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Citizen's adoption of an e-government system: Validating the extended theory of reasoned action (TRA)
No full textNoThe study explores the adoption of an electronic government (e-government) system called online PAN card registration system (OPCRS) in context of India. The study validates the extended theory of reasoned action (TRA) to understand the impact of some of its factors on the citizen's intention to adopt this system. The proposed research model is extended with the variables including perceived usefulness, perceived trust, and self-efficacy as antecedents of attitude and subjective norm, which are the core constructs of the TRA. The eight hypotheses were formulated between six constructs of the proposed extended TRA. The proposed research model is validated using the usable sample of data gathered from 377 respondents. The data was analysed using AMOS 22.0. The empirical findings of the proposed research model indicated the significant relationships of all proposed hypotheses. The study also provides its limitations, future research directions, and implications for theory and practice toward the end
Fostering Financial Inclusion in Developing Countries: Predicting User Acceptance of Mobile Wallets in Cameroon
Get PDFYesFinancial inclusion is a vital development priority for countries worldwide. Mobile wallet (m-wallet) is considered as a disruptive payment method that will substitute the traditional physical wallet to achieve the so-called cashless society and enables financial inclusion. This study aims at developing and testing a research model that integrates a set of technology factors (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, fun to use, monetary value), external factors (peer influence and perceived status benefit), and cultural factors (humane orientation and societal collectivism) to assess the intention to adopt and use m-wallet, for financial inclusion, in a developing country. The proposed conceptual model is tested using data collected from 621 m-wallet users in Cameroon. The model explains 47.5% of the variance of the actual use of m-wallet and 32.90% of the variance of financial inclusion. Finally, implications for research and practice are discussed
Use of ‘Habit’ is not a habit in understanding individual technology adoption: A review of UTAUT2 based empirical studies
Get PDFYes‘Habit’ was the most important theoretical addition into UTAUT2 to challenge the role of behavioural intention as a lone predictor of technology use. However, systematic review and meta-analysis of Price value the other UTAUT2 additional construct revealed major inconsistency of the model with just 41% UTAUT2 based studies including the construct in their research. Thus, the aim of this research is to understand the appropriateness of ‘habit’ construct usage among UTAUT2 based empirical studies and their reason for omission or inclusion. The findings from 66 empirical studies revealed only 23 studies a meagre (35%) utilised ‘habit’ construct and the remaining massive 43 studies (65%) excluded the construct from their research model. The major reason for studies not including “habit” construct was they were examining users of new technology at early stage of adoption where sufficient time hasn’t elapsed for users to form habit. Moreover this study caution the use of experience as an alternative for habit. Since experience can be gained under mandatory settings which is not sufficient enough to form habit that occurs more naturally under voluntary settings. This study also provided number of recommendations for theory and practice based on the findings
Synthesis, characterisation, and in vitro anticancer activity of catalytically active indole-based half-sandwich complexes
Get PDFYesThe synthesis, characterisation and evaluation of the in vitro cytotoxicity of four indole-based half-sandwich metal complexes towards two ovarian cancer cell lines (A2780 and A2780cisR) and one normal prostate cell line (PNT2) are presented herein. Although capable of inducing catalytic oxidation of NADH and able to reduce NAD+ with high turnover frequencies, in cells and in the presence of sodium formate, these complexes also strongly interact with biomolecules such as glutathione. This work highlights that efficient out-of-cells catalytic activity might lead to higher reactivity towards biomolecules, thus inhibiting the in-cells catalytic processes
A crack closure system for cementitious composite materials using knotted shape memory polymer (k-SMP) fibres
Get PDFYesFormation of cracks represents one of the major causes of concrete deterioration, which can lead to durability
and safety issues. In this work, a novel crack closure system is developed, using polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
polymer fibres embedded in a mortar mix. The PET polymer has shape memory properties and shrinks upon
thermal activation, if free to do so, or otherwise exerts shrinkage restraint forces. A single knot was manufactured
at each end of the PET fibres to provide mechanical anchorage into the mortar matrix. Mortar samples with
embedded knotted fibres were pre-cracked and subsequently placed in an oven to thermally activate the polymers
and induce the shrinkage mechanism into the fibres. Crack closure was measured in the range 45–100%,
depending on the geometry, dimension and distribution of the fibres, and the size of the initial crack.This work is supported by UKRI-EPSRC (Grant No. EP/P02081X/1, Resilient Materials 4 Life, RM4L)
New extended Computer Science curriculum model: USE-VQP-VCP (University, Students and Employers – Vendor Qualification Providers – Value Chain Partnership)
No full textYesEmpirically Computer Science (CS) and IT-related graduates are failing to secure specialist posts in the first three years after graduation due to limited skills and specialist experience. This issue contributes to the future skills gap of professionals for our technology-driven world. Consequently there is a growing vendor qualifications market; creditability of digital wallets and their global acceptance. We propose a new CS curriculum business value model comprising academia; embedded yearly industry qualifications; annual short placements (increased employer engagement); industrial placement; an extended academic year; fees (marginal increase). Benefits include: expediting graduates to achieve their long-term goals; skills gap minimised; and employers recruiting ready professionals
A UK survey of COVID-19 related social support closures and their effects on older people, people with dementia, and carers
Get PDFYesObjectives: The aim of this national survey was to explore the impact of COVID-19 public health measures on access to social support services and the effects of closures of services on the mental well-being of older people and those affected by dementia.
