Francesco A. Calabrese and Carol Y. Orlando
Enterprises are supportive of knowledge management (KM) activities if they result in “actionable information” that relates to achieving strategic and operational goals and…
Abstract
Purpose
Enterprises are supportive of knowledge management (KM) activities if they result in “actionable information” that relates to achieving strategic and operational goals and improved performance. KM individuals and corporate practitioners have evolved multiple approaches to creating the discrete steps required to design, implement and measure knowledge management systems (KMS) that meet the “actionable information” expectation of organizations. However, there is no universally acclaimed standard or best practice readily embraced, the purpose of this article, therefore, is to investigate a process for a comprehensive KMS.
Design/methodology/approach
This article describes and analyzes five such approaches to an effective KMS; two are derived from academic sources and three from name recognizable practitioner corporations. The five use eight‐, nine‐ and ten‐step constructs for their KMSs.
Findings
The study found many similarities but were also able to project a 12‐step hybrid approach which combines all the best features of the five analyzed. Furthermore, the 12 steps are then logically distributed among the George Washington University “Four Pillar Framework” promulgated in 2000 and reflecting the four domains of leadership – organization – technology – learning which have consistently shown the capability to encompass all aspects of effective knowledge sharing and collaborative cultures. The 12‐step process is then put through a sensitivity/realism assessment using an actual configuration management application to demonstrate the utility of the process for future uses.
Originality/value
Ultimately, the various groupings and process steps described also lend themselves to the creation of an analysis and auditing instrument which can be applied to organizational environments to ascertain what exists and what is lacking for an effective KMS.
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Judy Holcomb, Fevzi Okumus and Anil Bilgihan
The purpose of this paper is to examine what the top three Orlando theme parks report about their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine what the top three Orlando theme parks report about their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
Design/methodology/approach
Through content analysis, web sites, annual reports, and CSR reports of the top three theme park companies in Orlando, namely, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment were examined.
Findings
The top three theme parks in Orlando mainly reported their CSR activities in relation to environment, community, and customers. Their diversity policies, employee welfare programs and employee volunteerism were also widely reported. Walt Disney World seemed to provide the most detailed CSR reporting in all areas.
Research limitations/implications
In addition to content analysis of web sites and CSR reports, future studies may look at a single company and try to collect data via interviews and surveys. In addition, this paper only offers a view of the theme park's CSR reporting, since, each of the companies do not have any form of verification of their CSR activities. Therefore, it should not attest to the performance of each theme park in such activities.
Practical implications
The research findings suggest that according to their reporting efforts the top three theme park companies in Orlando undertake and participate in various CSR activities and initiatives, which are important for the environment, local community, customers, and employees. However, their reporting and emphasis of certain CSR activities seem to vary. These companies can better publicize and promote their CSR activities. With rising awareness regarding CSR activities, it is important for the theme park industry to begin profiling their CSR efforts as part of their overall corporate and business strategies. Again creating a CSR department to oversee and coordinate all CSR activities would be helpful for theme park companies.
Originality/value
This is perhaps one of the first papers looking at CSR activities of theme park companies. It provides practical implications about reporting of CSR activities for theme parks. It is hoped that this paper stimulates further research into this area in the theme park industry.
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Nicole M. Baker Rosa and Sally O. Hastings
The purpose of this paper is to examine what managers perceive Millennial employees as doing in organizations to find generalizations rather than relying upon stereotypes.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine what managers perceive Millennial employees as doing in organizations to find generalizations rather than relying upon stereotypes.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 25 interviews were conducted with managers in the hospitality industry. The transcribed data were analyzed to learn about identified category-bound activities described.
Findings
Three prominent findings are elaborated. First, Millennials express a desire for learning and training, because they see this as fostering advancement. Second, there were mixed evaluations of Millennials effectiveness in teamwork. Specific teamwork problems managers identified involved cliquish behavior. Finally, managers stated that Millennials desire feedback. In order for the Millennial employee to feel satisfied with the feedback, however, it needs to be ample, positive and personal.
Research limitations/implications
The ability to generalize findings is limited because the objective of qualitative research is not to predict. The study does offer some patterned observations by managers that may be useful to future employees and other managers.
Practical implications
The analysis revealed that some practical problems managers may face when leading Millennial employees; however, these employees bring their own solution to the workplace: a desire for training.
Originality/value
Existing research on Millennials has not acknowledged the desire for training by Millennials. This is an important finding due to its implications for effective management.
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ZHI‐HUA ZHONG and JAROSLAV MACKERLE
Contact problems are among the most difficult ones in mechanics. Due to its practical importance, the problem has been receiving extensive research work over the years. The finite…
Abstract
Contact problems are among the most difficult ones in mechanics. Due to its practical importance, the problem has been receiving extensive research work over the years. The finite element method has been widely used to solve contact problems with various grades of complexity. Great progress has been made on both theoretical studies and engineering applications. This paper reviews some of the main developments in contact theories and finite element solution techniques for static contact problems. Classical and variational formulations of the problem are first given and then finite element solution techniques are reviewed. Available constraint methods, friction laws and contact searching algorithms are also briefly described. At the end of the paper, a bibliography is included, listing about seven hundred papers which are related to static contact problems and have been published in various journals and conference proceedings from 1976.
