ICT, social media and COVID-19: evidence from informal home-based business community in Kuwait City

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasser Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide information on the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and social media for the development of informal home-based business (HBBs) community in Kuwait City. Design/methodology/approach This research is used as a qualitative methodology, which helps the researcher to come to original and direct quotations about the HBBs owners’ thoughts and experiences. In this paper, a multi case-based approach was used, respectively, we have used 14 cases, where 7 operate in the food sector and 7 in the entertainment/game sector. All these informal HBBs are located in Kuwait City. Findings The results of the research showed that the respondents use Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, email and websites to communicate with customers and cooperate with business partners. Banks’ applications, such as “Edfali”, are used for doing the payments related to the business. Home-based owners are usually motivated by passion and love for the business, independence, additional source of income, succeeding in a family business, hobby or not finding an appropriate job in other companies. Research limitations/implications Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the opportunity to interview only 14 HBBs and only from two sectors, the food and entertainment/game sector. Further research can be done with more cases and more sectors to see how ICTs and social media help these businesses to develop their activity and spread the business in different places. Practical implications This paper provides useful information on the role of ICTs and social media for the informal HBBs, especially during the crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It might help business owners to prepare adequate strategies to cope with difficult situations and create better conditions for their businesses. Originality/value This paper is the first research that treats the informal HBB community in Kuwait City. It could serve as a good base for further studies related to the impact of ICTs and social media on the business performance.

scholarly journals Impact of the use of Information and Communication Technologies on Business Performance: Tunisian Context-Application

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 3261-3280
Author(s):  
Achwak Chouchane ◽  
Hanene Louati
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Empirical Testing ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Business Sectors

The focus of the current study is analyze the impact of the use of ICT on the performance of Tunisian companies. These companies must be always fully aware of the importance of a practical valorization of ICTs that bring about socio-economic development. Thus, using ICTs on Tunisian companies’ performance has unquestionably remained a vital need. In fact, this study is carried out on a sample of 150 Tunisian companies operating in different business sectors. We chose the quantitative method. So, to test our conceptual model, we applied the exploratory factor analysis and then the structural equation methods. The empirical testing of hypotheses of this research led to partially confirm the influence of ICTs on the performance of Tunisian companies. In this regard, the companies surveyed are almost aware of the importance of the value of ICT, which implies an insufficient use of ICTs and an incomplete maturity of this field.

The impact of information and communication technology on real estate agency in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theophilus Olugbenga Babatunde ◽  
Cyril Ayodele Ajayi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Estate Agency ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) on real estate agency transactions with a view to determine its influence on the performance of estate agents. Design/methodology/approach A research approach in which questionnaire was administered to elicit relevant information from 220 practicing Estate Surveyors and Valuers surveyed in the course of the study. Data collected were analysed using mean ranking, relative influence index and analysis of variance. Findings The results showed that the use of ICT impacted positively on real estate agency transactions by promoting company’s brand thereby increasing the level of patronage. Consequently, the increased level of patronage signifies an increase in the level of income of the agents. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to social media applications otherwise referred to as ICT, which are used in real estate agency transactions. Further study on other ICT media and their effects on more areas of real estate practice in the developing economy may be required. Originality/value This paper is one of the few works on the impact of ICT on real estate agency transactions with particular reference to the social media networking especially in an emerging economy. Most of the previous studies conducted on ICT and real estate focussed only on internet use with respect to real estate agents and practices.

scholarly journals The Impact of e-Skills on the Settlement of Iranian Refugees in Australia

10.28945/3704 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 059-077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Shariati ◽  
Jocelyn Armarego ◽  
Fay Sudweeks
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Mainstream Society ◽  
The Impact

