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The level of trust in a service provider is an important decision factor when buying industrial services. Especially, the outcome uncertainties of services, its individuality, and asymmetric information between buyer and seller are some reasons that the evaluation of trust is a key component in service trading. Consequently, searching of potential new suppliers involves examining providers’ trustworthiness. This paper focuses on the study of online trust signals used by buyers, to assess provider’s trustworthiness in the context of industrial services. The main research objective is to propose the basis for a digital tool, which helps buyers to assess provider’s trustworthiness by providing a “standardized trustworthiness signal description” and “trust functionalities.” A particular approach is used, wherein different methods are mixed such as a case study, expert interviews, and a quantitative method following the guideline of the design science paradigm. The aim is to propose a useful tool for trustworthiness assessment to enhance e-markets for industrial services.

The ability to develop and maintain an effective network is an entrepreneurial competency. There are differences in female social networks' features as well as in the way of expanding it comparing to men's. But, there is little attention to female entrepreneurs' networks. This chapter focuses on the dynamics of female entrepreneurs' networks at different stages of the business life cycle. A qualitative study was conducted on a sample of Iranian female entrepreneurs in the trade sector situated in Tehran. The results of data analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews show a considerable change in networking activity over time. Although the most important role of networking for women entrepreneurs in both early-stage and established businesses is to achieve opportunities, information, and resources. Also, the combination of female entrepreneurs' networks is most male-dominated. And the main challenge of networking in the early-stage is being female, while it becomes rather an advantage for established ones. Finally, Iranian female entrepreneurs become more aware of networking benefits over time.

The Nanoscience Project at Hampton University (NanoHU) responds to the international call for more workers in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) who are nano-savvy and prepared for engagement in the fourth industrial revolution. The project’s initial intent to answer statewide and national initiatives was congruent with Hampton University’s (HU) desire for increased diversification of research interests across HU and enhanced the preparation of its students for doctoral degrees. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the five-year project (2012–2017) purposed to develop and systematically implement an integrated, multidisciplinary STEM research and education program in nanoscience at HU. Evidence of NanoHU’s success is demonstrated in the following accomplishments at the University: (1) a new Nanoscience Minor, (2) a new “Introduction to Nanoscience” course that has had a total enrollment of 82 students from STEM and non-STEM fields, (3) the NanoHU Scholars Program that has prepared 23 Scholars for entry into graduate programs and 12 NanoHU Fellows for similar pursuits, (4) a Faculty Development Program that has supported a total of 20 STEM and non-STEM faculty members, (5) a NanoHU Seminar Series that has informed the HU community about the science, business, legal, and ethical topics pertaining to nanoscience and nanotechnology, and (6) a viable outreach program that has prepared high school students (NanoHU Pioneers) for successful matriculation as STEM majors at the college level and stimulated STEM interest in the surrounding community. It is worth emphasizing that execution of the project also resulted in engagement between STEM and non-STEM constituents of the University, establishing a platform for a formal science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) institutional initiative. Efforts to communicate the importance of nanoscience to the HU community through seminars resulted in an infusion of nanoscience modules in STEM and non-STEM courses including courses in English, Journalism, Ethics, and other pre-law courses. Although NanoHU is specific to the needs of HU, its collaborative construct promises to be an innovative model for STEM and STEAM programs at other institutions with a similar construct.

Four reputed leaders for the coming years in the field of special education for individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) each with a slightly different perspective on the field were asked to respond independently to a prompt asking what does special education mean for students with EBD and what is being done and how do we maintain tradition? The contributors' responses to the prompt are presented and then summarized across the essays. A remarkable consistency emerges across the independent essays. In addition to the tradition of providing a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment, the contributors identify needs to support teachers serving this population. Needs in teacher training and the expertise required to meet the needs of individuals with EBD are outlined as well as potential contributions of technology to carry out specific tasks. We conclude with a call for increased advocacy for use of the knowledge that we currently possess and that which will soon be discovered to support students with EBD as well as their teachers. We also note that the contributors' names are listed alphabetically to acknowledge the equality of each person to the final product.

