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The rapid development of technology in today's times make business' survival a rather complex task. It is therefore necessary for the specialized organization and administration of each company to differentiate and strengthen its competitive advantages. Gamification is an established practice in many business domains and can enforce employees to engage in business processes and change aspects of their behavior. Even though numerous gamification patterns that are described in literature have been used so far by businesses to various working environments, the outcomes were not the best possible that we would expect in terms of their right utilization to business non-game contexts. Thus, there is need for concise gamification patterns that can offer right guidance to game designers in business. Gamification design patterns can provide a distilled knowledge of techniques of how to design object-oriented software. This paper aims to address this gap in existing literature by describing new gamification design patterns, classifying them according to specific criteria and providing new information to this research domain. Our study is a descriptive literature review and is based on review of previous works. This descriptive literature review tries to give a better understanding by proposing new gamification design patterns in the continuously evolving research domain of gamification design patterns.

In the chemical industry, a new generation of decision-makers is emerging in the next 5 to 10 years with a higher affinity for the use of videos to find information and to connect with other individuals. Through the digital transformation, an "on-demand" culture has become usual. As individuals want to access information at any time, B2B companies need to transform to video-based infrastructures enabling them to build effective relationships through connecting their employees with the new decision-makers of the industry. The specialty chemicals business is characterized by a high level of innovations which is seen as an excellent source to create video content aiming to connect individuals and to change social communication patterns. The current academic literature indicates the advantages of using YouTube in B2B, but a specific framework describing how to embed YouTube in the customer journey to improve B2B social communication and to achieve better social connections between B2B individuals is missing. Using an adopted content analysis, this paper developed a framework for YouTube-based activities combining the four major elements, Content, Touchpoint, Usage and Stimulus, in an interrelated setup.

Although research on European education policy has aptly focused on the role of supranational and intergovernmental actors, less attention has been devoted to its analysis as a policy arena in which legitimacy can be created and power can be exerted in sophisticated ways. Specifically, the role of non-state actors as agenda-setters for European education and employment policies is still unexplored. By combining a neo-Gramscian approach of political economy with Jochim and May's boundary spanning policy regimes' perspective, which captures activity across policy subsystems that seek to manage 'wicked' policy problems, this paper looks at the role of private and business actors, and specifically the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), in European education during the 1980s and 1990s. The findings show how this period can be considered a foundational period for the emergence of a BSPR in education and employment, and in which specific goals and directions were set out in the European education agenda more fine-tuned with employment goals and industry's needs. Moreover, the paper illustrates why private and non-state actors shape boundary policy spanning regimes at the nexus of education and employment, which in this case reflected the economic interests and preferences of European transnational companies.

This paper focuses on a two-year program with a Norwegian public sector project-based construction company, where action learning groups and critical incident technique were combined to enhance organizational learning. Project-based organizations typically face difficulties of 'project amnesia', as they fail to integrate learning from experience into organizational memory. In drawing lessons from experience, employees often focus on solving short-term problems with individual projects rather than contributing to medium- and longer-term organizational learning. The program that is the focus of this paper engaged newly-appointed engineers in action learning groups and trained them to use critical incident technique to gather and analyze information about recent projects undertaken by the company. The groups reported back their findings to colleagues in the program and to managers and senior executives in the company. Originally designed as an alternative to the traditional induction training for new employees, the program generated useful practical learning across the whole organization about project success factors. This paper explains how action learning and critical incident technique combined in this program to enhance individual, team and organizational learning, and argues that the synergies between these three processes should be explored in other contexts.

