Xuemei Tian

Books, bytes and business: the promise of digital publishing

Contents: Preface Introduction Part I Books: The business of book publishing Book publishing in the digital age. Part II Bytes: Digital technologies and book publishing Web 2.0 applications and book publishing. Part III Business: Knowledge-intensive organizations Supply chains and value chains in knowledge-intensive organizations Business models in knowledge-intensive organizations Business models for book publishing in Australia The future of book publishing References Bibliography Index.

Business models for higher education: an Australian perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the links between value creation and university business models in a dynamic global higher education marketplace. Design/methodology/approach – This paper combines primary and secondary research to critique the current “export led” business models of universities in a context of growing competition and conflicting perceptions of value among various stakeholders. Findings – In a context of market turbulence, funding crises and concerns over competition, complexity and sustainability, there are concerns over the longer term viability of current university business models, reflected in indications of differentiation among providers. Research limitations/implications – The paper has emerged from the primary research into business models in book publishing (Australian Research Council) and subsequent book on digital publishing (Ashgate Publishers). Here, the authors have applied the same model building process to what has been learned about university busine...

Implications of Digital Technologies for Book Publishing

This paper is based on an Australian government-funded research project looking at the implications of digitization for the book publishing industry, which was completed in 2008. Although Australian-based, the project and subsequent research have wider implications for application elsewhere. The paper initially provides a snapshot of Australian book publishing in a global context, and then summarizes our findings on the current and potential future impact of digital technologies. The original research employed an interpretive research paradigm, using a mixed methodology design, including an online survey of book publishers and the conduct of 14 case studies. Since completion of the project, the pace of technology-related change in book publishing has been addressed in follow-up research, based on a global context. In reporting this new research, the paper discusses in detail the diverse range of technologies, their limitations and the risks and opportunities they offer to the book publishing industry. This includes insights into the business as well as technical issues confronting the industry.

The role of technology in the management and exploitation of internal business intelligence

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an introductory overview of internal business intelligence (BI) and the role that technology plays in its management and exploitation. BI represents the tools and systems that play a key role in the strategic planning process of a corporation, allowing the integration of applications, databases, software and hardware essential to users and enabling the analysis of information to optimise decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – In reviewing the existing literature, this paper examines the core components, current trends and operational issues of a typical internal BI system architecture. The implications of these trends and their effects on business processes and culture are also explored. Findings – The successful implementation of an internal BI system should include the core components and address operational issues, whilst also providing meaningful output to the organisation. It is contended, however, that to be truly successful, the internal BI system must b...

Curriculum design, development and implementation in a transnational higher education context

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to report on an applied research project involving the application of core learning and pedagogical theory to a specific unit in a transnational undergraduate business course. Design/methodology/approach – The project sought to collect data and learning experiences based upon intensive literature reviews and a combined quantitative-qualitative research method. Established research constructs and recent lessons from the literature were applied to the two-year reform cycle of an undergraduate business unit. Findings – The findings validated the research constructs and frameworks employed and reinforced the case for enhancing the nexus between alignment, student motivation, active learning and the international-transnational perspective. Despite initiatives to engender openness and interactivity in the classroom, including dynamic and innovative approaches to communication and content delivery neither the operation of the class nor the eventual performance of the student...

Provenancing qualifications in higher education: An Australian-Chinese case study

Individuals move across educational institutions, learning modes and borders to pursue further study and employment opportunities. Properly provenanced learning credentials can be recognised and carried across institutions and borders, thus facilitating individuals’ mobility. Provenance is the origin or source from which an item is generated, and the history of subsequent owners or proof of authenticity. Provenance data has been collected and used in areas such as online learning, social networks, and e-science research for a range of purposes. This paper models the current qualification assessment workflows and examines how verified qualifications are used as a form of learning credential provenance in a higher education case scenario. The workflow model has implications related to the weaknesses of the current procedures and the significance of provenancing learning credentials for authentication and verification purposes.

Digitization and publishing in Australia: a recent snapshot

In a government-funded research project into the implications of digitization for book publishing in Australia, the researchers tested for the presence of global issues and trends. With a focus specifically upon book publishing to the exclusion of newspaper and journal publishing these included: revenue trends; competition; outsourcing; potential benefits of digital publishing; critical success factors for digital publishing; supply chain issues; value chain issues, business models and expectations for the future. An online survey and follow-up interviews found that technologies such the Internet and the World Wide Web, along with those for production and rights management were playing a significant role in book publishing. However, the major focus among book publishers was on business and organizational issues. There was widespread realization of the need to respond to competition from inside and outside the industry, including competition for the leisure time of users, with direct implications for value chains and business models. Key organizational changes identified included changes in structures and strategies, in human resource practices, and in cultures. The main benefits anticipated from digital technologies were in the areas of new niche markets, repackaging and repurposing of existing content, consumer-generated content and the enhancement of value chains. It is therefore, imprudent to only consider the impact of emerging technology as the fundamental in the ongoing development of digitization in book publishing, as other considerations such as demographics, social and economic factors are also essential ingredients.