Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the factors that affect the repurchase intentions of Generation Z consumers in India’s online shopping industry, focusing on combining the Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM) and Extended Technology Acceptance Model (E-TAM). The aim is to understand the intricate behaviors that shape technology adoption and sustained usage, which are essential for retaining customers in e-commerce. Background: Social media and other online platforms have significantly influenced daily life and become essential communication tools owing to technological advancements. Online shopping is no exception, offering a range of product choices, information, and convenience compared with traditional commerce. Indian retailers recognize this trend as an opportunity to promote their brands through e-shopping platforms, leading to increased competition. Generation Z comprises 32% of the world’s population and is a significant emerging customer base in India. Numerous studies have been conducted to study customers’ repurchase intention in the online shopping domain, but few studies have explicitly focused on Generation Z as a customer base. This study aims to comprehensively understand the topic and investigate the variables that impact consumers’ online repurchase intention by examining their post-adoption behavioral processes. Methodology: The study employed a quantitative research design with structural equation modeling using AMOS to analyze responses from 410 participants. This method thoroughly examined hypotheses regarding factors affecting repurchase intention (security, ease of use, privacy, and internet self-efficacy) and the mediating role of e-satisfaction. Contribution: This study makes a unique contribution to the field of e-commerce by focusing on Generation Z in India, a rapidly growing demographic in the e-commerce industry. The results on the mediating role of e-satisfaction have significant implications for e-retailers seeking to enhance customer retention strategies and gain a competitive edge in the market. Findings: The research findings underscore the significant influence of security, ease of use, and internet self-efficacy on repurchase intentions, with e-satisfaction playing a pivotal role as a mediating factor. Notably, while privacy concerns did not directly impact repurchase intentions, they displayed considerable influence when mediated by e-satisfaction, highlighting the intricate interplay between these variables in the context of online shopping, which is the unique finding of this study. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study has several significant implications for practitioners. Effectively addressing computer-related individual differences, such as computer self-efficacy, is crucial for boosting online customers’ repurchase intention. For instance, if an e-retailer intends to target Generation Z customers, they should collaborate with IT professionals and develop various computer literacy programs on online streaming platforms, such as YouTube. These programs will enhance target customers’ confidence in online shopping portals and increase their online repeat purchases. Additionally, practitioners should strive to improve the online shopping experience by making the portal user-friendly. Generation Z is accustomed to a fast Internet experience, so they prefer that the process of completing online transactions is swift with fewer clicks. The search for products, payments, and redress should not be tedious. Furthermore, the primary objective of the e-retailer should be to satisfy customers, as satisfied customers repeat their purchases and increase overall profitability. Recommendation for Researchers: The current study was conducted in the Delhi-NCR region of India, and its findings could serve as a basis for future research. For instance, the scale devised in this study could be utilized to examine the impact of cash-on-delivery as a payment method on purchase intention across the country. Alternatively, a comparative analysis could be conducted to compare cash-on-delivery effects in various countries. Impact on Society: The study’s findings enable stakeholders in the online shopping industry to comprehend the post-adoption behavior of Generation Z users and augment existing literature by establishing a correlation between determinants that impact repurchase intention and e-satisfaction, which serves as a mediator. Future Research: This study examines the factors that impact the propensity of Generation Z shoppers to engage in repeat online purchases. This study focuses on India, where the Generation Y (millennial) customer base is also substantial within the online shopping market. Future research could compare the shopping habits of Generation Z and Generation Y customers, as the latter may place greater importance on privacy and security. Additional studies could broaden the scope of this research and explore the comparative viewpoints of both generations. Also, it would be advantageous to conduct in-depth interviews and longitudinal studies to acquire a more in-depth comprehension of the evolving digitalization of shopping.

