Carmel Joe, Pak Yoong and Kapila Patel
The purpose of this paper is to describe different concepts of valuable knowledge that are perceived to be lost when an older expert departs from a knowledge-intensive…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe different concepts of valuable knowledge that are perceived to be lost when an older expert departs from a knowledge-intensive organisation.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case research methodology and semi-structured interviews involving 17 participants from five small-to-medium enterprises (SME).
Findings
Five concepts of valuable knowledge have emerged from the interviews: subject matter expertise; knowledge about business relationships and social networks; organisational knowledge and institutional memory; knowledge of business systems, processes and value chains; and knowledge of governance.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of the research project is restricted to SMEs in New Zealand and this restriction limits the generalisation of the results to other contexts. This study may serve as a starting point for future investigations including larger organisations that may have a greater number of older experts.
Practical implications
By identifying the different types of older experts' knowledge, organisations are able to realise the potential of retaining that knowledge within the organisation.
Originality/value
This is one of the first investigations of the knowledge that older experts in the professional services industry possess within a small-to-medium enterprise context.
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Kuang Sheng Liu, Sung-Lin Hsueh and Han-Yi Chen
Rapid economic growth has enriched the lives of individuals and yielded rising material and living standards. However, various types of public pollution problems have successively…
Abstract
Rapid economic growth has enriched the lives of individuals and yielded rising material and living standards. However, various types of public pollution problems have successively emerged, and environmental problems have worsened in recent years. Furthermore, the prevalence of leisure and the rapid development of regional tourism industries and bed and breakfast lodging have exacerbated environmental destruction and pollution in various locales. The inclusion of ecotourism into ecological education and the provision of ecolodge are beneficial for the design of student learning outcomes; moreover, community residents and tourists can grasp the importance of environmental protection and education through ecolodging experiences. This measure would improve public awareness of environmental protection, facilitate the cultivation of social responsibility, and achieve the objective of environmental protection advocacy. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between ecological education and the environment by using Kenting National Park, a tourist attraction in Taiwan, as the case study. Tourists visiting the location were the research subjects, and convenience sampling was conducted by distributing 505 questionnaires, with 372 valid responses recovered—a return rate of 74%. The research revealed the following results: (a) Environmental education is positively correlated with environmental attitude. (b) Environmental attitude is positively correlated with environmental behavior. (c) Environmental education is positively correlated with environmental behavior. Finally, this paper proposes recommendations based on the research results with the aim of facilitating environmental literacy, correct environmental attitudes, concern for ecosystems, and the realization of environmental behavior.
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Mary Lacity, Joseph Rottman and Shaji Khan
The purpose of this paper is to provide industry insights on the business models, practices, and capabilities that suppliers need to deliver cost‐effective information technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide industry insights on the business models, practices, and capabilities that suppliers need to deliver cost‐effective information technology (IT) outsourcing services from rural locations within the USA. As rural outsourcing has not yet been studied by academics, many questions have not yet been answered. How can suppliers attract enough talent to rural areas to make rural outsourcing viable? How can suppliers scale operations? Will the value proposition attract serious clients? An ongoing research project was launched to answer these and other questions about rural outsourcing. This paper aims to report on the first set of findings based on four case studies.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reports on the results from four case studies of rural outsourcing suppliers. In total, 35 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with founders, executives, delivery center managers, and delivery team members and a visit was made to a rural delivery center owned and operated by each of the four suppliers.
Findings
After comparing and contrasting the value propositions, location strategies, human capital development, and scalability of operations across the cases, in general, it was found that rural outsourcing suppliers position their value proposition as lower in price than urban outsourcing but higher in value than offshore outsourcing. Rural outsourcing suppliers achieve this value proposition by locating delivery centers in low‐cost areas and by recruiting, developing, and retaining a high‐performing workforce. Rural suppliers scale operations either by building multiple, small‐sized delivery centers or by building one large delivery center.
Research limitations/implications
There are still many aspects of this phenomenon that warrant additional study. The paper identifies areas of future research pertaining to client experiences, competition from large suppliers, government support, and rural outsourcing in countries outside the USA.
Practical implications
The paper identifies five lessons for practice: rural outsourcing works best when clients engage a team to deliver a service; rural outsourcing is not freelance outsourcing or staff augmentation; rural outsourcing addresses an unfilled gap in a client's sourcing portfolio; rural outsourcing suppliers will continue to move up the value chain; and most rural outsourcing suppliers operate best on a sell‐build sequence, so clients should plan ahead.
Originality/value
This paper reports on industry insights from one of the first known, ongoing academic studies of rural outsourcing.
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This study aims to develop a model for coordination and communication overhead in distributed software development through case study analysis in the Indian outsourcing software…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop a model for coordination and communication overhead in distributed software development through case study analysis in the Indian outsourcing software industry. The model is based on business knowledge, which can be classified as domain, regulatory, strategic, business process and operation process knowledge as per existing literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Double case study method was used to verify an existing knowledge–management framework of software development from the literature. The stakeholders of both the cases were interviewed, and project documents were verified to reach conclusions.
