Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the learning that happens in assuming a supervisee’s role during the postgraduate study. Background: The facilitators and barriers students encountered while pursuing postgraduate studies, strategies to achieve success in postgraduate studies, and how to decrease attrition rates of students, have been sufficiently explored in literature. However, there is little written about the personal and professional impact on students when they are being supervised to complete their postgraduate studies. Methodology: Autoethnographic method of deep reflection was used to examine the learning that transpired from the supervisee’s perspective. Two lecturers (a Senior Lecturer in Nursing and an Aboriginal Tutor) focused on their postgraduate journeys as supervisees, respectively, with over 30 years of study experience between them, in Australia and abroad. Contribution: Future postgraduate students, researchers, would-be supervisors and experienced supervisors could learn from the reflections of the authors’ postgraduate experiences. Findings: Four themes surfaced, and these were Eureka moments, Critical friend(s), Supervisory relationship, and Transformative learning. The authors highlighted the significance of a supervisory relationship which is key to negotiating the journey with the supervisor. Essential for these students also were insights on finding the path as well as the destination and the transformative aspects that happened as a necessary part of the journey. Conclusion. The postgraduate journey has taught them many lessons, the most profound of which was the change in perspective and attitude in the process of being and becoming. Personal and professional transformative learning did occur. At its deepest level, the authors’ reflections resulted in self-actualization and a rediscovery of their more authentic selves. Recommendations for Practitioners: This article highlights the importance of the supervisory relationship that must be negotiated to ensure the success of the candidate. Reflections of the transformation are recommended to support the students further. Recommendation for Researchers: Quality supervision can make a significant influence on the progress of students. Further research on the supervisory relationship is recommended. Impact on Society: The support in terms of supervision to ensure postgraduate students’ success is essential. Postgraduate students contribute to the human, social, professional, intellectual, and economic capital of universities and nations globally. Future Research: Further reflections of the transformative learning will advance the understanding of the personal and professional changes that occur with postgraduate supervision.

Aim/Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic demanded an immediate and massive adaptation of higher education to distance learning. Teachers had to transform from face-to-face to distance teaching, with insufficient pedagogical and technological knowledge and resources. This study aims to capture higher education faculty experiences in the very early stages of the crisis-prompted transition into synchronous distance education in order to obtain a broader view on the faculty’s perspectives (benefits, challenges and insights) on distance teaching through synchronous online environments. Background: Although online teaching and learning have been part of higher education teaching for more than two decades, many instructors found themselves teaching remotely for the first time and facing new and unpredicted challenges. Methodology: This study explored and analyzed an e-mail thread discourse between teachers in a higher education institute, two months after “going online” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A singular case study was conducted, and a retrospective and snapshot case study approach was used. Data analysis was an iterative exploratory process of going back and forth the empirical material, resulting in the construction of categories, then themes, and finally a conceptual framework was developed. Contribution: The findings contribute the knowledge domain of implementation of immediate and massive online teaching and learning from the faculty perspective. Findings: Two main focal points, students and teachers, were encountered. Three main recurring themes were identified associated with both students and teachers: Convenience, Ethical Issues, and Insights for the future. Two themes were identified associated with faculty: Pedagogy and Tools, and Resources. In addition, two themes were identified for students: Attendance and Responses. Each of the themes was decomposed into several aspects. Recommendations for Practitioners: Higher education institutions and stakeholders should build a campus wide e-learning agenda including appropriate infrastructure and professional development for the future. Recommendations for Researchers: The study presented a conceptual model based on qualitative case study methodology. The impact and influence of each of the components of the model should be further researched and measured using quantitative methodologies. Impact on Society: Understanding the benefits and challenges of distance learning from the faculty perspectives in order to implement better distance learning strategies. Future Research: The impact and influence of each of the components of the model should be further researched and measured using quantitative methodologies.

