scholarly journals Data-Driven Epidemic Intelligence Strategies Based on Digital Proximity Tracing Technologies in the Fight against COVID-19 in Cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 644
Author(s):  
Dario Esposito ◽  
Giovanni Dipierro ◽  
Alberico Sonnessa ◽  
Stefania Santoro ◽  
Simona Pascazio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Individual Decision ◽  
Epidemic Intelligence ◽  
Spread Dynamics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Global Strategies

In a modern pandemic outbreak, where collective threats require global strategies and local operational defence applications, data-driven solutions for infection tracing and forecasting epidemic trends are crucial to achieve sustainable and socially resilient cities. Indeed, the need for monitoring, containing, and mitigating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has generated a great deal of interest in Digital Proximity Tracing Technology (DPTT) on smartphones, as well as their function and effectiveness and insights of population acceptance. This paper introduces and compares different Data-Driven Epidemic Intelligence Strategies (DDEIS) developed on DPTTs. It aims to clarify to what extent DDEIS could be effective and both technologically and socially suitable in reaching the objective of a swift return to normality for cities, guaranteeing public health safety and minimizing the risk of epidemic resurgence. It assesses key advantages and limits in supporting both individual decision-making and policy-making, considering the role of human behaviour. Specifically, an online survey carried out in Italy revealed user preferences for DPTTs and provided preliminary data for an SEIR (Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Recovered) epidemiological model. This was developed to evaluate the impact of DDEIS on COVID-19 spread dynamics, and results are presented together with an evaluation of potential drawbacks.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Risk Minimization Decision Making Strategy Using Data-Driven Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Akey Sungheetha
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Risk Minimization ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Epidemic Intelligence ◽  
Spread Dynamics ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Global Strategies

In order to establish social resilient and sustainable cities during the pandemic outbreak, it is essential to forecast the epidemic trends and trace infection by means of data-driven solution addressing the requirements of local operational defense applications and global strategies. The smartphone based Digital Proximity Tracing Technology (DPTT) has obtained a great deal of interest with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in terms of mitigation, containing and monitoring with the population acceptance insights and effectiveness of the function. The DPTTs and Data-Driven Epidemic Intelligence Strategies (DDEIS) are compared in this paper to identify the shortcomings and propose a novel solution to overcome them. In terms of epidemic resurgence risk minimization, guaranteeing public health safety and quick return of cities to normalcy, a social as well as technological solution may be provided by incorporating the key features of DDEIS. The role of human behavior is taken into consideration while assessing its limitations and benefits for policy making as well as individual decision making. The epidemiological model of SEIR (Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Recovered) provides preliminary data for the preferences of users in a DPTT. The impact of the proposed model on the spread dynamics of Covid-19 is evaluated and the results are presented.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Barometer: Social Opinion – What Do the Portuguese Think in This Time of COVID-19?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ana Rita Pedro ◽  
Ana Gama ◽  
Patrícia Soares ◽  
Marta Moniz ◽  
Pedro A. Laires ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The People ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Continue Monitoring

The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges to the global community, reinforcing the role of public health in society. The main measures to combat it had (and still have) a huge impact on the daily lives of citizens. This investigation aimed to identify and monitor the population’s perceptions about how it faced this period and the impact on health, well-being, and daily life. In this study, we describe the main trends observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of mental health status, confidence in the capacity of the health services to respond to the pandemic, and the use of health services by participants. The online survey collected responses from 171,947 individuals ≥16 years of age in Portugal, over a period of 15 weeks that started on 21 March 2020. Participants could fill the questionnaire once or weekly, which enabled us to analyse trends and variations in responses. Overall, 81% of the respondents reported having felt agitated, anxious, or sad during the COVID-19 pandemic; 19% did not experience these feelings. During the confinement period, the proportion of participants feeling agitated, anxious, or sad every day/almost every day ranged between 20 and 30%, but since the deconfinement this proportion decreased. Around 30% reported having more difficulty getting to sleep or to sleep all night; 28.4% felt more agitated; 25.5% felt sadder, discouraged, or cried more easily; and 24.7% felt unable to do everything they had to do, women more frequently than men. Overall, 65.8% of the participants reported feeling confident or very confident in the health services’ capacity to respond to the challenges associated with the pandemic, and this confidence increased over time. Concerning the people who needed a consultation, 35.6% had one in person and 20.8% had one remotely, but almost 44% did not have one due to cancellation by the service (27.2%) or their own decision not to go (16.3%). At this unusual time in which we find ourselves and based on our findings, it is essential to continue monitoring how the population is facing the different phases of the pandemic until it officially ends. Analysing the effects of the pandemic from the point of view of citizens allows for anticipating critical trends and can contribute to preventative action.

scholarly journals The Impact of Organizational Context on the Levels of Cross-Border E-Commerce Adoption in Chinese SMEs: The Moderating Role of Environmental Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 2732-2749
Author(s):  
Anaf Abdulkarem ◽  
Wenhua Hou
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Environmental Context ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Moderating Role

