Exploring Mobile Social Networking Sites Continuance Intention from the Perspective of Network Externalities and Mobile Value

Key shifts in the nature and characteristics of technology have led to evolutions in social media usage. For the first time in history, the internet is being accessed from more mobile devices than desktop computers. This revolution is especially felt among social networking sites, many of whom have presciently developed and released mobile applications of their platforms. Drawing from the Perceived Value Theory, Network Externalities and the Expectation Confirmation Theory of IS Continuance, we tested a model that sought to explain the effect of Network Externalities on Perceived Value and in turn Continuance Intention. Data was collected from 452 students from a university in Ghana and analyzed using the Partial Least Square approach to Structural Equation Modeling. Results from the current study showed that Referent Network Size and Perceived Complementarity had significant effects on both Utilitarian and Hedonic Value as well as Satisfaction. Hedonic Value, Utilitarian Value and Satisfaction in turn were found to be significant predictors of Continuance Intention. In all, the model accounted for 58.0% of the variance in continuance intention. The implications and limitations of the current study are discussed, and directions for future research proposed

Examining Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites: A Flow Theory and Privacy Perspective

Social media and other web 2.0 tools have provided users with the platform to interact with and also disclose personal information to not only their friends and acquaintances but also relative strangers with unprecedented ease. This has enhanced the ability of people to share more about themselves, their families, and their friends through a variety of media including text, photo, and video, thus developing and sustaining social and business relationships. The purpose of the paper is to identify the factors that predict self-disclosure on social networking sites from the perspective of privacy and flow. Data was collected from 452 students in three leading universities in Ghana and analyzed with Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling. Results from the study revealed that privacy risk was the most significant predictor. We also found privacy awareness, privacy concerns, and privacy invasion experience to be significant predictors of self-disclosure. Interaction and perceived control were found to have significant effect on self-disclosure. In all, the model accounted for 54.6 percent of the variance in self-disclosure. The implications and limitations of the current study are discussed, and directions for future research proposed

Factors Affecting MOOC Usage by Students in Selected Ghanaian Universities

There has been widespread criticism about the rates of participation of students enrolled on MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), more importantly, the percentage of students who actively consume course materials from beginning to the end. The current study sought to investigate this trend by examining the factors that influence MOOC adoption and use by students in selected Ghanaian universities. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was extended to develop a research model. A survey was conducted with 270 questionnaires administered to students who had been assigned MOOCs; 204 questionnaires were retrieved for analysis. Findings of the study show that MOOC usage intention is influenced by computer self-efficacy, performance expectancy, and system quality. Results also showed that MOOC usage is influenced by facilitating conditions, instructional quality, and MOOC usage intention. Social influence and effort expectancy were found not to have a significant influence on MOOC usage intention. The authors conclude that universities must have structures and resources in place to promote the use of MOOCs by students. Computer skills training should also be part of the educational curriculum at all levels. MOOC designers must ensure that the MOOCs have good instructional quality by using the right pedagogical approaches and also ensure that the sites and learning materials are of good quality

Enhancing export intensity of entrepreneurial firms through bricolage and international opportunity recognition: The differential roles of explorative and exploitative learning

This study proposes and tests a framework relating to the effect of entrepreneurial bricolage on international opportunity recognition (IOR) and the influence of the latter on export intensity. Survey data from 193 export-oriented entrepreneurial firms operating in Ghana indicates that entrepreneurial bricolage has an inverted U-shaped relationship with IOR – and that IOR has a positive effect on export intensity. A further analysis reveals that explorative learning enhances the inverted U-shaped relationship between bricolage and IOR, while exploitative learning improves the IOR–export intensity relationship. Our findings present important implications for international entrepreneurship research and the management of export-oriented entrepreneurial firms in developing economies. </p

Information flow between BRVM and ESG stock returns: A frequency-dependent analysis

This paper seeks to analyze the information flow between the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) stocks, focusing on the time and frequency domains. By studying these aspects, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of how information is transmitted between BRVM and ESG stocks, shedding light on the dynamics and interactions within this context. The study analyzes the decomposed daily returns of four indices: BRVM Composite Index (BRVMCI), BRVM 10 Index (BRVM10), FTSE/JSE SA All Share Index (FTSEJSE), and FTSE/JSE Top 30 Responsible Investment Index (FTSERI). We employed Rényi transfer entropy estimates to measure the information flow between the stocks returns.To ensure the robustness of the findings, the study also utilizes the Dynamic Conditional Co-variance-Generalized autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (DCC-GARCH) method. The study covers the period from June 23, 2014, to April 22, 2022. The results showed positive information flow but a mixture of significant and insignificant transfer entropies. The decomposed findings give evidence to reject the null hypothesis of no information flow in the short-and medium-terms but not in the longterm.The exchange of seemingly insignificant information among stocks presents opportunities for fund managers to diversify their portfolios across various time frames.To expedite economic growth and lower equity costs, institutional leaders should collaborate with governments to establish economic and political foundations that integrate markets. Such integration would yield benefits for both markets, but the BRVM stands to gain more due to its less developed and illiquid nature

Examining Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites: A Flow Theory and Privacy Perspective

Social media and other web 2.0 tools have provided users with the platform to interact with and also disclose personal information to not only their friends and acquaintances but also relative strangers with unprecedented ease. This has enhanced the ability of people to share more about themselves, their families, and their friends through a variety of media including text, photo, and video, thus developing and sustaining social and business relationships. The purpose of the paper is to identify the factors that predict self-disclosure on social networking sites from the perspective of privacy and flow. Data was collected from 452 students in three leading universities in Ghana and analyzed with Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling. Results from the study revealed that privacy risk was the most significant predictor. We also found privacy awareness, privacy concerns, and privacy invasion experience to be significant predictors of self-disclosure. Interaction and perceived control were found to have significant effect on self-disclosure. In all, the model accounted for 54.6 percent of the variance in self-disclosure. The implications and limitations of the current study are discussed, and directions for future research proposed

Owner-managers failure experience and business model innovations in B2B firms: The roles of coopetition, managerial persistence, and financial resource slack

This study proposes and tests a model of how and when previous failure experience can impact on subsequent business model innovation of business-to-business (B2B) SMEs. Analysis of survey data from a sample of 182 B2B SMEs in Ghana indicates that failure experience is positively related to business model innovation – and that coopetition capability mediates this failure experience. Further analysis of boundary condition effects reveals that high levels of financial resource slack strengthen the positive relationship between coopetition and business model innovation, while the level of managerial persistence has no effect on failure experience and coopetition relationship. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.   </p

Technological innovation, organizational innovation and international performance of SMEs: The moderating role of domestic institutional environment

YesDespite the growing research on the performance implications of technological and organizational innovation, our understanding of how they impact SMEs’ international performance is limited. Drawing from the dynamic capability and the institutional theories, this study argues that technological and organizational innovation has a synergistic effect on international performance and that this effect is contingent on unique domestic institutional factors. We test this model using structural equation modeling on a sample of 204 internationalized SMEs operating in Ghana. The findings from the analysis show that high levels of organizational and technological innovation jointly improve SMEs’ international performance. In addition, the results show that institutional environment specificity and institutional environment enforceability enhance the complementary effect of organizational and technological innovation on the international performance of SMEs. The theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed