Traversing the Narrow Road:

From Technology to Virtual

Workplaces

Morell D. Boone, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
College of Technology
Eastern Michigan University, U.S.A.

Experience, Expertise and Evolution in Entrepreneurship Learning and Practice

Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City, February 6, 2014

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 Greeting & Purpose
Good DayIm Morell Boone!
What will I talk about:
Globalization and virtual learning.
Virtual work tools.
Virtual work (learning) management.
Future trends.
Traversing to virtual learning.

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 What You Will Take Away?
You will have a better understanding (in 30
minutes) of:
My field: Virtual Learning, not Entrepreneurship Education.
The difference between face-to-face teaching and learning, and
virtual learning.
What it takes to do effective virtual learning and where it might
be applied.

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 Globalization is Here!
Tom Friedman, The World is Flat:
a flattening of global business driven
by existing and future technologies
that enable enterprises to become
increasingly collaborative.
The information economy is different:
Bits vs. Bricks: intellectual capital
vs. physical capital.
Knowledge is a key player:
(Knowledge Management).
Consumer-driven mobile device
innovation and adoption.
New models for competitive
advantage: Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOC).
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 Virtual Workers
Virtual workers (students, faculty, administrators,
businesses):

Dislocated from
peers/teachers/businesses.

Non-traditional classroom
and business locations.

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 Changing Enterprises
Changing enterprises (universities, faculties,
departments, and businesses):

Expanding
learning and
interactions
with virtual
technologies
globally.

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 Changing Enterprises continued
Asynchronous
Learning Networks
(ALN).
Synchronous Learning
Networks (SLN).
Individuals do more tacit
work (judgment &
collaboration).
Social networking
(Facebook, Twitter,
Blogs, YouTube, etc.)

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 Changing Technologies
Changing learning, communication
and collaboration technologies:

Short innovation &

adoption cycles.

Consumer-based mobile
technologies.

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 Communication Work Tools
Tools to Communicate Virtually:

Telephony, VoIP (voice and video), office

tools, browsers, search engines, texting.

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 Conferencing Work Tools
Tools to Conduct Virtual Conferencing:
Audio/Video/Web
conferencing,
Webcasting.

Surveys and polls,

whiteboards, APP
sharing.

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 Collaboration Work Tools
Tools to Collaborate Virtually:
Document development
and team workspaces.
Information repositories.
Knowledge Management.
Learning Management
Systems.

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 Virtual Work and Learning
Management
Four Major Challenges:
Cross-cultural and
language differences.
Balance between
individualism and
one size fits all.
Isolation from peers
and colleagues.
Inadequate
coordination.

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 Virtual Work and Learning
Management continued
Virtual Learning Should Reflect Business
Strategy:

Enterprise vision
and mission.
Enterprise financial
impact (Return on
Investment).

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 Virtual Work and Learning
Management continued
Managing Virtual Teams:
Proactive leadership.
Context setting.
Clear directions.
Clear objectives and
language.
Personal attention.
Frequent
communication.
Constructive discourse.

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 Virtual Work and Learning
Management continued
Team members from different enterprises,
countries, cultures and languages:
Adopting standards.
Agreeing on similar processes.
More task communication,
facilitated & documented virtual
meetings, time zone awareness,
communication tracking,
strategies to recognize different
languages.

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 Enterprise Readiness
Cartoon: how not to use a communication tool.
E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data to
everyone. Other virtual tools are more appropriate.

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United
2009 Morell
Features
D. Boone
Syndicate 16
 Future Trends: MOOCs

Massive Open Online

Courses (MOOCs)
High-tech extension of the
traditional lecture-hall.
Taught by recognized
instructors.
Potential of using
participatory-engagement
tools such as social media.

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 Future Trends:
Innovative Mobile Technologies & Social Media

Innovative Mobile Innovative Social Media

Technologies
Empowering
individuals

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs & beyond

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 Future Trends:
Experiential Learning Methodology
The Virtual Enterprise in Entrepreneurship Education
Project-based teaching and
learning.
Learning about the global
marketplace.
Learning about financial,
human resources, and
technology skills of running a
business.
Being part of a cross-cultural
team to experience innovative
business strategies.

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 Traversing to Virtual Learning
What leaders need to do:
Create and communicate a
unified enterprise vision.
Inspire and motivate others to
make the vision become a
reality.
Develop a global mindset to
embrace innovation.
Empower individuals to be risk-
takers.
Leverage both human and
social capital.

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 Traversing to Virtual Learning
continued

Three questions for enterprise leaders:

1. How entrepreneurial is your
organization?
2. How are administrators,
teachers and learners learning
to be more innovative and
entrepreneurial?
3. Is your organization committed
to providing appropriate virtual
learning opportunities?

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 References
Boone, M. (2013). Impact of Implementing Virtual Work Tools
in Globalization of Enterprises. Proceedings: Impacts of
Globalization on Quality in Higher Education. Seameo and the
Hong Kong American Center. June 20-21, 2013, Ho Chi Ming
City, Vietnam.
Borgese, A. (2011) Virtual enterprise: transforming
entrepreneurship education. Journal of Instructional
Pedagogies. Vol. 6-September, 2011.
Friedman, T. (2007). The World is Flat 3.0. New York: Picador.

Reimers-Hild, C.I. and King, J.W. (2009) Six Questions for

Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation in Distance
Education. works.bepress.com/askdrconnie/25. [Retrieved
9/26/2013]

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 What Do You Think?

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