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Project-based experiential business education seeks to provide students with lessons that are meaningful, practical, and enduring. While previous research has sought to understand how students and faculty members react to such educational experiences, it is also important to understand the perceptions of the business clients who engage with programs employing project-based education. The aim of this study was to better understand the experiences of business clients with whom students engaged as part of an undergraduate business capstone course. Two hundred fifty-three previous clients were surveyed with a 22.4% response rate. Responses were subjected to content analysis to cluster replies into representative themes, which were subsequently checked by comparison with responses from a focus group comprised of five of the original respondents. Sentiment analysis was then utilized to compare the prevalence of positive and negative statements associated with the themes. Responses related to working with the students and student learning were substantially positive (89% and 73% of statements, respectively). Student contributions were positively noted by many clients, with 86% reporting that changes were made based upon student recommendations. Seventy-seven percent reported that student engagement resulted in value creation for the client's organization. Notably, 71% of the clients reported long-term, positive impact from the engagement with the students. These responses indicate that the business clients perceive engagement with students in project-based experiential learning to have substantial value. When coupled with previous research, these results suggest a mutually beneficial experience for the clients, students, and faculty for project-based, experiential learning.

University spin-offs (USOs) are an important firm class since they constitute an economically important sub-group of high-tech start-up firms: they have, consequently, engendered many academic studies. However, what the firms deliver by way of innovation in the form of new products and services has largely been missing from the academic entrepreneurship literature. By adopting a mixed research methodology of in-depth interviews and a survey, this study highlights key factors associated with the success of product and service development by USO firms in the United Kingdom -- such as understanding customer needs, networks, clear market analysis, applications of technology, and the vision, mission and value of the company. The findings resonate with various studies in innovation management on the key elements of product and service performance predictors. The article also helps to fill a gap in the academic entrepreneurship literature by providing an understanding beyond the success factors in setting up USOs. The study should therefore raise the awareness of and benefit various actors (e.g. academic entrepreneurs and technology transfer offices) with regard to the provision of the activities and skills required to develop products and services successfully.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a core business strategy for most organizations. In today's global economy, it is essential for organizations to find ways of increasing their productivity. This article discusses the operations management's decision of customer relationships management. It is vital for a business to motivate its employees and use the best strategies to facilitate customer relations. The CRM-enabled strategy focuses on two organizations in the NE Ohio area: Progressive Corporation and KeyCorp Bank. The structure of this chapter is reflective of the qualitative business case study using best practices. Initially, a description of the companies' current strategies and software that promotes CRM is followed by some of its major strategic initiatives to foster the development of CRM. This basic case study approach aims to provide an understanding of the transitions, challenges, and the implementation of CRM in these organizations.

Numerous changes to information technology and media consumption over the last 2 decades have facilitated a fundamental shift in how people receive information, including weather forecasts. Historically, weather information was generally vetted through experts (often broadcast meteorologists) to members of the public in a relatively top-down system. Now, with the availability of internet websites, phone applications, and social media, people have an increasingly diverse set of sources from which to get weather forecasts. In this piece, we present results from CONUS-wide surveys that show this diversification of weather sources for nonroutine weather events. While older respondents still tend to get weather information from television, younger respondents are increasingly reliant on less traditional sources, including phone notifications, internet websites, social media, and family and friends. This shift to nontraditional sources means that a more diverse set of actors will have the opportunity to provide weather information to users, which could impact the quality, reliability, and accessibility of the weather information in the future. KEYWORDS: Social Science; Communications/ decision making, 1. Introduction Weather influences our daily lives. From minor choices (like deciding to wear a coat) to more significant choices (like cancelling sporting events and concerts), almost everyone relies on [...]

