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In response to the adoption of Agile practices and processes by businesses, IT/IS educators are working to add Agile content to their courses. Teaching students about Agile involves teaching them about the history, mindset, and values of Agile, along with an introduction to the practices and processes used in an Agile product. Along with this, it is essential that students gain experience using Agile in a project setting. This paper discusses an Agile practice project where students use all aspects of Agile to address a problem and build a solution using Legos. The use of Legos, along with a project that students can easily see themselves using, the practice project allows students to focus on developing their Agile skills and mindset. The project serves as a useful transition from traditional classroom instruction about Agile to a project for a real-world client.

This paper presents the results of a multi-year effort to redesign the introduction to business course at Western Michigan University. ScrimmageSIM, a business simulation that emulates commercial ERP systems, provides the core experience in the course and is a mechanism for students to develop their understanding of business with a focus on quantitative analysis. The design and implementation of the simulation experience follows the experiential learning spiral, as students run the simulation five times with increasingly complex scenarios. The overall design of the course is competency-based, as students have the opportunity to redo many of the course assignments to earn a better grade. The simulation experience, combined with the competency-based design of the course, has resulted in a more rigorous course with students earning grades that are better than they were with the previous curriculum.

Social network sites, most notably Facebook, have fundamentally transformed the way information is transferred, received, and shared by individuals and organisations. This article explores the diverse contexts in which Facebook is utilised as a knowledge-sharing instrument, along with the key challenges encountered in adopting Facebook as a knowledge-sharing instrument. It also indicates the gaps in adopting Facebook as a knowledge-sharing instrument. In a systematic literature review, 400 articles accomplishing the research objectives were identified. The findings revealed that Facebook can be used in different contexts. Greater awareness of Facebook's versatility as a platform for knowledge sharing across various domains is recommended. This article also advises that the challenges related to cost, time investment and technical expertise be addressed, and emphasises the need for education and training.

Data collection, use, leveraging, and sharing as a business practice and advantage has proliferated over the past decade. Along with this proliferation of data collection is the increase in regulatory activity which continues to morph exponentially around the globe. Adding to this complexity are the increasing business disruptions, productivity and revenue losses, settlements, fines, and penalties which can amount to over $15 million, with many penalties now being ascribed to the organization's leadership, to include the Board of Directors (BoD), the CEO and members of the senior leadership team (SLT). Thus, boards of directors can no longer ignore and in fact must embrace data privacy as a critical part of doing business in the digital world. In fact, not embracing data privacy as a critical part of their strategy, not only puts their stakeholders and stockholders at risk, but also places the future success of their organization in jeopardy. Additionally, increasingly through legal, regulatory, and normative occurrences, Boards are being pressured into taking a more active role in the data privacy activities in their organizations. Therefore, it behooves the BoD to be proactive vice reactive toward their data privacy endeavors.

This research aims to investigate information asymmetry in e-commerce supply chain channels and the impact of the fair preference model on the behavior and returns of channel members. Therefore, by contrasting it with the model in the completely rational case, this research establishes a more realistic principal-agent model and incorporates the fair preference model into the e-commerce supply chain channel. According to the model's analysis, the effort level of the retailer at each stage is positively correlated with the e-commerce efficiency coefficient, and the incentive coefficient of manufacturers is positively correlated with the e-commerce efficiency coefficient in the case where all rationality is assumed. Manufacturing companies' anticipated profits are positively correlated with the e-commerce efficiency coefficient. According to the fair preference model, retailers will put forth more effort to sell products when their fixed income from manufacturers is higher and their optimal effort level is positively correlated with that income. When e-commerce's efficiency coefficient is higher than 1, the retailer's revenue and effort exceeded those of traditional channels. Manufacturers and retailers both experience Pareto improvements in their earnings after the fair preference model is introduced.

With the adoption of sustainability continuing to gain momentum, there has never been a better time for business schools to understand the extent to which they are preparing students to contribute to sustainable organizations and society. The current research seeks to help schools advance this aim by examining the extent to which sustainability is being integrated within business school curricula. We accomplish this through a systematic analysis of 529 websites from undergraduate marketing programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). To further our understanding of how sustainability can be integrated into curricula, we draw upon prior research and the United Nations' Blueprint for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Integration to propose a new sustainability curriculum framework. This research fills a gap in the literature by offering a comprehensive look at the state of sustainability in marketing education and offers direction for programs seeking to meet market demands, advance SDG goals, and fulfill current AACSB standards.

