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This study aims to investigate the key factors that motivate learners to use handheld devices to access library resources. To do so, this study integrates the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the DeLone and McLean information systems success (D and M-ISS) model.

The relationship between the causes and the outcomes may not be symmetrical. To test this proposition, data were collected from 210 respondents in a Gulf country and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) and complemented by fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

The SEM results revealed that three constructs – perceived ease of use (PEOU), service quality (SQ) and system quality (SEQ) are strong drivers of students’ continuous intention to use handheld devices to access library resources. However, perceived usefulness (PU) and information quality (IQ) do not significantly influence students’ intentions. Besides, SQ and PEOU are positively related to PU. Furthermore, fsQCA results show that two different conjunctions, PU*PEOU*IQ*SEQ and PEOU*SQ*IQ*SEQ, cause the students to show a continuous intention to use handheld devices to access library resources.

Unlike previous studies on mobile library resource utilization, this analysis extends TAM to investigate the linear additive influence of two basic TAM constructs: PEOU and PU, and three constructs, namely, SEQ, SQ and IQ of the ISS model, on students’ library resource utilization. Furthermore, the findings of SEM were complemented by a set theory-based configuration method, fsQCA, to investigate the asymmetrical, equifinal and configurational causation leading to the desired outcome. The findings of this study have theoretical and practical implications.

Mobile banking (Mbanking) is one of the most widely used mobile technology applications in recent times. This research aims to develop and test a research model by integrating social influence, trust and compatibility along with demographic variables into the original technology acceptance model (TAM) for Mbanking adoption which can be useful for understanding individual behaviours from an international business perspective.

Data were collected through a structured survey from 208 Omani Mbanking users and analysed using a two-staged regression and neural network (NN) model.

The results showed that perceived ease of use and demographic variables were not statistically significant in the multiple linear regression model, whereas the importance of the aforementioned variables was relatively high in the results obtained from the NN model. Furthermore, other predictors, namely, trust, perceived usefulness, compatibility and social influence included in the proposed research model that were established as significant by the regression model were assigned high relative importance by the NN model as well.

The study reflects the customer’s opinion from a developing country perspective. In addition, the research makes a significant theoretical contribution by using predictive modelling instead of causal or explanatory modelling for the development of a new and extended TAM model. The findings can be gainfully used by international business to understand Omani customer- and design-appropriate strategies for market penetration.

This study offers deeper understanding about Mbanking adoption from a developing country perspective and identifies and integrates important variables that influence the adoption in the aforementioned context.

This paper aims to integrate Big Data in e-government in Oman, also known as “e-Oman”, wherein Big Data might be better harnessed to tackle real-time challenges.

Besides a description of the concepts of e-government and Big Data in general, the paper underscores the dimensions of “e-Oman”. Following a qualitative approach, the paper asserts how integration of Big Data in “e-Oman” may be useful by invoking examples from four short case studies across different sectors.

The paper supports the integration of “e-Oman” and Big Data wherein besides providing smooth public services, the government is encouraged to forge inter- and intra-ministerial collaboration and public-private partnership. The paper probes through the challenges and opportunities in effecting this integration.

The paper provides a platform for the policymakers to conceive of a synchronized programme for integrating “e-Oman” and the Big Data generated by it. This integration would go a long way in building upon the economy of Oman, besides providing better public services to the individuals and businesses on a real-time basis.

The paper does throw light on the issues of privacy and confidentiality of data available with the government. There are challenges of cybercrime as well. Therefore, the paper posits that a robust fool-proof infrastructure should be instituted by the government for effecting integration of e-government and Big Data.

This paper seeks to fill the gap in extant literature which remains scant on the integration of e-government with Big Data. This is especially true in the case of Oman where not a single study has been presented to probe this issue. Given that “e-Oman” is expanding its scope over the years, this paper foresees the concomitant opportunities and challenges in the integration of Big Data in “e-Oman”.

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictabilities of five intra-personal factors to predict pro-environmental consumer behavior (PECB) and the moderating role of religiosity in Oman.

The study uses neural network to analyze the antecedents/antecedents × religiosity → PECB relationships by using a sample of 306 consumers from Oman.

This study finds that the most important predictors of PECB, according to the order of importance, are attitude × religiosity, knowledge, concern × religiosity, knowledge × religiosity, value, religiosity, attitude, concern and value × religiosity.

The convenience sample from a single Islamic country limits the generalizability of the findings. Future studies should use probabilistic sampling techniques and multiple Islamic countries located in different geographical regions.

To promote PECB, businesses and policymakers should provide environmental education to expand knowledge and value, leverage ecological religious values in integrated marketing communications, make positive inducements to change attitude and concern enhancing interventions.

As religiosity enhances PECB by moderating the impacts of environmental intra-personal factors on PECB, businesses and policymakers should find ways to use faith-based ecological messages in Islamic countries.

Determining the predictabilities of psychological factors and their interactions with religiosity to predict PECB in Islamic countries is necessary for promoting environmentally friendly products in Islamic countries and for reducing the ecological damage to the environment.

The purpose of this paper is to study the role of religiosity in consumer pro-environmental behavioral intention (CPEBI). Consumer pro-environmental value, knowledge, concern and attitude predict CPEBI; however, previous findings are neither consistent about their predictabilities nor clear about the order of importance of these predictors. Further, while religiosity has the potential to affect values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, its role in CPEBI research has been neglected.

Data are collected from a sample of 306 respondents from Oman, an Islamic country with mostly Muslim consumers, and analyzed using a neural network model.

This study finds that the most important predictors of CPEBI, in order of importance, are attitude, concern, knowledge, religiosity and value. Further, results indicate that religiosity moderates the impacts of, in order of importance, attitude, value, concern and knowledge on CPEBI.