Tabletop exercises examining weather-related hazards are not uncommon but are often built around somewhat generic scenarios that only touch on the meteorological communication environment at a very shallow level. A recent exercise in central Oklahoma sought to change that. A local emergency manager, personnel from a National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office, and a severe weather researcher with a background in exercise design and facilitation worked together to create and deliver a realistic severe weather simulation. Exercise participants were exposed to detailed forecast information via NWSChat--a dedicated communication tool used to connect NWS forecasters, emergency managers, and media members for real-time information sharing. NWS forecasters were able to both actively play in the exercise due to the use of NWSChat and observe how local decision-makers interpreted and utilized the impact-based decision support service (IDSS) graphics and short-term forecast updates. The collaborative approach of developing a detailed scenario with numerous real- world IDSS graphics, along with the use of NWSChat for real-time delivery, resulted in overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants. The local emergency management office identified numerous areas for improvement in communicating real-time forecast information across their jurisdiction, along with gaps in current plans and resources. Meanwhile, the NWS forecast office had the opportunity to experiment with using the new NWSChat platform in a high- impact severe weather environment before a real-world event took place. Forecasters also gained insight into current IDSS graphic interpretation, noting areas for improved messaging to end users, such as adding storm motion to existing severe weather graphics. KEYWORDS: Communications/ decision making; Emergency preparedness; Emergency response, 1. Introduction Tabletop exercises are an important tool for emergency managers to ensure jurisdictional readiness for future incidents. These exercises often involve multiple agencies or stakeholders representing various parts of [...]

Purpose: Pre-positioning is a crucial choice in pre-disaster humanitarian logistics planning that consists of deciding in advance how much aid and where should it be located to enable effective and prompt operations in the case of an emergency. To support managers making such decisions, we propose four mathematical formulations that, considering the uncertainty on the demand to satisfy, seek to optimize aid prepositioning (before the event) and further distribution (after the event) in order to minimize unmet demand (MUD). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare the performance of these formulations on a real case to discuss when and why should each approach be applied. Design/methodology/approach: The two first formulations adopt the cardinality-constrained (CC) approach to handle uncertainty. These formulations differ in their objective functions, the first formulation’s objective seeks to MUD, whilst the second incorporates equity in the way that demand is satisfied. The two remaining formulations are scenario-based (SB) and as in the previous two formulations, seek to MUD with and without equity considerations, respectively. Findings: Applying our formulations to a case study, we compare the differences between the solutions produced by the proposed formulations and the solutions that would have been produced without uncertainty (perfect information) to have a better understanding of their performance and their behavior. A discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each model is provided to help managers choose the model that best suits their needs. Originality/value: The formulations are applied to a case study where a food bank is faced with the arrival of a hurricane in Mexico. As far as our knowledge, it is the first work in literature to deal with humanitarian logistics under a cardinality-constrained approach.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) potentially challenge the traditional dominance of brick and mortar institutions as providers of quality higher education. The benefits for students include reduced education costs and global access to exclusive institution courses and instructors. However, the benefits for institutions are less clear as there is a financial overhead required to develop and deliver content that is suitable for mass student consumption. In this article we examine the opportunities that MOOCs provide and identify several different business model challenges for offering MOOCs.

Alopecia is an undesirable side effect of cancer chemotherapy. The mitigation of alopecia is a desirable adjunct treatment for patients with cancer. FDA-cleared scalp cooling (SC) devices have been successfully used to prevent or reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). This paper provides an understanding of the implementation and value of the new Insurance-Based Billing Model used in the USA for SC and its benefits compared with the original self-pay model. This improved compensation change will result in all patients in need, including underserved and disadvantaged populations, receiving equitable healthcare by allowing access to this valuable supportive care technology.