With the rapid technological developments, cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) as a sector is also expanding rapidly. In the past couple of decades, China has become a major force in promoting and developing CBEC and, therefore, it was needed to explore the various antecedents and outcomes of Chinese CBEC to expand the understanding and existing CBEC scholarship. Ample studies have been conducted to understand the antecedents and outcomes of CBEC. However, limited studies have explored such variables which can mitigate the adoption of CBEC. With this background, this empirical study was focused on addressing this gap by studying the moderating role of environmental context between organizational context and the four levels of CBEC adoption with the help of a technology-organization-environment framework. SMEs operating in China were targeted for data collection, where data were collected through an online survey. A final sample size of 208 was recorded. It was found that the organizational context has a direct and positive impact on all four levels of CBEC adoption. Furthermore, the moderating role of environmental context on Level 1 and 2 was not supported. Finally, the moderating role of environmental context on Level 3 and 4 was supported by the data. It was concluded that the organizational context plays a significant role in shaping CBEC at all four levels, whereas the environmental context has the potential to mitigate the relationships between organizational context and CBEC Level 3 and 4.

The role of perceived social media agility in customer engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gligor ◽  
Sıddık Bozkurt
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The concept of agility has been applied to several domains to help firms develop the capability to quickly adjust their operations to cope and thrive in environments characterized by frequent changes. Despite the soaring number of social media users and the benefits associated with agility in other domains, the application of agility in a social media context has yet to be explored. Further, little is known about how agility in a social media context impacts desirable customer-related attributes, such as customer engagement and customer-based brand equity (CBBE). This paper aims to address this gap by adapting the construct to social media (i.e. perceived social media agility) and exploring its impact on customer engagement and CBBE. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducted an online survey with 200 adult subjects. This paper used multivariate regression analyzes to empirically test a scale for perceived social media agility and explore its impact on CBBE and customer engagement, along with the moderating role of customer change-seeking behavior. Findings The study results show that perceived social media agility directly and indirectly (through customer engagement) positively influences CBBE. Also, results show that the positive impact of perceived social media agility on CBBE is further magnified for customers high on change-seeking. However, customer change-seeking does not affect the strength or direction of the impact of perceived social media agility on customer engagement. Originality/value This paper contributes to social media literature by adapting and testing a measurement scale for the construct of perceived social media agility and exploring its role in enhancing customer engagement and CBBE.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health: The Role of Locus on Control and Internet Use

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 6985
Author(s):  
Rannveig Sigurvinsdottir ◽  
Ingibjorg E. Thorisdottir ◽  
Haukur Freyr Gylfason
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
The Impact

The true extent of the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are unclear, but early evidence suggests poorer mental health among those exposed to the pandemic. The Internet may have differential effects, by both connecting people with resources, or reinforce the constant checking of negative information. Moreover, locus of control becomes important in an uncontrollable pandemic. The current study aimed to examine whether exposure to COVID-19 would relate to greater symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and to examine the role of internet use and locus of control. Adults in the United States and five European countries (N = 1723) answered an online survey through the website Mturk. Results show elevated psychological symptoms among those who have become infected with COVID-19 or perceive themselves to be at high risk if infected. Experience using the Internet relates to fewer symptoms, but information seeking is associated with more symptoms. Internet social capital relates to fewer symptoms of depression. Having an external locus of control relates to greater symptoms. These findings suggest that public health officials need to focus on the mental health effects of the pandemic, and that internet use and locus of control could be targets to improve mental health in the population.

scholarly journals The Effect of Brand Experience on Customers’ Engagement Behavior within the Context of Online Brand Communities: The Impact on Intention to Forward Online Company-generated Content

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasin ◽  
Porcu ◽  
Liébana-Cabanillas
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Islamic Banking ◽  
Brand Experience ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Online Branding ◽  
Online Brand Communities ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study is to assess the antecedent role of brand experience (BE) in the intention to forward online company-generated content (CGC) within an online Islamic banking sector. The present study analyzed 387 valid responses collected through an online survey conducted among a number of online Islamic bank customers in Palestine. The results of this study revealed that BE has a stronger influence on customers’ intention to forward online company-generated contents. This research pioneers the empirical research in Palestinian Islamic banking systems exploring the instrumental role of BE on customers’ engagement behaviors, as well as the intention to forward online CGC. In addition, this research aims to fill the existing gap in the under-researched area of the online branding of Islamic banking services.