Aim/Purpose: In this study, we developed a recommendation system model designed to support decision-makers in identifying consumers eligible for pay-later options via consensus-based decision-making. This approach was chosen due to the high and complex risks involved, such as delayed payments, challenges in reaching consumers, and issues of bad credit. Background: The “pay-later” option, which allows consumers to postpone payment for e-commerce purchases, offers convenience and flexibility but also introduces several challenges: (i) by enabling payment deferral, merchants face financial risks, including potential delays or defaults in payment, adversely affecting their cash flow and profitability; and (ii) this payment delay can also heighten the risk of fraud, including identity theft and unauthorized transactions. Methodology: This study initiated a risk analysis utilizing the ROAD process. Considering contemporary economic developments and advancements in neural networks, integrating these networks into risk assessment has become crucial. Consequently, model development involved the amalgamation of three deep learning methods – CNN (Convolutional Neural Networks), RNN (Recurrent Neural Networks), and LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) – to address various risk alternatives and facilitate multi-stage decision-making recommendations. Contribution: Our primary contribution is threefold. First, our study identified potential consumers by prioritizing those with the smallest associated problem consequence values. Second, we achieved an optimal recall value using a candidate generator. Last, we categorized consumers to assess their eligibility for pay-later rights. Findings: The findings from this study indicate that our multi-stage recommendation model is effective in minimizing the risk associated with consumer debt repayment. This method of consumer selection empowers policymakers to make informed decisions regarding which consumers should be granted pay-later privileges. Recommendations for Practitioners: This recommendation system is proposed to several key parties involved in the development, implementation, and use of pay-later systems. These parties include E-commerce Executive Management for financial analysis and risk evaluation, the Risk Management Team to assess and manage risks related to users utilizing Pay-Later services, and Sales Managers to integrate Pay-Later services into sales strategies. Recommendation for Researchers: Advanced fraud detection mechanisms were implemented to prevent unauthorized transactions effectively. The goal was to cultivate user confidence in the safety of their financial data by ensuring secure payment processing. Impact on Society: Ensuring consumers understand the terms and conditions of pay-later arrangements, including interest rates, repayment schedules, and potential fees, is crucial. Providing clear and transparent information, along with educating consumers about their financial responsibilities, helps prevent misunderstandings and disputes. Future Research: Our future development plans involve the ongoing assessment of the system’s performance to enhance prediction accuracy. This includes updating models and criteria based on feedback and changes in economic or market conditions. Upholding compliance with security and data privacy regulations necessitates the implementation of protective measures to safeguard consumer information. The implementation of such a system requires careful consideration to ensure fairness and adherence to legal standards. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that algorithms and models may evolve over time through the incorporation of additional data and continuous evaluations.

The novel coronavirus pandemic ravaged the world in 2020, making the world fall into an unprecedented period of stagnation. This research used the Sol-Idea internet public opinion analysis platform to collect, and analyses online public opinion data associated with novel coronavirus. This research finds the following situations: 1) COVID-19 online opinion leaders are more likely to post in major discussion boards. However, opinion leaders of replies but use PTT forum as the main discussion channel; 2) According to the analysis of the content and behaviour of the account 'ebola01', it is found that the content of the posts are mostly news praising the ruling party government or mocking the opposing parties, with the sources mostly coming from media considered to be more pro-ruling party. Therefore, it can be inferred that 'ebola01' may be part of cyber army with a particular political spectrum.

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.

This paper reports on a case study of a group of six non-native English speaking migrant women’s experiences learning English vocabulary in a mobile assisted language learning (MALL) environment at a small community centre in Western Australia. A sociocultural approach to learning vocabulary was adopted in designing the MALL lessons that the women undertook. The women provided demographic information, responded to questions in a pre-MALL semi-structured interview, attended the MALL lessons, and completed a post-MALL semi-structured interview. This study explores the sociocultural factors that affect migrant women’s language learning in general, and vocabulary in particular. The women’s responses to MALL lessons and using the tablet reveal a positive effect in their vocabulary learning.

The current rapid technological changes confront researchers of learning technologies with the challenge of evaluating them, predicting trends, and improving their adoption and diffusion. This study utilizes a data-driven discourse analysis approach, namely culturomics, to investigate changes over time in the research of learning technologies. The patterns and changes were examined on a corpus of articles published over the past decade (2006-2014) in the proceedings of Chais Conference for the Study of Innovation and Learning Technologies – the leading research conference on learning technologies in Israel. The interesting findings of the exhaustive process of analyzing all the words in the corpus were that the most commonly used terms (e.g., pupil, teacher, student) and the most commonly used phrases (e.g., face-to-face) in the field of learning technologies reflect a pedagogical rather than a technological aspect of learning technologies. The study also demonstrates two cases of change over time in prominent themes, such as “Facebook” and “the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) program”. Methodologically, this research demonstrates the effectiveness of a data-driven approach for identifying discourse trends over time.

