Illusory bastions

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 102-107
Author(s):  
Robert Fox
Keyword(s):  
Data Aggregation ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Intellectual Freedom ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Threats ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Peer To Peer Networks ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right

Purpose – This column explores issues regarding the exposure of online patron information, privacy and intellectual freedom. Several angles are explored and ways in which libraries can effectively respond to these issues are proposed. Design/methodology/approach – This is a regular journal column. Findings – There is a need for balance in our concerns over the use of technology and patron privacy and freedom. On the one hand, libraries have an obligation to maintain patron privacy to promote intellectual freedom. On the other hand, once reasonable steps are taken to protect patrons, an informed-consent approach seems to strike the right balance between protection from constraint and the freedom to research as a person sees fit. Originality/value – The Internet is known as the “information highway” but is also an “Internet of Things” where smart devices are connected to one another either through centralized services or peer-to-peer networks. This growing phenomenon is a result as much of the desire to automate as it is the increased expectations for convenience and ease of use. Libraries need to be prepared to protect patrons from external threats to privacy as a response to this situation, as well as educate patrons on the risks associated with data aggregation and exposure through the use of online services.

Artificial intelligence: HR friend or foe?

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-51
Author(s):  
Peter Hogg
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Right ◽  
Productivity Dilemma

Purpose While the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace is on the rise, few understand how it will affect our jobs. Will it be a hindrance? A threat? Or the solution to the current productivity dilemma? As with any new, and largely untested, technology, AI brings both challenges and opportunities that we need to be conscious of. Design/methodology/approach The current and potential future implementation of AI technologies at Schneider Electric is assessed. Findings In HR, it is our responsibility to help navigate business leaders towards making the best business decision, often with the use of technology. AI, like analytics before it, has huge potential. Originality/value What we know for sure, is that the development of human talent has become one of the top priorities for global CEOs. With severe talent shortages in the UK, finding the right candidates for the job and investing in their professional development and well-being to keep them for longer look like no-brainers.

scholarly journals My Intellectual Freedom Journey: Reclaiming a Moral Sanction for the Public Sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
James LaRue
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Intellectual Freedom ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Pursuit Of Happiness ◽  
The Public ◽  
Moral Sanction ◽  
Evaluative Process ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
Clear Statement

Intellectual freedom—the idea that all people have the right to express themselves freely and access the expressions of others—is a core value of librarianship. But every value, every institution, must go through a kind of rediscovery with each generation. This “re-valuing” is necessary and right. Do our institutions serve us, or are we forced to serve them? Do we practice what we say we believe? An example of this re-evaluative process concerns the promise, the vision, of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But that clear statement of “self-evident truths” was on the one hand immediately contradicted by the explicit endorsement of slavery (3/5ths of a human being), and by the denial of a vote to women. Nonetheless, the underlying idea was so powerful and compelling that subsequent generations returned to it again and again, edging closer to the original vision.I believe that intellectual freedom is under such a review by librarians now. I believe, too, that the value remains an abiding and powerful call to service.In this article I will present three snapshots from my own intellectual freedom journey. Each has a context in time that may lend depth of understanding to today’s challenges. Perhaps, too, it will point the way to a new place for intellectual freedom in our work.

Consumer acceptance of smart speakers: a mixed methods approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Kowalczuk
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Acceptance Model

PurposeVoice-activated smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google Home were recently developed and are gaining popularity. Understanding and theorizing the underlying mechanisms that encourage or impede consumers to use smart speakers is fundamental for enhancing acceptance and future development of these new devices. Therefore, building on technology acceptance research, this study aims to develop and test an acceptance model for investigating consumers’ intention to use smart speakers.Design/methodology/approachFirst, antecedents that may significantly affect the usage intention of smart speakers were identified through an explorative approach by a netnographic analysis of customer reviews (N= 2,186) and Twitter data (N= 899). Afterward, these results and contemporary literature were used to develop and validate an acceptance model for smart speakers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses on data collected from 293 participants of an online survey.FindingsBesides perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, the quality and diversity of a system, its enjoyment, consumer’s technology optimism and risk (surveillance anxiety and security/privacy risk) strongly affect the acceptance of smart speakers. Among these variables, enjoyment had the strongest effect on behavioral intention to use smart speakers.Originality/valueThis is the first study that incorporates netnography and SEM for investigating technology acceptance and applies it to the field of interactive smart devices.

