UJ Management Librarian APK

The Nielsen Consumer Insight Magazine February 2009

2009-02-04T11:42:00.001+02:00

In this Issue :

New Product Innovation in a Recession.

While current economic conditions may be causing consumers to trim back, marketers need to resist that impulse on new product development. The key learning is that innovation can succeed during recessionary times if the fundamentals are right... Read More

Channel Shifting in a Tough Economy.

Battered by the economy, U.S. consumers are shopping less frequently, demanding value, trading down, buying less, moving to private label and shifting department purchases across channels... Read More

Global Economies Adjust.

Like a house of cards, one slight move and it all comes tumbling down. Around the world, the operative word in today’s economic climate is value. How are manufacturers and retailers coping? What are the biggest opportunities…and surprises for 2009?... Read More

Transforming China’s Growth Engine.

No longer able to rely on buyers in the rest of the world to drive its economic growth, China is relying on its own consumers to help stimulate its economy. But what will it take to get them to spend?... Read More

Awards Shows Take Centerstage.

And the winner is…. the retailer. Turns out there’s a very practical reason for performers wishing to win a Grammy or Academy Award—music sales skyrocket!... Read More

Gautrain News

2009-02-04T11:40:00.001+02:00

Here is the latest on the Gautrain:

GAUTRAIN CELEBRATES HOMECOMING OF GAUTRAIN
"Our golden train is now finally where she belongs. And although Gautrain's physical home is in Gauteng, her real home is in the hearts and minds of all South Africans," said Gauteng Premier Paul Mashatile.
Read more

VIEW GAUTRAIN'S JOURNEY HOME
Having spent several months in an icy workshop in the United Kingdom, there could be no better homecoming for Gautrain than the hot African sun warming her golden body.
View her journey here

GAUTRAIN DEPOT AND WORKSHOP
The Gautrain Depot in Midrand is in a central location in relation to the operation of the system and is the operational hub of the system. All train movements will be controlled from the Operations Control Centre housed at the depot and the entire train fleet will also be stabled and maintained there. The bus operations control centre as well as stabling and maintenance facilities for the buses will also be housed there.
Read more

TESTING AND COMMISSIONING
Before entering into commercial service, each Gautrain train-set will be subjected to a long and rigorous testing and commissioning process. This process entails progressively more onerous tests on all systems and sub-systems from brakes and power, to air-conditioning and communications. In total, each train-set will complete approximately 3000km on the test-track before being certified for operations.
Read more

SIGNALLING SYSTEMS
Gautain's signalling solution comprises Bombardier's CITYFLO 250 system which is a fixed block signalling system based on ‘distance to go' principles with vital information being transmitted to the onboard automatic train protection (ATP) system from balises in the track. The ATP supervises the driver and train movements.
Read more

ELECTROSTAR NOISE
Gautrain will comply with international best practice in respect of noise and vibration emissions. Design noise levels both inside and outside the train (assuming good quality track) will be compliant with the relevant European standards regulating noise and vibration emissions by rail vehicles.
Read more

Bus funding crisis SATAWU briefing

2009-02-04T11:33:00.002+02:00

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group for Transport recently heard SATAWU briefing on the Bus industry funding crisis. The briefing consisted of a five page document presented by Jane Barrett, SATAWU Policy Research Officer and outlined SATAWU's view on the issue.

Here is the Summary:

The Committee was addressed on the NCOP amendments to the National Land Transport Bill [B 51D-2008].

The original amendments in the B-version of the Bill reflected a failure by the State Law Advisor to present all the consequential amendments.

The NCOP had dealt with this matter in the C-version. The amendments dealt mainly with cross-referencing, grammatical changes and the addition of four clauses.

The Chairperson emphasised that no further amendments could be entertained as there was no time to refer the Bill back to the NCOP. The Committee committed itself to ensuring that an Amendment Bill was drafted by the new Parliament to deal with all further amendments.

The Committee was briefed on the bus subsidy crisis by the South Transport and Allied Workers Union. Corrective budgeting by the Department was questioned, and it was explained that there was some guesswork involved, as the oil price was an uncertain variable and elasticity in subsidy contracts was required. The Committee questioned the non-involvement of the taxi industry in this crisis.

The Committee resolved to host a meeting with National Treasury, the Department and all other available key players on 3 February 2009 to appeal to Treasury and the Department to make urgent contingency arrangements regarding the bus subsidy crisis.

SA Marketing News

2009-02-04T11:25:00.003+02:00

Advertising News
D&AD Student Annual goes online
Not only will D&AD student and professional awards judging coincide for the first time this year, 2009 also marks the launch of the Student Annual Online, which will allow featured students to link to their portfolios. Read full story... Send to a friend

DBB SA out of Jupiter's orbit
A consequence of the 49% acquisition of The Jupiter Drawing Room (South Africa) & Partners by WPP, announced late last week, is that Jupiter shareholders will be releasing their shareholding equity in DDB SA. "DDB SA has enjoyed its short association with The Jupiter Drawing Room,” DDB SA CEO Glen Lomas told Bizcommunity.com on Friday, 30 January 2009. “We mutually benefited from the working relationship on a number of levels.” Read full story... Send to a friend

Dubai Lynx 2009 juries announced
The members of the four juries of the Dubai Lynx Awards have been announced. Judging will take place in Dubai, where 29 creatives and media experts from 14 countries will convene to discuss and award the best creative advertising from the MENA region. Read full story... Send to a friend

Cannes Lions open for entries
LONDON: Entries are now open in 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival for all categories - Film, Press, Outdoor, Direct, Media, Cyber, Radio, Promo, Design, Titanium, Integrated and the new PR Lions category. There are also changes to Integrated, Media, Direct and Promo Lions, and more ways to enter Digital work in various categories. Read full story... Send to a friend

MMA releases mobile banking, updated mobile advertising overviews
NEW YORK, LONDON, SINGAPORE & SAO PAULO: The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) released its Mobile Banking Overview yesterday, Thursday, 29 January 2009. This educational resource is designed to provide analysis of the marketing opportunities and attributes that the mobile channel represents for the financial sector. Also updated this week was its Mobile Advertising Overview. Read full story... Send to a friend

