Search

Federated social networks have become an appealing choice as alternatives to mainstream centralized platforms. In the current global context, where the user's activity on various social networks is monitored, influenced and manipulated, alternative platforms that offer the possibility of owning and controlling one's own data are of great importance. Mastodon stands out among decentralized alternatives in the fediverse. In this study, we conduct a time-based dynamics analysis of various Mastodon instances, from popular ones to country-specific servers. Moreover, we conducted an analysis of registration account dynamics based on certain topics, such as academic, political and activism in general. Throughout the paper, we reveal the user adoption of Mastodon from multiple instances and metrics. Our results show a growth pattern of instances in terms of accounts in certain periods of time, and due to social events, reinforcing our assumption of it being already trusted as a decentralized platform. Our work holds significance in the wider context of studying and understanding the adoption rates of decentralized networks as ethical alternatives to centrally controlled ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explores the factors impacting user adoption and trust in blockchain-based food delivery systems, with a spotlight on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). In the evolving food delivery sector, blockchain offers transparency and efficiency. Through the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) lens, this research provides insights for businesses and policymakers, highlighting the importance of blockchain's integration into food delivery. Design/methodology/approach: The research employed the UTAUT and its extensions as the theoretical framework. A structured questionnaire was developed and disseminated to users of the ONDC platform, and responses were collected on a seven-point extended Likert scale. The analyses were undertaken employing the partial least squares (PLS) methodology and structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings: Key factors like performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence were found influential for adoption. Trust played a central role, while perceived risk didn't significantly mediate the adoption process. Digital culture didn't significantly moderate the adoption intention. Originality/value: This research adds to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical insights into user adoption and trust in blockchain-based food delivery platforms. It is among the pioneer studies to apply the UTAUT model in the realm of blockchain-based food delivery platforms, thereby offering a unique perspective on the dynamics of user behaviour in this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to analyze the variables affecting user adoption of the Single Identity Number and the benefits derived from it. The adoption variables include user convenience, social influence, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, trust in the internet, trust in the government, and societal culture. The benefit variables were taxpayer compliance, tax revenue, and public satisfaction. This quantitative study used incidental sampling for sample collection and used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis with Partial Least Square (PLS) statistical methods. The results of this study indicate that user convenience, social influence, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, trust in the internet, trust in the government, and societal culture have a significant positive effect on the intention to integrate NIK (National Identity Number) and NPWP (Taxpayer Identification Number). Furthermore, the intention to integrate NIK and NPWP has a significant positive impact on the intention to pay taxes, tax compliance and public satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing importance of online hotel booking platforms has revolutionized the hospitality industry, generating new business opportunities and intense competition among service providers This study analyzes user-generated content from online reviews to understand what drives user adoption of online hotel booking platforms. Using topic modeling, categorical principal component analysis, and relative importance ranking, the study identifies key factors like comparison of hotel options and online booking features as crucial for user adoption. Conversely, negative hotel experiences contribute to dissatisfaction. The results offer valuable insights for the hospitality industry, emphasizing the dominance of online booking and price comparison in customer adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to investigate how an individual’s technology awareness, subjective financial literacy and personal innovativeness characteristics impact the intention to use blockchain-based digital currencies such as cryptocurrency. The UTAUT 2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2) model is extended with crucial constructs to develop the conceptual model. A total of 312 responses are analysed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM). The moderation effects are assessed using multi-group analysis. The findings show a significant moderating effect of technology awareness and subjective financial literacy on the relationship between performance expectancy (PE) and behavioural intention to use cryptocurrency (BI). It further identified that performance expectancy (PE) mediates personal innovativeness (PI) and usage intentions (BI). The study adds to the growing literature of digital currency adoption by focusing on individual innovativeness, technology awareness and financial literacy. It also proposes a research model that can be generalised for new-age consumer-based financial technology adoption.