Teachers’ motivation to adopt technology in higher education

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 673-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavina Sharma ◽  
Mallika Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Sampling Frame ◽  
Adoption Of Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Technology In Higher Education

Purpose The higher education, universities and institutions across the world have increasingly adopted information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for curriculum development, learning and teaching, and for administrative activities. The use of technology to facilitate learning is gaining acceptance across various educational institutions. In order to use technology in the best possible manner, it becomes essential that the teacher should be willing to accept the technology and use it for the teaching activities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to understand the teachers’ motivation toward adopting technology in the higher education. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory-descriptive approach is used in this research. The sampling frame for the study is the teachers employed in the management institutes in Bengaluru, Pune, Indore and Delhi. A simple random sampling technique is used for identifying the sample for the study. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to measure the validity of items measuring the teacher’s intention to use technology. Findings The results of the study confirm a significant positive impact of value beliefs (VB), social influence (SI) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) on the behavioral intention (BI) to use technology by the teachers. However, the study does not establish the relationship between self-efficacy and BI to use technology by teachers. Practical implications The use of technology will be an important area in the field of higher education where it becomes crucial to understand the motivation factors that lead to the adoption of ICT in the classroom and the curriculum. In order to successfully integrate technology into the teaching-learning process, it is concluded that the factors that positively influence the BI to use technology include the VB, PEOU and the SI. Originality/value This study contributes toward the study of teachers’ motivation in the adoption of technology in higher education in India.

Factors influencing Industry 4.0 adoption

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabai Khin ◽  
Daisy Mui Hung Kee
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
The Right

PurposeThe digital transformation towards Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has become imperative for manufacturers, as it makes them more flexible, agile and responsive to customers. This study aims to identify the factors influencing the manufacturing firms’ decision to adopt I4.0 and develop a triadic conceptual model that explains this phenomenon.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative exploratory study design based on multiple case studies (n = 15) from the manufacturing industry in Malaysia by conducting face-to-face interviews. The data were analysed using NVivo. The conceptual model was developed based on grounded theory and deductive thematic analysis.FindingsResults demonstrate that driving, facilitating and impeding factors play influential roles in a firms’ decision-making to adopt I4.0. The major driving factors identified are expected benefits, market opportunities, labour problem, customer requirements, competition and quality image. Furthermore, resources, skills and support are identified as facilitating factors and getting the right people, lack of funding, lack of knowledge, technical challenges, training the operators and changing the mindset of operators to accept new digital technologies are identified as impeding factors.Research limitations/implicationsDue to its qualitative design and limited sample size, the findings of this study need to be supplemented by quantitative studies for enhanced generalizability of the proposed model.Practical implicationsKnowledge of the I4.0 decision factors identified would help manufacturers in their decision to invest in I4.0, as they can be applied to balancing advantages and disadvantages, understanding benefits, identifying required skills and support and which challenges to expect. For policymakers, our findings identify important aspects of the ecosystem in need of improvement and how manufacturers can be motivated to adopt I4.0.Originality/valueThis study lays the theoretical groundwork for an alternative approach for conceptualizing I4.0 adoption beyond UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology). Integrating positive and negative factors enriches the understanding of decision-making factors for I4.0 adoption.

Why so serious? Gamification impact in the acceptance of mobile banking services

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goncalo Baptista ◽  
Tiago Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Mobile Banking ◽  
Financial Industry ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the potential impact of the utilization of game mechanics and game design techniques in the acceptance of mobile banking services. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical model was tested in a quantitative study using structural equation modelling, conducted in Brazil, with actual local banking customers. Findings The findings show that there is a direct and strong relationship between gamification and intention to use mobile banking services, supporting that, when used and designed properly, gamification can help make banking activities more exciting, more interesting and more enjoyable, and in turn increase customer acceptance, engagement and satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The research extends the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2), and prior research to include gamification impact. The result is a more descriptive model that better explains consumers’ decision to use mobile banking services. Practical implications For practitioners, understanding the key constructs is crucial to design, refine and implement mobile banking services that achieve high consumer acceptance and value, and with the right amount of game techniques in them. Originality/value The globalization of business and systems is fuelling the need to acquire a deeper understanding of the impact of gamification in acceptance within the financial industry. This is the first time to the knowledge that UTAUT2 theory and a gamification construct are combined in a mobile banking acceptance work, supported by data from a South American country, enriching the existing literature on this subject and providing new insights into how game techniques influences individual behaviour.

