Business Commons^™

Mantras Ambulance Services, Inc. Case 2: A Buyer-Side Business Valuation Case, J. R. Jones, P. D. Hutchison, Amy Foshee Holmes

Amy Holmes

“2017 is going to be an exciting year for your company, Daniel! I just received the requested information from that company that you are interested in buying. I’ll forward the information to you by email attachment, and I will get started on the analysis.” Penny knew that her boss, Daniel, would be anxious to review and discuss the new information on a potential acquisition, so she cleared her desk off to focus on the analysis.

Daniel Gustafson started his company, QRT Ambulance Services, Inc. in 2010. He wanted to quickly expand operations, so his business strategy was to buy existing …

Mantras Ambulance Services, Inc. Case 1: A Seller-Side Business Valuation Case, J. R. Jones, P. D. Hutchison, Amy Foshee Holmes

Amy Holmes

“Guess what mom, I’m pregnant!” Marie Wade’s youngest daughter, Kelley, shared the good news that her mom was going to be a grandmother for the second time! Marie was very happy for her daughter, but at the same time, she felt a pang of guilt and reflected on her inability to spend more time with her children and grandchildren. As her business had grown over the years, she found it required more and more of her time on a daily basis.

Marie thought to herself that it was 2017, where had all the time gone. All her children were grown, …

Leadership Challenges In The Sustainable Internationalization Of A Medium Scale State University Located In The Usa: A Case Study, Babu George, Jaylen Adams, Jennifer Hopkins

Babu George

Complementary Or Conflictual? Formal Participation, Informal Participation, And Organizational Performance, Adam Seth Litwin, Adrienne Eaton

Adam Seth Litwin

Most studies of worker participation examine either formal participatory structures or informal participation. Yet, increasingly, works councils and other formal participatory bodies are operating in parallel with collective bargaining or are filling the void left by its decline. Moreover, these bodies are sprouting in workplaces in which workers have long held a modicum of influence, authority, and production- or service-related information. This study leverages a case from the healthcare sector to examine the interaction between formal and informal worker participation. Seeking to determine whether or not these two forces—each independently shown to benefit production or service delivery—complement or undermine one …

Customer Relationship Management: A Theoretical Overview And The High Cost Of Failure (A Case Study), Tamilla Curtis, Donald Barrere, Tom Griffin

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

Despite the significant benefits offered by the customer relationship management (CRM) strategy together with advanced technology, there is still a high rate of companies who fail to see results promised by CRM in order to achieve a competitive advantage. A review of the empirical literature together with the case study of the CRM implementation within a midsize financial firm will result in deeper understanding of current CRM practices that could contribute to better planning, selection, and implementation of customer relationship management programs.

Knowledge Management: Integrating Social Networking Technologies And A Generative Learning Environment, Priscilla Arling, Mark Chun, B. Mcquaid

Priscilla Arling

Social networking technologies have commanded a lot of recent attention because they have changed the manner in which individuals have traditionally and historically accessed and shared knowledge. Although these technologies provide individuals with the opportunity to access and to utilize a plethora of knowledge created by others, the knowledge still needs to be organized, interpreted, and incorporated by the user in order for it to be useful. This research sought to better understand how social networking technologies can aid a firm's efforts to establish a knowledge management and a generative learning environment. The study closely followed one of the United …

Reorienting The Information Systems Function To Support Increasing Levels Of Business Service, Magno Queiroz, Tim Coltman

Magno Queiroz

Business scholars and practitioners are becoming increasingly aware of the opportunities that exist when service is added to traditional product offerings. However, the literature has not previously explored the question of how the IS function is responding to greater emphasis on service. In this paper, we employ a multi-case research design to investigate the role of the IS function in supporting increasing levels of service. Our study contributes to the literature by showing that differences in IS service orientation and collaborative capabilities affect the ability of firms to support service. The implications for IS and managerial practice are discussed by …

Crm In Russia And U.S. -- Case Study From American Financial Service Industry, Tamilla Curtis, Tom Griffin, Donald Barrere

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

This paper discusses Customer Relationship Management in two sharply contrasting business cultures: the United States and Russia. Included in the present work is a case study of a midsized American financial services firm that illustrates a common path to the decision to have a CRM system: the planning, selection, and the implementation of the CRM program, including a discussion of the likelihood of success. The clients in this case are Financial Advisors, who in turn sell the investment products to the end user individual investors. CRM in Russia is yet in its infancy as the economy emerges from 200 years …

