Mobile apps usage and dynamic capabilities: A structural equation model of SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria.

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Significant knowledge exists regarding the application of dynamic capability (DC) frameworks in large firms, but their impact on smaller organisations is yet to be fully researched. This study surveyed 1162 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos in an effort to understand how SMEs in developing country contexts use mobile apps to enhance their businesses through DCs. Through the use of the covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) technique, the study explored the fitness of a conceptual formative model for SMEs. The model assembled 7 latent variables namely: mobile app usage, adaptive capability, absorptive capability, innovative capability, opportunity sensing ability, opportunity shaping ability and opportunity seizing ability. Subsequently, 15 hypotheses aimed at testing the relationships between the latent variables were developed and tested. The findings revealed that mobile app usage increases the adaptive, absorptive and innovative capabilities of SMEs. Absorptive capabilities help SMEs to maximise opportunities, while innovative capabilities negatively influence SMEs’ tendency to maximise opportunities. The results failed to establish a direct relationship between mobile app usage and SMEs’ ability to maximise opportunities. The research outcomes indicate that SMEs in Lagos respond to opportunities innovatively but they seldom exhibit innovation in order to create opportunities. The heterogeneous nature of SMEs complicates any clear-cut narrative as to how SMEs in Lagos should employ mobile apps to create and maximise opportunities. However, mobile apps could induce innovation and, as such, impact significantly when developed and applied to the contextual requirements of SMEs. The research revealed the untapped potential of SMEs’ mobile app usage in Lagos

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE WITHIN THE CHINESE BANKING INDUSTRY

Electronic Commerce (EC) enables business transactions to be conducted electronically, offering many operational and strategic benefits to organisations. While EC has been widely adopted across industry sectors in developed countries, its adoption in developing countries has not been widespread. At the moment, there are relatively fewer studies of EC adoption in developing countries compared to those in developed countries and hence little is known why and how to accelerate the EC adoption in developing countries. This paper explores the adoption of EC within the banking industry of China, as an example of a developing country. The findings and lessons learned from this study are useful to better understand the drivers of EC adoption, the relevance and potential of EC and the barriers to adoption within the Chinese banking industry specifically and China in general. Other developing countries may also benefit from this study by establishing their awareness of the EC potential as well as possible barriers that they need to confront in the adoption of EC

Organizational Green Claims and Consumer Green Perceptions in the Foodservice Industry

Due to the ever-growing consumer demands and global pressures for more sustainable business operations, corporations disclose their sustainable practices, products, and services to enhance their environmental image. Consumer green perceptions resulting from those organizational green claims have not been the focus of foodservice research. The application of green performance dimensionality of the foodservice domain identified that organizational green claims regarding food, environment and administration increase consumer green confusion and green trust at the same time. Based on the results of CFA, SEM, and multigroup analyses, this study suggests implications both theoretical and practical

Health, Stress and Technologies : Integrating Technology Acceptance and Health Belief Models for Smartphone-Based Stress Intervention

Work-related stress significantly jeopardizes employees’ physical and mental health due to the considerable time they spend at work. Smartphone-based interventions provide a promising solution, eliminating traditional face-to-face interventions’ barriers. However, the elements that influence workers’ intentions to use this still remain unexplored. This study explores the link between health belief model (HBM) and technology acceptance model (TAM) factors. In this study, 336 Italian workers (64% female) answered an online questionnaire. We employed a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the data. The results unveiled an indirect relationship: individuals perceiving health risks were more inclined to use stress-management apps, mediated by perceived utility (PU). This study underscores the significant potential of integrating the HBM with the TAM in predicting users’ preparedness for smartphone-based health interventions. These findings not only hold substantial value but also illuminate a path forward for professionals and organizations, offering insights to tailor and optimize smartphone tools for stress management and the promotion of workplace well-being. Ultimately, this research paves the way for the cultivation of healthier work environments, marking a noteworthy contribution to the field

Health, stress and technologies: integrating technology acceptance and health belief models for smartphone-based stress intervention

Work-related stress significantly jeopardizes employees’ physical and mental health due to the considerable time they spend at work. Smartphone-based interventions provide a promising solution, eliminating traditional face-to-face interventions’ barriers. However, the elements that influence workers’ intentions to use this still remain unexplored. This study explores the link between health belief model (HBM) and technology acceptance model (TAM) factors. In this study, 336 Italian workers (64% female) answered an online questionnaire. We employed a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the data. The results unveiled an indirect relationship: individuals perceiving health risks were more inclined to use stress-management apps, mediated by perceived utility (PU). This study underscores the significant potential of integrating the HBM with the TAM in predicting users’ preparedness for smartphone-based health interventions. These findings not only hold substantial value but also illuminate a path forward for professionals and organizations, offering insights to tailor and optimize smartphone tools for stress management and the promotion of workplace well-being. Ultimately, this research paves the way for the cultivation of healthier work environments, marking a noteworthy contribution to the field

An investigation of virtual golf in the Republic of Korea from a marketing perspective.

