INTEGRATING A DIFFERENTIATED NORM CLASSIFICATION INTO THE MODEL OF ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGY IN HOUSEHOLDS (MATH)

Throughout the whole history of IS adoption research, researchers struggled to frame, conceptualize, and define social norms in a sufficient way. While research during the last three years provided helpful advice to overcome this challenge, it still remains the question, why other shapes of norms (e.g. cultural norms, religious norms, moral norms, or legal norms) were hardly ever framed or discussed for IS adoption research. To provide a first step within this direction, this research offers a conceptual extension of normative beliefs for the Model of Adoption of Technology in Households (MATH) (Venkatesh and Brown 2001, Brown and Venkatesh 2005) using the norm topology by Gibbs (1965) of sociology research. An operationalization of the new constructs is provided and further steps of this research in progress are discussed

Investigating consumer adoption, usage and impact of broadband: UK households

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Despite a large investment, the majority of countries especially the UK demonstrate a slow adoption of broadband. In order to enhance the adoption and use of broadband this research examines the factors influencing the decisions of household consumers. This research aims to address the two main areas of concern: first, to investigate consumer-level factors affecting the adoption of broadband in UK households; and second, to understand the usage of broadband and its impact upon household consumers in the UK. This research adopted a quantitative approach that was executed in the following steps. First, it developed a conceptual model by selecting and justifying relevant constructs from appropriate theories and models related to technology adoption, usage and impact. Second, it operationalised the constructs by developing and validating the research instrument by employing the content validity, reliability and construct validity approach. Finally, it empirically validated and refined the conceptual model by employing a survey research approach. The findings suggested that all the constructs included in the conceptual model, except knowledge, significantly influence the consumers when adopting broadband in a UK household. The significant constructs include relative advantage, utilitarian outcomes, hedonic outcomes, primary influence, facilitating conditions resources and self-efficacy. The rate and variety of Internet usage is significantly higher for broadband consumers than narrowband ones. It was also found that significantly more numbers of broadband consumers perceived changes in time allocation patterns on various daily life activities than narrowband ones. This research contributes towards theory, practice and policy. The contribution of this research towards theory is that it integrates and determines the appropriate information systems (IS) literature in order to enhance knowledge of technology adoption from the consumers' perspectives. An added contribution to theory is the development and validation of a research instrument that future studies can utilise to examine broadband and other similar technologies in household context. Considering the slow adoption of broadband, this research also provides implications for policy makers and the providers of broadband in order to encourage and promote homogenous adoption and usage

Application of Multiple Intelligence Theory to an E-Learning Technology Acceptance Model

With the speed of doing business on the rise, employees must learn to adapt to new technologies and improved performance expectations without losing productivity or time on task. Students looking to enter the workforce must understand that education does not end with graduation rather the expectation is that everyone will be life long learners. To meet the challenge, education providers are looking for alternative ways to bring education to the student and enhance the learning experience. With e-learning, students enjoy flexible scheduling, businesses can realize improvements in workforce skills while reducing education expenditures (i.e. improved Return On Investment, ROI) and education providers extend their campuses at minimal cost. E-learning is fast becoming a preferred method of delivering quality education any time, any where. Educators, however, have mixed feelings on the subject. Many have embraced the new technology and report positive results. Others question the effectiveness of e-learning, pointing to the high dropout rate in e-learning courses and bias in the literature supporting e-learning. The cautious are concerned about rushing in on uncertain ground. They recall the advent of television and the unmet promises of that technology with respect to education. The purpose of this study is to develop an e-learning adoption model that is firmly founded in education research (especially with respect to learning) coupled with what is understood about the diffusion and acceptance of (information) technology. The goal of developing such a model is to identify and pair crucial learning characteristics of students with the acceptance of the technology used to deliver educational content electronically so as to foster mastery learning. Students can use the results of this study to help decide whether or not to enroll in an e-learning course or what additional strategies they may need to employ so as to maximize the experience. Businesses may benefit from an understanding of how to match the needs of thei

Application of Multiple Intelligence Theory to an E-Learning Technology Acceptance Model

With the speed of doing business on the rise, employees must learn to adapt to new technologies and improved performance expectations without losing productivity or time on task. Students looking to enter the workforce must understand that education does not end with graduation rather the expectation is that everyone will be life long learners. To meet the challenge, education providers are looking for alternative ways to bring education to the student and enhance the learning experience. With e-learning, students enjoy flexible scheduling, businesses can realize improvements in workforce skills while reducing education expenditures (i.e. improved Return On Investment, ROI) and education providers extend their campuses at minimal cost. E-learning is fast becoming a preferred method of delivering quality education any time, any where. Educators, however, have mixed feelings on the subject. Many have embraced the new technology and report positive results. Others question the effectiveness of e-learning, pointing to the high dropout rate in e-learning courses and bias in the literature supporting e-learning. The cautious are concerned about rushing in on uncertain ground. They recall the advent of television and the unmet promises of that technology with respect to education. The purpose of this study is to develop an e-learning adoption model that is firmly founded in education research (especially with respect to learning) coupled with what is understood about the diffusion and acceptance of (information) technology. The goal of developing such a model is to identify and pair crucial learning characteristics of students with the acceptance of the technology used to deliver educational content electronically so as to foster mastery learning. Students can use the results of this study to help decide whether or not to enroll in an e-learning course or what additional strategies they may need to employ so as to maximize the experience. Businesses may benefit from an understanding of how to match the needs of thei

Powerful-synergies: Gender Equality, Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability

This is a collection of evidence-based papers by scholars and practitioners that explore the interconnections between gender equality and sustainable development across a range of sectors and global development issues such as energy, health, education, food security, climate change, human rights, consumption and production patterns, and urbanization. The publication provides evidence from various sectors and regions on how women's equal access and control over resources not only improves the lives of individuals, families and nations, but also helps ensure the sustainability of the environment

The costs of raising children and the effectiveness of policies to support parenthood in European countries: a Literature Review

The purpose of this report is to produce an overview of available knowledge about the following issues:  the costs (to parents) of parenthood and of raising children in European Countries;  the effectiveness, in the short and long term, of various policy measures in avoiding or compensating for those costs; 8  the impact of different policy instruments aimed at supporting families according to various policy objectives, e.g. achieving family projects, reconciling family and working life, reducing child poverty, raising the levels of education and well being of children, and increasing equal opportunities.  the wider economic and social costs and benefits of policy interventions in support of families. The current state of knowledge on the following issues is presented as follows in this review report:  The costs of children and the challenges for public policies supporting parenthood (chapter 1); author: O. Thévenon  The policy instruments used in the EU to support families and reduce the costs of parenthood (Chapter 2); authors: A. Math and O. Thévenon  The impacts of these policies on families: o On fertility and the decision to have children (chapter 3); authors M-Th. Letablier and O. Thévenon o On parents‘ participation in the labour market, gender equality and work-life balance (chapter 4); authors: M-Th. Letablier, A. Luci, O. Thévenon o On children‘s well-being (chapter 5): M-Th. Letablier and O. Thévenon  The wider economic and social costs and benefits of such policies (Chapter 6); author: A. Luci. The review of literature presented in this report attempts to make the tools, goals and impacts of family policies more clear and comparable across countries, in order to facilitate the circulation of knowledge between Member States, notably in the context of the European Alliance for Families and the newly established High Level Experts Group on Demography Issues. The report provides a review of recent literature and available data material on the direct and indirect costs of raising children in the European Union (using international as well as particularly important national studies). Ground breaking studies from countries outside the EU, of particular interest from a methodological point of view, are also included in the review. Focus is on the following kinds of costs of having and raising children over the long and short term: - Direct financial costs, e.g. for housing, health care, education, child care, - Indirect financial costs, e.g. for lost income, lost pension rights, lost career prospects etc. , also taking into account the impact on gender roles and gender equality. The costs of raising children are examined at the different phases of their development, from birth through to the age at which they become autonomous. The overview also summarizes knowledge on the main determinants of costs, including, the effects of the number of children, the socio-economic status of parents, and the family structure. Significant differences in cost levels and structures across Member States are identified. The overview also identifies gaps in the available knowledge, and highlights some issues for future research that have the potential to contribute to a better understanding of the policy impact and to better comparability across the European Union.cost of children; family policies; work and family life reconciliation; fertility; female employment

It Isn\u27t Easy Speaking Green: The Influence of Moral Factors on the (Non-) Adoption of Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Deferral, and Back Again

Climate change is one of the major issues humans face in the 21st century. This decade is critical in shaping the future of Earth and the way humans live on it (IPCC, 2018). Changes in human behavior are necessary to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This series of studies explored factors important in communicating and implementing environmental behavior. The first study tested the effects of an online, interactive carbon calculator with moral interventions on three self-reported measures and one objective measure of behavior over a period of weeks. The interventions resulted in small changes in self-reported behavior and no change in electricity usage. Given participants adopted relatively few additional behaviors, the next study investigated the predictors when people perform or do not perform specific pro-environmental behaviors more in-depth. Participants were also asked whether they, businesses, non-profits, or governments were responsible for spearheading efforts on a behavior when they, as individuals, could perform the behavior but did not. The results indicate that most participants attributed responsibility to themselves. However, belief in one’s own ability to perform the behavior is important to behavioral decisions, and predictors vary between behaviors

Investigating consumer adoption, usage and impact of broadband : UK households

Despite a large investment, the majority of countries especially the UK demonstrate a slow adoption of broadband. In order to enhance the adoption and use of broadband this research examines the factors influencing the decisions of household consumers. This research aims to address the two main areas of concern: first, to investigate consumer-level factors affecting the adoption of broadband in UK households; and second, to understand the usage of broadband and its impact upon household consumers in the UK. This research adopted a quantitative approach that was executed in the following steps. First, it developed a conceptual model by selecting and justifying relevant constructs from appropriate theories and models related to technology adoption, usage and impact. Second, it operationalised the constructs by developing and validating the research instrument by employing the content validity, reliability and construct validity approach. Finally, it empirically validated and refined the conceptual model by employing a survey research approach. The findings suggested that all the constructs included in the conceptual model, except knowledge, significantly influence the consumers when adopting broadband in a UK household. The significant constructs include relative advantage, utilitarian outcomes, hedonic outcomes, primary influence, facilitating conditions resources and self-efficacy. The rate and variety of Internet usage is significantly higher for broadband consumers than narrowband ones. It was also found that significantly more numbers of broadband consumers perceived changes in time allocation patterns on various daily life activities than narrowband ones. This research contributes towards theory, practice and policy. The contribution of this research towards theory is that it integrates and determines the appropriate information systems (IS) literature in order to enhance knowledge of technology adoption from the consumers' perspectives. An added contribution to theory is the development and validation of a research instrument that future studies can utilise to examine broadband and other similar technologies in household context. Considering the slow adoption of broadband, this research also provides implications for policy makers and the providers of broadband in order to encourage and promote homogenous adoption and usage.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Smart Energy Management for Smart Grids

This book is a contribution from the authors, to share solutions for a better and sustainable power grid. Renewable energy, smart grid security and smart energy management are the main topics discussed in this book