Mina Ranjbarfard and Mahboobeh Heidari Sureshjani
This research aims to convert the traditional teacher–student models, in which teachers determine the learning resources, into a flexible structure and an active learning…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to convert the traditional teacher–student models, in which teachers determine the learning resources, into a flexible structure and an active learning environment so that students can participate in the educational processes and value co-creation in virtual academic learning environments (VALEs).
Design/methodology/approach
Mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach has been used. First, to develop the primary framework, papers were content-analyzed. Then, to validate the results of the content analysis, responses of the questionnaires distributed among students and teachers at five virtual universities in Iran were analyzed.
Findings
VALEs have the value co-creation potential. The students and teachers in this sample identified and confirmed three dimensions including partnership requirements (including organizational capabilities, structural requirement, individual competencies, motivational factors and resources), collaborative learning services (including IT infrastructure, common services and educational services) and social networks. The foundation of value co-creation is a partnership requirement. Collaborative learning services are flexible services that redesign methods and curriculum and promote deep learning among students. In addition, the wide use of social networks enables dialogue, communication, participation and establishment of virtual learning groups.
Practical implications
By means of the suggested framework, it is possible to achieve value co-creation in VALEs.
Originality/value
The paper presents outcomes of the research that is focused on technical, human and organizational aspects for value co-creation in VALEs that have not been much discussed previously.
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Keywords
Mina Ranjbarfard, Mohammad Aghdasi, Amir Albadvi and Mohammad Hassanzadeh
The aim of this paper is to develop, test and improve a method that draws upon business process improvement literature and combines it with knowledge management approaches for…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to develop, test and improve a method that draws upon business process improvement literature and combines it with knowledge management approaches for modeling and analyzing knowledge‐intensive business processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Analyzing and integrating previous meta models served in knowledge oriented business process researches, a preliminary meta model was developed for modeling knowledge‐intensive business processes. Then an initial version of Proper Arrangement of Knowledge Management Processes (PAKMP) framework was developed according to the knowledge management processes approaches. Third round of interviews with process 137 members were conducted in order to test applicability and completeness of both preliminary meta model and initial version of PAKMP framework in order to improve them. In addition, a five‐steps analysis method achieved through case study which is based on the application of both final Meta model and PAKMP framework. In fact this five‐steps method was applied in Tehran's Municipality which redounded to improve preliminary meta model and initial version of PAKMP framework and endorsed the applicability of the proposed method in real world.
Findings
This paper has a contribution in enriching the literature related to integrating KM efforts and BPM efforts by presenting a five‐steps analysis method and testing it in a real case. This method considers both KM and business process management points of view.
Research limitations/implications
The general applicability of the method due to the weak generalization of the single case study is a limitation.
Originality/value
This paper combines the advantages of the business process improvement and knowledge management approaches and suggests a practical method for modeling and analyzing the knowledge management status in knowledge‐intensive business processes. After analysis, managers should put emphasis on improving the arrangement of KM processes for critical knowledge objects which led to improve the performance of knowledge‐intensive business process trough removing KM problems. The paper concludes by suggesting some topics for future research.
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Keywords
Mina Ranjbarfard, Mohammad Aghdasi, Pedro López-Sáez and José Emilio Navas López
This paper aims to find and rank the barriers of the four knowledge management (KM) processes including generation, storage, distribution and application in the gas and petroleum…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to find and rank the barriers of the four knowledge management (KM) processes including generation, storage, distribution and application in the gas and petroleum sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Reviewing the literature of KM and organizational learning, this paper extracted all of the barriers which impede KM processes. Then it designed a questionnaire for validating, ranking and categorizing barriers. Totally, 190 completed questionnaires were gathered from 26 gas and petroleum companies in Iran. Some statistical tests such as T, Friedman, Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney were used for analyzing data.
Findings
Findings reviewed the current literature of KM barriers, validated and ranked the barriers of knowledge generation, storage, distribution and application separately. The importance of knowledge generation and knowledge application barriers were significantly different between gas and petroleum companies. Hence they were disjointedly ranked for gas and petroleum. Finally, KM barriers were ranked according to their contribution to KM processes and the average mean of their importance in KM processes.
Practical implications
From the practical point of view, this paper suggests managers of gas and petroleum companies to emphasize solving high-priority barriers according to the KM process which they are focused on. Furthermore, the study provides a checklist that can be used as an assessment tool for evaluating KM processes considering barriers.
Originality/value
This paper finds the importance of each barrier for each of the four KM processes and ranks the “critical barriers” according to their contribution to four KM processes in the gas and petroleum sector.