Mobile internet and consumer happiness: the role of risk

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 785-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ge Zhan ◽  
Zhimin Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile Internet ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Or Applications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of mobile internet (MI) use and risk factors on MI happiness. Design/methodology/approach An online survey with 521 MI users was conducted to test the direct and moderating effects of risk factors on MI happiness. Findings The results provide evidence that there is a non-linear relationship between variety of use and MI happiness, and consumers become happier with increased frequency of use. The results also indicate that the privacy risk and task risk reduce MI happiness, and both types of risks moderate the inverted U-shaped relationship between variety of use and MI happiness. Research limitations/implications This study reconciles two opposing theories, stimulation vs displacement, on the impact of internet use on consumer well-being. The findings suggest that the stimulation effect of MI use is associated with an intermediate level of usage variety, while social displacement is more likely connected with higher- or lower-variety of use. Risk plays an important role in exploring the boundary conditions of both theories. The findings also have important implications to the debate over the role of privacy in consumer adoption of internet services or applications. Originality/value This study reconciles two opposing theories, stimulation vs displacement, on consumer happiness by elaborating the role of risk associated with MI use.

Feminist Perspectives on Foreign Policy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie D'Aoust
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Foreign Policies ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
The Impact

Foreign policy analysis (FPA) deals with the decision-making processes involved in foreign policy-making. As a field of study, FPA overlaps international relations (IR) theory and comparative politics. Studies that take into account either sex, women, or gender contribute to the development of knowledge on and about women in IR, which is in itself one of the goals of feminist scholarship. There are two main spheres of feminist inquiries when it comes to foreign policy: the role of women as sexed power holders involved in decision-making processes and power-sharing in the realm of foreign policy-making, and the role of gendered norms in the conduct and adoption of foreign policies. Many observers insist that feminism and foreign policy are linked only by a marriage of convenience, designed to either acknowledge the political accomplishments of women in the sphere of foreign policy such as Margaret Thatcher and Indira Ghandi, or bring attention to so-called “women’s issues,” such as reproduction rights and population control. Scholarship on women and/or gender in relation to foreign policy covers a wide range of themes, such as the role of women as political actors in decision-making processes and organizational structures; women’s human rights and gender mainstreaming; the impact of various foreign policies on women’s lives; and the concept of human security and the idea of women’s rights as a valid foreign policy objective. Three paradigms that have been explored as part of the study of women in comparative politics and IR are behavioralism, functionalism, and rational choice theory.

scholarly journals The impact of global purchasing and supplier integration on product innovation

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (9) ◽  
pp. 1295-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin von Haartman ◽  
Lars Bengtsson
Keyword(s):  
Product Innovation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supplier Integration ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Purchasing Department ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The interest in global purchasing has increased significantly in recent years, but the impact on product innovation is not well understood. The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse the impact of global purchasing on product innovation sourced from suppliers, while taking into account how firms integrate their suppliers. Design/methodology/approach – The data used in this study are from the International Purchasing Survey, an international online survey on purchasing and supply management conducted in 2009. The data are analysed using factor and regression analyses. Findings – The paper shows that global purchasing has no direct impact on product innovation performance. However, supplier integration is more strongly associated with product innovation performance for firms purchasing globally compared to firms purchasing regionally. Practical implications – The implication is that when companies purchase globally, they must have a highly developed purchasing department in order to sustain a high level of innovation. For firms purchasing only regionally, the role of the purchasing department is diminished, at least in terms of contributing to innovation. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the discussion of potential advantages and disadvantages of global purchasing. First, the paper provides an explanation for the ambiguous results of previous research. Product innovation does not depend on whether firms are purchasing globally or not, it depends on how they purchase. This paper has showed that when purchasing globally, the role of the purchasing department becomes crucial for product innovation. The proficiency and activities of the purchasing department largely determine the success, in terms of supplier product innovation, of global purchasing.

scholarly journals Impact of Perceived Severity of COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) on Mental Health of University Students of Pakistan: The Mediating Role of Muslim Religiosity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Saleem ◽  
Abou Bakar ◽  
Areeha Khan Durrani ◽  
Zubair Manzoor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Muslim Religiosity ◽  
The Impact

Background: Perceived severity of COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) is known to be associated with mental health of people in general and health professionals in particular in Western societies. However, its association with the mental health of students in Pakistan, which is predominantly a Muslim society, remains unclear so far. Moreover, the role of Muslim religiosity for such an association has not yet been investigated. We aimed to examine the association and report findings on the impact of perceived severity on mental health with a sample of students from all five provinces of Pakistan.Methods: We did a cross-sectional online survey from 1,525 Pakistani students in March 2020 using standardized measurement tools. We then determined the prevalence of perceived severity among students and its impact on their mental health. The strength of associations between these variables was estimated using generalized linear models, with appropriate distribution and link functions. Structural equation modeling through SmartPLS (3.0) software was utilized to analyze the results.Findings: The perceived severity of COVID-19 is significantly associated with mental health of Pakistani students, whereas Muslim religiosity is a strong mediator between perceived severity and mental health of Pakistani students.Conclusions: Though the perceived severity of COVID-19 is associated with mental health, this relationship can be better explained by the role of Muslim religiosity. When tested individually, the perceived severity accounted for only 18% variance in mental health that increased up to 57% by the mediating role of Muslim religiosity. This difference clearly indicates the mediating role of Muslim religiosity in the association between perceived severity and mental health for Pakistani students.

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