This is a five-year study conducted with junior high school students studying in a 1:1-laptop program in order to test the effects of the program on various measures related to the students: their attitudes, motivation, perceived school norms, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention towards learning with laptops, according to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). These variables were tested at two dimensions: ‘duration of learning’ – the effect of learning in the program on the same students; ‘duration of program in school’ – the effect of the program on different students in different school years. Participants (N=770) answered a questionnaire structured according to motivational and TPB variables. Findings show that attitudes changed over time, but differently for each dimension. For the ‘duration of learning’, attitudes declined between 7th to 9th grade. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that students’ attitudes and self-efficacy explain part of their intention to learn with laptops, therefore ways of maintaining positive attitudes, self-efficacy, and strengthening school norms should be considered. However, for the ‘duration of program in school’, students’ attitudes increased over the years: The attitudes of students who started the program at a later stage were more positive than those who began earlier. This may indicate that students who experience the program at an advanced stage are better prepared, with more realistic expectations. Findings can assist teacher trainers and policymakers with the implementation of similar programs.

MOOCs are open, online courses that use information technologies to enhance the learning experience and attract various people from the entire world. The current study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), as well as personal characteristics such as learning strategies, cognitive appraisal, and Kuhlthau’s (1991) model of information seeking as theoretical bases for defining factors that may influence students adopting MOOCs in their learning process, as well as describe their feelings during the learning process. The study was conducted in Israel during the 2014 academic year, and used both quantitative and qualitative techniques and involved 102 students who participated in a MOOC as part of the requirements in an offline course. They were requested to keep study diaries. The quantitative analysis revealed that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) have a major influence on the intention to enroll in a MOOC. PEOU can be increased by improving the current MOOC platforms. PU can also be improved by providing content that suits the students’ needs. The qualitative analysis showed mood changes over time; the feelings of uncertainty were replaced by expressions of confidence. We found that students have different needs and expectations. Therefore, the MOOC’s platforms should provide multiple options to accommodate these needs.

Aim/Purpose: Our research focuses on a unique group a students, who study CS: ultra-orthodox Jewish men. Their previous education is based mostly on studying Talmud and hence they lacked a conventional high-school education. Our research goal was to examine whether their prior education is merely a barrier to their CS studies or whether it can be recruited to leverage academic learning. Background: This work is in line with the growing interest in extending the diversity of students studying computer science (CS). Methodology: We employed a mixed-methods approach. We compared the scores in CS courses of two groups of students who started their studies in the same college in 2015: 58 ultraorthodox men and 139 men with a conventional background of Israeli K-12 schooling. We also traced the solution processes of ultraorthodox men in tasks involving Logic, in which their group scored significantly better than the other group. Contribution: The main contribution of this work lies in challenging the idea that the knowledge of unique cultures is merely a barrier and in illustrating the importance of further mapping such knowledge. Findings: The ultraorthodox group’s grades in the courses never fell below the grades of the other group for the duration of the five semesters. Due to their intensive Talmud studies (which embeds Logic), we hypothesized they would have leverage in subjects relating to Logic; however this hypothesis was refuted. Nevertheless, we found that the ultraorthodox students tended to recruit conceptual knowledge rather than merely recalling a procedure to solve the task, as novices often do. Recommendations for Practitioners: We concluded that these students’ unique knowledge should not be viewed merely as a barrier. Rather, it can and should be considered in terms of what and how it can anchor and leverage learning; this could facilitate the education of this unique population. Impact on Society: This conclusion has an important implication, given the growing interest in diversifying higher education and CS in particular, to include representatives of groups in society that come from different, unique cultures. Future Research: Students’ unique previous knowledge can and should be mapped, not only to foresee weaknesses that are an outcome of “fragile knowledge” , but also in terms of possible strengths, knowledge, values, and practices that can be used to anchor and expand the new knowledge.