In today's economy of knowledge, knowledge is considered as the most important element in the processes related to products and services in most organizations including software development organizations (SDOs). It is essential for SDOs to create a work environment that supports continuous learning in order to deal with the challenges of the new economy and remain competitive in the market. This study aims to perceive how the work environment in SDOs supports continuous learning in multiple ways. The specific objectives are to understand and describe the characteristics of the SDOs' work environment which demonstrate the occurrence of continuous learning and to understand how developers apply the resources and structures available in this environment for their learning. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the subjects involved in the software development process. Seven common characteristics were identified in all the participants' organizations, which are also typical in a work environment conducive to continuous learning: continuous learning as a responsibility and a competitive advantage; emphasis on innovation and competition; an open and error tolerant environment; supporting structures and resources; reward and recognition systems; leader support and peer support. Based on the result, this paper proposes a continuous learning model in software development environments. [This paper was translated by Maria-Clara M. Rego.]

Purpose: While new rich learning opportunities emerged through the introduction of Innovation Platforms (IPs) in agricultural value chains, the extent to which IPs enhance farmer experiential learning is still unclear. Design/methodology/approach: This paper brings clarity to the above question by interviewing 91 coffee IP farmers. Data were analyzed through content analysis to generate overarching themes for farmers' experiences, learning activities, and outcomes. Findings: Results reveal that participation in IP learning activities generates farmers' knowledge to cope with coffee value chain challenges. Specifically, farmers' making-meaning of challenges and generating new solutions represents an iteration between individual critical reflection and experimentation of value chain activities. The IPs facilitated multi-directional knowledge flows among farmers by mobilizing necessary resources. Practical implications: As many Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) governments cannot provide sufficient extension support, farmers increasingly rely on IPs whose processes stimulate members' learning commitment and endeavors. Nevertheless, Governments can use these findings to tailor the design and implementation of IPs to farmers' experiential learning processes. Theoretical implications: The study contributes to experiential theory in the context of agriculture by advancing a model on how IPs can accelerate farmers' experiential learning processes based on the challenges experienced. Originality/value: This article extends knowledge of experiential learning in IPs context.

This paper examines literature from the COVID-19 period (2020-2022) to outline prevalent themes and essential competencies in the post-COVID era. Employing informetrics within a quantitative research approach, the study scrutinizes Scopus database data using COVID-19, e-learning, e-commerce, and media and information literacy terms. Results reveal a surge in scholarly focus on e-commerce, online learning, e-health, and ICTs, including social media. Identified were 355 media and information literacy terms, with digital, information, health, and media literacy at the forefront. Moreover, 244 corresponding competencies and skills were noted. The study emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive media and information literacy programs, diverse competencies, and stakeholder engagement in fostering a digitally literate society. Prioritizing skill development for navigating digital landscapes is vital amid the fourth industrial revolution, laying the groundwork for adept usage of media, information, and digital realms.

This paper calculates the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational outcomes for undergraduate business programs in Mexico. We use administrative data from the National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education and a difference-in-differences empirical strategy to estimate the impact. We find a negative effect on intake, enrollment, and graduation outcomes. We also examine heterogeneous effects, showing that top business schools increased the number of intakes with respect to non-top schools. Furthermore, public schools were more negatively impacted than private schools in terms of graduation outcomes, while synchronous-learning programs reported a higher decrease on graduation rates than asynchronous-learning programs.

In recent years, environmental issues have become the focus of societal concerns. In this context, the business world has been consolidating a form of green marketing management that merely conveys ambiguous or misleading messages rather than reflecting environmentally friendly business practices. This phenomenon is called greenwashing. This systematic review identifies and analyses the relationship between greenwashing and education (and at the more specific level of environmental education or education for sustainable development) in the academic literature. The sample consists of 20 papers retrieved from different databases using a systematic search strategy. As a result, an analysis of greenwashing trends in relation to education and its main approaches is presented: greenwashing literacy as an avoidance tool, the presence of the phenomenon in higher education institutions or in resources for educating, tools for identifying misleading green advertising and education, and anti-greenwashing educational proposals. Finally, some recommendations for identification and avoidance are presented.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the extent to which Oman is capable of attracting more of the foreign direct investment (FDI) through dunning model instruments. The results of the analysis are determined using responses provided by the foreign companies concerning the features of Oman. Data used in the analysis were collected from 30 different foreign companies operating in Dhofar region of Oman using questionnaires. ANOVA test, Chi-square tests and Friedman's mean ranks were carried out to test the homogeneity and magnitude of the responses given by the respective companies. the findings of Effect size analysis indicate that Oman's system structure, Policy framework, provision of facilities and ease of access are strongly contributing in attracting FDI. However, Oman needs to focus on the improvement of business friendly environment and compassionate policy formation in favor of investors.

