Employee Satisfaction of Academics in Sri Lanka: A Logistic Regression Approach

This study has mainly focused on the use of multinomial logistic regression in predicting employee satisfaction of the academics in Sri Lankan universities A questionnaire was used to gather data from acdemics and it is prepared to collect demographic data and eight main factors Demographic factors were analyzed with multinomial logistic regression and it resulted in three elements namely sector salary and gender Before examining the main factors in the questionnaire a reliability analysis was done Factors were analyzed with multinomial logistic regression and resulted in different models and the best model out of all is presented in this paper By comparing the models with R-squared values goodness-of-fit statistics and residuals the best model was obtained This study revealed thatfitting of the abilities and knowledge with the job ability to use the full potential in work superior behavior and freedom are significant factors in predicting employee satisfaction of academics in Sri Lankan universitie

Exploring the determinants of organisational e-commerce adoption : an analysis of e-readiness and technological and behavioural control factors using PLS-SEM and multinomial regression

E-Commerce technologies are widely adopted by organisations for increased efficiency and competitive edge in both public and private sectors. Statistical evidence shows that E-Commerce adoption in developing economies is low and firms in these regions face adoption challenges distinct from those in developed countries. However, despite some shared challenges generalisation of results from one developing country to the other requires great caution. The term “Developing Countries” is not distinctive and a significant variance in socio-economic factors exists in this block. Given the sensitivity of E-Commerce adoption to such factors, country-specific research is required for better understanding. E-commerce is a driver of economic growth and e-commerce adoption by developing countries is not only essential for their prosperity but is also pivotal for sustainable global economic development in an interconnected world. Pakistan holds significant potential to boost the global economy, yet its E-Commerce adoption trails behind several regional players. The literature survey reveals a scarcity of high-quality Pakistan-based studies, with many failing to adhere to statistical and general research principles. Most of these studies focus on “usual suspects” and terminate at the initial adoption of organisational E-Commerce. This quantitative study utilised correlational and classification techniques to investigate the influence of more pertinent factors on firm-level ECommerce adoption within the unique context of Pakistan. By empirically testing four models developed using constructs from the Perceived E-Commerce Readiness Model (PERM), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Technology, Organisation, Environment (TOE), the study addressed four research questions. A distinct feature of this study is the comparison of E-Commerce adoption decisions in public and private sectors, providing insights into potential disparities and unique challenges faced by each sector. A range of univariate and multivariate techniques were used in the study including Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Multinominal Logistic Regression. Using the stratified sampling technique questionnaires were sent to potential respondents in two phases. The impact of E-readiness factors was examined using 448 valid responses received in phase 1. In the second phase, 347 valid responses were received, which were then used to examine the effects of technological and behavioural factors on an organisation's E-Commerce adoption decision. The study found that the E-Readiness of “Business Resources”, “Technical Resources”, “Government”, “Governance”, and “Support Industry”, along with “Awareness” about E-Commerce and “Commitment” impact E-Commerce adoption. Among Technological and Behavioural Control Factors, Perceived Behavioural Control, “Perceived Compatibility”, “Relative Advantage” and “Perceived Security” were found positively related to E-Commerce adoption in Pakistan. The study also identified the relevance of factors at different stages of organisational E-Commerce adoption. While some factors remained relevant in all stages, their impact varied in magnitude at different levels of E-Commerce adoption in organisations. The study also highlighted some interesting differences between the public and private sectors. Private sector organisations scored higher in terms of perceived E-Readiness, Technological and Behavioural Control Factors. ECommerce adoption cost was found relevant only in the private sector as in the public sector its effect was statistically insignificant. In terms of magnitude, relative advantage and cost acceptability were found more strongly and statistically significantly related to organisational E-Commerce adoption in the private sector compared to the public sector. This study contributed to existing knowledge by explaining the variance in organisational E-commerce adoption decisions, incorporating E-readiness alongside various technological and behavioural factors. A systematic survey was essential to address the research questions effectively, resulting in a comprehensive literature review specifically focused on the context of Pakistan. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for decision-makers at both the national and organisational levels for the promotion of E-Commerce in Pakistan. This study highlighted the importance of E-Readiness, Technological, and Behavioural control factors, paving the way for future research to develop concise scales for auditing these factors and potentially integrating them into a unified model.E-Commerce technologies are widely adopted by organisations for increased efficiency and competitive edge in both public and private sectors. Statistical evidence shows that E-Commerce adoption in developing economies is low and firms in these regions face adoption challenges distinct from those in developed countries. However, despite some shared challenges generalisation of results from one developing country to the other requires great caution. The term “Developing Countries” is not distinctive and a significant variance in socio-economic factors exists in this block. Given the sensitivity of E-Commerce adoption to such factors, country-specific research is required for better understanding. E-commerce is a driver of economic growth and e-commerce adoption by developing countries is not only essential for their prosperity but is also pivotal for sustainable global economic development in an interconnected world. Pakistan holds significant potential to boost the global economy, yet its E-Commerce adoption trails behind several regional players. The literature survey reveals a scarcity of high-quality Pakistan-based studies, with many failing to adhere to statistical and general research principles. Most of these studies focus on “usual suspects” and terminate at the initial adoption of organisational E-Commerce. This quantitative study utilised correlational and classification techniques to investigate the influence of more pertinent factors on firm-level ECommerce adoption within the unique context of Pakistan. By empirically testing four models developed using constructs from the Perceived E-Commerce Readiness Model (PERM), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Technology, Organisation, Environment (TOE), the study addressed four research questions. A distinct feature of this study is the comparison of E-Commerce adoption decisions in public and private sectors, providing insights into potential disparities and unique challenges faced by each sector. A range of univariate and multivariate techniques were used in the study including Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Multinominal Logistic Regression. Using the stratified sampling technique questionnaires were sent to potential respondents in two phases. The impact of E-readiness factors was examined using 448 valid responses received in phase 1. In the second phase, 347 valid responses were received, which were then used to examine the effects of technological and behavioural factors on an organisation's E-Commerce adoption decision. The study found that the E-Readiness of “Business Resources”, “Technical Resources”, “Government”, “Governance”, and “Support Industry”, along with “Awareness” about E-Commerce and “Commitment” impact E-Commerce adoption. Among Technological and Behavioural Control Factors, Perceived Behavioural Control, “Perceived Compatibility”, “Relative Advantage” and “Perceived Security” were found positively related to E-Commerce adoption in Pakistan. The study also identified the relevance of factors at different stages of organisational E-Commerce adoption. While some factors remained relevant in all stages, their impact varied in magnitude at different levels of E-Commerce adoption in organisations. The study also highlighted some interesting differences between the public and private sectors. Private sector organisations scored higher in terms of perceived E-Readiness, Technological and Behavioural Control Factors. ECommerce adoption cost was found relevant only in the private sector as in the public sector its effect was statistically insignificant. In terms of magnitude, relative advantage and cost acceptability were found more strongly and statistically significantly related to organisational E-Commerce adoption in the private sector compared to the public sector. This study contributed to existing knowledge by explaining the variance in organisational E-commerce adoption decisions, incorporating E-readiness alongside various technological and behavioural factors. A systematic survey was essential to address the research questions effectively, resulting in a comprehensive literature review specifically focused on the context of Pakistan. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for decision-makers at both the national and organisational levels for the promotion of E-Commerce in Pakistan. This study highlighted the importance of E-Readiness, Technological, and Behavioural control factors, paving the way for future research to develop concise scales for auditing these factors and potentially integrating them into a unified model

