IT adoption Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Numerous (mostly commercial) web-based systems for the assessment of programming assignments have emerged in the past few years to support the teaching and learning of programming fundamentals. WeBWorK, an initiative led by the University of Rochester to support Mathematics education, is unusual in that it is an open-source and extensible system. Since

This paper examines the effects of information technology (IT) adoption on the productivity of multimarket small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The main hypothesis is that IT usage increases efficiency to a higher degree in diversified and internationalized firms compared with singlemarket SMEs. This hypothesis is tested using a large sample of more than 2,000 Spanish SMEs. Overall, intensive use of IT in operations processes is found to be associated with substantial increases in productivity of firms following both related and unrelated diversification. Also, exporting firms with more intensive use of IT have higher productivity. These results are consistent with previous theoretical arguments on the relationship between IT and efficiency of firms and open future research directions related to the role played by IT in the management control systems of both diversified and exporting firms.

- by FRANCESCO SANDULLI
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- Information Technology, Economics, Small Business, Performance

Study objective: To test the feasibility and effectiveness of Project ASSERT, an innovative program developed by us to facilitate access to the substance abuse treatment system and to primary care and preventive services for emergency... more

- by Edward Bernstein
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- Program Evaluation, Primary Care, Health Promotion, Primary Health Care

Due to the growth in ubiquitous computing technology in the past few years, the need for context-aware service discovery across wide area networks is becoming prevalent. We propose GloServ, which is a global service discovery architecture that locates services throughout wide and local area networks. It supports services encompassing different domains such as events, people or places. Services can be described semantically using the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and can be queried using the RDF Query Language (RQL). GloServ hierarchically defines services using RDF schemas and assigns each service a URI according to its location within the hierarchy. The hierarchical architecture for GloServ is similar to how domain names are categorized in DNS. Service discovery can either be initiated by the user or by the system. For automated service discovery, users are detected with sensors and are presented with services available according to their preferences. Graphical user interfaces for querying data is dynamically generated through the processing of RDF data.

- by Knarig Arabshian
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- Ubiquitous Computing, Wireless networks, Instant Messaging, Wireless Network
- by Anil Verma
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- Industrial Relations, Applied Economics, IT adoption, Business and Management

Abstract. We describe the design and use of the Ontology Pre-Processor Language (OPPL) as a means of embedding the use of Knowledge Patterns in OWL ontologies. We illustrate the specification of patterns in OPPL and discuss the advantages of its adoption by Ontology Engineers with respect to ontology generation, transformation, and maintainability. The consequence of the declarative specification of patterns will be their unambiguous description inside an ontology in OWL. Thus, OPPL enables an ontology engineer to work ...

- by Robert D Stevens
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- Ontology Engineering, IT adoption

The article studies the linkages between industrial relations, organizational innovation and economic performance for the firms of the Emilia-Romagna food-industry. The aim is the investigation of: (i) interactions between union delegates and top management; (ii) adoption of organizational and HRM practices; (iii) linkages between industrial relations, innovations, and firm performance. The analysis suggests a role played by industrial relations in stimulating organizational changes. Industrial relations are also important for firm performances: the linkage proves to be mediated by positive effects of informative, consultative and bargaining practices on organizational changes. The analysis shows a "virtuous circle" between performance and organizational innovations, for firms with good industrial relations. Sommario Il lavoro si occupa delle relazioni tra innovazione organizzativa, relazioni industriali, performance economiche nelle imprese alimentari dell'Emilia-Romagna. L'obiettivo è indagare: (i) l'interazione tra rappresentanze sindacali e management dell'impresa; (ii) l'adozione di innovazioni organizzative e pratiche di gestione delle risorse umane; (iii) i legami tra innovazione organizzativa, relazioni industriali e risultati economici. L'analisi evidenzia l'importanza di relazioni industriali votate al dialogo tra le parti sociali ai fini delle performance economiche. Tale legame è mediato dal mutamento organizzativo il quale, favorito dalla qualità delle relazioni industriali, ha impatto positivo sulle performance. Si riscontra un circolo virtuoso tra innovazione organizzativa e risultati economici delle imprese, in un contesto di buone relazioni industriali.

a b s t r a c t E-procurement is gaining in popularity in business practice and its benefits encourage its adoption for a variety of areas, including IT (Information Technology) purchases. The problem with assessing the value associated with e-procurement has been addressed by researchers and practitioners, but a clear methodology to determine the benefits related to e-procurement adoption is still missing, especially for IT. This paper defines e-procurement and identifies the six most significant drivers for e-procurement adoption, which are the pillars of the proposed value assessment methodology. The authors have also applied the developed methodology to real cases in order to verify its validity and robustness. Finally, although the developed model takes into account the peculiarities of IT purchases, it also raises more research opportunities for other purchasing categories.

