Digital Postal Operator as an Important Element of the National Energy Security System

This article presents a solution that strengthens information security in critical infrastructure entities. Critical infrastructure plays a key role in the functioning of the state and the life of its citizens. Therefore, the protection of critical infrastructure is one of priorities in Poland. The aim of this article is to show that designated postal operators may become an important link in the process of information flow and cybersecurity. Based on their multiple-year experience and expended competences, the operators may provide digital services for entities responsible for the energy security infrastructure. Verification of this goal is necessary, since critical infrastructure is exposed to growing threats, both in the area of energy and other sensitive sectors of the economy. Research results presented in the article were obtained by conducting a CATI survey. The study used the purposeful selection method, which allows to influence the structure of a sample in the context of goals set by the authors. The method solicited key information from experts on postal and energy markets. The results constitute a new approach to the role of the designated postal operator. The authors analysed possibilities to support entities that secure critical infrastructure, including those from the energy sector. It shows that the role of the designated postal operator may significantly change. Taking into account the security of information and cybersecurity, the postal operator could expand its competences, secure infrastructure-related information flow, and thus become a key pillar of the state.

Subjective and Objective Insecurity in Spanish Cities

This article related crime rates to social risk factors and to the feeling of insecurity in Spain. The first finding of this study, financed by National I + D Plan CSO2016-77549-P, AEI-FEDER, was the direct relation between crime rates and some sociodemographic factors such as population, unemployment, urban land area, and hotel occupancy, based on the question of which social risk factors correlate to crime rates. The second finding was that social factors drive citizens’ feelings of insecurity, according to whether feelings of insecurity are linked to crime rates or perceived risk factors. The research was based on a quantitative methodology, using two data sources: reworked official statistics treated by HJ-Biplot analysis; a 2019 CATI survey with N = 3904, sample error between 5.2% and 3.7% according to territory, 95% confidence level. The main conceptual conclusion of the study was the link between well-being and security. The main methodological contribution was the application of HJ-Biplot analysis to the social sciences.

Feasibility and Quality of a National RDD Smartphone Web Survey: Comparison With a Cell Phone CATI Survey

Internet-enabled smartphones and wireless communication technologies are opening new ways to conduct web-based self-administered data collection for academic or nonacademic research. Considering the relative advantages of self-administration such as the low cost, overall convenience, and collection of better data about sensitive topics, survey researchers are eager to explore conducting national web surveys of the general population via smartphones, especially if they can use probability-based random-digit-dialing (RDD) sampling methods. But questions about the feasibility of such surveys remain. We conducted an experiment using national samples drawn from an RDD wireless sampling frame to compare two administration methods: a smartphone web survey using SMS (text messages) invitations and a cell phone (smartphone or feature phone) survey through computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). This study was conducted using the National Survey of Smoking and Health in South Korea, a country with a very high rate of smartphone ownership. The geographic and demographic representativeness of respondents in the smartphone web mode (self-administered mode) was similar to that of the cell phone CATI survey (interviewer-administered mode), although the completion rate in the former was nearly half that of the latter. A majority of demographic variables and measures of experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of cigarettes or smoking showed significant mode differences for both unweighted and weighted estimates. The total cost of the web survey was about one fifth that of the telephone survey. The results demonstrate the potential of a smartphone web survey as a stand-alone or primary mode of data collection, if carefully designed and implemented.

Of Rules and Role Models: How Perceptions of Parents’ Mediation and Modelling Contribute to Individuals’ Media Innovativeness

Parental mediation and modelling are important factors in the development of media-related behaviors. This study explores their role for media innovation adoption. Results of a representative CATI survey (n = 434) show that perceived parental media innovativeness and mediation are related to media innovativeness at later life stages. The amount of time spent on media innovations follows the parental role-model—but only if parents also engaged in active mediation. Restrictive mediation contributes to a greater investment of money in media innovations. Individuals spend particularly little money on new media if parents were conservative media users and did not make restrictions.

