A multidimensional and integrative approach to study global digital divide and e-government development

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Zhao ◽  
Alan Collier ◽  
Hepu Deng
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Global Digital Divide ◽  
Ict Infrastructure ◽  
Government Development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the digital divide on e-government development. Design/methodology/approach – The study takes a multidimensional and integrative approach in order to examine the various ways in which different contextual factors affecting the digital divide (i.e. economic, social, political, demographic, cultural and ICT infrastructure) interact to influence e-government development. To test the hypotheses, authors perform a correlation and multiple regression analysis using SPSS. Findings – After analysing several global data sets such as those of the World Bank and the United Nations, the study finds that the digital divide is a multidimensional construct that has a significant impact on e-government development in various ways. In contrast to the consensus view of a correlation existing between economic status on the one hand, and the digital divide and e-government development on the other, this study finds that economic status is not a significant predictor of the digital divide or e-government development. Practical implications – The findings should help inform public policy makers when developing strategies to deal with issues of the digital divide and e-government development by encouraging analysis in a holistic and integrative way. Simply addressing the digital divide alone is unlikely to be sufficient to stimulate an increase in the uptake of e-government. Moreover, our model helps identify areas of strengths as well as weaknesses for improvement. Originality/value – The authors develop a multidimensional and integrative research model to study the digital divide and e-government development and the relationship between the two, and validate the model through systematically testing it with empirical data. This study is among the first to take such an approach.

Bridging the digital divide

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Vahid Aqili ◽  
Alireza Isfandyari Moghaddam
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Points Of View

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how the digital divide has become a common metaphor originating from now nearly obsolete phrases such as “information have and have nots” and “information rich and information poor”. The article aims to focus on several dimensions of the digital divide that pertain to service as well as the responsibilities of libraries.Design/methodology/approachThis article places emphasis on the role of librarians and information professionals in bridging the digital divide by indicating some aspects related to it as evidenced in the literature including its definition, aspects, factors affecting, and internet users.FindingsLibraries are treated as one of the major social tools which can solve the information divide rooted in the digital divide and contribute to the realization of democratic society.Research limitations/implicationsThis article revolves around the authors' points of view. So, further studies, especially comparative research between developed and developing countries which vary in terms of digital divide rate, can help to understand the real role librarians and information professionals play.Practical implicationsRethinking the digital divide, librarians must redesign and redefine their service menu for their customers through thinking functionally. They also need to review the various IT devices and information services available and examine which can be employed to present a more effective library service. In addition, policy‐makers should consider the vital role that librarians can play in the realization of knowledge‐based society and sustainable development.Originality/valueThis paper provides a theoretical basis for librarians to be more active and sedulous and policy‐makers to be vigilant and place much value for information sector and its professionals, particularly librarians working in various libraries.

scholarly journals Reducing the Digital Divide among Children Who Received Desktop or Hybrid Computers for the Home

10.28945/3519 ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 233-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gila Cohen Zilka
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Computer Applications ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
Desktop Computers ◽  
Hybrid Computer ◽  
Ict Infrastructure

Researchers and policy makers have been exploring ways to reduce the digital divide. Parameters commonly used to examine the digital divide worldwide, as well as in this study, are: (a) the digital divide in the accessibility and mobility of the ICT infrastructure and of the content infrastructure (e.g., sites used in school); and (b) the digital divide in literacy skills. In the present study we examined the degree of effectiveness of receiving a desktop or hybrid computer for the home in reducing the digital divide among children of low socio-economic status aged 8-12 from various localities across Israel. The sample consisted of 1,248 respondents assessed in two measurements. As part of the mixed-method study, 128 children were also interviewed. Findings indicate that after the children received desktop or hybrid computers, changes occurred in their frequency of access, mobility, and computer literacy. Differences were found between the groups: hybrid computers reduce disparities and promote work with the computer and surfing the Internet more than do desktop computers. Narrowing the digital divide for this age group has many implications for the acquisition of skills and study habits, and consequently, for the realization of individual potential. The children spoke about self improvement as a result of exposure to the digital environment, about a sense of empowerment and of improvement in their advantage in the social fabric. Many children expressed a desire to continue their education and expand their knowledge of computer applications, the use of software, of games, and more. Therefore, if there is no computer in the home and it is necessary to decide between a desktop and a hybrid computer, a hybrid computer is preferable.