Aim/Purpose: To examine how positive/negative message framing – based on peripheral cues (regarding popularity, source, visuals, and hyperlink) – affects perceptions of credibility of scientific information posted on social networking sites (in this case, Facebook), while exploring the mechanisms of viewing the different components. Background: Credibility assessment of information is a key skill in today's information society. However, it is a demanding cognitive task, which is impossible to perform for every piece of online information. Additionally, message framing — that is, the context and approach used to construct information— may impact perceptions of credibility. In practice, people rely on various cues and cognitive heuristics to determine whether they think a piece of content is true or not. In social networking sites, content is usually enriched by additional information (e.g., popularity), which may impact the users' perceived credibility of the content. Methodology: A quantitative controlled experiment was designed (N=19 undergraduate students), collecting fine grained data with an eye tracking camera, while analyzing it using transition graphs. Contribution: The findings on the mechanisms of that process, enabled by the use of eye tracking data, point to the different roles of specific peripheral cues, when the message is overall peripherally positive or negative. It also contributes to the theoretical literature on framing effects in science communication, as it highlights the peripheral cues that make a strong frame. Findings: The positively framed status was perceived, as expected from the Elaboration Likelihood Model, more credible than the negatively framed status, demonstrating the effects of the visual framing. Differences in participants' mechanisms of assessing credibility between the two scenarios were evident in the specific ways the participants examined the various status components. Recommendations for Practitioners: As part of digital literacy education, major focus should be given to the role of peripheral cues on credibility assessment in social networking sites. Educators should emphasize the mechanisms by which these cues interact with message framing, so Internet users would be encouraged to reflect upon their own credibility assessment skills, and eventually improve them. Recommendation for Researchers: The use of eye tracking data may help in collecting and analyzing fine grained data on credibility assessment processes, and on Internet behavior at large. The data shown here may shed new light on previously studied phenomena, enabling a more nuanced understanding of them. Impact on Society: In an era when Internet users are flooded with information that can be created by virtually anyone, credibility assessment skills have become ever more important, hence the prominence of this skill. Improving citizens' assessment of information credibility — to which we believe this study contributes — results on a greater impact on society. Future Research: The role of peripheral cues and of message framing should be studied in other contexts (not just scientific news) and in other platforms. Additional peripheral cues not tested here should be also taken into consideration (e.g., connections between the information consumer and the information sharer, or the type of the leading image).

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to determine where nursing students from a metropolitan university subsequently work following graduation, identify the factors that influence decisions to pursue careers in particular locations, ascertain educational plans in the immediate future; and explore the factors that might attract students to pursue postgraduate study. Background: The global nursing shortage and high attrition of nursing students remain a challenge for the nursing profession. A recurrent pattern of maldistribution of nurses in clinical specialities and work locations has also occurred. It is imperative that institutions of learning examine their directions and priorities with the goal of meeting the mounting health needs of the wider community. Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained through an online 21-item questionnaire. The questionnaire gathered data such as year of graduation, employment status, the location of main and secondary jobs, the principal area of nursing activity, and plans for postgraduate study. It sought graduates’ reasons for seeking employment in particular workplaces and the factors encouraging them to pursue postgraduate study. Contribution: This study is meaningful and relevant as it provided a window to see the gaps in higher education and nursing practice, and opportunities in research and collaboration. It conveys many insights that were informative, valuable and illuminating in the context of nurse shortage and nurse education. The partnership with hospitals and health services in providing education and support at the workplace is emphasized. Findings: Twenty-three students completed the online questionnaire. All respondents were employed, 22 were working in Australia on a permanent basis (96%), 19 in urban areas (83%) with three in regional/rural areas (13%), and one was working internationally (4%). This pilot study revealed that there were varied reasons for workplace decisions, but the most common answer was the opportunity provided to students to undertake their graduate year and subsequent employment offered. Moreover, the prevailing culture of the organization and high-quality clinical experiences afforded to students were significant contributory factors. Data analysis revealed their plans for postgraduate studies in the next five years (61%), with critical care nursing as the most popular specialty option. The majority of the respondents (78%) signified their interest in taking further courses, being familiar with the educational system and expressing high satisfaction with the university’s program delivery. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results of the pilot should be tested in a full study with validated instruments in the future. With a larger dataset, the conclusions about graduate destinations and postgraduate educational pursuits of graduates would be generalizable, valid and reliable. Recommendation for Researchers: Further research to explore how graduates might be encouraged to work in rural and regional areas, determine courses that meet the demand of the market, and how to better engage with clinical partners are recommended. Impact on Society: It is expected that the study will be extended in the future to benefit other academics, service managers, recruiters, and stakeholders to alert them of strategies that may be used to entice graduates to seek employment in various areas and plan for addressing the educational needs of postgraduate nursing students. The end goal is to help enhance the nursing workforce by focusing on leadership and retention. Future Research: Future directions for research will include canvassing a bigger sample of alumni students and continuously monitoring graduate destinations and educational aspirations. How graduates might be encouraged to work in rural and regional areas will be further explored. Further research will also be undertaken involving graduates from other universities and other countries in order to compare the work practice of graduates over the same time frame.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to explore levels of Technological Access (ownership, access to, and usage of computer devices as well as access to Internet services) and levels of Technological Efficacy (technology related skills) as they pertain to underserved (UNS) and underrepresented (UNR) students. Background: There exists a positive correlation between technology related access, technology related competence, and academic outcomes. An increasing emphasis on expanding online education at the author’s institution, consistent with nationwide trends, means that it is unlikely that just an increase in online offerings alone will result in an improvement in the educational attainment of students, especially if such students lack access to technology and the technology related skills needed to take advantage of online learning. Most studies on levels of Technological Access and Technological Efficacy have dealt with either K-12 or minority populations with limited research on UNS and UNR populations who form the majority of students at the author’s institution. Methodology: This study used a cross-sectional survey research design to investigate the research questions. A web survey was sent to all students at the university except first semester new and first semester transfer students from various disciplines (n = 535). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the survey data. Contribution: This research provides insight on a population (UNS and UNR) that is expanding in higher education. However, there is limited information related to levels of Technological Access and Technological Efficacy for this group. This paper is timely and relevant as adequate access to technology and technological competence is critical for success in the expanding field of online learning, and the research findings can be used to guide and inform subsequent actions vital to bridging any educational equity gap that might exist. Findings: A critical subset of the sample who were first generation, low income, and non-White (FGLINW) had significantly lower levels of Technological Access. In addition, nearly half of the survey sample used smartphones to access online courses. Technological Efficacy scores were significantly lower for students who dropped out of or never enrolled in an online course. Transfer students had significantly higher Technological Efficacy scores while independent students (determined by tax status for federal financial aid purposes) reflected higher Technological Efficacy, but at a marginally lower level of significance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Higher education administrators and educators should take into consideration the gaps in technology related access and skills to devise institutional interventions as well as formulate pedagogical approaches that account for such gaps in educational equity. This will help ensure pathways to sustained student success given the rapidly growing landscape of online education. Recommendation for Researchers: Similar studies need to be conducted in other institutions serving UNS and UNR students in order to bolster findings and increase awareness. Impact on Society: The digital divide with respect to Technological Access and Technological Efficacy that impacts UNS and UNR student populations must be addressed to better prepare such groups for both academic and subsequent professional success. Addressing such gaps will not only help disadvantaged students maximize their educational opportunities but will also prepare them to navigate the challenges of an increasingly technology driven society. Future Research: Given that it is more challenging to write papers and complete projects using a smartphone, is there a homework gap for UNS and UNR students that may impact their academic success? What is the impact of differing levels of Technological Efficacy on specific academic outcomes of UNS and UNR students?