A Conceptual Framework To Support The Development Of Government Sponsored Community Portal Regional Electronic Marketplaces For Smes: A Stage Approach, Denise Gengatharen, Craig Standing

Denise E Gengatharen

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are important to most economies. To improve e-commerce uptake and often motivated by regional economic and community development issues, some governments are creating Internet-based e-marketplaces for SMEs. Given the complexities involved in creating such e-marketplaces, a conceptual framework to support their development needs to be considered. The proposed framework uses a staged approach to advise the development of government-sponsored community-portal regional e- marketplaces (CP-REMs) for SMEs. Data from an ongoing case study is used to examine the framework constructs. Findings indicate that the staged approach allows CP-REMs to develop in tandem with e-commerce sophistication of …

The Cost Of Mindfulness: A Case Study, Douglas Hales, James Kroes, Yuwen Chen, Kyung Kang

Yuwen Chen

Mindfulness is a concept that refers to the attentiveness and alertness of people to detail. When applied properly, mindfulness improves the reliability of organizational processes, an important dimension to process quality. However, no study measures the cost of implementing mindfulness, which is necessary for managers when allocating scarce resources among competing improvement initiatives. Using the popular P-A-F framework, this study measures the cost of mindfulness in a healthcare context, and suggests consideration of several activities when implementing it in real-world firms.

Interactive Planning For Strategy Development In Academic-Based Cooperative Research Enterprises, Anthony Wilbon

Anthony Wilbon

Intellectual Capital Statement (Ics) As A Method Of Measurement And Management Of Knowledge Assets, Anna Ujwary-Gil

Anna Ujwary-Gil

The article describes empirical verification of an interesting model – Intellectual Capital Statement (ICS). ICS is an example of a method which emphasizes the European contribution into the developing trend of intellectual capital (IC) measure and evaluation, with particular attention paid to the SME sector (a strong presence of Scandinavian countries and the USA is noticeable here). ICS is presented here as a tool enabling us to manage and evaluate IC of a company and to demonstrate the dynamics of its changes. The article contains a case study of a company operating in the construction sector in Poland. It also …

A Business Model Perspective For Icts In Public Engagement, Mutaz M. Al-Debei, Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos, Guy Fitzgerald, Tony Elliman

Dr. Mutaz M. Al-Debei

Public institutions, in their efforts to promote meaningful citizen engagement, are increasingly looking at the democratic potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Previous studies suggest that such initiatives seem to be impeded by socio-technical integration barriers such as low sustainability, poor citizen acceptance, coordination difficulties, lack of understanding and failure to assess their impact. Motivated by these shortcomings, the paper develops and applies a business model perspective as an interceding framework foranalysisandevaluation. The underlying principlebehind thisapproachisthatit isnottechnology per se which determines success, but rather the way in which the business model of the technological artifact is configured and employed …

Escalation And De-Escalation Of Commitment To Information Systems Projects: Insights From An Approach-Avoidance Process Model, Gary Pan, Shan Ling Pan

Gary PAN

We view escalation and de-escalation of commitment as processes involving recurring instances of approach-avoidance conflict. This paper outlines an approach-avoidance process model for describing and analyzing escalation and de-escalation of commitment in information systems projects. In the model, the sequential mapping of project events is integrated with a model of approach-avoidance conflict that identifies periods of gradual evolution at two separate levels of social analysis (project and work) that are punctuated by sudden, revolutionary periods of rapid change. By conceiving the processes of commitment escalation and de-escalation as sequences of events involving approach-avoidance conflicts, researchers may develop a deeper understanding …

Transition To Is Project De-Escalation: An Exploration Into Management Executive's Influence Tactics, Gary Shan Chi Pan, Shan Ling Pan

Gary PAN

This paper seeks to understand the factors that shape management executives' influence behaviors and the influence tactics that may be utilized during de-escalation of commitment to information systems (IS) projects. De-escalation is potentially a more important issue than escalation because de-escalation provides remedies for the ills of escalation. Therefore, it is important to understand how project stakeholders' commitment to troubled IS projects may be transformed under management executives' influence, hence allowing project teams to carry out their de-escalation activities. Here, we adopt theories of leadership, politics, and interpersonal influence, as our lenses to examine the management executive's influence behaviors during …

Escalation And De-Escalation Of Commitment To Information Systems Projects: Insights From A Project Evaluation Model, Shan Ling Pan, Gary S. C. Pan, Michael Newman, Donal Flynn

