Technology readiness and the organizational journey towards AI adoption: An empirical study

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is viewed as having potential for significant economic and social impact. However, its history of boom and bust cycles can make potential adopters wary. A cross-sectional, qualitative study was carried out, with a purposive sample of AI experts from research, development and business functions, to gain a deeper understanding of the adoption process. Technology Readiness Levels were used as a benchmark against which the experts could align their experiences. A model of AI adoption is proposed which embeds an extended version of the People, Processes, Technology lens, incorporating Data. The model suggests that people, process and data readiness are required in addition to technology readiness to achieve long term operational success with AI. The findings further indicate that innovative organizations should build bridges between technical and business functions.     

Exploring factors affecting social e-commerce service adoption: The case of Facebook Gifts

Although social commerce is an important trend in practice, relatively few research studies have explored the impact of social commerce innovations launched within social networking sites. The deployment of a gift-giving service within a social networking site provides a unique opportunity to study the intersection of technological innovations and social norms and its potential to generate new revenue for ecommerce sites. Using Facebook Gifts as a real-world context for the study, we explore the factor structure of salient user beliefs influencing usage intention, and examine the relationships between beliefs and intention to use the service in a broader nomological network. Instead of adopting constructs from existing models, we started with the elicitation of salient beliefs and proceeded with successive stages of refinement to develop a suitable model. The empirical results show countervailing effects of perceived social utility and perceived convenience of the service on one hand, and low perceived value and privacy concerns on the other. A notable finding is the potential conflict arising between the expectations of effort associated with the procurement of a gift and the common perception of technology as reducing the required effort. The net result is that a technology-mediated gift service in the context of a social networking site runs counter to the social norms associated with traditional gift exchanges. This insight provides evidence of the dual challenge for social commerce initiatives. In order to be successful, new services in this area must leverage the potential of the technology as well as social practices.     

Applying uses and gratifications theory and social influence processes to understand students' pervasive adoption of social networking sites: Perspectives from the Americas

This study provides nascent information on university students' needs to adopt social networking sites (SNSs) pervasively. The study drew from the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) and social influence (SI) processes framework. Relevant hypotheses were formulated to test the proposed research model. Data was collected in a survey of university undergraduates in four countries in the Americas (i.e., United States, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina). Data analysis using partial least squares (PLS) supported 8 out of the 10 hypotheses formulated. The SI process of internalization and identification, as well as UGT categories of self-discovery, entertainment value, social enhancement, and the need to maintain interpersonal connectivity through the construct of behavioral intentions, were found to have positive impacts on students' pervasive adoption of SNSs. The results also revealed that the cultural factor of individualism–collectivism had a positive impact on the pervasive adoption of SNSs, such that greater levels of engagement were observed for students from more individualistic cultures.     

Technology adoption,consumer inattention and heuristic decision-making: Evidence from a UK district heating scheme

This paper contributes to the debate on the energy efficiency paradox according to which consumers fail to adopt cost-effective, energy efficient technologies over less efficient technologies and therefore fail to reduce energy consumption. Both traditional and behavioural theories are used to investigate the decision-making process of residential consumers with empirical evidence based upon a specially designed quasi-experimental survey of 784 households on the decision to connect to a district-heating system, a more energy efficient alternative to individual heating systems. The results suggest an internal discount rate of around 36 per cent for homeowners, a signal that consumers undervalue future energy costs. We also find the household’s decision to be negatively affected by years of payback up to around 7–8 years. Our findings suggest that neglecting consumer inattention and heuristics can lead to biases which cast doubt on the existence of the energy efficiency paradox. We believe that these results help to explain why some consumers are unlikely to invest in energy efficient technology, particularly those on low incomes.     

Antecedents and trajectories of AMT adoption: The case of Greek manufacturing SMEs

This study examines antecedents and trajectories of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) adoption in three categories: stand-alone, intermediate, and integrated technologies. Antecedents of adoption include prior investments in AMT, developments in firms’ manufacturing capabilities, technology strategy, absorptive capacity, and environmental pressures. Based on a sample of 87 Greek manufacturing SMEs, we find that AMT adoption follows an incremental, piecemeal progression from the least complicated through intermediate to integrated technologies. It is found that an increase in the firms’ quality and flexibility capabilities induces them to adopt further AMT, whereas advances in low-cost, innovation, and delivery capabilities appear negatively related to further AMT adoption. Absorptive capacity, technology strategy and environmental pressures play a central role in decisions for additional investments in AMT. In the context of a catching-up economy, these results support the notion of a ‘stepwise’ technology accumulation process as well as ‘satisficing’ technological change.     