Technology has transformed education, perhaps most evidently in course delivery options. However, compelling questions remain about how technology impacts learning. Adaptive learning tools are technology-based artifacts that interact with learners and vary presentation based upon that interaction. This paper compares adaptive learning with a conventional teaching approach implemented in a digital literacy course. Current research explores the hypothesis that adapting instruction to an individual’s learning style results in better learning outcomes. Computer technology has long been seen as an answer to the scalability and cost of individualized instruction. Adaptive learning is touted as a potential game-changer in higher education, a panacea with which institutions may solve the riddle of the iron triangle: quality, cost and access. Though the research is scant, this study and a few others like it indicate that today’s adaptive learning systems have negligible impact on learning outcomes, one aspect of quality. Clearly, more research like this study, some of it from the perspective of adaptive learning systems as informing systems, is needed before the far-reaching promise of advanced learning systems can be realized.

The Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) event, organized by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), is conducted 3-4 times a year at various locations. The four day event can be characterized as an informing system specifically designed to facilitate structured and unstructured communications between a variety of parties—e.g., software developers, inventors, military and civilian users of various technologies, academics, and agencies responsible for identifying and procuring technology solutions—that frequently are constrained in their informing activities in more restrictive venues. Over the course of the event, participants may observe technology demonstrations, obtain feedback from potential users, acquire new ideas about their technologies might be employed and, perhaps most significantly, engage in ad hoc collaborations with other participants. The present paper describes an exploratory case research study that was conducted over a one year period and involved both direct observation of the event and follow-up interviews with 49 past participants in the event. The goal of the research was to assess the nature of participant-impact resulting from attending JIFX and to consider the consistency of the findings with the predictions of various theoretical frameworks used in informing science. The results suggest that participants perceived that the event provided significant value from three principal sources: discovery, interaction with potential clients (users) of the technologies involved, and networking with other participants. These findings were largely consistent with what could be expected from informing under conditions of high complexity; because value generally derives from combinations of attributes rather than from the sum of individual attributes, we would expect that overall value from informing activities will be perceived even though estimates of the incremental value of that informing cannot be made.

