E-Leadership opportunities to catch for SMEs

Nowadays, novel digital technologies (particularly Social, Cloud, Mobile and Big Data) are transforming the way companies operate across all markets. They create new business opportunities for digital entrepreneurship both on the supply-side (to launch new services and/or establish new businesses) and on the demand-side (to optimize operations, reduce costs, improve and/or launch new services). As worldwide adoption of digital technologies progresses rapidly, it is essential that EU companies keep up to speed, avoiding competitive disadvantage versus companies in other regions of the world. It is estimated that 1.5 m additional jobs would be created in the EU Internet Economy, if the entire EU mirrors the performance of US or Sweden (source: EC 2015).
However, this huge potential is dramatically under-exploited in Europe, with 41% of enterprises being non-digital and only 2% taking full profit of the digital opportunities (Source: IDC 2014).
Large and medium companies are equipping themselves to cope with the digital transformation, investing in human resource and dedicating teams of experts to it. In contrast, SMEs have less opportunities to access training, face trends and challenges and overall, they need to concentrate key competences and abilities in very small teams where one person covers more than one role. Most SMEs cannot afford dedicated ICT experts team (e.g. CIO, CDO, social media manager, e-commerce expert, web designer). In MEs, business leaders (owners, managers, business executives) are responsible for several tasks and multiple roles: they need to identify the business strategy (including the digital strategy), carry out activities that can be done internally and outsource technical tasks to the best service provider.
Managers of SMEs now also need to be able to support their enterprise through a transformational process to embrace the opportunities resulting from the digital economy- they need to learn how to tap into the benefits afford by the strategic use of new information and communication technologies.
In order to transform their company into a Digital Enterprise, they need to acquire e-leadership skills. In the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan, the EC highlights the high potential of the smart use of ICT as an enabler of entrepreneurship, growth and jobs and commits to unleash the new business opportunities created by the digital evolution.
Moreover, the European Parliament’s resolution on completing the Digital Single Market, praises the efforts undertaken by the Commission to promote the smart use of ICT and the integration of SMEs in digital value chains and encourages a sound EU strategy on Digital Entrepreneurship.
SMEs are less prepared and able to face the challenges related to embracing digital technologies (e.g. adapting processes, organisational structures and their workforce) and moving away from traditional business practices and processes.
Unless SMEs embrace this change, they will miss future opportunities afforded by digitally competent enterprises. They will miss the potential for increased productivity, competitiveness and job creation.
In order to address the demand for e-leadership skills, the EC has launched a European e-leadership initiative: the EC issued a service contract aiming to develop targeted actions for start-ups and fast growing SMEs so as to provide them with relevant e-leadership skills and qualifications:
E-leadership skills and the development of e-leadership capability is essential if European SMEs are to exploit opportunities provided by ICT and the digital revolution that is taking place in the way enterprises.
Author: Antonella Tozzi, Dlearn

 

Distant Learning for Classroom Teachers in Bulgaria

 

Digital learning is a quick and easy way for acquiring all theoretical knowledge needed for vocational education and training. Distant learning environment enables larger number of trainees to participate in VET or pre-qualification activities no matter where they are having a job, still studying in the university or are on maternity leave. Thus the lack of skilled professionals could be easily overcome by applying a hybrid approach combining digitalization of theoretical education and on the spot practical training. Unfortunately it is the institutional framework that often creates obstacles to the application of such approach. In the case of Bulgaria this framework is drawn by the state requirements for acquiring professional qualification which have recently experienced a positive change towards one of the most needed professions in the country that of a teacher. According to the regulation adopted by the Council of Ministers on 4th November 2016 from the new academic year of 2017/2018 distant learning is another acceptable form of education for the profession. Thus, if an engineer wants to work as a teacher, he/she can pass the required online courses to get a teaching qualification. This is a great opportunity for all having a university degree in other fields to apply their knowledge in the school system. It seems that the state is getting more and more aware of all the possibilities new technologies and digitization of education provides. As a result the above mentioned regulation plans an increase of classes decimated to the application of ICT technologies and work in digital environment in VET curriculum of future teachers.