Over the years, the digital healthcare sector has started taking shape across the world with the intention to deliver social benefits to all citizens. In Malaysia, a lot of effort has taken place to improve the healthcare system to be more efficient and accessible. SELangkah mobile application developed by Selgate Corporation for instance provided multi-step health features for users. Besides the proliferation of mobile technology, the aging population is one of the key drivers that cause healthcare-related stakeholders in Malaysia to start making considerable improvements toward digital healthcare services. Thus, senior citizens are considered one of the more important age-groups for service providers to focus on. However, the adoption of the health technology in Malaysia is relatively low and as of the year 2020, only 10.7% of Malaysia’s senior citizens aged 60 years and above have adopted digital healthcare services. This number may grow as the population of Malaysia’s senior citizen are expected to rise to 14.5% of the total population by 2040. Therefore, this study utilizes framework analysis in identifying potential challenges for senior citizens to adopt to technology alongside framework analysis method to assess framework models that uses the extended technology acceptance model (ETAM) to measure user adoption of digital healthcare services. The framework analysis consists of five stages which includes familiarization, identifying framework, indexing, charting, mapping and interpretation. The findings show the relationship between users’ acceptance model with senior citizens’ actual use of the digital healthcare system in addition to the main challenges being information quality, privacy and security, trust, and health literacy. This will contribute to the foundation for future research aimed at improving digital healthcare services and bridge the gap in technology access to be the opportunity to use digital means as a tool for a healthier life.

The study aims to investigate how an individual's technology awareness, subjective financial literacy and personal innovativeness characteristics impact the intention to use blockchain-based digital currencies such as cryptocurrency. The UTAUT 2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2) model is extended with crucial constructs to develop the conceptual model. A total of 312 responses are analysed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM). The moderation effects are assessed using multi-group analysis. The findings show a significant moderating effect of technology awareness and subjective financial literacy on the relationship between performance expectancy (PE) and behavioural intention to use cryptocurrency (BI). It further identified that performance expectancy (PE) mediates personal innovativeness (PI) and usage intentions (BI). The study adds to the growing literature of digital currency adoption by focusing on individual innovativeness, technology awareness and financial literacy. It also proposes a research model that can be generalised for new-age consumer-based financial technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) could be improved by using decision support systems (DSS). To identify barriers and incentives to the adoption of DSS in IPM in Europe, we conducted a survey among farmers and farm advisors in 12 European countries. The data were analysed using state-of-the-art machine learning methods complemented by statistical analysis. The results reveal region-specific barriers to DSS adoption among both farmers and advisors. Among farmers, lack of trust in DSS and the perceived need for additional information technology training are the predominant barriers, while among advisors, limited access to information about DSS is predominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of autonomous demand-responsive transit (ADRT) to support regular public transport has the potential to enhance sustainable mobility. There is a dearth of research on the socio-demographic characteristics associated with perceived opportunities and challenges regarding ADRT adoption in Australia. In this research, we fill this knowledge gap by determining socio-demographic predictors of perceptions and attitudes towards ADRT, specifically autonomous shuttle buses (ASBs), among adult residents of South East Queensland. This study incorporates a review of prior global studies, a stated preference survey distributed across the case study region, and descriptive and logistic regression analysis. We found that the main perceived opportunity of ASBs is reduced congestion/emissions, while the primary anticipated challenge relates to unreliable technology. Fully employed respondents are likely to be more familiar with autonomous vehicles. Females and those from lower-income households are less likely to have ridden in an autonomous vehicle. Males, those who are younger, have high employment, hail from higher-income households, and with no driver's licence are all more favourable towards ASBs. Males, those with high employment, and without driver's licence are likely to be more concerned about traffic accidents when using ASBs. Less-educated respondents and those living in peri-urban areas are likely to be more concerned about fares. Insights are drawn from the current study to inform policymakers to consider key challenges (e.g., trust issues) and target groups (particularly females) in planning public communication strategies to enhance receptiveness to ADRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) technologies offer unique opportunities to transform nuclear plant operations and power generation. Benefits will be felt not only within existing analog and digital instrumentation and control, but also within work processes, the integration of people