Ritesh Chugh

Do Australian Universities Encourage Tacit Knowledge Transfer

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether Australian universities encourage tacit knowledge transfer. In doing so, the paper also explores the role of managers (academics’ supervisor) in promoting or hampering tacit knowledge transfer and the value given to new ideas and innovation. This study collected data by conducting interviews of academics in four universities and a qualitative narrative analysis was carried out. The findings suggest that universities generally encourage and facilitate the transfer of tacit knowledge; however there are some areas that require improvement. Avenues for improving tacit knowledge transfer call for open communication, peer-trust and unrestricted sharing of knowledge by managers. The study was conducted in four universities, hence limits the generalisability of the findings. This paper will contribute to further research in the discipline of tacit knowledge, provide understanding and guide universities in their tacit knowledge transfer efforts and in particular, encourage the transfer of tacit knowledge.

Implementation Strategies for ERP Adoption by SMEs

ERP systems are considered to be mission-critical information systems in the current business environment. The adoption of ERP should not be hindered solely by the size of an organisation. The key aims of this paper are to elucidate the various strategies Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) vendors have developed to encourage Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) to adopt their products. These strategies focus around solutions such as pre-configured solutions, implementation methodologies and hosting options. In order to meet this aim, this paper utilises two case studies as examples which demonstrate the experiences of companies who have utilised these strategic options. Based on the extant literature, the barriers to implementation of ERP systems in SMEs have also been discussed. Discussion about the implementation barriers is included to explain how organisations can prepare and plan for effective ERP system implementation.

Digital badges – rewards for learning?

Digital badges are quickly becoming an appropriate, easy and efficient way for educators, community groups and other professional organisations, to exhibit and reward participants for skills obtained in professional development or formal and informal learning. This paper offers an account of digital badges, how they work and the underlying benefits for learners and educational institutions. It also evaluates the use of digital badges to engage and motivate learners. It is this engagement and motivation strategy that a short non-award course for high school students seeks to replicate through many different learning strategies, one of those being the use of digital badges. A digital badging model has been proposed, which shows the four stages educators go through in their decision to use digital badges. Finally, a double-loop learning process has been suggested that could help educators in the implementation of digital badges.

Social media in higher education: A literature review of Facebook

The rapid adoption of social media technologies has resulted in a fundamental shift in the way communication and collaboration take place. As staff and students use social media technologies in their personal lives, it is important to explore how social media technologies are being used as an educational tool. The aim of this paper is to analyse the role of social media, in particular, Facebook, as an educational tool in higher education. Through a review of the literature, this paper explores the myriad ways in which Facebook is being used as an educational instrument for learning and teaching. Multiple benefits of Facebook usage for learning and teaching have been identified such as increased teacher-student and student-student interaction, improved performance, the convenience of learning and higher engagement. The paper also highlights the potential problems and limitations of Facebook usage ranging from educators’ dominance to privacy concerns. Finally, Facebook usage guidelines that can be adopted by educators to encourage social media adoption are proposed. As social media usage continues to grow in higher education, future empirical research is warranted.

Lessons Learned from Enterprise Resource Planning ERP Implementations in an Australian Company

Successful Enterprise Resource Planning ERP implementations are a boon for organisations. However, there have been many instances of failed ERP implementations globally resulting in millions of wasted dollars. It is vital to learn from past ERP implementations so that such expensive mistakes are not recurrent. This qualitative exploratory case study aims to explore and document the lessons learned from ERP implementations in an Australian global natural resources company to mitigate such problems in the future. A single case study was conducted with the aim to understand experiences from different sites of the company that have already undergone proprietary ERP system implementation. Data was collected through interviews of key participants who were involved in the implementation. Analysis of the interviews has resulted in comprehensive lessons learned around the project focus areas. Finally, ten tips, divided in 4 categories i.e. People, Strategy, Technology and Management have been identified, to guide future ERP implementations and increase chances of success.

Why Business Intelligence? Significance of Business Intelligence Tools and Integrating BI Governance with Corporate Governance

Business Intelligence (BI) is one of the fastest growing software sector and software vendors are rapidly developing multiple BI tools to support the growing data analysis needs of organisations. In order to be sustainable in a briskly changing turbulent environment, organisations need to have access to information about their operational performance. BI tools play a vital role in supporting the decision makers at different organisational levels. As these tools are becoming critical in decision making, it has become not only an information technology concern but also a management concern. Without proper governance it would be impractical to achieve the value that BI tools offer. Adopting a BI governance framework in organisations will lead to common principles and clear ownership over information. Additionally, appropriate alignment between corporate governance and BI governance can yield more benefits. This paper provides an insight into the importance and value of BI tools. Key functionalities of BI tools have also been highlighted. Different challenges in gaining true value from BI tools have been examined. Four phases of developing a BI governance framework have been illustrated. The alignment between BI governance and corporate governance has also been explored with a recommended model. Exploratory analysis of two organisations (Premier Healthcare Alliance & BellSouth Telecommunications) to identify how they have utilised BI tools and adopted BI governance has been briefly carried out. The paper posits that if the steps for developing a BI framework are adopted by organisations and the BI framework is aligned with the corporate framework, BI deployment and usage will be successful with reduced risk levels. Why Business Intelligence? Significance of Business Intelligence Tools and Integrating BI Governance with Corporate Governance

An empirical study of customers’ purchase intensions from Australian group buying sites

Group buying is a form of e-commerce, but works similar to bulk buying principle, that allows selling of products and services by third party companies through their websites. Based on a survey done by Canstarblue, out of 250 registered group buying sites, Cudo, Groupon, Ourdeal, Living Social and Scoopon are ranked Australia’s top five group buying sites. Research suggests that identifying right products and services to be sold as group buying deals can improve sales and profit margins of these group buying sites. However, there is a research gap in understanding what factors influence customers’ purchase decisions. Hence, this paper studies different deals offered by the top 5 Australian group buying sites and presents an analysis based on the primary data collected using systematic sampling method from these websites to understand the role of different variables such as discount rate, deal price, product category and time to purchase deals. Findings reveal that customers’ intention to purchase products and services are influenced by discount rate and product categories. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge and business community by revealing the influence of different factors that would have bearing towards customers’ intention to purchase from group buying sites.

A Pilot Study of an Electronic Exam System at an Australian University.

This study sought academic staff and students’ views of electronic exams (e-exams) system and the benefits and challenges of e-exams in general. The respondents provided useful feedback for future adoption of e-exams at an Australian university and elsewhere too. The key findings show that students and academic staff are optimistic about the future adoption of e-exams if the e-exams system is sufficiently improved. They are fully aware of the benefits the technology could offer in supporting learning and education in general and see e-exams as an innovation for learning and teaching in higher education.