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The appropriation of artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday workplace practices is becoming pervasive. Some of the industries that have seen the improved appropriation of AI include the automotive industry, food chains and other retail businesses. The media industry in developed countries has also been appropriating AI into newsrooms ecologies. This development has left news media workers, especially in developing countries, questioning the viability of their jobs in the foreseeable future as machines take over and disrupt newsmaking and production processes. The unknowns that come with AI adoption have been met with both utopian and dystopian views in African newsrooms, especially in countries that understand less on how to deploy AI affordances. Premised on the technology acceptance model and the concept of technological appropriation and a qualitative methodology that used structured interviews with community media journalists from the Western Cape province of South Africa, this chapter examined journalists' perceptions of AI deployment in the community media space. The findings of the study show that community media journalists hold both utopian and dystopian views on the utility of AI in the community media space. While most journalists perceive AI as enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of the newsmaking process, there is a significant number of journalists who perceive AI as inimical to the legitimacy and credibility of the profession. Furthermore, AI is also seen as a threat to jobs within the journalism profession. These findings resonate with previous studies that have shown that journalists are divided on the perceived utility of AI in newsrooms.

This research aimed to determine how COVID-19 affected Micro small and medium enterprises’ (MSMEs) participation in sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their adoption of Fin-tech developing nations like India. Involving women in the workforce through microenterprises is crucial to accomplishing the SDGs, and its subsection is focused on decent work and small industries. Data related to knowledge of digital finance was collected using a convenience sample method. Nonetheless, descriptive research was conducted, and although interesting, no definitive findings could be determined. Women entrepreneurs aged between 25 and 35 years provided input into creating this link based on the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) concept. Using SMART-PLS, we found a significant relationship between the UTAUT model of sustainable development and the level of Fin-tech literacy among women in low-income households in developing countries like India. However, we also know that MSMEs’ adoption of Fin-tech and SDG is less tightly linked to the UTUAT model. The trend towards online transactions or digital payments and the widespread adoption of digital technology applications are changing the face of the global economy. The COVID-19 period saw the rise of contactless transactions as the primary payment method. Because of this shift in public opinion, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have begun implementing Fin-tech for long-term growth. People worldwide use it for transactions and other economic functions. However, there is a scarcity of research incorporating this kind of data from India and the rest of the developing world.

We review the literature on individual acceptance of technology to show how organizations can improve the effective use of human resource web-based technologies. Integrating and expanding several theoretical models of technology acceptance, we develop a perceptual model of employee self-service (ESS) acceptance and usage. Based on this model, we propose several key individual, technological, and organizational factors relevant to individual intentions to use ESS technology. We summarize these in several testable propositions and also discuss implications for organizational researchers and practitioners.

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.

Smart card-based E-payment systems are receiving increasing attention as the number of implementations is witnessed on the rise globally. Understanding of user adoption behavior of E-payment systems that employ smart card technology becomes a research area that is of particular value and interest to both IS researchers and professionals. However, research interest focuses mostly on why a smart card-based E-payment system results in a failure or how the system could have grown into a success. This signals the fact that researchers have not had much opportunity to critically review a smart card-based E-payment system that has gained wide support and overcome the hurdle of critical mass adoption. The Octopus in Hong Kong has provided a rare opportunity for investigating smart card-based E-payment system because of its unprecedented success. This research seeks to thoroughly analyze the Octopus from technology adoption behavior perspectives.

Cultural impacts on adoption behavior are one of the key areas that this research posits to investigate. Since the present research is conducted in Hong Kong where a majority of population is Chinese ethnicity and yet is westernized in a number of aspects, assuming that users in Hong Kong are characterized by eastern or western culture is less useful. Explicit cultural characteristics at individual level are tapped into here instead of applying generalization of cultural beliefs to users to more accurately reflect cultural bias. In this vein, the technology acceptance model (TAM) is adapted, extended, and tested for its applicability cross-culturally in Hong Kong on the Octopus. Four cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede are included in this study, namely uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and Confucian Dynamism (long-term orientation), to explore their influence on usage behavior through the mediation of perceived usefulness.

TAM is also integrated with the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) to borrow two constructs in relation to innovative characteristics, namely relative advantage and compatibility, in order to enhance the explanatory power of the proposed research model. Besides, the normative accountability of the research model is strengthened by embracing two social influences, namely subjective norm and image. As the last antecedent to perceived usefulness, prior experience serves to bring in the time variation factor to allow level of prior experience to exert both direct and moderating effects on perceived usefulness.

The resulting research model is analyzed by partial least squares (PLS)-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The research findings reveal that all cultural dimensions demonstrate direct effect on perceived usefulness though the influence of uncertainty avoidance is found marginally significant. Other constructs on innovative characteristics and social influences are validated to be significant as hypothesized. Prior experience does indeed significantly moderate the two influences that perceived usefulness receives from relative advantage and compatibility, respectively. The research model has demonstrated convincing explanatory power and so may be employed for further studies in other contexts. In particular, cultural effects play a key role in contributing to the uniqueness of the model, enabling it to be an effective tool to help critically understand increasingly internationalized IS system development and implementation efforts. This research also suggests several practical implications in view of the findings that could better inform managerial decisions for designing, implementing, or promoting smart card-based E-payment system.

Citizens are substantial stakeholders in every e-government system, thus their willingness to use and ability to access the system are critical. Unequal access and information and communication technology usage, which is known as digital divide, however has been identified as one of the major obstacles to the implementation of e-government system. As digital divide inhibits citizen’s acceptance to e-government, it should be overcome despite the lack of deep theoretical understanding on this issue. This research aimed to investigate the digital divide and its direct impact on e-government system success of local governments in Indonesia as well as indirect impact through the mediation role of trust. In order to get a comprehensive understanding of digital divide, this study introduced a new type of digital divide, the innovativeness divide.

