Research has been extensively undertaken to establish what influences people to buy particular products and services. In this research, the buyers' environment has been closely analysed, including the cultural environmental factors that motivate people to buy have been thoroughly scrutinised. The workforce that produces and sells those products and services have an environmental background which also influences their performance, but this has been marginally scrutinised, particularly in developing economies. A close analysis of the workforce's environment, particularly the cultural environment, shows that they are so much a product of the environment that it is important for management to contextualise their practices to suit the particular environment. Knowledge of the cultural traits that are considered to be very important by the workforce, and why they are that important, may inform management on practices that are culturally acceptable and hence motivational.

Higher education has direct bearing on society for its growth and socio-economic and political development. However, the proliferation of HE institutions, though a proud phase in the economic regeneration of the world, brought in its trail innumerable traits and accountability challenges. The need for ensuring high caliber of educational service is more imminent now than never before since quality of HE falls short of attaining the global-level excellence. Diminishing funding in HE from the governments caused the mushrooming of private institutions across the globe and society bear the brunt of the poor quality service yet they deserve the best. Therefore, quality has become a competitive weapon for the institutions to serve and attract their primary customers (students). This book, a timely contribution to the debate on quality in HE, seeks to help institutions of higher learning provide quality service to their clients. Though quality is contextual, this book has been written to an international audience, making use of research information from across the globe in order to widen the options for quality in HE.

The information market is booming. During the past two decades, information technology has advanced at an overwhelming pace. Since the mid-1990s, information has replaced capital as the key differentiator in global competition. The result: executive headaches and a great deal of the mother of opportunity, confusion. This book on managing information systems well is vital to a corporation's long-term competitive success. If companies are to continue to add value to customers by helping them make substantial, lasting improvements in performance, managing information is a critical tool. And almost every company has exploitable information assets, but few companies systematically explore the opportunities they create. And although there is no simple silver bullet approach to implement, the rewards can more than justify the effort. Thus this book is a must read for all those in the information systems management and others who want to broaden their understanding of MIS or use information systems for decision making and competitive advantage.

E-learning has become a mainstay in the educational milieu.The exponential growth of information has made it imperative for learning to happen quickly. This book taps on the networked technologies and wireless devices to transform education through quality. Online instructors and providers who continually seek methods to engage students in the learning process with technology at the forefront, will find this book as a useful companion. One of this book's objectives is to establish a long lasting mark on quality for e-learning because the perceived lack of quality is recognised by many as an inhibiting factor for the expansion of e-learning. The existence of a reference textbook on quality for e-learning might, it is strongly believed, contribute to strengthening cross-country confidence in the quality of e-learning, and serve as a reference worldwide.The future of all institutions engaged in online learning, e-learning and web based learning lies on the quality of programmes and courses that they are offering.