In this paper, we propose a pedagogical approach for teaching and learning multimodal literacy, specifically, the application of multimodal discourse analysis for genre awareness. The mastery of specific oral genres is seen as desirable to help students become competent professionals. This is the case of Product Pitches (PPs) in the business field and Research Pitches (RPs) in the academic field. The former are short presentations that introduce a product to the market, the latter constitute an emerging way of disseminating ongoing research to the general public. A salient characteristic of both is their multimodal nature, which has raised an increasing interest in multimodal approaches to genre pedagogy. Our aim is to develop students' analytical skills to make them aware of the variety of semiotic modes and the importance of using them coherently. The pedagogical approach is facilitated by specialised software that supports the systematic teaching and learning of multimodal genres.

Embedded system is an interdisciplinary, profound foundation and practice-oriented course; at present, in the traditional teaching mode, embedded systems in colleges and universities generally have problems such as disconnected theory and practice, outdated assessment methods, and low enthusiasm of students. Arming to cultivate compound embedded development talents that meet the needs of enterprises, based on CDIO engineering education mode, this paper analyzes the characteristics of the "Embedded System" course, and takes engineering project development practice as the dominant idea to discuss the course system, teaching material construction and teaching method reform of "Embedded System." By designing a complete project teaching system, closely combines the theoretical teaching and practice of the course. Multiple rounds of teaching practices show that through the project-driven teaching method, students' engineering practice ability can be significantly improved, so that students can deeply master the basic principles of embedded systems, and possess the engineering development ability of embedded products at the same time, thus meeting the needs of enterprises for innovative and interdisciplinary talents.

This paper discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic can shift the conversation of paid and unpaid placements from an economic to a pedagogical and goodwill perspective. During the pandemic lockdown many placements were cancelled or postponed. Some continued as agreed but with students working from home, while other placements became unpaid. We build on the pertinent literature that raises legal, ethical, economic and pedagogical implications of paid versus unpaid placement models and what motivates placement organizations to offer placements. Four interdisciplinary trans-Tasman case studies are discussed to better understand the complex situations for placement organizations and universities to sustain WIL placements during this pandemic. Conclusions include recommendations to be vigilant and ensure goodwill is not used to mask the exploitation of students, but rather, positively influence the motivation behind offering placements during these trying times and beyond.

The main thrust of this paper is to explore factors from the business sector, which could inspire school leaders in terms of issue/problem formulation during their decision-making process. This conceptual paper examines diachronically and conceptually the issues of uncertainty, not only in terms of context and decision-making, but also having in mind leaders' and leadership's main characteristics as well. The question remains whether concepts of uncertainty management practices from the business sector might offer insights for school principals in order to make connections between what is happening inside and outside the organization. The paper is organized around five sections dealing with the conceptual basis of the two main terms, crisis and uncertainty and how leaders in the business sector deal with these. Following, we focus on educational leaders and their ways of navigating through crisis and uncertainty and we conclude with some observations about how leaders make the best possible decisions under the circumstances. We end the paper by stressing that, perhaps, many of the leadership qualities and characteristics needed in times of "normality" are more or less similar to those needed in times of uncertainty. However, school leaders need to learn to act faster with clearer and constant communication.

