scholarly journals Organization and Parental Perceptions of Electronic Payments by Selected Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) International Schools in Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1143-1161
Author(s):  
Chalermsri Ritthitraiphop ◽  
Wayne Hamra

Introduction: Technological progress has increased rapidly and electronic payments are rapidly becoming part of our daily lives. The use of electronic financial transactions in schools has also rapidly increased. Many schools have started utilizing e-receipts and e-payments to provide faster and more convenient service to organizational stakeholders, and they have already developed guidelines to enhance internal control practices and minimize the risk of fraudulent use of these transactions. This research explored the use of electronic payments by selected Seventh-day Adventist International Schools in Thailand and investigated the factors that affected parental perceptions of these payments.   Methods:  A Descriptive Research Design approach was utilized. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the data.  A statistical software package was used to analyze the data, and stepwise multiple regression was applied to test the hypotheses. The 319 parents who had previously made electronic payments to the schools and eight Finance Department staff members at the schools were selected as respondents.   Results: The results indicated that the factors of benefits, trust, self-efficacy, ease of use, and security were rated at the “High” level. The highest mean score was the factor of benefits (4.16), followed by self-efficacy (3.91), ease of use (3.89), trust (3.81), and security (3.55), respectively. Also, all factors – except for self-efficacy – were related to parental perceptions of e-payments at the 0.05 level of significance.  Findings from the group interviews of the finance staff at each school revealed that the factors of ease of use, trust, security, and benefits affected their perceptions of electronic transaction especially the payments, both receiving and disbursing funds.   Discussion: In order to enhance the accuracy and generalizability of these findings, collection of larger sample sizes across different locations could be considered for future studies, perhaps from other private international schools.

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Pornpan Saminpanya ◽  
Ampaiwan Toomsan ◽  
Supatcharee Makornkan

This research examined and compared the levels of perceived self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-care behavior of hypertensive patients who received treatment at the studied area. Purposive sampling of 76 patients (21 males and 55 females) who had blood pressure controlling under 160/100 mmHg., answered the questionnaires (Alpha-reliability Coefficient as 0.96) from August to November 2017. The statistics used included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, one sample t-test, one-way ANOVA with comparison test by Scheffe’s method, and Stepwise-multiple regression. The results were as follows: (a) a whole of the three aspects is at high level when comparing with the established criteria (60%) at the .05 level of significance with an average mean of 3.56; (b) comparison between genders is not significant, only income makes the three issues significantly different at the .05 level of significance. The best predictor of self-efficacy perception is appropriate time selection for exercises, which could predict the self-care behavior at 48.70 percent and at the .05 level of significance.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492199939
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Noyes ◽  
Ellis Yeo ◽  
Megan Yerton ◽  
Isabel Plakas ◽  
Susan Keyes ◽  
...  

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the ability of harm reduction programs to provide vital services to adolescents, young adults, and people who use drugs, thereby increasing the risk of overdose, infection, withdrawal, and other complications of drug use. To evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on harm reduction services for adolescents and young adults in Boston, we conducted a quantitative assessment of the Community Care in Reach (CCIR) youth pilot program to determine gaps in services created by its closure during the peak of the pandemic (March 19–June 21, 2020). We also conducted semistructured interviews with staff members at 6 harm reduction programs in Boston from April 27 through May 4, 2020, to identify gaps in harm reduction services, changes in substance use practices and patterns of engagement with people who use drugs, and how harm reduction programs adapted to pandemic conditions. During the pandemic, harm reduction programs struggled to maintain staffing, supplies, infection control measures, and regular connection with their participants. During the 3-month suspension of CCIR mobile van services, CCIR missed an estimated 363 contacts, 169 units of naloxone distributed, and 402 syringes distributed. Based on our findings, we propose the following recommendations for sustaining harm reduction services during times of crisis: pursuing high-level policy changes to eliminate political barriers to care and fund harm reduction efforts; enabling and empowering harm reduction programs to innovatively and safely distribute vital resources and build community during a crisis; and providing comprehensive support to people to minimize drug-related harms.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412199778
Author(s):  
Maria Manolika ◽  
Rigas Kotsakis ◽  
Maria Matsiola ◽  
George Kalliris

