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Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and non-economic activities. Researchers have increasingly focused on the adoption and use of ICT by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the economic development of a country is largely dependent on them. Following the success of ICT utilisation in SMEs in developed countries, many developing countries are looking to utilise the potential of the technology to develop SMEs. Past studies have shown that the contribution of ICT to the performance of SMEs is not clear and certain. Thus, it is crucial to determine the effectiveness of ICT in generating firm performance since this has implications for SMEs’ expenditure on the technology. This research examines the diffusion of ICT among SMEs with respect to the typical stages from innovation adoption to post-adoption, by analysing the actual usage of ICT and value creation. The mediating effects of integration and utilisation on SME performance are also studied. Grounded in the innovation diffusion literature, institutional theory and resource-based theory, this study has developed a comprehensive integrated research model focused on the research objectives. Following a positivist research paradigm, this study employs a mixed-method research approach. A preliminary conceptual framework is developed through an extensive literature review and is refined by results from an in-depth field study. During the field study, a total of 11 SME owners or decision-makers were interviewed. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo 10 to refine the model to develop the research hypotheses. The final research model is composed of 30 first-order and five higher-order constructs which involve both reflective and formative measures. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to test the theoretical model with a cross-sectional data set of 282 SMEs in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire issued to SMEs selected by applying a stratified random sampling technique. The structural equation modelling utilises a two-step procedure of data analysis. Prior to estimating the structural model, the measurement model is examined for construct validity of the study variables (i.e. convergent and discriminant validity).

The estimates show cognitive evaluation as an important antecedent for expectation which is shaped primarily by the entrepreneurs’ beliefs (perception) and also influenced by the owners’ innovativeness and culture. Culture further influences expectation. The study finds that facilitating condition, environmental pressure and country readiness are important antecedents of expectation and ICT use. The results also reveal that integration and the degree of ICT utilisation significantly affect SMEs’ performance. Surprisingly, the findings do not reveal any significant impact of ICT usage on performance which apparently suggests the possibility of the ICT productivity paradox. However, the analysis finally proves the non-existence of the paradox by demonstrating the mediating role of ICT integration and degree of utilisation explain the influence of information technology (IT) usage on firm performance which is consistent with the resource-based theory. The results suggest that the use of ICT can enhance SMEs’ performance if the technology is integrated and properly utilised. SME owners or managers, interested stakeholders and policy makers may follow the study’s outcomes and focus on ICT integration and degree of utilisation with a view to attaining superior organisational performance.

This study urges concerned business enterprises and government to look at the environmental and cultural factors with a view to achieving ICT usage success in terms of enhanced firm performance. In particular, improving organisational practices and procedures by eliminating the traditional power distance inside organisations and implementing necessary rules and regulations are important actions for managing environmental and cultural uncertainties. The application of a Bengali user interface may help to ensure the productivity of ICT use by SMEs in Bangladesh. Establishing a favourable national technology infrastructure and legal environment may contribute positively to improving the overall situation. This study also suggests some changes and modifications in the country’s existing policies and strategies. The government and policy makers should undertake mass promotional programs to disseminate information about the various uses of computers and their contribution in developing better organisational performance. Organising specialised training programs for SME capacity building may succeed in attaining the motivation for SMEs to use ICT. Ensuring easy access to the technology by providing loans, grants and subsidies is important. Various stakeholders, partners and related organisations should come forward to support government policies and priorities in order to ensure the productive use of ICT among SMEs which finally will help to foster Bangladesh’s economic development.

The paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the drivers for the use of Industry 4.0 technologies by investigating (1) what motivates companies to consider using I4 technologies and (2) what enables (or hinders) the intention to use I4 technologies to translate into their actual use.

The study uses survey data collected from a sample of export-oriented manufacturing companies with more than 10 employees. Final analysis is conducted on 124 companies.

The results show that companies are proactively approaching I4. Only efficiency motives and expected competitive advantage have a positive effect on the intention to use I4 technologies, which in turn positively influences their actual use. The external, legitimacy-based, motives do not play a significant role in explaining the intention to use. With respect to I4 technology enablers, employee competency positively moderates and availability of finance negatively moderates the relationship between intention to use and actual use.

The work extends the existing knowledge base on I4 technology drivers in companies that are not major global trendsetters but are heavily embedded in the value chains of companies from the most industrially developed economies. The study is limited to manufacturing companies in a small European economy and should be retested in other contexts.

The study can help managers implement I4 technologies in their companies more successfully.

We take a novel research approach by proposing a framework that clearly distinguishes between motives and enablers for the use of I4 technologies.

Considering the ubiquity of FinTech services, the study proposes a research framework to examine FinTech adoption and use from the technology acceptance perspective by adding sub-constructs of technology acceptance model (TAM), unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), ServPerf and WebQual 4.0. This study broadly classified these sub-constructs in three dimensions: adoption, behavior and technological and explores the relationship between these attributes. It also proposes that digital behavior (Internet experience and level of awareness) and demographic characteristics (age and gender) moderate the main relationships.