Findings
The findings supported the business knowledge classification from the literature. The concept can be used to analyze the software project in a distributed environment.
Research limitations/implications
The research work findings are based only on two case studies. The study findings cannot be generalized and should be used as a learning tool. There can be large variations of project characteristics with differences in business knowledge requirements. The research shows the importance of business knowledge transfer in global software development.
Practical implications
Projects managers in the distributed software development environment can use the findings in project planning and work allocation for better control over cost and schedule, etc.
Originality/value
There is little research works attempted to study the business knowledge classification in the global software industry making the research novel.
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Identifies key activities that network users can perform in orderto use the network effectively. Offers recommended reading, frombeginner to expert user status. Explains some…
Abstract
Identifies key activities that network users can perform in order to use the network effectively. Offers recommended reading, from beginner to expert user status. Explains some commonly used terms (e.g. Turbo Gopher with Veronica!). Lists useful Internet resources.
The purpose of this paper is to identify the opportunities, challenges and lessons of information technology outsourcing (ITO) in China.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the opportunities, challenges and lessons of information technology outsourcing (ITO) in China.
Design/methodology/approach
The challenges, opportunities and trends in offshore ITO in China are examined based on two trips to software centers in China, interviews and conversations with Chinese executives and government officials, research programs of outsourcing researchers and information from advisors and practitioners.
Findings
The paper extracts lessons learned about practices, processes and cultural factors that contribute to outsourcing success in China; why China attract ITO customers; how cultural dimensions and differences in accepted business practices complicate outsourcing in China; what strengths and weaknesses to expect from Chinese IT workers and outsourcing companies; and how to evaluate, select and manage Chinese suppliers.
Originality/value
The paper presents principles and extracts lesson learned to address the issues and opportunities for outsourcing in China.
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Pooja Kansra and Amiya Abdul Khadar
Population ageing is a demographic transition and burdens every country’s health sector. A lack of social security combined with low government health-sector spending has made…
Abstract
Purpose
Population ageing is a demographic transition and burdens every country’s health sector. A lack of social security combined with low government health-sector spending has made health-care utilisation difficult among elderly in many developing countries like India. This makes population ageing a global phenomenon for policymakers, researchers and stakeholders to discuss and debate in 21st century. The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavioural determinants of health-care utilisation among elderly population in Punjab.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines health-care utilisation among the elderly population in Punjab. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data in the state of Punjab, with a multi-stage stratified random sample of 385 respondents. Logit regression was used to analyse the association between several behavioural factors like age, gender, place of residence, source of livelihood, education and frequency of visits with health-care utilisation among elderly aged 60 and above.
Findings
This study revealed that gender, age, place of residence, source of livelihood, education and frequency of visits were significant determinants of health-care utilisation among elderly population.
Originality/value
This study directs the need to improve health-care utilisation in a country, reducing inequalities that exist among the elderly population with respect to socio-economic and demographic differences.
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Carlo Gabriel Porto Bellini, Prashant Palvia, Valter Moreno, Tim Jacks and Alexandre Graeml
The purpose of this paper is to discuss two important behaviors related to job mobility in the IT profession, namely, changing jobs to move to another organization (turnover) and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss two important behaviors related to job mobility in the IT profession, namely, changing jobs to move to another organization (turnover) and changing the profession entirely (turnaway), during a national crisis. Based on the theoretical foundation of the push–pull–mooring perspective, a research model is developed that includes professional self-efficacy (PSE), job insecurity (JI) and job satisfaction (JS) as important antecedents.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a positivist approach and a survey method, the authors analyzed data from IT professionals from different economic segments in Brazil. Data collection occurred in two distinctive moments of the largest crisis in modern Brazilian history – a pre-awareness moment (first half of year 2015) and a crisis-conscious moment (first half of year 2016).
Findings
The findings reveal that PSE negatively influences JI and positively influences JS, JI positively influences turnaway intention, and JS negatively influences both turnover intention and turnaway intention. The effect of the national crisis was observed in that it further accentuated the intention of IT professionals to leave the profession. Another effect was related to age, as older professionals are less willing to turn over but more willing to turn away.
Research limitations/implications
Besides developing a parsimonious model to study both the intention to leave the organization and the intention to leave the profession, the study sheds light on how IT professionals react to economic crises and how the reaction varies by age.
Practical implications
The study puts to question the common belief that IT professionals are secure in the job market due to high demand for their skills and investments made by organizations to keep them on the job. Employers must pay attention to JI and turnover/turnaway intentions.
Originality/value
This study is among the few to study JI and aspects of the theory of human migration in IT. It is also possibly the first to discuss the effects of a national crisis on the mobility patterns of IT professionals.