Gary PAN

This paper outlines a project evaluation model for examining escalation and de-escalation of commitment to information systems projects. We view escalation and de-escalation of commitment as processes involving recurring instances of approach-avoidance conflict. In the model, the sequential mapping of project events is integrated with a model of approach-avoidance conflict that identifies periods of gradual evolution at two separate levels of social analysis (project and work) that are punctuated by sudden, revolutionary periods of rapid change. By conceiving the processes of commitment escalation and de-escalation as sequences of events involving approach-avoidance conflicts, researchers may develop a deeper understanding of how …

Cognitive Processes In Object-Oriented Requirements Engineering Practice: Analogical Reasoning And Mental Modelling, Linda Dawson

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

This paper presents a background in cognitive processes such as problem solving and analogical reasoning for considering modeling from an object-oriented perspective within the domain of requirements engineering. The paper then describes a research project and the findings from a set of four cases which examine professional practice from perspective of cognitive modeling for object-oriented requirements engineering. In these studies, it was found that the analysts routinely built models in their minds and refined them before committing them to paper or communicating these models to others. The studies also showed that objectoriented analysts depend on analogical reasoning where they use …

A Systems Analysis Experiential Case Study: Repeatable Real World Problem Solving, Priscilla Arling, C. Deeter, H. Eggers

Priscilla Arling

Many business schools today are emphasizing experiential education, particularly in undergraduate instruction, where students often have had limited exposure to business settings. While a business problem can be presented in the form of a written case study, real world projects for external clients are increasingly being incorporated into the classroom. However finding suitable clients and projects for multiple student teams each semester can be difficult.

A Systems Analysis Experiential Case Study: Repeatable Real World Problem Solving, Priscilla Arling, C. Deeter, H. Eggers

Priscilla Arling

Many business schools today are emphasizing experiential education, particularly in undergraduate instruction, where students often have had limited exposure to business settings. While a business problem can be presented in the form of a written case study, real world projects for external clients are increasingly being incorporated into the classroom. However finding suitable clients and projects for multiple student teams each semester can be difficult.

Training And Service Quality: A Case Study Analysis Of Regional Australian Restaurants, Grant Cairncross, Simon J. Wilde, Lucinda Hutchinson

Dr Simon J Wilde

The incorporation of training procedures, both formal and informal, within hospitality firms is recognised as a vital element in achieving sustainable perceived service quality. Yet, despite this importance, relatively little is known about the extent, nature and determinants of training in hospitality firms in regional Australia. Restaurants in particular have proven hard to analyse because many are what the Australian Bureau of Statistics calls micro-businesses who employ less than five staff, or are small businesses with five to twenty employees, and have little in the way of training resources and expertise in the area. An examination of six restaurants in …

The Impact Of A Marketing Information System: A Case Study Of Smart-Baltimore, Tanvi Kothari, D. R. Fesenmaier, Z. Xiang

Tanvi Kothari

The purpose of this study is to use existing theories of technology and organizational change to assess the impact of technology implementation within the context of the tourism industry. The framework is applied as a case study to analyze the perceived implications of implementing a destination marketing information system by the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The results of the study indicate that the most important value of the system is the richness and timeliness of information. The key informants perceive that this system will not only impact the marketing activities at the organization but will not influence the …

News And Corporate Governance: What Dow Jones And Reuters Teach Us About Stewardship, Donald Nordberg

Donald Nordberg

This paper in an early draft of an article that appeared in Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism in 2007. The outcomes of near simultaneous bids for the news organizations Reuters Group plc and Dow Jones & Co. Inc. in 2007 hinged on mechanisms of corporate governance put in place at each company to protect the integrity and independence of the editorial operations. Neither company is a particularly model of good governance, since the restrictions – super-voting shares at DJ, veto-power by the trustees of the Founders Share Company at Reuters – almost completely rule out an open market for corporate …

Advantageous Cost Structure: A Strategic Costing Case Study, Arvinder S. Loomba, M. Buckingham

Arvinder S. Loomba

Today' s increasingly competitive environment has prompted many fim1S to view organizational cost control as a strategic initiative through programs such as advantageous cost structure. Although strategic costing has been a concern of managers at the strategic level, finns are now trying to find ways to implement strategic initiatives at the operational level as well. These initiatives force organizations to address their major cost drivers and often result in improved processes, reduced number of non-value-added activities, improved supplier relations, and increased productivity. This article offers a case study of a large multinational manufacturing company that has successfully implemented advantageous cost …