- by Alessandro Brun
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- Marketing, Information Technology, Purchasing and Supply Management, IT adoption

This paper examines how a game-like 3D Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE), Quest Atlantis (QA), is used in an after-school programme to engage a group of 14 academically at-risk primary students in their learning. It adopts an activity... more

- by Cher Ping LIM
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- Psychology, Information Technology, Instructional Design, Educational Technology

There have been differnt research efforts to analyze the potential, impact and benefits of introducing information technology in voulantary organizations. But recent literature has highlighted that many voulantary organizations are still in an early stage of IT adoption, in their organizational settings. The lack of funding, unstable organizational structures and diversity in operations are key facts which make IT support in voulantary organizations an interesting emergent field of research. In this paper we analyze types and organizational structures of voulantary organizations to find out the factors which differentiate the IT support in these organizations as compared to other organizations. The paper advocates need for more ethnographic work to closely analyze the work practices of voulantary organizations. The paper provides a summary of related work carried out in participatory development with voulantary organizations and discusses important issues which are worth investigating for the improvement of IT support in voulantary organizations.

- by Saqib Saeed
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- Information Technology, System Design, Organizational structure, Knowledge

We combine the concepts of legitimacy, institutional (mis)alignments, strategic responses and organizing visions to develop a conceptual framework to analyze the adoption of innovations that span organizational fields. We apply this framework to examine a telehealth innovation connecting a public sector hospital-based Eye Clinic with private sector optometry practices. We find that while compromise strategies were successful in encouraging adoption within each field, the innovation ultimately failed because the fields developed different organizing visions that could not be reconciled. The findings suggest that institutional misalignments within and between fields interact to amplify their overall effect on the adoption of hybrid innovations.

- by Raluca Bunduchi and +1
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- Information Systems, Information Management, Institutional Theory, Telehealth

This article describes a framework of IT user culture that has implications for organizational IT strategy. The research was conducted in multiple settings with a grounded theory approach. The resulting framework is anchored to nine archetypal IT user profiles and encompasses their inter-group dynamics. By adopting a cultural perspective on IT usage, the framework can inform IT adoption and usage strategy with possible cultural antecedents and determinants of usage constructs common in IS research. The proposed framework suggests how management can influence the migration of IT user culture (culture creep). This framework can also enrich other acceptance models in order to more fully consider the human factor during IT implementation and adoption. The results underscore the importance of culture-customizing organizational IT socialization, training and evolution programs.

- by Hajer Kefi
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- Information Systems, Human Factors, Digital Culture, Grounded Theory

The Sarbanes-Oxley (Sarbox) legislation aimed to reduce the opacity of financial statements and improve the integrity of financial reporting by enhancing corporate disclosure and governance practices. We estimate the valuation effects of Sarbox for firms in the financial services industry and find that, except for securities firms, these firms significantly benefited from its adoption. As hypothesized, these positive effects may be attributed to expected improvement in the transparency of the relatively opaque financial services firms.

- by Anna Martin and +1
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- Applied Mathematics, Financial Reporting, IT adoption, Legislation

We adopt a class of quasi-cyclic low-density paritycheck codes that allow to overcome the main limitations of the original McEliece cryptosystem based on Goppa codes, that are large key size and low transmission rate. The codes are designed by using a new algorithm based on "Random Difference Families", that permits to construct very large sets of equivalent codes. An extensive cryptanalysis is developed to verify the security level achievable through a selected choice of the system parameters. While previous versions of the McEliece cryptosystem based on LDPC codes are vulnerable to the considered attacks, a new scheme is proposed that ensures satisfactory system robustness with reduced key size and increased transmission rate. Moreover, it is established that the new cryptosystem can be fast enough to justify its adoption as an alternative to widespread solutions, like RSA.

