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COVID-19 forced many universities to shift from traditional face-to-face or blended learning, to full online learning. The sudden shift was not easy for both students and lecturers, who had to adapt to the new learning mode. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptance and use of online learning of university students in the law faculty at a South African university during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employs the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) model particularised to the online learning context in a country with a developing economy. An online survey was administered to the student participants. The structural equation modelling analyses indicated that social influence predicted the student behavioural intention, and that facilitating conditions and price value predicted the actual behavioural use of online learning. Consequently, universities will know which factors are essential during the transition from traditional learning to full online learning in a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic self-efficacy is identified as one of the strongest predictors of students' academic performance. However, few studies have explored the factors that influence students' academic self-efficacy in a blended learning environment. By developing a comprehensive model, this study investigates the main factors that influence students' academic self-efficacy in blended learning from the personal, interpersonal, and environmental perspectives. The relevant information was acquired through a questionnaire survey. The participants included 366 college students at a university in central China. Hierarchical regression analysis shows that intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, instructor support, performance expectancy, and facilitating conditions are significant predictors of students' academic self-efficacy in blended learning. The findings expand the understanding of students' academic self-efficacy in technology-enhanced learning environments and provide valuable insights that could help to improve the appropriateness of instructional design in blended learning courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to discern the students' perception of social media networks integration into the educational process. The study was conducted in seven universities in the Northern region of Jordan. To achieve this goal, authors used the descriptive survey approach. A stratified random sample of 762 students from both genders and different disciplines were targeted. For data collection purposes, a survey tool was designed, which consisted of one polar question, one open question and a questionnaire consisting of fifteen 5-point Likert scale paragraphs. Results indicated that 82.41% of respondents showed constructive attitudes toward the integration of social media to the educational process and indicated their top preferred social media applications. Furthermore, the findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between use behaviour and behavioural intentions, as well as a significant relationship between use behaviour and facilitating conditions. Finally, the results showed no significant statistical difference at α = 0.05 between the respondents' statistical means pertaining to students' gender or field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A learning management system is capable of enriching instruction and acceptance of this learning technology by users is crucial to its successful application in higher education. This study investigated factors that influenced adoption of a learning management system by higher education teachers using the technology acceptance model which incorporates three external constructs: system quality, perceived self-efficacy and facilitating conditions. Data collected from faculty respondents (n=127) through an online survey were examined by employing partial least squares-structural equation modeling. While several relationships were confirmed, others were not supported by this research. Results showed that both system quality and perceived self-efficacy strongly influenced perceived usefulness, which in turn indirectly affected attitudes towards the technology and behavioral intention. Additionally, system quality directly affected perceived ease of use and attitudes toward technology use. The strong and direct influence of perceived self-efficacy on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use suggests that faculty with positive beliefs about their ability to use the learning management system will regard it as both useful and easy to use. Facilitating conditions, on the other hand, affected neither perceived ease of use nor attitudes. Implications for practice, policy and potential research directions are likewise presented.

This study examines the factors impacting Tanzanian drug dispensaries’ perceptions of the potential benefits of using a mobile health (mHealth) reporting system. Since 2003, the Government of Tanzania has implemented its Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlet (ADDO) programme in support of dispensaries in under-served rural and peri-urban areas. A core element of this ADDO programme is the dispensary use of an mHealth application for reporting on the drugs they are dispensing and the medical conditions that are being treated. This study canvassed the views of ADDO programme dispensaries using the mHealth reporting system in the Iringa, Mbeya, and Njombe Regions, through a survey questionnaire completed by 318 dispensaries and focus group discussions with 38 dispensary personnel. The data revealed that four factors—system quality, information quality, service quality, and price value—are all having a statistically significant impact on dispensaries’ perceptions of the potential benefits of using the mHealth system.

