Business Commons^™

Analysing The Performance Of Economic Discourses, Joseph Fitzgerald, Brendan O'Rourke

Conference papers

We focus on the methods used in analyzing broadcast interviews with economists on Morning Ireland, a prominent Irish radio news programme. Few would doubt that economists have taken a prominent role as experts on policy issues (Carrick-Hagenbarth and Epstein 2012, p.45) and some contend that no other social science discipline has gained such prominence (Schneider and Kirchgassner 2009, p.324). This paper comes from a larger research project, which uses a tailored methodological approach, incorporating a number of analytical methods. Keller (2011, p.63) has argued that a tailored methodological approach is often required to give special consideration to the ‘knowledge side’ …

Performing Economics: How Economics Discourse Gets Enacted In Radio News Interviews, Brendan O'Rourke, Joseph Fitzgerald

Conference papers

This paper analyses the performance of economics expertise on the main radio news show in Ireland. It does this through an analysis of the discourse used by known economics experts. This analysis will illustrate how the expert constructs a societally-legitimised economics discourse that builds their identity as an economics expert, constructs a particular representation of the economy, and gains societal legitimacy.

In advance of the Great Recession, the media played a key role in the prominence of economics expertise in public discourse (Mercille 2013, p.1). Both the lack of warning of impending economic crash and the elite nature of experts …

Education In A Technological Era: The Eu Digital Agenda Policy - More Optimistic Than Realistic?, Philomena Hanlon

Conference papers

Both the potential opportunities and risks for higher education providers in the digital education space are enormous. The EU in its policy paper The Digital Agenda for Europe (2010) sets out interalia targets for the development of the digital economy.

This paper examines The Digital Agenda for Europe (2010), focusing on Pillar VI: Enhancing digital literacy, skills & inclusion. The growth of massive open on-line courses (MOOCs) in particular have generated a lot of interest in digital education. This paper takes a broad look at the digital arena, the aforementioned Digital Agenda for Europe and other key reports on the …

Taking A Step Back From The Individual Social Entrepreneur, Ziene Mottiar

Conference papers

An investigation of how a national tourism policy resulted in the emergence of new social entrepreneurs in destinations across Ireland.

Religious Tourism Product Bundling An Innovative Approach To Destination Marketing And Visitor Experience Management: The Case Of Early Christian Sites In The East Of Ireland, Vreny Enongene, Kevin Griffin

Conference papers

Innovation has emerged as a re-occurring theme for the sustainability and competitiveness of the tourism and hospitality industry, and for faith-based tourism, the many and on-going changes within the demographics and purchasing behavior of the religious market in the past 10-20 years (Leisure Travel Group, 2013) calls for innovative approaches to enhancing the visitor experience, and attracting visitors. As Manson suggests, either you ‘innovate or die’. In so doing, Ireland is determined to foster an innovation culture for the sustainability of the tourism industry (Failte Ireland, 2009) based on the vision that the tourism industry is expected to continually play …

Understanding The Dynamic Behaviour Of Three Echelon Retail Supply Chain Disruptions, John Crowe, Mohammed Mesabbah, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

It is often taken for granted that the right products will be available to buy in retail outlets 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Challenges in achieving this continued on-shelf availability range from recession hit demand patterns to cost reduction driven strategies. Irish government initiatives to brand the country as a sustainable, reliable provider of food retail supply chains has resulted in increased importance on decision maker accuracy. The vulnerability of retail supply chain’s (RSC) to disruption is another catalyst in the complexity of the decision making process and a more robust understanding of disruption behavior is needed. …

Modeling Behaviour Of Nurses In Clinical Medical Unit In University Hospital: Burnout Implications, Wael Rashwan, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

High demand of healthcare services due to changes in population demography, technological and medical advancements, budget limitations have direct effect on medical staff and medical organizations in particularly hospitals. One of the major issues confronting the healthcare system is staff behavior when they get close to 'burnout' level. This study identifies factors affecting nurses' behavior and its impact on patients experience time using system dynamics. A particular focus is given to nurses in one of the medical clinical units in one of the largest hospitals in Ireland. Armed with a comprehensive system dynamic model that revolves around the staff stresses, …

An Integrated Lean Assessment Framework For Tyre Distribution Industry, Amr Arisha, Amr Mahfouz

Conference papers

Given the vital role of distribution units within the supply chains, this research aims to develop a comprehensive lean assessment framework that integrates Modelling and Simulation with Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the ‘leanness’ level in distribution business. The framework is applied on a distribution centre of a leading European company in the tyre manufacturing and distribution business. The framework helps decision makers to evaluate the effect of two lean distribution practices – Pull Order Replenishment and Class-Based Storage Policy – on company’s performances and is also used as a leanness Self-Assessment Tool.

The Phenomenon Of Online Reviews - Digital Headache Or Golden Opportunity For The Tourism Sector?, Jennifer Lawlor, Geraldine A. Gorham, Colin O'Connor

Conference papers

This conceptual paper presents a research agenda for tourism operators by examining the literature pertaining to the phenomenon of online reviews in the tourism sector. The objective is to examine tourist motivations for posting online reviews and their potential impact on the consumer decision making process. Furthermore, this paper seeks to explore how tourism operators may respond to, and act upon, this source of customer word-of-mouth.

A Review Of Knowledge Management In The Public Sector: A Taxonomy, Paul J. Mc Evoy, Amr Arisha, Mohamed Ragab

Conference papers

Purpose – Public organisations today face management challenges to cope with current markets in what’s known as a knowledge era. They primarily face adaptive challenges. Changes in communities, markets, business behaviour, competition, and most importantly technology around the globe are forcing all organisations to clarify their strengths, develop knowledge strategies, and learn new ways of managing their human capital. Governmental organisations also exhibit tendencies towards unusual and bureaucratic cultures mired in hierarchical structures, which create peculiar challenges that confront Knowledge Management (KM) efforts within the public sector. As public firms attempt to effectively manage their knowledge, organisational culture and structure …