- by Marco Baldi
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- Cryptography, Cryptanalysis, IT adoption, Public key cryptography

Wait-free synchronization has been recognized in the literature as an effective concurrent programming technique. The concurrent programming community, however, has been slow to adopt this technique. This paper addresses the practical application of wait-free synchronization in the design of distributed applications. In this paper, we present an implementation of a server that uses wait-free synchronization. The resulting code is more easily seen to be fault tolerant. The performance analysis of the wait-free synchronization server outperformed a server that uses traditional locking techniques. This practical demonstration of the benefits of wait-free synchronization should help foster its adoption in the development of distributed applications.

- by Manuel Bermudez
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- Information Systems, Distributed Computing, Performance Analysis, IT adoption
- by Rolf Derpsch
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- Desertification, Sea Level, No tillage, IT adoption
- by philip torr
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- Cognitive Science, IT adoption, Sampling strategy, Multiple Views

Diffusion of innovation Thailand UTAUT model a b s t r a c t Background: One of the most important factors for the success of health information technology (IT) implementation is users' acceptance and use of that technology. Thailand has implemented the national universal healthcare program and has been restructuring the country's health IT system to support it. However, there is no national data available regarding the acceptance and use of health IT in many healthcare facilities, including community health centers (CHCs). This study employed a modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) structural model, to understand factors that influence health IT adoption in community health centers in Thailand and to validate this extant IT adoption model in a developing country health care context.

This study examines the adoption of Mobile Internet (M-Internet) as a new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from the value perspective. M-Internet is a fast growing enabling technology for Mobile Commerce. However, despite its phenomenal growth and although M-Internet essentially provides the same services as stationary Internet, its adoption rate in many countries is very low compared to that of stationary Internet. The well-known Technology Adoption Model (TAM) has been used for explaining the adoption of traditional technologies. Most adopters and users of traditional technologies (e.g., spreadsheet, word processor) are employees in an organizational setting who use the technology for work purposes, and the cost of mandatory adoption and usage is borne by the organization. In contrast, adopters and users of M-Internet are individuals who play the dual roles of technology user and service consumer. Most of them adopt and use it for personal purposes, and the cost of voluntary adoption and usage is borne by the individuals. Thus, the adopters of new ICT, especially M-Internet, are also consumers rather than simply technology users. By adopting the theory of consumer choice and decision making from economics and marketing research, this study develops the Value-based Adoption Model (VAM) and explains customers' M-Internet adoption from the value maximization perspective. The findings demonstrate that consumers' perception of the value of M-Internet is a principal determinant of adoption intention, and the other beliefs are mediated through perceived value. The theoretical and practical implications of VAM related to M-Internet are discussed. D

- by Sumeet Gupta
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- Marketing, Information Technology, Economics, Decision Making

Purpose -This paper aims to study the role of ideology in brand strategy with reference to large-scale food retailing. By means of a thorough case study investigation of highly ideology-focused food retailer Eataly, the paper aims to enrich existing theory on retailer branding. The various elements of Eataly's brand have been studied in order to identify how they enact the ideology for which the retailer stands. This topic is particularly relevant in a context where consumers appear increasingly committed to social responsibility and business ethics. So the final goal of the paper is to identify ideology-focused brand choices that lead to a preference towards the retailer. Design/methodology/approach -In order to address this paper's research aim, a well known framework developed by Esbjerg and Bech-Larsen is adopted to conceptualize the retail brand. Case study methodology is applied. Findings -This paper provides both research-related and practical contributions. From a research perspective, it provides empirical evidence on the role of ideology in large-scale food retailing, a field which has been traditionally neglected in the ideology debate. From a practical perspective, it provides a contribution to retailers and brand managers. Three main lessons can be mentioned. First, a company's ideology should be pervasively applied to each aspect of a brand and it seems to be primarily situated within tangible and physical attributes, rather than within symbolic features, at least in the case investigated. Second, an explicit ideology is not exempt from risks. Third, ideology can be subject to multiple interpretations that may give rise to unintended consequences. Research limitations/implications -This study tries to attenuate the reliability issues that are inherent in qualitative research by interviewing multiple informants with different positions inside the company. Triangulation using different types of data sources and systematic data analysis was also employed. Originality/value -The paper raises the importance of ideology in large-scale food retailing. It adopts the Esbjerg and Bech-Larsen framework and introduces the dimension of ideology as a lens through which each aspect of a brand can be interpreted. Moreover, it suggests that a brand's functional attributes play more of a leading role in transmitting ideology than symbolic features, which is somewhat counterintuitive.