A regression analysis was conducted to assess the link between resilience, supervisor support, family and friend support, psychological empowerment, and facilitating conditions with work engagement using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) 26. This data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 259 knowledge workers in Malaysia. Specifically, this article provides data about the participants’ demographic characteristics and the descriptive data of participants’ responses. Further, the mean, standard deviation, reliability of the measured constructs, and regression analysis model summary are provided. This dataset offers suggestions to the top management in deducing ways to increase employees’ work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper's purpose is to investigate the influence of selected elements (Accessibility, personal innovativeness (PI), resistance to change, facilitating conditions, perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), attitude) on university students' to intend e-learning usage. The objective of this paper is to advance a conceptual framework to analyze and to recognize the intention of students to use e-learning in Lebanese private universities. The collection of the data was from 444 private universities students in Lebanon. The SEM analysis had been used to evaluate the influence of these components to intend e-learning system. The results stated that relationships between accessibility on perceived usefulness are not accepted. Furthermore, the associations between (PI) and PEOU are also not accepted. However, all other relationships are accepted in the framework model. Finally, results discussed then conclusions and future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online learning environments have become a contemporary component of global tertiary education due to their affordances. These environments are hinged on internet-based learning management systems and one such tool is Google Classroom. However, empirical studies have indicated that gaps exist in determining how Google Classroom influences students' behavioural intention to use it for online learning. Accordingly, this study defines a model based on the unified theory of acceptance and technology 2 (UTAUT2) to examine the relationship between facilitating conditions and other variables towards intention formation for Google Classroom usage. Based on a mixed method using the explanatory sequential design, survey data from 163 students were initially analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling followed by a qualitative approach based on open-ended questions for thematic analysis. Results from the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach validated the hypothesised model confirming the significant predictive relationship of facilitating conditions with effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit and social influence but had an insignificant relationship with behavioural intention. Furthermore, hedonic motivation and habit were the main predictors of behavioural intention by masking the role of facilitating conditions. Subsequently, the qualitative outcome indicated that habit and perceived control of using Google applications influence hedonic motivation. Finally, recommendations were made to universities towards policy formation and practice of virtual learning using Google Classroom. Implications for practice or policy: Higher education institutions should create an environment for students to be motivated and enjoy Google Classroom use. • Universities should provide Internet, technical and pedagogical support for students' Google Classroom use. • Universities should explain to students the affordances of using Google Classroom. • Universities should encourage students to acquire access gadgets (smartphones or tablets) for Google Classroom use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial technology (FinTech) is leading a worldwide revolution to increase financial access. Bangladesh’s financial sector is entering a new era of innovation due to the country’s rapid embrace of financial technology. Mobile FinTech service (MFS) providers achieve unattainable economic peaks every year. The growth of conventional banks’ MFS is significant. However, Islamic banks have a good market share but cannot attract more customers to use the Islamic MFS. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing Islamic bank customers to accept the Islamic MFS. This study utilized a modified UTAUT2 model. Data were collected from 310 Islamic bank customers by using online Google Forms. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data by SMART PLS 3.2.9. The results revealed that social influence, facilitating conditions, price, and perceived credibility have a significant positive effect on Islamic MFS acceptance. However, performance expectancy and effort expectancy showed no impact on Islamic MFS acceptance. This research framework is helpful for academicians and researchers to investigate FinTech acceptance in developing countries. Moreover, the study results are beneficial for MFS providers and FinTech firms.

