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Intelligent software agents offer the potential to unleash the power of the Internet to optimise the process of supplier sourcing. Aims to promote an awareness in the buyer/supplier community of the potential for using intelligent software agents over the Internet for this purpose. The traditional relationship between suppliers and buyers is contrasted with that of Internet‐based trading. This comparison confirms that trust is a critical component in the traditional relationship and that an understanding of the nature of trust is necessary in revealing where and how agent technology will have maximum benefit for both buyers and suppliers. It is shown that the technology that can enable this form of sourcing is already well established, and a range of conceptual agents are described. Finally, identifies the benefits that will accrue to organisations that adopt agent technology as part of their supplier‐sourcing portfolio, and recommendations for further work are made.

This paper analyzes how consumers’ perceptions of their traditional bank influence their decision to adopt the services offered by the same bank on the internet. Design/methodology/approach – The data required in this paper were gathered by means of a personal survey conducted with customers of various banks totaling 633, which distribute their services by traditional channels as well as on the internet. A Binomial Logistic Regression process was analyzed to assess the influence of trust, incomes, age, sex, education and employment on the adoption of the financial services offered by a traditional bank on the internet. Findings – The results in the paper showed that consumer trust in a traditional bank, as well as incomes, age and sex are factors that influence consumers’ decision to work with the same bank via the internet. Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that, turning to the limitations of the work, it is necessary to point out that the majority of individuals who participated were Spanish speaking, so that it would also be a good idea to carry out a new validation of the model with a wider sample of consumers, particularly in terms of different nationalities. Practical implications – Throughout this paper the importance of trust in online banking adoption has been shown. The results show that there is a clear relationship between consumer trust in the traditional channel and the likelihood of using services provided by the same bank on the internet. The results of the research also show the need to target marketing actions on certain segments of the population. Originality/value – This paper offers an innovative approach, since it analyzes how consumers’ perceptions of their traditional bank influence their decision to adopt the services offered by the same bank on the internet. This analysis perspective has not been previously used in the literature.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

This paper according to the logic of the “digital access divide--digital capability divide--digital outcome divide” aims to systematically discuss the impact of the digital divide on individual happiness in China, accounting for the variations that exist across different groups, as well as the corresponding mechanisms.

This paper presents cross-sectional analyses of the relationship between the digital divide and individual happiness in China. The analyses are based on data from the Chinese General Social Survey 2017, which academic institutions run on the Chinese Mainland. This database contains information on respondents' Internet access, skills and consequences of use, which can measure the digital divide of Chinese individuals at three levels.

First, individual happiness declined when they experienced the digital access divide in China. For the digital capability divide, the lower the usage skills, the more individual happiness declined. When analyzing the digital outcome divide, the greater the negative consequences, the more individual happiness declined. Second, the impacts of digital access, capability and outcome divide vary according to age, gender, education degrees, hukou, region and sub-dimensions. Third, the digital access and capability divide reduce individuals' happiness by lowering their self-rated social and economic status, whereas the digital outcome divide reduce individual happiness by lowering their fairness perception and social trust.

The authors believe that this is the first study to examine the impact and its variations among different groups of the three-level digital divide on individual happiness, as well as its mechanisms.

To explore the role of trust and risk in consumers' apparent reluctance to convert from internet browsers to potential online purchasers. To consider how marketing planners in that environment can devise strategies that balance perceptions of risk against perceptions of trustworthiness.

The literatures of trust and risk were reviewed, with a focus on internet usage and online buying. Six components of organisational trust are used as the framework for a discussion of perceived risk, and of the tactics available to counterbalance perceptions of the riskiness of online buying with evidence of the trustworthiness of the online merchant.

The conclusion is that marketing planners can overcome the barrier of perceived risk if they find the means to generate sufficient trust among their potential customers.

This presents no empirical evidence but does draw together the work of others and build from it a framework for understanding how the twin concepts of risk and trust work together. Fellow researchers are invited to test its propositions experimentally.

Planners of marketing campaigns for online suppliers of products and services can use the framework presented in this paper as a basis for the formulation of effective strategies to convert current web‐browsers into future internet shoppers, and thereby benefit to the full from the advantages of online distribution channels.

Provides a general overview of a topic that is clearly relevant to gatherers of marketing intelligence and planners of marketing strategy, in the rapidly changing online environment.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the regulatory options available to control advertising on the internet.

The analytical framework for this study was derived from Harker and colleagues' work on effective advertising self‐regulation (ASR). The key areas of the legal regulatory framework, the self‐regulatory framework, prevailing community standards, and industry compliance were examined in the context of the internet; the focus being the achievement of acceptable advertising. Dick's convergent interviewing techniques were utilised during a number of depth interviews with key stakeholders and the data were analysed using Strauss' and Strauss and Corbin's guidelines.

This qualitative approach allowed great insight to be gained in a “messy” area. A number of regulatory options are suggested, ranging along a continuum from full control to no control. Whilst controlling advertising on traditional media is moving towards best practice, the dynamic context of the internet provides new challenges for all stakeholders in terms of consumer protection.

