E-tourism: Definition, development and conceptual framework

E-Tourism is an objective reality. Its dynamics and fast-accelerating development cause significant change to the traditional model of the classical tourism system. The creation of an e-tourism system is a logical sequence of the digitalization of all processes in the value chain of the travel and tourism industry. The purpose of the article is, based on analysis of the factors and conditions of emergence and development of e-tourism, to construct and perform a conceptual framework of an e-tourism system. Specialized sources of secondary data have been studied and conceptual basis of the theoretical framework has been defined. E-tourism is identified as a process and key characteristics of its nature have been performed. The following research methods and scientific approach have been applied: theoretical exploratory approach; systematic and chronological approach; systematic screening of academic publications; analysis and synthesis; content analysis. The result of the scientific research is construction of a conceptual (theoretical) framework of the e-tourism system, introducing basic groups (subsystems) and integrated components and identifying the specific interactions between them

A theory-grounded framework of Open Source Software adoption in SMEs

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in European Journal of Information Systems. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Macredie, RD and Mijinyawa, K (2011), "A theory-grounded framework of Open Source Software adoption in SMEs", European Journal of Informations Systems, 20(2), 237-250 is available online at: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ejis/journal/v20/n2/abs/ejis201060a.html.The increasing popularity and use of Open Source Software (OSS) has led to significant interest from research communities and enterprise practitioners, notably in the small business sector where this type of software offers particular benefits given the financial and human capital constraints faced. However, there has been little focus on developing valid frameworks that enable critical evaluation and common understanding of factors influencing OSS adoption. This paper seeks to address this shortcoming by presenting a theory-grounded framework for exploring these factors and explaining their influence on OSS adoption, with the context of study being small- to medium-sized Information Technology (IT) businesses in the U.K. The framework has implications for this type of business – and, we will suggest, more widely – as a frame of reference for understanding, and as tool for evaluating benefits and challenges in, OSS adoption. It also offers researchers a structured way of investigating adoption issues and a base from which to develop models of OSS adoption. The study reported in this paper used the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB) as a basis for the research propositions, with the aim of: (i) developing a framework of empirical factors that influence OSS adoption; and (ii) appraising it through case study evaluation with 10 U.K. Small- to medium-sized enterprises in the IT sector. The demonstration of the capabilities of the framework suggests that it is able to provide a reliable explanation of the complex and subjective factors that influence attitudes, subjective norms and control over the use of OSS. The paper further argues that the DTPB proved useful in this research area and that it can provide a variety of situation-specific insights related to factors that influence the adoption of OSS

How to Design More Empathetic Recommender Systems in Social Media

Social media’s value proposition heavily relies on recommender systems suggesting products to buy, events to attend, or people to connect with. These systems currently prioritize user engagement and social media providers’ profit generation over individual users’ well-being. However, making these systems more “empathetic” would benefit social media providers and content creators as users would use social media more often, longer, and increasingly recommend it to other users. By way of a design science research approach, including twelve interviews with system designers, social media experts, psychologists, and users, we develop user-centric design knowledge on making recommender systems in social media more “empathetic.” This design knowledge comprises a conceptual framework, four meta-requirements, and six design principles. It contributes to the research streams “digital responsibility” and “IS for resilience” and provides practical guidance in developing socially responsible recommender systems as next-generation social media services

Internet of robotic things : converging sensing/actuating, hypoconnectivity, artificial intelligence and IoT Platforms

The Internet of Things (IoT) concept is evolving rapidly and influencing newdevelopments in various application domains, such as the Internet of MobileThings (IoMT), Autonomous Internet of Things (A-IoT), Autonomous Systemof Things (ASoT), Internet of Autonomous Things (IoAT), Internetof Things Clouds (IoT-C) and the Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT) etc.that are progressing/advancing by using IoT technology. The IoT influencerepresents new development and deployment challenges in different areassuch as seamless platform integration, context based cognitive network integration,new mobile sensor/actuator network paradigms, things identification(addressing, naming in IoT) and dynamic things discoverability and manyothers. The IoRT represents new convergence challenges and their need to be addressed, in one side the programmability and the communication ofmultiple heterogeneous mobile/autonomous/robotic things for cooperating,their coordination, configuration, exchange of information, security, safetyand protection. Developments in IoT heterogeneous parallel processing/communication and dynamic systems based on parallelism and concurrencyrequire new ideas for integrating the intelligent “devices”, collaborativerobots (COBOTS), into IoT applications. Dynamic maintainability, selfhealing,self-repair of resources, changing resource state, (re-) configurationand context based IoT systems for service implementation and integrationwith IoT network service composition are of paramount importance whennew “cognitive devices” are becoming active participants in IoT applications.This chapter aims to be an overview of the IoRT concept, technologies,architectures and applications and to provide a comprehensive coverage offuture challenges, developments and applications