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are facing changes in the twenty-first century driven in part by a change in the societal demands on the educational system. Organizational adaptation to changing environment is discussed in the business and management literature, which now includes organizational adaptation in higher education (Brown, 2012; Cameron, 1984; Drew, 2010; Rogers, 2013; Sporn, 1999). The focus of this research is organizational adaptation in four HBCUs. Although HBCUs have long histories and just over 100 of them currently exist, the researchers have focused on four of these institutions and the factors that have enabled them to adapt to change. These changes are forcing colleges and universities to reexamine their organizational strategy to adapt to changes in the educational environment.

The purpose of this research was to examine enabling factors of four HBCUs to adapt to the changing environment. Drawing from historical and archival material, the researcher examined four HBCUs – Bluefield State College, Bowie State University, Hampton University, and Spelman College, and how each adapted to the changing environment. A multiple case study designed was selected to understand the adaptation phenomenon within and across institutions. A review of the literature on organizational adaptation and change, along with a case study analysis of four HBCUs identified the factors that enhanced their adaptive strategies and ability to adapt successfully to the changing environment. The four factors were leadership, culture, structure, and business strategy that influenced each university's ability to adapt successfully to change. Chaffee's (1984, 1985) adaptive and interpretative strategy models and Miles and Snow's (1978) adaptive cycle provided the lens to examine adaptation in these institutions. In this study, leadership, culture, structure, and business strategy were observed as factors that enhanced each school's adaptation to the changing environment.

Chaffee's (1984, 1985) adaptation models and Miles and Snow's (1978) theoretical framework were employed to evaluate adaptation in these organizations. Each of these institutions faced organizational challenges that required an adaptive response. The quality of the adaptive response enabled each organization to adapt to its changing environment, and these changes involved long-range planning for these organizations and not merely short-term gains. The adaptive responses were hinged on the presence of four factors: leadership, culture, structure, and business strategy. Leadership and culture were the most prominent factors that supported organizational change.

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.

Social media are central to the creation and maintenance of social relations, including romantic relations. While much of the scholarship has examined how social media play a role in the initiation and maintenance of romantic relations, little is known about their role in romantic dissolution. This chapter fills this gap by examining the kinds of strategies young adults employ to cope with the aftermath of a romantic breakup complicated by Facebook. Based on qualitative analysis of 10 interviews with young adults, the authors propose a typology of Facebook coping strategies for romantic breakups. The typology includes seven types of coping strategies with 12 subtopics and 25 specific actions linked to the subtopics. The authors find that those coping with a breakup engage in erasing and avoiding breakup reminders and digital traces, as they perceive them as hurtful. They regulate their use of Facebook and limit Facebook communication with the ex. An important coping strategy used was to express their emotions via Facebook content, often aimed at the ex-partner. They also use Facebook to seek support and new information about the ex, including about potential new romantic interests. Others preferred to avoid information about the ex and either deleted the ex and their friends or chose to unsubscribe to updates. Coping strategies included preventative measures such as changing passwords, blocking the ex, and adjusting privacy settings. We found our participants engaged in both goal-directed and emotionally based coping strategies. Yet, the findings suggest a tendency to rely more extensively on goal-directed coping strategies by actively addressing the breakup stressor. We also note that coping strategies specific to Facebook are more likely to be used than traditional offline forms of coping. This exploratory study serves as a starting point to better understand the role that Facebook plays in mediating online behaviors following a romantic dissolution, such that these strategies can be subsequently evaluated in terms of usefulness in clinical coping recommendations.

In this chapter, the authors highlight the emerging discipline of network sciences and the evolution and adaptation of human networks. The change is considered in the context of a shifting economic landscape and the importance of knowledge in the twenty-first-century knowledge economy. The chapter offers a fundamental definition of networks and explores the shifting geography of networks. Specifically, the authors explore door-to-door, place-to-place, and person-to-person network geographies. The authors model economic systems as networks and explain the role of human, structural, and relational capital as nodes, messages, and links in networks.