Business simulation games (BSG) offer a unique opportunity to provide students with hands-on experience in a simulated business environment. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of BSG in promoting entrepreneurial intentions and competencies among undergraduate students. The study was conducted with 48 students, who participated in BSG as part of their entrepreneurship education (EE). The study used a quasi-experiment to measure changes in students' cognitive and non-cognitive entrepreneurial competencies, as well as their entrepreneurial intentions. The results show that participation in the BSG significantly improved students' cognitive and non-cognitive entrepreneurial competencies, as well as their intention to start a new business. The study concludes that BSG can be an effective teaching strategy for promoting EE and developing entrepreneurial competencies among undergraduate students. However, further research with larger sample sizes and diverse populations is needed to confirm these findings and explore how combining BSG with other teaching methods or interventions can enhance the development of entrepreneurial competencies and intentions.

This paper seeks to contribute to the knowledge of the relationship established between firms and vocational education and training (VET) schools around work placements in companies (both standard and extended, so-called 'dual', models) in Spain. An ad hoc survey of 332 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from two industrial regions was conducted and a categorical principal components analysis was applied to identify the main dimensions or components of those relationships. The main elements found are related to (i) staff selection and social responsibility; (ii) trust, reciprocity and knowledge sharing with schools; and (iii) the organizational culture of the companies. The results obtained illustrate an evolution from a 'provider-client' scheme towards a more strategic partnership between schools and firms, thus contributing new aspects to the literature available on the Spanish case.

The need to foster resilience amongst young people with intellectual disabilities is increasingly recognised within policy. Critically, understanding of the actual means by which this aspiration might be most sensitively and effectively met is considered weak. This paper reports on an exploratory case-study of a social enterprise community café -- "The Usual Place" -- that through the promotion of employability, seeks to promote resilience amongst its young 'trainees' with intellectual disabilities. Two research questions were set: "how is 'resilience' conceptualized within the organisation" and "what features within the organisation are significant in fostering resilience"? We identify a range of significant features associated with being able to successfully foster resilience -- the need for a foundational 'whole organisation'(settings) approach based on high levels of participation and choice; the negotiation of a constructive dynamic tension between 'support' and 'exposure'; and the embedding of these actions in embodied actions and day-to-day organisational activities.

This study investigated students' flow states and attitudinal beliefs in a social media-mediated e-commerce entrepreneurship education (EE) context that mediates the entrepreneurial intention-behavior relationship by a structural equation model using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the flow theory. This study collected questionnaire data from students to examine the conceptual model. Such learning environments enhanced students' perceived behavioral control, increased their flow experience, improved attitudes toward social media-assisted entrepreneurial learning, and facilitated the intentions, which led to learning behavior performance achievement in a digital economy. Notably, the flow and attitudes constructs mediated the linkage between students' perceived entrepreneurial feasibility and the intention-behavior relationship in the social media-assisting EE context. This study contributed to theory by emphasizing the importance of digital entrepreneurial learning in facilitating prospective entrepreneurs' TPB cognitions, by identifying the mediation effects of learners' flow and attitudes on the intention-behavior relationship, and by adding the flow concept into the TPB to understand the mechanism through which EE influences students' exploratory behavior. The findings highlighted EE practices in computer-mediated environments that facilitate students' active and meaningful learning for flow experience and attitude enhancement, which likely increases their entrepreneurial intentions and behavior in a digital business environment.

There is limited information concerning the experiences and career decision-making processes of male sex workers in South Korea. The aim of this study was to understand the motivations, career decisions, and decision-making processes of a group of male university students and graduates who decided to join the sex work profession in South Korea as part of their career development. Qualitative research design and snowball strategies were employed in 2021 with nine male sex workers. Interview sessions, online focus group activity, remarkable items sharing, and member-checking interview sessions were undertaken to collect rich stories and promote understanding of male sex workers who are completing or have completed their bachelor's degrees in South Korea. Based on the social cognitive career and motivation theory, three main themes were highlighted: (1) financial consideration, (2) personal interest in sexual activities, and (3) limited career opportunities for the younger generation. The findings illustrate the motivations of a group of educated male sex workers and the social issues for sex workers in South Korea. Government bodies, policymakers, and non-profit organizations may use this study as a reference for policy development and human resources schemes.

