Surveillance, profiling and terrorism

As I write this post, details are starting to emerge about the man suspected of killing 7 people in 3 separate attacks in the area of Toulouse, south of France (for instance, see BBC article here). The details echo a familiar theme. This is someone who had come to the attention of law enforcement and … Continue reading Surveillance, profiling and terrorism

Decisions, decisions, decisions

I am enjoying the last few hours of a lovely weekend and preparing – in practical as well as psychological terms – for the week ahead. This is going to be an eventful week. On Monday, I am attending a talk by Peter LaPlaca, editor of ‘Industrial Marketing Management’. This is a reputable, peer-reviewed journal … Continue reading Decisions, decisions, decisions

Effect of blog articles on attitude and intention to purchase

This post reports on research looking at the impact of blogs and magazine articles on consumers’ attitude towards a brand, and on their intentions to purchase. Sometimes you choose a topic to write about. Other times, though, it really feels like it is the topic that chooses you. That’s what happened this time. I was … Continue reading Effect of blog articles on attitude and intention to purchase

What makes a great teacher?

This weekend I have been reviewing the evaluation reports for the modules I taught last semester. Doing so always triggers soul searching reflections about what it means to be a good teacher. Having spent so many years in education, I have seen my fair share of great educators. This is what I have learned over … Continue reading What makes a great teacher?

#followfriday: @arjantupan

My #followfriday recommendation this week goes to @arjantupan, someone who inspires me to write and to be social. I confessed how, sometimes, I struggle to write, even if I love it and even if my career depends on it. Yet, I have read that writing is like exercise: that you need to get in the … Continue reading #followfriday: @arjantupan

Understanding influence

At a time when everybody and their dog has a social influence score, and business models are built around the number of times a blog post or status update is shared, it seems that influence is all about quantity. But it isn’t. This post explores the nature of influence, and what it means for how … Continue reading Understanding influence

Like crossing a desert

Writing. I love it and I hate it. I love the idea of writing. Being able to share with others what I found after having thought deeply, read widely and investigated thoroughly a particular topic. But I really struggle with the act of writing. First, I struggle with the blank page - the enormity of … Continue reading Like crossing a desert

#followfriday: @pushingsocial

#followfriday (or #ff) is a tradition started by Micah Baldwin (according to Mashable), whereby you name Twitter user your followers should know about. It is important to provide information about the name user, to help others decide whether to follow them. Hence, in addition to naming interesting users on Twitter, I provide a bit of … Continue reading #followfriday: @pushingsocial

Blogs and the bottom line

We have established that, as individuals, we need to be familiar with various social media tools, including blogging. But what about the wider impact of all this digital activity? What is the value for firms or, indeed, society at large? Well… I don’t have the answer myself; but I came across two fascinating articles that … Continue reading Blogs and the bottom line