Understanding environmentally sensitive consumer behaviour: an integrative research perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naz Onel ◽  
Avinandan Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Perspective ◽  
Personal Norms ◽  
Integrative Research ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Environmental Behaviours

Purpose – The potential underlying causal factors of environmental behaviours have been examined from various theoretical angles by mostly focusing on individual motivations in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model based on an integrative approach to better understand eco-sensitive consumer behaviours and their predictors. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews distinct theoretical approaches and, based on the integrative perspective, develops a model using the framework of the goal framing theory (GFT). Findings – On the basis of the GFT, the authors propose that 12 variables influence the pro-environmental behaviours of consumers: biospheric values, egoistic values, altruistic values, environmental concern, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, subjective norms, attitudes towards behaviour, perceived behavioural control, personal norms, affect, and behavioural intention. Furthermore, the authors categorize environmental behaviours based on three different stages of the consumption process of consumers: purchase, usage, and post-use. Originality/value – The proposed model will offer future studies a holistic understanding of the factors that predict environmentally sensitive behaviours of consumers and the extent to which such behaviours depend on moral considerations, feelings, or self-interest motives.

Reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) analysis for wine packaging production line

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 821-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Tsarouhas
Keyword(s):  
Production Line ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Effect Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Potential Factors ◽  
Ram Analysis ◽  
Best Fit

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide results for a complete reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) analysis utilizing data sets from a production system in a wine packaging line. Through the illustrated case study, the author demonstrates how RAM analysis is very useful for deciding maintenance intervals, and for planning and organizing the adequate maintenance strategy. Design/methodology/approach RAM analysis has been done for each machine by using failures data. The parameters of some common probability distributions, such as Weibull, exponential, lognormal, and normal distributions, have been estimated by using the Minitab software package. An investigation to determine which of these distributions provide the best fit for characterizing the failure pattern at machine and line level has been made. Reliability and maintainability of both wine packaging and its machines has been estimated at different mission times with their best fit distribution. High maintainability issues and potential factors with their potential failure modes were presented, through failure mode and effect analysis process. Findings Analysis of the total downtime, breakdown frequency, reliability, and maintainability characteristics of different machines shows that: first, the availability for the wine packaging line was 91.80 percent, and for the remaining 8.2 percent the line is under repair. Second, about two failures per shift are displayed on the line, whereas for the mean time-to-repair (TTR) a failure is 24 minutes. Third, there is no correlation between the time-between-failures and the TTRs for the wine packaging line. Fourth, the main three factors affecting the maintainability process in the production line are: resources availability, manpower management, and maintenance planning procedures. Originality/value This study is anticipated to serve as an illuminating effort in conducting a complete RAM analysis in the much advertised field of wine packaging production line which on the other hand so little has been published on operational availability and equipment effectiveness. It can also be useful to serve as a valid data source for winery product manufacturers, who wish to improve the design and operation of their production lines.

The relationship between the stress experienced by parents and cyberchondria during the pandemic process

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emel Avçin ◽  
Şeyda Can
Keyword(s):  
Parental Stress ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the stress experienced by parents during the pandemic and their cyberchondria. The research was carried out in a descriptive and cross-sectional manner.Design/methodology/approachThe sample of the research: living in Turkey and has created 432 parents with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 15. Participant information form, parental stress scale and cyberchondria scale were used in the study. Data were collected through online surveys between July 1, 2020, and August 31, 2020.FindingsIn the study, when the scores obtained from the Parental Stress Scale and the Cyberchondria Scale were compared with the demographic characteristics, a significant difference was found between gender, age, marital status, education level, economic status, number of children and presence of chronic diseases (p < 0.05). It was determined that there is a significant difference between the responses of the parents regarding the pandemic process and the Parental Stress Scale and the Cyberchondria Scale (p < 0.05). A positive significant correlation was found between the Parental Stress Scale and the total and subdimensions of the Cyberchondria Scale (p < 0.05).Research limitations/implicationsThe research was carried out with only parents with children between the ages of 6 and 15, but it reveals the stress and cyberchondria of the parents during the pandemic.Originality/valueThe results obtained reflect the factors affecting the stress and cyberchondria levels experienced by parents during the pandemic process. Also, as the stress of the parent's increases, it has seen that the level of cyberchondria increases in parallel.

scholarly journals Linked Administrative Data at Statistics Canada – new data resources for horizontal research

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Xue
Keyword(s):  
Data Integration ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Record Linkage ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Social Data ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Statistics Canada