Over the last decade, various entrepreneurial school practices have proliferated, including the creation of mini-companies. In the Spanish context, the Empresa Joven Europea (EJE) program has been the most widely employed educative program in this respect. Empresa Joven Europea is an educational program that proposes that secondary education students create and manage their own mini-businesses, thereby taking the legal form of a cooperative society and facilitating the acquisition of all basic educational skills through the cultivation of entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, there is still a gap between the theory and the practice of entrepreneurship education which, together with the conceptual expansion experienced in recent years, increases the need to assess the effectiveness of this type of programs. By means of an explanatory and cross-sectional study, we evaluated the impact of the program on the configuration of the entrepreneurial potential of the participating adolescents (N = 270). The analysis has been carried out utilizing PLS-SEM with SmartPLS software version 3.3.9 and SPSS version 25. None of the six hypotheses formulated have been confirmed, which means that the desired effects have not been achieved in any of the three variables under study: attitudes, knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills. Such results may be related to aspects of curricular organization, the type of experiences based on cooperatives, a certain structural and conceptual lack of definition of the pedagogical methodology used, and the development of skills linked to identity. Moreover, it is possible that, although it is not evident in the competencies acquired, the program has influenced the apperception of what it means to be an entrepreneur and of the creation of critical awareness, which is associated with entrepreneurial potential. Our study, in addition to opening suggestions for further research along the same lines, presents several implications related to administrative and organizational aspects, to the design of the different pedagogical elements of the programs and to the evaluative criterion adopted.

Social media can contribute to an inclusive society, but they are also asymmetrical and polarised communication spaces. This requires competent teachers to build critical digital citizenship. The aim of this article is twofold: to present web scraping and text analytics as tools that define teachers' digital competences, and to investigate which posts on Twitter and Instagram are most viral in relation to education, disability and inclusion. A total of 48,991 publications in Spanish and English were analysed, corresponding to the period from 13 October 2021 to 1 May 2022. The 100 most viral posts were selected, and correlations were identified between the sentiment, gender and influence associated with the content, its temporal and geographic space. The results show that economic and political influence groups are the most viral, relegating non-profit organisations or individuals with altruistic outreach to second place; only on international days is this trend reversed. Bots do not interfere to impose messages; it is artificial intelligence algorithms that overshadow vindictive and humanistic content. The most influential people are predominantly male, associated with institutional accounts in the political sphere. It is concluded that Big Data and Business Intelligence tools help teachers to analyse relevant educational and social issues, and to acquire a collective ethic in the face of new educational challenges.

In recent years, efforts to transform scientific information produced in basic sciences into technology to facilitate daily life have been increasing. In this sense, the perspective of entrepreneurship gains importance in basic sciences. This study aims analyze documents published on entrepreneurship in basic sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) using a bibliometric review. For this aim, the bibliometric analysis method based on the systematic literature review approach was used. Systematic review was carried out in the WoS database. A total of 428 documents (1994-2020) on entrepreneurship in basic sciences in the WoS were retrieved. The bibliometric analysis results were presented under two main categories as descriptive (numbers of documents according to year, author, country, organization, source, research area, WoS category area) and evaluative results (co-occurrence, co-authorship, citation analysis). Descriptive results were displayed with frequency values, and evaluative results were displayed using VOSviewer visualization software. As a result, it was determined that there is an important increase in the number of documents towards 2020. In addition, it was determined that the most productive, influential, and collaborative author is Jardim-Goncalves R, the most productive country is the USA, the most productive journal is Journal of Technology Transfer, and the most productive organization is Old Dominion University. Moreover, it has been determined that the most influential area in terms of research area is "business economics" and the most keyword co-occurrences are "entrepreneurship", "design science" and "academic entrepreneurship".

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruption to business as usual across all industries, including education, and there is a growing consensus that the higher education (HE) sector may never go back to 'business as usual'. While universities are now developing strategies for 2030, several management consultancies are projecting a very challenging HE landscape in the next decade. Suggestions, from the death of the normal university campus to shutdowns, mergers and collaborations are widely predicted including new opportunities for growth. University administrators should develop innovative strategic plans to address the challenges and harness the growth opportunities. Although other industries have faced such disruptions and have coped with responses such as partnerships and mergers, it may be time for universities to reconsider business models for the future. The strategies adopted in the aviation industry have been used to recommend a way forward for universities. [Note: The page range (17-33) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 17-32.]