Increasing consensus among information systems researchers suggests that personality accounts for the effective use of several technologies, yet less is known about the process through which personality affects user perceptions of technology acceptance. This study, therefore, examined whether personality is associated with student perceptions of audiovisual technology acceptance, and whether general self-efficacy mediates this association. In total, 244 students completed an online survey including measures of personality, general self-efficacy, and perceptions of audiovisual technology acceptance. Canonical correlation uncovered significant associations between personality and student beliefs about technology use. Results further revealed that general self-efficacy fully mediated the effects of openness to experience and neuroticism on Perceived Ease of Use, whereas the association between agreeableness and Perceived Usefulness was partially mediated by self-efficacy beliefs. The fact that personality influences students’ perceptions of technology acceptance both directly and indirectly should not remain unnoticed, especially when designing intervention programs to enhance their academic performance.


Author(s):  
Japneet Kaur ◽  
Sawraj Kaur ◽  
Amanjot Singh Syan ◽  
Rishi Raj Sharma

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that shape behavioural intentions of customers towards the adoption of payment banks in India. The conceptual framework of study is based upon integration of technology acceptance model with initial trust, facilitating conditions and social influence. Further, the study tests the moderating role of age, income and self-efficacy on the relationships between dependent variable and associated predicted variable. A total of 507 responses were collected from the state of Punjab (India), using convenient sampling technique and were analysed using the structural equation modelling (SEM). The results revealed that perceived ease of use had the highest impact on the behavioural intentions, followed by initial trust and social influence. Facilitating conditions and perceived usefulness showed lower impact on the behavioural intentions towards the adoption of payment banks. Also, moderation analysis revealed that self-efficacy moderates the relation of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness with behavioural intentions. Results imply that marketers should collaborate with developers to provide the customers with easy-to-operate solutions along with robust customer support mechanism to escalate the adoption intention of those having lower self-efficacy levels.


Author(s):  
Despoina Schina ◽  
Cristina Valls-Bautista ◽  
Anna Borrull-Riera ◽  
Mireia Usart ◽  
Vanessa Esteve-González

Abstract Purpose This study explores pre-service preschool teachers’ acceptance and self-efficacy towards Educational Robotics (ER) during a university course, and also examines their perceptions of the course. Methodology This is a one-group intervention study with an associational research design that includes both quantitative and qualitative research methods: two pre-questionnaires and two post-questionnaires on pre-service teachers’ acceptance and self-efficacy towards ER, and participants’ training journals. Findings The results show that pre-service teachers’ acceptance and self-efficacy towards ER improved after they completed the ER teacher training course. There was a significant difference between the start and the end of the ER training in the pre-service teachers’ acceptance of ER in the areas of perceived ease of use, enjoyment and attitudes, and in their self-efficacy. The findings based on the training journals show that participants positively evaluated the course. The participants also provided suggestions for improving it, such as additional training sessions, resources and time for experimentation. Value Our study reveals the impact of an ER training program and showcases the importance of integrating ER in pre-service teachers’ education.


1995 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 507-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan W. Wege ◽  
André T. Möller

The relationship between problem-solving efficiency, defined in terms of the quality of alternative soludons selected, and measures of behavioral competence (self-efficacy and locus of control) was investigated as well as the effectiveness of a problem-solving training program. Subjects were 29 undergraduate students assigned to an effective ( n = 16) and an ineffective ( n = 13) problem-solving group. Analysis indicated that the ineffective problem-solvers appraised their problem-solving skills more negatively and reported low self-efficacy expectations and an external control orientation. Problem-solving training led to improved general self-efficacy expectancies, greater confidence in problem-solving, a more internal control orientation, and improved problem-solving skills. These improvements were maintained at follow-up after two months.


