Organizational diversity and competency-based performance: The mediating role of employee commitment and job satisfaction

Diversity amongst the workforce within central Europe has experienced some form of evolution. This occurrence will incessantly manifest even further in the not-too-distant future. As a result, citizen-dominated societies are gradually tilting towards an increasingly diverse and minority population, broadly of African and Asian descent. Again, demographers suggest the influx of women, minorities, people of different ethnic backgrounds, aging workers, and people with alternative lifestyles within the European employment space, just as the various organizations and schools are filled with these groups. Studies on organizational diversity abound, however, findings from past research on diversity and performance relationships have been equivocal. Thus, the main objective of this study is to assess the mediating role of commitment and job satisfaction in the relationship between diversity and performance. Results from 237 samples drawn from the Czech Republic, Europe and analyzed through partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) suggest that diversity does not have a significant relationship with competency-based performance. However, both commitment and job satisfaction play notable roles in the relationship between diversity and competency-based performance. Given these results, we discuss the theoretical and managerial implications.Tomas Bata University in Zlin [IGA/FaME/2020/003]; Internal Grant Agency of the Faculty of Management and Economics at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic [IGA/FaME/2021/003

How health-related messaging increase intentions to download and use mobile contact (COVID-19) tracing apps: Preliminary findings

This study contributes to current discussions regarding the use of digital solutions and especially (mobile) contact tracingcontact-tracing apps (MCTA) in COVID-19 containment. This study is timely because several countries around the world andworld, including African countriescountries, face an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and as a result complimentary measures and innovative solutions like MCTA can be useful in the containment of COVID-19 disease pandemic. Towardsd this end, the current study integrates the health belief model (HBM) with the theory of reasoned action (TRA) to investigate MCTA acceptability based on data collected from online respondents in Nigeria. The results of the empirical analyses, using PLS-SEM, indicate that perceived disease vulnerability, perceived severity of the disease, but but not perceived barriers ofto taking action, are important determinants of attitude towardsd MCTA. The results further show that, while attitude is positively related to MCTA adoption intention, both perceived disease vulnerability and perceived severity of the disease indirectly contribute to MCTA adoption intention through attitude towardsd MCTA. Overall, the proposed research model explains about 58.8% variation in the intention to adopt MCTA and therefore shines a positive light on the topic that is critical for shaping COVID-19 messaging in different countries of the world and especially in African countries where COVID-19 testing and vaccination drive remain worryingly slow.IGA [IGA/FaME/2021/003]; RVO [MSMT-7778/2020

Modeling the acceptance and resistance to use mobile contact tracing apps: a developing nation perspective

Purpose: This study proposes and validates an integrated theoretical model involving the theory of planned behavior (TPB), health belief model (HBM), personal norms and information privacy to understand determinants of acceptance and resistance to the use of mobile contact tracing app (MCTA) in a pandemic situation. Design/methodology/approach: This study draws on online surveys of 194 research respondents and uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PL-SEM) to test the proposed theoretical model. Findings: The study establishes that a positive attitude towards MCTA is the most important predictor of individuals' willingness to use MCTA and resistance to use MCTA. Furthermore, barriers to taking action positively influence resistance to the use of MCTA. Personal norms negatively influence resistance to the use of MCTA. Information privacy showed a negative and positive influence on willingness to use MCTA and use the resistance of MCTA, respectively, but neither was statistically significant. The authors found no significant influence of perceived vulnerability, severity, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on either acceptance or use resistance of MCTA. Originality/value: The study has been one of the first in the literature to propose an integrated theoretical model in the investigation of the determinants of acceptance and resistance to the use of MCTA in a single study, thereby increasing the scientific understanding of the factors that can facilitate or inhibit individuals from engaging in the use of a protection technology during a pandemic situation. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-10-2021-0533. © 2023, Michael Adu Kwarteng, Alex Ntsiful, Christian Nedu Osakwe and Kwame Simpe Ofori.Horizon Europe (HORIZON) [101071300]; [IGA/FaME/2023/009]; [FSR FORD 5-6/2021-23/FaME/003]; [IGA/FaME/2022/003]; [IGA/FaME/2021/003

Transitioning to online teaching during the pandemic period: The role of innovation and psychological characteristics