Smart meter implementation is still in its infancy in many African countries, including South Africa. This is evident from the fact that most research studies are either Eurocentric or American-centric. Hence, this research aimed to identify consumer-centric factors for planning considerations in implementation of smart meters in South Africa. We used various behavioural theoretical models found in literature to identify potential factors relevant to this study. Based on quantitatively gathered data (n = 705), a structural equation model (SEM) was used to evaluate the identified factors. This study found that only ten consumer-centric factors were significant to smart meter consumers. These factors include behavioural intention, attitude, trust in technology, social norms, facilitating conditions, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, privacy risk, monetary cost, and perceived value. In conclusion, the study shows that not all factors suggested within the European and American context are relevant for smart meter implementation within the South African context. Hence, results of this study hold some practical implications in assisting utility companies in identifying consumer-centric factors that are relevant to the South African population. Finally, consumer-centric factors can be used by policy makers and energy regulators as baseline factors for future pervasive technology acceptance studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted by empirically testing a model to predict the factors affecting science undergraduates’ behaviour intentions towards the actual use of technology (digital leaning). This study explored the behavioural intention of use of digital learning from the perspective of students by applying the extended UTAUT model. A cross-sectional study was conducted on science undergraduates. The data was derived from an online survey with 425 respondents and analyzed using a structural equation model. PLS-SEM was used for model and hypothesis testing. The result revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence are positively associated with behaviour intention and actual use of technology. Facilitating conditions were negatively associated with BIUT (behavior intention and actual use of technology). Our findings correspond with the UTAUT model and provide a practical reference for educational institutions on designing digital learning for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the role of effort expectancy, social influences, and facilitating conditions in the intention to use information and communication technology with the mediating role of performance expectancy among graduate students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Methodology: The present study is a descriptive-survey correlational study based on the structural equation model in terms of applied purpose and in terms of data collection. The statistical population of the study is all graduate students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences with a number of 1500 people. The statistical sample of this research is 306 people who have been selected by the stratified random sampling method. The data collection tool is a translation and synthesis of a standard questionnaire based on the use of technology modified by the researcher. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed based on content validity, face validity, and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis, CFA) and its reliability coefficient was obtained based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient which is equal to 0.86. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation coefficient) and inferential statistics (path analysis of structural equation model) by SPSS and LISREL software. Finding: The results showed that the variables of effort expectancy, social influences, and facilitator conditions with mediating role of performance expectancy have a positive and significant causal effect on the intention to use information and communication technology of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences students with mediating role of performance expectation (p<.01). Conclusion: The use of information and communication technology in the educational and research goals of students is a good opportunity and it is necessary to consider the attitudes of educational organizations and policy makers based on the results of such research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines factors influencing online purchase intention of Vietnamese. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study develops a theoretical model including four explanatory variables of online purchase intention: performance expectancy (PE), social influence (SI), effort expectancy (EE) and facilitating condi-tions (FC). The empirical results obtained in a sample of 204 valid interviewees reveal the statistically significant and concurrent impact of the mentioned determinants on the intention to purchase online. Among them, performance expectancy (PE) and social influence (SI) exert the most significant influence. The findings provide guidance for online firms to improve their conditions and develop marketing strategies in order to highlight efficiency, ease of use, and convenience; become a trend of social communities and then encourage the online purchase.

Abstract Distance education has evolved partly through technologies that defined them in the various generations of distance education delivery. However, in the twenty-first century, the use of Learning Management System (LMS) has changed the face of distance education delivery. Even the traditional face-to-face based distance education mode is now adopting the LMS as a mediating technology between instructors and students. However, in the usage of LMS-enabled blended learning, several factors have been cited in the literature as enablers towards actual usage of LMS technology. Factors such as facilitating conditions, voluntariness of use and actual use behaviour have been important in contemporary literature. Despite their importance, the chasm in the literature is the nuances existing in terms of relationships between these three factors. This study fills the gap by defining a model based on the three factors to provide an in depth empirical study on their relationships and how they influence LMS-enabled blended learning uptake of distance education by tutors. The study thus employs a cross country survey to collect data from 267 tutors and offer analysis by way of a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach. The study revealed important relationships among facilitating conditions, voluntariness of use and use behaviour of LMS-enabled blended learning such that facilitating conditions predicted voluntariness of use and actual use behaviour; voluntariness of use determined actual LMS use behaviour for blended learning in distance education. The study finally provided recommendations based on the findings for policy and practice of LMS-enabled blended learning in distance education.