Examining the Decoy and the Phantom Decoy Effects on the Menu Item Choice

In the modern foodservice industry, restaurant potential customers encounter a vast quantity of information that influences their dining choices. Using theoretical foundations of traditional asymmetrical-dominating decoy and phantom decoy effects, this dissertation empirically tested a variety of decoy and phantom decoy items applied to a menu and investigated whether these effects increase the attractiveness of the target item and further increase customers’ likelihood of choosing the target item, as well as their post-choice assessments. Two separate experimental designs that manipulated different decoy and phantom decoy conditions and customers’ familiarity with the food items were conducted. The results of study 1 suggest that small-portion decoy items create significant impacts to sway people’s choice of small-portion menu items when they are familiar with such items. However, customers with low-familiarity are more likely to choose large-portion menu items. The results of study 2 demonstrate how the incorporation of distant phantom decoy items can influence customers’ decisions. Specifically, this relationship is moderated by customers’ familiarity levels with such food items. The results of this dissertation lend support to the effectiveness of strategically including decoy and phantom decoy items on the menu. Specific practical applications with regards to the decoy effects are provided to restaurant operators

4th. International Conference on Advanced Research Methods and Analytics (CARMA 2022)

Research methods in economics and social sciences are evolving with the increasing availability of Internet and Big Data sources of information. As these sources, methods, and applications become more interdisciplinary, the 4th International Conference on Advanced Research Methods and Analytics (CARMA) is a forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas and advances on how emerging research methods and sources are applied to different fields of social sciences as well as to discuss current and future challenges. Due to the covid pandemic, CARMA 2022 is planned as a virtual and face-to-face conference, simultaneouslyDoménech I De Soria, J.; Vicente Cuervo, MR. (2022). 4th. International Conference on Advanced Research Methods and Analytics (CARMA 2022). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/CARMA2022.2022.1595

Customer retention

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, May 2018The aim of this study is to model the probability of a customer to attrite/defect from a bank where, for example, the bank is not their preferred/primary bank for salary deposits. The termination of deposit inflow serves as the outcome parameter and the random forest modelling technique was used to predict the outcome, in which new data sources (transactional data) were explored to add predictive power. The conventional logistic regression modelling technique was used to benchmark the random forest’s results. It was found that the random forest model slightly overfit during the training process and loses predictive power during validation and out of training period data. The random forest model, however, remains predictive and performs better than logistic regression at a cut-off probability of 20%.MT 201

Public Transportation, Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), and Active Modes

USDOT Grant 69A3551747109TO-033To better understand how TNCs likely impacted transit ridership before Covid-19, investigate how Covid-19 affected other modes, and elicit obstacles to a resurgence of transit after the pandemic, we analyzed data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey, and from an IPSOS survey administered in May 2021 for this project. Our Results show that TNCs are attracting younger, more affluent, and better educated urban households, many of whom are also served by transit. Lower-income households who reside in core urban areas served by transit are less likely to switch to TNCs. Our analysis suggests that driving but especially transit and TNCs, could see substantial drops in popularity after the pandemic ends or moves to the background like the flu. Many Hispanics, Asians, and women intend to use transit less. Although walking and biking should increase, many Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians plan on walking/biking less. Key obstacles to a resurgence of transit include insufficient reach and frequency. African Americans and Asians have lingering health concerns, and women are more likely to worry about personal safety. In addition to addressing these concerns, effective transit policies need to be integrated into a comprehensive framework designed to achieve California\u2019s social and environmental goals

The influence of incentives and survey design on mail survey response rates for mature consumers

The mail survey is still the preferred research tool for the mature consumer population and questions remain about ways of boosting survey response rates. The influence of two incentives were explored, a foil-wrapped tea bag and a $1 donation for each returned questionnaire in the study design. A significant higher response rate was only achieved for the first incentive. The effectiveness of a range of incentives and survey design features were investigated. Respondents indicated that their preferred incentive was a$500 donation to a charity. With the ongoing use of mail surveys almost mandatory for populations like this one, this study shows that incentives and design features such as CEO endorsement are important elements in improving response rates

The effect of privatisation of British railways on the satisfaction levels of passengers: a case study of London overground

