H. Evers and Z. Urbanek
A study of the financial aspects of information brokerage in a European setting was made. Factors that influence the income and the expenditure of the broker are discussed in…
Abstract
A study of the financial aspects of information brokerage in a European setting was made. Factors that influence the income and the expenditure of the broker are discussed in detail. The average costs of an online literature search under various conditions are presented in tabular form. Conditions under which a European information broker might be financially independent are indicated.
Hans‐Dieter Evers, Solvay Gerke and Thomas Menkhoff
With globalization and knowledge‐based production, firms may cooperate on a global scale, outsource parts of their administrative or productive units and negate location…
Abstract
Purpose
With globalization and knowledge‐based production, firms may cooperate on a global scale, outsource parts of their administrative or productive units and negate location altogether. The extremely low transaction costs of data, information and knowledge seem to invalidate the theory of agglomeration and the spatial clustering of firms, going back to the classical work by Alfred Weber and Alfred Marshall, who emphasized the microeconomic benefits of industrial collocation. This paper aims to argue against this view and show why the growth of knowledge societies will rather increase than decrease the relevance of location by creating knowledge clusters and knowledge hubs, due to sharing of tacit knowledge and research and development outputs. Designing epistemic landscapes of knowledge clusters and hubs is, therefore, proposed as a viable development policy.
Design/methodology/approach
Secondary data from cluster research as well as the authors' own survey data, mainly on Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, are used to show and measure clustering of knowledge‐producing organizations.
Findings
The paper shows that sharing of tacit knowledge is a crucial variable to explain why clustering of knowledge‐intensive industries takes place despite the development of information technology. The importance of knowledge management for development is highlighted.
Practical implications
Designing epistemic landscapes of knowledge clusters and hubs is, therefore, proposed as a viable development policy.
Originality/value
The paper argues against the mainstream of industrial clustering theory and proposes a KM‐based research strategy. The discussion of the difference between knowledge clusters and knowledge hubs enables the use of a new and consistent evaluation of a K4D (knowledge for development) strategy.
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Now and again it can be necessary to change online passwords, perhaps because too many people have seen them and someone might get the brilliant idea to use one. We recently went…
Abstract
Now and again it can be necessary to change online passwords, perhaps because too many people have seen them and someone might get the brilliant idea to use one. We recently went through such an exercise and we present our findings “tot leringh ende vermaek” which is old Dutch “for learning and amusement”.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that half of Bangkok's landed families became real estate developers and the other half became real estate investors and speculators. (Sheng…
Abstract
It would not be an exaggeration to say that half of Bangkok's landed families became real estate developers and the other half became real estate investors and speculators. (Sheng and Kirinpanu (2000), writing in reference to the massive real estate bubble that built up in the years leading up to the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis)
The Asian crisis, which exploded in Thailand in July 1997 initially, spilled to the other ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines) and later it spreads to Korea and…
Abstract
The Asian crisis, which exploded in Thailand in July 1997 initially, spilled to the other ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines) and later it spreads to Korea and even crossing the continent to Russia and Brazil. The chronological pattern seems to indicate the contagious behaviour of the crisis. However, the sequential economic down‐turns that occurred in the Asia Pacific do look like a contagion effect. The idea that currency speculators contributed to the depth of the crisis is agreeable but to conclude that they are the roots of the problem would be misleading. This paper argued that the roots of the problems lie in current account deficit and loss of competitiveness, and moral hazard and over‐investment This paper also argued that the currency crisis is a symptom and not the cause of the Asian crisis.
Information supermarket in Oslo. An information supermarket has been established in Oslo in the new building of the Norwegian Society of Professional Engineers (NIS).
Yoon Jin Huh, Solkey Lee and Jung Ung Min
As the global economy continues to boom, there remains a significant need for more efficient transportation and effective management in corporate logistics. In this regard…
Abstract
As the global economy continues to boom, there remains a significant need for more efficient transportation and effective management in corporate logistics. In this regard, railways have been considered one of the most efficient modes for long distance transportation. In Asia, there are several extensive and direct railroads such as the TSR (Trans-Siberian-Railroad), the TCR (Trans-Chinese-Railroad) and the TMR (Trans-Mongolian-Railroad) which could connect Asia to Europe. If these railroad networks such as the TKR (Trans-Korean-Railroad) were fully operational, it is expected that they would replace a major portion of the current global trade transportation with is sent through other shipping methods. Therefore, the development of railroad networks is one of the most important steps toward an integrated international transportation system. However, in reality, it is difficult to achieve this vision because of the political and economic problems surrounding multiple countries that this network must cut across. Moreover, it is difficult to ensure the railways’ economic competitiveness when it is compared with other logistics options. In this study, we aim to discover the status quo about railway networks by focusing on the TCR and TSR. Through in-depth interviews and surveys with actual users of these networks, current issues and problems are analysed in order to make suggestions for improvements. This research also provides meaningful insights which the TKR-TSR and TKR-TCR railway networks should consider if they want to continue to be successful in the future.