Aim/Purpose; Fostering student engagement is one of the great challenges of teaching, especially in online learning environments. An educators’ assumptions and beliefs about what student engagement is and how it manifests will shape the strategies they design to engage students in learning. However, there is no agreement on the definition of concept of student engagement and it re-mains a vague construct. Background: Adopting the principles of user-centered design, the author maintains that to design learning experiences which better support student engagement it is important to gain insights into how students perceive and operationalize the concept of engagement in learning. The recent challenges of teaching effectively online prompted the author to reflect more deeply on the concept of engagement and how it might be achieved. Methodology: In the tradition of reflective teaching, the author undertook an informal, qualitative inquiry in her classroom, administering a brief questionnaire to students in her online class. When the themes which emerged were integrated with other literature and findings from the author’s earlier classroom inquiry, some insights were gained into how students ‘operationalize’ the concept of engagement, and weight was added to the authors’ premise of the value of humanistic approaches to university teaching, the need for greater emphasis on student-teacher connection and the necessity of considering the affective domain alongside the cognitive domain in learning in higher education. The insights were brought together and visualized in a conceptual model of student engagement. Contribution: The conceptual model presented in the present paper reflects the author’s present ‘mental model’ of student engagement in classes online and, when the opportunity arrives, in face-to-face classes as well. This mental model shapes the authors’ course design, learning activities and the delivery of the course. Although the elements of the model are not ‘new’, the model synthesizes several related concepts necessary to a humanist approach to under-standing student engagement. It is hoped that the model and discussion presented will be stimulus for further rich discussion around the nature of student engagement. Findings: Interestingly, the affective rather than the cognitive domain framed students’ perspectives on what engagement ‘looks like to them’ and on what teachers should do to engage them. Recommendations for Practitioners: By sharing the process through which the author arrived at this understanding of student engagement, the author has also sought to highlight three key points: the importance of including the ‘student perspectives and expectations’ against which educators can examine their own assumptions as part of the process reflective teaching practices; the usefulness of integrating theoretical and philosophical frameworks in our understandings of student engagement and how it might be nurtured, and finally the necessity of affording greater influence to humanism and the affective domain in higher education. The findings emphasize the necessity of considering the affective dimension of engagement as an essential condition for cognitive engagement and as inextricable from the cognitive dimension of engagement. Recommendations for Researchers: The emphasis in research engagement learning and teaching is on how we (the educators) can do this better, how we can better engage students. While the student perspective is often formulated from data obtained through surveys and focus groups, researchers in learning engagement are working with their own understandings (albeit supported by empirical research). It is crucial for deeper insight to also understand the students’ conceptualization of the phenomena being researched. Bringing the principles of design thinking to bear on educational research will likely provide greater depth of insight. Impact on Society: Empirical, formal, and structured research is undeniably essential to advancing human endeavor in any field, including learning and teaching. It is however important to recognize informal research in the form of classroom inquiry as part of teachers’ reflexive practice is also legitimate and useful to advancing understanding of complex phenomenon such as student engagement in learning through multiple perspectives and experiences. Future Research: Further research on the nature of student engagement in different contexts and against different theoretical frameworks is warranted as is empirical investigation of the premise of the value of humanism and the affective do-main in defining and measuring student engagement in higher education.

Aim / Purpose This study examined the perception of the role of tutors in online training of preservice teachers during the COVID period, from the perspective of pre-service teachers and their tutors. Background Because of the COVID pandemic, learning in schools was conducted online, therefore preservice teachers’ practicum also took place online, as did the tutoring process. Methodology The research question was: How did preservice teachers and their tutors perceive the experience of teaching during the COVID period perceived by them; specifically, what was their sense of self-efficacy and satisfaction, and what difficulties did they encounter? This was a quantitative study. The sample included 221 participants comprising 111 tutors and 110 preservice teachers. Data were collected in Israel in 2021. Contribution This study sheds light on the process of online tutoring of preservice teachers by their tutors. Findings The study found that preservice teachers and their tutors perceived the practicum during the COVID period to be helpful, answering preservice teachers’ needs and providing professional assistance in their training. This was more so in the professional aspects of teaching, in the emotional aspects of the tutoring process, and in the process of shaping the preservice teachers’ professional identity, and less so in the organizational aspects of the school. In both groups (tutors and preservice teachers), it emerged that during a complex period of social isolation, maintaining contact reinforces the sense of self-efficacy. Tutors who encountered fewer technical difficulties and thought the tutoring process was enjoyable expressed more satisfaction with the tutoring process. Tutors felt that they were able to get better acquainted personally with the preservice teachers they taught, and vice versa, and preservice teachers were able to get to know their tutors personally. Tutors thought that their interpersonal communication benefitted the preservice teachers, that they listened to their mentees, and understood them. Preservice teachers felt that tutors allowed them to voice their expectations and concerns about their teaching experiences. Recommendations for practitioners One of the main goals of practicum in studies toward a teaching certificate is to prepare the students for their role as teachers. In the online tutoring process, emphasis should be placed on professional aspects (such as instruction and classroom management, identifying points for improvement and setting them as goals and challenges for the future) and on emotional aspects (such as promoting growth and personal development of preservice teachers in the process of shaping their professional identity). Recommendations for researchers One of the findings of the study is that the tutor-mentee relationship should be preserved in remote tutoring. The findings showed a positive correlation between maintaining such contact and high self-efficacy for both tutors and preservice teachers. It was found that tutors who reported high self-efficacy felt that interpersonal communication benefitted the teachers they were guiding. Impact on society Information collected in this study indicates that the tutors made a great effort to provide preservice teachers with meaningful coaching during the COVID period. In certain aspects, the tutoring was more successful and in other aspects less so, given the characteristics of the period, such as social distancing, no attendance of regular classes at school, and so forth. Future research It is recommended to continue investigating the online tutoring process, both from the perspective of preservice teachers and of tutors, to explore in-depth the correlation between self-efficacy and interpersonal communication, with emphasis on feedback between the tutors and preservice teachers.

This study aims to examine the impact of organizational environment (top management support, company-wide support, business process reengineering, effective project management, and organizational culture) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendor environment (ERP vendor support) on ERP perceived benefits. In order to achieve the study’s aim, a questionnaire was developed based on the extant literature to collect relevant data from the research informants. The population for this research consisted of all users of Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains (a typical type of enterprise system), which is frequently used in Jordanian companies in Amman City. A random sample of 30% of the research population was selected. The results revealed that business process reengineering, effective project management, company-wide support, and organizational culture have a positive correlation with ERP perceived benefits, whereas top management support does not. In addition, there is a significant positive correlation between vendor support and ERP perceived benefits. Academic and practical recommendations are provided.

