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Professor John Edwards

John Edwards

Deputy Dean & Head of Faculty

Operations & Information Management Group

Education

  • BA with First Class Honours in mathematics, University of Cambridge, 1973
  • MA, University of Cambridge, 1977
  • PhD in operational research (manpower planning), University of Cambridge, 1980

Employment

  • 2002 date Professor of Operational Research and Systems, Aston Business School, Aston University. Also currently Head of Academic Programmes in Aston Business School and leader of Aston University’s Flexible Learning Development Centre
  • 2001 2002 Reader in Operational Research and Systems, Aston Business School, Aston University.
  • 1991 2001 Senior Lecturer in Operational Research and Systems, Aston Business School, Aston University.
  • 1978 1991 Lecturer in Operational Research and Systems, Management Centre (now Aston Business School), Aston University.
  • 1976 1977 Project Officer, Personnel and Training Department, Thomas Cook Group, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough

Research Interests

My interest has always been in how people use models and systems to help them do things. For many years I have studied the development and uses of knowledge based systems and decision support systems in management and administration, especially the integration of knowledge based systems, decision support systems and conventional information systems.

My principal research interest at present is in knowledge management. Current projects include:

  • Integrating knowledge-based systems with simulation models, in collaboration with Warwick Business School. This research is funded by EPSRC, Ford and the Lanner Group.
  • Investigating knowledge management strategy and its implementation, in collaboration with Dr Duncan Shaw. This builds on earlier work funded in part by CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
  • Knowledge management and risk management, especially in the National Health Service. A PhD project on this topic is funded by Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust.
  • The relevance of technology to knowledge management. One aspect of this work is looking at the knowledge management implications of ERP systems implementation.

Recent Research Funding

“SimKnowledge: Simulation Based Knowledge Elicitation.” (Principal Investigator Dr S L Robinson, University of Warwick)
Amount: £170,834 Source: EPSRC/Warwick Integrated Manufacturing Centre.
Date: October 2002 Duration: 3 years

“Management Accounting and Knowledge Management” (with Dr P M Collier and Dr D A Shaw)
Amount: £8860 Source: CIMA
Date: Sept 2001 Duration: 11 months

“Improving Maintenance Scheduling Through Knowledge Based Simulation” (Principal Investigator Dr S L Robinson, University of Warwick)
Amount: £84727 Source: EPSRC/DTI
Date: Sept 1999 Duration: 3 years

Refereeing and Reviewing

ESRC, EPSRC, Leverhulme Trust, Belgian Government IAP and some 15 journals including JORS, EJOR and Omega

Journals and Conferences

  • Editor of the Operational Research Society/Palgrave Macmillan journal Knowledge Management Research & Practice
  • Editorial Board, International Journal of Knowledge and Learning
  • Editorial Board, Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management
  • Chair of the Knowledge Management Aston Conference series (KMAC2000, KMAC2003 and scheduled for July 2006).

Professional Organizations

  • Operational Research Society
  • Higher Education Academy
  • Association for Information Systems
  • British Academy of Management
  • British Computer Society Specialist Group on Artificial Intelligence
  • UK Academy of Information Systems
  • Committee of Professors in Operational Research
  • Committee of Heads and Professors in Information Systems

Teaching - Current responsibilities

  • BN2225 Business Game (second year undergraduate, umpiring only)
  • BNM733 Developing Business Systems (MBA and MSc)
  • BNM739 Knowledge Management (MSc and MBA, one session only)