A Taxonomy of Platform Envelopment: Revealing Patterns and Particularities

Platform envelopment describes a competitive move whereby a digital platform enters an adjacent market. On one hand, it might enable to dethrone an established platform. On the other hand, it might give rise to the creation of platform conglomerates, which increases the concentration of private power. Therefore, platform envelopment has recently attracted significant attention from regulators and scholars. However, the traditional view of platform envelopment does not consider recent platform envelopment practices observed in research and practice. In this study, we aim to determine and structure the complexity of platform envelopment. We investigated 20 cases and developed a taxonomy of platform envelopment. We further encoded these cases into the comprehensive taxonomy and derived platform envelopment patterns and particularities. Our work contributes to research by establishing a foundation for the conceptual understanding of platform envelopment. Regulators can use this taxonomy to classify platform envelopment cases and determine potentially anti-competitive conduct

Satellites at work (Space in the seventies)

The use of satellites in the areas of communications, meteorology, geodesy, navigation, air traffic control, and earth resources technology is discussed. NASA contributions to various programs are reviewed

The Impact of Modern Marketing Communication Tools to Increase Market Performance: The case of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Addis Ababa

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of modern marketing communication tools on market performance within the context of the Commercial Bank of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study aimed to explore the relationships between these tools and various business outcomes such as increased sales volume, customer awareness, and market share expansion.   Theoretical framework: The study developed a conceptual framework based on an extensive review of existing literature. The theoretical framework provided the foundation for understanding the relationships between modern marketing communication tools, customer satisfaction, and market performance. It incorporated relevant theories and models from the field of marketing and communication.   Design/Methodology/Approach: The research adopted a mixed research design, combining both descriptive and explanatory methods. A quantitative research approach was employed to gather data from a sample of 384 respondents who are customers of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, specifically focusing on the east district. The data collection methods included questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Additionally, secondary data was collected from academic journals, books, and online resources. The researcher utilized a convenience sampling technique for participant selection.   Findings: The study's findings revealed a significantly positive impact of the implementation of modern marketing communication tools on the business. These tools contributed to increased sales volume, heightened customer awareness, and expanded market share within the industry. The research also identified diverse opinions on the role of these tools in enhancing customer satisfaction and their importance in customer retention.   Research, Practical & social implications: The research findings have several implications for research, practice, and society. From a research perspective, the study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the relationship between modern marketing communication tools and market performance. Practically, the findings offer valuable insights for businesses, especially banks, on how to leverage these tools effectively to enhance their sales and customer engagement. Socially, the study highlights the importance of adopting modern marketing communication tools in businesses, potentially leading to economic growth and employment opportunities within the community.   Originality/Value: The originality of this research lies in its focus on the Commercial Bank of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, examining the specific impact of modern marketing communication tools within this context. The study adds value by providing empirical evidence and practical implications for businesses operating in similar environments, offering a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of marketing and communication

Internationalisation of Innovation: Why Chip Design Moving to Asia

This paper will appear in International Journal of Innovation Management, special issue in honor of Keith Pavitt, (Peter Augsdoerfer, Jonathan Sapsed, and James Utterback, guest editors), forthcoming. Among Keith Pavitt's many contributions to the study of innovation is the proposition that physical proximity is advantageous for innovative activities that involve highly complex technological knowledge But chip design, a process that creates the greatest value in the electronics industry and that requires highly complex knowledge, is experiencing a massive dispersion to leading Asian electronics exporting countries. To explain why chip design is moving to Asia, the paper draws on interviews with 60 companies and 15 research institutions that are doing leading-edge chip design in Asia. I demonstrate that "pull" and "policy" factors explain what attracts design to particular locations. But to get to the root causes that shift the balance in favor of geographical decentralization, I examine "push" factors, i.e. changes in design methodology ("system-on-chip design") and organization ("vertical specialization" within global design networks). The resultant increase in knowledge mobility explains why chip design - that, in Pavitt's framework is not supposed to move - is moving from the traditional centers to a few new specialized design clusters in Asia. A completely revised and updated version has been published as: " Complexity and Internationalisation of Innovation: Why is Chip Design Moving to Asia?," in International Journal of Innovation Management, special issue in honour of Keith Pavitt, Vol. 9,1: 47-73.