Determinants of master data management adoption by local government organizations: An empirical study

Master Data Management (MDM) is an approach for effective management of shared master data across organizations. In the public sector, MDM initiatives have been developed; however, the adoption among local government remains slow and there has been little interest in MDM adoption in extant research. Building on a Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, a conceptual model which highlights a set of potential determinants affecting the adoption of MDM by local government was developed. To validate the model, data were collected via survey from 224 responses from Malaysian local government department units. Using SEM-PLS, the study confirmed that data quality and data governance are two determinants of MDM adoption specific to the context of Malaysian local government, and four other determinants – complexity, top management support, technological competence, and citizen demand – are found to have significant effects on MDM adoption by local government. Surprisingly, three determinants – relative advantage, data security, and government policy – are found to have non-significant relationships to the adoption of MDM by local government. In addition, top management support is revealed to be a cornerstone of MDM technological competence in local government. The study contributes to the theoretical, contextual, and practical knowledge of MDM and IT adoption in the context of local government.     

Extending the understanding of mobile banking adoption: When UTAUT meets TTF and ITM

Mobile banking (mBanking) enables customers to carry out their banking tasks via mobile devices. We advance the extant body of knowledge about mBanking adoption by proposing a model for understanding the importance and relationship between the user perception of mBanking, initial trust in mBanking services, and the fit between the technology and mBanking task characteristics. We synergistically combine the strengths of three IS theories – task technology fit (TTF) model, unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT), and initial trust model (ITM). The model was tested in a study conducted in Portugal, one of the European Union (EU) countries with the highest mobile phone adoption. Based on the sample of 194 individuals we applied partial least squares (PLS) to test the conceptual model propose. The path significance levels were estimated using the bootstrapping method (500 resamples). The study found that facilitating conditions and behavioral intentions directly influence mBanking adoption. Initial trust, performance expectancy, technology characteristics, and task technology fit have total effect on behavioral intention. The paper offers valuable insights to decision-makers involved in the implementation and deployment of mBanking services. For researchers, the paper highlights the usefulness of integrating TTF, UTAUT and ITM in the development of a decision support framework to study the adoption of new technologies.     

Role of authenticity and perceived benefits of online courses on technology based career choice in India: A modified technology adoption model based on career theory

In this digital era, it is important to make a wise course choice since the building blocks of a career starts from choosing the career-specific course. With the number of online courses available, it is tough to differentiate a relevant career-focused course from a mediocre one. Hence, the authenticity and validity of a particular course influence the career choice of individuals. The other important factor is perceived benefits. Additionally, an increasing number of educational businesses has already integrated or plans to integrate social media applications into their marketing plans to reach and attract future students, thus showing a shift from traditional ways of marketing. As the nature of this study is both purposive as well as probabilistic, a mixed method approach has been chosen. The study consists of two phases: the exploratory research process consisting of the literature review, the semi-structured interviews with information technology professionals to form the questionnaire and hypotheses. The researchers found that through personal inputs strongly influence the learning experiences, authenticity and perceived benefits of a course plays the most important role in the individual’s decision to adopt a technical course. The practical and research implications have also been discussed.     

The product market and the market for “ideas”: commercialization strategies for technology entrepreneurs

This paper presents a synthetic framework identifying the central drivers of start-up commercialization strategy and the implications of these drivers for industrial dynamics. We link strategy to the commercialization environment—the microeconomic and strategic conditions facing a firm that is translating an “idea” into a value proposition for customers. The framework addresses why technology entrepreneurs in some environments undermine established firms, while others cooperate with incumbents and reinforce existing market power. Our analysis suggests that competitive interaction between start-up innovators and established firms depends on the presence or absence of a “market for ideas”. By focusing on the operating requirements, efficiency, and institutions associated with markets for ideas, this framework holds several implications for the management of high-technology entrepreneurial firms.     

Information technology adoption behavior life cycle: Toward a Technology Continuance Theory (TCT)

For over a decade, researchers have devoted much effort to construct theoretical models, such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) for explaining and predicting user behavior in IS acceptance and continuance. Another model, the Cognitive Model (COG), was proposed for continuance behavior; it combines some of the variables used in both TAM and ECM. This study applied the technique of structured equation modeling with multiple group analysis to compare the TAM, ECM, and COG models. Results indicate that TAM, ECM, and COG have quite different assumptions about the underlying constructs that dictate user behavior and thus have different explanatory powers. The six constructs in the three models were synthesized to propose a new Technology Continuance Theory (TCT). A major contribution of TCT is that it combines two central constructs: attitude and satisfaction into one continuance model, and has applicability for users at different stages of the adoption life cycle, i.e., initial, short-term and long-term users. The TCT represents a substantial improvement over the TAM, ECM and COG models in terms of both breadth of applicability and explanatory power.     