- by Stefania Testa
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- Marketing, Business Ethics, Data Analysis, Qualitative Research

Project partnering has gained popularity in the Hong Kong construction industry since its adoption on the North District Hospital project in 1994. An increasing trend in the use of project partnering in building and construction has been observed over the past decade, with a proven track record of success. In order to critically investigate and examine the effectiveness and performance of project partnering as applied in the local building and construction industry, the Construction Industry Institute, Hong Kong (CII-HK) initiated an industry-driven research study in March 2003 to compare the implementation and outcomes of project partnering practices amongst the public, private and infrastructure sectors as well as between building and infrastructure works. This paper summarizes the key findings derived from the CII-HK funded research study completed in late 2004. Based on the case study of six selected projects, a 'best practice' partnering framework is developed. While it has been demonstrated that project partnering can provide extensive benefits to the industry across different sectors, it should be noted that partnering is not a panacea to solve all kinds of problems. What it does is to provide an avenue for people to communicate better thus eliminating unnecessary misunderstanding. It is recommended that partnering be adopted across a wider spectrum of the construction industry during the 21st Century to reap sustainable benefits for construction excellence. r

- by Linda Fan and +1
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- Architecture, Comparative Study, Construction Industry, IT adoption
- by Marika Sardar
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- South Asian Studies, IT adoption, History and archaeology, Turning Point

Many banks in Saudi Arabia are starting to offer banking services through mobile phones. However, not many studies investigate the factors that may help the bankers to design mobile services, which are suitable for and adoptable by bank customers. This study fills this gap and examines a number of factors affecting the mobile banking adoption. Using Diffusion of Innovation as a baseline theory, data are obtained from 330 actual mobile banking users. It is found that relative advantage, compatibility, and observability have positive impact on adoption. Contrary to the findings in extant literature, trialability and complexity have no significant effect on adoption. Perceived risk has a negative impact on adoption. The findings of this study will have practical implications for banking industry in Saudi Arabia.

- by Prof. M. Sadiq Sohail
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- Business, Information Systems, Marketing, Information Technology

The paper presents an application of the "Fit between Individuals, Task and Technology" (FITT) framework to analyze the socio-organizational-technical factors that influence IT adoption in the healthcare domain. The FITT framework was employed as the theoretical instrument for a retrospective analysis of a 15-year effort in implementing IT systems and eHealth services in the context of a Regional Health Information Network in Crete. Quantitative and qualitative research methods, interviews and participant observations were employed to gather data from a case study that involved the entire region of Crete. The detailed analysis of the case study based on the FITT framework, showed common features, but also differences of IT adoption within the various health organizations. The emerging picture is a complex nexus of factors contributing to IT adoption, and multi-level interventional strategies to promote IT use. The work presented in this paper shows the applicability of the...

Argentine farm managers see precision agriculture as a means to reduce costs in grain production, to increase productivity and make input use more efficient. Yield monitors, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) guidance and satellite images are increasingly used in large operations, while Variable Rate Application (VRA) is rare. Factors that encourage its adoption include: large farm operations with relatively high capital

With the imperative of e-government for better transparency, accountability and public services, the problem of low-level citizen adoption of e-government services has been recognized in developed and developing countries. This pressing problem needs socio-technological, political, and cultural perspectives. In this study we develop an integrative research model by extending extant Technology Acceptance Model through the incorporation of a set of social, political, and cultural constructs: trust, perceived public value, and national culture. The model is then tested using a large-scale, multi-site survey research of 413 Jordanian citizens. Our results find strong evidence that citizen attitude toward using e-government services is the most significant determinant of citizen intention to adopt and use e-government services. Citizen attitude, in turn, is jointly determined by perceived public value and perceived ease of use. These results have managerial implications that the government needs to pay closer attention to influencing citizen attitude toward using e-government services.