Aim/Purpose: Countries today strategically pursue regional development and economic diversification to compete in the world market. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are at the crux of this political strategy. The paper reviews how HEIs can propel regional socio-economic growth and development by way of research innovation and entrepreneurship. Background: Offering an academic perspective about the role of HEIs using the Penta Helix innovation network for business and social innovation, the paper discusses opportunities and challenges in gestating an innovation culture. It likewise seeks, identifies and details strategies and workable programs. Methodology: Best-practice innovation campaigns initiated by Omani HEIs in collaboration with capstone programs organized by the government were parsed from selected local and international literature. The study includes a causal analysis of innovation information contained in 40 out of 44 published OAAA Quality Audit reports about HEIs from 2009 to 2016. The best-practice programs serve as success indicators and will be used as a field metric effect a Penta Helix blueprint for innovation. Contribution: The paper discusses how HEIs can engender, nurture, drive, and sustain innovation and entrepreneurial activity by using an innovation strategic blueprint like the Penta Helix model. It gathers together the recent historical attempts at promoting innovation by HEIs. It likewise suggests the creation of a network channel to allow key players in the innovation network to share innovation information and to collaborate with each other. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of innovation culture in HEIs. Findings: Expectations run high in academia. For one, universities believe that all innovations embryonically begin within their halls. Universities–too–believe it is naturally incumbent on them to stimulate and advance innovation despite that most innovation programs are initiated by the government in Oman. HEI engagement is perceivably still weak. HEIs have yet to come out as a strong leading force in promoting systems of innovation. There is clear awareness of the need to adopt leading-edge practices in innovation strategy and management, curriculum and assessment, staff support and reward systems, funding and ICT infrastructure, research commercialization and IP management, and community engagement. Recommendations for Practitioners: There is need to conduct more in-depth analyses about the synergy and partnerships between key players of the Penta Helix model. A large-scale survey will help completely reveal the status and impact of innovation practices in the region and among HEIs. Recommendation for Researchers: There is need to conduct more in-depth analyses about the synergy and partnerships between key players of the Penta Helix model. A large-scale survey will help completely reveal the status and impact of innovation practices in the region and among HEIs. Impact on Society: The paper hopes to influence policy. It fully intends to convince policymakers increase the adoption of strategic interventions. The paper is not a theoretical description of the problem. It suggests several concrete courses of action. Future Research: The paper has seen the need to measure the effectiveness of the current innovation practices among key players in the innovation network and how these practices advance Oman’s knowledge economy. We propose a Likert-based bottom-up engagement metric.

Aim/Purpose: This paper identifies the antecedents that affect E-Banking (EB) adoption and investigates the relationship between the level of EB adoption and the performance of private banks. Background: Rapid technological advancement has transformed the business environment dramatically. These advancements particularly the Internet has reshaped the way businesses operate. Over the last decade, the banking industry has become highly complex and competitive and operates in a highly volatile and unpredictable global economy. With the increasing demand for electronic services, banks are harnessing EB technology to improve their products and services. Methodology: Quantitative research using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was carried out with a sample size of 211 by sending questionnaires to employees of six banks in Khartoum, Sudan. The study is based on different technology theories and models. Contribution: The study provides insights into the employees’ perception of EB adoption in their banking transactions. Findings: The results showed that four factors are significant in the adoption of EB in Sudan. However, training and user trust were insignificant in determining its adoption. Moreover, the level of adoption of EB significantly affected private bank performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Private banks in Sudan that are interested in EB might find these findings helpful in guiding their technology adoption and application initiatives. Recommendation for Researchers: To validate the research model, cross data from different countries are encouraged to apply the model to capture the differences and similarities among them. In addition, a longitudinal research could be conducted to gather data for adoption process over a longer period rather than one point of time, to investigate antecedents and bank performance outcomes by the end of the study period. Other antecedents and outcomes could possibly be included to improve the power of the study model. Impact on Society: This study provides a reference for banks with similar developing country backgrounds in adopting EB to enhance their performance. Moreover, knowledge of antecedents and outcomes of EB adoption could be positively reflected in service quality performance. Future Research: This research is limited to the employees’ perspective, and future research could consider the perception of customers from a developing country towards EB adoption.

Aim/Purpose: This paper explored the factors (enablers and barriers) that affect Bitcoin adoption in South Africa, a Sub-Saharan country with the high potential for Bitcoin adoption. Background: In recent years, Bitcoin has seen a rapid growth as a virtual cryptocurrency throughout the world. Bitcoin is a protocol which allows value to be exchanged over the internet without a central bank or intermediary. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are technological tools that arguably can contribute to reducing transactions costs. This paper explored the factors that affect Bitcoin adoption in South Africa, a Sub-Saharan country with the high potential for Bitcoin adoption, as little is known about the factors that affect Bitcoin adoption and the barriers to adoption. Methodology: A quantitative questionnaire was distributed to South African virtual communities where Bitcoin is a topic of interest, and 237 quantitative responses were received, along with 212 open-ended comments. Contribution: This research contributes to the body of knowledge in information systems by providing insights into factors that affect Bitcoin adoption in South Africa. It raises awareness of incentives and barriers to Bitcoin adoption at a time when financial literacy is a crucial issue both in South Africa and worldwide. Findings: The results indicate that perceived benefit, attitude towards Bitcoin, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control directly affected the participants’ intentions to use Bitcoin. Perceived benefit, usefulness, ease of use, and trust-related risk were found to indirectly affect intention to use Bitcoin. Further, it emerges that the barriers to Bitcoin adoption in South Africa consist of the complex nature of Bitcoin and its high degree of volatility. Recommendations for Practitioners: Bitcoin can contribute to reducing transactions costs, but factors that affect adoption and the barriers to adoption should be taken into consideration. These findings can inform systems and software developers to develop applications that make managing Bitcoin keys and transacting using Bitcoin less complex and more intuitive for end users. Recommendation for Researchers: Bitcoin adoption in South Africa is a topic that has not been previously researched. Researchers could research similarities or differences in the various constructs that were used in this research model. Impact on Society: South African Bitcoin users consider it as a universal currency that makes cross-border payments cheaper. A large number of refugees and workers in South Africa make regular payments across borders. Bitcoin could reduce the costs of these transfers. Future Research: Future research could explore Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) adoption in other developing countries. Researchers could look at factors that influence cryptocurrency adoption in general. The factors affecting adoption of other cryptocurrencies can be compared to the results of this study, and similarities and differences can thus be identified.

