Overcoming the Digital Divide: SMS-Powered Crowdfunding Models for Marginalized Regions

Crowdfunding literature primarily assumes the phenomenon as internet based. With the untapped potential of crowdfunding activities in marginalized regions, little is known of the viability of non-internet-based crowdfunding models in explaining crowdfunding success and how they compare with internet-based models. Non-internet-based crowdfunding models proliferate due to digital divide infringements. This research leverages fit-viability perspectives and crowdfunding literature to explain the significant differences in utilizing either model for crowdfunding. Based on our analysis, SMS-powered crowdfunding models offer a more equitable opportunity for success in terms of both social and economic readiness, as compared to internet-based models. We offer theoretical and practical implications to support our analysis

Unraveling Cyberloafing Paradox: Towards A Targeted Approach for Managing Cyberloafing

Cyberloafing remains an important issue for organizations due to the ambivalent nature of its consequences. There is a need to extend the scope of motives that influence different kinds of cyberloafing to develop a broader understanding of cyberloafing and manage its consequences. Therefore, this study focuses on the triggers of specific cyberloafing behaviors towards developing targeted cyberloafing policies to address their prevalence

Individual Privacy Empowerment: Exploring the trade-offs between Information Sensitivity and Compensation

To provide personalized services and remain competitive, many online companies depend on individual disclosure of personal information. An emerging common theme, in the quest for privacy solutions, is the idea to empower individuals to control the management of their personal information. This study proposes a third-option design that seeks to empower users when signing up for an online service. We also measure individual privacy empowerment in a 2*2 experimental design study (reward/utility-limit mechanism to high/low sensitivity information context) using the proposed third-option design. Results from the multigroup analysis indicate that respondents prefer the reward mechanism over the utility-limit mechanism when asked to disclose less sensitive data. However, the utility-limit mechanism is preferred in the highly sensitive group indicating that a simple linear relationship does not exist between monetary rewards and information sensitivity. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Unraveling Cyberloafing Paradox: Towards A Targeted Approach for Managing Cyberloafing

Cyberloafing remains an important issue for organizations due to the ambivalent nature of its consequences. There is a need to extend the scope of motives that influence different kinds of cyberloafing to develop a broader understanding of cyberloafing and manage its consequences. Therefore, this study focuses on the triggers of specific cyberloafing behaviors towards developing targeted cyberloafing policies to address their prevalenc

INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY EMPOWERMENT IN ELECTRONIC SERVICE

This study is motivated by the many reports on the lack of individual privacy empowerment in Facebook’s and Google’s recent research programs. Literature on privacy empowerment has mostly focused on the e-commerce context where participants are often perceived as potential customers and data collected are mostly for advertising purposes. In this study, we demonstrate how e-service companies can empower individuals to participate in their research programs and how such perceived empowerment can differ in different scenarios of data sensitivity. Three dimensions of privacy empowerment (informativity, optionality, and controllability) are identified and modeled in an information sensitivity context. Findings indicate that while informativity is very crucial at all levels of data sensitivity, optionality is only essential to achieving privacy empowerment in a highly sensitive data context. Practically, we recommend companies to integrate both informativity and optionality into their research designs to provide participants with a perceived sense of privacy empowerment

Understanding Ghanaian Students’ Perception of Service Quality in Higher Education

Measuring service quality in higher education has become an important exercise to determine students’ level of satisfaction and possibility of continue enrolment. This paper focuses on students’ perception of service quality in Ghanaian higher institutions with specific objective of identifying the service quality criteria used by students of Tamale Polytechnic to evaluate the quality of service offered by the polytechnic. The HEdPERF model was adopted as the conceptual framework for the paper. Questionnaires were used to collect data from randomly selected 372 students from Tamale Polytechnic. The study found that, excellent and quality programs run by the polytechnic, highly educated instructors in, timely delivery of promises by the polytechnic staff, reputation of the programs offered by the polytechnic and access to materials at the school’s library were the key service quality criteria that affect the students’ perception of service quality. The study recommended that, higher institutions should introduce programs that are highly marketable with various areas of specialisation, continue to recruit high calibre lecturers and deliver promises on time. Higher institutions are also advised to improve students-staff relationship and work hard to improve their reputation in order to positively influence students’ perception of service quality. Keywords: Students Perception, Service Quality, HEdPERF Model, Higher Education, Ghan