Even though the main purpose of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) department is to educate and train computer teachers for K12 level schools in Turkey, the graduates from the department have diverse competencies in different fields like instructional designer, content creator, software developer, etc. However, neither the graduates nor the companies in educational technology or other fields have fully awareness of that competencies essential mostly in non-teaching fields. A small number of studies have worked with CEIT graduates, but more studies are needed to explore those competencies and current job requirements in the companies. In this way the graduates would create better career plans and the companies would hire correct employee. Moreover, the CEIT curriculum would be reconsidered with respect to the experiences or expectations of the graduates or the companies. This study was conducted to investigate the opportunities of CEIT graduates in non-teacher positions in any business sector in Turkey. For this purpose, four research questions were asked: 1) What are the job opportunities of CEIT graduates in non-teaching fields? 2) What are the competencies of CEIT graduates that enable them to work in non-teaching areas? 3) What competencies do CEIT graduates need to have more in order to work in non-teaching areas? 4) What are the changes that CEIT graduates in non-teaching fields suggest in the undergraduate program? To answer the questions a survey research design was used, and data were collected from 41 CEIT graduates who were working in non-teaching jobs, by means of a questionnaire. The questions were analyzed with descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results show that CEIT graduates do and can have professions in many different fields, both due to the courses in their own degree programs and the competencies that can be acquired after graduation. In addition, improvements in CEIT undergraduate curriculum have been discussed and suggested to support certain specializations in different fields.

This study explored the dominant discourses on online distance education (ODE) that emerged in South Korean society before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors conducted a topic modeling analysis of 8,865 news articles published by 24 South Korean media outlets between 2019 and 2021. Using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm and social network analysis software (NetMiner), the top five topics and the top ten words associated with each topic were identified from each period. The authors observed significant changes not only in the number of news articles but also in the depth of the conversations published each year. The results have revealed several key points. First, ODE, previously considered marginal and abnormal, gained in normality across all educational levels in Korean society. Second, ODE discourses have been shaped by the unique cultural, historical, and technological infrastructure in South Korea. Third, a clear division between social-justice-oriented and business-oriented ODE discourses reflect a persistent inequality in Korean society. Finally, ODE discourses matured in 2021, with more critical and realistic perspectives on both the positives and negatives of ODE. The useful implications of such insights for post-pandemic ODE research and practice are further discussed.

Businesses and other organizations across the globe are becoming more and more data-driven, using a combination of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics to gain a strategic advantage through understanding the past, what we hope to happen in the future, and the ability to accurately predict future outcomes. These forms of analytics span from basic statistical summaries and data visualization to artificial intelligence models. Many organizations are now requiring new job applicants, new hires, and existing employees to be data literate. As such, it is becoming incumbent on teachers, students, and practitioners to possess some basic knowledge or experience in business analytics, at least within their educational and functional domains. Current best-practice in business school curriculum embeds some form of analytics across the curriculum. Unfortunately, many business colleges do not have the experience or resources to do so, hence teachers are unprepared to teach, and students are not prepared to enter the business world being data literate. While higher levels of analytics can be statistically intimidating, there are numerous applications of analytics that do not require statistics or higher-level models. This paper introduces one such technique practiced within marketing education and industry since 1995 and is called RFM. RFM has long been known in marketing curriculum and practice but has seen virtually no exposure in business schools outside of marketing major courses. This reflects an unintended consequence of teaching and learning within "functional" silos. It is hoped that teachers and students across the business curriculum, as well as workforce participants, can use this case to gain an appreciation of data literacy and analytics toward application within any functional area of business. The purpose of this paper is to avail those outside of marketing education and practice with an effective, easy to understand, easy to apply model, with no statistics involved. The goal is to facilitate increased data literacy and interest in understanding and/or applying analytics to other functional arear of business. RFM is not unique to this paper but is aimed at broadening teacher, student and workforce participant experience and knowledge of business analytics.

This study aimed to evaluate the students' efficacy in literacy and numeracy skills in commerce subjects in secondary schools in Fiji. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were used to gather relevant data. The findings show that literacy and numeracy skills are essential in commerce subjects, as students require basic literacy and numeracy skills to read, write, comprehend, calculate, and interpret. The findings also showed that parental engagement at an early stage of the child's life helps improve the child's literacy and numeracy skills. The results also showed that the "drop everything and read" or DEAR programme and modern technology positively affect students' literacy and numeracy skills, which helps them do better in commerce classes.

The industrial work practice program is essential in vocational education to prepare students to work according to their fields. Analysis of the level of capability of students who carry out work practices in large and small industries and the differences between aspects that require assistance to be considered. This research also measures the difference in the level of capability of students who carry out work practices in large and small industries. This research uses a quantitative approach and uses a survey method. Two hundred thirty vocational education students were involved in this study out of 596 students. Sampling using a simple probabilistic random sampling technique and collecting data using a Likert scale questionnaire (1-4). Data analysis in this study used one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t-test. The research results on the capability level of students who carry out work practices in large industries obtain a higher score than small industries. The capability aspect significantly differs in value for each type of industry used for program implementation. This research implies that the implementation of industrial work practice programs in vocational education needs to be improved and developed so that industrial work practice programs have better quality results.

