Examining Online Health Community Users’ Information Adoption Intention

Due to the doubt on information credibility, users often hesitate to adopt the health information posted on online health communities (OHC). This may undermine the sustainable development of OHC. The purpose of this research is to identify the determinants of OHC users’ information adoption intention. The results indicated that both information factors and social interaction affect the adoption intention. Information factors include argument quality and source credibility, whereas social interaction includes perceived similarity and familiarity. The results imply that OHC need to ensure information quality and support users’ interaction in order to facilitate their information adoption.

Disconnect to Connect to Different Age Group Customers

The present study aimed to identify the inabilities of service firms to connect to different age group customers whilst the era of smart technologies. Despite various service innovations customer services seem to be worsening across the world. It is imperative to understand different age group customers' experiences while using smart technologies to address current customer strategies and practices in the service sector. The study adopted the CIT method to collect participants’ experiences who were using smart technologies in various service settings. The study indicates that how staff and top management personnel of service firms are using smart technologies as a shield to avoid human contact with their customers presently. Additionally, the study highlights the relevance of people, empathy, and interactive marketing practices for improving services even in the era of smart technologies. It means that service firms should connect more and more customers through various smart technologies but get themselves disconnected from these technologies to keep a direct human interaction.

An Artificial Neural Network Examination Of The Intention To Implement Blockchain In The Supply Chains Of SMEs In Tonga

The research intends to examine the impacts of the technology, organization, and environmental factors on the implementation of blockchain in the supply chains of SMEs in the Kingdom of Tonga. These include regulatory support, competitive pressure, cost, upper management support, complexity, and relative advantage. The research uses SEM-PLS to test the hypotheses and the Artificial Neural Network method to analyze and classify survey data from 201 SMEs. Findings show that relative advantage, cost, complexity, and competitive pressure significantly affect implementing blockchain in the supply chains. As SMEs frequently have limited capital to invest in technology but meets the same obligations to streamline business operations to optimize profits, blockchain provides a feasible choice for the firms’ sustainability with its characteristics of security, transparency, and immutability that are prospective to develop SMEs’ performance. Thus, the paper provides novel insight regarding the determinants of SMEs' intention to implement blockchain in their supply chains.

The Role Of Big Data In The Formation Of Supply Chain Platforms For New Forms Of Online Retail

In the context of internet age, data is growing explosively in the Chinese retail industry. However, there is insufficient research of the theoretical frameworks and interaction relationships between big data, supply chain platforms, and online retail. Through a literature review, an empirical case study survey of Alibaba, and grounded theory, this paper explores how big data helps shape supply chain platforms able to support new forms of online retail. The theoretical framework was validated by testing the reliability and the open coding to process of the case study materials. The results identify the overall antecedents to the formation of the supply chain platform and reveal significant positive effects between big data and new retail. The findings help firms build big-data driven supply chain platforms better able to support new forms of online retail.

Eustress And Distress In The Context Of Telework

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a surge in telework, with many organizations using telework to continue operations. Teleworkers are subject to stress due to the demands of working from home. Despite the common view of stress as being detrimental, stress can also be beneficial. In this paper, we investigate two forms of stress, eustress (beneficial stress), and distress (detrimental stress) using a theoretically-derived model that includes antecedents and outcomes of eustress and distress. We test our model using data from a survey of 525 American teleworkers. Results indicate that job resources (autonomy, managerial support, and technical support), and personal resources (resilience and self-efficacy) affect eustress, while job demands (work overload, social isolation, and resource inadequacies) affect distress. Eustress is positively associated with job and telework satisfaction and negatively associated with telework exhaustion. Distress has the opposite effects. Our findings hold implications for researchers and practitioners.

Key Drivers Of The Emergency Capabilities Of Integrated Elderly Services Supply Chains

This study investigated integrated elderly care services supply chains using a combination of Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM), and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), The research identifies the key factors related to the emergency response capabilities of elderly service supply chains and the most important ways to improve them. The integrated DEMATEL-ISM-TOPSIS method provides new theoretical support for the management of elderly care service supply chains.

Three Approaches To Risk Management In The Cloud

Since companies have increasingly used cloud services for their businesses, security risks are important issues for their business success. The paper presents the understanding of cloud computing and risk management in the cloud. For managing cloud risks, three risk management approaches are introduced.. This paper will give some inferences that companies choose the best cloud network to enhance their businesses and use the appropriate risk management approach to mitigate their risks within the cloud environment.

The Impact Of Website Design On Online Customer Buying Satisfaction And Loyalty To E-tailers

The popularity of e-tailers has distorted the retail industry in India. Websites are becoming an important means through which customers get product information and purchase items for their needs. This research paper focuses on four dimensions, i.e. user interface, convenience, personalized recommendations, and perceived security of the website, to assess their impact on online customer satisfaction with and loyalty towards E-tailers. The study questionnaire used established measures. The data was collected from four large cities in India, namely Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi. Analysis of the survey results suggests that perceived website security is the most important dimension for customer loyalty. E-tailers have to ensure adequate security provisions in their websites to build up consumer perceptions of trust and so repeat business loyalty.

Factors influencing Digital Innovation Strategy in Organizations - An Empirical Analysis

Prior research has shown that digitalization is found to deliver a source of investigation for presenting organizations to redesign their business model in order to align their strategy towards digital transformation. This study examines the factors influencing digital innovation strategy in organizations and a model for digital innovation strategy in organizations is also developed . Specifically, drawing on data from 450 respondents, the researchers propose that the following variables: organizational IT application portfolio, organizational culture, organizational structure, organizational dynamic capabilities, leadership and ethics predict innovation and strategy in organizations. The researchers found that organizational culture variable contribution was the highest by collectively predicting 78.1% for digital innovation & strategy in organizations. Overall, this study contributes to the literature by providing a model for developing digital innovation strategy in organizations.

A Software Development Life Cycle Case Study Of Lean IT With Value Stream Mapping Analysis

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a useful tool for depicting the flow of materials and information in manufacturing and service processes. It is known as one of the most popular lean methods to identify bottlenecks, reduce cycle time, and improve current processes. Although VSM has been extensively used in manufacturing, there are limited studies that applied VSM in non-manufacturing environments. In this study, we present an application of VSM to improve Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process in an IT firm. The current process flows (as-is) are mapped to identify non-value-added activities as well as areas for improvement. Based on the analysis of the current state map, we propose recommendations, action plans, and a future state map (to-be-process). We estimate that, with the new process changes, IT project delivery time can be reduced from 210.5 days to 137.5 days – a 34.7% reduction in the software development life cycle process. This provides a powerful base for IT project management and enables the IT department to meet its expected project turnaround time.