Aim/Purpose: The research investigates the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Iranian refugees’ settlement in Australia. Background: The study identifies the issues of settlement, such as language, cultural and social differences. Methodology: The Multi-Sited Ethnography (MSE), which is a qualitative methodology, has been used with a thematic analysis drawing on a series of semi-structured interviews with two groups of participants (51 Iranian refugees and 55 people with a role in assisting refugees). Contribution: The research findings may enable the creation of a model for use by the Aus-tralian Government with Iranian refugees. Findings: The findings show the vital role ICT play in refugees’ ongoing day-to-day life towards settlement. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results from this paper could be generalised to other groups of refugees in Australia and also could be used for Iranian refugees in other countries. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers may use a similar study for refugees of different backgrounds in Australia and around the world. Impact on Society: ICT may assist refugees to become less isolated, less marginalized and part of mainstream society. Future Research: Future research could look into the digital divide between refugees in Australia and main stream Australians.

scholarly journals Changes in the approach to employee development in organisations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Mikołajczyk
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Employee Development ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nature Of Information ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Hr Managers ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore the direction and extent of changes in the approach of organisations to employee development that have occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This research is of a qualitative nature. The thematic exploration uses the analysis of findings from 19 in-depth interviews with experienced HR managers and is preceded by desk research. Findings The findings advance our understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected developmental processes in organisations. The results indicate, apart from the change in the form and methodology of employee trainings due to the pandemic, that employees also desire new subjects to aid their development. One also noticed decreased employee engagement and increased fatigue with the use of multiple, online development initiatives. Practical implications For learning and development (L&D) practitioners, there are implications in relation to tailoring developmental offerings to fit the needs of employees to help them to progress more in the course of their work. In this new reality, an agile approach to employee development can work much better. The activities of the L&D departments should also take into greater account the changing and unpredictable reality as well as the evolving nature of information and communication technologies (ICT). The COVID-19 pandemic may contribute to the analysis and modernisation of existing offerings for development in organisations and foster a culture of lifelong learning. Originality/value This research makes an important contribution to the literature by examining the impact of situational context on modifications in development activities undertaken in organisations. The results indicate the need to change the existing role of L&D teams in organisations, taking into account the maximum use of e-learning potential, while understanding its limitations. It can be assumed that while the pandemic develops, designing hybrid learning will become even more important and L&D professionals will focus on combining the flexibility of self-training and available online resources with highly engaging real-world experiences.

Does multitasking computer self-efficacy mitigate the impact of social media affordances on overload and fatigue among professionals?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.K.M. Najmul Islam ◽  
Eoin Whelan ◽  
Stoney Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Computer Self Efficacy

PurposeThis paper investigates the moderating role of multitasking computer self-efficacy on the relationship between social media affordances and social media overload as well as its moderation between social media overload and social media fatigue.Design/methodology/approachThe authors hypothesize that social media affordances will have a positive impact on social media overload (i.e. information and communication overload). They also hypothesize that social media overload will affect social media fatigue. In addition, they hypothesize that multitasking computer self-efficacy will attenuate the effect of social media affordances on both information overload and communication overload. Similarly, they also hypothesize that multitasking computer self-efficacy will attenuate the effects of both information overload and communication overload on fatigue. The authors test this model by collecting two-wave data from 220 professionals using PLS techniques.FindingsSocial media affordances have significant impacts on information overload, but not on communication overload. In turn, information overload and communication overload significantly affect social media fatigue. Multitasking computer self-efficacy was found to attenuate the effect of social media affordances on both information overload and communication overload. Furthermore, the study results suggest that multitasking computer self-efficacy attenuates the effect of information overload and reinforces the effect of communication overload on social media fatigue.Originality/valueMost prior literature focused on students rather than on professionals. There is a lack of research that investigates how the affordances of social media relate to social media overload and fatigue. Furthermore, research that investigates mitigating mechanisms of social media fatigue has been rare. This paper fills these important research gaps.

Impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on student’s learning: a case from university of the Punjab, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toqeer Ahmad ◽  
Arslan Sheikh
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on student’s learning primarily concentrating on the following factors: including availability, accessibility and user-ability of using ICT resources. This investigation will highlight the role of ICT in the pedagogical activities of students, especially in their learning. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was designed to comprehend the questions related to the objectives and a sample of 275 students through convenience sampling technique was selected that was enrolled in various degree programs of the University of the Punjab, Pakistan. Primarily the descriptive analysis was made and data were presented in tabulated form. However, for inferential analysis, the Pearson correlation test was applied to determine the relationship among the dependent and independent variables including (availability, accessibility user-ability and student’s learning) and to test the hypotheses of the study. Findings The findings disclose that students at the University of the Punjab have access to various kinds of ICT applications and resources. Moreover, they have an adequate number of ICT equipment available for their use and they are familiar with various kinds of ICT applications and resources which they use in various educational tasks during their studies. A strong positive linear correlation exists between availability, accessibility and user-ability of using ICT resources and the student’s educational learning. This confirms that ICT plays a significant role in the student’s educational accomplishments. It helps students in searching, retrieving and consulting various types of information sources. It also helps them in completing their educational tasks in a quick manner. Students at all levels also see it as a matter of great importance to acquire ICT-related skills as this can help them to be more productive in their educational accomplishments. Originality/value This study concludes that availability, accessibility, adequacy and user ability to use the ICT resources positively impact students learning. Therefore, it is highly recommended for students to learn ICT-related skills and to make the best use of the different communication technologies in their pedagogical activities. Moreover, if academic institutions in Pakistan give more emphasis on developing ICT-based infrastructure and ICT skilled manpower then this can also bring fruitful results in the learning process of student’s educational endeavors.

Resilient information infrastructures

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Jochen Scholl ◽  
Beth Joy Patin
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Extreme Events ◽  
Extreme Event ◽  
Disaster Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Infrastructures ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Social Organizational ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Disasters of catastrophic scope and scale have occurred more frequently in recent years. Governmental and non-governmental response management has struggled, and affected communities have severely suffered during extreme events. Colossal damage and loss of lives have been inflicted, and the recovery efforts require extended periods of time. In post hoc analyses, actionable information has been found a critical resource requiring resilient information infrastructures (RIIs) that do not break down even under extreme duress. RIIs encompass both tangible and less tangible (for example, social) elements. The purpose of this paper is to pave the way for empirical research on the subject and to conceptually develop a framework for the analysis of information infrastructures and their resiliency, when impacted by catastrophic incidents (also known as extreme events). Design/methodology/approach – The authors review the literatures of disaster research and related fields. They synthesize the literatures from the information perspective and develop a framework of RII. Findings – The synthesis revealed that extreme event-ready RIIs have to be redundant and resourceful both in terms of social, organizational, and knowledge assets as well as in the information and communication technologies. RIIs combine tangible and non-tangible elements, whose interplay is so far incompletely understood. Research limitations/implications – Roles and criticality of RIIs under the impact of an extreme event need to be studied empirically. Practical implications – The study holds the promise to be of great potential utility for responders and recovery managers as well as affected communities in preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts as timely and actionable information is still the scarcest and most sought resource during a catastrophic incident. Originality/value – Disaster research so far has mostly focused on the technical, organizational, social, and socio-psychological effects of disasters. The authors are adding the information perspective as a unique and distinctive contribution to extreme event research, which connects the tangible elements of information infrastructures with its not so tangible elements, captures their interplay, and analyzes their role and criticality for the resiliency of the information infrastructures when under extreme duress.

scholarly journals Interplay between digital technologies and business performance in banking industry: Global and regional perspectives

Ekonomika ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 75-92
Author(s):  
Ismail Musabegović ◽  
Mustafa Ozer ◽  
Milena Lazić ◽  
Stefan Jovanović
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Smart Technologies ◽  
See Region ◽  
The Impact

In order to remain competitive on both domestic and global market as well as to satisfy evolving consumers' needs, modern banks must not ignore the potential of digital and smart technologies. Taking into consideration the importance of digitalization as a new standard in business practice, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of digitalization on the performance of banking sector globally and in SEE region. The main purpose of this paper is to test if the investments in information and communication technologies (ICT) contribute to the growth of profitability of banking sector as well as to the reduction of OPEX. In order to test the influence of investments in ICT on banking performance adequately, the static panel data models of fixed effects models were used. The results indicate that the influence of investments in ICT on OPEX defers on global and regional level. The results also indicate statistically significant positive relationship between investments in ICT and banks' profitability in SEE region.