The US president Barack Obama has undoubtedly inspired art, street art and fashion
The Getty Images Creative Research team finds how a politician is influencing marketing and advertising and how his look is becoming a visual reference. Read full story... Send to a friend

Loeries weekend date change
The 31st anniversary of The Loerie Awards will depart from its traditional Saturday and Sunday timetable; this year's festival weekend runs 25 - 27 September 2009 in Cape Town. With Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, starting on the evening of Sunday 27 September, the awards ceremonies will take place on Friday and Saturday nights. Read full story... Send to a friend

Branding News

Meltdown creates new global champions
We have now arrived right in the middle of that second half of the hyper-accelerated phase, where western brands start to fall like dominos. As pointed out in my column first printed in 2006, Global image repositioning race heats up, in the US alone hundreds of its world-class brands are being erased. From monster banking to mega manufacturing, some 73 000 stores alone being closed in the first half of 2009, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. Read full story... Send to a friend

One crucial factor
Every brand relies on one crucial factor: what happens inside the company behind it, or what is known as the ‘inside out' factor. This is the specialist focus of Interbrand Sampson Inside, the new brand engagement consultancy in the Interbrand Sampson Group. Read full story... Send to a friend

Exhibition News

What happens offline drives online
When the IEC recently announced a second voters' registration weekend, where did you first go to find more information on where to register? What about when Thabo Mbeki resigned? Where did you find the lineup of the Coke Zero music fest or the photos of Barack Obama's inauguration? Most likely, your first point of call was an online search for information. Read full story... Send to a friend

Thebe goes greener in 2009
Thebe Exhibitions and Projects will ensure that all steps are in place towards a greener events industry in future. Managing Director Carol Weaving says the company's greening policy will be further refined and presented to exhibitors as part of its marketing strategy. Read full story... Send to a friend

Even more to talk about at Design Indaba
Despite the tough economic climate, Design Indaba Expo 2009 has reported that it has grown with more than 60 new exhibitors and has secured more than 20% extra floor space since 2008. With a month to go until the event, already more than 100 buyers have pre-registered, including 70 international buyers. Read full story... Send to a friend

Youth Marketing News

Campaign on the alert for smarties
Sasol regularly awards university bursaries to over 250 up-and-coming Grade 12 learners and BEng, BSc and BCom students every year. “To promote Sasol's bursaries programme among the smarties out there, we've launched a campaign that uses an awesome cast of seven characters,” explains Bronwyn Watt, Sasol group brand and marketing manager. Read full story... Send to a friend

Africa's first family and children's industry network
Being leaders in connecting families and children with brands, and building on the success of their monthly newsletter, Chirp, Egg Marketing & Communications will be launching Chirp Network, Africa's first family and children's industry network platform, in February this year. Read full story... Send to a friend

The State of Green Business in the USA

2009-02-04T11:05:00.003+02:00

Greenbiz.com releases an annual State of Green Business report and recently released the newest one.

The report assesses how, and how well, companies are doing from an environmental perspective. The free 62-page report offers 10 trends of the past year as well as their GreenBiz Index, a set of 20 indicators that, in aggregate, provide a picture of U.S. companies' environmental achievements.

Here is the table of contents

Top Stories of 2008............................................................................ 4
The Green Economy Gains Currency.............................................................. 4
Water Becomes the New Carbon.................................................................... 5
Building Efficiency Rises Again........................................................................ 7
Universities Take Class Actions........................................................................ 9
Green Moves Up, and Down, the Chain of Command................................. 10
Product Stewardship Creates a Material Change.......................................... 11
Green Marketing Suffers a Failure to Communicate..................................... 13
Carbon Becomes a Business Imperative....................................................... 14
Information Technology Plugs Into Green..................................................... 16
Greener Design Comes Out of the Lab........................................................ 17

The GreenBiz Index
Introduction ................................................................................................... 19
Summary Chart .............................................................................................. 20
Building Energy Efficiency ............................................................................ 22
Carbon Intensity............................................................................................ 24
Carbon Transparency .................................................................................... 26
Cleantech Investments ................................................................................. 28
Clean-Energy Patents.................................................................................... 30
Corporate Reporting..................................................................................... 32
Employee Commuting.................................................................................. 34
Employee Telecommuting ............................................................................ 36
Energy Efficiency........................................................................................... 38
E-Waste......................................................................................................... 40
Financial Impacts............................................................................................ 42
Fleet Impacts.................................................................................................. 44
Green Jobs..................................................................................................... 46
Green Office Space ...................................................................................... 48
Green Power Use .......................................................................................... 50
Packaging Intensity ....................................................................................... 52
Paper Use and Recycling............................................................................... 54
Toxic Emissions ............................................................................................. 56
Toxics in Manufacturing.................................................................................. 58
Water Intensity................................................................................................ 60
Credits / About Greener World Media........................................................... 62

Take Overs- December 2008 to 4 February 2009

2009-02-04T09:38:00.002+02:00

Please see a summary of this month’s TakeOver Talk activity below. Additional information and search / sort facilities are available on our website (click on TakeOver Talk):

click on image to enlarge

Access to South African Institute of Race Relations

2009-02-04T09:21:00.003+02:00

The library recently acquired access to the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR).

This website is home to the largest and most comprehensive database tracking trends on South Africa. It provides a wide variety of statistical and other data on South Africa, ranging from education, health, social development and welfare to business, employment, the economy, and politics.

It really is a terrific website and well worth bookmarking it or subscribing to its RSS feed.

