Stephen Chi-Tsun Huang and Tsui-Ju Huang
The purpose of this paper is to discuss four main research questions which are as follows: how does a consumer turn into a devoted fan? How does a devoted fan react to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss four main research questions which are as follows: how does a consumer turn into a devoted fan? How does a devoted fan react to the expansion of a human brand? What kind of strategies does a devoted fan take when facing challenges encountered by a human brand? And are devoted fans homogeneous, or can they be further divided into different subgroups?
Design/methodology/approach
The basis of grounded theory process is intensive depth interviews with 14 devoted fans of a famous Taiwanese pop singer in a qualitative manner along with content analysis of messages from online fan clubs.
Findings
Using the metaphor of kingdom to parallel the phenomenon of fandom, the research also explicates the importance of initial brand position, and the construction and expansion from the core castle – the core positioning of the human brand – to become a kingdom where devoted fans swear to be loyal to the human brand and cross-buy the derivative products of the latter. Five fan’s subgroup and a theoretical framework are obtained.
Originality/value
The theoretical framework derived in this study explicates how consumers’ initial perceptions of the human brand are formed and reinforced and how they become different kinds of fans which in turn influence the strategies they take in the face of the expansion or withdraw of the human brand.
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Gopal Goswami and Himanshu Bagdi
This study aims to delve into the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) on the well-being and quality of life of beneficiaries in Surat City of India. Employing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to delve into the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) on the well-being and quality of life of beneficiaries in Surat City of India. Employing correlation and regression analyses, the study uncovers significant correlations between Awareness, Healthcare Utilisation, and Financial Burden Reduction with well-being outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The investigation employs a structured questionnaire to gather data from 250 beneficiaries, exploring the relationships between Awareness, Healthcare Utilisation, Financial Burden Reduction, Well-Being and quality of Life. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire using a survey method.
Findings
The results highlighted the crucial role of Awareness in empowering beneficiaries to make informed healthcare decisions, positively influencing their well-being. Furthermore, the study underscores how active engagement with PMJAY's healthcare services enhances well-being. The mitigation of financial burdens emerges as a pivotal factor, signifying the program's efficacy in improving beneficiaries' quality of life.
Originality/value
The comprehensive model presented in this study reveals that PMJAY's multifaceted approach is pivotal in promoting enhanced well-being and quality of life among beneficiaries. These findings affect public health policies seeking to create holistic interventions that holistically address vulnerable populations' healthcare access, financial burdens, and overall well-being.
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eLearning: snake oil or salvation? Changes in the world are forcing corporations to rethink how people adapt to their environment. How do people learn? Why? What's eLearning? Does…
Abstract
eLearning: snake oil or salvation? Changes in the world are forcing corporations to rethink how people adapt to their environment. How do people learn? Why? What's eLearning? Does it work? This paper addresses these questions and recounts the history and pitfalls of computer‐based training and first‐generation eLearning. It traces the roots of CBT Systems, SmartForce, Internet Time Group, and the University of Phoenix. It takes a person to five years of TechLearn, the premier eLearning conference, from dot‐com euphoria to today's real‐time realities. The subject‐matter here is corporate learning, in particular mastering technical and social skills, and product knowledge. The focus is on learning what is required to meet the promise made to the customer. While there are parallels to collegiate education, the author lacks the experience to draw them.
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Corporate CEOs are finally telling the truth when they say “People are our most important assets”. Intellectual capital has become the primary factor of production. To raise their…
Abstract
Corporate CEOs are finally telling the truth when they say “People are our most important assets”. Intellectual capital has become the primary factor of production. To raise their “corporate IQ”, managers treat workers as if they were customers of learning. This article explores why people learn much more about their jobs in the coffee room than in the classroom. It hypothesizes that equipping people intellectually to prosper will become a corporate discipline every bit as important as marketing or finance. Web services will mark the advent of workflow learning in real‐time organizations.
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Bernard Scott, Simon Shurville, Piers Maclean and Chunyu Cong
This paper aims to present an approach from first principles to the design of learning experiences in interactive learning environments, that is “learning designs” in the broadest…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present an approach from first principles to the design of learning experiences in interactive learning environments, that is “learning designs” in the broadest sense.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach is based on conversation theory (CT), a theory of learning and teaching with principled foundations in cybernetics. The approach to learning design that is proposed is not dissimilar from other approaches such as that proposed by Rowntree. However, its basis in CT provides a coherent theoretical underpinning.
Findings
Currently, in the world of e‐learning, the terms “instructional design” and “learning design” are used to refer to the application of theories of learning and instruction to the creation of e‐learning material and online learning experiences. The paper examines the roots of the two terms and discusses similarities and differences in usage. It then discusses how the processes of learning design fit into the larger processes of course, design, development and delivery. It goes on to examine the concept of a “learning design pattern”.
Originality/value
The paper contends that, whilst learning design patterns are useful as starting‐points for individual learning designs, learning designers should adopt the cybernetic principles of reflective practice – as expressed in CT – to create learning designs where received wisdom is enriched by contextual feedback from colleagues and learners.