Research and development (R&D) is crucial for promoting knowledge generation as well as the acquisition of new knowledge, so as to enable the development of new products, processes, or services, and improve the existing ones. In this vein, countries make decisions to increase and sustain their innovation efforts and focus on public R&D expenditures. This paper seeks to analyse the pathways of national R&D systems of OECD countries. For this purpose, we conducted a descriptive and exploratory analysis for the period of 2000-2021. We used innovative effort variables, such as R&D intensity, as well as patents as an output variable. The sample consisted of 37 OECD countries, divided into five quintiles according to productivity performance during the study period. The results highlight cases of R&D systems that made a significant leap in productivity during the study period; however, the results also identify cases where a higher R&D intensity does not translate into substantial improvements in productivity. This confirms that innovation is a complex phenomenon where there is not always a guarantee of a positive linear relationship between innovative effort and scientific/technological performance.

The national R&D system is a concept that has gained significant recognition; however, measuring it is challenging and not devoid of difficulties. In this paper the method of composite variables is applied to configure R&D systems and with this examines their characteristics and subsequent impact on fostering greater innovation by studying a group of OECD countries. Starting with many variables, 31 variables were selected for the second step and used in a factor analysis to create composite indicators or unobservable abstract variables. Each variable’s assignment to a single factor is clear, allowing the identification of five distinct and interpretable factors. Subsequently, a knowledge production function was estimated, considering a technological outcome of the R&D systems as the dependent variable; another function was configured reflecting the scientific output. Finally, an additional model was estimated, using productivity as the dependent variable. In all models, the National R&D Effort and Innovative Firms Factor emerged as the most significant variable, underscoring the importance of reaching certain thresholds in terms of available human and physical resources for carrying out innovative efforts within an R&D system.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the factors that influenced seven graduates in the creative and digital industries to start their own businesses in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK--an area with lack of employing establishments and locally registered businesses. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews identified the constraining and enabling factors graduates may encounter when attempting to start a business, and explored the impact of support provided. Findings: Perceived constraining factors were: lack of general business knowledge, contradictory advisory support from external agencies, lack of sector-specific mentors, lack of finance, and experience of familial entrepreneurship. Perceived enabling factors were: co-mentoring from business partners, course content, financial gain, creativity and innovative ideas, control and risk taking, and the overarching package of support. Linkages between internal and external support could be improved. Research limitations/implications: The study provided insights into constraints and enablers to self-employment for a small cohort of recent graduates looking to start-up in the creative and digital industries. Further studies are required to explore the suggested effect of the "creative identity", and of sector-specific family entrepreneurial background. Practical implications: The support provided by universities can facilitate the transition from early stage ideas to actual graduate business start-up. Issues such as provision of specialist advice and links with external parallel and follow-on support need to be considered. Originality/value: University start-up units provide an important contribution to the development of graduate entrepreneurs and their role in the growth of national and global economy. Suggestions for improvements in performance, such as closer links with external business development agencies and support providers, are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

Entrepreneurship as a career option has become increasingly desirable, and there is a real need to develop an opportunity-oriented entrepreneurial mindset among tertiary students. Current entrepreneurship education heavily relies on the linear process of business planning and rarely encourages the complex and non-linear thinking patterns necessary for entrepreneurial careers. Based on a theory-driven understanding of the nature of opportunity recognition, we propose a two-pronged approach combining classroom exercises with experiential exercises to enhance opportunity-recognition ability. Our model is not limited to new business creation, and it lends itself easily to self-managed, opportunity-driven, entrepreneurial approaches to careers. Links between entrepreneurship and self-managed careers are discussed. (Contains 1 figure.)

The issue of whether or not entrepreneurs really learn from experience has been one of the key themes of entrepreneurship research. If they do learn from experience, what do they learn? The importance of knowledge and learning to the performance of a business has been highlighted by many authors, who emphasize the role of life cycle, learning from mentors, experience and/or critical incidents. This paper reports on a series of interviews with mature and experienced entrepreneurs in Scotland who have been directly involved, for a substantial time, with significant business successes and failures. It is argued that prior knowledge and ongoing learning play a key role in the founder's ability to deal with the changing role they have and to acquire the necessary skills to grow the business. The crucial issue is how learning can be supported in the context of start-up and existing entrepreneurial businesses. To address this, the authors present a conceptual model made up of four elements: experience, learning, knowledge and business performance. It is concluded that entrepreneurs take time to develop their skills and need to be given the opportunity to do so if successful start-ups are to be achieved. In the main, the skills they develop in people selection and team building seem to be key determinants of their success. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 1 note.)