Decoding the Royal Arts of Aboakyir

The decoding of the Royal Arts of Aboakyir sought to assess the philosophical symbolism, artistic impression, aesthetics and the socio-cultural impact of the stools and bottom rests used by the Kings and Queens of Efutu land during the recent Aboakyir festival. The study discussed four (4) stools and three (3) bottom rests. The qualitative research approach was adapted and the instruments used for the study were observation, descriptive and interview. The study revealed that, the Royal Arts of Aboakyir has philosophical symbolism, artistic impression, aesthetics and the socio-cultural impact on the people of Efutu land which need to be documented and studied in order to preserve this rich cultural heritage for posterity. Keywords: Efutu People; Stools and Bottom Rests; Socio-Cultural Importance; Royal Arts; Symbolism; Aboakyir

Signalling in Donation Crowdfunding: The Role of Mixed Product and Ideological Bundling

Crowdfunding projects depend on signalling to demonstrate authenticity. However, literature on signalling has focused on investment and reward crowdfunding with lesser emphasis on donation crowdfunding. This study adopts the signalling theory and bundling concepts to explore the impact of two validation mechanisms on donation crowdfunding outcomes. Drawing from the literature on bunding and signalling, we investigate the impact of a mixed product bundling strategy (community pot mechanism) and ideological bundling strategy (third-party signalling) on donation project success. Based on data from Mchanga.com, our findings indicate that the mixed product bundling strategy positively influences project amount of funds raised and backer support. However, we also find preliminary evidence indicating ideological bundling can have undesirable and contrasting effects on project outcomes. Implications and future work are also discussed

Spatial distribution and predictors of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria

Background: Globally, intimate partner violence is one of the major health problems women face every day. Its consequences are enormous. However, our search of the available literature revealed that no study had examined the spatial distribution of intimate partner violence and the predictors of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria using current nationally representative data. This study, therefore, sought to examine the spatial distribution of intimate partner violence and its predictors among women in Nigeria. Method: We sourced data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey for this study. A sample size of 8,968 women was considered for this study. We employed both multilevel and spatial analyses to ascertain the factors associated with intimate partner violence and its spatial clustering. Results: The hot spot areas for intimate partner violence in Nigeria were Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Plateau, Kogi, Edo, Ebonyi, and Rivers. The likelihood of experiencing intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria was high among women with primary education, those that were previously married, women currently working, women who were Yoruba, women with parity of four and above and women who were exposed to mass media while low odds of intimate partner violence was reported among women who were Muslims. Women who resided in the North East region and those who lived in communities with medium socioeconomic status were more likely to experience intimate partner violence, while women who were within the richest wealth index and those residing in the South West region were less likely to experience intimate partner violence. Conclusion: The study found regional variations in the prevalence of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria. Therefore, policymakers should focus their attention on the hotspots for intimate partner violence in the country. There is also the need to consider the factors identified in this study to reduce intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria. Empowering women would yield a significant improvement in the fight against gender-based violence

Multi-Level Analysis and Spatial Interpolation of Distributions and Predictors of Childhood Diarrhea in Nigeria

Background: Diarrhea is one of the health problems contributing to Nigeria’s under-5 mortality rate, ranked as the eighth highest globally. As our search is concerned, there is limited evidence on the spatial distribution of childhood diarrhea in Nigeria. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the spatial distribution and predictors of diarrhea among under-5 children in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Using data from the child’s recode file of the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, a sample of 28 583 children of women of reproductive age was considered as the sample size for this study. The outcome variable used in this study was childhood diarrhea. We employed both multilevel and spatial analyses to ascertain the factors associated with childhood diarrhea as well as its spatial clustering. Results: The regional distribution of the prevalence of diarrhea among children in Nigeria ranged from 0% to 62%. The hotspots for childhood diarrhea were in Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Sokoto, Imo, and Taraba. The likelihood of a child having diarrhea in Nigeria was higher among women whose partners have secondary education and above [aOR = 1.18; 95%CI = 1.05-1.33], women currently working [aOR = 1.24; 95%CI = 1.13-1.35], women practicing Islam [aOR = 1.24; 95%CI = 1.04-1.46], and women who were exposed to mass media [aOR = 1.29; 95%CI = 1.18-1.42], compared to women whose partners had no formal education, women not currently working, women practicing Christianity, and those who were not exposed to mass media. Children born to mothers who reside in North East [aOR = 2.55; 95%CI = 2.10-3.10], and communities with medium socioeconomic status [aOR = 1.44; 95%CI = 1.09-1.91] were more likely to experience diarrhea compared to those born to mothers residing in the North Central and in communities with low socioeconomic status. Conclusion: High proportions of childhood diarrhea among under-5 children in Nigeria were located in Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Sokoto, Imo, and Taraba. Policies and interventions that seek to reduce or eliminate diarrhea diseases among under-5 children in Nigeria should take a keen interest in the factors identified as predictors of childhood diarrhea in this study as this will help in achieving the aims of WASH, ORT corners, and SDG 3 by the year 2030