Recent Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

  • ROBINSON S, ALIFANTIS T, EDWARDS J S, LADBROOK J and WALLER A. Knowledge based improvement: Simulation and artificial intelligence for identifying and improving human decision-making in an operations system. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 2005 (to appear).
  • DUAN Y, EDWARDS J S and XU M X. Web-based expert systems: Benefits and challenges. Information & Management, 2005 (to appear).
  • SHAW D and EDWARDS J S. Building user commitment to implementing a knowledge management strategy. Information & Management, 2005 (to appear).
  • EDWARDS J S, HALL M J and SHAW D. Proposing a systems vision of knowledge management in emergency care. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 2005 (to appear).
  • EDWARDS J S, SHAW D and COLLIER P M. Knowledge management systems: Finding a way with technology. Journal of Knowledge Management, 2004 (to appear).
  • EDWARDS J S, ALIFANTIS A, HURRION R D, LADBROOK J, ROBINSON S and WALLER A. Using a simulation model for knowledge elicitation and knowledge management. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, 2004, 12 (7/8), 527-540.
  • COLLIER P M, EDWARDS J S and SHAW D. Communicating knowledge about police performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2004, 53 (5), 458-467.
  • ROBINSON S, EDWARDS J S and YONGFA W. Linking the Witness simulation software to an expert system to represent a decision-making process. Journal of Computing and Information Technology, 2003, 11 (2), 123-133.
  • SHAW D, EDWARDS J S, BAKER B and COLLIER P M. Achieving closure through knowledge management strategy. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 2003, 1 (2), Article 19.
  • EDWARDS J S, HANDZIC M, CARLSSON S and NISSEN M. Knowledge management research & practice: Visions and directions. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 2003, 1 (1), 49-60.
  • EDWARDS J S, COLLIER P M and SHAW D. Intelligence agents. Financial Management, 2003, (November), 34-35.
  • EDWARDS J S, COLLIER P M and SHAW D. Making a journey in knowledge management strategy. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 2003, 2 (2), 135-151.
  • EDWARDS J S and KIDD J B. Knowledge management sans frontières. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 2003, 54 (2), 130-139.
  • LI S, DAVIES B, EDWARDS J S, KINMAN R and DUAN Y. Integrating group Delphi, fuzzy logic and expert systems for marketing strategy development: The hybridisation and its effectiveness. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 2002, 20 (5), 273-284.
  • PANAGIOTIDIS P and EDWARDS J S. Organisational learning - a critical systems thinking discipline. European Journal of Information Systems, 2001, 10 (3), 135-146.
  • PANAGIOTIDIS P and EDWARDS J S. Developing intrinsically motivated information systems: A critical systems approach. Information Systems Frontiers, 2001, 3 (2), 211-226.

Edited Books

  • EDWARDS J S (ed). Proceedings of KMAC2003, the Knowledge Management Aston Conference. Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 2003. 399 pp.
  • EDWARDS J S and KIDD J B (eds). KMAC2000. Knowledge management beyond the hype: Looking towards the new millennium. Operational Research Society, Birmingham, 2000. 412 pp.
  • Book Sections
  • EDWARDS J S. Implementing knowledge management by linking it to business processes. In: Khosrow-Pour M (ed). Encyclopedia of information science and technology. Idea Group, Hershey, PA, 2005 (to appear).
  • SHAW D, BAKER B and EDWARDS J S. Communities of implementation. In: Coakes E and Clarke S (eds). Encyclopedia of communities of practice in information and knowledge management. Idea Group, Hershey, PA, 2005, to appear.
  • EDWARDS J S. Managing software engineers and their knowledge. In: Aurum A, Jeffery R, Wohlin C and Handzic M (eds). Managing software engineering knowledge. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2003, 5-27.
  • EDWARDS J S, SHAW D and COLLIER P M. Knowledge management in SMEs: It's different, but not so different. In: Oliver S (ed). Making electronic commerce work for small and medium enterprises. e4sme, Bolton, UK, 2003, 89-109.
  • EDWARDS J S and KIDD J B. Bridging the gap from the general to the specific by linking knowledge management to business processes. In: Hlupic V (ed) Knowledge and business process management. Idea Group, Hershey PA, 2003, 118-136.
  • ROBINSON S, ALIFANTIS A, HURRION R D, EDWARDS J S, LADBROOK J and WALLER T. Modelling and improving maintenance decisions: Having foresight with simulation and artificial intelligence. In: Sporton M (ed) Foresight vehicle technology: Consumer driven design, manufacturing, supply chain, and purchasing. SAE International, Warrendale, PA, 2002, 201-208.
  • KIDD J B and EDWARDS J S. Making the intangible tangible. In: Banerjee P and Richter F-J (eds). Intangibles in competition and cooperation. Euro-asian perspectives. Palgrave, Basingstoke and New York, 2001, 138-162.

