1. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros1/15 Net-wiring the learning environments to address emerging organisational needs: virtual learning organisations and ventures Nicolaos Protogeros University of Macedonia Department of Accounting and Finance Thessaloniki, Greece proto@uom.gr

2. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros2/15 a few background information… Who is Nikos…  Assistant Professor of Information Systems and E-Commerce, Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Macedonia PhD in Information Systems, National Polytechnic Institute, France MSc in Remote Sensing, University Paul Sabatier, France BSc in Mathematics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece  15 years of working experience in the private sector specializing in IT and E-Commerce  before entering the academic world, he had been the founding partner and CEO of Heletel, the first start-up company in Greece for E-Commerce which has developed some of the most innovative solutions for the business services domain  Recently (summer 2007) he published a book Agent and Web Service Technologies in Virtual Enterprises

3. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros3/15 a few background information… What are his research interests…  methodologies and the supporting toolsets for SOA cross-organizational projects  recent research concerned a "Learning Assets Management to support novel methods for corporate Intangibles Assets Accounting"

4. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros4/15 problem (1/2) employees do learn in their organizations their motivation to learn largely depends on the rewards they expect to receive from their improved skills, as these result from their learning today these rewards are qualitatively assessed, based on human resource management principles, and not reflected in the balance sheets (value) of the organizations but if the outcome of learning processes could be quantified, and this quantification could result in increased benefits for the employee (salary or otherwise), then the employee would be more motivated to learn, and would also target its learning towards the acquisition of skills that would ensure value to the company

5. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros5/15 problem (2/2) furthermore, employee payments would be based on quantified indicators, and become more efficient therefore a need to quantitatively assess the outcome of inter-organizational learning processes is apparent

6. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros6/15 what we propose is… an ICT environment that will register, monitor, and quantify the outcome of inter-organizational learning processes the proposed system will be linked to the ERP / accounting systems of the organizations, so that the outcomes of the learning processes are reflected in the balance sheets / book value of the organization

7. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros7/15 research challenges to understand and classify inter-organizational learning processes to assess the outcomes of these processes and develop a matrix of processes/outcomes to assess the value of companies based on the outcomes of learning processes and develop a matrix of learning outcomes (processes)/company value to create a learning environment that is employee based (the employee in the center) which monitors, follows the progress, and assesses the outcomes of the learning process of the employee to link this environment to the ERP / accounting systems of the companies to mainstream the research results into international accounting standards community

8. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros8/15 linkage with the learning field and discipline… threefold:  the theories of the learning organisation, organisational learning and learning at work, which provide a general framework for analysing the contexts and possibilities for learning in the workplace  socio-cultural theories of learning, including both institutionalised (school) learning and workplace learning, which provide conceptual tools for understanding the social nature of learning  cognitive theories of learning and studies on the development of expertise in the workplace, which enable the examination of learning processes at the level of the individual

9. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros9/15 about intangibles… measuring the value of intangible assets is the holy grail of accounting. Robert S. Kaplan, David P. Norton

10. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros10/15 what are intangibles? assets that are lacking in physical substance assets that are not financial instruments  examples of intangible assets patents, copyrights, franchises, and trademarks what else? processes? policies? attitudes? soft skills and culture?

11. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros11/15 about learning-related intangibles … 1.are non-financial, non-physical, monetary or non- monetary factors, that 2.have been acquired or internally developed by an organisation or an individual through systematic or not training activities of various types 3.are held for use in the production or supply of goods, services, rental to others, or administrative purposes 4.have finite or infinite life 5.are able to represent a company’s combined knowledge, skills and other soft factors 6.can be presented either as index scores, ratios, or counts

12. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros12/15 about learning-related intangibles … 7.may or may not be sold separately 8.are not represented in financial statements 9.can be expected to be converted into profits and/or give the company a competitive advantage in its marketplace If conditions 1) – 7) and 9) are met, and 10.the company has control over the learning outcome 11.the outcome is a result of past events or transactions (e.g. participation in a related research project or a training activity), 12.and the outcome has identifiable costs then the learning outcome is a knowledge asset.

13. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros13/15 types of intangibles… Papers (that were used as expertise to win contracts or pass proposals) Patents Trademarks Processes Services Products Knowledge, Know-How, Experience Capability Motivation Ability to work in a team Educational and Professional Level Creativity Learning Capability Culture Workflows Established Decision Making System or other related IT systems Network Copyrights etc

14. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros14/15 system overview

15. NL08 Conference SymposiumLL in Organisational Learning Protogeros15/15 conclusions virtual learning environments and Virtual organisations are not a novelty till today they have been primarily regarded from the technology perspective market perspective has been given only secondary importance what we set as priority in our research is the building of capacities in order to capitalise on the intangible aspects of such environments