Improving the quality of strategic decision-making process in universities through employing expert systems: A case study from a developing country

Strategic decisions represent the fundamental core of the strategic planning process and strategic management in universities and they are essential in shaping the universities' policies and achieving their strategic goals. Without those strategic decisions, the universities stand unable to achieve their strategic goals and mission; therefore, specialists realized the critical importance of improving the quality of strategic decision-making in the current complex fast-changing environment that its dynamism continuously increases and which is based on the use of cutting-edge information and communications technology (ICT). Undoubtedly strategic decision-making process requires processing a huge amount of information with different robust smart methods and the extensive use of experts knowledge. There are many discussions about the uses and applications of expert systems (ESs), which are evolving rapidly in solving real problems in many fields that require experienced experts with deep sound experiences, and despite these many applications in many different fields and domains. Literature reveals that there is a scarcity of scientific research on how to employ expert systems to raise the quality of strategic decision-making processes in universities. Thus the purpose of the research is to fill this research gap by investigating how expert systems will enhance the quality of the strategic decision-making process in universities. The research design is a case study applied in Ain Shams University as a model of public universities in a developing country. This research makes a new research contribution by suggesting a futuristic proposal for improving the quality of the strategic decision-making process in universities through employing expert systems that are based on the theoretical framework of the research and the results of the field study.

Problems of Decision-Making in Implementation of Technological Innovations in Transport Industry

The article considers the features of transport as an object of technological innovation, due, on the one hand, to the service nature of the main activity and the specifics of innovative processes during provision of transport and logistics services, and, on the other hand, to the high capital intensity and technological complexity of the infrastructure transport complex, which is the focus point of technological innovation.The objective of the article is to substantiate the initial prerequisites for developing an alternative approach to making strategic decisions on development of transport organisations based on technological innovations, which, besides the traditional justification of economic efficiency, considers several non-economic factors. The method of substantiation is a systemic strategic analysis, which allows to study the features of the transport complex in the context of the factors of external environment and their dynamics.Regarding the Russian Federation, the scale of the national territory, natural and climatic diversity and uneven territorial distribution of the resource and production base determine the special role and place of transport in the national economy, which quite often leads to the need to make decisions on development of the transport complex based on predominantly non-economic factors (such as security, reliability, environmental friendliness, etc.) and on scientific, technical, political and socio-economic forecasts. At the same time, private enterprises (with or without participation of the state) dominate currently almost all transport sectors where they operate on the principles of profitability, investment attractiveness and competitiveness, which leads to inconsistency of internal decision-making criteria in the field of technological strategies.The ongoing change in the technological paradigm is an additional and significant factor determining trends in transport developments. It is based on the processes of digitalisation and digital transformation of the transport and logistics business. The problems of decision-making in implementation of technological innovations in transport industry, arising from its peculiarities, necessitate a revision of approaches since economic assessments of efficiency are not always able to reflect the real needs and feasibility of choosing mainstream trends in technological development of the transport system.The analysis of the features of the transport and logistics industry based on universal experience and cases in Russian practices in the context of formation of a new technological paradigm makes it possible to substantiate the methodology for making strategic decisions on implementation of technological innovations.

Openness and Entrepreneurial Performance During COVID-19 Pandemic: Strategic Decision Comprehensiveness as an Inconsistent Mediator

The COVID-19 pandemic severely hit small and micro-businesses. In the face of the impact of the pandemic, how to help entrepreneurs, especially small- and micro-businesses that are more sensitive to the impact of the pandemic, make decisions to reduce losses has become an issue worth paying attention to. From the perspective of personality approach, this article studied openness, which is the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial performance among the big five personality traits, and explored the impact of entrepreneurs’ openness on entrepreneurial performance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the inconsistent mediating role of strategic decision comprehensiveness on entrepreneurial performance. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among 238 entrepreneurs of small- and micro-businesses when China was recovering from the pandemic and starting to resume work and production (February 18 – February 26, 2020). Entrepreneurial performance during the COVID-19 pandemic was measured by comparing the business conditions before and after the pandemic. The results showed that entrepreneurs’ openness positively impacted strategic decision comprehensiveness and entrepreneurial performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the two competing hypotheses proposed by summarizing previous research, the results supported that strategic decision comprehensiveness negatively affected entrepreneurial performance. It indicated that entrepreneurs who tend to collect and analyze information extensively and then make decisions during the pandemic could not seize opportunities and improve their entrepreneurial performance. The results further supported that strategic decision comprehensiveness was an inconsistent mediator between openness and entrepreneurial performance, showing that entrepreneurs with low openness can also reduce the loss of entrepreneurial performance during the pandemic by making incomplete but rapid strategic decisions. This study found that the openness of entrepreneurs had a positive impact on strategic decision comprehensiveness for the first time and provided more empirical evidence for the negative effect of strategic decision comprehensiveness on entrepreneurial performance in the context of information uncertainty and unanalyzable situations. The inconsistent mediating effect of strategic decision comprehensiveness revealed in this study also has practical significance for helping entrepreneurs make correct decisions to reduce the losses caused by the pandemic.

