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Increasing attention is paid to organisational learning, with the success of contemporary organisations strongly contingent on their ability to learn and grow. Importantly, informal learning is argued to be even more significant than formal learning initiatives. Given the widespread use of digital technologies in the workplace, what requires further attention is how digital technologies (eg, massive open online courses-MOOC) enable informal learning processes. Drawing from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory, in this paper we advance a conceptual model for examining this important topic. The two dimensional matrix and the micro-level description of informal learning activities presented provide a framework for both further research on technology-mediated practices for informal learning, as well as the design of formative contexts for learning to occur

Purpose The purpose of this study is to map the conceptual structure of the body of knowledge linking digital technologies and auditing, with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of this research stream. Design/methodology/approach This research develops a bibliometric analysis of 256 articles following two steps. The analysis of descriptive performance indicators identifies the main traits of the community of scholars debating audit and technology in terms of publications, productive countries and authors, as well as the publication’s impact of the target journals concerning specific fields, number of citations per country and most cited articles in the data set. To analyse the conceptual structure of the data set, the study performs a co-word analysis adopting social network analysis tools. Findings The results highlight a growing academic interest in the research topic, especially in the past few years. The bibliometric analysis reveals three main topics concerning the use and application of technology in the audit profession: the adoption of continuous auditing and continuous monitoring in the auditing profession; the use of software tools in the audit profession; the connections between information systems and audit. Originality/value This paper contributes to the field by providing an examination of the current state of the art of research on the use and application of technology in the audit profession as well as identifying the current gaps in the literature and, most importantly, propose a research agenda for the field.

PurposeE-business maturity models have been widely used to guide the process of digital transformation of business. However, these models have been criticized for their predominantly technocentric approach, which is poorly suited for SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to produce a holistic, nonlinear e-business development model for SMEs that takes into account the interactions of the organization in the pursuit of its business objectives.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature review, this paper proposes a nonlinear digital development model for SMEs that factors in the interactions between digital technologies and organizational processes. The model is applied to three cases using a qualitative research approach.FindingsThe analysis of the cases demonstrates how the model recognizes that SMEs have an agile and flexible operating structure and reduces the role of technology in order to refocus the entrepreneurs on the relationship among business goals, organizational capabilities and communication requirements.Practical implicationsThe proposed model helps the business owners to clarify and better understand what kind of interaction levels exist between the relevant actors in the pursuit of the firm's goals and to identify the best mix of digital and nondigital communication methods to support their work. It also assists policymakers to overcome technological bias when assessing the current state of play of e-business development in the SME universe and formulate actions that support the development of digitally oriented SMEs.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a novel, nonlinear, interaction-based development model for SMEs in order to complement previous technocentric models focusing mainly on a mechanist perspective of e-business maturity models.

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We review the problem of network mobility and internetworking between heterogeneous data networks and present an approach to the integration of WLAN and cellular networks based on loose coupling and the use of emerging mobility protocols. The handoff performance of such an approach is studied, at the network and transport levels, in a realistic scenario along with the impact on global performance of transport protocols. Finally, a method of eliminating any packet loss at the network layer during handoff is presented and evaluated.

Researchers in many fields have adopted simulation to understand a system's behavior by imitating it through an artificial object that exhibits nearly identical behavior. Although simulation approaches have been widely adopted for theory building in fields such as engineering, computer science, management, and social sciences, researchers in the IS field often overlook their potential. In this paper, we examine how IS research uses different simulation approaches and, thereby, provide insights and methodological recommendations for future studies. From reviewing the literature on simulation studies published in top-tier IS journals, we define three classes of simulations: the self-organizing, the elementary, and the situated. We identify a set of stylized facts for characterizing the ways in which IS simulation studies present the premise, the inference, and the contribution. As a result, we provide guidance to future simulation researchers in designing and presenting their findings.