MSM’s Textbook Strategy Vindicated

Amidst increasing hype about e-books and Internet-only publishing, MSM decided that the Maastricht School of Management Series in Intercultural and Global Management should be low-cost, small and light books that rely minimally on Web interaction.  Two recent reports confirm that this was the right decision.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has just reported that many digital textbooks do not have the features that students want. According to the Chronicle, a coalition of independent student organizations surveyed 500 students from several universities. The survey showed that students feel manipulated by the “digital rights management” embodied in e-books, which limits copying and erases the book automatically at the end of the semester. “About 75 percent of those surveyed said they prefer a printed textbook over an electronic one. And 60 percent said that even if a free digital copy were available, they would still pay for a low-cost print version." 

Michael Barkoviak of DailyTech writes today that “After seeing a high level of demand for its Kindle e-book reader, Amazon plans to market its newest Kindle to high school and college students. A product weighing just 10.3 ounces and able to hold multiple textbooks could be appealing to college students who typically spend hundreds of dollars per semester on text books” and have to carry several heavy books around campus. 

Though Amazon has sold almost 300,000 Kindles, they still cost US$359, a hefty burden for many students, and they cannot yet display the color diagrams that are key to explaining many academic subjects.

Though all these technical and cost hurdles will be overcome eventually, students need a solution now.  MSM’s series is well positioned to provide that solution.

Q&A on peer review of conference papers, book contributorship

These questions came in from Prof. Hernan Riquelme at MSM’s Kuwait partner KMBS. 

Q. I wonder if the manuscripts in the next MsM Partners Conference can be peer reviewed. I do not know if this has anything to do with [2008’s] low turnout, but many universities do not consider publications in non-refereed conferences. Given the low number of manuscripts presented, I do not think that it would be difficult to split them among the many academics in our network.

A. The conference proceedings are peer-reviewed, even if during a year with few submissions I am the only member of the review committee.  For 2008 I did reject a few papers, and in previous years there were enough submissions to justify a larger review committee.  But thanks for the reminder - I will emphasize in the 2009 calls for papers that selected papers do appear in a refereed proceedings.

Q. I have a couple of questions on the book contributions. Do the authors have to be lecturers in the MSM program?

A. Book chapter and case authors do not have to be lecturers in the MSM program.  We hope to give first option to faculty and doctoral students at MSM partner schools and institutes.  However, the net can be cast wider.  I have needed to do this for the MITE book, for example.

Q. Is there a description of the Intercultural and Global Management [book series] chapters? There is a link after the title but it does not take me to a book layout.

A. Chapter descriptions in the forthcoming books should follow the main topics in the syllabus for the corresponding core course.  I was planning to ask the MSM Programs Manager for the remaining syllabuses, but she just left on maternity leave.  A happier task than looking for syllabuses!  In any event, you can obtain syllabuses from the MSM liaison manager responsible for your school.

Good progress on the MITE book!

With new volunteer authors and new permissions for key cases, the MSM Managing Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship textbook is coming along nicely.

• Professor Yu-Shan Su of Chang Jung Christian University (Taiwan) will fill out chapter 3.
  
• Professors Rod McNaughton (Eyton Chair in Entrepreneurship) and Amir Gabriel of the University of Waterloo (Canada) have offered to write chapter 4.
  
• Prof. John Verhardt has promised chapter 14.
• Original cases have been promised by Dr. Cristina Santini of the University of Florence (Italy) and by Yansi Xu, student at the Internationella Högskolan Jönköping (Sweden).
  
• The IC2 Institute at the University of Texas (USA) has extended permission to use material on business plans authored by the late Dr. Gene Konecci.
  
• Springer Verlag has extended permission to use two cases from my 2001 book Market-Oriented Technology Management.
• Prof. Beatrice Avolio and Mr. Daniel More Torres (Peru) have offered material on Peruvian entrepreneurship.
• Dr. Khaled Wahba (Egypt) and Dr. John Renner (Canada) have offered material on business startups in their countries.
• Prof. Lei Tang (France) has sent a case on a Chinese telecomms company.

Thanks to all!