Change of business models of Ukrainian insurance companies in the conditions of COVID-19

Insurance companies form their own business models based on the interests of stakeholders. Changes in business models are due to the impact of COVID-19, deepening digitalization and customer orientation. Accordingly, the aim of the study is to systematize the approaches to business models of insurance companies using emerging market country (Ukraine) as an example, and to show the change in a business model according to the CANVAS approach under the influence pandemic. In accordance with the purpose of the study, business models of insurance companies were systematized and grouped into blocks: value-based, structural, complex, and strategic. The strategic block identifies strategic changes in the activities of insurance companies and reflects trends on the insurance market. With this in mind, business models of insurance companies should reflect the set of strategic decisions, their architecture, structure and facilitate the management of value creation operations on the insurance market. Business models have changed from traditional to innovative, hybrid and digital-oriented. The main changes in the business models of insurance companies are omnichannel communications, the launch of chatbots, Big Data, Mobile ID, Bank ID, online access to registers, Blockchain. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift in business models towards socially responsible business and adherence to sustainable development goals.

A Model for Evaluating HR Analytics Critical Success Factors in Industry 5.0

This study offers a methodology to evaluate HR analytics application critical factors that can aid HR managers in making proper strategic decisions. To help advance the study on the implementation of HR analytics, this research is based on the grey DEMATEL approach to envisage the formation of complex interrelation between the CSFs and find the effect level of these factors. Drawing conclusion from the above, the present study addresses certain key issues. Firstly, it aims to examine the challenges in implementing HR analytics techniques in Indian industry. Secondly it examines the causal relationship to analyses the tasks and their effect in detail. After analysing the available literature and creating the research problem based on the gaps observed, the chapter accentuates the necessity for studying and analysing the HR analytics challenges in Indian industries.

Communication Strategies of Entrepreneurial Organizations in Mobile Apps Industry

This research advances scholarly understanding of the strategic decisions regarding external communication during the critical period of product launch. Drawing on research about dynamic capabilities and external organizational communication, this study examines ways in which entrepreneurial organizations use silence as an effective communication strategy to reduce external uncertainty and to nurture growth during critical periods of development. Data were collected tracking the external communication of 54 entrepreneurial organizations that focus on mobile news application development. Results show a significant relationship between the attention organizations attract after product launch and an organization’s performance. The greater the magnitude of change from pre-launch to post-launch, from less frequent external communication to more frequent external communication, the more likely there is to be an increase in the product performance. The findings emphasize a more nuanced understanding of external communication as a strategic tool in entrepreneurial organizations.

Transformation of Human Resources Management Solutions as a Strategic Tool for GIG Workers Contracting

Recently, organizations are becoming more intelligent, flexible, and efficient by using new digital technologies in human resources management (HRM). The HRM solutions are considered as an important source to support strategic decisions, create value within and across organizations for employees and management. Today, organizations are facing challenges for gig workers to retain the level of progression and development required for business continuity. Gigs are generally self-employed who are very hard to manage without having a solid e-HRMS that can fulfill their needs in addition to the permeate employee needs as well. The main objective of this chapter is to highlight digital transformation in HRM and dive into the e-HRM concept, development stages, types, and strategies. In addition, it shows how e-HRM contributes to increase the effectiveness of human resources. It will also discuss multiple dimensions about the gig work management (GWM) including the contracting methodologies, policies, and behaviors that the e-HRM need to consider for the gig workers.