Aim/Purpose: This research aims to examine the role of Knowledge Management (KM) infrastructure (technological, structural, and cultural) in enhancing job satisfaction in the context of developing countries, as exemplified by Jordan. Background: Despite the presence of job satisfaction studies conducted in educational institutions across the world, knowledge management issues have not been taken into consideration as influencing factors. Methodology: A total of 168 responses to a questionnaire survey were collected from the academic staff at Zarqa University in Jordan. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses. Contribution: This study offers deeper understanding about the role that knowledge management infrastructure plays in enhancing job satisfaction from a developing country perspective. The proposed model is tested the first time in Jordan. Findings: Results of the current study revealed that there are significant positive impacts of technological and cultural KM infrastructures on job satisfaction, whereas structural KM infrastructure does not have a significant impact on job satisfaction. Also, the results revealed significant gender difference in perception of the impact of knowledge management infrastructure on job satisfaction. On the other hand, an ANOVA test found no significant difference in the impact of knowledge management infrastructure on job satisfaction among groups by age, experience, and academic rank. Recommendation for Researchers: Our findings can be used as a base of knowledge for further studies about knowledge management infrastructure and job satisfaction following different criteria and research procedures. Future Research: The current model can be applied and assessed further in other sectors, including public universities and other services sectors in developed and developing countries.

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for Business Intelligence (BI) implementation projects by studying the existing BI project implementation methodologies and to compare these methodologies based on the identified CSFs. Background: The implementation of BI project has become one of the most important technological and organizational innovations in modern organizations. The BI project implementation methodology provides a framework for demonstrating knowledge, ideas and structural techniques. It is defined as a set of instructions and rules for implementing BI projects. Identifying CSFs of BI implementation project can help the project team to concentrate on solving prior issues and needed resources. Methodology: Firstly, the literature review was conducted to find the existing BI project implementation methodologies. Secondly, the content of the 13 BI project implementation methodologies was analyzed by using thematic analysis method. Thirdly, for examining the validation of the 20 identified CSFs, two questionnaires were distributed among BI experts. The gathered data of the first questionnaire was analyzed by content validity ratio (CVR) and 11 of 20 CSFs were accepted as a result. The gathered data of the second questionnaire was analyzed by fuzzy Delphi method and the results were the same as CVR. Finally, 13 raised BI project implementation methodologies were compared based on the 11 validated CSFs. Contribution: This paper contributes to the current theory and practice by identifying a complete list of CSFs for BI projects implementation; comparison of existing BI project implementation methodologies; determining the completeness degree of existing BI project implementation methodologies and introducing more complete ones; and finding the new CSF “Expert assessment of business readiness for successful implementation of BI project” that was not expressed in previous studies. Findings: The CSFs that should be considered in a BI project implementation include: “Obvious BI strategy and vision”, “Business requirements definition”, “Business readiness assessment”, “BI performance assessment”, “Establishing BI alignment with business goals”, “Management support”, “IT support for BI”, “Creating data resources and source data quality”, “Installation and integration BI programs”, “BI system testing”, and “BI system support and maintenance”. Also, all the 13 BI project implementation methodologies can be divided into four groups based on their completeness degree. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results can be used to plan BI project implementation and help improve the way of BI project implementation in the organizations. It can be used to reduce the failure rate of BI implementation projects. Furthermore, the 11 identified CSFs can give a better understanding of the BI project implementation methodologies. Recommendation for Researchers: The results of this research helped researchers and practitioners in the field of business intelligence to better understand the methodology and approaches available for the implementation and deployment of BI systems and thus use them. Some methodologies are more complete than other studied methodologies. Therefore, organizations that intend to implement BI in their organization can select these methodologies according to their goals. Thus, Findings of the study can lead to reduce the failure rate of implementation projects. Future Research: Future researchers may add other BI project implementation methodologies and repeat this research. Also, they can divide CSFs into three categories including required before BI project implementation, required during BI project implementation and required after BI project implementation. Moreover, researchers can rank the BI project implementation CSFs. As well, Critical Failure Factors (CFFs) need to be explored by studying the failed implementations of BI projects. The identified CSFs probably affect each other. So, studying the relationship between them can be a topic for future research.

