Factors Affecting Information and Communications Technology Adoption of Small Businesses: Studies in China and United States

Small businesses in China and United States generate the largest share of economic activity and employment. As the driving force behind the economic growth of both countries, Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) has fundamentally shaped the two countries. This research-in-progress paper reports the research model we conduct to analyze the factors that will affect ICTs adoption of small businesses in both countries. The purpose of the paper is to (1) report proposals of the current status of the research project (2) build an understanding of ICTs adoption in both countries (3) build the framework to explore the relationship between ICTs adoption in less developed and more developed areas in China and United States. Four small businesses in Nebraska, California, Zhejiang and Sichuan are chosen. A quantitative research method will be conducted to test the cases in the next step of the research

Understanding the Role of Information Technology for Sustainable Development in Small Businesses and Micro-Enterprises

Small businesses, including micro-enterprises, represent the majority of all firms in the world. This study investigates how Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) can impact the performance of small businesses, including micro-enterprises. This research introduces an updated Information Technology for Development (IT4D) framework to investigate the key factors that influence the adoption of technology in small businesses. Through structural equation modeling (SEM) and factor analysis of 118 microenterprises in China, facilitating conditions, attitude toward using technology, and anxiety is positively related to the behavior intention to use IT. Also, the usage of ICTs and human capital have a positive effect towards the development of small businesses. In order to understand why, in-depth case analysis of China and the United States based microenterprises was carried out using a qualitative research strategy. Case study data was gathered from 11 Chinese, Native American, African American, and Caucasian owned micro-enterprises and small businesses in the United States and China. In order to find out how the growth of those micro-enterprises varies, a comparative analysis was carried out. The results suggest that the characteristics of ICTs, the access to ICTs, and personal inequalities impact the process of economic development and empowerment of the small businesses. Contributions of the dissertation are as follows: the theoretical contribution of this dissertation is an updated framework for IT4D. The practical contribution is in the interventions that providing IT training opportunities are critical for the growth of small businesses. Finally, this research identifies gaps in the IT4D in small businesses and proposes a framework to guide future research

Quality modeling in electronic healthcare: a study of mHealth Service

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to radically transform health services in developing countries. Among various ICT driven health platforms, mobile health is the most promising one because of its widespread penetration and cost effective services. This paper aims to examine Quality Modeling in Electronic Healthcare by using PLS based SEM

The Critical Role of Public Charging Infrastructure

Editors: Peter Fox-Penner, PhD, Z. Justin Ren, PhD, David O. JermainA decade after the launch of the contemporary global electric vehicle (EV) market, most cities face a major challenge preparing for rising EV demand. Some cities, and the leaders who shape them, are meeting and even leading demand for EV infrastructure. This book aggregates deep, groundbreaking research in the areas of urban EV deployment for city managers, private developers, urban planners, and utilities who want to understand and lead change

Cyber maturity in the Asia-Pacific Region 2014

Summary: To make considered, evidence-based cyber policy judgements in the Asia-Pacific there’s a need for better tools to assess the existing ‘cyber maturity’ of nations in the region. Over the past twelve months the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre has developed a Maturity Metric which provides an assessment of the regional cyber landscape. This measurement encompasses an evaluation of whole-of-government policy and legislative structures, military organisation, business and digital economic strength and levels of cyber social awareness. This information is distilled into an accessible format, using metrics to provide a snapshot by which government, business, and the public alike can garner an understanding of the cyber profile of regional actors

Business Models for e-Health: Evidence from Ten Case Studies

An increasingly aging population and spiraling healthcare costs have made the search for financially viable healthcare models an imperative of this century. The careful and creative application of information technology can play a significant role in meeting that challenge. Valuable lessons can be learned from an analysis of ten innovative telemedicine and e-health initiatives. Having proven their effectiveness in addressing a variety of medical needs, they have progressed beyond small-scale implementations to become an established part of healthcare delivery systems around the world