Reports

  • EDWARDS J S, COLLIER P M and SHAW D. Management Accounting and Knowledge Management. CIMA, London, 2004

Refereed Conference Proceedings

  • EDWARDS J S. Knowledge systems and business processes. In Technology Creation Based on Knowledge Science: Theory and Practice. Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Ishikawa, Japan, 2004, 30-38
  • EDWARDS J S and SHAW D. Supporting knowledge management with it. In: Meredith R, Shanks G, Arnott D and Carlsson S (eds). Decision Support in an Uncertain and Complex World: Proceedings of the 2004 IFIP WG8.3 International Conference on Decision Support Systems DSS2004. Monash University, Tuscany, Italy, 2004, 233-242.
  • SHAW D, EDWARDS J S, BAKER B and COLLIER P M. Planning when there is no tomorrow: Knowledge management for an organization with a limited life-span. In: McGrath F and Remenyi D (eds). Fourth European Conference on Knowledge Management. MCIL, Reading, Oxford, 2003, 821-830.
  • CHEN S, DUAN Y, EDWARDS J S and LEHANEY B. An investigation on smes' inter-organisational knowledge transfer needs. In: McGrath F and Remenyi D (eds). Fourth European Conference on Knowledge Management. MCIL, Reading, Oxford, 2003, 171-179.
  • SHAW D, EDWARDS J S and COLLIER P M. Comparing knowledge management between organisations: Searching for good practice. In: Edwards J S (ed). KMAC2003, The Knowledge Management Aston Conference. Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 2003, 42-53.
  • CHEN S, DUAN Y, EDWARDS J S and KINMAN R. Inter-organisational knowledge transfer strategies. In: Edwards J S (ed). KMAC2003, The Knowledge Management Aston Conference. Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 2003, 191-204.
  • EDWARDS J S, SHAW D and COLLIER P M. Group perceptions of knowledge management. In: Third European Conference on Knowledge Management. MCIL, Reading, UK, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, 2002, 209-222.
  • EDWARDS J S, ALIFANTIS A, HURRION R D, LADBROOK J, ROBINSON S and WALLER T. Knowledge elicitation supported by simulation. In: Aldabi T, Robinson S, Taylor S J E and Wilcox P A (eds). Proceedings of the Simulation Study Group Workshop 2002. Operational Research Society, Birmingham, 2002, 31-37.
  • CHEN S, DUAN Y and EDWARDS J S. Towards an inter-organisational knowledge transfer framework for SMEs. In: Proceedings of the Third European Conference on Knowledge Management. MCIL, Reading, UK, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, 2002, 160-171.
  • ROBINSON S, ALIFANTIS A, EDWARDS J S, HURRION R D, LADBROOK J and WALLER T. Modelling and improving human decision making with simulation. In: Peters B A, Smith J S, Medeiros D J and Rohrer M W (eds). Proceedings of The 2001 Winter Simulation Conference. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Piscataway, New Jersey, 2001, 913-920.
  • EDWARDS J S and KIDD J B. Knowledge management when "the times they are a-changin'". In: Remenyi D (ed) Proceedings of the Second European Conference on Knowledge Management. MCIL, Reading, UK, Bled, Slovenia, 2001, 171-183.
  • ALIFANTIS A, ROBINSON S, EDWARDS J S, HURRION R, LADBROOK J and WALLER T. Knowledge based improvement: Simulation and ai for improving unplanned maintenance operations. In: Kobbacy K and Vadera S (eds). Proceedings of the Second European Conference on Intelligent Manufacturing Systems in Operations. Operational Research Society, University of Salford, 2001, 49-60.
  • PANAGIOTIDIS P and EDWARDS J S. Organisational learning - a critical systems thinking discipline. In: Edwards J S and Kidd J B (eds). KMAC2000 Knowledge Management Beyond The Hype: Looking Towards The New Millennium. Operational Research Society, Aston University, Birmingham, UK, 2000, 348-363.
  • KIDD J B and EDWARDS J S. Fast moving global demand led supply chains: How organisational learning may offer bridges in crossing cultures. In: Remenyi D (ed) Proceedings of the First European Conference on Knowledge Management. MCIL, Reading, UK, Bled, Slovenia, 2000, 49-57.
  • EDWARDS J S. Artificial intelligence and knowledge management: How much difference can it really make? In: Edwards J S and Kidd J B (eds). Proceedings of KMAC2000. Knowledge Management Beyond The Hype: Looking Towards The New Millennium. Operational Research Society, Aston University, Birmingham, UK, 2000, 136-147.