Purpose: This paper aims to present the results from a case study that investigated interorganizational learning in a buyer and seller relationship in the context of the maritime industry. This examination emphasized unraveling how the buyer and seller in the case study interacted and transferred knowledge when using a new business model that relied on servitization. Furthermore, this paper also addresses and discusses work practices, and the relationship between intra- and interorganizational learning. Design/methodology/approach: A case study entailing the introduction of digital technology and a new business model into the maritime industry was used as an empirical example of interorganizational learning. The case study was conducted over a period of over one year and focused on a buyer of freight ships and a seller of servitized technology used on the ships. The organizations involved were the ships, the shipowner's office and the ship engine supplier. The primary data acquisition methods comprised semi-structured interviews and observations. Findings: The case identified interorganizational learning within the organizations at the individual, group and organizational levels, but only a few learning signs could be viewed as bidirectional interorganizational learning that can create knowledge and competitive advantages for the organizations. This is explained by the interorganizational learning context and the organizations' motivation for learning at a strategic level. Originality/value: This paper addresses an identified need for empirical studies on how interorganizational learning unfolds within organizations and connects to intraorganizational learning. Interorganizational learning studies often examine partnerships and joint ventures, in which partners have entered into these relationships with learning as a specific goal. By choosing a case in which interorganizational collaboration is anchored in operational matters, the study demonstrates the importance of motivation and agenda when entering into partnerships, concerning how inter- and intraorganizational learning develops within organizations. Furthermore, approaching these levels from an interrelated and practice-oriented perspective challenges established success criteria for interorganizational learning.

Purpose: This paper aims to address the relevance and impact of the fourth industrial revolution through a theoretical and practical perspective. The authors present both the results of a literature review, highlighting the new competences required in innovative workplaces and a pivotal case, which explores challenges and skill models diffused in industry 4.0, describing the role of proper organizational learning processes in shaping new work cultures. Design/methodology/approach: The paper aims to enhance the discussion around the 4.0 industrial revolution addressing both a theoretical framework, valorizing the existing scientific contributes and the situated knowledge, embedded in a concrete organizational context in which the fourth industrial revolution is experienced and practiced. Findings: The findings acquired through the case study endorse what the scientific literature highlights about the impact, the new competences and the organizational learning paths. The conclusions address the agile approach to work as the more suitable way to place humans at the center of technological progress. Research limitations/implications: The paper explores a specific organizational context, related to a high-tech multinational company, whose results illustrate the empirical evidence sustaining transformations in the working, professional and organizational cultures necessary to face the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. The research was conducted with the managers of an international company and this a specific and limited target, even though relevant and interesting. Practical implications: The paper connects the case with the general scenario, this study currently faces, to suggest hints and coordinates for crossing the unfolding situation and finding suitable matching between technological evolution and the development of new work and professional cultures and competences. Social implications: Due to the acceleration that the COVID-19 has impressed to the use of digital technologies and remote connexion, the paper highlights some ambivalences that the quick evolution of the new technologies entails in relation to work and social conditions. Originality/value: The opportunity to match both a literature analysis and an in-depth situated case study enhances the possibility to achieve a more articulated and complex view of the viral changes generated in the current context by the digitalization process.

Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to discussion around the need for improved models for change in a rapidly changing world. It also aims to provide insights for further discussion around how a Nordic management approach can relate to the need for new change ideas. Since Lewin proposed that change requires unfreezing, moving and refreezing, several changes in models have been introduced. Many models include similar factors such as the need for a vision, a clear process and to motivate change. These change factors are investigated in this paper and related to a fast-paced, uncertain and volatile environment Design/methodology/approach: Based on a collaborative research approach, engaging with leaders in five organizations, all headquartered in the Nordic countries, this paper examines problems with traditional change models in a contemporary context as well as how these challenges could be handled. Findings: This paper concludes that leaders still find value in traditional models but see that these models need to be adapted to include elements of more recent research. This paper suggests tweaks in traditional change factors and ends with a proposition with a renewed model for change. Originality/value: The ideas in this paper could be seen as a bridge between traditional and modern models -- a bridge that seems to be needed in practice. It draws on action research and close relationships with top management, as they are working with change -- potentially giving the study a unique angle on a practical, widespread problem: succeeding with change.

