Merlin Stone, Neil Woodcock, Yuksel Ekinci, Eleni Aravopoulou and Brett David Parnell
This paper aims to review the development of thinking about the information needed by companies to create an accurate picture of how well they manage their engagement with…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the development of thinking about the information needed by companies to create an accurate picture of how well they manage their engagement with customers, taking into account the evolution of thinking and practice in this area over the past three decades towards the idea of data-driven customer engagement. It then describes the evolution and use of an assessment and benchmarking process and tool which provide the needed information.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature review, conceptual analysis and explanation of the management consulting process are used.
Findings
Companies can get an accurate picture of how well they manage customer engagement provided that a careful assessment approach is used where assessors are properly selected and trained and that there is a strong focus on compliance with requirements rather than “box-ticking” based upon managers’ perceptions.
Research limitations/implications
The assessment and benchmarking process was developed mainly for use by larger companies, though the findings could be adapted for use by smaller companies.
Practical implications
Companies whose success depends upon customer engagement should consider using the assessment and benchmarking tool to guide their planning and implementation. They should heed the warnings about the risks of inaccurate assessments which may arise because of the incentives by which managers are managed.
Social implications
The assessment and benchmarking process has been used by the public sector and government, and given government’s desire to engage citizens better, they should consider adopting the ideas in this paper to reform citizen engagement.
Originality/value
This is the only paper which reviews the development of the assessment process for customer engagement.
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Dianna L. Stone, Kimberly M. Lukaszewski, Dianna Contreras Krueger and Julio C. Canedo
This chapter applies a model of Social Cognition to explain some of the underlying factors that influence unfair discrimination against immigrants in organizations.
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter applies a model of Social Cognition to explain some of the underlying factors that influence unfair discrimination against immigrants in organizations.
Design/Approach
It (1) presents a model of the attributes of immigrants that influence the categorization, stereotyping, job expectancies, and employment decisions about immigrants, (2) reviews the existing literature on biases toward immigrants, (3) offers hypotheses to guide future research, and (4) suggests strategies for overcoming unfair discrimination toward these individuals in employment contexts.
Findings
Our review of the research suggested that a number of factors influence unfair discrimination toward immigrants, including their country of origin, race/ethnicity, perceived danger, gender, socioeconomic status, education, and skill. However, most of this research has been conducted in social contexts, so we argued that additional research is needed to examine the relations between these attributes and employment decisions in work-related settings.
Practical Implications
Our model suggests several strategies that can be used to overcome unfair discrimination against immigrants in work contexts. We outline these strategies in the chapter.
Social Implications
There are hostile attitudes toward immigrants around the world, which makes it difficult for them to gain and maintain employment. Thus, this chapter offers several reasons for these negative attitudes and strategies for overcoming them.
Originality
Despite the widespread negative reactions to immigrants around the world, relatively little theory and research has focused on unfair discrimination toward immigrants in work settings. Therefore, our chapter makes a unique and important contribution to understanding unfair discrimination toward immigrants, and suggests strategies that may help them overcome these problems.
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Abstract
This study compares and contrasts the clients of two domiciliary care services delivered to elderly people in Darlington, Durham, UK, in terms of their living circumstances, dependency levels and the service inputs they receive. The two services are the Home Help Service managed by the local authority social services department and a Home Care Service managed by the Darlington Health Authority which offers an alternative to long‐stay hospital care for elderly people. The study examined only a sample of the most dependent home help clients and all of the home care clients. The instruments used to measure dependency were found to be limited in their ability to detect crucial differences in the two client groups and suggestions are made about how these might be improved. The main distinguishing characteristics of the Home Care Service clients were that they were, on average, younger and frailer than the home help clients and were far more likely to need help with toiletting, dressing, getting in/out of bed, walkng and making hot drinks. In contrast the main predictor of Home Help Service membership was living alone. It was concluded that although some home help clients were as incapacitated as home care ones, the latter scheme was far more consistently targetted on very frail, and often ill, people.
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Merlin Stone, Eleni Aravopoulou, Geraint Evans, Esra Aldhaen and Brett David Parnell
This paper reviews the literature on information mismanagement and constructs a typology of misinformation that can be applied to analyse project planning and strategic planning…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper reviews the literature on information mismanagement and constructs a typology of misinformation that can be applied to analyse project planning and strategic planning processes to reduce the chances of failure that results from information mismanagement. This paper aims to summarize the research on information mismanagement and provide guidance to managers concerning how to minimize the negative consequences of information mismanagement and to academics concerning how to research and analyse case studies that might involve information mismanagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature review accompanied by conceptual analysis.
Findings
Information mismanagement is widespread in organizations, so all those involved in managing and researching them need to be far more aware of the damage that can be done by it.
Research limitations/implications
The research is based on the Western society (Europe and North America). The same research should be carried out in other parts of the world. Also, all the case studies could usefully be investigated in more depth to apply the taxonomy.
Practical implications
Managers should be much more aware of their own and others’ tendencies to mismanage information to their own benefit.