- by omar Al-Hujran and +1
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- E-Government, IT adoption
- by Maleeha Quershi
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- Development Economics, Rural Development, Applied Economics, IT adoption

The importance of information technology (IT) to businesses is widely acknowledged. Yet, while large businesses have been using computers for some time, small businesses have been slow in adopting IT. The literature on technological innovation suggests that there are two main classes of variables that are important in determining adoption of an innovation: individual characteristics and organizational characteristics. As IT can be viewed as a technological innovation, these two classes of variables are possible determinants of IT adoption. This paper examines the effect of three characteristics of the Chief Executive Offtcer (CEO) and three organizational characteristics on adoption of IT. The three CEO characteristics studied are CEO innovativeness, CEO attitude towards adoption of IT, and CEO IT knowledge. The three organizational characteristics studied are business size, competitiveness of environment, and information intensity. Six hypotheses were formulated and tested using data collected from a sample of 166 small businesses. The results suggest that notwithstanding the business size, CEO characteristics are important factors affecting IT adoption in small businesses. Small businesses are more likely to adopt IT when the CEOs are more innovative, have a positive attitude towards adoption of IT, and possess greater IT knowledge.

- by James Thong
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- Marketing, Information Technology, Small Business, Technological Innovation

- by Ibrahim M Al-Jabri
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- Information Systems, Information Technology, Saudi Arabia, Mobile Banking

After the independence the Indian state offered a democratic form of governance to its citizen by adopting the Constitution in 1950. The Constitution enshrined a host of rights to the Indian citizenry along with a federal structure of the government. The Constitution since its adoption has undergone several Amendments to incorporate many significant social and political requirements of the contemporary society.

The forestry industry provides a good illustration of the active roles that industry associations, environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), national governments, and international organizations can play in developing and promoting codes of conduct that are formally sanctioned and certified. It also reflects some of the challenges of disseminating codes of conduct in developing countries and ensuring market benefits from certification. We describe the emergence of forest certification standards, outline current certification schemes, and discuss the role of major corporations in creating demand for certified products. We also discuss the limited success of certification and some of the obstacles to its adoption in developing countries. The current diversity of forest certification programs and ecolabeling schemes has created a costly, less-than-transparent system that has been largely ineffective in terms of the initial goals of reducing tropical deforestation and illegal logging. Some steps have been taken toward harmonization of different certification criteria as well as endorsement and mutual recognition among existing forest certification programs. However, it is unlikely that standardization alone can overcome other, more serious barriers to certification in developing countries.

Cloud computing has emerged as one of the most discussed topics among enterprise information technology (IT) professionals. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with low budget and human resources are one of the major groups that tend to use cloud computing for achieving the benefit of this technology. A multitude of factors influence the adoption of cloud computing for SMEs. These decisive factors must be systematically evaluated prior to making the decision to adopt cloud-based solutions. The purpose of this study is to identify these factors and determine the extent to which they influence the adoption of cloud computing for SMEs. Therefore, the project describes a research model that is based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the technology, organization and environment (TOE) framework. Based on previous study, research model was developed to test eight (8) variables, which are: relative advantage, compatibility, security concerns, cost savings, technology readiness, top manager support, competitive pressure and regulatory support. Data was collected by survey questionnaires from a sample of 22 SMEs that all of these SMEs as a customer’s of one cloud provider. There are 77 experts in information technology department from those SMEs are selected to fill the questionnaires. The Smart PLS tool was used for data analysis. The results of the data analysis generally support the model, as well as all of the proposed hypotheses. In summary, the results of this research have shown relative advantage, compatibility, security concerns, cost savings, technology readiness, top manager support, competitive pressure and regulatory support were found to have significant influence on adoption of cloud computing for SMEs.

- by Mahyar Amini
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- Information Systems, Information Technology, SME, Diffusion of Innovations

Mobile banking (mBanking) enables customers to carry out their banking tasks via mobile devices. We advance the extant body of knowledge about mBanking adoption by proposing a model for understanding the importance and relationship between the user perception of mBanking, initial trust in mBanking services, and the fit between the technology and mBanking task characteristics. We synergistically combine the strengths of three IS theories -task technology fit (TTF) model, unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT), and initial trust model (ITM). The model was tested in a study conducted in Portugal, one of the European Union (EU) countries with the highest mobile phone adoption. Based on the sample of 194 individuals we applied partial least squares (PLS) to test the conceptual model propose. The path significance levels were estimated using the bootstrapping method (500 resamples). The study found that facilitating conditions and behavioral intentions directly influence mBanking adoption. Initial trust, performance expectancy, technology characteristics, and task technology fit have total effect on behavioral intention. The paper offers valuable insights to decision-makers involved in the implementation and deployment of mBanking services. For researchers, the paper highlights the usefulness of integrating TTF, UTAUT and ITM in the development of a decision support framework to study the adoption of new technologies.