The measurement scale for the study is developed through iterative discussion with domain experts. The data are collected from 439 active Internet users though a digital survey and analysis were done by applying structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis.

Perceived usefulness and social influence are found to be the key determinant for behavior intention to use FinTech services, with social influence having significant negative influence. Actual use is significantly influenced by ease of use and social influence but is not determined by behavior intention and perceived usefulness. Behavioral attributes are significantly impacted by technological attributes and digital behavior. Also, age significantly affects the perception of security among older users.

This study will help FinTech service providers to design FinTech services considering a wide spectrum of users. More consideration should be on enhancing the usefulness and security features to create social affirmations for the use of FinTech services. This will entice users for frequent use and attract nonusers to do their first online financial transaction.

The study adds to the technology acceptance literature by incorporating relevant technological and behavioral attributes and investigating the moderating effect of digital behavior and demographic characteristics. It contributes to the understanding of user beliefs and perceptions about actual use of FinTech services.

This study aims to apply the information system success model (ISSM) to examine the relationships among actual use, use continuance intention, user satisfaction and net benefits in the context of quick-service restaurant (QSR) patrons using two contactless technologies (CT): self-service kiosks (SSK) and mobile applications (MA) for food ordering. The study also investigates the moderating roles of social interaction anxiety (SIA) and language proficiency (LP) in the abovementioned relationships.

Survey data from 421 QSR patrons with experience using McDonald's SSK and MA were collected and analyzed through a seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) technique.

Research findings reveal positive associations among actual use, use continuance intention and satisfaction with CT (i.e. SSK and MA). The actual use and satisfaction with CT are positively associated with individual benefits, leading to improved patron satisfaction with QSR. Findings also reveal that, in the case of MA, SIA positively moderates relationships between actual use/satisfaction and individual benefits and between satisfaction and organizational benefit, while LP shows negative moderating effects on those relationships.

This study is one of the first attempts to present empirical evidence of constructs in the ISSM (actual use, use continuance intention, satisfaction and individual/organizational benefits) in the context of QSR patrons using SSK and MA. It also shows that using MA can address some patrons' psychological problems interacting with others in their food-ordering processes.

The objective of this study was to analyse the effects of major determinants on VCT adoption intention among higher educational leaders. Also, this study aims to investigate how perceived risk and perceived benefits influence the educational leaders, VCT actual use intention.

The authors used the online survey method to collect the 440 responses through purposive sampling procedure. Structural equation modelling (SEM) technique and Multi Group Analysis procedure were used to test the proposed model and moderating effects.

The findings revealed that all the four determinants (PE, EE, SI and FC) based on UTAUT model have positive and significant effects on intention to use VCT. Besides this there is a significant and positive effect of intention to use VCT on actual usage of VCT by the educational leaders. The moderating effect of perceived risk and perceived benefits on actual usage of virtual communication also found significant.

This paper makes its contribution to the literature related to virtual communication technology adoption by including two moderator variables (perceived risk and benefits) that are expected to affect educational leaders' actual usage of VCT. The results can also help researchers and practitioners better understanding the factors that influence higher educational leaders to adopt VCT.

This study proposed a model incorporating the perceived risk and perceived benefits in the UTAUT model to predict the actual use of VCT. The study endeavours to investigate the moderating effects of perceived risk and perceived benefits between ITUVCT and AUVCT in Indian educational context.

This study aims to examine teachers’ efficacy to use iPad for teaching, their perceived impact of 1:1 iPad implementation in the classroom and the role of both variables in predicting teachers’ adoption of the iPad.

This paper opted for multiple linear regression analysis of the data from a total of 91 teachers (44 male and 47 female). All participating teachers are from upper-middle-class private schools who have been using iPad in their classrooms for at least three months. All three variables being studied are measured using instruments developed by the researcher and self-rated by participating teachers: iPad-Teaching Efficacy (iTE), Perceived Impact of iPad in the Classroom (iPI) and iPad Actual Use for Teaching (iAU). All three instruments have good internal reliability and validity, with an alpha coefficient of 0.97, 0.92 and 0.93 respectively.

The paper provides empirical insights about factors contributing to teachers’ technology adoption (specifically iPad) in the classroom. It suggests that teachers’ efficacy significantly predicts their actual use of the iPad for teaching, but teachers’ perceived impact of the implementation does not.

These research findings play an important role in designing a program for technology adoption in schools, especially in Indonesia.

The purpose of this paper is to integrate the theory of planned behavior (TBP) and the technology acceptance model (TAM) in social marketing to predict and explain technology adoption (gym equipment use) in physical activity (PA) behavior among Ghanaian youth.

A quantitative approach was adopted for this study. The empirical data for this paper were drawn from 314 youth who are gym equipment users. The hypothesized relationships were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

This study found that the salient beliefs, namely, attitude, subjective norm and behavioral control toward gym equipment use, do not sufficiently explain PA adoption. However, a better result emerges when these salient beliefs are combined with perceived usefulness (PU) and ease of use (TAM).