Just as advances in technology have drastically changed daily life, the entire sport business industry has been altered by the latest technology (Lee, Cheon, Judge, Shin, & Kim, 2012). A virtual sport, called screen golf , has offered a virtual reality via simulators and has seen enormous growth in the Republic of Korea (Kim, Seo, Kim, & Chang, 2014), not just as an alternative to the existing sport but as an entirely new type of sport entertainment (Han, Beak, Lee, & Huh, 2014). Knowing that there are significant gaps in consumer behaviors between existing sports and emerging sports (Ko, Park, & Claussen, 2008), investigating consumers\u27 decision-making processes for participation in virtual golf is essential for the sport to be successful in this new market. As new trends of enjoying sports, like sport-related online games (Hur, Ko, &Valacich, 2007; Seo & Green, 2008) and video games (Kim, Walsh, & Ross, 2008), have emerged, and efforts to understand changing consumer behaviors have continued, it is necessary to explore virtual sports, which have had little attention so far, from diverse marketing perspectives. Hence, the primary purposes of this study were to (a) investigate differences in constraints between participation in actual golf and virtual golf, (b) compare constraints between experienced and non-experienced individuals in virtual golf, (c) examine effects of household income on constraints in virtual golf, (d) investigate effects of mastery on constraints in virtual golf, and (e) explore relationships among service quality, perceived value, consumer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in virtual golf. A total of 389 surveys were collected from five virtual golf centers and two actual golf clubs in Korea using an intercept data collection technique. The result of this study revealed significant constraints differences on four constraints (cost, weather, time, and skill/confidence) between participating in actual and virtual golf. Next, the effects of personal golf experiences had significant influence on four constraints (social, cost, time, and skill/confidence) when participating in virtual golf. Furthermore, the low income group was more constrained by four constraints (social, cost, time, and skill/confidence), and the low mastery group was limited in their participation in virtual golf by two constraints (cost and skill/confidence). Lastly, all the given factors (core service, perceived value, consumer satisfaction, and behavior intentions) except peripheral service were significantly related each other. The current study provided a comprehensive insight into consumer behaviors in virtual golf from diverse marketing perspectives. In particular, this study investigated an individual\u27s entire decision-making process in leisure participation and offered more detailed information to service providers and researchers through application of diverse variables. Consequently, the findings of this study contribute to future research regarding technology-driven sport industries striving to attract potential consumers and could expand literature on consumer behavior, including leisure constraints, service quality, perceived value, consumer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions

Harmonized gap-filled datasets from 20 urban flux tower sites

A total of 20 urban neighbourhood-scale eddy covariance flux tower datasets are made openly available after being harmonized to create a 50 site-year collection with broad diversity in climate and urban surface characteristics. Variables needed as inputs for land surface models (incoming radiation, temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind and precipitation) are quality controlled, gap-filled and prepended with 10 years of reanalysis-derived local data, enabling an extended spin up to equilibrate models with local climate conditions. For both gap filling and spin up, ERA5 reanalysis meteorological data are bias corrected using tower-based observations, accounting for diurnal, seasonal and local urban effects not modelled in ERA5. The bias correction methods developed perform well compared to methods used in other datasets (e.g. WFDE5 or FLUXNET2015). Other variables (turbulent and upwelling radiation fluxes) are harmonized and quality controlled without gap filling Site description metadata include local land cover fractions (buildings, roads, trees, grass etc.), building height and morphology, aerodynamic roughness estimates, population density and satellite imagery. This open collection can help extend our understanding of urban environmental processes through observational synthesis studies or in the evaluation of land surface environmental models in a wide range of urban settings. These data can be accessed from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7104984 (Lipson et al., 2022).Peer reviewe

The Harder the Battle, the More We Talk: The Effects of Perceived Risk of Player Death on Social Presence and Enjoyment in Mobile Fps Game

Even though the relationship between presence and game enjoyment has been explored, there are unsolved theoretical questions regarding the degree to which social presence may be generated in games. Drawing on (social) presence theory, this study investigated the effects of the perceived risk of player death on game enjoyment. Specifically, the current study examined whether there is a relationship between the perceived risk of player death and communication between players; if this communication will serve as a trigger for a social presence; and if social presence will increase game enjoyment. Results from a self-report survey (N = 128) indicated that the perceived risk of player death has no direct relationship with game enjoyment. However, this result unfolds in a different way when social presence is activated. The results of path analysis showed that the higher the players\u27 perceived risk of death, the more players communicate with teammates. Moreover, communication positively influenced players\u27 social presence, and social presence was positively associated with game enjoyment. The study\u27s theoretical findings were discussed regarding the concept of social presence. The appropriate challenge level and user experience in mobile first-person shooting (FPS) games were discussed as practical implications