Petroleum products are very flammable and can ignite at extremely low temperatures if exposed to an open flame source or not handled appropriately. Individuals who handle petroleum products in the petroleum industry and fuelling stations are known as "petrol station attendants". The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among petrol station attendants working in a filling station owned by independent petroleum marketers in Sapele metropolis of Delta state from November 2022 to January 2023. The assessment was done with an adapted instrument for data collection, a 12-item questionnaire titled "Chemistry of Petroleum Products: Assessment of Fuel Attendants Knowledge around Sapele Metropolis". Most petrol attendants within Sapele metropolis fell within the age range of 18-35 years, predominantly 22-28 years being the highest with a respondent of 16 constituting 39% representation. There were more females working within Sapele as petrol attendants with 26 females out of 41 respondents representing 63% of the total sample population. About 51.21% of respondents did science or chemistry-related courses but their skills were limited, 58.53% of petrol attendants which was the highest proportion per qualification had Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) qualification, and those with a higher degree (National Diploma and Bachelor of Science) had a combined total of 14 respondents (34.1%), 48.78% of respondents which was below average were given chemistry and safety training of petroleum product by their employers, about 80.48% of respondents had managed to learn either by convention or practice safety techniques and were using safety protocol when handling petroleum product. 87.80% knew nothing about chemistry quality control tests such as octane rating, flash point, pour point, and smoke point. The percentage of science oriented graduate who work as petrol attendant in Sapele metropolis is very low. Hence, the study recommends science expertise with regards to chemistry knowledge in relation to safety practices among fuel attendants.

Intentional learners are self-directed people who take charge of their education, whether in a setting or an informal setting. Learners who practice intentional learning skills choose their learning methodologies and organize their studies in accordance with their interests, preferences, and speed. This study embarks on the following objectives: (i) To look into ways how to scaffold intentional learning experiences among the student and ritualize the intentional learner's mindsets and best practice skills, (ii) To investigate the effects (through a reflective learning log) of intentional learning skill of student on their study habits and attitudes toward learning, and, (iii) To examine their critical reflection log while they are studying E-commerce module which is underpinned by the intentional learning paradigm and Hatton and Smith's framework. In this qualitative study, data from 140 students in three classes of E-Commerce were required to write reflections that would be used to determine final grades using the reflective learning log. In order to support students' purposeful learning development as they join the job market, the study's findings strongly imply that they urgently need to strengthen their reflective writing skills while enrolled in higher education. The undergraduate must also be given the fundamental tools necessary to shape them into purposeful learners through exercises in reflective learning. The Hatton and Smith reflective framework worked well for categorizing written reflections and making the reflective learning log evaluation less subjective. This study brought to light the fact that many business students were unfamiliar with the genre of reflective writing and that this genre needed to be explicitly taught in the relevant course. Hence, to support students' purposeful learning development as they join the job market, the study's findings strongly imply that they urgently need to strengthen their reflective writing skills while enrolled in higher education.

Despite their growing importance, differential, process-oriented research on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for professional learning is scarce. This paper explores learner behavior in Enterprise MOOCs using lag sequential analysis. Data from 13 MOOCs on business and technology-related topics with a total of N = 72,668 active learners were examined. Starting from consistent high-level behavioral patterns, a deeper analysis reveals variations in interaction sequences according to the underlying course design approach. Lecture-oriented, system interaction-oriented, and discussion-oriented courses share a set of common patterns but also differ in various interaction sequences. Results point towards an isolated role of video playbacks across all course clusters, consumerist patterns in lecture-oriented courses, and a positive influence of metacognitively oriented interactions on learning outcomes. Accordingly, initial design recommendations include integrating interactive instructional elements in videos, promoting learner engagement in lecture-oriented courses, and fostering metacognition. Connecting interaction and achievement data may uncover promising behavior patterns that can be further supported by course design. Based on the initial findings, implications for future research and development are discussed.

Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) conferences and students' entrepreneurial intervarsity competitions have brought awareness and insight to students, academics, and other higher learning institution (HEI) stakeholders to the value that entrepreneurship can provide them and their communities. A reflective practice account on entrepreneurship development interventions at a South African health sciences university was conducted using a qualitative ethnography research method and living theory. This study reflects efforts in integrating entrepreneurship at a university that does not offer management and economic sciences. The method was to benchmark and emulate occurrences at universities leading in entrepreneurship and the use of qualitative inputs from the EDHE. Integration of entrepreneurship into the mainstream university core functions is grounded in futuristic curriculum theory which recognises the necessity of re-organising current needs to meet future global changes and trends, traverse existing circumstances, and the imagined future and challenges. The current South African environment is faced with high unemployment, especially of the youth. This has also necessitated HEI to review their graduate attributes and refocus students' mindsets towards entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship education can be demonstrated through business start-ups and incubation initiatives that might provide the missing gaps for growing an entrepreneurial university. This article presents views, challenges and experiences on the implementation of an entrepreneurship incubator at a health sciences university in South Africa.

A fundamental requirement for a competent and successful entrepreneur is knowledge and practice of entrepreneurial skills, particularly in the commercial context. This study investigates the impact of several entrepreneurial skill development programs in Pakistan, including the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource Research Development Board (BBSHRRDB) and the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC). The population of this study consists of 255 entrepreneurs. The broad objective of the study is to examine the impact of the Skill Development Program on producing Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The sample size of this study is 280 female entrepreneurs. A systematic random sampling technique was used to analyse the data. Using Araoye's (2004) sampling procedure, a sample of female business owners is selected for the study. The data were received by distributing a questionnaire to all respondents. For analysing the data, descriptive statistics were used, and the regression test was performed to test the hypotheses. It was determined that BBSHRRDB and NAVTTC have an impact on the development and performance of female entrepreneurs across all evaluated metrics. The study also concluded that social factors such as formal/ business networks, informal networks, and social acceptance have a significant impact on the success of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan.

The fourth industrial revolution has led to a tremendous increase in the demand for IT specialists. Until recently, this sector had traditionally recruited university graduates, but given the shortage of candidates, it has turned to individuals with vocational training, finding that they are capable of performing the same work with a similar level of efficiency. This article examines the role of IT technicians linked to VET, the objective being to obtain evidence that can help adapt the training system to the new economic model. This analysis is carried out as part of an action research process in Bilbao involving digital firms, VET institutions, policymakers, and the authors of the paper as researchers. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers of digital firms to determine the role and related skills (technical, transversal, and work-related organisation) of IT technicians. The findings demonstrate that IT technicians play a critical role in digital firms' business model and that their profile is currently on a par with those of university students. Also apparent is the necessity of establishing a shared language between firms, educational centres, and other agents in order to facilitate the adjustment of the training system in the fourth industrial revolution.

In statistics classes, the central limit theorem has been demonstrated using simulation-based illustrations. Known population distributions such as a uniform or exponential distribution are often used to consider the behavior of the sample mean in simulated samples. Unlike such simulations, a number of real-data-based simulations are here implemented in which the populations are empirical distributions of data selected from Japanese firms. The dataset chosen contains 38 variables familiar to business students, such as sales and assets. The maximum population size of the variables is 2243. One thousand samples with replacement are selected for specific variable--sample size combinations. Hypothesis testing results indicate that the normality hypothesis for the sample mean is rejected for 31 variables at the 0.1% level even with a sample size of 500. It is emphasized that the data for these variables indicate that this should not be a surprise, and emphasize the importance of looking at data.

The global education reform movement has led to the development of quasi-markets and the promotion of business-like operation of schools with the goal of improving education for students and opportunities for teachers. While many types of schools have been influenced by marketisation, the international school market is a prime example of how such processes can be fully integrated into education. However, despite the prevalence of market reforms, little is known of their impact on educational employees. This research investigates the perspectives and experiences of teachers in compulsory-age international schools operated by large multi-national for-profit education management organisations to understand how business-like operations within a school market affect their daily work. Semi-structured interviews were used to create items to measure the business influences. Scales were then developed with Mokken Scale analysis and Rasch analysis. The two scales demonstrate distinct patterns of marketisation. The scale of direct business influences on teachers' work includes items on competition between schools, increasing admissions and improving finances, while the scale of indirect influences includes items about job insecurity, hierarchical organisational structures, fear of repercussions when voicing professional opinions, and an emphasis on evidence of learning. Notably, these quantitative patterns were consistent across many different types of schools, both for-profit, non-profit private schools and government schools. These findings demonstrate the strength of researching teachers' experiences to understand the impact of marketisation on education.