The Research and publications section covers the following:

South Africa Survey
The South Africa Survey has been published annually by the Institute since 1947. It is a 500-page statistical reference work on every area of the country’s socio-economic development. Made up of statistical tables and charts, the Survey tracks trends over time and offers forecasts where available. It also contains international comparisons and limited analysis.
Fast Facts Online
Fast Facts is a monthly bulletin providing analysis of key development and policy indicators. It is designed to be read quickly by busy people. Fast Facts also tracks 170 socio-economic indicators in each issue.
Resource Centre
The Institute's Resource Centre tracks and updates files on over 1200 political, social, and economic subject headings on a daily basis. It is the best and biggest current affairs library in South Africa. It also contains significant holdings of books, journals, historical documents, and biographical files. It provides an Information Service for Business and Corporate subscribers to send electronic requests for any available data on South Africa. Queries are answered within 24 hours.
South African Mirror
The South African Mirror is a state-of-the-nation style briefing presented annually by the Institute at venues around South Africa. Briefings are also available in-house for Corporate subscribers
Special research projects
The Institute operates a number of Special Research Projects which range from information services for public representatives to in-depth research on race relations, affirmative action, and other topical issues.
Outreach projects
The Institute is regularly consulted by the local and international media on all aspects of South African development. Literally hundreds of Articles and News Reports cite the Institute annually. This section contains selected references to the Institute from the media.
Annual Report
The Annual Report contains the activities and accounts of the Institute for any given year
Historical publications
The Institute has published widely on South Africa since 1929. A selection of these historical documents, reports, and papers will be uploaded to this section of the website from time to time.
Hoernlé Lectures
The Hoernlé memorial lecture honours Professor R F Alfred Hoernlé, and his wife, Agnes Winifred Hoernlé, both of whom, as presidents, shaped Institute thinking during the organisation's early existence.

Logo's after the financial crisis (a bit of fun)

2009-02-03T15:29:00.006+02:00

I recieved this in an email and am unable to trace the orginal source. Some can be found here, however, if you know who the legal copyright author is please let me know.

Intelligence 2.0 Webinar

2009-02-03T15:24:00.002+02:00

Case Studies in Healthcare and Life Science Software Systems for Understanding and Anticipating Industry Change

Hosted by the Center for Business Intelligence - Presented by Aurora WDC, Digimind, Comintell & Traction Software - February 12

Web Seminar Overview:
The first generation of competitive, business and market intelligence systems were designed to produce asymmetries of information between a company and the forces of risk arrayed against it. But ubiquitous, real-time open source information access has given desktop access to even the most granular of industry market information. The result is that competitive advantage based on an information gap is fleeting at best and, if relied upon too much, can even lead to errors in judgment when deciding which direction to take the company.

The age of asymmetric interpretation is upon us. Decision makers everywhere must now look at the same massive data stream as everyone else, but see things differently to create competitive advantage based on these differences. We call this inflection point "Intelligence 2.0" as it is also characterized by a new, deeper level of engagement and collaboration by and between the employees of the firm in order to help the system function properly.

There are a variety of tools that can help automate the routine information processing activities of a company's intelligence team so they can see indicators of change more clearly, think ahead about what and how to manage their businesses, and make decisions that create breakthrough value for customers and performance for the company.

Join us for detailed case studies by three of the top vendors in the software business today about how they have helped healthcare and life science companies to use their systems to understand risk, create value, and drive performance and success.

Register Today!
Enroll online. Use Promo Code WDC212 and receive a $50 Discount
Call toll free (800) 817-8601. Use your American Express, Visa or MasterCard.

Can't Attend?

Choose between the MP4 or listening in on the Encore presentation:
MP4 File / Event Recording:

$295
You'll receive an electronic file for you to save and play as many times as you wish. This file includes the entire web seminar, including the Q&A period and all presentation materials, within two weeks of the live date.

24/7 Instant Access Web Seminar Presentation:

$145
You'll have access to one dial-in for an archived recording of the entire web seminar, including the Q&A period. You can log into the URL in any time of day or night for three months from the live air date

OECD: Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development news

2009-02-03T14:54:00.002+02:00

5th Annual Meeting of the OECD LEED Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance
The meeting will focus on Building Strong Partnerships with the Private Sector for Better Jobs and Inclusion. Public sector institutions increasingly understand that working with business at the local level is crucial for promoting quality jobs and social inclusion. Localities are gearing education and training to business needs. Some regions are upgrading local skills demand, working with business to improve productivity thus increasing the availability of good quality jobs. A collective response is required from industry, government, educational institutions, trade unions and community.

Increasing the Attractiveness of Places through Cultural Resources: Publication and Follow-up Seminars
The Tourism Committee has recently completed a study on “Increasing the Attractiveness of Places through Cultural Resources”. The main documents and case studies are summarised in "The Impact of Culture on Tourism " (published January 2009). Two follow-up seminars will be organised to disseminate the outcomes: “Culture and Tourism: A Strategic Partnership ” on 23-24 January 2009 in Mexico; and “A new Design for Tourism: culture, tourism and creative industries; driving forces for local development” on 26-27 February 2009 (visit www.vorarlberg.travel).

University news from Africa

2009-01-26T11:07:00.002+02:00

NIGERIA: Government in court over ruling councils
Tunde Fatunde
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, the ASUU, has dragged the N igerian government before the Federal High Court, challenging as illegal President Shehu Musa Yar'Adua's failure to reconstitute the governing councils of federal universities. All councils were dissolved in 2007 and the lack of the decision-making bodies has hampered university operations. The court action has jolted the presidency which claims to champion the rule of law.

ZIMBABWE: Universities demand US dollars
Clemence Manyukwe
Universities and their lecturers are demanding payment in foreign currency, with the institutions charging dollar tuition fees of US$700 and $1,500 per semester, as inflation in the crisis-torn southern African country plays havoc with the local currency and the education and health sectors collapse. Students are not sure whether they will get their results after lecturers declined to mark examination scripts, citing poor salaries and working conditions.

EGYPT: Corpse shortage affects medical students
Ashraf Khaled
When he applied to attend the medical school of Cairo University, Egypt's biggest public institution, Ahmed Masoud never dreamed he and fellow students with limited economic resources would face the problem of a shortage of corpses for autopsy training. "This badly affects our medical skills," says Masoud. "And, with examinations nearing, we are left with two options: either to buy corpses ourselves or attend private tuition classes in anatomy. Most of us cannot afford either."

UGANDA: Students protest 'discriminatory' fees
Kayiira Kizito
Late last year, Kenyan students enrolled at Makerere University, Uganda's most famous institution, protested against 'discriminatory' foreign student fees and other charges. As with many other universities around the world, Makerere charges differential rates for domestic and international students with those from East Africa pay around 1.5 times the local rate.