The all-pervasive Internet has created serious problems, such as Internet overuse, which has triggered considerable debate over its relationship with addiction. To further explore its genetic susceptibilities and alternative explanations for Internet overuse, we proposed and evaluated four hypotheses, each based on existing knowledge of the biological bases of addiction, inattention, novelty-seeking, and harm-avoidance. Four genetic loci including DRD4 VNTR, DRD2 Taq1A, COMT Val158Met and 5-HTTLPR length polymorphisms were screened from seventy-three individuals. Our results showed that the DRD4 4R/4R individuals scored significantly higher than the 2R or 7R carriers in Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The 5-HTTLPR short/short males scored significantly higher in IAT than the long variant carriers. Bayesian analysis showed the most compatible hypothesis with the observed genetic results was based on attention (69.8%), whereas hypotheses based harm-avoidance (21.6%), novelty-seeking (7.8%) and addiction (0.9%) received little support. Our study suggests that carriers of alleles (DRD4 2R and 7R, 5-HTTLPR long) associated with inattentiveness are more likely to experience disrupted patterns and reduced durations of Internet use, protecting them from Internet overuse. Furthermore, our study suggests that Internet overuse should be categorized differently from addiction due to the lack of shared genetic contributions.

As the complexity of a system grows, the challenge of informing the stakeholders of that system grows correspondingly. Nowhere is that challenge more daunting than in business education, where globalization, technological innovation, and increasingly complicated regulations continuously transform the business environment facing graduates and practitioners. Informing science theory proposes that different levels of complexity require different channels if effective informing is to be achieved. The paper first examines how two important sources of complexity—the diversity of clients and the ruggedness of the business landscape—are changing, and how these changes demand vastly more interactive informing channels if impact is to be achieved. Using an exploratory case study methodology, it then takes a detailed look at how one institution—the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business—has introduced a variety of new channels, many of which enable informing flows without necessarily directing them, to adapt to these environmental changes. It then considers both outcomes related to these individual informing channels and college-wide outcomes related to a broad and deep mosaic of informing flows. Finally, it considers the question of the resources required to support these new channels and the relationship between resource acquisition and channel introduction. The proposed framework for looking at business school informing channels can be applied by administrators, faculty members, and key stakeholders in understanding, evaluating, and planning programs and activities supporting informing in a complex environment. Ultimately, the informing business school framework may also provide a means for communicating impact to business school accrediting agencies (such as AACSB).

Aim/Purpose : An important objective of any firm is escalation of its performance and the achievement of competitive advantages. Supply chain agility plays a prominent role to enhance the level of firm’s performance. Moreover, information technology (IT) plays a foundational role in supply chain management practices. Hence, this study proposes the relationship between IT integration as the competency of IT and firm’s market performance both directly and through mediating role of supply chain agility. Background: Many studies have been done to date on the impact of supply chain agility on overall firm’s performance. However, the effect of an agile supply chain on firm’s market performance per se needs to be studied. Furthermore, there is a gap in the literature about the effect of IT competency such as IT integration on firm’s market performance both directly and through mediating role of supply chain agility. Recommendation for Researchers: The first direction this study gives to researchers is to consider the different factors which have significant effect on the agility of supply chain, particularly the IT related ones. The second direction is about the study on the effect of IT competencies and supply chain agility on each category of firm’s performance separately instead of considering it as a one construct. Impact on Society : Although this is a conceptual study, it can highlight the importance of IT competency not only in our daily life, but also in our businesses and industries. Future Research: This study only proposes some relationships based on theory and literature. Future researchers can test these proposed relationships in different contexts and compare the results. Furthermore, this study proposes the relationships for large manufacturing sector in developing countries. The model could be tested for SMEs as well. In addition, the proposed theoretical model in this study might be tested in both developing as well as developed countries to compare the results which will be contributed to the body of knowledge.