with technology and most importantly, the business case. The application of this new technology can help simplify complex problems and produce more effective decision-making, making nuclear power safer, more efficient, and more economically viable in the current energy market. Nonetheless, there are potential barriers to its adoption that must be overcome. The purpose of this paper is to categorize, review, and discuss barriers to AI/ML adoption within the nuclear power industry, with a focus on existing commercial reactors. Unique considerations for advanced reactors are also offered. We provide a comprehensive overview of the historical, technical, and business barriers that the industry faces, as well as stakeholder readiness, and end-user acceptance. We underscore the importance of user experience and offer potential solutions in overcoming each barrier. These include provisions for easier plant data access, a friendly regulatory environment, and investment in user trust and explainable AI. • AI offers transformative opportunities for nuclear plant operations and maintenance. • A comprehensive overview of the AI barriers to adoption is provided. • The barriers described are historical, technical, and business barriers, stakeholder readiness, and end-user acceptance. • Ways to overcome AI adoption barriers include provisions for easier plant data access, and investment in user trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, countries have been developing contact tracing applications to control the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. In this work, we present the findings of eight focus groups we conducted with participants living in France and Germany, to explore why they decided to adopt, or not adopt, a contact tracing application as well as understand how they perceived the benefits, drawbacks, and threat model of a contact tracing application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been proven beneficial in several health care areas. Nevertheless, the uptake of AI in health care delivery remains poor. Despite the fact that the acceptance of AI-based technologies among medical professionals is a key barrier to their implementation, knowledge about what informs such attitudes is scarce. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and examine factors that influence the acceptability of AI-based technologies among medical professionals. Methods: A survey was developed based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model, which was extended by adding the predictor variables perceived trust, anxiety and innovativeness, and the moderator profession. The web-based survey was completed by 67 medical professionals in the Netherlands. The data were analyzed by performing a multiple linear regression analysis followed by a moderating analysis using the Hayes PROCESS macro (SPSS; version 26.0, IBM Corp). Results: Multiple linear regression showed that the model explained 75.4% of the variance in the acceptance of AI-powered care pathways (adjusted R2=0.754; F9,0=22.548; P<.001). The variables medical performance expectancy (ß=.465; P<.001), effort expectancy (ß=-.215; P=.005), perceived trust (ß=.221; P=.007), nonmedical performance expectancy (ß=.172; P=.08), facilitating conditions (ß=-.160; P=.005), and professional identity (ß=.156; P=.06) were identified as significant predictors of acceptance. Social influence of patients (ß=.042; P=.63), anxiety (ß=.021; P=.84), and innovativeness (ß=.078; P=.30) were not identified as significant predictors. A moderating effect by gender was found between the relationship of facilitating conditions and acceptance (ß=-.406; P=.09). Conclusions: Medical performance expectancy was the most significant predictor of AI-powered care pathway acceptance among medical professionals. Nonmedical performance expectancy, effort expectancy, perceived trust, and professional identity were also found to significantly influence the acceptance of AI-powered care pathways. These factors should be addressed for successful implementation of AI-powered care pathways in health care delivery. The study was limited to medical professionals in the Netherlands, where uptake of AI technologies is still in an early stage. Follow-up multinational studies should further explore the predictors of acceptance of AI-powered care pathways over time, in different geographies, and with bigger samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile commerce (M-commerce) being the subset of e-commerce, signifies a new field of business opportunity. The future of mobile commerce depends on how the mobile users’ intend to adopt this new technology induced business model. With the success of e-commerce in India, there is a huge potential for m-commerce growth. As m-commerce technologies grow and mature, it is the users’ experience and adoption of m-commerce that will drive its growth. The users’ acceptance of m-commerce depends upon various factors, which influence his/her behaviour towards m-commerce. The current research is an effort to identify such antecedents that affects behavioural intention of mobile users towards m-commerce. A survey was conducted among 150 internet mobile users in Chandigarh city using structured self-administered questionnaire to identify such factors. The results show that perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness are the most important factors followed by trust and perceived cost, which affects mobile users’ behaviour intention to use m-commerce. Perceived ease of use and social influence was not found to have significant influence on mobile users’ behaviour intention. The findings of this research show strong empirical base for all marketers and strategists who are looking to take full advantage of the strength of m-commerce.