TUNISIA: Conference discusses Averroès project
Mobility of university students and teachers, and joint studies and diplomas, were on the agenda at the University of Sousse during a three-day conference to discuss the Euro-Mediterranean Averroès programme, reported La Presse of Tunisia

SENEGAL: Alumni demand dismissal of UCAD rector
The alumni association of the Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) of Dakar, Senegal's biggest university, last week demanded the immediate departure of rector Abdou Salam Sall, claiming he was the "principal obstacle to a calm academic year". If he did not leave, they said, they would "paralyse the university".

CAMEROON: Forgers of Slovakia university papers bust
A network of forgers who extorted large sums of money from parents hoping to enrol their children as students in Slovakia has been uncovered in Yaoundé and Douala, say newspaper reports.

MALAWI: Plans for a Muslim university
Malawi's former President, Bakili Muluzi, is planning to open a Muslim university. The institution will join other church-run universities - the Catholic University and Livingstone University (which is run by the Presbyterian Church) - to outnumber Malawi's two public institutions, the University of Malawi and Mzuzu University.

ZAMBIA: University to charge 'economic' fees
The University of Zambia will begin charging 'economic' fees this year after submitting proposals to the government. Vice-chancellor Professor Steven Simukanga said that although the government wanted affordable student fees, this was not possible because government grants were inadequate said.

University news from the West

2009-01-26T11:03:00.001+02:00

GLOBAL: Ban sex between lecturers and students? Paul Rigg
When Professor Istvan Pogany, 57, began a consensual relationship with one of his students at Britain's University of Warwick, he did what many would consider 'good practice' and informed his line manager. But the student, who is in her 30s, then fell pregnant and her subsequent anguished decision to have an abortion led to lurid headlines that raised the question again whether intimate relationships between academics and students should be more strongly discouraged, or even prohibited.

US-INDIA: Boosting private-public partnerships Geoff Maslen
A high-powered taskforce set up by the US Asia Society to expand interactions between India and the new Obama administration has called for the creation of education partnerships between the two nations to cope with India's burgeoning higher education and secondary school populations. In a new report*, the taskforce says the training requirements for India's large population exceed current capacity, "a challenge uniquely suited for linkages with US institutions".

INDONESIA: Students swindled and stranded David Jardine
A scandal involving 49 Indonesian students who sought places in Egypt's prestigious Al-Azhar University has been revealed. Instead of enrolling in the Cairo university, the students ended up in Malaysia where 15 were discovered doing odd jobs to support themselves.

BANGLADESH: Private universities meet demand Mahdin Mahboob
The system of private universities is a relatively new concept in Bangladesh. Because of the ever-growing demand for education at the university level, and the fact that existing public universities could not meet the need, the government passed a Private Universities Act in 1992. Starting with a handful, the number of private universities has grown rapidly and stands at 54 to date, compared with 21 public universities.

UK: Reskilling and upskilling Diane Spencer
The higher education sector should play a greater part in the government's agenda of improving skills of the workforce, says a new report* by a parliamentary select committee. MPs looked at the review of leading businessman Lord Leitch, published in 2006, which was based on depressing statistics revealing the level of skills among the UK working population.

GLOBAL: New African research resource
A new online search portal called the HERANA Gateway provides access to the latest research on African higher education. Using Google technology, the Gateway returns focused search results from more than 15 sites worldwide - including University World News and the Centre for Higher Education Transformation in South Africa - making it one of the most specialised resources of its kind.

PHILIPPINES: Trikes spread telecommunications
Five young Filipino graduates are building the country's first self-contained and wireless-enabled mobile telecentres using the national mode of transport - the three-wheeled motorcycle called a Trike.

FRANCE: Inter-university information service Jane Marshall
Nearly 150 librarians from 14 Parisian university libraries have banded together to open Rue des facs, an online documentary information service for students and academics. They can send in questions - in French - and should receive a reply by email within three days.

The language of competition
Continental business schools are spearheading the attempt to access the lucrative market for higher education in English. Matthew Reisz reports

Get wise to the product'
Knowledge for its own sake' is as narrowly utilitarian a remit for universities as the business-facing alternative, argues Gary Day

When it comes to the crunch...
The economic downturn is affecting most sectors in the UK, including higher education. But, writes Hannah Fearn, it is not necessarily all bad news

The support troops are getting flak
Social scientists deployed in war zones to engage with civilians and advise US military commanders are under fire from their peers, writes Jon Marcus

The queue's the thing
National Theatre-going regular Rivka Isaacson finds compelling drama in the early morning cast of characters waiting to buy day tickets

Happy to be here
Times Higher Education's annual Student Experience Survey highlights a host of institutions bent on making the university experience first rate in every way. Rebecca Attwood reports

Here Comes the Flood
How to handle the constant pileup of scholarly publications? Scott McLemee takes a look at two alternatives.

Half Empty or Half Full
New report attempts to gather key data on women in higher education -- students, faculty, administrators -- and to analyze key issues. In just about every category, study finds progress and disappointments.
Assessing Assessment
New center with backing from key education groups will compile data and case studies on evaluation of student learning. And new coalition plans to speak on higher ed's response to demands for accountability.

'I Am Less Patient and Dress Better'
Research project outlines the changes -- positive and negative -- experienced by faculty members who become administrators.

Latest Key Findings

2009-01-23T10:42:00.001+02:00

P6343.2 - Motor trade sales, November 2008
Motor trade sales for the three months ended November 2008 decreased by 0,2% compared with the three months ended November 2007, while the corresponding growth for the same period in 2007 was 6,0%. This decrease was mainly the result of the general decrease in new vehicle sales (contributing -6,2 percentage points). However, the negative growth was counteracted by the positive growth experienced in the form of sales of fuel and sales of accessories (contributing 3,8 and 3,1 percentage points respectively).

P6141.2 - Wholesale trade sales, November 2008
Wholesale trade sales, at constant (2000) prices, for the three months ended November 2008 increased by 2,7% compared with the three months ended November 2007. The annual growth rate for the corresponding period in 2007 was 6,0%. Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade sales, at constant (2000) prices, for the three months ended November 2008 increased by 0,3% compared with the three months ended August 2008.