Aim/Purpose: Based on the social exchange theory, this study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions between organizational socialization and knowledge sharing. Background: With the advent of the era of the knowledge economy, knowledge has been replacing traditional resources such as capital, labor, and land to become the critical resources of enterprises. The competitiveness of an organization depends much on the effectiveness of its knowledge management; the success of its knowledge management largely relies upon employees’ motivation and willingness to engage in knowledge sharing. Methodology: This study is a longitudinal analysis of data collected from 281 newcomers in Chinese enterprises at two-time points with a one-month interval. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test hypotheses by calculating standardized path coefficients and their significance levels. Contribution: The study examined models linking organizational socialization and knowledge sharing that included organizational links and sacrifice as mediators and trust as a moderator. Findings: Results show that the influences of organizational socialization on knowledge sharing change regularly over time. In the role management stage, coworker support and prospects for the future impact the practices of knowledge sharing through links and sacrifice. Moreover, the findings show that trust moderates the effect of links and sacrifice on employees’ knowledge sharing. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study can help enterprises develop targeted human resource management strategies, improve the degree of job embeddedness within the organization, and thus encourage more knowledge sharing among employees. Recommendation for Researchers: First, researchers could pay attention to more underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions in the relationship between organizational socialization and knowledge sharing. Second, focusing on specific cultural context and dimension of concepts may provide a new insight for the future study and help add greater theoretical precision to knowledge sharing. Impact on Society: First, this study suggests that coworker support and prospects for the future improve knowledge sharing within the organization. Second, understanding how job embeddedness (organizational links and organizational sacrifice) acts as a mediator enhancing knowledge sharing, managers should consider raising their attachment relationship to organizations from two aspects: links and sacrifice. Third, knowledge sharing takes place in a team-oriented context, where the success of the team requires high-quality relationships among individual team members within the team as a whole. Future Research: Researchers in the future should employ experimental research design or utilize longitudinal data to ensure that the findings reveal causation. In addition, future research can investigate how the initial level and later changes of organizational socialization are associated with knowledge sharing beyond the observational scope of traditional cross-sectional and lagged research designs.

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism of the front/back-office structure affecting new service development (NSD) performance and examine the role of knowledge transfer in the relationship between front/back-office structure and NSD. Background: The separation of front and back-office has become the prevailing trend of the organizational transformation of modern service enterprises in the digital era. Yet, the influence of front and back-office separation dealing with new service development has not been widely researched. Methodology: Building on the internal social capital perspective, a multivariate regression analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of front/back-office structure on the NSD performance through knowledge transfer as an intermediate variable. The data was collected through a survey questionnaire from 198 project-level officers in the commercial banking industry of China. Contribution: This study advances the understanding of front/back-office structure’s influence mechanism on new service development activity. It reveals that knowledge transfer plays a critical role in bridging the impact of front and back-office separation to NSD performance under the trend of digitalization of service organizations. Findings: This study verified the positive effects of front/back-office social capital on NSD performance. Moreover, knowledge transfer predicted the variation in NSD performance and fully mediated the effect of front/back-office social capital on NSD performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Service organizations should optimize knowledge transfer by promoting the social capital between front and back-office to overcome the negative effect organizational separation brings to NSD. Service and other organizations could explore developing an internal social network management platform, by which the internal social network could be visualized and dynamically managed. Recommendation for Researchers: The introduction of information and communications technology not only divides the organization into front and back-office, but also reduces the face-to-face customer contact. The impacts of new forms of customer contact to new service development and knowledge transfer between customer and service organizations call for further research. Along with the digital servitization, some manufacturing organizations also separate front and back-offices. The current model can be applied and assessed further in manufacturing and other service sectors. Impact on Society: The conclusion of this study guides us to pay attention to the construction of social capital inside organizations with front/back-office structure and implicates introducing and developing sociotechnical theory in front/back-office issue undergoing technological revolution. Future Research: As this study is based on the retail banking industry, similar studies are called upon in other service sectors to identify differences and draw more general conclusions. In addition, as the front and back-offices are being replaced increasingly by information technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), it is necessary to advance the research on front/back-office research with a new theoretical perspective, such as sociotechnical theory.