A significant limitation of any research concerned with the internet relates to the currency of information, and this is difficult to account for in this dynamic environment.

Whilst there have been many research papers describing approaches to traditional ASR, there is little to guide us when it comes to options for controlling online advertising. This paper has attempted to push the research boundary a little further in this regard and is meant to be a paper that will hopefully stimulate other research colleagues to challenge ideas and the traditional view.

This chapter analyzes the link between the digital divide, infrastructure regulation, and disaster planning and relief through a case study of the flood in San Jose, California triggered by the Anderson dam’s overtopping in February 2017 and an examination of communication failures during the 2018 wildfire in Paradise, California. This chapter theorizes that regulatory decisions construct social and disaster vulnerability. Rooted in the Whole Community approach to disaster planning and relief espoused by the United Nations and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this chapter calls for leadership to end the digital divide. It highlights the imperative of understanding community information needs and argues for linking strategies to close the digital divide with infrastructure and emergency planning. As the Internet’s integration into society increases, the digital divide diminishes access to societal resources including disaster aid, and exacerbates wildfire, flood, pandemic, and other risks. To mitigate climate change, climate-induced disaster, protect access to social services and the economy, and safeguard democracy, it argues for digital inclusion strategies as a centerpiece of community-centered infrastructure regulation and disaster relief.

The concept and practice of e-services has become essential in business transactions. Yet there are still many organizations that have not developed e-services optimally. This is especially relevant in the context of Indonesian Airline companies. Therefore, many airline customers in Indonesia are still in doubt about it, or even do not use it. To fill this gap, this study attempts to develop a model for e-services adoption and empirically examines the factors influencing the airlines customers in Indonesia in using e-services offered by the Indonesian airline companies. Taking six Indonesian airline companies as a case example, the study investigated the antecedents of e-services usage of Indonesian airlines. This study further examined the impacts of motivation on customers in using e-services in the Indonesian context. Another important aim of this study was to investigate how ages, experiences and geographical areas moderate effects of e-services usage.

The study adopts a positivist research paradigm with a two-phase sequential mixed method design involving qualitative and quantitative approaches. An initial research model was first developed based on an extensive literature review, by combining acceptance and use of information technology theories, expectancy theory and the inter-organizational system motivation models. A qualitative field study via semi-structured interviews was then conducted to explore the present state among 15 respondents. The results of the interviews were analysed using content analysis yielding the final model of e-services usage. Eighteen antecedent factors hypotheses and three moderating factors hypotheses and 52-item questionnaire were developed. A focus group discussion of five respondents and a pilot study of 59 respondents resulted in final version of the questionnaire.

In the second phase, the main survey was conducted nationally to collect the research data among Indonesian airline customers who had already used Indonesian airline e-services. A total of 819 valid questionnaires were obtained. The data was then analysed using a partial least square (PLS) based structural equation modelling (SEM) technique to produce the contributions of links in the e-services model (22% of all the variances in e-services usage, 37.8% in intention to use, 46.6% in motivation, 39.2% in outcome expectancy, and 37.7% in effort expectancy). Meanwhile, path coefficients and t-values demonstrated various different influences of antecedent factors towards e-services usage. Additionally, a multi-group analysis based on PLS is employed with mixed results. In the final findings, 14 hypotheses were supported and 7 hypotheses were not supported.

The major findings of this study have confirmed that motivation has the strongest contribution in e-services usage. In addition, motivation affects e-services usage both directly and indirectly through intention-to-use. This study provides contributions to the existing knowledge of e-services models, and practical applications of IT usage. Most importantly, an understanding of antecedents of e-services adoption will provide guidelines for stakeholders in developing better e-services and strategies in order to promote and encourage more customers to use e-services. Finally, the accomplishment of this study can be expanded through possible adaptations in other industries and other geographical contexts.

This paper aims to revisit the role of perceived risk in online banking, using an alternative view on trust as a moderator on the relationship between perceived risk and behavioral intention (BI). With this aim, the conceptual model was proposed to examine the impact of perceived risk on BI directly and indirectly via unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 along with its interactionist relationship with trust.

Structural equation modeling technique is used to analyze data collected from 677 bank customers via personal contact using a self-administered questionnaire.

The results indicate that perceived risk as a multi-dimensional construct has a direct and indirect impact on BI via performance expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation and price value. Moreover, it was found that trust moderates the relationship between perceived risk and BI.

This study suggests that banks should create a trust-building mechanism in the online banking environment and develop certain risk management strategies such as providing detailed and thorough information, money-back guarantee and reassurance services to enhance confidence among the customers to use such services. The banks should also devote valuable efforts in designing website interface with improved security features to facilitate usability and reliability of online banking services.

The present study makes an important contribution to the existing literature on e-commerce, especially in the field of online banking, by proposing an interactionist model between perceived risk and trust. The proposed model has never been examined in the relevant literature and could be used to provide a solid theoretical foundation in the context of online banking adoption.