This paper provides evidence for issues of potential research, policy and managerial interest. The study findings showed that PA adoption, not PEOU, was directly impacted by PU. Thus, policymakers and implementers of social marketing intervention programs should promote the positive attitude toward gym equipment technology use and the perceptions of usefulness (improve cardiorespiratory fitness, feeling healthy and building muscle strength) of using gym equipment technology instead of ease of use to increase PA technology adoption behavior.

Considering the uniqueness of this current study in the Ghanaian context, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to integrate two influential theories, namely, the TPB and TAM, to examine the effects of the TPB and TAM variables on the adoption of technology (gym equipment use) in PA among the youth.

The study has two aims: first, it aimed to investigate the impact of contextual factors (such as information quality, service quality, system quality, trust in applications (app) and COVID-19 health anxiety) on the intention to use the Mobile Payment (MP) app, and subsequently, the actual use of the app. Second, the aim of this study is whether the COVID-19 threat has a moderating influence on the relationship between customers' intent to use MP app and the actual use of MP app.

The data are collected through an online survey from 341 Mobile Banking (MB) app users from Pakistan to empirically analyze the relationship between service quality, system quality, information quality, trust in the app, COVID-19 health anxiety and COVID-19 threat, intentions to use MB-app and actual use of MB-app.

The empirical analysis of the data collected from MB-app users from Pakistan shows that service quality, system quality, information quality, trust in the app and COVID-19 health anxiety positively related to intentions to use MB-app, consequently affect the actual use of MB-app. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the COVID-19 threat positively moderates the relationship between intentions to use MB-app and actual use of MB-app.

Although, prior research established a positive impact of mobile apps on customer service and consumer satisfaction. Yet, it is not clear which factors influence customers to adopt MB-app. This study contributes to the research on MB-apps based on adaptive structuration theory and examines the technological factors and contextual factors that collectively explain when and how individuals decide to adopt MB-app.

This paper aims to determine factors that influence people living with HIV (PLHIV) to engage in internet-based HIV information seeking behaviour in selected Tanzanian public regional hospitals.

The authors conducted a questionnaire-based survey to 221 PLHIV in two regional public hospitals in Mwanza and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They assessed the validity and reliability of the measurement model by using exploratory factor analysis and also used hierarchical regressions to examine the research hypotheses by using Statistical Package for Social Science.

The study found that there is low usage of internet (24.3 per cent) to search online HIV information. Factors related to attitude and information source accessibility predicted usage intentions of internet, while facilitating conditions, information source accessibility and usage intention of internet determined actual use of internet among PLHIV. Age moderated the effects of information source quality and social influence on usage intention of internet, and the effects of the information source accessibility and social influence on actual use of internet. The findings imply that younger PLHIV were more likely to use internet to access HIV information than the older respondents due to perceived ease of accessing information and quality of the online content. Further, older PLHIV were more influenced by the views of others when making decisions to use internet.

Health-care providers and libraries need to conduct regular studies on health needs of patients, and promote benefits of accessing online information; website designers need to design user-friendly databases; public libraries need to include a section on health information; hospital and public librarians need to provide catalogues of health information resources on their websites; and health-care providers need to improve technological infrastructure.

This is a comprehensive study that provides empirical findings to better understand the HIV information seeking behaviour from actual internet users, particularly factors that may influence PLHIV to seek online information in Tanzania.

Technological advances regarding artificial intelligence (AI) are affecting the transport sector. Although fully autonomous delivery, or self-driving trucks, are not operating currently, various AI applications have become fixed components of cargo vehicles. Since many research approaches primarily concentrate on the technical aspects of assistance systems (ASs), the economic question of how to improve efficiency is seldom addressed. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to apply an efficiency analysis to measure the performance of truck drivers supplying retail stores.

For this comparative study, 90 professional truck drivers in three groups are compared with (1) trucks without AS, (2) trucks with AS that cannot be turned off and (3) trucks with AS that can be turned off. First, we build a model investigating the impact of performance expectation, effort expectation, social influence and facilitating conditions on the behavioural intention to use AS. Second, we explore the impact of truck drivers' behavioural intention on actual technology use, misuse and disuse; operationalize these constructs; and merge them with our behavioural constructs to create one econometric model.

The human–AI system was found to be the most efficient. Additionally, behavioural intention to use ASs did not lead to actual usage in the AI-alone observation group, but did in the human–AI group. Several in-depth analyses showed that the AI-alone group used AS at a higher level than the human–AI group, but manipulations through, for example, kickdowns or manual break operations led to conscious overriding of the cruise control system and, consequently, to higher diesel consumption, higher variable costs and lower efficiency of transport logistical operations.

Efficiency analysis with data envelopment analysis is, by design, limited by the applied input and output factors.

This study represents one of the first quantitative efficiency analyses of the impact of digitalization on transport performance (i.e. truck driver efficiency). Furthermore, we build an econometric model combining behavioural aspects with actual technology usage in a real application scenario.