Search

There has been widespread criticism about the rates of participation of students enrolled on MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), more importantly, the percentage of students who actively consume course materials from beginning to the end. The current study sought to investigate this trend by examining the factors that influence MOOC adoption and use by students in selected Ghanaian universities. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was extended to develop a research model. A survey was conducted with 270 questionnaires administered to students who had been assigned MOOCs; 204 questionnaires were retrieved for analysis. Findings of the study show that MOOC usage intention is influenced by computer self-efficacy, performance expectancy, and system quality. Results also showed that MOOC usage is influenced by facilitating conditions, instructional quality, and MOOC usage intention. Social influence and effort expectancy were found not to have a significant influence on MOOC usage intention. The authors conclude that universities must have structures and resources in place to promote the use of MOOCs by students. Computer skills training should also be part of the educational curriculum at all levels. MOOC designers must ensure that the MOOCs have good instructional quality by using the right pedagogical approaches and also ensure that the sites and learning materials are of good quality.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between transformational leadership, knowledge management capabilities, organizational learning and innovation performance in the context of higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Using a survey research design, data was collected from 219 respondents comprising faculty and administrative staff from two public and five private universities in Ghana. The data were analysed by using the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling with the use of Smart PLS software. Findings: The results revealed that transformational leadership significantly predicts knowledge management capabilities and organizational learning and also has a positive effect on innovation performance. Originality/value: Although some studies have covered the theoretical and empirical analyses of links between transformational leadership, innovation performance and some knowledge management capabilities, this study examines the direct links between transformational leadership and knowledge management capabilities, on one hand, and transformational leadership and organizational learning on the other, as well as their overall effect on innovation performance, which has been less discussed in literature, particularly in the tertiary educational sector and in the Ghanaian context.

Purpose: This study proposes and validates an integrated theoretical model involving the theory of planned behavior (TPB), health belief model (HBM), personal norms and information privacy to understand determinants of acceptance and resistance to the use of mobile contact tracing app (MCTA) in a pandemic situation. Design/methodology/approach: This study draws on online surveys of 194 research respondents and uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PL-SEM) to test the proposed theoretical model. Findings: The study establishes that a positive attitude towards MCTA is the most important predictor of individuals' willingness to use MCTA and resistance to use MCTA. Furthermore, barriers to taking action positively influence resistance to the use of MCTA. Personal norms negatively influence resistance to the use of MCTA. Information privacy showed a negative and positive influence on willingness to use MCTA and use the resistance of MCTA, respectively, but neither was statistically significant. The authors found no significant influence of perceived vulnerability, severity, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on either acceptance or use resistance of MCTA. Originality/value: The study has been one of the first in the literature to propose an integrated theoretical model in the investigation of the determinants of acceptance and resistance to the use of MCTA in a single study, thereby increasing the scientific understanding of the factors that can facilitate or inhibit individuals from engaging in the use of a protection technology during a pandemic situation. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-10-2021-0533 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer engagement is one of the significant operational and quality practices service providers use to build service experiential relationships with customers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role emotional connection and customer orientation play in customer relationship building. A quantitative survey method is carried out among 515 self-reported active members at a single fast-growing non-denominational faith-based organization in Southwestern United States. Using a hierarchical multiple regression to evaluate our research model, we find relationship satisfaction is positively associated with customers' behavioral intention in doing business with a service firm, while emotional connection shows no moderating effect on such a relationship. However, we found a significant three-way interaction effect of relationship satisfaction, emotional connection, and customer orientation on behavioral intentions. Customer orientation strengthens and fortifies the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions for customers with high emotional connection than for customers with low emotional connection. The focus on customer orientation and emotional connection provides a framework that can assist service firms develop quality operational strategies that target the emotions and feelings of customers to value the relationship while supporting service employees with quality operational practices and customer orientated activities to better manage customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Technology is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This study aims to examine the effect of market orientation on foreign knowledge acquisition. It also assesses the moderating role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between foreign knowledge acquisition, firm innovativeness and performance. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was administered to 257 respondents who were owners, managers or owner/managers of export firms in Ghana. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Findings: The findings show that customer orientation significantly influenced foreign business knowledge acquisition but not performance, and that competitor orientation significantly influenced both foreign business knowledge acquisition and firm innovativeness. Absorptive capacity was found to play a significant role in linking foreign business knowledge to innovativeness. Originality/value: The study adds to the literature on knowledge management in firms by identifying the moderating role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between foreign business knowledge acquisition, innovativeness and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the light of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, it is imperative for firms to adopt green practices. Green marketing is currently attracting the attention of people all over the world due to the growing awareness of the link between environmental catastrophes and unsustainable human activities. However, some aspects of green marketing, including green product experience, trust, satisfaction and loyalty, remain underexplored. This study aims to assess how green product experience and trust in green labelling influence perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty towards green products. Design/methodology/approach: Partial least squares-structural equation modelling was used to analyse data collected from a survey of 578 consumers in Ghana. Findings: The results indicate that consumers' green product experience influences their green product satisfaction, perceived value and loyalty; and that consumers' trust in green labelling influenced their green product satisfaction and perceived value. Research limitations/implications: This study contributes to the literature by providing useful insights into green product experience, trust in green labelling, green satisfaction and loyalty. The findings can assist brand and marketing managers in devising communication strategies that will generate the most beneficial perceived values of green products among targeted customers. Originality/value: The study is among a few to examine the influence of green product experience and trust on perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty towards green products, particularly in the context of a developing economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Over the past decade, research into sharing economy platforms has gained prominence. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of perceived value (both hedonic and utilitarian) in attracting consumer engagement in the sharing economy, as well as its link with trust. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a survey method to empirically tested the proposed model using the partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling on data from 320 DiDi app users. Findings: The study's findings revealed that both hedonic and utilitarian value had a significant effect on satisfaction and trust in the platform. Although the results showed no effect of hedonic and utilitarian values on trust in driver, the authors found trust in driver and platform, and satisfaction had significant influences on users' continued intention to use the Taxi-hailing app. Interestingly, this study suggests that trust in the platform is transferred to trust in the driver. Originality/value: The results from the Necessary Condition Analysis shows that satisfaction and utilitarian value are necessary conditions of continuance intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of social interaction ties, trust and business networks in the acquisition of foreign business knowledge and foreign institutional knowledge. It also assesses the effect of these types of knowledge on small and medium enterprises' (SME) export performance. Furthermore, this study determines the moderating role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between foreign business knowledge, foreign institutional knowledge and export performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a survey research design using data from nontraditional SME exporters in Ghana. There were 257 respondents who were employees (managers/owners) of SMEs in Ghana. The model was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings: Social interaction ties, trust and business networks have a significant effect on the acquisition of foreign business knowledge and foreign institutional knowledge. Furthermore, foreign business knowledge and foreign institutional knowledge have a significant positive effect on export performance. The path between foreign business knowledge and export performance is also moderated by absorptive capacity. However, the moderating role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between foreign institutional knowledge and export performance is not significant. Originality: This study uses social capital to explain how SMEs acquire foreign business knowledge and foreign institutional knowledge, and how both affect SMEs' export performance. Furthermore, it tests the moderating role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between foreign business knowledge, foreign institutional knowledge and export performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the perceived role of customer value in post-adoption behaviour in the context of ride-hailing apps such as Uber, there has been limited research on the subject. This paper seeks to enrich the understanding of the relationships between customer perceived value, particularly hedonic value and economic value, customer satisfaction and continued use intentions of ride-hailing apps. Design/methodology/approach: This analysis is based on field data collected from 567 users of ride-hailing apps in Ghana. Data collected from the survey were analysed using the partial least square (PLS) approach to structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings: The paper provides evidence that hedonic value, as well as economic value, positively predicts customer satisfaction and continued use intentions of ride-hailing apps. Further analysis reveals customer satisfaction directly predicts continued use intentions in addition to partially mediating the influence of customer perceived value on continued use intentions of ride-hailing apps. Finally, the findings suggest that hedonic value has a stronger impact on continued use intentions than economic value, while economic value has a greater impact on satisfaction than hedonic value. Originality/value: The study contributes to post-adoption behaviour research by providing evidence on the relationships among the study constructs in a developing country context. Overall, the findings will stimulate future empirical debates on the subject and guide practitioners in decision-making concerning customers' usage of ride-hailing apps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a study to evaluate and identify factors that affect continuance intention towards internet banking usage using the institutional trust theory. The results indicate that information quality, service quality, privacy and security concerns were significant predictors of both trust and satisfaction. Structural assurance and situational normality were also found to significantly affect trust.