Your clasroom in the future

2009-01-23T09:41:00.002+02:00

The 2009 Horizon Report describes the continuing work of the NMC’s Horizon Project, a long-running qualitative research project that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, research, or creative expression within Higher Education.

You can also view the reports for 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004 if you'd like to check how accurate their predictions were.

So expect more of the following in your classrooms in the next:

One year or less:

Mobiles
Mobiles are already in use as tools for education on many campuses. New interfaces, the ability to connect to wifi and GPS in addition to a variety of cellular networks, and the availability of third-party applications have created a device with nearly infinite possibilities for education, networking, and personal productivity on the go; almost every student carries a mobile device, making it a natural choice for content delivery and even field work and data capture.

Cloud Computing
The emergence of cloud-based applications is causing a shift in the way we think about how we use software and store our files. Educational institutions are beginning to take advantage of ready-made applications hosted on a dynamic, ever-expanding cloud that enable end users to perform tasks that have traditionally required site licensing, installation, and maintenance of individual software packages. Email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, collaboration, media editing, and more can all be done inside a web browser, while the software and files are housed in the cloud.

Already, cloud-based applications are being used in the K-12 sector to provide virtual computers to students and staff without requiring each person to own the latest laptop or desktop machine; a handful of basic machines, provided they can access the Internet and support a web browser, are all that is needed for access to virtually unlimited data storage and programs of all kinds.

Two to Three years:

Geo-Everything
Everything on the Earth’s surface has a location that can be expressed with just two coordinates. Using the new classes of geolocation tools, it is very easy to determine and capture the exact location of physical objects — as well as capturing the location where digital media such as photographs and video are taken. The other side of this coin is that it is also becoming easier to work with the geolocative data thus captured: it can be plotted on maps; combined with data about other events, objects, or people; graphed; charted; or manipulated in myriad ways.

A sampling of location-aware applications across disciplines includes the following:

Literature
Geotagging and virtual geocaching can be used to create annotated maps and real-world locations related to works of literature, enhancing the experience of reading the story. For instance, out of personal interest, one reader created a map of the course described in The Travels of Marco Polo, including passages from the text, photographs of the places mentioned (historical and contemporary), annotations and links, and other information
Medicine.
The University of Florida has used a 2-dimensional web-based Transparent Reality Simulation Engine to teach students how to operate medical machinery for several years. Recently, the addition of a GPS-enabled tablet device has allowed learners who are spatially challenged to experience the transparent reality visualization overlaid directly onto the real machine, enabling them to use the machine’s controls rather than a mouse as input to the simulation. Geolocation is used to track the tablet and align the physical machine with the visualization on the tablet.
Games-based Learning
The Local Games Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is developing "local games," learning experiences set in real-life neighborhoods and ecological habitats. Combining geolocation and alternate reality games, local games immerse the learner in a physical space as they explore the unique characteristics of the location and its inhabitants.

The Personal Web
Armed with tools for tagging, aggregating, updating, and keeping track of content, today’s learners create and navigate a web that is increasingly tailored to their own needs and interests: this is the personal web.

The tools that enable the personal web are also ideal toolsets for research and learning. The ability to tag, categorize, and publish work online, instantly, without the need to understand or even touch the underlying technologies provides a host of opportunities for faculty and students. By organizing online information with tags and web feeds, it is a simple matter to create richly personal resource collections that are easily searchable, annotated, and that support any interest.

Four to Five Years:

Semantic-Aware Applications
The idea behind the semantic web is that although online data is available for searching, its meaning is not: computers are very good at returning keywords, but very bad at understanding the context in which keywords are used.

The capability of semantic-aware applications to aid in searching and finding has implications for research, especially in light of the rate at which web content is being created. As semantic search tools continue to develop, it will be more common to see highly relevant results that display desired information in the hit list summary itself, saving time that is now spent clicking through to each page in turn. Semantic search also promises to reduce the number of unrelated or irrelevant results for a given search and to facilitate natural-language queries, both potentially useful features for researchers.

Smart Objects
Smart objects are the link between the virtual world and the real. A smart object "knows" about itself — where and how it was made, what it is for, who owns it and how they use it, what other objects in the world are like it — and about its environment. Smart objects can report on their exact location and current state (full or empty, new or depleted, recently used or not).

There are very few examples of smart objects in use in academia, although significant research is being done into how to create and track smart objects and how they might eventually be used. A sampling of applications for smart objects across disciplines includes the following:

Archaeology.
The way that a single smart object connects to a network of information is useful for many disciplines. Consider a student or researcher examining a group of objects from an archaeological dig. A tag attached to the label of each object, when scanned with a mobile device like a camera-enabled phone, would instantly bring up photographs of other objects from the dig, video of the dig site, maps, and any other media or information associated with the area.
Health Care.
Researchers and students at the University of Arkansas have created a simulated hospital environment in the virtual world of Second Life to test the practical and social implications of tagging and tracking patients, hospital staff, supplies, and locations.
Oncology
At Purdue University, researchers have developed a tiny smart object designed to be injected into a tumor. Once placed there, the device can report on the doses of radiation received at the site where it is implanted and indicate the exact location of the tumor during treatment.

New releases from StatsSA

2009-01-22T11:00:00.000+02:00

StatsSA released their newest statistics:
P6242.1 - Retail trade sales, November 2008
Retail trade sales decrease in real terms Retail trade sales, at constant (2000) prices, for the three months ended November 2008 decreased by 4,0% compared with the three months ended November 2007. Retail trade sales, at constant (2000) prices, for the same period in 2007 increased by 1,1%.

Retail trade sales at constant (2000) prices for November 2008 also decreased by 4,0% compared with November 2007. Retail trade sales at constant (2000) prices for the first eleven months of 2008 reflected a decrease of 2,4% compared with the first eleven months of 2007, while growth for the same period in 2007 was 5,8%.

