so-called software services. Each of these provides an independent, specific and relatively small piece of functionality, which is typically accessible through the Internet from internal or external service providers. There are no standards or models that describe the sourcing process of these software based services (SBS). The authors identify the sourcing requirements for SBS and associate the key characteristics of SBS (with the sourcing requirements introduced). Furthermore, this paper investigates the sourcing of SBS with the related works in the field of classical procurement, business process outsourcing, and information systems sourcing. Based on the analysis, the authors conclude that the direct adoption of these approaches for SBS is not feasible and new approaches are required for sourcing SBS.
Collaboration in Cyber Transportation Logistics
Authors: Toh Albert K. , Chan Yupo
Published: February 2012

Although the topic of supply chain (SC) and logistics (L) has been discussed in many fora, placing it in today’s cyber (e) space is still a subject that receives little attention. This paper analyzes the role of e-SC/L in the context of global business to business (B2B) electronic commerce (e-commerce). A major beneficiary of e-SC/L are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who can leverage information technology to bypass the extra cost associated with employing a third-party broker, who traditionally bridges the gap between suppliers and retailers. In this paper, a framework for incorporating both e-commerce and e-SC/L for SMEs is proposed in an e-marketplace context. The model consists of a trading platform with e-SC/L capabilities, and a classification scheme for different levels e-SC/L collaboration, presented with relevant types of information, communication and transportation technology (ICTT) needed to facilitate the design of each collaboration level. Included in the highest level are transportation, identification, and modeling and simulation technologies that enable the design of effective forward-looking collaboration.
Managing Customer-Centric Information
Authors: Fellenz Martin R. , Brady Mairead
Published: February 2012

Despite many years of business-orientated information and communication technology (ICT) deployment, contemporary organisations continue to struggle with customer-centric implementation of new technologies that are profitable and contribute to sustainable service business success. This paper reviews the difficulties inherent in using ICTs to manage customer-related information, and identifies the particular challenges for customer-centric deployment of ICTs. It provides a model of different levels of customer centric information use in organizations. The authors review implications for future research in this emerging area and conclude that the challenges of ICT deployment and use must be addressed with an uncompromising focus on customer value as the central principle of both ICT design and deployment, and of information management in service organizations.
A Game Theoretic Approach for Sensitive Information Sharing in Supply Chain
Authors: Zhang Xiaofeng , Cheung William K. , Luo ZongWei , Tong Frank
Published: February 2012

With the adoption of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, information sharing among participants in a supply chain is greatly facilitated, raising privacy concerns on sharing sensitive information. Balancing the conflicts between the improvement of visibility and the decrease of sensitive information shared is paramount. In this paper, the authors propose a leader-follower game model called LFM to model the strategic game between buyer and supplier. A Stackelberg equilibrium state is then computed as the solution to this game model. The proposed approach exhibits better performance when compared with conventional optimization approaches via derivation in terms of the total information sharing level and the total gain acquired verified by the experiments. In the future, the authors will extend this approach to a more complex situation with more participants in a dynamic environment.
Metaheuristic Search with Inequalities and Target Objectives for Mixed Binary Optimization Part I
Authors: Glover Fred , Hanafi Saïd
Published: February 2012

Recent adaptive memory and evolutionary metaheuristics for mixed integer programming have included proposals for introducing inequalities and target objectives to guide the search. These guidance approaches are useful in intensification and diversification strategies related to fixing subsets of variables at particular values, and in strategies that use linear programming to generate trial solutions whose variables are induced to receive integer values. In Part I (the present paper), we show how to improve such approaches by new inequalities that dominate those previously proposed and by associated target objectives that underlie the creation of both inequalities and trial solutions. Part I focuses on exploiting inequalities in target solution strategies by including partial vectors and more general target objectives. We also propose procedures for generating target objectives and solutions by exploiting proximity in original space or projected space. Part II of this study (to appear in a subsequent issue) focuses on supplementary linear programming models that exploit the new inequalities for intensification and diversification, and introduce additional inequalities from sets of elite solutions that enlarge the scope of these models. Part II indicates more advanced approaches for generating the target objective based on exploiting the mutually reinforcing notions of reaction and resistance. Our work in the concluding segment, building on the foundation laid in Part I, examines ways our framework can be exploited in generating target objectives, employing both older adaptive memory ideas of tabu search and newer ones proposed here for the first time.
Research Commentary Survival of the Fittest Algorithm or the Novelest Algorithm?
Authors: Geem Zong Woo
Published: February 2012