Abstract Background Hospital electronic information management systems (HEIMS) are widely used in Ghana, and hence its performance must be carefully assessed. Nurses as clinical health personnel are the largest cluster of hospital staff and are the pillar of healthcare delivery. Therefore, they play a crucial role in the adoption and assessment of HEIMSs in Ghana. This report sought to assess the “Social Influence” (SI) and “Facilitating Conditions” (FC) that support Nurses’ Acceptance of HEIMS in Ghana using the “Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology” (UTAUT) model. Methods This study applied a non-experimental survey design. An electronic platform questionnaire on smartphones was used to collect data on 660 nurses. Statistically, AMOS Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) version 22.0 was employed to examine the research model. Results “Behavioral Intention” (BI) to HEIMS use was significantly predicted by SI and FC (p

This study explores the challenges facing the current e-payment systems and investigates the main factors that support using the e-payment system. This study used a cross-sectional approach. An online survey was conducted on Yemeni consumers as part of the collection of data. The data from 486 questionnaires were analyzed using smartPLS4 and Jamovi software for structural model analysis and statistical analysis. According to the PLS-SEM results, the structural model shows that R2 is 0.757, which explains the variances in behavioral intention via all the constructs. Statistically, the intention to use e-payment systems is significantly and positively influenced by performance and effort expectancies and social influence. In contrast, facilitation conditions are significantly and negatively correlated with behavioral intention. This is attributed to consumers’ view of the infrastructure of Internet services, which does not contribute to the behavioral intention and acceptance of using electronic payment in Yemen. Contrary to expectations, age does not moderate the relationship between performance expectancy, social influence, and intention to use e-payment systems; hence, the related hypothesis was not supported. This study provides valuable suggestions for policymakers, designers, developers, and researchers, enabling them to better understand the critical aspects of using the electronic payment system. This study developed a model for predicting the likelihood of acceptance of electronic payments in a country that has not given adequate attention to this issue. An application and evaluation of the UTAUT model in Yemen are presented in this study.

M‐learning is a trending field in educational organizations, companies, and also for individual study. However, in some regions the ampleness of the phenomenon is not quantifiable or comparable due to the lack of an adequate framework and reliable metrics. Our research intends to make a little light by assessing the degree of m‐learning adoption in students at a moment when face‐to‐face education moved suddenly online due to the COVID‐19 outbreak's rapid and unpredictable spread. A new model relying on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was built to investigate and explain relationships between constructs. It reveals the key factors affecting technology adoption by considering hedonic motivation a mediator instead of an exogenous variable as in UTAUT2. Based on an analysis of 311 higher education learners, the way how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions influence directly or indirectly the behavioral intention is researched. The analysis was conducted employing partial least squares structural equation modeling. The strongest relationship is between hedonic motivation and behavioral intention followed by the one between perceived effectiveness and hedonic motivation. Age, gender, and experience moderate the model's relationships. Research contributes to theory development by successfully adjusting the original UTAUT model. Results indicate that universities may offer learners an enjoyable m‐learning experience by activating social support groups and inserting gameplay elements into the learning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy for science, technology, and innovation is increasingly supporting bottom-up approaches to setting strategic agendas for research and innovation (R&I). These processes are designed to bring industrial needs of R&I intensive sectors to the fore, while at the same time stimulating engagement of other relevant stakeholders, such as public and private research performers. This paper addresses the question of what conditions best facilitate the main activities of this type of 'collaborative priority-setting'. It does so through a case study of the creation of a strategic R&I agenda in the Swedish food sector. The paper concludes that local conditions such as government resources and time availability, mixed bottom-up and top-down process steering, and complementary expertise, facilitated the priority-setting. They did so by facilitating the main activities of adjusting scope of prioritised research areas, and mapping out the R&I themes' expected impacts, desired outcomes, and initial activities/investments. The paper suggests that insights into these 'intermediate/micro-level relationships' of priority-setting can assist policy-makers as well as managers aiming at creating sector consensus on R&I priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research consisted of two studies to investigate how the Chinese rural educational system supported students' online learning and to determine the factors that influenced students' online learning quality (satisfaction and cognitive and social presence) during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Study 1, based on interviews with three curriculum officers, seven principals and 30 course teachers, found that great efforts were made to realize digital equity and education for all students. The necessity of providing resources and support to teachers and students (facilitating conditions) was recognized, along with the importance of teachers' online course design and organization and the facilitation of discourse (teaching presence and social presence). Based on the findings of Study 1 and the literature review, a conceptual model of facilitating conditions and teaching presence reported to influence students' online learning quality was generated. In Study 2, 1,409 students from three rural primary schools were surveyed to test the conceptual model. The results indicated that facilitating conditions influenced students' online learning quality through enhanced technology self‐efficacy and perceived usefulness. Teaching presence directly and positively predicted students' online learning quality. This research highlights the importance of creating a learning community and providing technology access and support to ensure online learning opportunities and quality for rural students. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Chinese students from rural or migrant schools have fewer opportunities to access computers and the Internet, lower frequencies of online activity and technology self‐efficacy and less training and parental and teacher support.Providing support and resources to encourage and facilitate technology use among teachers and students in rural and underdeveloped schools is of great importance.Identifying the factors that contribute to online learning quality among rural school students to tackle the transition to online learning is necessary.What this paper adds The rural government and schools have made great efforts to ensure digital equity and education for all students, despite family conditions.Facilitating purposeful interactions and providing timely feedback is critical for effective learning in online teaching.Facilitating conditions represented by available support and resources and teaching presence influence students' online learning quality in rural areas.Implications for practice and/or policy Providing digital equipment and resources to all students is the first step towards distance learning.Providing opportunities to improve teachers' digital competency is critical for providing quality online instruction.Providing students timely assistance and useful and learner‐friendly technologies to enhance their satisfaction and social and cognitive presence is necessary.Online instructors should create a friendly online learning environment, facilitate active discussion and purposeful reflection and create opportunities to promote students' open communication, group cohesion and meaning construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of cogeneration systems in the hotel industry leads to economic and environmental benefits, but its acceptance in the industry remains low. Hence, this study aimed to examine the factors that influence cogeneration system acceptance amongst hotel management. A cogeneration system acceptance model (CoSAM) was proposed by integrating the technology acceptance model with perceived cost, perceived benefit, risk perception, environmental awareness and facilitating conditions. The validity of the CoSAM was investigated using structural equation modelling based on 499 data points collected from hotel management personnel. Results showed that the intention to use the systems of hotel management personnel was positively determined by attitude towards using cogeneration systems, which was directly affected by perceived usefulness, risk perception and perceived benefit. Moreover, with perceived usefulness as a mediator, facilitating conditions and environmental awareness indirectly influenced attitude towards using cogeneration systems positively, while perceived cost indirectly influenced the attitude negatively. Based on the findings of this study, policy implications for promoting the adoption of cogeneration systems in the hotel industry were provided, thus saving energy and reducing the energy costs of hotels. This study is the first to remarkably contribute an in-depth understanding of the factors affecting cogeneration system acceptance to the literature.

This study investigates the effects of personal and environmental factors on ecological beliefs and ecological behaviour and assesses the mediating and moderating influences in this model. This study utilises 592 questionnaire surveys among Malaysian consumers. A partial least squares technique (PLS) was utilised to analyse the data and to test the study hypotheses. The findings show that personal and environmental factors have a positive influence on ecological beliefs and ecological behaviour; ecological beliefs are positively related to ecological behaviour. Additionally, ecological beliefs mediate the relationship between personal factors and ecological behaviour, and the relationship between environmental factors and ecological behaviour. The present study is among the pioneers in including environmental factors and ecological beliefs in pro-environmental studies. In the context of energy-efficient appliance purchases, the findings elaborate on the existing knowledge of personal and environmental factors, and individual's beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to provide information about the influence and impacts of social media marketing (SMM) in promoting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia. The approach of the research was quantitative research with data collection method using the electronic questionnaires of Google forms obtaining 163 respondents who were owners of MSMEs in Jakarta and Tangerang. The measurement model of outer and inner model was analyzed by SmartPLS software. Structural Equation Model was being used to test the relations of each construct. The findings show that SMM positively mediates: 1) the relationship between perceived usefulness and impact on business, 2) the relationship between perceived ease of use and impact on business, 3) the relationship between compatibility and impact on business, and 4) the relationship between cost and impact on business, which conclude that SMM has positive impacts on business. On the other hand, SMM negatively mediates the relationship between facilitating conditions and impact on business. The research implies that the adoption of social media marketing by MSMEs is encouraged by such factors as usefulness, ease of use, compatibility, and cost. Hence it is advisable that MSMEs facilitate the employees with technical infrastructures and training to increase productivity and performance.