This paper critically evaluates the concept of innovation, in the context of the funding of youth work within Erasmus+ Key Acton 2, but the findings are applicable to other settings which emphasise innovation. The paper argues that, first, innovation is problematic because it lacks a definition. Second, innovation is founded on a neoliberal business model, where solutions are identified and mainstreamed, and the consumer is the ultimate arbiter. Third, the importance of innovation as both context dependent and contested is not appreciated. One result of these problems is that established professional knowledge is undermined, and an emphasis on innovation also has the potential to run counter to the existing established educational practices of youth work. It is argued that innovation is becoming a euphemism for quality, and therefore innovation is taking on the guise of a 'silver bullet' for wider EU policy problems.

Context: Although the German dual system of vocational education and training makes a major contribution to securing the supply of skilled workers for trade and industry, its function has been under scrutiny for several years. Companies are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit trainees, and increasing numbers of training places are vacant. However, such recruitment problems tend to be concentrated in certain occupations rather than occurring across all sectors equally. This has led to a significant increase in competition among companies seeking to secure the services of trainees in various occupations and calls into question the extent to which such fierce rivalry is reflected in the type of training marketing they conduct. Approach: This paper investigates the training place characteristics companies communicate in their advertisements. Among these characteristics, differences exist in the general conditions of training, requirements for trainees and incentives the companies provide. Latent class analyses were used to investigate the patterns revealed in the training place characteristics and to examine if the frequency with which patterns occur correlates with whether a company is seeking trainees for an occupation with or without recruitment problems and with company size. The analyses were based on data collected from 1,939 small and medium-sized enterprises via standardised telephone interviews conducted at the beginning of 2016. The companies in question had offered training places in one of nine selected dual occupations. Four of the training occupations considered have recruitment problems. There are no recruitment difficulties in the other five. Findings: The single group latent class analysis initially conducted resulted in a model with three latent classes exhibiting clearly differentiated patterns of training place characteristics. As well as focusing on general conditions and the requirements for training, the "aggressive" pattern mainly emphasises the incentives the training place or company offered. The "requirements-oriented" pattern concentrates on the future requirements for trainees. The "basic" pattern communicates only a very few fundamental training place characteristics. A subsequent multi-group latent class analysis revealed evidence that small and medium-sized enterprises offering training are more likely to display an aggressive pattern in occupations with recruitment problems than SMEs providing training in occupations where there are no recruitment difficulties. By the same token, small and medium-sized enterprises with training provisions in occupations with recruitment problems are less likely to exhibit training marketing aligned to the requirements of applicants than firms offering training in occupations without recruitment difficulties, although this is significantly clearer amongst small companies than medium-sized companies. Nevertheless, the class with requirementsoriented marketing constitutes the largest class for all four company groups. Conclusion: The results indicate that conditions in the training market affect the training marketing companies carry out. However, they also show that companies are more likely to use their training marketing to react to recruitment problems that have already occurred rather than take a preventative approach towards such difficulties. For small companies in particular, the limitations in resources available for more elaborate training marketing likely contribute to this approach. Nevertheless, further research is needed to consolidate the outcomes identified here.

With the emergence of big data as a strategic weapon in business, the need for hands-on activities in undergraduate courses is essential for preparing the next wave of technical talent. As the availability of programs in data analytics and data science grows based on market demands, the need for foundational technical skills is important to equip graduates for readily available entry level jobs in the field. While the available literature contains elements of application of big data into the classroom, mainstream tools like Apache Hadoop have not been readily addressed. This paper evaluates two different methods of providing students exposure to Hadoop through either an on-premise cluster or virtual machines. A curriculum is provided for students to gain hands-on experience through lab exercises, assessed through pre- and post-quizzes to test understanding. In addition, student work is assessed for application and analysis in a Business Intelligence and Big Data undergraduate course. This work contributes to the information systems (I.S.) community by providing foundational elements essential for integrating software tools such as Hadoop, Hive, and Spark into coursework.