The research problems were approached by applying two-stage sequential mixed method research approach comprising of both qualitative and quantitative studies. In the first phase, an initial research model was proposed based on a literature review. Semi-structured interview with 12 users of e-government systems was then conducted to explore and enhance this initial research model. Data collected in this phase were analyzed with a two-stage content analysis approach and the initial model was then amended based on the findings. As a result, a comprehensive research model with 16 hypotheses was proposed for examination in the second phase.

In the second phase, quantitative method was applied. A questionnaire was developed based on findings in the first phase. A pilot study was conducted to refine the questionnaire, which was then distributed in a national survey resulting in 237 useable responses. Data collected in this phase were analyzed using Partial Least Square based Structural Equation Modeling.

The results of quantitative analysis confirmed 13 hypotheses. All direct influences of the variables of digital divide on e-government system success were supported. The mediating effects of trust in e-government in the relationship between capability divide and e-government system success as well as in the relationship between innovativeness divide and e-government system success were supported, but was rejected in the relationship between access divide and e-government system success. Furthermore, the results supported the moderating effects of demographic variables of age, residential place, and education.

This research has both theoretical and practical contributions. The study contributes to the developments of literature on digital divide and e-government by providing a more comprehensive framework, and also to the implementation of e-government by local governments and the improvement of e-government Readiness Index of Indonesia.

Businesses are increasingly using corporate communication technologies to interact with prospective customers. Therefore, this study explores the corporate executives’ readiness to use interactive media for engagement with online users. The methodology relied on valid and reliable measures to explore the participants’ pace of technological innovation (PTI), perceived usefulness, ease of use and social influences, as these factors can have an effect on their engagement with interactive technologies. The findings supported the scales’ content validity as the structural equation modeling approach has reported a satisfactory fit for this study’s research model. The results indicated that the PTI, perceived usefulness, ease of use of online technologies as well as social influences were significant antecedents for the marketing executives’ engagement with online users through digital media. There were significant influences from the demographic variables, including age, gender and experiences that moderated these relationships. In conclusion, this contribution identifies its limitations and suggests possible research avenues to academia.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to test the effect of consumers’ readiness level to use new technology on their intention to use mobile payment applications based on the technology readiness and acceptance model (TRAM). In detail, it examines how the dimensions of TR as ‘optimism, innovativeness, discomfort, and insecurity’ affect consumers’ intention to utilise mobile payment applications. Moreover, the effect of the technology-accepting behaviour measured by two major factors as ‘perceived usefulness’ and ‘perceived ease of use’ on the intention to use mobile payment applications is also examined.

Need for the study: The existence of a mobile system alone is not enough to attract consumers with no user experience to these applications. The user-centred attribute in the usage of these applications, which involves the influence of technology readiness (TR), has been largely ignored especially in developing countries. By focussing on this area, it is expected to fill the gap that has not been sufficiently handled in the developing country settings and, particularly in Turkey.

Methodology: The study population consists of the consumers who live in İstanbul who is aged 18 and over and use mobile payment technology at least once. After collecting data, confirmatory factor analysis was applied to validate the measurement model. Afterward, the structural model was tested by the Maximum Likelihood-MI estimation method, and the bootstrap samples were stated as 5,000.

Findings: When the results of the study are examined, it is seen that optimism has a significant influence on the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use dimensions of the technology acceptance model, while innovativeness is significant only on the perceived ease of use. This study results also show that discomfort and insecurity don’t significantly influence the perception of usefulness and easy-to-use mobile payment applications as perceived by individuals. Perceived ease of use is to positively affect the perceived usefulness. Additionally, the perceived ease of use and the perceived usefulness are strong predictors of intention to use mobile payment applications.

Practical implications: Findings of this study demonstrate the validity of the technology readiness and acceptance model for explaining the intention of using mobile payment applications in Turkey. To improve consumers’ intent in the usage of m-payment apps, their level of technological readiness towards technology should be determined and the factors that affect the formation of insecurity and discomfort attitudes of individuals should be emphasised.

Introduction: Many organisations nowadays use artificial intelligence (AI) in human resource (HR) activities like talent acquisition, onboarding of new employees, learning and development, succession planning, retention of employees, and automation of administrative tasks. When AI is integrated with HR practices, it helps HR personnel to focus more on the strategic aspects of the HR function and relieve them from routine HR activities.

Purpose: The readiness of employees to accept any change depends on organisational facilitation to change, employee willingness to accept the change, the requirement for change, situational factors, etc. This research studies the factors influencing employees’ change readiness towards acceptance of AI in HR practices. The researchers also strive to develop a conceptual technology adoption model for AI in HR practices by studying the earlier models. Finally, the research explores the acceptance of AI by various service sector employees and identifies whether there is any difference in their acceptance of AI based on demographic variables.

Methodology: A conceptual framework was derived using a combination of previous models, including the Technology Readiness Index (TRI), Change Readiness Scale, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Technology, Organization, and Environment (TOE) model, and change readiness scale. A structured questionnaire was designed and distributed to 228 respondents from the service sector based on the conceptual framework. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine the elements that influence employees’ level of change readiness.

Findings: The exploratory results on data collected from 228 respondents show that the model can be used for further research if a confirmatory factor analysis and validity and reliability test are performed. Employees are aware of AI and how it is used in HR practices, based on the study results. Moreover, while most respondents favour using AI in their company’s HR practices, they are wary of some aspects of AI.