Author(s):  
Heri Akhmadi ◽  
Muhammad Fauzan

Smartphone is one of the information technology devices that widely used by traders in marketing activities. Aside from being a communication tool, traders also utilize smartphones to obtain market information and communicate about products and services to consumers. This study aims to analyze profile and perceptions of fruit traders in using smartphones as a marketing communication tool. This research employed quantitative method and descriptive analysis using five point Likert scale to examine  the  perception of fruit traders in Yogyakarta City. The results revealed that traders adopted smartphones on fruit marketing communication due to it perceived to provide a relative advantage, with a high level of ease of use, visible benefits, and low complexity and risk. Furthermore, Samsung, Telkomsel, and WhatsApp were brands of smartphones, telecommunications providers, and social media applications mostly chose by traders.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Román-Oyola ◽  
Verónica Figueroa-Feliciano ◽  
Yoliannie Torres-Martínez ◽  
Jorge Torres-Vélez ◽  
Keyshla Encarnación-Pizarro ◽  
...  

Background. Play serves as an essential medium for parent-child interaction; however, engaging children with ASD through play can be a challenge for parents.Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perspectives of parents with children on the autism spectrum regarding play experiences and self-efficacy during play encounters.Method. Semistructured interviews were administered to 8 parents of children 3–7 years of age with ASD. The analysis was guided by the constant comparison method.Findings. Parental narratives denoted playful experiences reflecting components of Skard and Bundy’s model of playfulness. The facilitation of framing and suspension of reality were generally more challenging than facilitating intrinsic motivation and internal control. Participants associated self-efficacy during play with their perceived ability to interact with their child and with positive emotions experienced during play. Fathers generally derived a greater sense of self-efficacy from play encounters than mothers, and this was explained by differences in fathers’ and mothers’ motivations for playing. Mothers were motivated to play for outcome-oriented reasons (e.g., promote the child’s progress) whereas fathers’ motivations depicted greater emotional emphasis, reflecting a better match between motivation and perceived indicators of efficacy during play.Conclusion. The results suggest that a good match between motivation for playing and perceived indicators of efficacy during play is important for a parental sense of self-efficacy. Occupational therapists should utilize coaching strategies to increase parents’ understanding of play and playfulness and how they can affect a sense of parental self-efficacy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safooreh Esmaeilzadeh ◽  
Hamid Allahverdipour ◽  
Behrouz Fathi ◽  
Shayesteh Shirzadi

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>In spite of developed countries there are progressive trend about HIV/AIDS and its' aspects of transmission in the low socio-economic societies.<strong> </strong>The aim of this was to explain the youth’s behavior in adopting HIV/AIDS related preventive behaviors in a sample of Iranian university students by emphasizing on fear appeals approaches alongside examining the role of self-control trait for explaining adoption on danger or fear control processes based on Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM).<strong></strong></p> <p><strong>METHODS: </strong>A sample of 156 randomly selected university students in Jolfa, Iran was recruited in a predictive cross-sectional study by application of a researcher-designed questionnaire through self-report data collection manner. Sexual high risk behaviors, the EPPM variables, self-control trait, and general self-efficacy were measured as theoretical framework.<strong></strong></p> <p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Findings indicated that 31.3% of participants were in the fear control process versus 68.7% in danger control about HIV/AIDS and also the presence of multi-sex partners and amphetamine consumption amongst the participants. Low self-control trait and low perceived susceptibility significantly were related to having a history of multi-sex partners while high level of self-efficacy significantly increased the probability of condom use.</p> <p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Findings of the study were indicative of the protective role of high level of self-control, perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy factors on youth's high-risk behaviors and their preventative skills as well.<strong></strong></p>


Author(s):  
Rui Pedro Marques ◽  
Henrique Santos ◽  
Carlos Santos

This article presents a comparator module which aims to compare, in real time, executions of organizational transactions with patterns of behaviors of these transaction executions, allowing the determination of which execution pattern is being followed by running each transaction. This is according to information received by the internal control mechanisms, which continuously monitors the transaction executions. A possible application using this module was deployed and results were obtained from a case study. The results prove effectiveness of the module, mainly because it is able to assess business compliance and the qualitative risk associated to each transaction execution while it is running, enabling an efficient continuous auditing application. The innovation of this article is ensured by the use of an ontological model to represent organizational transactions, which can be applicable to any type of transaction in any business area in order to audit transactions at a very low level, contrary to what happens in traditional auditing, which occurs at a high level (e.g. compare whether a completed transaction has followed a set of procedures). Besides the conceptualization, this work presents some technical details of development and discussion of results from the case study.


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