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The primary purpose of this research paper is to understand the role of national cultural dimensions on e‐learning practices in India. India is considered a major player in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this research paper is to understand the role of national cultural dimensions on e‐learning practices in India. India is considered a major player in the world economy today. US multinationals are significantly increasing their presence in India and understanding cultural preferences will help global companies transition better.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual paper uses the national cultural dimensions of the global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness project, which is identified as the most topical theoretical framework on culture. The national cultural scores are used to develop hypotheses for specific cultural dimensions. Examples from the literature are also used to strengthen the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
This research proposes that national cultural dimensions of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, in‐group collectivism, and future‐orientation influence e‐learning practices. This study distinguishes between synchronous and asynchronous methods of e‐learning and the role of culture on the same. Future research can definitely empirically test the hypotheses proposed.
Practical implications
This study provides strategic implications for multinationals with a guide sheet identifying the role of the various cultural dimensions on e‐learning. The suggested strategies can be implemented by multinationals in other countries with similar national cultural dimensions also.
Originality/value
This research also proposes a theoretical e‐learning model identifying the impact of national cultural dimensions on e‐learning practices. This research also provides practitioners a strategic implications model that could be implemented for e‐learning initiatives in multinationals.
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Aakash Ranjan Das and Asmita Bhattacharyya
The existing literature contains few references on the better adaptors of online distance education amongst STEM (read as science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and…
Abstract
Purpose
The existing literature contains few references on the better adaptors of online distance education amongst STEM (read as science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and non-STEM (composed of humanities, social science and commerce) study groups in an Indian peri-urban context. The study's objective is to determine the better adaptor amongst these two study groups in online distance learning in higher education systems in an Indian peri-urban context.
Design/methodology/approach
The investigation was carried out prior to COVID-19 and during the pandemic. The inquiry is triangulated in nature with a disproportionate stratified random sampling approach used to pick 312 post-graduate students (STEM = 135 and non-STEM = 177) from a peri-urban higher education institute in West Bengal, India, using the “Raosoft” scale. Given the prevailing social distance norms, 235 samples of respondents from 312 students were evaluated via telephonic/online interviews during the COVID-19 period. The data were analysed using SPSS 22.
Findings
This study's investigations reveal that the STEM respondents have better digital profiles, better basic computing and Internet knowledge and greater digital usage for academic purposes before the pandemic times than the non-STEM group. This prior digital exposure has enabled the STEM group to cope with regular online distance education during the pandemic more quickly than the non-STEM group, as evidenced by their regular attendance in online classes and their greater awareness of its utilitarian role than the other group.
Originality/value
The study offers a way forward direction to evolve with more inclusive online distance learning in peri-urban Indian regions.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the changes taking place when learning moves from a transmissive learning model to a collaborative and reflective learning model and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the changes taking place when learning moves from a transmissive learning model to a collaborative and reflective learning model and proposes consequences for quality development.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper summarises relevant research in the field of e‐learning to outline the differences between e‐learning 1.0 and e‐learning 2.0 and amalgamates it with a series of previously published works. The characteristics of quality development are analyses in a next step and suitable methodologies for developing quality for e‐learning 2.0 environments are selected, proposed and explained.
Findings
Even though the question of quality is controversially discussed already when e‐learning 1.0 appeared on the market, e‐learning 2.0 creates even more insecurity. This paper aims at answering the following questions: what constitutes the new, innovative element, which is described by Web 2.0 and e‐learning 2.0? Does this development have consequences for how it assures, manage and develop quality in e‐learning? In three steps, it is described what e‐learning 2.0 constitutes, which basic elements of Web 2.0 it builds on, and what has changed. In a second, step the consequences this implies for quality development in e‐learning are discussed. Third, a number of methods as examples and practical advice on how to further advance quality development are described.
Originality/value
The original value of the paper is to outline the changes which have to be taken into account in new and innovative learning environment which are build on Web 2.0 technologies and to draw consequences for quality development as well as suggest methodologies for educators and learners to improve quality of such learning environments.
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Indrajit Bhattacharya and Kunal Sharma
The purpose of this paper is to make a strong case for investing in information and communication technologies (ICT) for building up of quality human resource capital for economic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make a strong case for investing in information and communication technologies (ICT) for building up of quality human resource capital for economic upliftment of India. An attempt has been made to explore the possibilities of online learning (OL)/e‐learning towards building up of quality human resources in higher education for a developing nation like India. A comprehensive environmental scanning of various e‐learning experiments, tools, projects to facilitate e‐learning or various institutional level efforts has been carried out. The paper also seeks to highlight the options available with traditional institutes for deploying ICT and for implementing e‐learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a descriptive account of the contemporary situation in India with regard to education especially e‐learning and draws on a variety of secondary sources both published and unpublished.
Findings
Argues that the development of e‐learning has been limited and reasons out why. The challenges of traditional face‐to‐face education vis‐à‐vis e‐learning in India are enlisted and suggestions for management of the e‐learning process by institutes which intend to venture into e‐learning are enumerated. The paper advocates the urgency for the traditional institutions to put an impetus on investment in ICT for providing e‐instruction for delivery of knowledge by riding the information super highway.
Research limitations/implications
Presents a review of literature developed from secondary sources.
Practical implications
Models of e‐learning that exclude any face‐to‐face contact may have limited prospects, but blended learning offers significant potential both on and off campus and should be pursued if the benefits of e‐learning are to be fully realized.
Originality/value
This paper provides a useful overview of a scenario of OL/e‐learning in India's higher education; and, from this summary of the present situation, goes on to suggest possible ways to transform the “digital divide” into “digital opportunities”.