AUTHOR: Desislava Dimitrova, Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Digital Transformation of Businesses: How Adult Education can contribute to its fulfilment 

 

According to the data provided by the 2015 European Commission Synthesis Report on e-Leadership(1), the forecasting demand of new skilled e-Leaders in Europe is now reaching figures of over 40,000 experts a year. This high-speed growth will suppose the need for 200,000-250,000 additional e-leaders by 2020. The European Union has launched many programmes and strategies (i. e. ‘e-Skills for the 21st Century: Fostering Competitiveness, Growth and Jobs‘ (2007); ‘Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs’ (2013); ‘Digital Single Market Strategy’s’ (2015)) during the last decade to accelerate and intensify the gap-filling efforts of the digital skills breach in the labour market. However, there still exists a big gap between the skills and competences that adults acquire and the ones needed in real job-places.
We will surely need a step forward to laying the ground and developing workers’ skills and competences. Not only SMEs, business schools and universities too should adapt and upgrade their programmes, but the whole community needs to embrace the concept of e-leadership and adapt it to the evolution of the emerging technological trends and digital development. But, what do we exactly understand by e-leadership?
E-Leadership is about the communication processes, social influences and team interactions mediated and made possible through technology(2). As stated by DasGupta(3), a leader’s goals have not changed, and issues such as group cohesion, inspiration, motivation, efficiency and market vision, management or direction are still the fundamental leadership objectives. However, the new paradigm requires skilled leaders who are capable of accelerating the company’s growth and innovation; boosting performance through IT strategies; increasing competitiveness by effectively using digital skills; exploiting and managing digital trend ... leading interdisciplinary, hybrid and multi-level teams(1).
All this leads us to the undeniable evidence of an urge to integrate the skills that one needs to develop to be a good e-Leader into all European adult education curricula. Although we cannot deny that there is a growing recognition in digital skills and competences at an European level, “providing SMEs and entrepreneurs with the skills for e-leadership is still often treated only as secondary(3)”.  We need to break down these barriers and aim for our future leaders to be competent in bridging work-teams physical distances as well as communicating effectively and conveying enthusiasm, inspiration and motivation virtually. All this can only be achieved through integrating specific e-leadership skills and competences training into the current traditional education. 
References
(1)   Werner B. Korte, Tobias Hüsing, Eriona Dashja, empirica GmbH (eds.) (2015). ‘E-Leadership Digital Skills for SMEs’ Empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH on behalf of the European Commission, Directorate General GROW - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Germany. Check here
 
(2)   Boundless. “E-Leadership.” Boundless Management Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Check here
 
(3)   DasGupta, Probal (2011) ‘Literature Review: e-Leadership’. Emerging Leadership Journeys, Vol. 4, Iss. 1, pp. 1- 36. Regent University School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship. 
 

AUTHORS: Olena Bilozerova, DOM Spain 

Application of Content Management Systems on Secondary Education by Means of the Driver Constructivist Model
 

 

Conventional education teaching methods are carried out indoors and the teacher performs (more or less effectively depending on his pedagogic skills) the following functions: purpose- and objective-setting and upholding their fulfillment. The teacher furthermore caters for the digest and understanding of taught material, dividing it into appropriate chapters, coordinating the frequency of access to said material, using fitting methods to maximize the effect, namely learning. The teacher also stimulates the active involvement of learners, provides links between acquired knowledge and skills and incorporates them to the taught subject, and finally aids the consolidation of said cognitive objects through revision, rigorous exercises and personal and/or team projects.
In distance learning the abovementioned functions are sought to be fulfilled through the taught material per se. Indeed, appropriately formed material can set objectives, clarify grey areas, provide feedback, trigger further exploration and application and offer data so that learners are constantly interacting with the object under study.
During the pilot trial of this application both teaching methods were used, as the cross-examination of their results, the comparison of mutual and different advantages and disadvantages and the facilitation of the transition of students from conventional to DL learning were issues deemed imperative. Recent research conducted on senior primary education students indicated positive results concerning the acceptance from children (both male and female), the development of cooperative practices, as well as the development of problem solving cognitive capabilities.
The teaching method involved the constructivist educational model introduced by Driver and Oldham (1986), who proposed a five step course procedure: Orientation, Previous knowledge check, Reformation of false points of view, Application of student knowledge, Evaluation of student knowledge. In the initial part of the procedure a preparatory course was deemed necessary for familiarization purposes, whereby students observed a demonstration of the user interface and tools of the platform.
Given the difficulty of assimilating the educational material of the application within a limited time frame and the fact that the students were not accustomed to this teaching method, the results were the following: Mobilization and active participation of students, Creation of a cooperative learning framework, Highlighted the necessary shift of the teacher’s role from omniscient to administrator of knowledge, The majority of students showed understanding of taught material.