Social implications
Stakeholders in public sector activities, including citizens, should be much more aware of the tendency of the government and the public sector to mismanage information to justify particular policy approaches and to disguise failure.
Originality/value
The taxonomy on information mismanagement is original, as is its application to project planning and strategic decision-making.
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Merlin Stone, Eleni Aravopoulou, Gherardo Gerardi, Emanuela Todeva, Luisa Weinzierl, Paul Laughlin and Ryan Stott
The purpose of this paper is to explain how ecosystems and platforms have evolved to manage customer information and to identify the management, research and teaching implications…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explain how ecosystems and platforms have evolved to manage customer information and to identify the management, research and teaching implications of this evolution.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on research and industrial experience of two of the co-authors in customer relationship management, further developed with other co-authors in the field of business models, the research and teaching experience of the university authors and cross-functional literature reviews in the areas of strategy, marketing, economics, organizational behaviour and information management.
Findings
This paper shows that digitalization, cloud computing and new information-based platforms are beginning to change how customer information is being managed, creating new opportunities for improving marketing, customer relationship management and business strategy.
Research limitations/implications
The impact of platforms on the management of customer information needs to be confirmed by primary empirical research.
Practical implications
This paper identifies the need for senior marketing management to examine closely how internal and external/public customer information platforms may enhance their capability for managing customers and setting new strategic directions.
Social implications
The emergence of giant multi-sided platforms has clear implications for data protection and privacy, which need to be explored more in research.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the move to customer information platforms and identifies how senior managers should consider them as an option for better customer information management and as a basis for new business strategies.
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Ryan Neill Stott, Merlin Stone and Jane Fae
The purpose of this research is to identify how managers can apply the results of academic research into the concept of business models for creating and evaluating possible models…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to identify how managers can apply the results of academic research into the concept of business models for creating and evaluating possible models for their businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the literature is followed by two case studies, from the airline and logistics industries, followed by recommendations based on both.
Findings
The findings are that there is relatively weak consensus among academics as to the definition and meaning of a business model and its components, and that the notion of generic business model applies better within rather than between industries, but that the discussion is a very fertile one for developing recommendations for managers.
Practical implications
The managerial implications of the study are that in their planning and strategizing, managers should factor in a proper analysis of the business model they currently use and one that they could use.
Originality/value
The study provides a useful addition to the literature on the practical implications of business models.
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Merlin Stone, Eleni Aravopoulou, Ryan Stott, Brett David Parnell, Jon Machtynger, Bryan Foss and Liz Machtynger
The purpose of this paper is to show how the business model of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry has evolved and the general differences that evolution…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show how the business model of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry has evolved and the general differences that evolution has made to information management.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature review was carried out accompanied by conceptual analysis.
Findings
It shows that changes in the business model of the ICT industry have been quite dramatic and have led to significant changes in the structure of the industry.
Research limitations/implications
This research is based on analysis of the ICT industry. The analysis could be broadened to include other industries. Research into business model change should consider adopting the evolutionary approach taken in this paper.
Practical implications
Managers in the ICT industry should factor the likely evolution of business models in their industry into their planning.
Social implications
Government policymakers considering how to stimulate the development of the ICT industry in their country should be aware of the moving nature of their target.
Originality/value
This is one of the first papers to apply the evolutionary approach to business model change.
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Merlin Stone, Emmanuel Kosack and Eleni Aravopoulou
The purpose of this study is to examine the relevance of academic research, in terms of the topic match, to commercial practise in information technology, using the case study of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the relevance of academic research, in terms of the topic match, to commercial practise in information technology, using the case study of a large and very rapidly growing supplier that uses leading-edge management approaches, Salesforce.com.
Design/methodology/approach
Academic literature review and review of commercial literature and information published by Salesforce.com.
Findings
Academics’ choice of topics matches the issues and topics present in the development of Salesforce.com, but suffers from the lack of interdisciplinary approach and particularly fails to integrate technical, marketing and financial approaches.
Research limitations/implications
The case study is of only one company, though an important one, although other large companies are involved e.g. Amazon Web services. However, the approach could easily be widened to several companies.
Practical implications
The case study approach will help academics focus on creating more applicable research and help students to learn about companies and may also eventually help practitioners to create thought leadership.
Social implications
If the financial and economic aspects of such case studies are integrated with other business aspects, these will provide a better view of the positive (or negative) contribution made by companies such as the one in the case study.
Originality/value
This is the first time that a case study has been examined in the context of the relevance/rigour debate.
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This book chapter uncovers the black box of PreK-12 African American male students’ experiences and outcomes as a result of their participation in career and technical education…
Abstract
This book chapter uncovers the black box of PreK-12 African American male students’ experiences and outcomes as a result of their participation in career and technical education. Theoretical and scientific literature – related to benefits and challenges of African American male students’ educational experiences in career and technical education and school reform initiatives that may contribute to their educational outcomes – is discussed. Additionally, recommendations for educational research, practice, and policy are summarized providing future directions for educational and noneducational stakeholders to consider on how career and technical education may serve the unique needs of African American males.