- by Manoj Thomas and +1
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- Information Systems, Distributed Computing, Information Management, Mobile Banking

The 2002 global ICT rankings by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ranked Nigeria 27 th among 51 African countries and 153 rd among 178 countries in the world. It was against this background that the paper investigated the state of ICT in the Nigerian construction industry to highlight the level of ICT penetration, its impact in the industry and the constraints to its adoption. The study identified the factors significantly impacting the level of ICT use, grouping them into those internal to the industry and those external to it. A total of 136 respondents to a questionnaire survey, comprising, contractors, consultants and academic researchers, provided empirical data for the analysis. The results showed that some internal factors, i.e., the type of business (whether contracting, consulting or academic), chief executive officers (CEOs)/senior managers' perception of the benefits of ICT and the years of computer literacy of the CEOs/senior managers were significantly correlated with the level of ICT use in the industry. However, none of the external factors were significantly correlated with the level of ICT use. The main uses of ICT in the industry are word processing, Internet communications, costing and work scheduling. The top five constraints to the use of ICT are insufficient/irregular power supply, high cost of ICT software and hardware, low job order for firms, fear of virus attacks and high rate of obsolescence of ICT software and hardware. A comparison with the results of similar studies in some industrialised and newly industrialised countries indicated that the proportion of firms using the computer is quite high for a developing like Nigeria. It also highlighted the large gap in access to electricity and other communications infrastructure between developed and developing countries.

The technology acceptance model (Davis 1989) is one of the most widely used models of IT adoption. According to TAM, IT adoption is influenced by two perceptions: usefulness and ease-of-use. Research has shown that perceived usefulness (PU) affects intended adoption of IT, but has mostly failed to do so regarding perceived ease of use (PEOU). The basic proposition of this study is that this varying importance of PEOU may be related to the nature of the task. PEOU relates to assessments of the intrinsic characteristics of IT, such as the ease of use, ease of learning, flexibility, and clarity of its interface. PU, on the other hand, is a response to user assessment of its extrinsic, i.e., task-oriented, outcomes: how IT helps users achieve task-related objectives, such as task efficiency and effectiveness. Accordingly, the study theorizes that PEOU directly affects IT adoption only when the primary task for which the IT is deployed is directly associated with intrinsic IT characteris...

- by Detmar Straub and +1
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- Web Development, IT adoption, Diffusion of Innovation, Perceived Usefulness

Cloud Computing (CC) has emerged as one of the most discussed topics among enterprise information technology (IT) professionals. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with low budget and human resources are one of the major groups that tend to use CC for achieving the benefit of this technology. A multitude of factors influence the adoption of CC for SMEs. These decisive factors must be systematically evaluated prior to making the decision to adopt cloud-based solutions. The purpose of this study is to identify these factors and determine the extent to which they influence the adoption of CC for SMEs. Therefore, the project describes a research model that is based on the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the technology, organization and environment (TOE) framework. Based on previous study, research model was developed to test eight (8) variables, which are: relative advantage, compatibility, security concerns, cost savings, technology readiness, top manager support, competitive pressure and regulatory support. Data was collected by survey questionnaires from a sample of 22 SMEs that all of these SMEs as a customer's of one cloud provider. There are 77 experts in information technology department from those SMEs are selected to fill the questionnaires. The Smart PLS tool was used for data analysis. The results of the data analysis generally support the model, as well as all of the proposed hypotheses. In summary, the results of this research have shown relative advantage, compatibility, security concerns, cost savings, technology readiness, top manager support, competitive pressure and regulatory support were found to have significant influence on adoption of CC for SMEs.