Rail privatisation is a contentious issue in the UK due to the political implications associated with rail privatisation. Findings from the literature suggests that it can have positive and negative effects on passengers’ experiences and satisfaction. This study assessed the impact of rail privatisation of London Overground on passengers’ satisfaction in the rail service by collecting and analysing primary data from 150 passengers and 50 staff of London Overground. Data was collected and analysed to test the research framework and research hypotheses developed in the study. Analysis using SPSS involved the utilisation of correlation and multinomial logistic regression analyses. The results of the regression analysis revealed that the perceived effectiveness of rail privatisation has a strong association with customer satisfaction after rail privatisation. The results indicate that customers who have a positive outlook towards rail privatisation were 33.1% more likely to be satisfied with London Overground after rail privatisation than customers who have a negative outlook towards rail privatisation. This association is statistically significant at .000 levels. The implication of this result points to the importance of perceived effectiveness of rail privatisation in determining the level of passengers’ satisfaction in the service and therefore places high value on the outcomes of rail privatisation among passengers in order to enhance their satisfaction. The results of the study are based on the assessment of the effect of perceived effectiveness of rail privatisation and hence cannot be objectively considered as an evaluation of the results of rail privatisation in London Overground. Despite this, the results of the study indicate that the perceived effectiveness of rail privatisation holds a key role in defining passenger satisfaction among the customers of London Overground

Low-Fare Flights Across the Atlantic: Impact of Low-Cost, Long-Haul, Trans-Atlantic Flights on Passenger Choice of Carrier

Full-service carriers (FSCs) have long ruled the trans-Atlantic market, due to the absence of low fare competition, which has kept airfares high. However, renewed interest in lowcost, long-haul (LCLH) flights was prompted by efficient aircraft, low fuel prices, liberalization of air markets, and low-cost carriers’ growth opportunities. Since 2013, multiple LCLH carriers have commenced trans-Atlantic operations, and their market share has grown to 8%. In response, FSCs are establishing their own LCLH subsidiaries and/or introducing basic economy airfares to more effectively compete in the trans-Atlantic market. The purpose of this dissertation was to further the understanding of LCLH and FSC passengers in the trans-Atlantic market by determining what demographics and airline service attributes affected their choice of carrier type, and also what impacted their willingness to switch carrier type and the amount they were willing to pay to do so. A total of 1,412 trans-Atlantic economy and premium economy passengers were surveyed at Los Angeles (LAX) and Seattle–Tacoma (SEA) Airports, which included those who had flown an LCLH (n = 787) or an FSC (n = 625). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to develop a factor structure for passenger travel experience attributes, which were identified as: Operations, Comfort, Onboarding, Service, and Flight Schedule, along with a variable, Airfare. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the variables/factors that affected passenger choice of LCLH or FSC. Younger passengers preferred LCLH carriers, whereas older passengers preferred FSCs. Airfare was the most important predictor of choice of carrier type, followed by Comfort, Service, and Flight Schedule. Satisfaction with Airfare and Comfort were associated with choice of an LCLH carrier, whereas satisfaction with Service and Flight Schedule were associated with choice of an FSC. Willingness to switch from an LCLH to an FSC was evaluated, with 55% of respondents indicating they would remain loyal, and 45% of them being willing to switch to an FSC. Decision tree analyses were utilized to show the relationships between variables/factors that were relevant for passenger switching decisions. The variables/factors that affected an LCLH passenger’s willingness to switch to an FSC were: Airfare, Income, Education, Age, Gender, Comfort, and Operations. Binary logistic regression was utilized to determine that Age, Education, and Cabin Class affected willingness to pay more to switch to an FSC. Willingness to switch from an FSC to an LCLH was evaluated, with 76% of respondents indicating they would remain loyal, and 24% being willing to switch to an LCLH carrier; with a decision tree showing that Gender, Service, Airfare, and Onboarding affected this decision. Binary logistic regression was utilized to determine that Airfare, Nonstop Flights, and Courtesy and Responsiveness affected willingness to pay less to switch to an LCLH carrier. This research has demonstrated that often overlooked aspects of air travel, such as comfort and service, are vitally important to long-haul passengers. Furthermore, both LCLH and FSCs have a place in the trans-Atlantic market, as some passengers prefer a no frills LCLH offering; whereas other passengers prefer an all-inclusive FSC offering