Search results
1 – 10 of over 6000Kevin Celuch, Anna Walz, Carl Saxby and Craig Ehlen
There is strong consensus that the Internet has the potential to positively impact firms, and SMEs in particular; however, not all firms have realized benefits from adoption. The…
Abstract
There is strong consensus that the Internet has the potential to positively impact firms, and SMEs in particular; however, not all firms have realized benefits from adoption. The present study extends research in the area by addressing the need to examine the “chain” of variables explaining Internet adoption. We do this by exploring SME owner/manager Internet-related usefulness and ease-of-use cognitions and intention to use the Internet for supplier information management. We also explore the influence of behavioral norms and two broader strategic perspectives, market and learning orientation, on the Internet-related cognitions. Findings have implications for researchers and practitioners by identifying factors that contribute to effectively leveraging the Internet in an important area for SMEs.
Details
Keywords
Entrepreneurs tend to be self-styled “idea” people. They often believe they have the next “Big Concept”‐one which could change the world, reaffirm their self-worth, and, of…
Abstract
Entrepreneurs tend to be self-styled “idea” people. They often believe they have the next “Big Concept”‐one which could change the world, reaffirm their self-worth, and, of course, make them and their venture team a fortune. In contrast, as they build a company to implement their business dream, entrepreneurs also tend to eschew or trivialize administrative details. Why should they waste their creative juices on minutia? As a result of this insensitivity to detail, these captains of capitalism often trip in their entrepreneurial journey. For example, they might:
- •
Forget to remit payroll taxes on schedule.
- •
Fail to document the justification underpinning the dismissal of a key employee.
- •
Allow the company℉s liability insurance to lapse.
- •
Neglect to report sales usage tax.
- •
Verbally grant employee incentive stock options during an informal luncheon meeting, at a yet-to-be-determined exercise price and without the board of directors℉ approval.
Forget to remit payroll taxes on schedule.
Fail to document the justification underpinning the dismissal of a key employee.
Allow the company℉s liability insurance to lapse.
Neglect to report sales usage tax.
Verbally grant employee incentive stock options during an informal luncheon meeting, at a yet-to-be-determined exercise price and without the board of directors℉ approval.
Adam J. Brubakken, John M. Dickens, Jason Anderson and William Cunningham
This paper aims to explore effective supply chain principles, through the theory of transaction cost economics, as measures to improve current contingency pharmaceutical item…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore effective supply chain principles, through the theory of transaction cost economics, as measures to improve current contingency pharmaceutical item shortfalls in the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) Contingency Pharmaceutical Programme.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, AFMS contingency pharmaceutical data was collected from various databases, including the Joint Medical Asset Repository, Medical Contingency Requirements Workflow and the Medical Requirements List. Through the methodology of cost-benefit analysis, alternative sourcing and fulfilment practices are evaluated.
Findings
The findings of this research indicate that the application of centralized purchasing principles, in an effort to leverage prime vendor contract fill rates for shortage items, can lead to 12%–17% increases in pharmaceutical material availability across the programme.
Originality/value
This research clearly shows that consolidating demand for shortage items across Active Duty War Reserve Material assemblages, though applications of centralized purchasing principles that leverage prime vendor contract fill rates, can lead to substantial increases in material availability at costs that justify the calculated benefits.
Details
Keywords
Chenglong Li, Hongxiu Li and Shaoxiong Fu
To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, contact tracing mobile apps (CTMAs) have been developed to trace contact among infected individuals and alert people at risk of infection. To…
Abstract
Purpose
To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, contact tracing mobile apps (CTMAs) have been developed to trace contact among infected individuals and alert people at risk of infection. To disrupt virus transmission until the majority of the population has been vaccinated, achieving the herd immunity threshold, CTMA continuance usage is essential in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. This study seeks to examine what motivates individuals to continue using CTMAs.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the coping theory, this study proposes a research model to examine CTMA continuance usage, conceptualizing opportunity appraisals (perceived usefulness and perceived distress relief), threat appraisals (privacy concerns) and secondary appraisals (perceived response efficacy) as the predictors of individuals' CTMA continuance usage during the pandemic. In the United States, an online survey was administered to 551 respondents.
Findings
The results revealed that perceived usefulness and response efficacy motivate CTMA continuance usage, while privacy concerns do not.
Originality/value
This study enriches the understanding of CTMA continuance usage during a public health crisis, and it offers practical recommendations for authorities.