The level of omnichannel use in Polish MSMEs

Nowadays, trade is shifting mainly to virtual reality. Increasingly more customers, using various types of mobile devices, such as computers, smartphones, tablets, look for products and services in online stores, counting on fast, convenient and efficient fulfilment of the order. In order to meet the customers’ requirements, trade enterprises may implement omnichannel strategy as a way to streamline the entire sales and distribution system of goods from the store to the customer, ensuring the possibility of continuous monitoring of the transaction. The paper examines the development of omnichannel strategy by the Polish small and medium enterprises. The underlying assumption of the paper is to identify to what extent the Polish companies concentrate on omnichannel strategy in the functioning of their business. The discussion is based on the results of the study obtained from the CAWI survey, CATI survey, and the in-depth interview conducted among the group of Polish MSMEs in Silesian Voivodeship.

Importance of Social- and Health-Related Problems: Do Spaniards Give Them the Significance They Actually Deserve?

Social and health problems imply an impact on society. The main objective of this study is to provide an overview of how Spanish people perceive cancer, terrorism, cardiovascular diseases, crime, AIDS, drugs, and traffic accidents, finding out whether they assess the importance of these issues in correspondence with their actual severity. The study used a full sample of 1206 Spaniards (51.6% females and 48.4% males) who responded to a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) survey on the significance of these social and health-related problems, assessed through a zero to ten Likert scale. The perceived severity of the problems was considered taking into account the official data of deaths reported by governmental institutions. For the comparison of mean values, the One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was used. Results show high average values for all the problems. The most concerning elements are cancer (M = 9.28 ± 1.24) and terrorism (M = 9.22 ± 1.47). Cardiovascular diseases have the lowest scores (M = 8.29 ± 1.64). There is a good adjustment between real and subjective perception, but some issues are either underestimated or overestimated. Women assessed all of them as more important than men, and people over 65 gave all the issues more value than younger people. It is important that Spaniards understand the objective severity of these issues, thus allowing for more interventions by governments, education, and mass media.

Older people and home ownership: the intention to relocate

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore older people’s intention to relocate from their primary homes. The study also seeks to understand the policy implications that such intentions may have. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a survey-based design via computer-aided telephone interviews (CATI). The CATI survey was employed to gather information on the behaviour of older people and whether differences exist by gender, age, health immigration status and financial knowledge. The survey-based design is triangulated with the literature on this topic area and policy issues. Findings The findings of the study suggest amongst others, that older South Australians overwhelmingly and significantly do not intend to move from their primary home and are content to age in place. This is particularly true as people reach the older stages of life. Originality/value The study enhances the understanding of the decision-making environment that older people are exposed to in contemplating relocation from the primary home. More specifically, it shows that factors stated in the literature that deemed to be of importance in the decision to relocate, has no significance in this study and that ageing in place should be used as a policy base.

Applying Prospect Theory to Participation in a CAPI/Web Panel Survey

Prospect theory states that the influential power of avoiding negative outcomes is stronger than that of achieving positive outcomes. In a survey context, this theory has been tested with respect to not only participation in a CATI survey, but also giving consent to data linkage in CATI surveys. No study, however, has tested the theory with respect to participation in a CAPI or web survey. This study does so in a mixed-mode panel context; it also tests the moderating effects of time-in-panel, response history, and mode protocol. Results show that the framing of the survey participation request influences participation propensity in a way consistent with prospect theory, but only for relatively recent panel entrants. The opposite effect is found for long-term panel participants. No difference is found between mode protocols.

Experimental Comparison of PC Web, Smartphone Web, and Telephone Surveys in the New Technology Era

Smartphones have become very popular globally, and smartphone ownership has overtaken conventional cell phone ownership in many countries in recent years. With this rapid rise in smartphone penetration, researchers are looking at ways to conduct web surveys using smartphones. This is particularly true of student populations where smartphone penetration is very high and web surveys are already the norm. However, researchers are raising concerns about selection biases and measurement differences between PC and smartphone respondents. Questions also remain about comparisons to traditional interviewer-administered approaches. We designed an experimental comparison between a PC web survey, a smartphone web survey and a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) survey. This study was conducted using an annual survey of students at a large university in South Korea. The CATI (interviewer-administered) survey had a higher response rate, lower margins of error, and better representation of the student population than the two web (self-administered) modes, but at a higher cost. The CATI survey also had lower rates of item nonresponse. More significant differences were found between the modes for sensitive questions than for nonsensitive ones. This suggests that CATI surveys may still have a role to play in surveys of college students, even in a country with high rates of mobile technology adoption.