Retail trade sales at current prices, for the three months ended November 2008, increased by 11,4% compared with the three months ended November 2007. The major contributors to this increase were general dealers (+5,7 percentage points), retailers in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (+2,1 percentage points), retail trade in specialised food, beverages and tobacco stores (+1,8 percentage points), and all other retailers (+1,2 percentage points).

Retailers in household furniture, appliances and equipment contributed negatively (-0,6 of a percentage point) to the change in retail trade sales.

Retail trade sales at current prices for November 2008 increased by 10,7% compared with November 2007, while sales for the corresponding period in 2007 increased by 8,7%.

P0041 - Civil cases for debt, November 2008

The total number of civil summonses issued for debt for the three months ended November 2008 increased by 5,2% compared with the three months ended November 2007. However, there was a decrease of 4,2% between November 2007 and November 2008.

The total number of civil judgements recorded for debt for the three months ended November 2008 decreased by 12,9% compared with the three months ended November 2007.

There was also a decrease of 16,4% between November 2007 and November 2008. The total value of civil judgements recorded for the three months ended November 2008 decreased by 3,4% compared with the three months ended November 2007. However, there was a 13,3% y/y increase in the value of civil judgements recorded for debt in November 2008.

P5041.1 - Selected building statistics of the private sector as reported by local government institutions, November 2008

The value of recorded building plans passed by larger municipalities (at current prices) during January to November 2008 decreased by 4,8% (-R3 649,1 million) compared with January to November 2007. This was due to a decrease of 15,1% (-R6 290,7 million) reported for residential buildings.

However, the decrease in residential buildings was partially counteracted by increases reported for non-residential buildings (17,0% or R2 475,7 million) and additions and alterations (0,8% or R165,8 million).

The preliminary estimates indicate that the value of buildings reported as completed to larger municipalities (at current prices) during the above-mentioned period increased by 9,3% (R4 000,9 million). Increases were reported for additions and alterations (25,2% or R1 912,9 million and non-residential buildings (24,4% or R2 100,0 million). Residential buildings decreased marginally by R12,0 million.

Business/Economics E-Reference Ratings

2009-01-21T13:45:00.004+02:00

The Library Journal recently published an article comparing the various Business/Economic E-resources available.

Each database is rated based on the seven criteria librarians consider the most when making purchasing decisions:

Scope - range and breadth of content
Writing -quality of the writing; consideration of the audience
Design - visual appeal; strengths and weakness of the interface
Bells & Whistles - inclusion of multimedia files, interactive maps, blogs, and other features
Ease of Use - logic behind the organization; efficiency of the search mechanisms
Linking - cross-searchability with other files; ability to integrate with and link to other products
Value for money - Value is a relative term, taking into consideration not only cost but myriad related factors. If a product is expensive, does its comprehensiveness and quality warrant the high cost? Are too much time and energy required to find material, given the price?

Below is the results in table format. (Click on image to enlarge)

Of the 14 databases used in the comparison UJ used to subscribe to 3:

ABI/Inform - which we've cancelled. In the LJ comparison ABI/Inform did not receive a high rating for value for money, scope or writing. It did slightly better for ease of use.
Business Source Complete - the Library subscribes to the Business Source package from Ebsco (the Complete package includes a few more journals). This database was rated as excellent in terms of scope and value for money; it also scored high in the other categories
Emerald EMX - Emerald scored quite high for the linking they provide and also managed a good/plentiful rating for the other six criteria

Here is the comments from LJ regarding the two databases we still have (Business Source and Emerald):

Visually attractive and easily searchable, this business resource offers everything a user would expect from a native EBSCO product. Searches can be limited to academic journals, trade publications, magazines, newspapers, books/monographs, company profiles, SWOT analysis, country reports, industry profiles, market research reports, and product reviews. With over 4000 titles (3000 full text), the product is well worth the price. If your library can afford only one business resource this year, give this one a try.
Emerald has brilliantly combined its web site and online database into a single platform to provide 85,000 full-text articles from 175 peer-reviewed journals as well as web site content. Search results can be limited by clicking on articles, abstracts & reviews, Emerald site, or other content tabs. Current journal issues are easily located from the journal list, which are displayed with cover images, and links to RSS, latest issue, editorial team, and submission guidelines.

Web 2.0 comes to the White House

2009-01-21T08:42:00.002+02:00

Hot of the press is the newly launched whitehouse.gov, the official White House website.

The new website includes interactive features such as a blog written by Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House, email alerts and a feedback form. The briefing room includes space for a weekly video address, slide shows, proclamations, executive orders and information on appointments and nominees.

Pocket Guide to USA Transportation 2009

2009-01-19T09:32:00.003+02:00

The USA Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), has published the Pocket Guide to Transportation 2009 – a 50-page quick reference guide to informative transportation data.

The 12th annual Pocket Guide covers data on the transportation system, transportation safety and security, mobility, transportation and the economy, and transportation and the environment.

This would a wonderful idea for our own Transport department to copy.

Marketing and Advertising trends for SA

2009-01-19T09:28:00.004+02:00

The South African online marketing website bizcommunity.com released their Biz'09 Trend Report recently covering upcoming trends in SA.

Here are some of the predictions:

Special events to spur outdoor advertising in 2009
Changing shopper habits in 2009
How the digital landscape will shape marketing in 2009
Communication trends to be mindful of in 2009
The mobile media landscape in 2009 - a forecast
Sea change for SA Internet in 2009
eMarketing in 2009: exciting times, surprises predicted
A 2009 wishlist for African business objectives
Online consumer trends for 2009

Which would you choose - a hamburger or your friend?

2009-01-19T09:17:00.004+02:00

Cherryflava reported on an innovative way Burger King used Facebook for a new burger campaign, the Whopper Sacrifice Campaign.

Burger King reckoned that Facebook friends are cheap, and by deleting 10 of them - you are rewarded with a health-problem causing Whopper...mmmm...meat.

Facebook, however, wasn't happy. It informed BK the application could not go against user expectations because Facebook explicitly says it will not inform users about friend removal.
For the application to continue, Facebook's tech team disabled the broadcasting feature.

After it learned of the restrictions, BK pulled the plug on Whopper Sacrifice. In just a week, the application boasted 82,000 users and more than 230,000 friends removed.