Background: The late uptake of technology in education in developing countries has necessitated this study through an evaluation on how Performance Expectancy (PE) and Facilitating Conditions (FC) influence teachers’ behaviour on acceptance and usage of an e-learning platform called Ruzivo. Objective: To investigate teachers’ perceptions on the influence of their acceptance and use of the Ruzivo E-Learning Platform (RELP) through addressing the following key research questions: To what extent do teachers’ perceptions of the use of the RELP enhance learning outcomes? What FC support teachers’ use of the Platform? Method: Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT) model and its variants, a multiple-embedded case study based on both quantitative and qualitative research approaches was designed. Three primary schools participated in a questionnaire survey which captured the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of teachers on PE and FC. Data on teachers experience with PE and FC was sought from a total of 18 teachers, (11 female and 7 male). Results: The use of RELP has resulted in enhanced student learning outcomes and in the building of constructivist learning environments. Facilitating conditions such as the lack of adequate internet facilities, training and computer resources limit usage. Conclusion: The content of Ruzivo should be revised to align with the demands of the updated curriculum, teachers need additional training on computer, and the project needs to be scaled up to realise the ‘access to education’ goal. Further, an accelerated adoption of e-learning platforms in institutions of learning is warranted.

The management of groundwater, a common-pool resource, is a fundamental collective action problem that can lead to over-exploitation. Our paper examines the management of two groundwater basins in California’s Central Coast region whose geographic proximity, land use patterns, socioeconomic characteristics, and timing of institutional formation provide an ideal basis for comparative study. However, each basin is governed by a distinctive institutional configuration. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency is a legislatively created Special Act District with a collective public management focus, while the Santa Paula Groundwater Basin is managed through a court adjudication with a rights-based focus. We compare the legal and administrative foundations of these institutional arrangements and examine their implications for the polycentric regulation of sustainable groundwater use. We find that while adjudication may specify groundwater rights, an approach that scholars argue can be critical for achieving sustainability, it also promotes insularity with a wider polycentric system and this ultimately limits its management strategies. The Special Act District, by contrast, does not encourage as clear an allocation of water rights, but does encourage a broad sustainability mission and wider polycentric engagement, though it still struggles with declining groundwater levels. Ultimately, neither institutional arrangement fully addresses the problem of groundwater sustainability. This suggests the need for further research on how institutional configurations and developmental pathways impact resource outcomes.

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Mobile commerce (m-commerce) faces a growing array of client devices for which applications are designed. Applications developed for general consumer use must be compatible with a wide range of devices. This research investigates how perceived usefulness and enjoyment affect intention to use a mobile application service (T-Express). In this study, we formulate a commitment model from the perspective of the social identity and technology acceptance perspective. Empirical data were collected by conducting a field survey of users of T-Express from Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) stations in Taiwan. The main findings of the study are that wireless technology provides great value to businesses when it allows consumers to access real-time data to make timely decisions that either decrease costs or increase revenues; and to achieve a higher intention to use mobile applications, there should be a clear communication process between mobile application and passenger. Our findings indicate that one of the more overt illustrations of the power of packaging symbolism involves package design strategies that serve to provide a radical new upscale positioning for the THSRC brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A learning management system is capable of enriching instruction and acceptance of this learning technology by users is crucial to its successful application in higher education. This study investigated factors that influenced adoption of a learning management system by higher education teachers using the technology acceptance model which incorporates three external constructs: system quality, perceived self-efficacy and facilitating conditions. Data collected from faculty respondents (n=127) through an online survey were examined by employing partial least squares-structural equation modeling. While several relationships were confirmed, others were not supported by this research. Results showed that both system quality and perceived self-efficacy strongly influenced perceived usefulness, which in turn indirectly affected attitudes towards the technology and behavioral intention. Additionally, system quality directly affected perceived ease of use and attitudes toward technology use. The strong and direct influence of perceived self-efficacy on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use suggests that faculty with positive beliefs about their ability to use the learning management system will regard it as both useful and easy to use. Facilitating conditions, on the other hand, affected neither perceived ease of use nor attitudes. Implications for practice, policy and potential research directions are likewise presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distance education has evolved partly through technologies that defined them in the various generations of distance education delivery. However, in the twenty-first century, the use of Learning Management System (LMS) has changed the face of distance education delivery. Even the traditional face-to-face based distance education mode is now adopting the