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The aim of the research is to discuss the design and development of a mobile application using two technologies known as software agent (SA) and mobile web services.

The objectives were achieved by testing the integration of SAs and mobile web services into mobile applications. The approach suggested in the paper has relied on some modeling techniques such as service chart diagram and addressed some security issues.

It was found in the course of the work the necessity of being aware of the limitations of mobile devices, despite all the major developments that are happening. In addition, it was found that it is deemed appropriate to provide some modeling techniques which suit the development of mobile applications.

The paper discusses the concept of mobile web services. The paper is particularly useful to those who are in the field of mobile computing.

This study is exploratory in nature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the intention to use smartphones by mobile users for m-services in a growing market. In fact, it empirically studies the influence of ubiquity and immersion in the virtual context on the perceived value (utilitarian and hedonic) of the mobile user’s experience. Moreover, it is an academic embarkation upon the examination of the effect of perceived value on the intension of using smartphones by mobile users for the m-services. Finally, it tests the mediating role of the perceived (utilitarian and hedonic) value between ubiquity/immersion and the intention to use smartphones for m-services.

The data are collected from a sample of 300 Tunisian students and analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique.

The results show that ubiquity and immersion positively influence the value perceived by mobile internet users. They also confirm that the perceived (utilitarian and hedonic) value positively affects the intensity of smartphone usage by mobile internet users for m-services and show the mediating role of the perceived (utilitarian and hedonic) value between ubiquity/immersion and the intention to use smartphones for m-services.

Companies in place focus on the importance of smartphone shopping by communicating about the comparative advantages of this type of purchase to make this option a possible choice in the future. The immersive dimension in the virtual context of commerce can be exploited as a factor of differentiation, at a time when commercial trafficking is intensifying; for example, immersive merchant sites, to enrich their particular utilitarian value with an equally hedonic value. The hedonic and utilitarian dimensions of the perceived value constitute a mediator and an important lever for the distributors within the framework of the m-commerce. Due to a genuine consideration of the availability and the possibility to carry out the service at any time and any place in view of the fact that it is perceived as being useful and compatible with the needs and way of life of the individuals’ intention, the use of smartphones for the m-served is explained by the lived values which are in turn explained by the ubiquity.

Despite the massive adoption of information and communication technology, especially the internet, in distribution and service delivery, very little research has focused on the intensity of use of smartphones by mobile internet users for m-services. This exploratory study is the first to test the effect of ubiquity and immersion in the virtual context on the perceived (utilitarian and hedonic) value of the mobile internet users’ experience as well as the effect of the perceived value on the intensity of use of smartphones by mobile internet users for m-services in the Tunisian context. Moreover, it puts under scrutiny the mediating effect of the perceived value in the determination of the intention to use smartphones by mobile users for the m-services in the Tunisian context.

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate empirically a research model that depicts the relationships between the identified key value proposition attributes of mobile value‐added services and the core factors of brand equity.

Survey data collected from 497 mobile value‐added service consumers were examined using structural equation modeling to validate the research model.

The results indicate that the mobile service attributes of personalization, identifiability, and perceived enjoyment have significant positive influences on the key brand equity factors, including brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand awareness, and brand associations. Additionally, the results confirm the significance of all four of the brand equity factors in interpreting consumer purchase intention in the context of mobile value‐added service consumption.

The research results provide insights into how mobile value‐added services may be better designed and delivered to enhance brand equity and, in turn, profits.

While the market potential of mobile value‐added services and the importance of brand equity have both been widely recognized, the development and empirical validation of a model that specifically depicts the determinants of mobile value‐added service consumption from a brand‐equity perspective has not yet been undertaken. Consequently, this study investigates the relationships among key m‐commerce attributes, core brand‐equity components, and consumer behaviors. The research results have extended the application and advanced the understanding of previous mobile‐commerce and brand‐equity theories in the context of mobile value‐added service consumption.

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether librarians are familiar with technological innovations and are ready to accept them. The objectives are: to what extent does the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) explain librarians' perceptions of mobile services (m‐services); and to what extent do differences in gender, age, workplace, role, and smart phone use explain librarians' perceptions of m‐services?