- by Mahyar Amini and +1
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- Information Systems, Structural Equation Modeling, Adoption and Diffusion of innovations, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises

Scala fuses object-oriented and functional programming in a statically typed programming language. It is aimed at the construction of components and component systems. This paper gives an overview of the Scala language for readers who are... more

- by Malaika Mwepu - Lunda
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- Functional Programming, Path Dependence, Language Design, IT adoption

Taking the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework, this study analyzes how commercial features of the Internet determine its adoption as a sales system. In particular, the study examines the influence of product perception, shopping experience, information provided or the level of risk perceived on the adoption of B2C e-commerce. The results show that attitudes toward e-commerce, subjective norm and perceived risk are the main factors that affect the decision to purchase from electronic retailers. Moreover, the results show that the influence of the commercial features of the Internet is mediated through attitudes toward e-commerce.

- by Angel Crespo
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- Information Systems, Theory of Planned Behavior, Applied Economics, Commerce

A visual basic program (POCI) is proposed and explained in order to analyze oedometer test results. Oedometer test results have vital importance from geotechnical point of view, since settlement requirements usually control the design of foundations. The software POCI is developed in order perform the necessary calculations for convential oedometer test. The change of global void ratio and stress-strain characteristics can be observed both numerically and graphically. It enables the users to calculate some parameters such as coefficient of consolidation, compression index, recompression index, and preconsolidation pressure depending on the type and stress history of the soil. Moreover, it adopts the concept of intergranular void ratio which may be important especially in the compression behavior of sandy soils. POCI shows the variation of intergranular void ratio and also enables the users to calculate granular compression index. r

- by Okan Önal
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- Engineering, Earth Sciences, Visual basic, IT adoption

Purpose -Changing career patterns and the erosion of job security have led to a growing emphasis on employability as a basis for career and employment success. The written and psychological contracts between employer and employer have become more transactional and less relational, and loyalty is no longer a guarantee of ongoing employment. Individuals are thus expected to take primary responsibility for their own employability rather than relying on the organisation to direct and maintain their careers. The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the assumptions underpinning the concept of employability and evaluate the extent to which employability has been adopted as a new covenant in the employment relationship. Design/methodology/approach -Through a review of relevant literature the paper discusses current research on careers and employability and examines the available evidence regarding its adoption as a basis for contemporary employment relationships. Findings -The paper finds that the transfer of responsibility for employability from organisation to individual has not been widespread. There is still an expectation that organisations will manage careers through job-specific training and development. Employability has primarily benefited employees with highly developed or high-demand skills. Employability is not a guarantee of finding suitable employment. Practical implications -Employers can assist their employees by clarifying changes to the psychological contract, highlighting the benefits of career self-management, and providing training and development in generic employability skills. Originality/value -The paper questions underlying assumptions about employability and explores issues of relevance to human resource managers, policy-makers, employers and employees.

- by David Gefen
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- Information Systems, Web Development, IT adoption, Business and Management

Anecdotal evidence permeates accounts on the impact of the global economic crisis (GEC) on Philippine poverty. This study systematically assesses the evidence and recent data. It adopts a somewhat eclectic approach, applying regression and decomposition techniques to trace the GEC impact on GDP and its major components, constructing panel data from nationally representative household surveys to trace the changes in household welfare during the crisis, and combining national income accounts and household survey data to simulate the differential effects of the crisis across population groups and social divides. Empirical findings suggest that although the Philippine economy did not slide to recession during the GEC, the impact of the crisis on the economy and poverty across population groups was nonetheless severeand may linger for many years to come. JEL classifications: I3, O16, O53

- by Dennis S Mapa and +2
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- Economic Growth, Panel Data, IT adoption, Economic Crisis

While the technology acceptance model (TAM), introduced in 1986, continues to be the most widely applied theoretical model in the IS field, few previous efforts examined its accomplishments and limitations. This study traces TAM's history, investigates its findings, and cautiously predicts its future trajectory. One hundred and one articles published by leading IS journals and conferences in the past eighteen years are examined and summarized. An openended survey of thirty-two leading IS researchers assisted in critically examining TAM and specifying future directions.