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between transformational leadership, knowledge management capabilities, organizational learning and innovation performance in the context of higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Using a survey research design, data was collected from 219 respondents comprising faculty and administrative staff from two public and five private universities in Ghana. The data were analysed by using the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling with the use of Smart PLS software. Findings: The results revealed that transformational leadership significantly predicts knowledge management capabilities and organizational learning and also has a positive effect on innovation performance. Originality/value: Although some studies have covered the theoretical and empirical analyses of links between transformational leadership, innovation performance and some knowledge management capabilities, this study examines the direct links between transformational leadership and knowledge management capabilities, on one hand, and transformational leadership and organizational learning on the other, as well as their overall effect on innovation performance, which has been less discussed in literature, particularly in the tertiary educational sector and in the Ghanaian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to ascertain the relationship between experiential value, brand attachment and brand loyalty. The authors employed the attachment theory as the theoretical framework and operationalised attachment as a two-dimensional construct: identity-based and bonding-based. The authors argue that experiential value reinforces customer attachment in these two perspectives of attachment and consequently determine brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a survey research design and collected data from 500 customers of mobile telecommunication network companies in Ghana. The authors analysed the data collected using the partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. Findings: The findings of the study showed that there is a relationship between experiential value, brand attachment (identity-based and bonding-based) and brand loyalty. This study showed how experiential value reinforces each dimension of the attachment theory, and drives brand loyalty. Originality/value: This study intensifies the application of attachment theory in the marketing literature. It provides insight into how brand loyalty is developed via attachment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The increasing number of banks in the Ghanaian banking industry has brought about intense competition in the industry. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to examine the factors that influence retail banking customers' loyalty intentions.Design/methodology/approach In order to validate the proposed research model, the study adopts a survey design. Data were collected from 565 customers of the top performing banks in terms of customer deposits. Data analysis employed the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) using SmartPLS version 3.Findings Results from the PLS–SEM analysis indicated that satisfaction, service quality and trust had significant effect on loyalty, with satisfaction having the most significant effect. Interestingly corporate image was found to have a significant effect on both satisfaction and trust but not on loyalty. In all, the proposed model accounted for 63.3 percent of the variation in loyalty.Research limitations/implications The current study samples customers from only the top performing banks in Ghana. The use of cross-sectional data makes it impossible to study how customers' perceptions change over time. Results from this study could, however, help managers of banks in designing strategies aimed at improving customer loyalty in order to consolidate their market share.Originality/value This paper adds to existing works that focus on loyalty in the retail banking sector, especially from the context of a developing economy. The study draws attention to the interrelationship among service quality, perceived value, satisfaction, image, trust and loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effects of structural and bonding attachment on brand loyalty. The authors identified network quality, network coverage and mobile number portability (MNP) as structural elements of attachment that affect brand loyalty. Similarly, the authors identify brand trust and social interaction ties as elements of bonding-based attachment that affects brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approach The authors employed a survey as the research design. There were 500 respondents who were customers of telecommunication network brands in Ghana. Data collected were analyzed using the partial least square approach to structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on SmartPLS 3.Findings The findings indicate that structural and bonding-based attachments affect the brand loyalty. Specifically, the authors found that network coverage, network quality, brand trust and social interaction ties have positive effects on brand loyalty while MNP has a negative effect on brand loyalty.Originality/value This study conceptualizes attachment from both structural and bonding perspectives, which are rare in the marketing literature. Thus, this study advances the conceptualization of attachment in the marketing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the mobile industry dramatically scaling over the last decade, this paper provides an empirical service and marketing model on the determinants of customers’ decision to stay loyal to their 3G mobile data service (MDS) providers in an emerging market in sub-Saharan Africa. The introduction of fourth-generation MDS into the Ghanaian telecommunications industry has brought intense competition among industry players. As a result, we examined factors that influence 3G customers’ loyalty towards their service provider in an emerging market using data collected from 235 third-generation MDS users. Findings from our partial least square – structural equation modelling analysis indicated that the effects of service quality on trust and satisfaction were significant, subsequently impacting loyalty. Interestingly, our results showed a significant effect of corporate image on trust, but not on satisfaction and loyalty. Our results should help MDS providers by improving strategies on customer retention and loyalty in order increase their market share and profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There has been widespread criticism about the rates of participation of students enrolled on MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), more importantly, the percentage of students who actively consume course materials from beginning to the end. The current study sought to investigate this trend by examining the factors that influence MOOC adoption and use by students in selected Ghanaian universities. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was extended to develop a research model. A survey was conducted with 270 questionnaires administered to students who had been assigned MOOCs; 204 questionnaires were retrieved for analysis. Findings of the study show that MOOC usage intention is influenced by computer self-efficacy, performance expectancy, and system quality. Results also showed that MOOC usage is influenced by facilitating conditions, instructional quality, and MOOC usage intention. Social influence and effort expectancy were found not to have a significant influence on MOOC usage intention. The authors conclude that universities must have structures and resources in place to promote the use of MOOCs by students. Computer skills training should also be part of the educational curriculum at all levels. MOOC designers must ensure that the MOOCs have good instructional quality by using the right pedagogical approaches and also ensure that the sites and learning materials are of good quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media and other web 2.0 tools have provided users with the platform to interact with and also disclose personal information to not only their friends and acquaintances but also relative strangers with unprecedented ease. This has enhanced the ability of people to share more about themselves, their families, and their friends through a variety of media including text, photo, and video, thus developing and sustaining social and business relationships. The purpose of the paper is to identify the factors that predict self-disclosure on social networking sites from the perspective of privacy and flow. Data was collected from 452 students in three leading universities in Ghana and analyzed with Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling. Results from the study revealed that privacy risk was the most significant predictor. We also found privacy awareness, privacy concerns, and privacy invasion experience to be significant predictors of self-disclosure. Interaction and perceived control were found to have significant effect on self-disclosure. In all, the model accounted for 54.6 percent of the variance in self-disclosure. The implications and limitations of the current study are discussed, and directions for future research proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to fill literature gaps in the use of adaptive selling on social media platforms by observing consumer and sales force behavior in the consumer electronic market. The study’s main objectives are framed to answer the following questions: How does adaptive selling influence consumer outcomes in consumer electronics? What are the effects of social media on consumer outcomes through adaptive selling? The unit of analysis was individual consumers who use consumer electronics, retailers’ services and products offered through salespeople. The sample size of 400 consumers of electronic products was reached via electronic surveys. The questionnaire was adapted from literature to satisfy the quantitative nature of the study. This study found adaptive selling behavior of salespeople to be positively significant in predicting consumer outcomes. The outcomes of the study give statistical proof that social media use in sales has a positive impact on adaptive selling habits. The study also revealed a significant positive impact of consumer satisfaction on customer loyalty; this relationship is identified as critical in the consumer electronics retail market. This study is unique because it widens the understanding of social media use among salespeople in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ghana is fast losing its ecological health to illegal gold mining (IGM), since the last two decades. Aside the dearth and paucity of studies on IGM, prior literature on IGM have largely concentrated on unidimensional methods at the neglect of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM). Against this backdrop, the present study aims to address the yawning gap in literature using the novel MCDM hybrid LDA-PSI-TOPSIS. Accordingly, a thorough search was done in notable databases including ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of Science, using linguistic terms ((such as "barriers" OR "drivers" OR "challenges" OR "causes" OR "impediment" OR" "enablers" OR "strategies") AND ("illegal mining" OR "illegal small-scale gold mining")), to obtain the barriers to eradicate IGM, and the corresponding strategies to overcome these barriers. Overall, 5 main barriers, 26 sub-barriers, and eights strategies were identified. Subsequently, the barriers and the strategies were ranked by 20 experts from academia and industry based on the framework of the study. The study's findings reveal a hierarchical arrangement of the main barriers to IGM eradication, with the following order: socioeconomic barriers (44%), governance barriers (20%), weak institutional and cultural barriers (17%), regulatory barriers (15%), and equipment/foreign miners barriers (4%). Furthermore, the eight strategies for IGM eradication were systematically ranked as follows: alternative livelihood and improved formalization; moral economy, anti-corruption campaign, and cultural reprogramming; community engagement; improved governance structures and public service; autonomy for judicial and auxiliary services; monitoring and surveillance; economic sanctions (naming-and-shaming); and international cooperation. From a managerial perspective, the study proposes an innovative blend of top-down and bottom-up strategies to catalyze success in the fight against illegal mining, taking into account the financial resources of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]