How the COVID ‐19 pandemic can stimulate more radical business process improvements: Using the metaphor of a tree

Business process management applicability to destination country-brand management

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the business process management (BPM) applicability to a destination country-brand of a Latin American developing country and present a new process model for it.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative exploratory study whose unit of analysis is the BPM applicability to the destination country-brand of a Latin American developing country. Primary data were obtained through in-depth interview with the developing country's tourism international promotion agency. The secondary data were government reports and research papers on country-brand studies. Data analysis was carried out using stakeholder business context model, architecture processes, pain/gain matrix and BPMN for modelling.

Findings

The results present a new process model for country-brand management to reduce existing barriers. Three steps were carried out: analysis and modelling of the current processes of country-brand management; presentation of the current processes' problems and analysis and modelling of future processes country-brand management.

Research limitations/implications

A theoretical contribution is provided in the literature on processes and country-brands since no previous studies relate these concepts and present a process-oriented management analysis for country-brands.

Practical implications

The main practical contribution was to identify the country-brand management problems, propose solutions to them and generate a new process model for country-brands that can be used as a managerial tool for national tourism organizations to improve their brands.

Originality/value

The present study is original as it approaches the first analysis of country-brand development with an emphasis on its process management.

The role of enterprise architecture-driven dynamic capabilities and operational digital ambidexterity in driving business value under the COVID-19 shock

This article builds upon the dynamic capabilities view and argues that firms that developed their dynamic capabilities using enterprise architecture (EA) are better equipped to cope with the COVID-19 shock. An online survey collected data from 414 senior practitioners, business and IT managers, and executives. The study’s research model containing three hypotheses was assessed by applying Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM), PLS-SEM. Outcomes point out that dynamic capabilities driven by EA enhance the firm’s digital dynamic capability and, therefore, the competencies to manage digital technologies. This capability subsequently enhances the firms' operational digital ambidexterity. Also, outcomes show that operational digital ambidexterity significantly impacts business value. This study advances our knowledge and insights on developing EA-driven dynamic capabilities under COVID-19 and unfolds key areas where decision-makers should invest in enhancing business value.

Chief Digital Officer (CDO): Literaturanalyse und Handlungsempfehlungen für die Praxis

Um im Zeitalter der Digitalisierung wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben und um die digitale Transformation sicherzustellen, schaffen Unternehmen zunehmend die Stelle eines Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Um Unternehmen bei Entscheidungen rund um die Ein- und Ausrichtung der Position des CDOs zu unterstützen, haben wir in folgenden Bereichen die Fachliteratur systematisch analysiert: (1) Gründe für eine CDO-Position, (2) Aufgaben des CDOs, (3) Anforderungen an einen CDO sowie (4) Abgrenzung zwischen CDO und Chief Information Officer (CIO). In der Fachliteratur wird insbesondere die strategische Führung bei Veränderungen als Grund für die Schaffung einer CDO-Position genannt. Damit einhergehend ist die Digitalisierung und das Implementieren der digitalen Transformation die am häufigsten genannte Aufgabe sowie das strategische und geschäftsorientierte Denken die am häufigsten genannte Anforderung. In der Abgrenzung des CDOs zum CIO wird der CDO primär als Stratege und der CIO in erster Linie als Verantwortlicher für die IT-Infrastruktur gesehen. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen der Literaturanalyse beschreiben wir Handlungsempfehlungen für Entscheidungsträger in der Praxis, die sich eine Übersicht über die möglichen Ein- und Ausrichtungen der CDO-Position schaffen wollen.

COVID ‐19 pandemic influence on organizational knowledge management systems and practices: Insights from an Indian engineering services organization

COVID‐19 pandemic unleashed uncertainties around the world. Organizations scrambled to ensure business continuity. COVID‐19 pandemic was unprecedented as disruptions were far beyond business continuity scenarios planning with respect to severities, timelines, and geographies. Initially, business disruptions were assumed to last just for a few days or weeks at a local governing region, county, or state level. However, the pandemic lasted much longer and sustained efforts were needed to stay compliant with ever‐evolving and changing local, state, federal, and international guidelines, rules, and regulations. Prolonged work from home became an unavoidable and only way to ensure business continuity for many service‐oriented organizations. Organizations not only tried to leverage existing knowledge management (KM) practices but also were compelled to critically relook at the efficacy and effectiveness of KM practices. Organizational KM systems and practices (OKMSP) in a typical Indian engineering consulting and design organization were studied. The changes in employee perceptions about OKMSP during the pandemic period were captured and critically analyzed. The study evaluated employee perceptions related to four critical aspects of OKMSP namely, KM processes, usage of KM tools, KM effectiveness, and KM culture. Lack of face‐to‐face meetings during the COVID‐19 period made an important change in the way of working. This paper captures COVID‐19 pandemic‐induced changes and provides pointers to further research opportunities in the field of OKMSP. The study highlights the need for robust knowledge management systems to face pandemic‐induced disruptions.

Online machine drawing pedagogy—A knowledge management perspective through maker education in the COVID ‐19 pandemic era

Drawing is a visual mode of communication. Teaching drawing requires one‐to‐one personal interaction among the tutor and the learner. The technical drawing is no exception, and it requires a considerable amount of imagination skills. On‐line mode of pedagogy shall be occupying a substantial portion of the mode of delivery in teaching and learning during, as well as, after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic era. This work focuses on the training and knowledge sharing of machine drawing skills through online mode, which is the requirement of the present era. A knowledge management perspective for machine drawing pedagogy is involved in this work. Challenges in the online pedagogy of machine drawing are deliberated through Ishikawa diagram and service Failure Modes and Effects Analysis. A maker education perspective of online machine drawing pedagogy is delineated. An approach toward knowledge workforce, knowledge transfer, and tacit knowledge is adopted for online teaching of machine drawing. Finally, conclusions are drawn in context of online pedagogy for a spatial visualization–based course like machine drawing.