Aim/Purpose: The main aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence the continuance intention of use of innovative systems by non-academic employees of a private university and associated academic institutions in Bangladesh. Background: The targeted academic institutions have introduced many new online services aimed at improving students’ access to information and services, including a new online library, ERP or online forum, and the jobs-tracking system (JTS). This research is focused only on the JTS for two reasons. First, it is one of the most crucial systems for the Daffodil Family, as it enables efficient working across many institutes spread across the country and abroad. Second, it is employed in a wide variety of organisational institutes, not just the university. This study aims to discover negative factors that lead to a decrease in users’ intentions to continue using the system. The ultimate goal is to improve the motivation among administrative staff to use technology-related innovation by reducing or eliminating the problems. Methodology: G* power analysis was employed to determine the expected sample size. A questionnaire survey was conducted of 211 users of a new job tracking system from a private university in Bangladesh, to collect data for testing the suggested research model. The data was analysed using the structural equation technique, which is a powerful multivariate analysis mechanism. Contribution: This research contributes to the body of literature and helps better understand users’ continuance intention in the post-implementation phase of the JTS. It complements the micro-level examinations of continuance intention of using IT, by building on our understanding of the phenomenon at the individual level. Specifically, this study examines the role of technostress where organisations invest in IT to make their users more comfortable with innovative and new technologies like the JTS. Findings: This research develops a theoretical advancement of the expectation-confirmation theory, with implications for IT managers and senior management dealing with IT-related behaviour. All proposed hypotheses were supported. Specifically, the predictors of exhaustion – work overload, work–life balance, and role ambiguity – are significant. The core factors for satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and confirmation, are also found to be significant. Finally, satisfaction and exhaustion significantly influence continuance intention, in both positive and negative ways. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study gives an idea about some of the difficulties that people face when implementing new and innovative IT, particularly in academia in Bangladesh. It offers insights into strategies the management may want to follow when implementing new technology like the JTS. This study suggests strategies to increase satisfaction and reduce technostress among new users to enhance organisational support for change. Recommendation for Researchers: Methodologically, the study provides researchers about the technique that reduces the threat of the common method bias. First, it created a psychological separation between criterion and predictor variables. Second, the threat of common method variance was actively controlled by modelling a latent method factor and by using marker variables that researchers can use in their work. This study complements the micro-level examinations of continuance intention of using IT by building on our understanding of the phenomenon at the individual level. Researchers can extend this model by integrating other theories. Impact on Society: The findings of the study indicate that work overload, work–life conflict, and role ambiguity create tiredness, leading to lower user satisfaction with the system. Perceived usefulness and confirmation have an increasingly similar effect on users’ satisfaction with the system and their subsequent continuance intention. These findings tell university administrators what measures they should take to improve continuance intention of using innovative technology. Future Research: Future studies could conceptualise a five-factor personality model from the personal perspective of users. This model can also be extended by including the dimensions of absorptive capacity, i.e., the dynamic capabilities of users. Absorptive capacity of understanding, assimilating, and applying might influence the user’s perception of usefulness and confirmation of using JTS.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework that incorporates personal characteristics, social context, and technological features as significant factors that influence the intention of small-city users in China to use mobile health. Background: Mobile health has become an integral part of China’s health management system innovation, the transformation of the health service model, and a necessary government measure for promoting health service parity. However, mobile health has not yet been widely adopted in small cities in China. Methodology: The study utilized a quantitative approach whereby web-based questionnaires were used to collect data from 319 potential users in China using China’s health management system. The data was analyzed using the PLS-SEM (the partial least squares-structural equation modeling) approach. Contribution: This study integrates the protection motivation theory (PMT), which compensates for the limitations of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology theory (UTAUT) and is a re-examination of PMT and UTAUT in a small city context in China. Findings: The findings indicate that attitude and perceived vulnerability in the personal characteristic factors, social influence and facilitating conditions in the social context factors, and performance expectancy in the technological feature factors influence users’ intention to use mobile health in small cities in China. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study provides feasible recommendations for mobile health service providers, medical institutions, and government agencies based on the empirical results. Recommendation for Researchers: As for health behavior, researchers should fully explain the intention of mobile health use in terms of holism and health behavior theory. Impact on Society: This study aims to increase users’ intention to use mobile health in small cities in China and to maximize the social value of mobile health. Future Research: Future research should concentrate on the actual usage behavior of users and simultaneously conduct a series of longitudinal studies, including studies on continued usage behavior, abandonment behavior, and abandoned-and-used behavior.

Aim/Purpose: This study utilized a comprehensive framework to investigate the adoption of Business Analytics (BA) and its effects on performance in commercial banks in Jordan. The framework integrated the Technological-Organizational-Environmental (TOE) model, the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory, and the Resource-Based View (RBV). Background: The recent trend of utilizing data for business operations and decision-making has positively impacted organizations. Business analytics (BA) is a leading technique that generates valuable insights from data. It has gained considerable attention from scholars and practitioners across various industries. However, guidance is lacking for organizations to implement BA effectively specific to their business contexts. This research aims to evaluate factors influencing BA adoption by Jordanian commercial banks and examine how its implementation impacts bank performance. The goal is to provide needed empirical evidence surrounding BA adoption and outcomes in the Jordanian banking sector. Methodology: The study gathered empirical data by conducting an online questionnaire survey with senior and middle managers from 13 commercial banks in Jordan. The participants were purposefully selected, and the questionnaire was designed based on relevant and well-established literature. A total of 307 valid questionnaires were collected and considered for data analysis. Contribution: This study makes a dual contribution to the BA domain. Firstly, it introduces a research model that comprehensively examines the factors that influence the adoption of BA. The proposed model integrates the TOE framework, DOI theory, and RBV theory. Combining these frameworks allows for a comprehensive examination of BA adoption in the banking industry. By analyzing the technological, organizational, and environmental factors through the TOE framework, understanding the diffusion process through the DOI theory, and assessing the role of resources and capabilities through the RBV theory, researchers and practitioners can better understand the complex dynamics involved. This integrated approach enables a more nuanced assessment of the factors that shape BA adoption and its subsequent impact on business performance within the banking industry. Secondly, it uncovers the effects of BA adoption on business performance. These noteworthy findings stem from a rigorous analysis of primary data collected from commercial banks in Jordan. By presenting a holistic model and delving into the implications for business performance, this research offers valuable insights to researchers and practitioners alike in the field of BA. Findings: The findings revealed that various technological (data quality, complexity, compatibility, relative advantage), organizational (top management support, organizational readiness), and environmental (external support) factors are crucial in shaping the decision to adopt BA. Furthermore, the study findings demonstrated a positive relationship between BA adoption and performance outcomes in Jordanian commercial banks. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings suggest that Jordanian commercial banks should enforce data quality practices, provide clear standards, invest in data quality tools and technologies, and conduct regular data audits. Top management support is crucial for fostering a data-driven decision-making culture. Organizational readiness involves having the necessary resources and skilled personnel, as well as promoting continuous learning and improvement. Highlighting the benefits of BA helps overcome resistance to technological innovation and encourages adoption by demonstrating improved decision-making processes and operational efficiency. Furthermore, external support is crucial for banks to adopt Business Analytics (BA). Banks should partner with experienced vendors to gain expertise and incorporate best practices. Vendors also provide training and technical support to overcome technological barriers. Compatibility is essential for optimal performance, requiring managers to modify workflows and IT infrastructure. Complexity, including data, organizational, and technical complexities, is a major obstacle to BA adoption. Banks should take a holistic approach, focusing on people, processes, and technology, and prioritize data quality and governance. Building a skilled team, fostering a data-driven culture, and investing in technology and infrastructure are essential. Recommendation for Researchers: The integration of the TOE framework, the DOI theory, and the RBV theory can prove to be a powerful approach for comprehensively analyzing the various factors that influence BA adoption within the dynamic banking industry. Furthermore, this combined framework enables us to gain deeper insights into the subsequent impact of BA adoption on overall business performance. Impact on Society: Examining the factors influencing BA adoption in the banking industry and its subsequent impact on business performance can have wide-ranging societal implications. It can promote data-driven decision-making, enhance customer experiences, strengthen fraud detection, foster financial inclusion, contribute to economic growth, and trigger discussions on ethical considerations. Future Research: To further advance future research, there are several avenues to consider. One option is to broaden the scope by including a larger sample size, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis. Another possibility is to investigate the impact of BA adoption on various performance indicators beyond the ones already examined. Additionally, incorporating qualitative research methods would provide a more holistic understanding of the organizational dynamics and challenges associated with the adoption of BA in Jordanian commercial banks.