All eyes on Washington

2009-01-19T09:01:00.005+02:00

The presidential inauguration is the official day that the President of the United States is sworn into office. The purpose of this inauguration is to honor the incoming president with formal ceremonies, including: a Presidential Swearing-in Ceremony, an Inaugural Address, and an Inaugural Parade.

The inauguration will take place tomorrow on January 20, 2009 in Washington D.C. on the steps of the United States Capitol and will be covered by all the big news channels on DSTV. The swearing-in ceremony starts at 19:00 (Africa time) with the Inaugural Parade starting at 21:30

President-elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office, which states the following:

"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The theme for the inauguration is The Birth of a New Freedom and keeping with the Election 2.0 style the Obama Inauguration already has an impressive website running with blogs, videos, bios etc.

New African marketing journal call for editors

2009-01-19T08:48:00.002+02:00

The AFRICAN JOURNAL OF MARKETING MANAGEMENT (AJMM) is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal published that will be monthly by Academic Journals.
AJMM is dedicated to increasing the depth of the subject across disciplines with the ultimate aim of expanding knowledge of the subject.

Editors and reviewers
AJMM is seeking qualified researchers to join its editorial team as editors, subeditors or reviewers. Kindly send your resume to AJMM@acadjourn.org

Call for Papers
The journal welcomes the submission of manuscripts that meet the general criteria of significance and scientific excellence, and will publish:

· Original articles in basic and applied research
· Case studies
· Critical reviews, surveys, opinions, commentaries and essays

We invite you to submit your manuscript(s) to AJMM@acadjourn.org for publication in the Maiden Issue (April 2009).

Our objective is to inform authors of the decision on their manuscript(s) within four weeks of submission.

Following acceptance, a paper will normally be published in the next issue. Instruction for authors and other details are available on our website; http://www.academicjournals.org/AJMM/Instruction.htm

AJMM is an Open Access Journal

One key request of researchers across the world is unrestricted access to research publications. Open access gives a worldwide audience larger than that of any subscription-based journal and thus increases the visibility and impact of published works. It also enhances indexing, retrieval power and eliminates the need for permissions to reproduce and distribute content. AJMM is fully committed to the Open Access Initiative and will provide free access to all articles as soon as they are published.

For more information, please visit the journal site.

Call for papers on Green Management

2009-01-14T15:11:00.000+02:00

Management Decision is calling for papers for their Special Issue on "Why green management matters" Edited by: Professor David Lamond & Dr Rocky Dwyer

Background
Following the 2007 special issue "Alleviating poverty through trade", and the 2008 "Questions we ask about ethics in a global marketplace", this is the third in an ongoing series of special issues of Management Decision devoted to matters of ethics, sustainability and corporate social responsibility and woven in with the organising theme of the Academy of Management. In 2009, the theme is Green Management Matters.

The special issue will be edited by Rocky Dwyer and David Lamond and will appear under the title of "Why green management matters". It is scheduled for Volume 47, Issue 7 and will appear in August 2009 in CD format, as well as its usual hard copy version, to coincide with the Academy of Management Conference in Chicago.

Whether dealing with waste management or investment management, today's decision makers are confronted with the "green" in those decisions - sustainability, carbon footprints, industrial ecosystems, greenhouse gasses, and energy efficiency are some of the elements which are increasingly the "stuff" of those decisions, the criteria by which decisions are judged to be more or less sound.

This issue seeks to make a contribution to the debate about the "green" consistent with its title "Why green management matters". Papers are welcomed that explore green management and the principles which underpin this approach.

Questions such as "Can I just get by through paying someone else to have a smaller carbon footprint?", "Should business be my brother's (green) keeper?", and "Isn't my responsibility to the shareholders?" needs answers. Conceptual papers, as well as qualitative and quantitative research papers, are welcomed, as they add to the knowledge base about corporate social responsibility and ethics in relation to green management matters.

Papers
Submission of the full paper is required by 1 February 2009 for consideration for the special issue. Papers submitted will be subject to a minimum double-blind peer review process to ensure that this special issue maintains the excellent reputation and record of Management Decision.

For style guidelines please visit the Management Decision web site.

Submissions to Management Decision are made using ScholarOne's Manuscript Central http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/md.

Full instructions are on the author guidelines site. As a guide, articles should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words in length.

A title of not more than 12 words should be provided.

Please e-mail any queries to:
Professor David Lamond PhD E-mail: david.lamond@ntu.ac.uk
Dr Rocky Dwyer PhDE-mail: Dwyer.RJ@forces.gc.ca

ScienceDirect's Hottest articles July - September 2008

2009-01-14T14:59:00.002+02:00

Every 3 months ScienceDirect distributes a list of the Top 25 Hottest articles published with in a specific subject area.

Here is the newest list available for Business, Management & Accounting for the time period: July - September 2008:

1. Market efficiency, long-term returns, and behavioral finance • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 49, Issue 3, Pages 283-306Fama, E.F.Cited by Scopus (405)

2. Issues in Supply Chain Management - Don't Automate, Obliterate • ArticleIndustrial Marketing Management, Volume 29, Issue 1, Pages 65-83Lambert, D.M.; Cooper, M.C.Cited by Scopus (210)

3. Innovation behavior in the hotel industry • ArticleOmega, Volume 37, Issue 2, Pages 380-394Orfila-Sintes, F.; Mattsson, J.

4. Investor protection and corporate governance • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 58, Issue 1-2, Pages 3-27La Porta, R.; Lopez-de-Silanes, F.; Shleifer, A.; Vishny, R.Cited by Scopus (334)

5. Information asymmetry, corporate disclosure, and the capital markets: A review of the empirical disclosure literature • ArticleJournal of Accounting and Economics, Volume 31, Issue 1-3, Pages 405-440Healy, P.M.; Palepu, K.G.Cited by Scopus (195)

6. Corporate governance and firm performance • ArticleJournal of Corporate Finance, Volume 14, Issue 3, Pages 257-273Bhagat, S.; Bolton, B.Cited by Scopus (1)

7. Information distortion in a supply chain and its mitigation using soft computing approach • ArticleOmega, Volume 37, Issue 2, Pages 282-299Balan, S.; Vrat, P.; Kumar, P.