Both businesses and policy makers can prioritize intervention strategies according to the importance of the predictors and can leverage faith-based messages and programs for promoting CPEBI toward creating a better environment for all.

Determining the predictabilities of psychological factors and their interactions with religiosity to predict CPEBI in Islamic countries is necessary for promoting environmentally friendly products in Islamic countries and for reducing the ecological damage to the environment.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a research model for understanding the relationship between service quality dimensions and demographic variables, and the willingness to use e-government services in Oman. Understanding the key determinants of electronic government (e-government) services is an important issue for enhancing the degree of use of these services by users.

The data were collected using Google forms from 248 e-government service users. The hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the research model.

The results showed that service quality dimensions, namely, reliability, security, efficiency and responsiveness, were the key determinants that influenced the willingness to use e-government services. In addition to service quality dimensions, two demographic variables, namely, age and education level of respondents, showed a statistically significant relationship with the willingness to use e-government services.

The findings of this study provide useful insights into the decision-makers of e-government services in Oman and similar emerging economies. At the same time, these findings can also be used by academicians and information systems researchers for further research.

This study is probably the first attempt to model e-government services on the basis of service quality dimensions and demographic variables in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Moreover, this study will enrich the existing literature on the adoption of e-government services.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the main determinants of Internet banking users on the basis of literature of technology acceptance model (TAM). Understanding and predicting main determinants of Internet banking is an important issue for banking industry and users.

Service quality and trust were incorporated in the TAM together with demographic variables. The data were collected using Google Docs from 110 Omani Internet banking users. A two-staged regression-neural network model was applied to understand and predict Internet banking adoption.

The results obtained from multiple linear regression model were compared with the results from neural network model to predict Internet banking adoption and the performance of latter model was found to superior. The neural network model was able to capture relative importance of all independent variables, service quality, trust, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude and demographic variables, whereas perceived ease of use and demographic variables were not significant predictors of Internet banking adoption as per the regression model.

This study provides useful insights with regard to development of Internet banking systems to banking professionals and information systems researchers in Oman and similar emerging economies.

This study is probably the first attempt to model Internet banking adoption in Gulf Cooperation Council using a predictive rather than explanatory focus. The majority of studies in Internet banking adoption in Oman and elsewhere usually utilize modeling methods suited for explanatory purposes.

This paper aims to understand the interrelationships between the various factors that affect the use of course Web sites by university students in a developing country. The factors considered for the purpose of studying these interrelationships include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived Web site credibility and Web site learning acceptance and satisfaction. Furthermore, a comparative study of the potential differences in perceptions between Indian and Omani students with respect to the aforementioned factors is also presented.

A survey instrument was used to collect data from students. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper uses empirical research to analyze student satisfaction in relation to learning through course Websites. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, structural equation modeling and a t-test.

Under the newly proposed construct, Web site credibility was found to be an important predictor of Web site learning acceptance and satisfaction, whereas perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were mediating variables. In the extended study that compared the relative perceptions of Indian and Omani students, a statistically significant difference in Indian and Omani students was observed for Web site learning acceptance and satisfaction.

This study can provide valuable insights for decision-makers that will aid the development of more user-friendly course Web sites for higher education institutions and also promote higher levels of learning, satisfaction and greater course web site usage.

This study is probably the first attempt made to observe students’ perceptions of learning via course Web sites in Oman. Furthermore, the use of perceived Web site credibility as a factor in understanding perceptions regarding course Web site learning is a unique feature presented by this paper that is seldom seen in the existing research literature.

The advent of mobile telephony devices with strong internet capabilities has laid the foundation for mobile commerce (m-commerce) services. The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine predictors of m-commerce adoption using a modification of the widely used technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model.

The data were collected from 213 respondents by means of an online survey. The data were analyzed through multi analytic approach by employing structural equation modeling (SEM) and neural network modeling.

The SEM results showed that variety of services, social influence, perceived usefulness, cost and perceived trust have significant influence on consumer’s intention to adopt m-commerce. The only exception was perceived ease of use which observed statistically insignificant influence on adoption of m-commerce. Furthermore, the results obtained from SEM were employed as input to the neural network model and results showed that perceived usefulness, perceived trust and variety of services as most important predictors in adoption of m-commerce.

The findings of this study give an insight of key determinants that are important to develop suitable strategic framework to enhance the use of m-commerce adoption. In addition, it also provides an opportunity to academicians and researchers to use the framework of this study for further research.

The study is among a very few studies which analyzed m-commerce adoption by applying a linear and non-linear approach. The study offers a multi-analytical model to understand and predict m-commerce adoption in the developing nation like India.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the quality determinants influencing the adoption of e-government services in Oman and compare the performance of multiple regression and neural network models in identifying the significant factors influencing adoption in Oman.

Primary data concerning service quality determinants and demographic variables were collected using a structured questionnaire survey. The variables selected in the design of the questionnaire were based on an extensive literature review. Factor analysis, multiple linear regression and neural network models were employed to analyze data.

The study found that quality determinants: responsiveness, security, efficiency and reliability are statistically significant predictors of adoption. The neural network model performed better than the regression model in the prediction of e-government services’ adoption and was able to characterize the non-linear relationship of the aforementioned predictors with the adoption of e-government services. Further, the neural network model was able to identify demographic variables as significant predictors.

This study highlights the importance of service quality in the adoption of e-government services and suggests that an enhanced focus and investment on improving quality of the design and delivery of e-government services can have a positive impact on the usage of the services, thereby enabling the Oman Government in achieving the governance objectives for which these technologies were employed.

Studies in the area of e-government typically focus either on technology adoption problems or service quality problems. The role of service quality in adoption is rarely addressed. The research presented in this paper is of great value to the institutions that are involved in the development of technology-based e-government services in Oman.