Recently a paper was published which claims “harmony search is equivalent to evolution strategies and because the latter is not popular currently, the former has no future. Also, research community was misguided by the former’s disguised novelty.” This paper is written to rebut the original paper’s claims by saying 1) harmony search is different from evolution strategies because each has its own uniqueness, 2) performance, rather than novelty, is an algorithm’s survival factor, and 3) the original paper was biased to mislead into a predefined conclusion. Also, the shortcomings of current review system, citation system, and funding system are briefly mentioned.
DIMMA
Authors: Yaghini Masoud , Kazemzadeh Mohammad Rahim Akhavan
Published: February 2012

Metaheuristic algorithms will gain more and more popularity in the future as optimization problems are increasing in size and complexity. In order to record experiences and allow project to be replicated, a standard process as a methodology for designing and implementing metaheuristic algorithms is necessary. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no methodology has been proposed in literature for this purpose. This paper presents a Design and Implementation Methodology for Metaheuristic Algorithms, named DIMMA. The proposed methodology consists of three main phases and each phase has several steps in which activities that must be carried out are clearly defined in this paper. In addition, design and implementation of tabu search metaheuristic for travelling salesman problem is done as a case study to illustrate applicability of DIMMA.
A Reinforced Tabu Search Approach for 2D Strip Packing
Authors: Gómez-Villouta Giglia , Hamiez Jean-Philippe , Hao Jin-Kao
Published: February 2012

This paper discusses a particular “packing” problem, namely the two dimensional strip packing problem, where a finite set of objects have to be located in a strip of fixed width and infinite height. The variant studied considers regular items, rectangular to be precise, that must be packed without overlap, not allowing rotations. The objective is to minimize the height of the resulting packing. In this regard, the authors present a local search algorithm based on the well-known tabu search metaheuristic. Two important components of the presented tabu search strategy are reinforced in attempting to include problem knowledge. The fitness function incorporates a measure related to the empty spaces, while the diversification relies on a set of historically “frozen” objects. The resulting reinforced tabu search approach is evaluated on a set of well-known hard benchmark instances and compared with state-of-the-art algorithms.
A Sociopsychological Perspective on Collective Intelligence in Metaheuristic Computing
Authors: Wang Yingxu
Published: February 2012

In studies of genetic algorithms, evolutionary computing, and ant colony mechanisms, it is recognized that the higher-order forms of collective intelligence play an important role in metaheuristic computing and computational intelligence. Collective intelligence is an integration of collective behaviors of individuals in social groups or collective functions of components in computational intelligent systems. This paper presents the properties of collective intelligence and their applications in metaheuristic computing. A social psychological perspective on collected intelligence is elaborated toward the studies on the structure, organization, operation, and development of collective intelligence. The collective behaviors underpinning collective intelligence in groups and societies are analyzed via the fundamental phenomenon of the basic human needs. A key question on how collective intelligence is constrained by social environment and group settings is explained by a formal motivation/attitude-driven behavioral model. Then, a metaheuristic computational model for a generic cognitive process of human problem solving is developed. This work helps to explain the cognitive and collective intelligent foundations of metaheuristic computing and its engineering applications.
Interactive Strategies for Cultural Heritage Tourism and Macau City Development
Authors: Leong Aliana M. W. , Li Jacky X.
Published: February 2012

This paper examines the cultural heritage resources of Macau in tandem with the city’s development. The investigation encompasses the actual condition of Macau’s cultural heritage tourism and the challenges and opportunities for its future development. Based on the experiences of other countries, the authors set strategic goals, provide an overall path and developmental strategies, and create a scientific structure with a framework built on theory and practice. The necessity and viability of cultural heritage tourism in cultivating and enhancing the city’s competitiveness as a tourism destination is argued. Based on a survey of visitors to Macau, the researchers gain an understanding of the tourists’ behavior, awareness and evaluation of scenic spots that are part of the cultural heritage tour.
A Study of Customer Satisfaction of an Automotive Company in Malaysia
Authors: Fakiruddin Noor Azlina , Wagih Hebat Allah A. , Faris Waleed F.
Published: February 2012

This paper was conducted to present an analysis of the current level of customer satisfaction on the services offered by an automotive outlet in Malaysia. In an effort to make the company more effective, many have targeted various change programmes to meet customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is one of the most important factors in the organizations success, and an important determinant of customer satisfaction is how well the product performs. The objective of this study is to help the organization to improve their customer level of satisfaction through providing continuous efforts to improve their level of service and product productivity.
Entry Strategies into the P.R.C. for Post Recession Wealth Management Service
Authors: Chan Andrew , Chan Carlson
Published: February 2012

