National culture and on-line trust: a study of internet Egyptian users

This research-in-progress investigates cultural issues in e-commerce trust. An experiential survey was conducted with three hundred and seventy Egyptian Internet users, exploring two book-seller web sites. Structure equation modeling analysis suggested that, for the target sample, perceived reputation and perceived familiarity with an Internet store have significant effect on building trust for that store. The paper discusses the importance of these two factors within the Egyptian culture

The impact of organisation culture on effective exploitation of building information modelling, big data analytics and internet of things (BBI) for competitive advantage in construction organisations

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of organisational culture on the exploitation of three technological innovations: Building Information Modelling, Big Data Analytics and Internet of Things (BBI) considering the role of organisational culture as a determinant of organisational competitive advantage. After reviewing the literature on organisational culture and its relationship with competitiveness, this paper further analyses the critical culture constructs that impact specifically on exploitation of Building Information Modelling, Big Data Analytics and Internet of Things which leads to maximise organisational competitive advantage. Findings reveal that organisational culture can be both positively and negatively associated with aforementioned technological innovations depending on its key attributes for exploitation. Hence, culture of an organisation has the potential of fostering innovative technologies, but can also act as a barrier depending on how they are operationalised. The findings additionally show that in order to enhance innovation, neither a flexibility focus (which is rooted in collaboration and shared commonalities) nor an external focus (built upon the dynamics of competition and achieving concrete results) alone would suffice- both are equally critical in characterising organisational culture. The paper focuses on a context, where there is a lack of studies on the impact of cultural constructs that are specifically relevant to BBI, which lays the basis for the originality of this paper. Findings can guide managers’ efforts in organisational culture developments which foster exploitation of these technologies towards maximising the competitive edge

National Culture, Trust and Internet Privacy Concerns

A major inhibitor to e-commerce stems from the reluctance consumers have to complete transactions because of concern over the use of private information divulged in online transaction processing. Because e-commerce occurs in a global environment, cultural factors are likely to have a significant impact on this concern. Building on work done in the area of culture and privacy, and also trust and privacy, we explore the three way relationship between culture, privacy and trust. Better, more appropriate, and contemporary measures of culture have recently been espoused, and a better understanding and articulation of internet users information privacy concern has been developed. We present the results of an exploratory study that builds on the work of Milberg, Gefen, and Bellman to better understand and test the effect that national culture has on trust and internet privacy

Supply Chain Integration and Firm Performance: The Moderating Effects of Organizational Culture

Building on multiple theoretical perspectives, we examine how organizational culture moderates the association of different dimensions of Internet-enabled Supply Chain Integration (i.e., online information sharing and operational coordination) and firm performance (i.e., operational and customer service performance). We test hypotheses using survey data from senior executives in China. Our findings reveal that an internally focused culture negatively moderates the effects of information sharing on both operational and customer service performance. In contrast, an internally focused culture positively moderates the relationships between operational coordination and firm performance. In addition, our findings indicate that an externally focused culture negatively moderates the effects of operational coordination on customer service performance. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications of the study are discussed

A Contingent View of the Internet-Enabled Supply Chain Integration and Firm Performance

Building on multiple theoretical perspectives, we examined how organizational culture moderates the association of different dimensions of Internet-enabled Supply Chain Integration (i.e., online information integration and operational coordination) and firm performance (i.e., customer service and financial performance). We tested hypotheses using survey data from senior executives in China. Our findings reveal that an internally focused culture weakens the effects of online information integration on customer service performance, whereas it strengthens the influences of online operational coordination. Further, an externally focused culture weakens the effects of online operational coordination on customer service performance too. In addition, the results indicate that customer service can directly improve financial performance, and partially mediate the relationship between online information integration and financial performance. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications of the study are discussed

Design for Library and Information Science program in E-Learning Environment

Internet is fast becoming an engine of innovation in education. Digital learning, digital content, online tutorial, examination and assessment, distance learning etc. are getting more popular day by day. Those concepts are throwing challenges to the traditional delivery of instruction and training in the changing age of globalization and e-resources. The Internet or indeed ICT and all its interactive elements are able to have an extremely positive impact to the learning potential of students as well as teachers. An effective e-learning strategy may be more than the technology itself and the content it carries. It must also focus on critical success factors that include building a learning culture, encouraging true leadership support, and sustaining the change throughout the organization. This paper is an attempt to provide an idea to build up a model program for LIS course in ICT environment