Details
Keywords
Md Borak Ali, Rahat Tuhin, Md Abdul Alim, Md Rokonuzzaman, Sheikh Matiur Rahman and Md Nuruzzaman
This study aims to investigate the technology usage behaviour of the tourists in line with the modified unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the technology usage behaviour of the tourists in line with the modified unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a survey of 265 tourists using the random sampling technique. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyze the data.
Findings
The findings revealed that performance expectancy, hedonic motivation and habit significantly influence the behavioural intention of tourists to use information and communication technology (ICT), while effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions do not have a significant influence. However, actual ICT usage behaviour largely depends on the behavioural intention of the tourists, and their habits, while the facilitating conditions do not have any influence in this case.
Practical implications
The findings uncover the core factors influencing tourists' actual ICT use behaviour that can assist the concerned stakeholders in designing tourism planning and sales. The study results also offer pathways for the world's tourism industry for a healthy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
The findings have made robust contributions by extending the existing UTAUT-based literature by adding two new moderators in the relationship between behavioural intention and actual ICT usage behaviour.
Details
Keywords
Tiedo Tinga, Flip Wubben, Wieger Tiddens, Hans Wortmann and Gerard Gaalman
For many decades, it has been recognized that maintenance activities should be adapted to the specific usage of a system. For that reason, many advanced policies have been…
Abstract
Purpose
For many decades, it has been recognized that maintenance activities should be adapted to the specific usage of a system. For that reason, many advanced policies have been developed, such as condition-based and load-based maintenance policies. However, these policies require advanced monitoring techniques and rather detailed understanding of the failure behavior, which requires the support of an OEM or expert, prohibiting application by an operator in many cases. The present work proposes a maintenance policy that relieves the high (technical) demands set by these existing policies and provides a more accurate specification of the required (dynamic) maintenance interval than traditional usage-based maintenance.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology followed starts with a review and critical assessment of existing maintenance policies, which are classified according to six different aspects. Based on the need for a technically less demanding policy that appears from this comparison, a new policy is developed. The consecutive steps required for this functional usage profiles based maintenance policy are then critically discussed: usage profile definition, monitoring, profile severity quantification and the possible extension to the fleet level. After the description of the proposed policy, it is demonstrated in three case studies on real systems.
Findings
A maintenance policy based on a simple usage registration procedure appears to be feasible, which enables a significantly more efficient maintenance process than the traditional usage-based policies. This is demonstrated by the policy proposed here.
Practical implications
The proposed maintenance policy based on functional usage profiles offers the operators of fleets of systems the opportunity to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their maintenance process, without the need for a high investment in advanced monitoring systems and in experts interpreting the results.
Originality/value
The original contribution of this work is the explicit definition of a new maintenance policy, which combines the benefits of considering the effects of usage or environment severity with a limited investment in monitoring technology.
Details
Keywords
Yam B. Limbu, Marta Giovannetti and Silvio Cardinali
The main objective of this study is to assess the applicability and robustness of the information motivation behavioural skills (IMB) model in determining dietary supplement usage…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objective of this study is to assess the applicability and robustness of the information motivation behavioural skills (IMB) model in determining dietary supplement usage of pregnant and breastfeeding women. More specifically, we examine the indirect effects of online social capital and internet use for health information on dietary supplement usage through self-efficacy and the moderating role of educational attainment.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was collected from 415 pregnant and breastfeeding Italian women using a self-administered questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using Hayes's (2013) PROCESS macro for SPSS.
Findings
Internet use for health information is directly associated with dietary supplement usage. Online social capital and internet use for health information positively influence dietary supplement usage through self-efficacy. However, the results from moderated mediation analyses show that the mediation effects are moderated by educational attainment so that indirect relationships were stronger among women with a lower level of education than among those with a higher level of education.
Practical implications
Dietary supplement marketers and public health agencies can develop and implement dietary supplement promotional materials and interventions by disseminating information through the internet and social media and by strengthening social ties on online networking sites.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the use of the IMB model as a theoretical framework to examine the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating role of education in explaining the mechanism of how online social capital and internet use for health information influence dietary supplement usage.