Aim/Purpose: Most people use their phones for work and communication. Businesses today require sustainable mobile phones to limit the environmental impact of mobile phones. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a green product uses less energy. Green smartphones need low radiation emission, are made from recyclable materials, and are designed to last longer than typical smartphones. Further, the manufacturing process needs to have a low environmental impact. The present study aims to identify the influence of variables (such as Green Awareness, Environmental Concern, Altruism, and Willingness to Pay) on green smartphone purchase intention among academics in the Sri Lankan higher education sector. Background: With the swift technological advances, almost everyone has begun to use smartphones. Simultaneously, smartphone manufacturers have begun to release cutting-edge smartphone models to the general public. As a result, it has generated a significant amount of e-waste for the environment. As a result, therefore, the sustainability of green smartphones has become a major societal concern in the developed world, but this is not yet true in the developing world Methodology: The study used a qualitative research method in which the authors attempted to acquire primary data by conducting in-depth interviews with academics from the Sri Lankan higher education sector using a semi-structured interview guide. Eight interviews were conducted, audio recorded, and word-to-word transcribed for content analysis. Researchers used content analysis to determine the presence, meanings, and linkages of specific words, themes, or concepts. Contribution: The findings provide important environmental insights for smartphone makers and society, such as introducing waste reduction programs and energy-saving practices and creating awareness among people to change their consumption patterns. The study will provide valuable insights into the green smartphone phone purchasing intentions of academics in a developing country, especially helping green smartphone producers and marketers construct effective tactics with the insight of the current study based on university faculty members’ viewpoints. Findings: The current study’s findings revealed that academics acknowledge the need for environmental protection with an awareness of the green concept and environmental concerns. According to the interviews, most participants intended to move from their present smartphone to an ecologically friendly phone, as they explained on altruism. This implies that even academics in underdeveloped countries are worried about environmental issues and have shown a more robust understanding of these issues and how environmentally aware individuals’ activities may assist the earth’s sustainability. Further, academics have a willingness to pay for a green smartphone. Recommendations for Practitioners: Academics prioritize environmental conservation when making purchases. This implies that manufacturers and enterprises should focus on developing and in- novating more environmentally friendly products. Recommendation for Researchers: Using only academics as a sample approach is severely limited if the study’s population comprises people with various qualities. Nevertheless, this study presented only four independent variables, and more factors impacting green smartphone purchasing intention may exist. As a result, it is proposed that future research consider other factors. Impact on Society: It was discovered that most participants displayed altruism in their product purchases, implying that policymakers must strengthen the moral practice of concern for the welfare and happiness of other humans, even in developing countries. Future Research: A further in-depth study focusing on many perspectives such as limits and motivations for purchasing green products in various socioeconomic groups with varying moderating factors such as gender, education, rural-urban, and so on would be advantageous. Individual (emotions, habits, perceived behavioral control, trust, values, personal norm, knowledge) and situational (availability, product attributes, subjective norm, brand, eco-labeling) variables should be included in future research.

