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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to analyse the importance and role of process knowledge in the business process (BP) improvement methodology with the help of a case study. Design/methodology/approach -The approach takes the form of a literature review that highlights the challenges and issues in the existing BP improvement methodologies. An in-depth case study that has embarked on a major BP improvement initiative that emphasizes individual and collective process knowledge in a real-life complex organization is presented. Findings -The paper confirms that BP improvement is, in fact, a complex, knowledge-intensive, collaborative process that consists of a set of coordinated, contextualized knowledge management processes. The design of the "to-be" process in this study is a knowledge co-creation process that uses collaborative exploration of different scenarios and contexts. Compared with the traditional BP improvement methodologies where the main emphasis is on the design of a new process model, the focus of the methodology employed in this case study is on the process of knowledge co-creation and transfer.Research limitations/implications -The paper leads to increased recognition of the knowledge and experience people develop, use and share while modeling, executing, and improving their BPs. It offers anecdotal evidence and general case study research limitations apply. Practical implications -Practitioners should focus more on key knowledge processes rather than BP models that often obscure the role of individual and collective process knowledge. Rather than investing limited resources in the mapping and modeling of existing processes, practitioners will be able to better serve their organizations if they concentrate on the improvement of the process by tapping the contextualized process knowledge possessed by the individual actors. Originality/value -In the expanding field of BP management, the study explores the increasing importance of individual and collective process knowledge in process improvement methodologies and provides guidance to user organizations on ways to exploit the value of process knowledge in designing new processes as well as collaborative knowledge sharing and creation process.

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Business processes have been the subject of formal study from multiple perspectives for a long time since the start of industrial age. In spite of such sustained focus, processes still are not well understood, left unmanaged and poorly executed. Business schools' teaching is primarily function specific and narrow, while the IT schools focused on narrow technical skills and leaves the 'process view' and 'integration' either to the individual student or the academic. This paper analyzes the inadequacies of current business and IS/IT education and reviews the historical perspective of business processes. It posits the significance of business process management and highlights its ability to provide the missing link to business education. It reports on the strategies employed by business schools and discusses the challenges in the BPM education and research.

Business schools are exploring new pedagogical approaches to learning in order to deal with challenges such as increased class sizes, limited funding support, and difficulties in facilitating and encouraging active participation and learning among a diverse cohort of students. This paper reports on a study of the effectiveness of a pedagogical approach that blends online discussion board and case study. Analysing quantity and quality of online postings and comparing accounting students’ performance with previous cohort, this study observes a significant improvement in student learning. Appropriate design and delivery strategies and clear assessment criteria for assessment and use have provided an effective learning vehicle for students, helped them overcome their own language related barriers, and encouraged them to participate in a nonthreatening environment. This approach further complemented the benefits of peer-to-peer learning and case study pedagogy. Reported increase in workload for students and marking load for academics and measuring the value of learning, however, are some of the challenges that need further attention by researchers.