This paper aims to examine the information requirements and the importance of various types of information for potential students when selecting a university. Using data from 306 pupils studying at various schools in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland seven broad information categories relating to university selection have been identified. It also revealed that the ranking of the various types of information required and the importance of this information is relatively similar.

Purpose-The purpose of this research is to examine the manner in which employees access, create and share information and knowledge within a complex supply chain with a view to better understanding how to identify and manage barriers which may inhibit such exchanges. Design/methodology/approach-An extensive literature review combined with an in-depth case study analysis identified a range of potential transfer barriers. These in turn were examined in terms of their consistency of impact by an end-to-end process survey conducted within an IBM facility. Findings-Barrier impact cannot be assumed to be uniform across the core processes of the organization. Process performance will be impacted upon in different ways and subject to varying degrees of influence by the transfer barriers. Barrier identification and management must take place at a process rather than at the organizational level. Research limitations/implications-The findings are based, in the main, on an extensive single company study. Although significant in terms of influencing both knowledge and information systems design and management the study/findings have still to be fully replicated across a range of public and private organizations. Originality/value-The deployment of generic information technology and business systems needs to be questioned if they have been designed and implemented to satisfy organizational rather than process needs. Keywords Supply chain management, Knowledge transfer, Learning organizations Paper type Research paper ''supply chain'' simply the preserve of procurement, logistic, or manufacturing specialists (Porter and Millar, 1985). Organizations are waking up to the fact that the supply chain is not simply a support function for its business, but is in fact the key capability against which a competitive advantage can be developed (Kulp et al., 2003). Organizations, in general, are now well aware of the components that make up their supply chain, indeed these components are often well established and embedded, however, many still struggle with the problem of effective component alignment (Day, 1994; Teece, 1998). Functionally aligned organizations may understand and individually manage the supply chain components, but, performance can only be maximised once they achieve the transformation to process alignment. Process aligned organization focus on core process performance as opposed to functional business unit performance. This is a fundamental and key change for most organizations and one that they must make in order to fully develop their supply chain capabilities (Van Weele, 2002). However, this shift in focus does not come easily to many organizations, as internal business unit boundaries can be difficult to remove. The problem is exacerbated within complex organizations where capabilities such as

Purpose -This paper aims to explore the information sources used by school leavers when selecting a university at which they wish to study and the perceived reliability of these sources of information. Design/methodology/approach -Using data from 306 pupils studying at various schools in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland it was revealed that applicants utilise mostly communication originating from the university itself, including the university prospectus and open days, and, they also classify such sources of information as being the most reliable. Findings -There are some differences in the perception of the various groups under investigation; for example, potential female applicants perceive most information sources to have greater credibility than their male counterparts believe. In addition, higher performers make more use of the available information sources and also place more value on their worth. Research limitations/implications -This study set out to explore aspects of student university selection that have received relatively little attention. It was limited in its scope due to resource constraints and concerns of protecting potentially vulnerable respondents, while ensuring a reasonable sample return. Originality/value -The study has accomplished it's basic task in that we are better informed as to which information sources students prefer and perceive to be reliable. Such information should, at least, allow professional student recruitment services to better direct their information salvo, but more importantly it should also raise some questions which are much in need of an answer.

Purpose -On the basis of the Collective Intelligence Genome framework, which was developed to describe private, for profit ventures, this study aims to review the recent public sector initiatives launched by the American federal government and the European Union. The study's goal is to examine if, and how, the Genome construct would apply to not for profit. Design/methodology/approach -This paper builds on an existing classification methodology for collective intelligence initiatives and extends it to pubic sector initiatives. Findings -The findings suggest that, although the framework offers a generally good fit, it does not fully address all the factors at play and the paper proposes expanding the gene pool. In addition, it confirms that Collective Intelligence initiatives do indeed co-create value and conform to the emerging services dominant logic concept. Originality/value -With the growing success of profit motivated internet-based collaborative ventures, including Innocentive, VenCorps, Threadless and many others, governments have taken notice and engaged. Recent public sector initiatives, including Open.gov, Peer 2 Patent, innovation.ED.gov among others, have begun to leverage collaborative internet media through similar means. These initiatives not only engage a broader community in the co-creation of value, but also foster what has been termed as Collective Intelligence. This paper details one of the first forays into what might be termed sense making within the public sector usage of Collective Intelligence using the Genome framework and, as such, provides researchers and practitioners with a means of assessing value, potential impact and making comparisons.

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