Details
Keywords
Philipp Geiberger, Zhendong Liu, Mats Berg and Christoph Domay
For billing purposes, heavy-haul locomotives in Sweden are equipped with on-board energy meters, which can record several parameters, e.g., used energy, regenerated energy, speed…
Abstract
Purpose
For billing purposes, heavy-haul locomotives in Sweden are equipped with on-board energy meters, which can record several parameters, e.g., used energy, regenerated energy, speed and position. Since there is a strong demand for improving energy efficiency in Sweden, data from the energy meters can be used to obtain a better understanding of the detailed energy usage of heavy-haul trains and identify potential for future improvements.
Design/methodology/approach
To monitor energy efficiency, the present study, therefore, develops key performance indicators (KPIs), which can be calculated with energy meter data to reflect the energy efficiency of heavy-haul trains in operation. Energy meter data of IORE class locomotives, hauling highly uniform 30-tonne axle load trains with 68 wagons, together with additional data sources, are analysed to identify significant parameters for describing driver influence on energy usage.
Findings
Results show that driver behaviour varies significantly and has the single largest influence on energy usage. Furthermore, parametric studies are performed with help of simulation to identify the influence of different operational and rolling stock conditions, e.g., axle loads and number of wagons, on energy usage.
Originality/value
Based on the parametric studies, some operational parameters which have significant impact on energy efficiency are found and then the KPIs are derived. In the end, some possible measures for improving energy performance in heavy-haul operations are given.
Details
Keywords
Michael Wells, Michael Kretser, Ben Hazen and Jeffery Weir
This study aims to explore the viability of using C-17 reduced-engine taxi procedures from a cost savings and capability perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the viability of using C-17 reduced-engine taxi procedures from a cost savings and capability perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study model expected engine fuel flow based on the number of operational engines, aircraft gross weight (GW) and average aircraft groundspeed. Using this model, the research executes a cost savings simulation estimating the expected annual savings produced by the proposed taxi methodology. Operational and safety risks are also considered.
Findings
The results indicate that significant fuel and costs savings are available via the employment of reduced-engine taxi procedures. On an annual basis, the mobility air force has the capacity to save approximately 1.18 million gallons of jet fuel per year ($2.66m in annual fuel costs at current rates) without significant risk to operations. The two-engine taxi methodology has the ability to generate capable taxi thrust for a maximum GW C-17 with nearly zero risks.
Research limitations/implications
This research was limited to C-17 procedures and efficiency improvements specifically, although it suggests that other military aircraft could benefit from these findings as is evident in the commercial airline industry.
Practical implications
This research recommends coordination with the original equipment manufacturer to rework checklists and flight manuals, development of a fleet-wide training program and evaluation of future aircraft recapitalization requirements intended to exploit and maximize aircraft surface operation savings.
Originality/value
If implemented, the proposed changes would benefit the society as government resources could be spent elsewhere and the impact on the environment would be reduced. This research conducted a rigorous analysis of the suitability of implementing a civilian airline’s best practice into US Air Force operations.
Details
Keywords
Antje Fricke, Nadine Pieper and David M. Woisetschläger
Consumers' perceptions of product intelligence affect their willingness to accept smart offerings. This paper explores how people perceive various smart products based on their…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumers' perceptions of product intelligence affect their willingness to accept smart offerings. This paper explores how people perceive various smart products based on their smartness profiles, composed of five distinct smartness facets. Additionally, the study investigates how these perceptions of product intelligence impact consumers' evaluation of factors that either promote or impede the adoption of smart products. These factors are examined as potential mediators in the adoption process. This paper aims to determine if the value-based adoption model can be applied to a broad range of smart service systems.
Design/methodology/approach
Consumers assessed one of 28 smart products in a scenario-based quantitative study. Multilevel structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the conceptual model, taking the nested data structure into account.
Findings
The findings show that product smartness essentially enhances usage intention via adoption drivers (enjoyment and usefulness) and reduces usage intention via adoption barriers (intrusiveness). In particular, the ability to interact in a humanlike manner increases the benefits consumers perceive, which in turn increases consumer acceptance. Only the smartness characteristic of awareness impairs usage intention, mediated by the perceived benefits of enjoyment and usefulness.
Originality/value
In contrast to previous research, which usually focuses on single smart products, this work examines a variety of different products, which allows for better transferability of the results to other smart offerings. Furthermore, prior research has mainly focused on single facets of product smartness or researched smartness on an aggregated level. By considering the consumer perception of each smartness facet, the authors gain deeper insights into the perceptual differences regarding product smartness and how this affects technology adoption via conflicting key acceptance drivers and barriers.
Details