The research was conducted in Israel during the first semester of the 2012 academic year. It encompassed three groups of Israeli librarians: academic, public, and special. Researchers used two questionnaires to gather data: a personal details questionnaire, and a mobile technology questionnaire.

This study supported the two core variables model (perceived ease of use and usefulness) of TAM that may predict librarians' behavioral intention to use m‐services in the library. However, it added two more components to the model: personal innovativeness and smart phone usage.

Library directors may try to implement more m‐services on their web sites. These services should be simple, attractive, and efficient. They should also try to expose librarians to the benefits and ease of use of m‐services.

The findings emphasize the importance of the TAM that may predict librarians' behavioral intention to use m‐services in the library and may lead to further research in this field.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate customer loyalty in the online-to-offline (O2O) model by conceptualizing and measuring emotion and cognition.

An online survey was used to collect 514 questionnaire responses. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Three emotional factors influence two cognitive factors, which in turn affect customer loyalty. The type of message source acts as a moderator. In addition to pleasure and arousal, dominance is a key factor of emotion. The effects of social enhancement and store environment on customer loyalty reflect the O2O model’s integration of online and offline environments.

The moderating role of the type of message source implies that marketers of brick-and-mortar stores can promote positive offline experiences to attract online customers and then encourage these customers to disseminate personal messages in their social circles. By attracting online customers through appealing m-services and retaining these customers through favorable store environments, marketers can maximize the utility of the O2O model.

Three emotional factors and two cognitive factors are conceptualized to predict customer loyalty in the O2O model. This study shows that the relationships between cognitive factors and customer loyalty are moderated by the type of message source. When check-in activity messages are sent by friends, the perception of social enhancement can lead to greater customer loyalty. In contrast, when check-in activity messages are sent by unfamiliar sources, customer loyalty is driven more by cognition of the store environment than by online interaction. The findings enrich existing knowledge of the O2O model and m-services, and have implications for researchers and marketers.

The recession in the late 1990s in Hong Kong has triggered many commercial building owners to cut operation and maintenance (O&M) cost via outsourcing. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dominant expenditure on O&M service and examine the relation between extent of outsourcing and rental income of the buildings.

Experienced O&M practitioners were interviewed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data of the commercial buildings they looked after. The in‐house and outsourced O&M costs, air‐conditioning energy costs, rental incomes, and management and air‐conditioning fees for the buildings were analysed.

The total air‐conditioning O&M cost is the principal cost item, with the energy cost being the dominant element. The analysis reveals that the extent of outsourcing bore little correlation with the air‐conditioning O&M cost and the rental income.

Further work may take a similar approach to identify the extent and effect of outsourcing other kinds of services that underpin the core business of an organisation.

Varying the extent of outsourcing O&M service was found to be unpromising for enhancing rental performance or cutting O&M expenditure. This is an important point that the building managers should address when considering whether to go for outsourcing.

The findings imply that in the building O&M service industry, it would be more economical to outsource or undertake in‐house the vast majority of O&M work. The focus for cost minimization should be to improve building energy performance rather than reducing labour resources through outsourcing.

Building operation and maintenance (O&M) service, which embraces a wide range of specialist trades, has been increasingly outsourced through discrete contracts. This paper aims to study the issues critical to outsourced O&M contracts for commercial buildings.

The paper takes a transaction cost approach to analyse the findings from face‐to‐face interviews with 22 O&M practitioners in Hong Kong.

The analysis revealed that they practitioners generally had limited understanding about the concepts of contract. Lacking a standard form for O&M contracts, some contracts were formed rather loosely and irregularities in contract conditions are common. Disputes frequently arise from the scope of work although the practitioners considered well defined work scope is paramount to a successful contract.

Besides the need to study how to improve practitioners' knowledge about O&M service contracts, further studies are required to investigate which or which combination of the contract concepts would be suitable for particular types of O&M contracts where their scale and complexity are dependent on the trade of work required to serve the building.