Trillions of dollars were evaporated worldwide as a result of the financial tsunami that shocked the world in 2007 (Soros, 2008). This paper argues that in a time of global recession, banks seeking to expand wealth management service in the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) need to evaluate their entry strategies thoroughly to gain a competitive edge. Through applying the theory of planned behavior, a sequential mixed methods study was conducted post recession with the aim to identify wealth management service entry strategies into the P.R.C. A sample of 227 Taiwanese nationals based in the P.R.C. indicated three managerial implications consisting of the bank entry identity, deployment of expatriates, and brand-image position.
No Strategy is an Island to Itself
Authors: Koch Bradley J.
Published: February 2012

The first-mover strategy for foreign investment is examined to determine under what conditions a significant effect exists when it is combined with other foreign investment strategies like partner selection, geographical market focus, joint-venture control, and resource commitment strategies. Using official audited data and survey data from Sichuan, the results reveal that there are significant interaction effects. The interaction effects can eliminate first-mover advantage, create a first-mover effect that previously didn’t exist, or change the direction of the effect. Consequently, the author argues that it is better to analyze strategies as a set that is formed by a series of strategic decisions made by managers as they establish foreign joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries.
Business Plus Intelligence Plus Technology Equals Business Intelligence
Authors: Yermish Ira , Miori Virginia , Yi John , Malhotra Rashmi , Klimberg Ronald
Published: February 2012

In this article the authors will show how the parallel developments of information technology at the operational business level and decision support concepts progressed through the decades of the twentieth century with only minimal success at strategic application. They will posit that the twin technological developments of the world-wide-web and very inexpensive mass storage provided the environment to facilitate the convergence of business operations and decision support into the strategic application of business intelligence.
Application of Triplet Notation and Dynamic Programming to Single-Line, Multi-Product Dairy Production Scheduling
Authors: Miori Virginia M. , Segulin Brian
Published: February 2012

The application of optimal methods for production scheduling in the dairy industry has been limited. Within supply chain terminology, dairy production was generally considered a push process but with advancements in automation, the industry is slowly transforming to a pull process. In this paper, the authors present triplet notation applied to the production scheduling of a single production line used for milk, juice, and carnival drinks. Once production and cleaning cycles are characterized as triplets, the problem is formulated. Lagrange relaxation is applied and the final solution is generated using dynamic programming.
The BI-Based Organization
Authors: Wixom Barbara , Watson Hugh
Published: February 2012

Business intelligence (BI) is an umbrella term that is commonly used to describe the technologies, applications, and processes for gathering, storing, accessing, and analyzing data to help users make better decisions. For BI-based firms, BI is a prerequisite for competing in the marketplace. Though there are several possible BI targets, it is important to understand how they differ in terms of strategic vision, level of sponsorship, required resources, impact on people and processes, and benefits. Some companies like Harrah’s Entertainment, Continental Airlines, Norfolk Southern, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina are exemplars of BI best practices. Despite the progress made with BI, there are still many opportunities for academic research.
Data Warehousing Requirements Collection and Definition
Authors: Jukic Nenad , Velasco Miguel
Published: February 2012

Defining data warehouse requirements is widely recognized as one of the most important steps in the larger data warehouse system development process. This paper examines the potential risks and pitfalls within the data warehouse requirement collection and definition process. A real scenario of a large-scale data warehouse implementation is given, and details of this project, which ultimately failed due to inadequate requirement collection and definition process, are described. The presented case underscores and illustrates the impact of the requirement collection and definition process on the data warehouse implementation, while the case is analyzed within the context of the existing approaches, methodologies, and best practices for prevention and avoidance of typical data warehouse requirement errors and oversights.
Effective Implementation of Sales-Based CRM Systems
Authors: Avlonitis George J. , Panagopoulos Nikolaos G.
Published: February 2012

Interest in sales technology (ST) and sales-based CRM systems has been increasing in recent years. Indeed, companies spend a great deal of their budgets in implementing CRM systems into their sales organizations. In spite of these investments, however, evidence has been accumulated suggesting a high failure rate of these implementations. Although a number of research studies have been published in this area, there has been no systematic attempt to integrate and synthesize the extant literature. Against this backdrop, this article seeks to increase knowledge in the area by offering a synthesis of prior work into (a) what companies need to consider to effectively implement a CRM system into the sales force, (b) how CRM’s impact on a sales force’s performance can be assessed, and (c) what key performance indicators (KPIs) might be incorporated into the system in order to aid managerial decision making processes. The authors’ framework addresses issues of relevance not only for scholars but also for practicing managers by drawing on the authors’ practical experience in this important area. As such, the article adds layers of knowledge for both theory and practice.
The Goals of Customer Relationship Management
Authors: Goldsmith Ronald E.
Published: February 2012