Widely misunderstood and often maligned, rhetoric in the simplest sense is the effective use of language in speech or writing. Much as law and medicine have well considered standards of conduct, so too does the field of communication. Experts in this area look at--patterns--of discourse in relation to specific kinds of events--tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires, airline or mining disasters, for example. Close study of such phenomenon reveals which communication approaches to crisis are successful and which are not. As a profession, rhetoricians study the structure and consequences of communication events. Applying rhetorical analysis to situations as significant in scope as Katrina allows us to determine what business, media, and government can learn from that unprecedented day in the Summer of 2005. This paper concludes with a practical communication model, (R.E.S.P.O.N.D.), which can be applied in any crisis situation real or anticipated.

The Further and Higher Education Act (1992) brought about the incorporation of further education (FE) colleges in England and Wales. This legislation effectively removed the influence and control that Local Education Authorities (LEAs) had over the educational provision of colleges and created a quasi-market in which local colleges were forced to compete for students and funds. My research involved an investigation into how quasi-marketisation impacted upon the work and lives of teachers, middle and senior managers in three colleges in the city of Coppleton in the West Midlands region of England. I was interested in exploring how quasi-marketisation affected staff at different levels within the colleges and whether dominant cultures emerged. My findings were that the managerialist practices that became widespread through the sector as a consequence of quasi-marketisation were deployed strategically within colleges; that marketisation served to place colleges' self-interest over the interests of students; and that the quasi-market environment impacted on data in specific (negative) ways. (Contains 35 notes.)

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine the ways in which Australian companies can achieve high quality apprenticeship and traineeship systems in a time of labour shortage through close attention to the recruitment and development of apprentices and trainees. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on six qualitative case studies in a range of industries and occupational areas, carried out as part of an international project on apprenticeship. Findings: The paper finds that there are significant differences among companies in the skills and experience that they bring to the processes of recruiting and developing apprentice and trainees. Poor skills appear to lead to poor outcomes in terms of quality of apprentices and trainees while investment of skills and time leads to high quality outcomes that may significantly add value to the company. The effects of shortcomings in this area may be exacerbated in a tight labour market. Research limitations: The research in this paper is limited by the depth of the case studies which primarily rest on in-depth interviews with senior managers. The research could be extended by further case studies that include interviews with apprentices and trainees. Practical implications: The paper shows that companies employing apprentices and trainees need to be very clear about why they are employing them and the development strategies that will be put in place. The inclusion of off-the-job training at a training provider adds a safety net that is particularly important for inexperienced companies. Originality/value: The value of the paper lies in its use of detailed empirical examples to illustrate successful and less successful ways of managing apprentices and trainees. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