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Thomas Menkhoff, Thang Tze Yian, Chay Yue Wah and Wong Yue Kee
The purpose of this paper is to examine how to successfully blend an e‐learning module into a knowledge management (KM) course aimed at getting KM students interested in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how to successfully blend an e‐learning module into a knowledge management (KM) course aimed at getting KM students interested in the respective subject matter (= KM) in a web‐based learning environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on data obtained from 138 undergraduate business management students at a university in Singapore, practical aspects of effectively implementing an e‐learning system with a focus on KM are analyzed and the importance determined of three conceptual variables in the context of successful blended learning approaches: online faculty to student interaction, social presence and personal e‐learning experiences.
Findings
The study shows some positive correlations between online faculty to student interaction, the degree of presence in a web‐based learning environment, as well as personal e‐learning experiences as potential drivers of students' desire to learn more about the subject matter KM.
Research limitations/implications
There has been reliance on self‐reported data in both the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats study and the student survey. The causal effects of students' perceptions on actual learning need to be explored in a future study with a larger sample size.
Practical implications
To increase students' acceptance of a web‐based KM course, instructors must ensure quality interaction between them and their students, strong social presence via intrinsically rewarding group interactions and enriching, personal e‐learning experiences on the basis of real‐life KM problems. Games, systematic performance monitoring and graded knowledge tests are critical, too.
Originality/value
This study highlights several good design features of an effective student interface vis‐à‐vis the development of an effective online learning environment from the perspective of KM student learners. Implications for e‐learning designers and instructors, as well as issues for further research, are outlined.
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Herman Vande Putte and Tuuli Jylhä
Since corporate real estate management (CREM) emerged in the 1990s, it has been modelled in many ways. The Delft model views the corporate real estate management function as a…
Abstract
Purpose
Since corporate real estate management (CREM) emerged in the 1990s, it has been modelled in many ways. The Delft model views the corporate real estate management function as a coordinator of four distinct accommodation perspectives. Although the model has been used in education and practice for years, there is no consensus on its interpretation and application, and various versions circulate. This paper aims to first reconstruct the history of the conceptualisation of the Delft CREM model and then seeks to develop an understanding of its nature that provides clearer interpretations of the model.
Design/methodology/approach
Because the developers of the Delft CREM model did not maintain archives, the reconstruction of the model’s genesis is based on the developers’ publications from 1985 to 2015 and eight semi-structured interviews conducted with these developers in 2017 and 2018. The collected information, which was by its very nature incomplete and imperfect, was triangulated, contextualised and assembled chronologically. This served as the basis for an analysis of the model’s nature, which in turn generated a list of practical implications for its future application.
Findings
The historical reconstruction revealed two parallel but distinct lines of reasoning, whose resulting models appear similar but are distinct. One line of reasoning models CRE viewpoints, while the other models CRE management activities, i.e. the first line of reasoning models CREM across the organisation, while the second models CREM within the function. These two lines of thought have converged in the research-through-design approach of the developers, which evolved against the backdrop of a growing interest in the contribution of organisational resources to organisational objectives and the emergence of the demand-supply model in management practices in general and in the built environment in particular.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to reconstructing the genesis and analysing the nature of the Delft CREM model. It is not intended to provide a conclusive narrative, update the model or compare it to other CREM models. As is typical in oral history, it is based on imperfect documentary evidence and imperfect recollections. The reconstruction and analysis are stepping stones towards a more precise interpretation and application of the model in both research and practice, and may eventually contribute to its evolution. When using the model, it is recommended to (1) be clear about whether the model applies to the CREM department, the entire organisation or the organisation’s environment; (2) be clear about what is being modelled (activities, viewpoints or something else); and (3) use labels that reflect the selections made in (1) and (2).
Originality/value
The value of this paper lies in the historical reconstruction of the intentions of the developers of the four-view scheme, including the detailed analysis of its consecutive graphical representations and the investigation of its relationship with the seminal strategic alignment model.
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Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence…
Abstract
Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.