Determinants of Cloud Computing Intentions to Use: Role of Firm’s Size, Managerial Structure and Industrial Sector

Currently many companies are adopting cloud computing to accomplish their diverse purposes and to create an elastic and responsive environment that can rapidly respond to new business requirements. This paper attempts to investigate the factors influencing cloud computing adoption from the managerial perspective with inclusion of size of firm, organizational structure and type of industry as control variables. The model is developed with various technological, economic and cognitive factors that affect the behavioral intention to use cloud computing using technology acceptance model (TAM).Questionnaires were randomly distributed to around 1000 senior managers of various firms in India. Hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) was performed to test the impact of control variables on the factors that influence managerial intention to adopt cloud computing. The result showed that all the independent variables (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risks, perceived benefits, perceived ubiquity, perceived costs and job relevance) explain additional 32.3% of variance in intention to use cloud computing. Based on standardized beta coefficients (β) values, the result showed that the impact of firm size is found highest among other control variables in explaining the amount of variability in behavioral intention to use cloud computing. The result of this study will enable the firms to focus on managerial perspectives of cloud-based applications and their attitude towards adoption

Determinants of Continuance Intention to Use Mobile Wallets Technology in the Post Pandemic Era: Moderating Role of Perceived Trust

The Covid-19 pandemic amplified the volume and importance of mobile payments using digital wallets and placed a basis for their continued adoption. The objective of the study is to formulate and test a comprehensive model by integration of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and expectation confirmation model (ECM) with the addition of three constructs, namely perceived trust, perceived risk, and subjective norm, to identify the determinants of continuance intention to use mobile wallets. Questionnaire-based survey method was used to gather the data from 550 users having experience using mobile wallets for more than six months. The data were analyzed using the partial least square-structural equation modeling to investigate relationships between variables and test the hypothesized model. The proposed model showed a 53.9% variance in satisfaction and a 36.2% of variance in continued usage intention. The construct “perceived usefulness” emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by perceived trust and confirmation. This study also examines the moderating role of perceived trust on the relationship between perceived risk and continued intention to use mobile wallets. This study helps service providers and policymakers in improving mobile wallet services related to their execution and deployment

Investigation on the role of plant defensin proteins in regulating plant-Verticillium longisporum interactions in Arabidopsis thaliana

The hemibiotrophic pathogen Verticillium longisporum infects rapeseed (Brassica napus) and poses a real threat to its cultivation. Conventional approaches are limited and are based primarily on the availability of a wide gene pool to identify suitable genotypes for breeding in order to improve resistance, e.g. against abiotic stress or pathogens. In order to achieve this goal also in crop plants with a very narrow gene pool like rapeseed, new strategies have to be developed. One solution could be the expression of plant defensins (PDFs), which are known for their anti-fungal effects. In our laboratory, compatibility factors (CF) were identified in Arabidopsis, the loss of which led to a highly increased expression of AtPDF2.2. There are already numerous examples of how overexpression of such PDFs in model and crop plants led to improved and lasting resistance. This thesis work demonstrated the antifungal role of two AtPDF genes that contribute to the regulation of the Arabidopsis-Verticillium interaction. GUS expression under the AtPDF2.2 promoter showed that AtPDF2.2 was suppressed in Arabidopsis roots 6 days after infection (dpi) and later in leaves (9 dpi). This was confirmed by a transcript analysis that showed strong suppression of the AtPDF2.2 expression and two other Arabidopsis genes of PDF class II. Transgenic lines for AtPDF2.2 overexpression (OE-PDF2.2) and for knockdown (KD-pdf2.2) also showed an increased expression of AtPDF2.3 and AtPDF2.5 in the OE-PDF2.2 line, while a corresponding suppression in the KD-pdf2.2 line was recorded. Another important observation in the KD-pdf2.2 line was an enhanced jasmonic acid (JA) response, accompanied by upregulation of ethylene (ET) and salicylic acid (SA) -dependent genes, an effect that also in other infections with hemibiotrophic pathogens was observed. Therefore, based on available data, it can be assumed that V. longisporum uses host compatibility factors during the early phase of infection to suppress AtPDF2.2 to bypass plant defense. This also suppresses the expression of the closely related genes AtPDF2.3 and 2.5, which enables the fungus to establish a successful infection process. However, the suppression of these three PDFs, in turn, triggers the JA response which subsequently activates ET and SA signaling to mediate the reprogramming of defense response. To investigate the antifungal effect of AtPDF2.2, the OE-PDF2.2 line was analyzed, which showed increased resistance to two fungal (V. longisporum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) and one bacterial pathogen (Pseudomonas syringae). In contrast, the KD-pdf2.2 line showed a higher susceptibility to these fungal and bacterial pathogens. However, Verticillium longisporum induces the expression of AtPDF1.2a at 6 dpi in Arabidopsis wild type Col-0. Transcript study in the AtPDF1.2a overexpression (OE-PDF1.2a) and knockout (KO-pdf1.2a) plants revealed that AtPDF1.2a expression positively correlates with Class-I and III AtPDF genes, but negatively to AtPDF2.2, 2.3 and 2.5. Moreover, OE-PDF1.2a plants did not upregulate the expression of JA, ET or SA marker genes but KO-pdf1.2a plants showed induced expression of all the three pathways responsive genes. Possibly, low expression of AtPDF1.2a in KO-pdf1.2a plants during ongoing infection works as a concentration-specific signal. Since OE-PDF1.2a plants did not show significant changes in the expression of upstream JA, ET, and SA responsive genes it might rather be that upon V. longisporum attack AtPDF1.2a positively co-regulates several AtPDF genes from Class-I and III, while suppressing the expression of AtPDF2.2, 2.3 and 2.5 to reprogram the plant defense response. The antifungal activity has already been demonstrated for AtPDF1.2a, but its exact role in plant defense is still unclear. Therefore, OE-PDF1.2a lines were used, AtPDF1.2a seems to have an antifungal effect only on fungal pathogens; V. longisporum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum but not on the bacterial pathogen

Analyzing Relationship between Innovation Strategies and Performance of Newspaper Firms in North and Central India

Globally, very distinct circumstances are faced by newspaper firms in different countries. While newspaper firms in developed countries are facing the downtrend, there is a sustained robust growth seen in India. This study seeks to determine if a relationship exists between Indian newspaper firms healthy performance vis-àvis various innovation strategies employed, as innovation strategies are supposed to be a positive influence in today’s economy. The innovation strategies analyzed here are product innovation, marketing innovation, and societal marketing innovation. The firm’s performance is measured by market and financial performance. The study outcome identifies the positive relationship between various innovation strategies and newspaper firm’s market and financial performance. Additionally, the best regression model is also given for the association between innovation strategies and firm’s performance. The conclusions of this study may be significant for the survival of the newsprint media market when a global slowdown is happening in newspaper firms of developed countries

Moderating effects of age and experience on the factors influencing the actual usage of cloud computing

Cloud computing technology (CCT) has attracted extensive attention of organizations to enhance their agility, flexibility and competitive advantage. Successful implementation of CCT depends on its acceptance and useby senior IT managers in the organizations. This study proposes an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) to predict actual CCT usage by the managers. A questionnaire is used to collect the needful data. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are performed to analyze the factor structure and measurement model. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the structural model. The results supported all the hypotheses of the model. The moderating effect of experience and age is also tested through multi-group analysis. Based on findings of the study, implications for CCT usage in the organizations are discussed