Given the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the forced adoption of online teaching in several academic institutions across the world, we set out an objective in this paper to examine salient factors that may affect the decision to use online teaching by faculty members (teaching staff). We propose and validate a model based on an extended innovation diffusion theory and 284 online survey responses from Ghana and find that the attitude towards online teaching is predictably influenced by relative advantage and observability. Contrary to theory, complexity boosts rather than inhibits the attitude towards online teaching. The most salient predictors of willingness to use the mode of online teaching are attitude, observability, institutional trust, and compatibility. We conclude with discussions on the important implications for the scientific community and educational policymakers.Research Project entitled "Consumer behaviour and Performance management of firms in a competitive digital world" [IGA/FaME/2021/003]; Research Project NPU I entitled "Digital transformation and its impact on customer behaviour and business processes in traditional and online markets" [MSMT7778/2020 RVO

Extending UTAUT with competitive pressure for SMEs digitalization adoption in two European nations: a multi-group analysis

Purpose: In this article, the authors draw-upon an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and propose a research model involving performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), facilitating conditions (FC) and competitive pressure (CP) as potential salient factors explaining the adoption of digitalization in European SMEs. The authors also postulate that there may be cross-cultural differences, thereby leading us to include the country as a moderator in the model. Design/methodology/approach: The authors validate this model with a cross-cultural sample involving 188 owner-managers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia and through the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques as well as multi-group analysis. Findings: The results using the study’s global dataset indicate that PE, FC and CP significantly affect owner-managers intentions toward digitalization in SMEs. The authors’ application of the multi-group analysis also suggests that although the two countries differ in digitalization adoption intention, the differences are statistically insignificant. In the conclusion, the authors highlight several implications these findings have for theory and practice. Practical implications: The authors recommend that the providers of emerging digital technologies should improve on the performance features of those technologies and ensure they are relevant to the SMEs. By doing so, the adoption of digitalization will grow, because owner-managers of SMEs will have the confidence that adopting such technologies will improve their operations. Second, SMEs are required to provide adequate organizational and technical infrastructure to support digitalization adoption. Originality/value: Aside from being among the few attempts to extend the explanatory power of UTAUT with PE, EE, FC and CP in investigating digitalization adoption in SMEs context, this study also validates its model with rigorous methodological approach as well as three datasets (global, Czech Republic and Slovakia) thereby strengthening the validity of the results.Visegrad project [MVFSG- 22110036]; Horizon Europe (HORIZON) [101071300]; Project FSR FORD [IGA/FaME/2023/009]; [5-6/2021-23/FaME/003]; [IGA/FaME/2022/003]; [IGA/FaME/2021/003

Cultural influences on future transportation technology usage: The role of personal innovativeness, technology anxiety and desire

This study develops and validates a model, based on personal cultural values theory and psychological research, in relation to technology adoption. The model focuses specifically on the future use of on-demand air mobility (ODAM), which is expected to have significant implications for city commuting and personal well-being in the years ahead. We use a path modelling approach, in addition to recently advanced analytical methods such as the finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS), measurement invariance of composite models (MICOM) and multi-group analysis, to validate the model using a data set of 627 young consumers from the Czech Republic. The research model explains 45.2% variation in the future use of ODAM using our global model. This variance explained in the future use of ODAM increases to 62.3% and 64.5% respectively, when we segment our data set into two groups. The results also show that tradition has significant influence on technology anxiety, personal innovativeness and desire to use ODAM. Independence positively affects personal innovativeness but not the desire to use ODAM. We also find that technology anxiety influences the desire to use, which in turn influences the future use of ODAM. However, we find group differences in the influence of ambiguity intolerance on technology anxiety, desire and personal innovativeness. Thus, the study also evaluates the existence of significant differences between two groups in our data set. Overall, the study suggests that individual cultural values play a particularly important role in influencing the future use of ODAM through psychological characteristics. The research implications of the study are discussed in the article.FSR FORD [5-6/2021-23/FaME/003]; [IGA/FaME/2021/003

A conceptual framework for integrating TPB with context-relevant variables to predict e-learning success during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the digitalization of some aspects of our lives including education. However, as we witness a phenomenal rise in the demand for online learning, the decision to migrate to online learning platforms is dependent on the learner's preparedness to embrace it. The objective of this study is to conceptualize a framework that measures the tendency of learners to adopt online learning in an era characterised by so many disruptions. To do this, we adopt document analysis on databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, EBSCO and Google Scholar using Boolean search engines; AND, OR, NOT, *, (), '''', +, -, . mainly on current scientific manuscripts through the use of the keywords "e-learning", "theory of planned behaviour", "Covid 19", "distance learning", "environmental factors" and "academic technology adoption". Subsequently, we integrate the theory of planned behaviour with other context-relevant variables as the bases of the study, and conceptualise a framework to predict e-learning success in the covid-19 era. This study contributes to the scientific body of knowledge on e-learning, particularly from the perspective of a forced mass adoption of e-learning occasioned by a global pandemic