- by Kai R . Larsen and +1
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- Technology, IT adoption, Meta Analysis, IS research

- by Tiffany Ann
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- Information Systems, Information Technology, Meta-Analysis, IT adoption

This paper explores the relationship between SMEs' internal environment and SMEs' ability to use information systems for strategy implementation. The resource-based view of the firm is used to examine those factors hindering strategic adoption. Five hypotheses were confirmed through a cross-sectional survey of SMEs in Nigeria leading to the conclusion that owners’/management involvement, IT-business plan, funding, sufficient IT regulation and types of IT implemented are significantly related to strategic IS adoption. Another key finding is that a significant number of SMEs have adopted IT applications and are using them for managing accounting/payroll, sales, personnel, inventory and other business concerns.

- by Soji Egbonwon
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- Strategic Management, Strategic Planning, SMES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, IT adoption

Through its adoption of the biomedical model of disease which promotes medical individualism and its reliance on the individual-based anthropology, mainstream bioethics has predominantly focused on respect for autonomy in the clinical setting and respect for person in the research site, emphasizing self-determination and freedom of choice. However, the emphasis on the individual has often led to moral vacuum, exaggeration of human agency, and a thin (liberal?) conception of justice. Applied to resource-poor countries and communities within developed countries, autonomy-based bioethics fails to address the root causes of diseases and public health crises with which individuals or communities are confronted. A sociological explanation of disease causation is needed to broaden principles of biomedical ethics and provides a renewed understanding of disease, freedom, medical practice, patient-physician relationship, risk and benefit of research and treatment, research priorities, and health policy.

- by Stuart Rennie
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- Philosophy, Applied Ethics, Health Promotion, Bioethics

The study seeks to examine the impact of Information technology (IT) governance structure, process and relational mechanisms on firm performance. Using an event study, we collected a sample of 70 announcements of IT governance adoption investments. We found that most firms adopt all three types of IT governance mechanisms. IT governance structural mechanisms have a positive impact on firm's profitability. In contrast, IT governance process and relational mechanisms have a negative association with firm performance. More interestingly, the findings provide insight for organizations that they should realize the potentially negative impact of the controls requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 404 and IT leadership on firm performance.

- by Linh N K Duong
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- IT adoption, Event Study

The current economic crisis in Africa has posed a serious challenge to policies of comprehensive and equitable health care. This paper examines the extent to which the Zimbabwe government has achieved the policy of "Equity in Health" it adopted at independence in 1980, that is provision of health care according to need. The paper identifies groups with the highest level of health needs in terms of both health status and economic factors which increase the risk of ill health. It describes a series of changes within the health sector in support of resource redistribution towards health needs, including a shift in the budget allocation towards preventive care, expansion of rural infrastructures, increased coverage of primary health care, introduction of free health services for those earning below Z$lSO a month in 1980, increased manpower deployment in the public sector and the reorientation of medical training towards the health needs of the majority. The implementation of equity policies in health have however been challenged by several trends and features of the health care system, these becoming more pronounced in the economic stagnation period after 1983. These include the reduction in allocations to local authorities, increasing the pressure for fees, the static nominal level of the free health care limit despite inflation, the continued concentration of financial, higher cost manpower and other resources within urban, central and private sector health care and the lack of effective functioning of the referral system, with high cost central quatemary facilities being used as primary or secondary level care by nearby urban residents. While primary health care expansion has clearly been one of the success stories of Zimbabwe's health care post 1980, the paper notes plateauing coverage, with evidence of lack of coverage in more high risk, socio-economically marginal communities. Measures to address these continuing inequalities are discussed. Their implementation is seen to be dependent on increasing the capacity and organisation of the poor to more strongly influence policy and resource distribution in the health sector.

- by Rene Loewenson
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- Sociology, Anthropology, Poverty, Primary Health Care

Vision Zero, the Swedish road safety policy goal, states that in the long run, no person should be killed or seriously injured as a consequence of road traffic. Since its adoption in 1997, the goal has been seriously criticised. In 2007, performance of the first interim target will be evaluated and a new interim target will be set. In this paper, we summarise the experiences from working with the goal and analyse the criticism that has been put forward against it. The most common criticism is that Vision Zero is an irrational goal. In order to evaluate this criticism, we compare Vision Zero with an independently developed list of adequacy criteria for rational goal-setting. We conclude that according to these criteria, Vision Zero is not irrational.

- by Sven Hansson
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- Philosophy, Road safety, Urban And Regional Planning, Goal Setting