Purpose: The study evaluates new approach of digital extension services for the long-term adoption of digital extension technologies. We propose an indirect adoption approach to address following research questions. What socioeconomic factors influence rice farmers' decision to prefer one business profile over another? Which business profile is most preferred and likely to be adopted by rice farmers? What are the attributes and socioeconomic characteristics required to create the best business profile? Design/Methodology/Approach: Ten business profiles were tested with a sample size of 1440 farmers. Using the RiceAdvice as case study, we used choice experiment and the alternative-specific mixed logit model to determine most preferred business profile and analyze its determinants. Findings: The preferred business profile was predicted by gender, age, education level, rice production experience, technology knowledge, contact with extension agents, rice farm size, and household income. 49.4% of farmers selected cash payment after harvest at 9.70 USD/hectare for more than two seasons-contract as first adoption approach. Cash payment after harvest at 14.50 USD/hectare for one season-contract was chosen by 44.7% of farmers as the second option. Practical implications: Results highlight the ideal business profile, which considers all levels of education, with 14.50 USD/hectare/season as optimum price for cash payment after harvest and no access to credit. Theoretical implications: The study expands the applicability of new adoption approach combined with econometric approach in the context of digital extension service adoption. Originality/Value: This study revealed an indirect approach to the long-term adoption of digital extension technologies as most suitable for small holder farmers' adoption.

Purpose: This study aims to understand how practitioners use their insights in software development models to share experiences within and between organizations. Design/methodology/approach: This is a qualitative study of practitioners in software development projects, in large-, medium- or small-size businesses. It analyzes interview material in three-step iterations to understand reflexive practice when using software development models. Findings: The study shows how work processes are based on team members' experiences and common views. This study highlights the challenges of organizational learning in system development projects. Current practice is unreflective, habitual and lacks systematic ways to address recurring problems and share information within and between organizations. Learning is episodic and sporadic. Knowledge from previous experience is individual not organizational. Originality/value: Software development teams and organizations tend to learn about, and adopt, software development models episodically. This research expands understanding of how organizational learning takes place within and between organizations with practitioners who participate in teams. Learnings show the potential for further research to determine how new curriculums might be formed for teaching software development model improvements.

Purpose: To encourage entrepreneurship, which accelerates economic growth by increasing employment opportunities and competitiveness, stakeholders must conduct studies and develop policies that consider both the current situation and future expectations. This study aims to examine the environmental and personal factors that influence students' entrepreneurial intentions (EIs), using a model based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and social cognitive theories (SCT). Design/methodology/approach: This study proposed an institutional framework demonstrating contextual features to achieve this objective. This theoretical framework is evaluated using a sample of 375 university students in Türkiye. Findings: The empirical findings can help policymakers develop effective policies to encourage entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications: The study focuses on EIs; it is possible that even if a participant indicated a high EI in the survey, they will ultimately pursue a completely different career path. Practical implications: The study also contributes to entrepreneurship literature studies investigating the relationships between the TPB and SCT. Social implications: By testing specific hypotheses for Türkiye, this study contributes to the demand for entrepreneurship research in countries that are major global players but have vastly different sociocultural contexts than Western countries. Originality/value: The study draws a theoretical model that explains the factors affecting the EIs of university students and attempts to explain the EIs of university students with and without business education within this model.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the contribution of Enactus sustainability initiatives to youth empowerment and community development, thus analysing how South African higher education institutions can increase student involvement in Enactus projects across all faculties. Design/methodology/approach: Using a systematic literature review approach, the authors searched the Web of Science database for 47 relevant studies, which were found and filtered using the search parameters, and then 33 articles that are strictly relevant to the main topic were chosen as the final corpus. Findings: The authors found that Enactus facilitates community progress through transformative innovations and students gain valuable skills that increase their employability regardless of their field of study. Research limitations/implications: The focus of this study is confined to scholarly evidence acquired from peer-reviewed journals, hence empirical studies could be conducted by using literature from books, theses, bulletins, government white papers and gazettes. Practical implications: These findings highlight several merits of Enactus skill-based training such as learning-by-doing, learning from failures and learning from entrepreneurs. Social implications: The study findings offer compelling evidence that student transformational innovations could facilitate sustainable development within communities. Originality/value: Despite the crucial contribution of Enactus projects to nation-building worldwide, literature on this phenomenon in the context of South Africa is limited.