Aim/Purpose: This paper investigates the user acceptability of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector, with a specific focus on healthcare professionals in Jordan. Background: The study seeks to identify the factors that affect healthcare professionals’ use and acceptance of blockchain technology in Jordan. Methodology: The study’s research framework integrates factors from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A questionnaire was distributed to collect data from 372 healthcare professionals in Jordan, and the results were analyzed using structural equation modeling based on the Partial Least Square (PLS) technique. Contribution: While only a few previous studies have explored blockchain technology acceptance in the healthcare sector using either the TAM or the UTAUT, this study uniquely integrates elements from both models, offering a novel approach that provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence the acceptance of blockchain technology among healthcare professionals in Jordan. The findings can assist decision-makers in developing strategies to enhance the adoption rate of blockchain technology in the Jordanian healthcare sector. Findings: The study revealed that usability, convenience, privacy and security, cost, and trust significantly impact the perceived usefulness of blockchain technology. The findings also suggest that healthcare professionals are more likely to have a positive attitude towards blockchain-based healthcare systems if they perceive them as useful and easy to use. Attitude, social influence, and facilitating conditions were found to significantly impact behavioral intention to use. Recommendations for Practitioners: Stakeholders should focus on developing blockchain-based healthcare systems that are easy to use, convenient, efficient, and effort-free. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers may compare the acceptance of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector with other industries to identify industry-specific factors that may influence adoption. This comparative analysis can contribute to a broader understanding of technology acceptance. Impact on Society: Successful adoption of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector can lead to improved efficiency, enhanced protection of healthcare data, and reduced administrative burdens. This, in turn, can positively impact patient care and lead to cost savings, which contributes to more sustainable and accessible healthcare services. Future Research: Future research may explore integrating blockchain technology with other emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and sidechain, to create more comprehensive and innovative healthcare solutions.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to analyze the factors that influence user addiction to AR face filters in social network applications and their impact on the online social anxiety of users in Indonesia. Background: To date, social media users have started to use augmented reality (AR) face filters. However, AR face filters have the potential to create positive and negative effects for social media users. The study combines the Big Five Model (BFM), Sense of Virtual Community (SVOC), and Stimuli, Organism, and Response (SOR) frameworks. We adopted the SOR theory by involving the personality factors and SOVC factors as stimuli, addiction as an organism, and social anxiety as a response. BFM is the most significant theory related to personality. Methodology: We used a quantitative approach for this study by using an online survey. We conducted research on 903 Indonesian respondents who have used an AR face filter feature at least once. The respondents were grouped into three categories: overall, new users, and old users. In this study, group classification was carried out based on the development timeline of the AR face filter in the social network application. This grouping was carried out to facilitate data analysis as well as to determine and compare the different effects of the factors in each group. The data were analyzed using the covariance-based structural equation model through the AMOS 26 program. Contribution: This research fills the gap in previous research which did not discuss much about the impact of addiction in using AR face filters on online social anxiety of users of social network applications. Findings: The results of this study indicated neuroticism, membership, and immersion influence AR face filter addiction in all test groups. In addition, ARA has a significant effect on online social anxiety. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings are expected to be valuable to social network service providers and AR creators in improving their services and to ensure policies related to the list of AR face filters that are appropriate for use by their users as a form of preventing addictive behavior of that feature. Recommendation for Researchers: This study suggested other researchers consider other negative impacts of AR face filters on aspects such as depression, life satisfaction, and academic performance. Impact on Society: AR face filter users may experience changes in their self-awareness in using face filters and avoid the latter’s negative impacts. Future Research: Future research might explore other impacts from AR face filter addiction behavior, such as depression, life satisfaction, and so on. Apart from that, future research might investigate the positive impact of AR face filters to gain a better understanding of the impact of AR face filters.

Transforming a school from traditional teaching and learning to a one-to-one (1:1) classroom, in which a teacher and students have personal digital devices, inevitably requires changes in the way the teacher addresses her role. This study examined the implications of integrating 1:1 computing on teachers’ pedagogical perceptions and the classroom’s educational discourse. A change in pedagogical perceptions during three years of teaching within this model was investigated. The research analyzed data from 14 teachers teaching in a junior high school in the north of Israel collected over the course of three years through interviews and lesson observations. The findings show that the 1:1 computing allows teachers to improve their teaching skills; however, it fails to change their fundamental attitudes in regard to teaching and learning processes. It was further found that the use of a laptop by each student does not significantly improve the classroom’s learning discourse. The computer is perceived as an individual or group learning technology rather than as a tool for conducting learning discourse. An analysis of the data collected shows a great contribution to collaboration among teachers in preparing technology-enhanced lessons. The findings are discussed in terms of Bruner’s (Olson & Bruner, 1996) “folk psychology” and “folk pedagogy” of teachers and “the new learning ecology” framework in 1:1 classroom (Lee, Spires, Wiebe, Hollebrands, & Young, 2015). One of the main recommendations of this research is to reflect on findings from the teaching staff and the school community emphasizing 1:1 technology as a tool for significant pedagogical change. It seems that the use of personal technology per se is not enough for pedagogical changes to take place; the change must begin with teachers’ perceptions and attitudes.

This study seeks to explore what factors influence students’ ICT use and web technology competence. The objectives of this study are the following: (a) To what extent do certain elements of Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DOI) explain students’ ICT use, (b) To what extent do personality characteristics derived from the Big Five approach explain students’ ICT use, and (c) To what extent does motivation explain students’ ICT use. The research was conducted in Israel during the second semester of the academic year 2013-14, and included two groups of participants: a group of Educational Technology students (ET) and a group of Library and Information Science students (LIS). Findings add another dimension to the importance of Rogers’ DOI theory in the fields of Educational Technology and Library and Information Science. Further, findings confirm that personality characteristics as well as motivation affect ICT use. If instructors would like to enhance students’ ICT use, they should be aware of individual differences between students, and they should present to students the advantages and usefulness of ICT, thus increasing their motivation to use ICT, in the hopes that they will become innovators or early adopters.