The present article proposes that the variety of existing managerial practices collectively described as “customer relationship management” can be organized and coordinated into a logical sequence of goals and methods that is more effective than performing them in an uncoordinated fashion. The model proposes that managers have five distinct but interrelated goals: customer acquisition, customer retention, customer development, customer consultation, and customer conversion. Although each goal can be achieved using distinct and well-known marketing practices, the model integrates the practices in a temporal and logical order in which achieving one goal contributes to achieving other goals. Integrating the procedures and technologies used at each stage results is a synergistic effort that should benefit companies and can guide empirical research.
CRM in the Context of Airline Industry
Authors: Eid Riyad , Zaidi Mustafa
Published: February 2012

The airline industry is known as high-tech industry that leads other business sectors, serving as a technological role-model. This paper proposes a conceptual model for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) implementation in the airline industry, using a case study of a Mexican airline. The authors provide new theoretical grounds for studying the CRM. This study is an empirical assessment of the CRM model and also assesses the basic phases of the CRM implementation which are 1) Information Phase, 2) Trust Phase and 3) Objectives Phase.
Role of Time in Development of Trust within Hi-Tech SME Business Relationships
Authors: Sharif Khurram , Salaheldin Salaheldin Ismail
Published: February 2012

This study investigated the function of time (as a moderator, determinant or quasi moderator) within hi tech Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) downstream (i.e., customer) trust-based relationships. A four antecedent (i.e., competence, transaction specific investments, flexibility and coercive power) research model was developed to represent trust within the SME business-to-business (b-to-b) relationships. Time was conceptualized chronologically as duration of a relationship in years. The model was empirically tested with 117 respondents from the UK Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) sector. The research outcome supported a significant and positive moderating effect of time on competence to trust and flexibility to trust pathways. However, time had a negative moderating yet significant effect on the association between coercive power and trust. Correlation between Transaction Specific Investments (TSIs) and trust was significant but time showed neither moderating nor deterministic effect on the TSIs to trust link.
Customers Knowledge and Relational Marketing
Authors: Del Vecchio Pasquale , Ndou Valentina
Published: February 2012

The radical changes occurring in the global business environment, that is, in the information technology field and in management practices, call for a general rethinking of firms strategic positioning and competition. In this scenario, firms having the capacity to manage all of their own intellectual assets seem to be the only way to survive and succeed. The ability to comprehend the role that customers can play in contributing to a firm’s value creation is one of the main elements behind the growing attention of researchers and managers in context to managing a firm’s relationship with customers. This paper highlights the relevance of a Customers Relationship Management (CRM) issue in a Knowledge Management perspective as well as in Relational Marketing. In addition, this study shows how the rising and large adoption of Web 2.0 technologies represents a real opportunity for the effective implementation of a CRM strategy.
Consumer Demand in the Egyptian Market of University Education
Authors: Shahin Amany I.
Published: February 2012

This study explores consumer demands in the Egyptian market of university education. Three aspects discussed are the value of university education in Egyptian culture, consumer perceptions regarding the quality of university education, and consumer preferences regarding the university education service. Results of the empirical investigation indicate that university education is highly regarded in Egyptian culture, however, consumer’s perception of its quality is moderate. Consumers prefer university studies in courses taught in the English language, universities in a nearby geographical location, governmental universities, and top class faculties. The study focuses on university education in Egypt and the authors hope to shed light on higher education in countries that share the same cultural characteristics. Many studies investigated higher education in different cultures, yet relatively few have considered it in an emerging nation. The present study addresses this gap.
Foreign Business Environments and Entry Mode Choice
Authors: Oortwijn Maud
Published: February 2012

The entry mode choice is at the core of International Business studies (Oortwijn, 2011a). IB research concerns the organization of firm activities across country borders and thus across different cultures and business contexts. These host country differences impact the firm’s way of working internally within the organization and in interaction with the external environment in the host country. Companies can consider a broad range of entry modes to organize across country borders, including partnership, trade, joint venture (JV), and wholly owned enterprise (WOE). The entry mode defines what activities are internalized within the firm and how the firm interacts with the external environment in different host countries.
Globalism, Culture, and Business Environment
Authors: Bank Diana , Khan Mohammad Ayub
Published: February 2012

As the international business environment becomes increasingly global and competitive, a manager’s job becomes more challenging and diverse. The recent trends of globalization and competition are attributed to several triggering factors such as technological development, new emerging and investment-friendly markets, and the availability of globally-scaled logistics. Companies increasingly seek a variety of growth options including cross-border mergers, joint ventures, direct investments, and strategic alliances. Similarly, markets are integrating via a variety of mechanisms ranging from a simple trade level integration (witness the growth of free trade agreements) to a more complex political unification, such as the European Union (EU).