There has been an increasing demand for analytics and research related to cross-cutting and horizontal issues in Canada, such as in the domains of housing, aging and immigration. Very often policy makers and stakeholders are posing a full spectrum of questions around a specific topic, requiring multidisciplinary evidence and data. Statistics Canada has a long history of record linkage. Over the past decade, the number of record linkage projects has increased exponentially. Several established platforms have been developed to facilitate linkage – Canadian Employer and Employer Database which brings together tax and employment records from both employees and employers; the Social Data Linkage Environment created to support linkages at the individuals level across a broad spectrum of social data (health, justice, education, socio-economic); and the Linkable File Environment for business data. The breadth of our data holdings married with record linkage capabilities allows the creation of data sets that crosses disciplines and areas or research. This presentation will showcase the innovative data integration approaches that Statistics Canada has advanced to meet the inter-disciplinary data needs. Statistics Canada are pioneering in some innovative linkages across various domains to help answer cross-cutting questions. For example, Longitudinal Administrative Databank linking longitudinal tax records to numerous other data files including tax records of spouses and children in the household, longitudinal Immigration Database linkage key and health records, is used to study economic impact of hospitalization, as well as better understand health outcomes of immigrants by various dimensions including socio-economic status. Other examples include the pilot projects linking Canadian Financial Capability Survey to tax records, to gauge the relationship between financial literacy and annual retirement savings behavior and Intergenerational Income Database being linked to Census to understand socio-economic factors affecting the intergenerational mobility. Rapid growth in data availability for research also poses new challenges on IM/IT, governance, access, capacity building, etc. As Statistics Canada has moved on a path of modernization, data integration is key to the development of new data sources to fill information gaps as we move forward.

Road infrastructure development under PPP model in India: a credit rating perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Puneet Koul ◽  
Piyush Verma ◽  
Lalit Arora
Keyword(s):  
Credit Rating ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Managerial Efficiency ◽  
Road Projects ◽  
Rating Changes

PurposeThe study analyzes significant parameters defining the credit worthiness, economic viability and managerial efficiency of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) of infrastructure development firms engaged in the execution of road projects under PPP model in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a comprehensive review of credit rating reports of major rating agencies. In particular, 18 special purpose vehicles (13 BOT-toll–based and 5 BOT-annuity–based road projects) during the period 2010–2019 were considered to conduct a comparative analysis of their rating progression. Considering both financial as well as nonfinancial parameters, their segregation was done on the basis of strengths, constraints and key rating sensitivities influencing the ratings of SPVs involved in road projects under PPP model.FindingsPromoters' credibility emerged as an important factor affecting PPP credit ratings. Other prominent factors included nature of stretch and regulatory terms and conditions and the project's potential to generate cash flows. Inability of PPP projects to generate the projected levels of toll collections was a major constraint and hampered ratings over time. Growth in traffic was a key sensitive area in a toll-based project. Interestingly, despite the fixed nature of revenues, BOT (annuity) projects were impacted by rating changes.Research limitations/implicationsFewer sample projects (for which the data were available) was a constraint. Future research could consider larger data sets to provide deeper insights. An examination of credit rating parameters using rating reports of projects in other developing nations could provide meaningful implications. The findings of this research however cannot be undermined as the study bridges a gap in existing literature pertaining to the examination of PPP model from a credit rating perspective.Practical implicationsThis study would guide project developers, government agencies and awarding agencies of PPP road projects to anticipate the challenges and take adequate steps to mitigate them.Originality/valueResearch in the area of PPP projects is skewed toward risk assessment with respect to financial parameters. The present study emphasizes the rating framework of SPVs. Comprehensive examination of factors affecting project ratings in the form of projects' strengths, constraints and sensitivities would provide inputs to academics and researchers.

An empirical analysis of homeownership in urban China

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Gan ◽  
Baiding Hu ◽  
Cindy Gao ◽  
Betty Kao ◽  
David A. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Credit Card ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper seeks to investigate the impact of socioeconomic factors of homebuyers such as gender, age, marital status, education, economic status and race on home ownership and loan decisions in urban China. Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs logistic regression to investigate the socioeconomic factors affecting the consumers' house purchase decision in urban China and the factors affecting the housing loan application. Findings – Using a structured questionnaire to collect relevant data from household residents (both homeowners and non-home owners) in Nanjing in 2010, the findings document that male respondents who are non-minorities and have higher levels of education are more likely to purchase a house. The results also show that race, educational attainment, size of household and credit card ownership are significantly related to rejection for a housing loan. Research limitations/implications – The findings in this paper provide homebuyers with a better understanding of factors affecting the housing loans and their decision to purchase a house. Homebuyers can accurately assess their financial ability and improve the use of their credit to purchase a house. In addition, Chinese homebuyers should be encouraged to save since savings serve as a step in building their credit worthiness; therefore, their accessibility to housing loans can be improved and the rate of homeownership will be increased as well. Originality/value – This research would benefit both lender and borrowers. The research findings provide banks with a better understanding of homebuyers' characteristics that influence their accessibilities to housing loans. Homeownership requires affordable housing financing. Banks should consider repackaging their home loan products to make them more attractive to those with limited means. Such products should focus on making loans more affordable in real terms. First-time homebuyers are almost always young and earn low incomes.