Aim/Purpose: This paper describes an empirical examination of how users’ willingness to disclose personal data is influenced by the amount of information provided on landing pages – standalone web pages created explicitly for marketing or advertising campaigns. Background: Provision of information is a central construct in the IS discipline. Content is a term commonly used to describe the information made available by a website or other electronic medium. A pertinent debate among scholars and practitioners relate to the behavioral impact of content volume: Specifically, does a greater amount of information elicit engagement and compliance, or the other way around? Methodology: A series of large-scale web experiments (n= 535 and n= 27,900) were conducted employing a between-subjects design and A/B testing. Two variants of landing pages, long and short, were created based on relevant behavioral theories. Both variants included an identical form to collect users’ information, but different amounts of provided content. User traffic was generated using Google AdWords and randomized between the page using Unbounce.com. Relevant usage metrics, such as response rate (called “conversion rate”), location, and visit time were recorded. Contribution: This research contributes to the body of knowledge on information provision and its effectiveness and carries practical and theoretical implications to practitioners and scholars in Information Systems, Informing Science, Communications, Digital Marketing, and related fields. Findings: Analyses of results show that the shorter landing pages had significantly higher conversion rates across all locations and times. Findings demonstrate a negative correlation between the content amount and consumer behavior, suggesting that users who had less information were more inclined to provide their data. Recommendations for Practitioners: At a practical level, results can empirically support business practices, design considerations, and content strategy by informing practitioners on the role of content in online commerce. Recommendation for Researchers: Findings suggest that the amount of content plays a significant role in online decision making and effective informing. They also contradict prior research on trust, persuasion, and security. This study advances research on the paradoxical relationship between the increased level of information and online decision-making and indicates that contrary to earlier work, not all persuasion theories‎ are ‎effective online. Impact on Society: Understanding how information drives behavior has implications in many domains (civic engagement, health, education, and more). This has relevance to system design and public communication in both online and offline contexts. Future Research: Using this research as a starting point, future research can examine the impact of content in other contexts, as well as other behavioral drivers (such as demographic data). This can lead to theoretical, methodological, and practical recommendations.

Aim/Purpose: This article takes ‘tourism decision-making behavior’ as an entry point, and deeply analyzes the factors influencing the travel decision-making of Chinese ‘American Travel’ tourists and their degree of influence, so as to provide a reference for the development of Chinese outbound tourism. Background: With the development of China’s economy and the improvement in people’s level, the outbound tourism market of Chinese residents has developed rapidly. The United States has become an important tourism destination country for Chinese residents’ outbound tourism, and China has also become one of the important tourist source countries of American tourism. However, the rapid development of ‘American tourism’ has also caused competition problems in China’s tourism industry. For example, prices and tourism products have become a means of competition among tourism enterprises. As the main body of consumption, tourists’ decision-making behavior will be affected by various factors. Methodology: Drawing lessons from previous scholars’ research results on tourism decision-making behavior, the influencing factors of tourism decision-making behavior are summarized. A theoretical model and index system of factors influencing tourism decision-making behavior of Chinese residents ‘Travel in the United States’ are established, research hypotheses are put forward, questionnaire data are collected, and SPSS and Amos are used to analyze and verify the theoretical model. Contribution: This research expands the literature on topics related to tourism decision-making in research and practice. It establishes a theoretical model and index system for the factors that influence the decision-making behavior of Chinese residents’ ‘American Travel’ tourism. In addition, we propose countermeasures for tourism products, enterprises, and the government. Findings: Prior knowledge and external information have a positive influence on tourism perception and value perception, and a negative influence on risk perception. Risk perception value perception has a positive and negative influence on tourism decision-making and tourism motivation, respectively. Tourism motivation has a positive influence on tourism decision-making and has a positive impact. Recommendation for Researchers: According to the research conclusions of this article, the following counter-measures and suggestions are put forward from three aspects of tourism: products, enterprises, and governments. On the basis of existing tourism products, relevant operating companies should pay more attention to the upgrading and transformation of tourism, leisure and entertainment products in scenic spots to increase the willingness of tourists to travel. When considering corporate marketing and promotion plans, tourism companies operating related businesses should increase the weight of their marketing budgets in online marketing, increase investment in online marketing, and develop mobile applications that meet the preferences of Chinese residents in the United States. Do a good job in the timely publication of safety reminders and local information. Safety is an important foundation for tourism development and the core concern of many tourists. Future Research: Due to the important research on the impact of tourism activities, the influencing factors are many and complex, and the psychological process of tourism decision-making is carried out directly. There are still unconsidered factors that need to be studied in depth. In the future, it is possible to compare multiple resource-featured themes, and increase the characteristics of potential tourists, and the factors affecting the selection behavior of regional cultural tourists, and so forth, in order to make the research more applicable and practical instructive significance.