Purpose: This paper seeks to discuss the Investors in People (IIP) initiative in relation to SMEs and to consider the value of IIP in helping to inculcate a learning culture within this sector. Design/methodology/approach: A case study investigating the work of a Business Link (BL) in relation to IIP and SMEs highlights the conflicts advisers face in delivering the government agenda and in fulfilling the education and training needs of SMEs. The case identifies the particular challenges that the advisers face in trying to deliver a consultancy service to SMEs which is valuable to them and which also satisfies the government's requirement for commitment to and recognition of attainment of IIP. The research involved in-depth interviews with IIP advisers at a Business Link which sought to understand the nature of their work, the methods they use and what they saw as the issues and challenges in meeting customer needs. The key issues regarding IIP generally, and in relation to SMEs, are elicited from the literature. Findings: The research confirms previous studies detailing the difficulties in matching IIP requirements with the individual requirements of SMEs. It also highlights the fact that Business Links need to "play the system" in order to reach the government-set targets. IIP advisers are caught in the undesirable position of trying to deliver a useful consultancy service (which may not lead to IIP recognition) to the firm and the need to achieve specified commitment and recognition rates. Research limitations/implications: While it is recognised that a single case has its limitations in terms of universal applicability, this example provides an aspect of IIP that has not previously been explored. The views of those charged with implementing government initiatives are rarely sought, although considerable research has been undertaken with the firms themselves. Originality/value: This paper suggests that a more market-led approach to education and training within the SME community might bring a more positive reaction to learning opportunities and a more appropriate targeting of government funds.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative clinical effectiveness and cost-utility of the active transcutaneous Osia® System versus the passive transcutaneous Baha® Attract System for patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss or single-sided deafness in an Australian healthcare setting. In the absence of direct comparative evidence, an indirect treatment comparison (ITC) of the clinical effectiveness and utility gains was needed. The ITC was informed by three studies identified through a systematic literature review. A Markov model was developed to evaluate the cost-utility of the Osia System. The literature review identified three studies suitable to inform an ITC: Mylanus et al. 2020 and Briggs et al. 2022 (Osia System) and den Besten et al. 2019 (Baha Attract System). The Osia System was found to be clinically superior to the Baha Attract System, across objective audiological outcomes resulting in a clinically meaningful utility benefit of 0.03 measured by the Health Utility Index with at least equivalent safety. In conclusion, the Osia System is more effective than the Baha Attract System, providing better hearing and health-related quality of life outcomes. In an Australian healthcare setting, the Osia System is cost-effective as demonstrated in a cost-utility analysis versus the Baha Attract System.

This article begins with a look at women employment over the years and the historical place of women entrepreneurship in today's economy. It continues by analyzing data statistically on women entrepreneurs in the United States across racial lines, with a particular focus on Hispanic women entrepreneurs. The article ends by examining the critical issues that are important for women entrepreneurs in today's environment as well as the future implications of these issues.

With retail investors playing a significant role in driving market adoption, cryptocurrency investment has gained widespread popularity recently. However, the perceived value of cryptocurrency investments and the perceived risk associated with investments have not been thoroughly examined. To address this gap in this research field, we surveyed 200 social media users active on social networking paltform - Reddit to unravel the intricate interplay of perceived value, perceived risk, and demographic factors that shape the decision-making process among social media users engaged in cryptocurrency investments. Our findings suggest that the acceptance of cryptocurrency investments is positively influenced by perceived value, whereas perceived risk exerts a negative influence. We also found that certain demographic elements which include age, education, gender, monthly income, and investment experience can moderate the relationship between perceived value, perceived risk, and the adaptation of cryptocurrency investments. The findings from our study offer valuable perspectives for retail investors and industry stakeholders aiming to enhance their understanding of the determinants that impact the acceptance of cryptocurrency investments among social media users.

Governments, researchers, and developers emphasize creating trustworthy AI, defined as AI that prevents bias, ensures data privacy, and generates reliable results that perform as expected. However, in some cases problems arise not when AI is not trustworthy, technologically, but when it is. This article focuses on such problems in the food system. AI technologies facilitate the generation of masses of data that may illuminate existing food-safety and employee-safety risks. These systems may collect incidental data that could be used, or may be designed specifically, to assess and manage risks. The predictions and knowledge generated by these data and technologies may increase company liability and expense, and discourage adoption of these predictive technologies. Such problems may extend beyond the food system to other industries. Based on interviews and literature, this article discusses vulnerabilities to liability and obstacles to technology adoption that arise, arguing that trustworthy AI cannot be achieved through technology alone, but requires social, cultural, political, as well as technical cooperation. Implications for law and further research are also discussed.

The quality of educational partnerships determines the success of work-based learning. High-quality learning partnerships have explicit outcomes, formal assessment processes, standards, quality assurance processes, and recognition through the awarding of credit or certification. (SK)