Mohamed Makhlouf

Using serious games to manage knowledge and competencies: The seven-step development process

This article explores how serious games improve knowledge and competencies management in the context of human resources management. The exploratory research, based on the conceptual framework of the SECI model from Nonaka, analyzes the performances of three serious games developed in 3 different financial companies, from France, USA and India. These three case studies will help to define a 7-step development process of a knowledge and competencies management serious game. The banking sector has interesting characteristics for this study, some of the associated knowledge being both very standardized and also highly heterogeneous. It will be shown that serious games contribute significantly to improve “socialization”, “externalization”, “combination”, and “internalization” of knowledge and that they promote benchmarking throughout the company.

Impact of object manipulation, customization and social loafing on competencies management in 3D Virtual Worlds

Abstract3D Virtual Worlds (VW) are rich and promising collaboration tools limitedly introduced to support competence management, yet, extensively used to enhance knowledge sharing (KS) and support knowledge application (KA). Nevertheless, KS and KA represent a challenging medium to leverage individual as well as organization’s competencies. Characterized by a realistic visual dimension in representing work environment and a growing capacity of simulation, 3D platforms facilitate and value competence formation. Present study analyzes role of 3D VW technology unique characteristics (i.e. object manipulation and avatar and 3D environment customization) and specific personal character social loafing, on competencies acquisition. Individual performance and organizational performance were measured to assess individual and organizational competences. Answers from 144 users of 3D VWs were analyzed. Results show that social loafing has significant negative effect on knowledge sharing. Customization and object manipulation have significant, yet small moderating effect on 3D VW technology use and knowledge sharing. KS subsequent effect on KA, individual and organizational competencies are significant. Limitations and new research directions are presented.

Serious Games and Their Use in HRM: A Typology of Uses in CAC40 Companies

The purpose of this article is to build a typology of serious games based on their use in human resources management (HRM). To construct this typology, an inventory was made of all the serious games used by CAC40 companies. Of these, 114 serious games have been identified for the 43 listed companies since December 2011. These games have been classified into 3 categories and 11 subcategories based on their designated uses. This is the first study to demonstrate that all CAC40 companies use serious games, with seven such companies adopting at least five games. This research is also the first to offer a detailed typology of serious games based on their use in HRM. The discussion will demonstrate how this typology can help to operationalize the concept of serious games for HR managers to better understand and choose their specific HR uses.

Introduction to Transformation Towards Cloud Computing Minitrack

According to Makhlouf & al (2016), to survive the multidimensional changes in markets related to frequent evolution of national and international regulations, consumers’ behavior, information and communications technologies (ICT) and the globalization phenomenon, companies have constantly to reinvent themselves. They seek to transform their information systems in order to integrate quickly the technological and sociological mutations such as cloud computing, big data or mobility (Hashem & al, 2015). These frequent changes and their induced reconfigurations are accelerating. In this new era of Internet of Everything (IoE), managers are increasingly aware of the necessity for transformation and rapid innovation. In this context of disruptive innovations, such organizational transformations involve deep changes of business processes. It is therefore essential for these companies to find transformation models enabling them to lower costs and drive transitions, without hindering their development and degrading their quality of service, the customer satisfaction, or the level of security (Tiers & Al, 2013). Cloud computing provides the ability to conduct ambitious transformation programs currently hampered by the need to overcome huge investments in Information Systems. Actually, cloud computing allows to significantly reduce financial and human investments required for a company to take advantage of new technologies, fostering access to modern and powerful information systems (Ambrust & al 2010). In this perspective, cloud computing represents a major evolution in the industry of ICT. Nevertheless, it is essential to distinguish the reality of cloud computing from an idealized vision that is not consistent with field observations Venters & Whitley, 2012) Indeed, cloud computing is not a magic solution that will solve at once all IT problems, even though the concept is often presented as such. Cloud computing is not intended for specific sectors: this concept has become almost unavoidable for all sizes and types of businesses. In this track, we are looking for innovative, theoretical, experimental, or applied researches, from the behavioral as well as design science epistemological and methodological perspectives. We seek papers with either in-depth exploration of some particular aspects of the transformation towards cloud computing, or that study this transformation in its entirety.

Determinants of the Decision to Transform Towards Cloud: An Exploratory Analysis of 225 CISCO Case Studies

This article aims to identify the determinant contingency factors in the decision to transform to cloud computing. An exploratory study of 225 cases of companies of different sizes and shapes, spread over all continents, was conducted, taking into account the factors of culture, size and structure. The factors of industry, strategy and technology were also considered, as well as managerial cognition. Indeed, the companies studied were chosen in seventeen distinct sectors of economic activities. The contributions of this research are manifold. From the managerial point of view, the 225 case studies that were analyzed led to the identification of factors which may facilitate or hinder the decision to convert to the cloud. From the academic point of view, this work has allowed to enrich the research knowledge with the various contingency factors of cloud computing transformation. From a methodological perspective, this research has overcome an important challenge, the exploratory study of a large number of companies that have adopted cloud computing, in a wide range of industries, and spread over all continents.

IS Governance, Agility and Strategic Flexibility in Multi-approaches Based Management Companies

The in-depth case-study with 2 years of participant observation in a very large Telecommunication Operator that has implemented several process approaches shows that, despite the benefits that these approaches can bring to this enterprise, significant problems arise, particularly regarding information systems governance, agility and strategic flexibility. Rich literature on process approaches teaches us the benefits of each approach, however, the impact on IS governance, agility and strategic flexibility of the implementation of multiple process approaches within the same company has never been studied.

Pertinence and Feasibility of a Unifying Holistic Approach of IT Governance

In accordance with the Design Science percepts, we present in this paper an approach that aims to give a holistic unifying framework that ensures consistency and coherence between the existing IT governance approaches and mechanisms. It considers the advances and best practices suggested by COBIT ITIL, etc. Therefore, it proposes an operational implementation and instantiation of information system of IT governance based on SOA architecture. It meets the requirements posed by gaps in the research on IT governance, which have been proven by the literature study. As well as the managerial problems highlighted by a two-year in-depth case study conducted inside one of the largest telecommunication operators in Europe. The relevance and feasibility of this approach have been proven by the implementation of this approach in a another two-year in-depth action research case study inside another large European telecommunications operator.