Jordan’s e-Government at the crossroads

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anas R. Al-Soud ◽  
Hussein Al-Yaseen ◽  
Saheer H. Al-Jaghoub
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Government Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Government Development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the maturity level of the Jordanian electronic Government (e-Government) program from the citizen’s perspective. This assessment aims to help in determining whether the Jordanian e-Government strategy, set back in 2002, has achieved its main objectives which are delivering services to people across society, irrespective of location, economic status, education or ICT ability; improving the ICT readiness and infrastructure; and developing new service delivery channels and increase the involvement of citizens through the use of ICTs. Jordan started a national e-Government initiative aiming to streamline government procedures and provide government information and services to the public online. This paper reveals the levels of citizens’ awareness, acceptance, usage and willingness to use the e-Government services in Jordan. It investigates issues such as Jordan’s e-Government maturity level, citizen’s preferences when dealing with e-Government, citizen’s attitude toward using various e-services, citizen’s concerns and the required services. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve the research purposes, which needed a high rate of respondents to generalize the findings, we opted for quantitative research through questionnaires as an appropriate instrument base to address the citizens’ awareness and usage of e-Government services. In total, 7,238 distributed surveys were conducted across Jordan. The average of the responses rate in the three regions was 58.6 per cent. Findings – The citizen’s interest in e-Government services is declining, as the citizens’ level of awareness of e-Government and its services is still modest after more than ten years of the start of the e-Government program in Jordan. Citizens’ attitude toward using e-Government services is changing and determined by various factors and issues reported in the paper. Research limitations/implications – The selected governorates might not be the best governorates to represent the three regions of Jordan, the data took almost 15 months to be collected and analyzed which may have resulted in some changes to the reality. Finally, developing countries are not a homogenous group and, therefore, the results of this paper may not be generalizable. Originality/value – The findings present a number of key factors that hinder Jordan’s e-Government development. These findings can be useful for researchers and practitioners, as they provide rich insights on e-Government development. The findings can be also useful to other developing countries, as they can help them in understanding citizen related challenges when designing, planning and implementing their e-Government initiatives.

Stereotactic radiation treatment planning and follow-up studies involving fused multimodality imaging

2004 ◽  
Vol 101 (Supplement3) ◽  
pp. 326-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus D. Hamm ◽  
Gunnar Surber ◽  
Michael Schmücking ◽  
Reinhard E. Wurm ◽  
Rene Aschenbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Image Fusion ◽  
Treatment Planning ◽  
Radiation Treatment ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Slice Thickness ◽  
Radiation Treatment Planning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Follow Up Studies ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Innovative new software solutions may enable image fusion to produce the desired data superposition for precise target definition and follow-up studies in radiosurgery/stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with intracranial lesions. The aim is to integrate the anatomical and functional information completely into the radiation treatment planning and to achieve an exact comparison for follow-up examinations. Special conditions and advantages of BrainLAB's fully automatic image fusion system are evaluated and described for this purpose. Methods. In 458 patients, the radiation treatment planning and some follow-up studies were performed using an automatic image fusion technique involving the use of different imaging modalities. Each fusion was visually checked and corrected as necessary. The computerized tomography (CT) scans for radiation treatment planning (slice thickness 1.25 mm), as well as stereotactic angiography for arteriovenous malformations, were acquired using head fixation with stereotactic arc or, in the case of stereotactic radiotherapy, with a relocatable stereotactic mask. Different magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences (T1, T2, and fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery images) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans were obtained without head fixation. Fusion results and the effects on radiation treatment planning and follow-up studies were analyzed. The precision level of the results of the automatic fusion depended primarily on the image quality, especially the slice thickness and the field homogeneity when using MR images, as well as on patient movement during data acquisition. Fully automated image fusion of different MR, CT, and PET studies was performed for each patient. Only in a few cases was it necessary to correct the fusion manually after visual evaluation. These corrections were minor and did not materially affect treatment planning. High-quality fusion of thin slices of a region of interest with a complete head data set could be performed easily. The target volume for radiation treatment planning could be accurately delineated using multimodal information provided by CT, MR, angiography, and PET studies. The fusion of follow-up image data sets yielded results that could be successfully compared and quantitatively evaluated. Conclusions. Depending on the quality of the originally acquired image, automated image fusion can be a very valuable tool, allowing for fast (∼ 1–2 minute) and precise fusion of all relevant data sets. Fused multimodality imaging improves the target volume definition for radiation treatment planning. High-quality follow-up image data sets should be acquired for image fusion to provide exactly comparable slices and volumetric results that will contribute to quality contol.

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