Objective: Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) proprietors strategically placed near college campuses and pervasive marketing on social media platforms, such as Facebook, are critical to the tobacco industry's effort to acquire new young adult users. Understanding the themes used on Facebook to promote ENDS products to college students is necessary to develop public health messaging to combat the vaping epidemic. Methods: We identified 15 ENDS proprietors located near four Big 10 universities and qualitatively analyzed a random sample of their Facebook posts (n = 405) to identify emerging themes using a grounded theory approach. Results: ENDS proprietors in college towns use Facebook to deploy "promotional" messaging (n = 319), to market ENDS products as a means of celebration (n = 40), to establish a sense of "community" (n = 155) among ENDS users, to make "marijuana references" (n = 36), and to "advocate" (n = 27) for ENDS products. Conclusions: These themes may increase social acceptability and use of ENDS products among college students.

Analyzing three sets of video data collected in one Maya community, we examined apprenticeship and learning of backstrap loom weaving over three generations spanning the years 1970 to 2012. Like many cultural groups, the Maya of Chiapas are experiencing rapid sociodemographic shifts. Three generations of girls (N = 134) were observed at their looms: in the 1970 subsistence economy; in the transition to a commercial economy in the 1990s; and in 2012, when the commercial economy required formal education. Multilevel models showed that intergenerational sociodemographic change -- increased time in school, greater involvement in the money economy, and decreased family size -- changed weaving apprenticeship, which, in turn, was related to changes in characteristics of learners. In 2012, weaving learners received more explanations, praise, and body instruction from their teachers. Learners, in turn, asked more questions. However, these changes came at a cost -- the gradual loss of weaving as an everyday subsistence practice and art form. Tracing intergenerational change over three generations, this study makes a unique contribution to an understanding of cultural evolution.

Purpose: The emergence of internet-based business models has given rise to online higher education institutions (OHEIs) that offer their undergraduate and graduate degree programs exclusively online with minimal physical presence. Research on OHEIs discusses the need for external legitimacy and resource acquisition, often ignoring the role of quality among these institutions. Hence, this study aims to investigate the role of digital quality of education on OHEIs' survival. Design/methodology/approach: Guided by four different inter-disciplinary theories, a conceptual framework is offered based on a comprehensive literature review. Findings: The role of digital quality of education in improving the survival and strategic competitiveness of institutions in the US online higher education industry is highlighted. Research limitations/implications: This conceptual paper highlights how the digital quality of education becomes increasingly important over the life cycle of OHEIs. Practical implications: The proposed framework suggests that despite the competition provided by traditional and well-entrenched players, OHEIs can improve their survival and competitiveness if they invest strategically in the digital quality of education. Originality/value: This study offers an overarching conceptual framework developed through an integration of multiple theoretical perspectives and grounded in the US online higher education industry.

The trend towards seeing education as a commodity and part of a global industry has transformed the field of education. We argue that these transformations are reducing the autonomy of the field of education as it has incorporated business rhetoric, logic and practice. We examine this through an analysis of discursive formations manifested in two major international edu-business events in Finland -- "Dare to Learn" and "XcitED." The performativity existing in these events, combining actions and interactions, objective and subjective elements and materialized and symbolic interests and outcomes, enables convergences between business and education. In Finland, where education is overwhelmingly public, there is a subtle marketization, increasingly integrating business rationales and attitudes in education. We employed event ethnography and discourse analysis to examine points of diffraction between education and business. A transversal movement between the field of education and the field of business is enabled by symbolic power. "Dare to Learn" and "XcitED" discursive formations reveal the penetration of business in education, which reframes the field of education and fosters the global education industry in Finland and abroad, challenging notions and practices of democracy and citizenship in education.

Over the past two decades, there has been an increased focus on designing STEM learning experiences for primary and second-level students. We posit that for teachers to design rich learning experiences for their students, they must first have the opportunity to develop their own STEM knowledge and competences, either during their pre-service teacher education or as part of their professional learning as in-service teachers. This systematic review of literature examines programmes which offer either pre-service or in-service teachers immersive learning experiences through placements in STEM roles in business or industry. A total of nine papers were identified in this review, featuring three unique programmes--one in the UK for pre-service teachers, and two in the USA involving in-service teachers. The findings indicate a variation in motivation and structures across the three programmes. The influence on teachers' personal and professional development, and their intentions to change their classroom practices or behaviours to incorporate more 'real-world' contexts into their STEM learning activities, inspired by their experiences in industry, is discussed. This study presents recommendations for the design and implementation of immersive learning placements in industry to support STEM teacher professional learning, as well as suggestions for further studies to examine the influence on their classroom practice.