Aim/Purpose This paper aims to illustrate, through an exploratory ideographic case study, how a Complex Thinking framework can inform the design of scientific events and the facilitation of scientific Inter and Transdisciplinary groups towards positive emergent outcomes, both at the level of the functioning of the group and the collective complexity of their thinking. Moreover, it aims to show how the choice of facilitation strategies can contribute to positive emergent outcomes in the context of a fully online event, with its inherent constraints. Finally, this study aims to conduct an exploratory qualitative evaluation of the participants’ experiences during School, with a focus on the processes and how they relate to the aims of the School and the goals of the facilitation. Background Science needs to embrace modes of knowing capable of generating more complex (differentiated, integrated, recursively organized, emergent), ecologically fit, and creative responses, to meet the complexity of the world’s challenges. New formats and strategies are required that attend to the facilitation of Inter and Transdisciplinary scientific events and meetings, towards creative and complex outcomes. A Complex Thinking framework provides suggestions for the facilitation of Inter and Transdisciplinary meetings and events through targeting key properties which may lead to the emergence of complex and creative outcomes. Methodology We adopt an ideographic case study approach to illustrate how a complex systems approach, in particular a Complex Thinking framework, grounded in an enactive view of cognition, guided the design choices and the facilitation strategies of an online Inter and Transdisciplinary Advanced Training School (Winter School). We aim to illustrate how the facilitation strategies were selected and used to promote deep and creative interactions within the constraints of an online environment. We adopt an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate the participants’ reports of their experiences of the School, in light of the principles and goals that guided its design and facilitation. Contribution This paper opens a new area of theoretical and applied research, under the scope of a Complex Thinking framework, focused on the facilitation of Inter and Transdisciplinarity at scientific events, meetings, and discussions towards complex and creative outcomes. Findings The results of the exploratory qualitative analysis of the participants’ experiences regarding the event suggest a critical role of its methodology in fostering rich, deep, and constructive interactions, in leading to the emergence of a collective group experience, to the integration of ideas, and in facilitating transformative personal experiences, under the effects of the emergent group processes. It suggests that the strategies employed were successful, anticipating and overcoming the particular constraints of an online event. Recommendations for Practitioners This case study suggests that a Complex Thinking framework can fruitfully guide the design of facilitation strategies and activities for scientific events and meetings, activating a number of key relational processes that contribute to or boost the emergence of positive group experiences and the production and integration of novel ideas. Recommendations for Researchers This study calls for action-oriented and applied research focused on the developmental evaluation of innovations, regarding the facilitation of scientific creativity and integration, within the scope of a Complex Thinking approach. Impact on Society This paper calls for new modes of organization and formats of scientific activities, suggesting that Inter and Transdisciplinary events and meetings may benefit from intentional management and facilitation of interactions between participants to produce transformative impacts. It demonstrates the importance of the organizational principles used to plan and run events that engage multiple and various societal agents, from academics to practitioners and social activists, towards enhancing their richness and relevance to complex real-world challenges. Future Research This study highlights the need for process-focused systematic case study research using complex systems-informed designs to explore how and which facilitation strategies may promote which (interaction of) properties of Complex Thinking and associated processes and how, and under which conditions, these lead to more complex and creative outcomes.

This study investigates Anglo expatriate managers learning, knowledge acquisition, and adjustment to the host culture when working within Anglo multi-national companies operating in China. A structural equation model based on data from 121 expatriate managers reveal that Anglo managers adjust more effectively when their learning styles are congruent with the demands of the host culture. Their levels of accumulated managerial tacit knowledge and adaptive flexibility were also associated with their learning styles which in turn led to more effective adjustment to the host culture. Implications for theory, global manager development, and expatriate management are provided.

As evidenced by recent legislation and media attention, eradicating gender inequity in the workforce is of significant importance today. However, this interest in justice stands in bold contrast to the continued wage gap, the steady number of gender discrimination suits filed, and the plethora of cases exposed in the media. Previous data collected in 2006 suggests that university students do not perceive gender discrimination as a threat of major significance to themselves or others. University students tend to minimize or even disregard the likelihood that they will witness or experience gender bias or discrimination in their career. The current study serves as a continuation of and a comparison to the 2006 study, with the goal of determining whether the perspective of university students has shifted, or whether they continue to consider themselves to be immune to the injustice of gender discrimination at work. Our findings suggest that students in this cohort are not only more acutely aware of these issues, but that this awareness has expanded to include increased concern over gender discrimination against men as well. The reluctance of students to believe that they personally will be unaffected by gender discrimination has been and continues to be surprisingly high.