Keynote Speaker

Professor Arumugam Dhanalakshmi

Wenzhou University, China

Title:  Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Agents as a catalyst for the development  of E-commerce

Abstract:

Without any question, one   could admit that the world is witnessing the presence and the influence of   Information Technology in our day-to-day lives. It’s inconceivable to ignore   the new technologies which are lined up. Today, the invention of the integrated   circuit, computer, harnessing of light for communications, Artificial   Intelligence, Machine Learning, and the presence of Virtual   Agents/Intelligent Virtual agents, software agents have made possible in the   creation of the global E-commerce and an electronic revolution that will once   again transform our lives. Among the innumerable achievements of Information   Technology, agent technology is one of those most important inventions which   invoked increasing attentions due to the effective services.   They can autonomously perform certain   tasks in a network setting through autonomy, reactivity and pro-activity,   creativity and capable of adapting to the environment in which they operate.   Virtual agents facilitate E-commerce to gain a competitive edge by acting on behalf of the human   users/organizations to perform information gathering tasks, such as locating   and accessing information from various sources, filtering unwanted   information, and providing decision support. Through the invention of virtual   agents, E-commerce provides benefits to different stakeholders including   organizations, customers, and society at large.  Using E-commerce, organizations can expand   their market to national and international which can easily locate more   customers, best suppliers, improved the brand image, suitable business   partners across the globe with cost efficiency, simplify the business   processes by using just-in-time (JIM) manufacturing way, better customer   services effectively by digitizing the information.  When it comes to customers, they need not   travel to shop in the heavy traffic with pollution, 24x7 products and   services are ensured with more options to compare, review, participate in   virtual auction and select the cheaper price due to substantial discounts   through virtual agents.  At large   society is getting benefited through E-commerce, it helps in reducing the   cost of products, less affluent people can also afford the products, it   enables rural areas to access services and products, which are otherwise not   available to them. E-commerce helps the government to deliver public services   such as healthcare, education, social services at a reduced cost and in an   improved manner.  All the above stated   benefits could be effective due to the presence of virtual agents. The services   of Virtual Agent are recognizable or invisible but they certainly act as a   catalyst in the development of E-commerce initiatives. The keynote speech   will include the following: The history of E-commerce, E-commerce models,   pros-cons of different E-commerce, typology of agents, virtual   agents/intelligent virtual agents. And in fine, briefly discuss various   benefits of virtual agents for the development of E-commerce initiatives.

Associate Professor Samuel Kwok

Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, China

Title: Culture & Authenticity – How story-telling can be possible in luxury branding narrative policy management

Abstract:

This paper explores the practices of narrative policy strategy on luxury brand culture management by proposing a work-based learning research approach of it. Social media eliminates many physical trials of brand authenticity and significantly reverse the direction of communication between brands and customers. The roles fixation in the past is shaken by customers with their online identity and power. This paper is the result of a self-review analysis of myself as a brand practitioner, and showing the understanding of quester perspective in the management practice of brands’ narrative policy. By autoethnography and institutional ethnography study, this paper is aimed to discuss the research method of how Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) could reveal the roles of practitioner on the extent and ways that the existence of quester perspective couldn’t be ignored. Also, whether domination and control fetches of associated roles in the micro-level practice of NPF management could be possible. With a policy goal as premise for stakeholders involved, at meso-level of the NPF, this paper will discuss why an analyze of the role of policy narrative in a policy system and sub-system are essential in the research method to find out whether the practitioners, as political actors, expand and contract the scope of conflict to control other actor involvement in a policy subsystem.