Recently, R. J. C. Brown analysed the needs and the possibilities to extend the current set of the SI prefixes and came up with the novel proposals of the extension of the set of the SI prefixes. This paper highlights their risks and potential side effects from the point of view the internal coherence of the SI, its future extensibility and the user adoption. Based on these, an alternative proposal is made which is free of those risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education industry has available a range of educational technologies to support student learning. A Learning Management System (LMS) is one of the most important educational technologies used in the tertiary sector, providing an online platform for teaching, as well as supporting student learning. Despite all the effort put through deployment of most LMSs, in many universities, a below expectation student engagement and acceptance of the LMS is normally reported. To address this issue, this paper develops a conceptual model and investigates the impact of space design, visual attractiveness and perceived instructor presence on student acceptance of LMS. The results generally confirmed the positive impact of space design, visual attractiveness and perceived instructor presence on student acceptance of LMS. The only hypothesis which was not confirmed by the data of this study was the impact of perceived instructor's presence on the LMS perceived usefulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major cities in developing countries are increasingly becoming motorized. Thus, effective solutions to address the negative impacts that come with rising car-ownership are needed as part of an overall travel demand management strategy. In developed and emerging economies, shared-mobility in the form of car-sharing is becoming popular as potentially low-cost and environmentally sustainable alternative to car-ownership. Yet, our understanding of car-sharing adoption and diffusion factors in developing countries is limited. In this study, we fill this gap by examining car-sharing adoption intentions among young adults aged between 18 and 35 years in Ghana, Sub-Saharan Africa. Using structural equation modelling, we model car-sharing adoption intentions based on a framework that integrates individuals' perception of the benefits of car-sharing, attitudes towards the environment and technology, trust of stewardship in car-sharing, perception of innovativeness of car-sharing, travel expectations and socio-demographic factors. We found that pro-technology and pro-environmental attitudes correlate positively with perceived benefits of car-sharing. Perceived benefits of car-sharing, in turn, has the largest predictive effect on intentions to car-share. Other factors, including individuals' previous experience using Uber on-demand taxi services, gender, education, driver's licensure and expectation of comfortable and fast travel options, all predict car-sharing adoption intentions. While there exists an interest in both station-based and free-floating car-sharing services, more of the would-be users favour the latter than the former. Also, majority of the potential adopters (62%) would join a car-sharing service within the first 1 year of its introduction. An important finding is that dissatisfaction with existing public transit services underpins car-sharing intentions, implying that relying on car-sharing alone to meet travel needs, without a holistic strategy of providing quality and affordable public transit services, could lead to unsustainable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A digital wallet or eWallet is a mobile based software application that securely persists consumer's payment information and passwords for numerous payment methods. By using an eWallet, users can complete their transactions easily and quickly with technologies such as Quick Response (QR) and near-field communications (NFC). In the modern world, people use digital wallets to engage in financial and non-financial activities using the internet. It stores physical financial instruments digitally and provides high availability to convenience to the user. Typically, to facilitate high security to those financial assets, in the digital wallet of the user, and to maintain reliability and availability, mobile application developing organizations follow different authorization mechanisms. The problem prevailing in a developing country similar to Sri Lanka is the less use of digital wallets in day to day transactions. The final outcome of the research will be to find the factors which affect the use of digital wallets in Sri Lankan students who study in western province universities. The advantage of finding the mentioned factors is to help eWallet developers to enhance their products to attract and onboard more customers. The eWallet developers can think about these measures when developing a solution and use it to promote the application. Further, when developers create an optimal solution, the consumer of eWallets will be highly benefited with an efficient financial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As multinational corporations engage in technology adoption internationally, it is becoming increasingly important for managers to pursue a process that will ultimately lead to the adoption and effective use of new technology in divergent markets. In this study, the authors explore a technology adoption model (TAM) that is appropriate for the context of China. Employing a sample of 506 Chinese business professionals, they develop and test a modified TAM within the Chinese business culture. The results indicate that the modified TAM works well. The authors discuss implications for international marketing academics and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Behaviourally-consistent methodologies to study AV adoption decisions is needed. • Study advances and tests four conceptual models of AV adoption behaviour. • Models integrate latent socio-psychological and socio-demographic factors. • 45 pairs of hypothesized relationships are validated in four measurement models. • Study captures behavioural antecedents to predict AV ownership, sharing and public transit. Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) have the potential to make motorized transport safer and more sustainable, by integrating clean technologies and supporting flexible shared-mobility services. Leveraging this new form of transport to transform mobility in cities will depend fundamentally on public acceptance of AVs, and the ways in which individuals choose to use them, to meet their daily travel needs. Empirical studies exploring public attitudes towards automated driving technologies and interest in AVs have emerged in the last few years. However, within this strand of research there is a paucity of theory-driven and behaviourally consistent methodologies to unpack the determinants of user adoption decisions with respect to AVs. In this paper, we seek to fill this gap, by advancing and testing four conceptual frameworks which could be deployed to capture the range of possible behavioural influences on individuals' AV adoption decisions. The frameworks integrate socio-demographic variables and relevant latent behavioural factors, including perceived benefits and perceived ease of use of AVs, public fears and anxieties regarding AVs, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and attitudinal factors covering the environment, technology, collaborative consumption, public transit and car ownership. We demonstrate the utility and validity of the frameworks, by translating the latent variables into indicator items in a structured questionnaire, and administering it online to a random sample of adult individuals (n = 507). Using the survey data in confirmatory factor analyses, we specify and demonstrate scale reliability of indicator items, and convergent and discriminant validity of relationships among latent variables. Ultimately, we advance four measurement models. These theory-grounded measurement models are intended for application in research aimed at understanding and predicting (a) AV interest and adoption intentions, and (b) user adoption decisions regarding three different AV modes: ownership, sharing and public transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

