This paper explores narratives and scripts as possible "cultural constraints" on change in an organisation. The empirical basis is a study of employee's perceptions of change processes in a Norwegian finance group. "Narrative" and "script" are key theoretical concepts in the paper, including their potential to…

The research focused on three issues in college science students: whether there was empirical support for the two factor (knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition) view of metacognition, whether the two factors were related to each other, and whether either of the factors was related to empirical measures of cognitive and metacognitive…

This study examines how the design and content of printed educational materials (PEMs) influence clinician capacity to deliver evidence-based sexual healthcare. General practitioners in New South Wales, Australia (n = 214), completed a survey about their use and perceptions of PEMs - a clinical aide, sexual health articles, and an educational…

This study aims to determine language learners' autonomy, self-evaluation levels and to examine the predictive power of these two variables on language achievement. The study was designed as mixed method design and was conducted with 108 high school students. Data were collected through an autonomy scale, a self-evaluation scale, schools…

This paper explores corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the biotech high-tech sector as a way to achieve competitive advantages. After presenting the importance of science for high-tech firms, the paper focuses on the social and economic role of CSR. Next, the primary reasons for firms' engagement in CSR activities are presented,…

This paper is an output of a Portuguese public research project: "DeSid"--"design as a company's strategic resource: a study of the impacts of design" (FCT). The "DeSid" research project was created with the main purpose to make a diagnosis of the use of design inside the Portuguese manufacturing industry. This…

A "humanitarian market" for off-grid renewable energy technologies for displaced populations in remote areas has emerged. Within this market, there are multiple stakeholder agendas. End-user needs and sustainable development goals are currently not considered through the customer-enterprise relationship and the applied product and…

Facing a collection of challenges, how can the Shanghai cooperation organisation (SCO) use technology to help improve cohesion, cope with enlargement, manage relations better with external parties, develop resources, advance economic cooperation between members, improve their speed of decision making and upgrade their quality of decision…

This study analyses Italian knitwear manufacturers that operate both in international consumer and in business markets and assesses the different forms of competition that exist between them. The purpose of the research is to analyse the different positioning of these firms within the chain of production that they belong to. The firms that deal…

The financial services industry faces many demanding challenges. Firms within this industry are predominantly knowledge-based, as are most of the industry's products, processes and services. The application of knowledge management represents a clear opportunity for financial services firms to confront challenges. However, no industry specific…

Knowledge management has often been linked to product development, innovation, and customisation. In particular, effective exploitation of customer knowledge, through engaging customers in a process of co-creation of products, exemplifies such a link. Accordingly, this research aims to identify those dimensions of knowledge management activities…

This paper focuses on the processes by which firms, particularly knowledge intensive firms, can augment their overall knowledge stock by tapping into external sources of knowledge. It is argued that Top Management Teams' (TMTs') social intelligence is a critical learning capability in acquiring external knowledge that leads to strategic change.…

The information systems' literature outlines how training is a critical factor to successful Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations. Yet, types of training are not discussed in the literature and there is little indication if existing training is effective and whether relevant contextual factors have been considered. Without…

An examination of current literature found a rudimentary number of papers canvassing the role of online blogging in advancing student learning. This paper evaluates the use of online student blogs to increase learning outcomes for the lecturer and the student and offers an original approach to this important topic. The paper examines students over…

The continuing failure rates of change initiatives, combined with an increasingly complex business environment, have created significant challenges for the practice of change management. High failure rates suggest that existing change models are not working, or are being incorrectly used. A different mindset to change is required. The BGR…