Great projects and crude realities

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Giménez Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
First Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
Universal Schooling

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the circumstances that have conditioned the development of education in Spain from the enlightenment to the present day. Design/methodology/approach – Multidisciplinary scientific approach that combines the interpretation of the legal texts with the revision of the doctrinal and theoretical contributions made on the issue. Findings – From the beginning of the nineteenth century, the history of education in Spain has been marked by constant fluctuations between the reactionary instincts, principally maintained by the Catholic Church and the conservative social classes, and the progressive experiments, driven by the enlightened and the liberals first, and the republicans and the socialists later. As a consequence of that, the fight for finishing with illiteracy and guaranteeing universal schooling underwent permanent advances and retreats, preventing from an effective modernization of the Spanish educative system. On the one hand, renewal projects promoted by teachers and pedagogues were inevitably criticized by the ecclesiastical hierarchy, obsessed with the idea of preserving the influence of religion on the schools. On the other hand, successive governments were weak in implementing an educational policy which could place Spain at the level of the other European and occidental nations. Originality/value – At the dawn of the twenty-first century, although the country has overcome a good part of its centuries-old backwardness, increasing economic difficulties and old ideological splits keep hampering the quality of teaching, gripped by neoliberal policies which undermine the right to education for all. The reading of this paper offers various historical clues to understand this process.

scholarly journals Leer je kinderen minder te tolereren! Teach your children to tolerate less!

Pedagogiek ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Schinkel
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
The Other ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right

Abstract Toleration is a person’s response, on the one hand, to something she disapproves of, and on the other hand, to her inclination to put a stop to that which she disapproves of. When people think about toleration from a pedagogical perspective, as a virtue to be cultivated, attention naturally focuses on the latter: how do we teach someone to control herself, to take the other’s perspective, et cetera; and how do we make sure someone develops ‘tolerant’ views? Discussions about this virtually always concern the same topics, however; critical reflection on the objects of (in)tolerance are lacking. When we turn our gaze outwards, we see that intolerable practices take place on a large scale (e.g. ecologically destructive practices) that we all ‘tolerate’ – because we don’t care enough. We ought to teach children to care about the right things to the right degree; and that means we need to teach them not to tolerate certain practices.

Post-pandemic pressures to pivot: tech transformations in luxury hotels

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Bharwani ◽  
David Mathews
Keyword(s):  
Human Error ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Luxury Hotels ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
The One

PurposeThis study is an empirical exploration of the tech-based transformation strategies being adopted by luxury hotels in India to assuage the fear psychosis and restore guest confidence in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It sheds light on the “new normal” and its overarching implications for hotel operations from the user experience perspective.Design/methodology/approachA mixed method strategy was adopted for data collection. Qualitative data was gathered from a video analysis of two webinars with high-profile panels of thought leaders about the challenges arising from the global health crisis and related post-pandemic recovery strategies. This data has been triangulated with desk research and data collected through an online survey which sought to map guest sentiments with respect to resuming the use of hospitality services and their attitude towards the proposed tech transformation initiatives in the Indian luxury hospitality industry.FindingsThe research data indicates that despite their pandemic-related trepidations, people still have a strong urge to be social and to travel. Technology can play a pivotal role in creating safe spaces for social distancing, facilitating a contactless guest interface to alleviate guest concerns for safe hygiene and rebuilding customer confidence to address the trust deficit.Practical implicationsHospitality organisations must be discerning in the investments they make in new technology and contactless experiences because hasty investments in extensive automation may be perceived as gimmicky by guests. Intelligent and astute use of technology tools can minimise human error, optimise service efficiency and enhance guest experience through elevated levels of personalised hospitality in luxury hotels by judiciously marrying high touch with high tech.Originality/valueThis study is the one of the first empirical explorations of the tech transformation strategies adopted by luxury hotels in the Indian context in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores their efforts for the continued co-creation of high value experiences based on consumer perspectives, with implications for both hospitality and tourism theory and practice.

Race to succeed Correa gets underway in Ecuador

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Elections ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
The Other ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Investors ◽  
The Government ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
Ruling Party

Subject Possible successors to President Rafael Correa. Significance The surprising news that President Rafael Correa will not stand in the 2017 presidential elections has triggered a debate over who the ruling party, Alianza Pais, will select as its candidate. The task confronting the party is to choose a candidate who has the potential to secure low and middle-income votes on the one hand and appeal to national and international investors on the other. Striking this balance will be particularly important as the collapse of world oil prices and slowdown of economic growth has damaged the government and fuelled social and political tensions. Impacts Whoever Alianza Pais selects is likely to be the strong favourite, despite the government's difficulties in recent months. The key election battle is likely to be over control of the legislature rather than the presidency. The primary challenge for the opposition to the right will be to find a candidate capable of uniting various leaders and factions.

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