LMS as a mediating technology between instructors and students. However, in the usage of LMS-enabled blended learning, several factors have been cited in the literature as enablers towards actual usage of LMS technology. Factors such as facilitating conditions, voluntariness of use and actual use behaviour have been important in contemporary literature. Despite their importance, the chasm in the literature is the nuances existing in terms of relationships between these three factors. This study fills the gap by defining a model based on the three factors to provide an in depth empirical study on their relationships and how they influence LMS-enabled blended learning uptake of distance education by tutors. The study thus employs a cross country survey to collect data from 267 tutors and offer analysis by way of a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach. The study revealed important relationships among facilitating conditions, voluntariness of use and use behaviour of LMS-enabled blended learning such that facilitating conditions predicted voluntariness of use and actual use behaviour; voluntariness of use determined actual LMS use behaviour for blended learning in distance education. The study finally provided recommendations based on the findings for policy and practice of LMS-enabled blended learning in distance education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes how learning costs for technologies that lack de facto standards, such as mobile payment, affect user intentions. In addition, we evaluate how the negative effect of learning costs is mediated by perceived functional value and facilitating conditions. Data used in this research was obtained from a study among 463 consumers. We find support that negative effects from learning costs are fully mediated by perceived functional value and facilitating conditions. Hence, one important reason of slow user acceptance is that the high diversity mobile payment services, platforms and technologies increases the learning costs of users. The results pose important implications for managers willing to increase the acceptance of mobile payment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the literature on securitisation in a twofold way. Firstly, it argues that school textbooks reveal the consolidated discursive realms of a given society and convey them to the next generation. Focusing on school textbooks can thus enrich the analysis of facilitating conditions for securitisation processes. The second and main contribution of this article is that it addresses the lack of empirical studies on the audience in securitisation research. After an analysis of climate change discourses in Germany, we test whether or not students exposed to vastly different positions in the same consolidated discursive realm are more prone to accept the securitisation of climate change. In order to do so, we use a quasi-experimental research design and a closed questionnaire. Results show that young people who read school textbooks using an alarmist logic are indeed more likely to conceive climate change as an urgent threat necessitating extraordinary measures, and are thus more likely to accept the securitisation of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to examine the influence of facilitating conditions on the effectiveness of a Virtual Community of Practice. To do so, we first analysed the influence of facilitating conditions on the effectiveness of a Virtual Community of Practice. Second, we examined the mediating role of a sense of virtual community between facilitating conditions and effectiveness. Finally, we tested the moderating role of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in this relationship. The sample was composed of 110 employees of an NGO who used an intranet platform to create, share, store, and use knowledge about their practice. Results showed that facilitating conditions had a positive influence on effectiveness, and that a sense of virtual community partially mediated this relationship. We also found that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use moderated the effects of facilitating conditions on effectiveness through a sense of virtual community. The manuscript concludes with theoretical and practical implications of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the antecedents of continued use and extended use of Enterprise Systems (ES). Data were collected from 345 business executives through a self-administered questionnaire survey and are analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicate that perceived usefulness, computer self-efficacy, and facilitating conditions are positively related to continued use and extended use of ES. However, neither continued use nor extended use is influenced by subjective norm. Additionally, users' continued use is significantly related to extended use, and it partially mediates the relationships between extended use and its antecedents. The findings of this study contribute to the existing literature on ES usage behaviour in the post-adoption phase and in the mandatory organisational context. For practice, these findings should give managers a better understanding of the antecedents of ES usage behaviours, which would, in turn, help organisations to develop strategies that encourage their employees to maximise the use of ES in performing their tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed and tested a theoretical framework that investigated the influences of perceived risk and information security on hotel customers' intention to use service robots. In addition, the impacts of self-efficacy, innovativeness, and facilitating conditions on perceived risk and information security were examined. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model by utilizing data collected from eleven countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Japan, Israel, India, Greece, Canada, and Brazil. The study results demonstrated that perceived risk had a negative impact on customers' intention to use service robots while information security had a positive impact. In addition, the study results indicated that self-efficacy negatively influenced perceived risk, and positively influenced perceived information security; and innovativeness and facilitating condition positively influenced information security. The study findings offer several important contributions to the hospitality robotics technology adoption literature and present valuable implications for hospitality practitioners and service robot vendors. • Perceived risk negatively and information security positively impacted intention to use service robots. • Self-efficacy negatively influenced perceived risk, and positively influenced perceived information security. • Innovativeness and facilitating condition were positively associated with information security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent proliferation of new technologies and impediments to their adoption has made predicting new technology adoption/use complex and challenging. This paper aims to compare the predictive ability of behavioural expectation (BE) and behavioural intention (BI) given such impediments. BE predicts an attempt to perform a targeted behaviour, whereas BI predicts the likelihood of actually performing a targeted behaviour. An online longitudinal experiment was designed to examine the effects of two contrasting sources of impediments to new technology adoption: experience (internal) and facilitating conditions (external). The results confirm the tendency of subjects, who responded to BI measures, to make overestimations when they think they have more control over the (internal) impediments, and to make exaggerated underestimations when they think they have less control over the (external) impediments. Moreover, it is found that subjects who responded to BE measures have a stronger adoption-use correlation compared to subjects who responded to BI measures regardless of the type of impediments encountered. This study offers a basis for marketers to increase the rate of consumers' adoption/use of new technology such as mobile applications. The research identifies boundary conditions to the predictive ability of BE and BI in the context of mobile applications adoption/use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of groundwater, a common-pool resource, is a fundamental collective action problem that can lead to over-exploitation. Our paper examines the management of two groundwater basins in California's Central Coast region whose geographic proximity, land use patterns, socioeconomic characteristics, and timing of institutional formation provide an ideal basis for comparative study. However, each basin is governed by a distinctive institutional configuration. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency is a legislatively created Special Act District with a collective public management focus, while the Santa Paula Groundwater Basin is managed through a court adjudication with a rights-based focus. We compare the legal and administrative foundations of these institutional arrangements and examine their implications for the polycentric regulation of sustainable groundwater use. We find that while adjudication may specify groundwater rights, an approach that scholars argue can be critical for achieving sustainability, it also promotes insularity with a wider polycentric system and this ultimately limits its management strategies. The Special Act District, by contrast, does not encourage as clear an allocation of water rights, but does encourage a broad sustainability mission and wider polycentric engagement, though it still struggles with declining groundwater levels. Ultimately, neither institutional arrangement fully addresses the problem of groundwater sustainability. This suggests the need for further research on how institutional configurations and developmental pathways impact resource outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-resources have a significant contribution toward students learning in universities, but their adoption has not reached its full potential in Zimbabwe. The major purpose of this study was to explore the acceptability of e-resources in Zimbabwe state universities' libraries by students. A survey study involving a sample of 233 respondents was done to measure the preparedness of undergraduate and postgraduate students to adopt e-resources. Structural equation modelling was used ascertain the results. Results from structural model revealed that performance expectancy and hedonic motivation had no statistically significant influence on behavioral intention to adopt e-resources while effort expectancy and facilitating conditions had a negative and insignificant impact on behavioral intention. However, there was sufficient evidence indicating that social influence, price value and habit had a statistically significant and positive influence on behavioral intention to adopt e-resources. Academic and managerial insights were drawn from this study and theoretical and practical recommendations in line with findings were suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of municipal solid waste in China requires special attention because China has become the world's largest producer of municipal solid waste, and the overall volume of municipal solid waste produced is still increasing. Recently, local and central Chinese authorities have significantly enhanced municipal solid waste treatment. Therefore, this current study aims to extend the theory of interpersonal behavior with perceived benefits to assess citizens' household municipal solid waste separation intention and behavior in Jiangsu province. This study will help widen and improve the comprehension of the key factors affecting citizens' household municipal solid waste separation. Utilizing data from 615 sampled citizens in Jiangsu, analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Empirical evidence revealed that affect, attitude, and social factors positively influence citizens' household municipal solid waste separation intentions. Perceived benefits also positively impact citizens' household municipal solid waste separation intentions via attitude. Facilitating conditions influence citizens' household municipal solid waste separation intentions and behaviors. The study also found that facilitating conditions negatively moderated the association between intention and behavior in Jiangsu Province. Habits significantly and positively influenced and moderated citizens' household municipal solid waste separation intentions and behaviors. These findings provide great insights and contributions to pro-environmental research and can be applied to various provinces that value household municipal solid waste separation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]