8. The evolving theory of quality management: The role of Six Sigma • ArticleJournal of Operations Management, Volume 26, Issue 5, Pages 630-650Zu, X.; Fredendall, L.D.; Douglas, T.J.

9. A grounded theory research approach to building and testing TQM theory in operations management • ArticleOmega, Volume 36, Issue 5, Pages 825-837McAdam, R.; Leonard, D.; Henderson, J.; Hazlett, S.A.

10. Terrorism and its impact on economic growth and technological innovation • ArticleTechnological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 74, Issue 2, Pages 129-138Koh, W.T.H.

11. Earnings management and earnings quality • ArticleJournal of Accounting and Economics, Volume 45, Issue 2-3, Pages 350-357Lo, K.

12. Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, its time to accept other success criteria • ArticleInternational Journal of Project Management, Volume 17, Issue 6, Pages 337-342Atkinson, R.Cited by Scopus (73)

13. The theory and practice of corporate finance: evidence from the field • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 60, Issue 2-3, Pages 187-243Graham, J.R.; Harvey, C.R.Cited by Scopus (229)

14. The impact of employee satisfaction on quality and profitability in high-contact service industries • ArticleJournal of Operations Management, Volume 26, Issue 5, Pages 651-668Yee, R.W.Y.; Yeung, A.C.L.; Cheng, T.C.E.

15. Back to the Future: The Broadening Accounting Trajectory • ArticleBritish Accounting Review, The, Volume 33, Issue 4, Pages 421-453Parker, L.D.Cited by Scopus (8)

16. Moving or doing? Knowledge flow, problem solving, and change in industrial networks • ArticleJournal of Business Research, Volume 60, Issue 1, Pages 32-40Andersson, U.; Holm, D.B.; Johanson, M.Cited by Scopus (3)

17. Six Sigma: Definition and underlying theory • ArticleJournal of Operations Management, Volume 26, Issue 4, Pages 536-554Schroeder, R.G.; Linderman, K.; Liedtke, C.; Choo, A.S.Cited by Scopus (2)

18. The application of menu engineering and design in Asian restaurants • ArticleInternational Journal of Hospitality Management, Volume 24, Issue 1, Pages 91-106Kwong, L.Y.L.Cited by Scopus (1)

19. The business case for corporate social responsibility: A company-level measurement approach for CSR • ArticleEuropean Management Journal, Volume 26, Issue 4, Pages 247-261Weber, M.

20. Examining the structural relationships of destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: An integrated approach • ArticleTourism Management, Volume 29, Issue 4, Pages 624-636Chi, C.G.-Q.; Qu, H.Cited by Scopus (1)

21. Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet-The state of eTourism research • ArticleTourism Management, Volume 29, Issue 4, Pages 609-623Buhalis, D.; Law, R.

22. Who makes acquisitions? CEO overconfidence and the market's reaction • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 89, Issue 1, Pages 20-43Malmendier, U.; Tate, G.Cited by Scopus (2)

23. Partners in coffeeshops, canals and commerce: Marketing the city of Amsterdam • ArticleCities, Volume 24, Issue 1, Pages 16-25Kavaratzis, M.; Ashworth, G.J.Cited by Scopus (2)
24. Creating brand identity: a study of evaluation of new brand names • ArticleJournal of Business Research, Volume 58, Issue 11, Pages 1506-1515Kohli, C.S.; Harich, K.R.; Leuthesser, L.Cited by Scopus (3)

25. Executive information systems development in an emerging economy • ArticleDecision Support Systems, Volume 42, Issue 4, Pages 2078-2084Arnott, D.; Jirachiefpattana, W.; O\'Donnell, P.Cited by Scopus (1)

University news from Africa

2009-01-14T14:22:00.003+02:00

SOUTH AFRICA: The politics of higher education
Karen MacGregor
Power changed hands within South Africa's ruling African National Congress a year ago, and national elections are looming. What the new ruling elite will mean for higher education is unsure, but the hot political issues this year look set to include teacher education and student fees, says Dr Cheryl de la Rey, chief executive officer of the statutory advisory Council on Higher Education.

ZIMBABWE: Brain drain project suffers brain drain
Clemence Manyukwe
A Unesco-sponsored initiative to stem the academic brain drain in five African countries faces collapse in Zimbabwe - as a result of the flight of lecturers. An end of year report by the vice-chancellor's office at Chinhoyi University of Technology said academic staff trained in grid computing as part of the initiative had left the institution for safer - pastures.

ZAMBIA: Government audits two universities
Clemence Manyukwe
Audits are underway at two of Zambia's largest higher education institutions, on the orders of the government, Higher Education Minister Professor Geoffrey Lungangwa told parliament late last year. This followed an attack on the government from parliamentarians over examination paper leakages and political interference at institutions of higher learning.

EQYPT: Law tightens government control
Ashraf Khaled
A new civil universities law approved late last year by the Shura Council, the Egyptian parliament's upper house, is set to tighten the government's grip on higher education. The law provides for the creation of 17 new non-profit universities and makes the Ministry of Higher Education responsible for appointing half the institutions' boards of directors. The other half will be left up to the universities' founders and investors to select.

NIGERIA: Renovations suspended at teaching hospitals
Tunde Fatunde
Crucial renovations at 12 academic hospitals in Nigeria by two Austrian medical engineering firms, under contracts worth US$291 million, have ground to a halt following an alleged plan by "over-zealous" officials in the Ministry of Health to re-award the contracts to other firms. The companies have gone to court claiming breach of contract. Lecturers and students at medical colleges affiliated with the hospitals are concerned and President Musa Yar 'Adua has been called on to intervene.

TUNISIA: Arab world adult education conference
A three-day conference on adult education and building a knowledge society in the Arab world opened on Monday in Gammarth, Tunisia. Titled "Investing in adult learning: Building knowledge and learning societies in the Arab region", it is one of five preparatory regional conferences for Unesco's Sixth International Conference on Adult Education, Confintea VI, which will take place in May in Belém, Brazil.