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Michael Saker and Leighton Evans
This chapter is concerned with exploring the various ways in which Pokémon Go complements or challenges family life. The chapter begins by explicating the multisided concept of…
Abstract
This chapter is concerned with exploring the various ways in which Pokémon Go complements or challenges family life. The chapter begins by explicating the multisided concept of play and the myriad definitions that surround this term. Having established the various way in which this phenomenon can improve the lives of those who engage in it – physically, emotionally and cognitively – we go on to consider how play has gradually shifted from public spaces and into designated playgrounds, and how this trend corresponds with children concurrently moving away from the streets and into their bedrooms. Following this, we explore the impact digital technologies are having on the practice of parenting, paying particular attention to video games as a significant facet of youth culture that is often associated with a range of negative connotations. Yet, video games are not intrinsically bad. As we outline, research on intergenerational play and joint-media engagement (JME) readily demonstrate the many benefits families can experience when these games are played together. What is missing from this developing body of work is the familial playing of locative games and the extent to which this practice adds contours to our understanding of this field. The chapter is, therefore, driven by the following research questions. First, why and how do families play Pokémon Go? This includes the different roles that family members adopt, alongside motivations for families playing this game, how the playing of this game complements the rhythms of family life and the extent to which this hybrid reality game (HRG) is suited to intergenerational play. Second, what impact does locative familial play have on families, collectively speaking, and regarding individual family members? Here, we are not just interested in whether this game allows families to bond and how this bonding process is experienced, but also whether the familial play of Pokémon Go provides families with any learning opportunities that might facilitate personal growth beyond the game. Third, what worries might parents have about the familial playing of Pokémon Go and to what extent does the locative aspect of this game reshape their apprehensions?
Michael Saker and Leighton Evans
This chapter is concerned with examining the families that play Pokémon Go together within the context of spatial practices. The chapter begins by outlining the general approach…
Abstract
This chapter is concerned with examining the families that play Pokémon Go together within the context of spatial practices. The chapter begins by outlining the general approach to spatiality that we adopt throughout this book, which is predicated on the ‘spatial turn’ within the social sciences. Here, spatial practices are understood as being socially constructed in day-to-day live, as opposed to being something simply given. In other words, ‘the concept of the city’ and the ‘urban fact’ (de Certeau, 1984, p. 1, italics in original) are not one and the same thing. Instead, the phenomenology of space is moulded in the social realm as part of the practice of everyday life, which has consequences for hybrid reality games (HRGs) like Pokémon Go. After delineating between ‘space’ and ‘place’ à la the ‘mobilities turn’, we shift our attention to embodied approaches to urban life. This begin with an examination of the art of the flânerie, which has been reimagined to account for the ubiquity of mobile media, and more recently, locative games. A review of the literature surrounding locative games demonstrates that, for the most part, concerns about spatiality have not extended to the kind of intergenerational play that is the focus of this book. Drawing on our original study of Pokémon Go, as outlined above, then, the chapter is driven by the following research questions. First, to what extent does Pokémon Go lead to families spending more time outside and how is this reshaping experienced. Second, what effect does this HRG has on the routes and pathways families choose to follow while traversing their physical setting, as well as the sites they frequent. Third, to what extent do families engage with the various elements of Pokémon Go and what does this suggest about the evolution of locative play in the context of earlier location-based social networks (LBSNs).
On April 2, 1987, IBM unveiled a series of long‐awaited new hardware and software products. The new computer line, dubbed the Personal Systems 30, 50, 60, and 80, seems destined…
Abstract
On April 2, 1987, IBM unveiled a series of long‐awaited new hardware and software products. The new computer line, dubbed the Personal Systems 30, 50, 60, and 80, seems destined to replace the XT and AT models that are the mainstay of the firm's current personal computer offerings. The numerous changes in hardware and software, while representing improvements on previous IBM technology, will require users purchasing additional computers to make difficult choices as to which of the two IBM architectures to adopt.
A number of companies are looking for ways to turn their training centers into profit centers by opening them to outsiders.
Matt Thomas, Yuankun Yao, Katherine Landau Wright and Elizabeth Rutten-Turner
This chapter contends that to meet the needs of refugees, we must go beyond addressing only safety and security by including education as well, specifically, literacy development…
Abstract
This chapter contends that to meet the needs of refugees, we must go beyond addressing only safety and security by including education as well, specifically, literacy development. The authors suggest that in order to support refugee education, generally, we need to identify best practices for supporting reading programs in refugee settings. The authors discuss basic design and assessment of literacy education programming in refugee settings that parallels the designs for traditional school-wide literacy programs, which we have in place in more stable regions of the world. The authors attempt to converge the fields of literacy education with refugee studies to make recommendations for supporting refugees’ literacy education with the goal of preserving their native language and literacy while preparing them for the future.