The aim of this paper is to examine the communication content of Instagram social network users, on the basis of the hashtags they use relating to gamification and to define communities within the network in the context of education. The results are based on the analysis of Instagram's worldwide social network. Primary data were collected using script to capture communication on the social network Instagram. The analysis included Instagram photos selected on the basis of hashtag #gamification (17,994 contributions). The results identify that the most commonly associated expressions with hashtags #gamification are hashtags associated with education and business, especially where startup and innovation are concerned. On the basis of an analysis visually isolated communities with an average modularity of 0.506 were identified, which relate to the communication of the gamification on the social network Instagram: 1) Education, 2) Entrepreneurship, 3) Gamification in general, 4) Social and 5) Enjoyment. The benefit of analysis for the education area is to identify the university's links between Education and Entrepreneurship and the Teacher and Trust between education and enjoyment.

Chinese enterprise personnel are faced with the problem of intercultural adaptation. Based on Black's theory of "three-dimensional" model of intercultural adaptation, this paper proposes a "four-dimensional" model of intercultural adaptation, namely, life adaptation, work adaptation, interpersonal adaptation and Chinese image adaptation. The research method of semi-structured in-depth interview is used to interview 23 Chinese people from one Chinese enterprise in Saudi Arabia, who have worked there for at least one year. We get findings as follows: (1) Life adaptation: maladjustment is mainly reflected in religious restriction. Especially, religious regulations and taboos make the life of Chinese enterprise personnel restricted. However, there are also many aspects of adaptation, such as Saudi cuisine, living environment and leisure life, which bring the satisfaction of life demands to Chinese enterprise personnel. (2) Work adaptation: foreign companies must employ a certain proportion of local people to work in their companies; the roles of buyers and sellers in Saudi Arabia and in China are different; the concept of time is different. (3) Interpersonal adaptation: Chinese people in Saudi Arabia still have the most frequent contact with their Chinese compatriots, and it is difficult for them to develop close friendship with foreigners. Chinese people are good at creating harmonious interpersonal relationships for work through some after-work activities, such as drinking tea, eating out and holding football matches. (4) Chinese image adaptation: Chinese enterprise personnel in Saudi Arabia have decent income, and Saudi police fail to check Chinese cars, all of which make the Chinese people have a positive face value. In view of the above four adaptation situations of Chinese enterprise personnel in Saudi Arabia, the following suggestions are proposed: (1) Be strict with yourself in life, respect local social and religious customs, and also keep a careful attitude and actively deal with disadvantageous factors. (2) While benefiting from working or doing business in Saudi Arabia, we should make contributions for the development of local economy and society, providing employment and training for local people. (3) We should observe the local laws and regulations, and also follow the local and international market rules. (4) In interpersonal communication, we should combine the maintenance mode of Chinese "guanxi" (relationship) with western "principle" on the one hand, and make a difference between them on the other hand. (5) In terms of image adaptation, besides maintaining a good image politically and economically, it is also necessary to improve our individual quality and our cultural cultivation overseas, be a communicator bridging Chinese and foreign excellent culture, and build a positive national image and individual image.

The higher education sector in Lebanon has undergone significant changes in the past twenty years, with a rapid increase in the number of higher education institutions that differ greatly in their missions, methodologies, and regulations. One of the remarkable differences between higher education institutions (HEI) in Lebanon is their vision and adaptation of technology into their institutions, with the lack of any government rules that guide HEIs to proper technology implementation strategies. While some institutions use international standards and models for quality assurance and management as a base for technology integration, others implement their own strategies of choosing and applying the technologies they deem appropriate. In this paper, we study the effect of technology adaptation strategies on HEIs in Lebanon and propose a model for technology integration in higher education, based on the current needs and status of the Lebanese higher education system. We build our model on the goals of achieving and assuring high quality in the pedagogy, business, and technology sectors in the HEI.