Technology policy and global warming: Why new policy models are needed (or why putting new wine in old bottles won’t work)

In recent years, the threat of global climate change has come to be seen as one of the most serious confronting humanity. To meet this challenge will require the development of new technologies and the substantial improvement of existing ones, as well as ensuring their prompt and widespread deployment. Some have argued that the urgency of the situation requires a “Manhattan Project” or an “Apollo Program”. This paper examines why such a policy model is inappropriate, arguing that the nature of the policy context for confronting climate change necessitates a different kind of technology policy than that for building an atomic bomb or for achieving a manned lunar landing. Instead, it seeks to draw lessons from three sectors that seem to be more pertinent and where government technological development and deployment programs have been pursued with some success in the United States - namely, agriculture, biomedical research and information technology. It compares and contrasts these with the policies pursued with regard to the first two of these sectors in the United Kingdom. The paper concludes by drawing out the implications for the design of policies supporting technological development and innovation to address the problem of global climate change.     

An integrated framework for RFID adoption and diffusion with a stage-scale-scope cubicle model: A case of Indonesia

This study presents a comprehensive framework to identify dynamic radio frequency identification (RFID) adoption and diffusion from three different perspectives: stages of adoption, levels of analysis, and domain of issues. The main concern of this study is stages of adoption, which covers three phases in respect of the maturity of the RFID project and the sophistication of business applications and RFID technology. The level of analysis involves different units of analysis beyond the organization level, including the industry- and country-level, which is lacking in the current literature. To understand dimensions of RFID issues, a strategy, technology, organization, people and environment (STOPE) based approach was applied. An extensive review of prior literature was conducted to find various RFID success factors and the Delphi method was applied to find positions of these factors within the framework. Based on the Delphi, some factors belong to early stage of adoption, and some others persist in the later stages of adoption. At the country level, factors such as RFID national policy, R&D policy and income per capita were accepted by most experts at the preliminary and intermediate stage; strategy and environment were accepted as important domains. To find practical implications of the framework, a case study of Indonesia was conducted at each level of analysis. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to identify most important factors and important domains of issues with respect to the factors from the Delphi results. At country level, RFID policy, vision of leadership and RFID potential market are the most important factors; strategy and environment are the most important domains.     

中国高校教师对网络教育的创新－决策行为及他们对网络教育属性的认识

本研究的目的是为了了解中国农业大学教师对网络教育的创新-决策行为与他们对网络教育五项属性(相对优势、相容性、复杂性、可试验性、和可观察性)的认识之间的相互关系。本研究的理论基础是Rogers的创新-决策过程模型和创新属性理论。本研究采用的是定量研究,研究结果用统计数据的方式来描述。结果表明,(1)70%的参与问卷的教师(总人数=273)仍处于网络教育创新-决策过程的早期阶段(“无认知”、“认知”、或“说服”阶段),仅30%的老师处在后期三个阶段性(“决策”、“实施”、或“确认”阶段);(2)中国农大教师同意网络教育五项属性的存在;(3)教师对网络教育的创新-决策行为对他们认识网络教育相对优势属性的影响统计意义上不显著,但是,教师对网络教育相对优势、相容性、复杂性、可试验性、和可观察性属性的认识因他们对网络教育的创新-决策行为而有统计意义上的显著不同,整体而言,在网络教育创新-决策过程中所处阶段越靠后的教师对网络教育以上四项属性的认同越强烈。     

Institutional changes and the commercialization of academic knowledge: A study of Italian universities’ patenting activities between 1965 and 2002

This paper focuses on Italian universities’ patenting activities between 1965 and 2002 and on the way they were affected by internal IPR regulations, set as part of broader responses to the increased level of autonomy granted to universities during the 1990s. Our analyses are based on a unique dataset including detailed information on all patents filed by Italian universities and university-level characteristics. Results show that: (1) in the last 10 years, the number of Italian university patents rose substantially; (2) patenting activities almost tripled in universities with an internal IPR regulation, after controlling for several universities’ characteristics, previous patenting activity and time trends; (3) each time a university creates its own patent regulation, there is a 9% increase in the likelihood that universities without any internal patent regulation will adopt one. Implications for university technology transfer policies are discussed.     

科技计划项目创新绩效的系统动力学分析 ——基于科技监督的视角

社会监督者的加入使得科技监督系统更加复杂,单纯从政策和管理视角进行分析研究不足以反映科技监督系统运行的内在逻辑,同时为反映整个系统的稳定均衡与外界动态反馈之间的关系,在分析当前科技创新治理体系下科技监督系统的运行机理和内涵的基础上,构建以政府、项目管理者、项目执行者、社会监督者为主体的系统动力学模型,分析影响监督系统运行的关键要素及要素之间的反馈关系,并利用计算机仿真软件分析各监督主体行为选择、交互影响,预判系统的未来发展。研究表明：科技监督系统稳定运行时,创新绩效呈现前期快、中期慢、后期稳定的变化趋势;社会监督者的监督成本低、监督效果优;黑天鹅事件对科技创新系统的影响和影响程度以及后续风险应对与事件处置密切相关。     

The extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2): A systematic literature review and theory evaluation

The extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) is less than ten years old and has already garnered more than 6000 citations with extensive usage in information systems and beyond. This research employed cited reference search to systematically review studies that cited UTAUT2 originating article. Based on UTAUT2 usage, the downloaded articles were classified into four categories such as: 1) General citation, 2) UTAUT2 application, 3) UTAUT2 integration, and 4) UTAUT2 extensions. Weber's (2012) theory evaluation framework revealed UTAUT2 as a robust theory on most dimensions except for parsimony arising from the complex model. UTAUT2 extensions emerged as popular UTAUT2 utilization category as researchers extended the model with context specific variables. Finally, UTAUT2 extensions were mapped to Johns' (2006) context dimensions to identify various limitations of the existing technology adoption research and to provide multi-level framework for future researchers with libraries of context dimensions.     

国内石墨烯技术转化平台介入阶段和方式探析——以上海石墨烯产业技术功能型平台为例

上海石墨烯产业技术功能型平台是国内正兴起的新建石墨烯技术转化和产业培育平台风潮中的代表,选择此平台进行案例研究以期为其他技术转化平台兴建提供参考,同时为石墨烯等其他前沿领域产业化提供借鉴。上海石墨烯产业技术功能型平台在服务科研机构、高校或企业的科技成果转化过程中,从已成熟但不具备商业化的技术阶段开始介入,帮助具有商业价值的产品阶段和发挥产业化效应的下游产品应用阶段,采取这种介入阶段和方式对科技成果的商业价值产生较大的影响,而对其技术价值的影响较小;同时协调当前我国石墨烯产业化面临的主要问题之一——石墨烯制备和石墨烯应用局面失衡,拓展原有服务范围,将新材料技术成熟度等级划分阶段中的技术阶段服务后移。最后研究提出石墨烯产业技术功能型平台服务科技成果转化的介入阶段能否前移的思考,尤其是高端应用领域,以覆盖实验室阶段至产业化阶段等更多的阶段。     

Design and the management of multi-institutional research collaborations: Theoretical implications from two case studies

Over the past three decades, U.S. science and technology funding agencies have increasingly supported large-scale, centralized, block grant-based research projects that often span multiple disciplines and institutions. This trend has developed at such a rate that research focused on understanding the management of these new collaborative models has largely not kept pace. We use two case studies of large-scale, multi-disciplinary collaborations to develop an institutional framework that illuminates the relationships among (a) the epistemic norms of the disciplines represented in the collaboration, (b) the organizational structure of these collaborations, and (c) the inter-institutional collaboration success.The results of our case study analysis demonstrate that large-scale, multi-discipline, inter-institutional collaborations need a relatively high level of development in either (1) the epistemic development of the disciplines involved in the collaboration or (2) the organizational structure of the collaboration. We argue that the domain (i.e. epistemic or organizational) that provides the highest level of institutionalization is the one that organizes the “rules” of the collaboration.     

Why do small and medium enterprises use social media marketing and what is the impact: Empirical insights from India

Increasingly firms are looking to use social media to connect with different stakeholders as plans on building presence on such platforms are becoming part of top-level strategy. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that would help the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of India to adopt Social Media Marketing (SMM) mechanisms for improving their business impact. Adoption of SMM by SMEs has considerable impact on the improvement of business outcome of the SMEs. A theoretical model has been developed with the help of theory borrowed from TAM and UTAUT2 with some modifications to explore this impact through business performance, sales, connect with customers, identify customer' needs and creativity of the employees. The theoretical model has been validated empirically using a survey of 310 firms and subsequent analysis have been carried out using structured equation modelling. The results highlight that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and compatibility positively affect impact of SMM after adoption by the SMEs. The facilitating conditions have insignificant impact whereas cost has a significant but negative impact on the use of SMM by SMEs. Since there are a few studies in this context, the study contributes to existing literature on the impact of SMM in SMEs in an emerging economy.     

Social Equity and Prosperity: Thailand Information Technology Policy into the 21st Century

This forum presents Thailand's National Information Technology (IT) Plan and comments on the plan by three international experts: Seymour Goodman, Heinrich Reinermann, and G. Russell Pipe. The plan, which was prepared for Thailand's National IT Committee by the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, is striking for its explicit consideration of social as well as economic goals in its specific objectives and implementation proposals. Agenda item 1 of the plan is to 'Invest in an Equitable Information Infrastructure: To Enhance Human Ability and Enhance Life Quality.' Implementation of the plan is proceeding well, although somewhat more slowly than anticipated, and support for the original goals and objectives remains strong.