scholarly journals Cómo las redes sociales están cambiando la comunicación hotelera / How Social Media are Changing Hospitality Communications

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Wichels
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Long Beach ◽  
Redes Sociales ◽  
New Information ◽  
Nuevas Tecnologías ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe new information and communication technologies (ICT),in particular Social Media like TripAdvisor, Face-book or Twitter are changing flows, processes and tools in Tourism Communication. Considering that traditional communi-cation tools and strategies are becoming less and less effective, ICT are encouraging new communication practices and influencing consumer behaviour. Several studies from the perspective of the reception have been published in recent years on the impact of Social Media in Tourism, therefore we thought to develop a study from the perspective of production. We approach the features and peculiarities of the impact of 2.0 platforms in Tourism Communication and we present as a case study the communication strategy of Long Beach Hotel, Sun Resorts in Mauritius Islands.RESUMENLas nuevas tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC), en especial las redes sociales, como TripAdvisor, Facebook o Twitter están revolucionando los flujos, procesos, y herramientas de la comunicación turística. Las TIC influyen en los comportamientos del consumidor y obligan a nuevas prácticas en comunicación ya que las estrategias y herramientas tradicionales se tornan cada vez menos efectivas. Son varios los estudios que han sido publicados en los últimos años sobre el impacto de las redes sociales en el turismo desde la perspectiva de la recepción y por lo tanto, hemos querido aportar un estudio desde la perspectiva de la producción. Abordamos los rasgos y singularidades del impacto de las plataformas 2.0 en comunicación turística y presentamos como estudio de caso la estrategia de comunicación del Hotel Long Beach, Sun Resorts, en Islas Mauricius.

How integration of information and communication technologies impact academic achievement? An empirical study on Sindh education foundation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amjad Ali Rind ◽  
Muhammad Mujtaba Asad ◽  
Shahmeer Ali Marri ◽  
Fahad Sherwani ◽  
Fazal Ur Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Science Scores ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of Introduction of Smart Teaching and Learning (INSTAL) project on students' academic achievements in terms of students' science scores. Information and communication technologies (ICT)-based initiative was introduced in Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) schools at District Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan. The aim of the study was to identify whether science test scores of students have been improved with the use of INSTAL facility at schools or remained the same at SEF-supported schools.Design/methodology/approachThe quantitative research approach has been used in the current study, and within it a quasi-experimental research design was employed. The descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test) were computed to find the pre- and post-difference in science scores of students. Both primary and secondary data were used. The primary data were gathered through questionnaire from 48 science teachers. Whereas, secondary data of 382 students who used ICT-based facility under INSATL project for two academic years were taken from quality assessment test (QAT) scores conducted by third party in SEF-assisted schools in District Khairpur.FindingsThe findings of the study revealed that the students' science scores improved by 10% in one year and 23% in two years with the use of ICT-based facilities under INSTAL project. Also, it can be concluded from the results that ICT has a positive as well as statistically significant impact on students' science learning by using INSTAL facility in schools. Results of the study show that students' level of interest toward learning science has been enhanced by the use of ICT.Practical implicationsAs the world is rapidly moving toward digitalization, the modes of teaching and learning have been changing. ICT plays a very significant role in the betterment of education. ICT helps to achieve socio-economic development of a country. However, Pakistan, being a developing country, has not that much resources, and ICT-based learning is not common in Pakistan. Therefore, it is very important to be aware people about the usage of technology in teaching and learning. The present study is an attempt to create such type of awareness. Moreover, the current study may be the first kind of study in the context of Pakistan which used TPACK as theoretical framework, and this study may contribute to the body of knowledge in the context of ICT.Originality/valueImplementing ICT-based software for teaching and learning in rural context of Pakistan was a challenging task, but it has brought positive results in terms of student's achievement. This may be the first study that has been conducted in the context of adopted schools of SEF.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document