Jacqueline Kenney

Knowledge integration in organizations : an empirical assessment

– The purpose of this paper is to provide the results from empirically testing the effects of different combinations of organizational forms and combinative capabilities on the efficiency, scope and flexibility of firm‐level knowledge integration, given the influence of knowledge types and forms., – The research is based on a case‐study methodology employed to collect data from ten firms of low, medium and high knowledge complexity environs; manual and automated data mining techniques were employed., – The findings suggest that organizational form and combinative capabilities explain the effects of efficiency, scope and flexibility on firm‐level knowledge integration. In turn, differences in knowledge types and forms necessitate the use of secondary combinative capabilities., – While the study provides a coherent and detailed understanding of firm‐level knowledge integration and explain the development of a firms knowledge architecture through organizational structures and synthesize existing literature contributing to an emergent understanding of the ambiguities surrounding combinative capabilities, further research identifying the effects of and relationship with the deep knowledge in combinative capabilities on strategic capabilities and a firms knowledge vision would be beneficial., – Of practical relevance is the strategic and operational management implications detailing the specific organizational structures to achieve desired firm‐level knowledge integration capacity and manage particular integration efficiency, scope and flexibility requirements to enhance the development of architectural knowledge and, thus, firm capabilities., – The original contribution of this paper is reflected in providing empiric and theoretic insights, which directly address the specific combinations of organizational structures that influence integration process characteristics and thus accommodate differences in knowledge types and forms.

Design and implementation factors in blended synchronous learning environments: Outcomes from a cross-case analysis

Abstract Increasingly, universities are using technology to provide students with more flexible modes of participation. This article presents a cross-case analysis of blended synchronous learning environments—contexts where remote students participated in face-to-face classes through the use of rich-media synchronous technologies such as video conferencing, web conferencing, and virtual worlds. The study examined how design and implementation factors influenced student learning activity and perceived learning outcomes, drawing on a synthesis of student, teacher, and researcher observations collected before, during, and after blended synchronous learning lessons. Key findings include the importance of designing for active learning, the need to select and utilise technologies appropriately to meet communicative requirements, varying degrees of co-presence depending on technological and human factors, and heightened cognitive load. Pedagogical, technological, and logistical implications are presented in the form of a Blended Synchronous Learning Design Framework that is grounded in the results of the study.

The political economy of e‐learning educational development: strategies, standardisation and scalability

The development of e‐learning by government through policy, funding allocations, research‐based collaborative projects and alliances has increased recently in both developed and under‐developed nations. The paper notes that government, industry and corporate users are increasingly focusing on standardisation issues and the scalability of technology platforms to meet demand. This paper assesses the challenges for further development that e‐learning faces in the coming years, including: access to appropriate technology, scalability, measurement, and changed governance structures.

Getting results: small changes, big cohorts and technology

This paper presents an example of constructive alignment in practice. Integrated technology supports were deployed to increase the consistency between learning objectives, activities and assessment and to foster student-centred, higher-order learning processes in the unit. Modifications took place over nine iterations of a second-year Marketing unit and were guided by a design-based research approach. The aligned technologies were embedded in voluntary weekly tasks, feedback, lecture participation and research skill acquisition. Findings indicate that constructive alignment strengthens and is strengthened by technology supports, resulting in consistently improved learner experiences in small (under 60) and large (over 500) face-to-face cohorts, over time and in comparison to benchmark data derived from over 65 similar units. Heuristic themes emerging from the study conceive constructively aligned technology interventions as gateways, springboards and enablers to improved learning and learner experiences.