This paper uncovers a number of contractual issues that are critical to the performance of outsourced O&M service for commercial buildings.

The purpose of this paper is to derive mobile-government (m-government) service-quality factors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and develop an integrated strategic plan for improving the quality of m-government services from a customer perspective in the GCC.

A quantitative approach was used in this case study of m-government services in the GCC. Data were collected using focus groups and questionnaires for three similar m-government applications (one from the United Arab Emirates, one from the Saudi Arabia and one from Oman). The house of quality tool, including technical benchmarking, was applied as part of the quality function deployment (QFD) approach to identify customer requirements, translate them to technical requirements and develop a strategic plan for improving the quality of m-government services.

The results revealed that “real time” had the highest priority for deployment, while “tangible service,” contrary to expectations, had the lowest priority for deployment.

Study findings are limited to the m-government services delivered to citizens. There is scope for further study into m-government services delivered both to businesses and other governments.

The findings imply that the m-government decision makers must involve citizens in all service-development processes to ensure that service delivery meets citizens’ expectations.

Most previous studies regarding m-government service-quality dimensions have used information system service-quality dimensions. This study is one of the pioneering studies to have successfully derived m-government service-quality factors using the QFD matrix.

This case study was undertaken as a process consultation in a non‐profit Christian church which has experienced a general decline in attendance in addition to a particular problem characterized as a habit of late arrival at the primary Sunday worship service. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This case study was designed as an action research project using appreciative inquiry and institutional theory in the structuralist tradition. This combined methodological approach was effectively used to identify core values and norms inherent in the organization and functioning of the church.

Results confirmed the premise of a habit of late arrival and indicated that there was little focus or support by congregants on the traditions and practices that occur early in the church service. Great value was placed on the overall environment, teaching and messaging that occurred from the sermons which begin approximately 45 minutes after the start of the service. Validation and review of the possibility propositions resulted in a reorganization of the primary Sunday worship service resulting in increased attendance and on time performance.

This case study finds that methods inherent in institutional analysis and appreciative inquiry can be effectively combined to identify gaps in organizational goals and performance which are direct results of encapsulated organizational traditions. It is anticipated that the methodological approach in this study is generally applicable to organizations of various types.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how wind farms attract wind turbine manufacturers to get involved in wind turbines’ maintenance service with revenue sharing contract of bundled service under which the background of operation and maintenance (O&M) aftermarket of wind turbine exists. The authors also try to extend the results to the application of product plus service business mode on large-scale equipment O&M service. At present, Chinese wind power industry is suffering from production capacity redundancy. The profit levels for both wind farm and wind turbine manufacturers are relatively low. It is significant for Chinese wind power industry development to coordinate the supply chain of wind power in order to reduce O&M costs and increase revenues.

The present paper discusses product plus aftermarket service contract design on the background of closed-loop product service chain and uncertain equipment demand using revenue sharing contract model.

If centralized decision making is assumed, the authors find that the wind turbine order increases as the aftermarket service effort level and aftermarket service profit increase; aftermarket service effort level is positively correlative to the service efficiency. On the other hand, if decentralized decision making is assumed, the wind turbine order increases as share of the aftermarket service chain by manufacturer to wind farm increases and share of product supply chain by wind farm to manufacturer decreases. The optimal effort level of wind farm increases as the share of aftermarket service chain increases while the optimal effort level of the manufacturer is a concave function of share of aftermarket service chain if service quality linear correlates with effort level. Meanwhile, the authors find that the revenues of the product supply chain and aftermarket service chain have a concave relationship. This relationship is not affected by the format of relationship between service quality and effort level (linear or exponential).

The results could potentially be used to provide the wind turbine manufacturer with a greater profit space and satisfy wind farm’s equipment maintenance demand at the same time. It can also guide the practice of revenue sharing in the aftermarket service and manufacturing servitization.

In this model, the authors assumed that both the forward revenue sharing of power generation by wind farm to manufacturer and the backward revenue sharing of maintenance service by the manufacturer to wind farm exist in closed-loop product service chain. Then the authors discussed channel coordination of such cross-revenue sharing contract.