e-Government (e-Gov) projects are continuing to fail in countries across the world, including South Africa. Therefore, although e-Gov presents a means to transform government service delivery to citizens, the intended benefits are not achieved. In addition, the failure of e-Gov leads to significant wasteful expenditure. This paper focuses on a specific category of e-Gov, Governmentto-Government (G2G), concerned with the use of Information and Communications Technology to automate and streamline business processes within a government department and across departments. Challenges facing user adoption of G2G in a South African context are analysed using the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport as a case study. As the first step in this research, cases of G2G user adoption challenges in South African government were identified. This helped inform the focus of the literature review and the research instrument used. A qualitative research methodology was used to understand the G2G user adoption challenges. This research has shown that user adoption is a central challenge facing G2G. User adoption is influenced by six main themes: Addressing User Requirements, Business Process Management, Change Management, User Involvement, Organisational Culture and Priority. The six main themes in turn are influenced by subthemes: strategy, usability, complexity, HR skills, resistance, systems development methodology, management support and data quality. Technology infra-structure was identified as an important yet peripheral issue affecting G2G. This research has provided a deeper understanding of the challenges facing G2G user adoption, by focusing on these emerging themes and sub-themes and describing how they impact on G2G. The findings are summarised in a G2G User Adoption Challenges model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most banks in Myanmar have begun to provide their services via mobile phones. However, few studies investigated the factors that may help to set mobile services from a customer perspective. So, this study aims to propose and test a conceptual research model to predict the user's intention to use and actual use level of mobile banking service by combining UTAUT and DeLone-Mclean IS model. Data were collected from 206 citizens who had experienced mobile banking in various regions of Myanmar. The study found that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, information quality and service quality influence the user 's intention to adopt mobile banking services which directly affects the user's actual use of them. However, social influence, facilitating condition and system quality don't influence the user's intention. The study results contribute to meeting customer's needs and reducing customer risk in Myanmar's mobile banking industry, suggesting to seamlessly provide the necessary resources like technology improvements, organizational infrastructure and service centers. Another future study are required to include service’s security and trust factors so that the service providers could gain their customers' reliability and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liking behavior in social media is growing in popularity. Yet there has been a lack of research and understanding of the factors that motivate users to click “like” in social media. In this study, based on the uses and gratifications theory, a research model is developed to examine what factors affecting users' liking behavior in WeChat. And gender is considered as the moderating factor in the model. Using 215 valid data from the WeChat users in China, the model is empirically assessed by PLS-SEM. Results show that three types of gratifications positively affect WeChat users' liking behavior: hedonic gratification (enjoyment), social gratification (social support) and utilitarian gratification (information seeking). In particular, enjoyment plays the most important role in determining the liking behavior, followed by social support and information seeking. In addition, gender acts as the moderator on the relationship between each gratification and liking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the number of internet users increases by leaps and bounds, the importance of electronic commerce (e-commerce) channel intensifies among other sales channels. Internet enables products and services to reach large masses in a scalable way. Hence, both academicians and practitioners show great interest in theorizing and understanding the adoption behavior of ecommerce users. For this purpose, factors having impacts on adoption behavior of e-commerce users are investigated within the scope of the study. Our literature review shows that the most influential factors of e-commerce acceptance are perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and trust. Therefore, an extension of TAM with trust is proposed as the research model. Data on the factors are collected from 186 respondents and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) method to test model validity and hypotheses. This study reveals users' perceptions of usefulness and trust are important factors towards adoption of e-commerce in Turkey. According to our study, Turkish users demand trustworthiness of products and services as well. Moreover, usefulness in means of time and money savings and easy reach of many products and services positively affects adoption. Furthermore, perceived ease of use doesn't directly affect adoption; rather it imposes on e-commerce adoption through perceived usefulness and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes and validates a dual-risk model of the drivers and inhibitors of the adoption of a mobile e-health application for smoking cessation. This model extends existing approaches for risk taking by accounting for two opposite types of risk: the risk of using the mobile service and risks of not using it, both of which are argued to be instrumental to user decision to use healthcare support technologies. The proposed model was estimated with data collected from 422 smokers and mobile phone users in the UK and Canada. The findings suggest that adoption decisions regarding such a mobile service are driven by intrinsic and extrinsic motivations which channel the effects of the above-mentioned risk assessments on use intentions. This implies that to increase the success of mobile phone use in smoking cessation programmes, perceptions regarding both risks could be targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]