#queer: Community, Communication, and Identity in the Digital Age

The creation and facilitation of community among LGBTQ+ people has always been necessary as a means of support, protection, and affirmation in a discriminatory society. The common perception of this community imagines the migration of people from rural areas to urban meccas like San Francisco and New York in search of likeminded people. However, the advent of new technology has allowed for community building and organizing to occur more easily without face-to-face contact. In this paper I utilize existing literature, including a large study on queer rural populations, and real-world examples such as the platform Tumblr to explore the evolution of queer community and identity via the internet since the late-nineties and early-aughts. Additionally, I examine both past and current technology usage in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly among populations that experience greater societal stigma due to identity, culture, or geography. This essay ultimately comes to three distinct conclusions: that the historical trajectory of the LGBTQ+ community made the internet an especially appropriate medium for activism and community building, that technology has created a clear divide between on- and off-line queer populations, and that the internet has altered both perception and performance of queerness

Critical informatics: New methods and practices

While social informatics (SI) is uniquely positioned to examine the technical and organizational properties of information and communication technology (ICT) and associated user practices, it often ignores the cultural mediation of design, use, and meaning of ICTs. Critical informatics, more so than normative and analytic orientations to ICT, offers possibilities to foreground culture as a sensitizing context for studying information and technology in society. This paper articulates a new critical informatics approach: critical technocultural discourse analysis (CTDA) as an analysis employing critical cultural frameworks (e.g. critical race or feminist theory) to jointly interrogate culture and technology. CTDA (Brock ) is a bifurcated approach for studying Internet phenomena integrating interface analysis with user discourse analysis. This paper outlines CTDA, providing examples of how its methodological flexibility applies to examining varied ICT artifacts, such as twitter and search engine phenomena, while maintaining a critical perspective on design and use. CTDA is an important tool for critical informaticists that contributes to building understanding of technology as culture, grounded in user perspectives and real‐world practices.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111201/1/meet14505101032.pd

The Church Has Left the Building: A Leadership Perspective of Online Church versus Traditional Church

Where it was once thought that the decline of traditional church goers into a brick and mortar edifice meant that America was becoming less “faith based”, the everincreasing number of online worshippers indicates otherwise. Due to the rapidly shifting culture toward an online worship experience, the traditional church must re-evaluate and reform their processes to include this new wave of Christianity. If churches cannot transition to accommodate the new culture of church that is only accessible via the Internet, there is a possibility that they could lose the opportunity to share the Gospel Message with a population that may never enter a church building. The aim of this study is to determine how the needs of the Internet church differ from the traditional church, and how this dynamic can be strategic in determining the most effective method of serving the e-church community. It will examine ways to build strong relationship bonds between the pastor and the Internet congregation and how social media can be instrumental in this effort. Thus, the research questions are as follows: Does the online church meet the religious needs through the internet connectivity, fellowship, and relational interaction? What is the role of a pastor who shepherds both traditional and Internet congregations? Does online church satisfy our corporate need to have a meaningful worship experience? In this context, the intent is also to identify and describe the Internet congregation’s demographic and how it impacts the pastor’s role, by researching the story behind the needs of the current Internet audience and how to effectively engage them in online participation. On this basis, it is recommended that pastors consider the major benefits of online church; the convenience xi that online religion permits, the unrestricted usage of a multiplicity of platforms, and the cost efficacy of reaching the world for Christ

The Church Has Left the Building: A Leadership Perspective of Online Church versus Traditional Church

Where it was once thought that the decline of traditional church goers into a brick and mortar edifice meant that America was becoming less “faith based”, the everincreasing number of online worshippers indicates otherwise. Due to the rapidly shifting culture toward an online worship experience, the traditional church must re-evaluate and reform their processes to include this new wave of Christianity. If churches cannot transition to accommodate the new culture of church that is only accessible via the Internet, there is a possibility that they could lose the opportunity to share the Gospel Message with a population that may never enter a church building. The aim of this study is to determine how the needs of the Internet church differ from the traditional church, and how this dynamic can be strategic in determining the most effective method of serving the e-church community. It will examine ways to build strong relationship bonds between the pastor and the Internet congregation and how social media can be instrumental in this effort. Thus, the research questions are as follows: Does the online church meet the religious needs through the internet connectivity, fellowship, and relational interaction? What is the role of a pastor who shepherds both traditional and Internet congregations? Does online church satisfy our corporate need to have a meaningful worship experience? In this context, the intent is also to identify and describe the Internet congregation’s demographic and how it impacts the pastor’s role, by researching the story behind the needs of the current Internet audience and how to effectively engage them in online participation. On this basis, it is recommended that pastors consider the major benefits of online church; the convenience xi that online religion permits, the unrestricted usage of a multiplicity of platforms, and the cost efficacy of reaching the world for Christ