Methods: A UK-wide online and telephone survey was conducted with older adults, people with dementia, and carers between April and May 2020. The survey captured demographic and postcode data, social support service usage before and after COVID-19 public health measures, current quality of life, depression, and anxiety. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between social support service variations and anxiety and well-being.
Results: Five hundred and sixty-nine participants completed the survey (61 people with dementia, 285 unpaid carers, and 223 older adults). Paired samples t-tests and X2 -tests showed that the mean hour of weekly social support service usage and the number of people having accessed various services was significantly reduced post COVID-19. Multiple regression analyses showed that higher variations in social support service hours significantly predicted increased levels of anxiety in people with dementia and older adults, and lower levels of mental well-being in unpaid carers and older adults.
Conclusions: Being unable to access social support services due to COVID contributed to worse quality of life and anxiety in those affected by dementia and older adults across the UK. Social support services need to be enabled to continue providing support in adapted formats, especially in light of continued public health restrictions for the foreseeable future.National Institute for Health Research. Grant Number: ARC NWC. University of Liverpool. Grant Number: COVID‐19 Strategic Research Fun
Englishization and the Politics of Translation
Get PDFYesPurpose This article investigates the treatment of translation within the international business and management (IBM) literature in order to highlight colonialist assumptions inscribed in this treatment as a result of the hegemonic status of English.
Design/methodology/approach This investigation takes the form of a systemic literature review to examine the treatment of translation in the IBM literature through a postcolonial lens
Findings The findings demonstrate that despite growing interest in language in international business, matters of translation have received comparatively little attention. However, those articles which do address translation matters tend to do so in five key ways, including epistemological/methodological considerations, exploring translator agency, the investigations of the discursive void/conceptual fuzziness between languages, and approaches which discuss translation as social practice.
Research limitations/implications Despite our critique of English language hegemony, our literature review is restricted to English-language journals, which we acknowledge as problematic and discuss within the article.
Practical implications In exposing the limited treatment of translation within the literature, we provide a call to action for IBM scholars to be more explicit in their treatment of translation in order to ensure representation of cultural and linguistic Others, rather than providing domesticated accounts of multilingual research.
Originality/value Although there have been other articles which have examined translation in the past, this article is the first to do so through a postcolonial lens, demonstrating from a linguistic perspective the colonialist assumptions which are still prevalent in IBM knowledge production as evidenced by the treatment of translation in the field
The Caregiver Health Effects of Caring for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Meta-analysis
Get PDFYesMothers of school age and older children with developmental disabilities experience poorer health than mothers of typically developing children. This review assesses the evidence for the effect on mothers' health of caring for young children with developmental disabilities, and the influence of different disability diagnoses and socioeconomic status.
Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched. Studies measuring at least one symptom, using a quantitative scale, in mothers of preschool children (0-5 years) with and without a diagnosed developmental disability were selected. Random effects meta-analysis was performed, and predictive intervals reported due to high expected heterogeneity.
The meta-analysis included 23 estimates of association from 14 retrospective studies for the outcomes of stress (n = 11), depressive symptoms (n = 9), general health (n = 2) and fatigue (n = 1). Caring for a child with a developmental disability was associated with greater ill health (standardised mean difference 0.87; 95% predictive interval - 0.47, 2.22). The largest association was for mixed developmental disabilities (1.36; - 0.64, 3.36) and smallest for Down syndrome (0.38; - 2.17, 2.92). There was insufficient socioeconomic information to perform subgroup analysis. The small number of studies and data heterogeneity limited the precision of the estimates of association and generalizability of the findings.
Mothers of young children with developmental disabilities may have poorer health than those with typically developing children. Research is needed to identify whether the relationship is causal and, if so, interventions that could reduce the negative effect of caregiving.Sarah Masefeld was supported by a match funded studentship from the University of York and the Health e-Research Centre ref PhD2016PP2
A qualitative descriptive analysis of nurses' perceptions of hospice care for deceased children following organ donation in hospice cool rooms
Get PDFYesFollowing organ donation, bodies of children are generally cared for in hospital mortuaries or by funeral directors, and their families are offered little routine bereavement support. A partnership between an organ donation nursing team and regional children's hospice trialled an initiative where families were offered bereavement support from the hospice, and their child's body was cared for in a 'cool room' after death. Hospice services are usually restricted to children with life-limiting conditions, and their families.
To explore the perceptions and experience of nursing staff who are involved in supporting families of children and young people who have been cared for in children's hospice cool rooms after death, following organ donation.
A qualitative exploratory study consisting of a focus group interview with registered nurses from the children's hospice and organ donation teams.
A purposeful sample of nurses was recruited. Data were collected in a digitally-recorded focus group interview during March 2018. The interview was transcribed and analysed using a qualitative content approach.
Six nurses participated in the focus group. Analysis revealed five themes that characterised the perceptions of nurses: (i) barriers to care, (ii) bereavement care for families, (iii) impact on families and staff, (iv) influencers and enablers of change, and (v) sustainability of new practices.
Nurses perceived the long-term, responsive and family-centred approach to bereavement support as a strength of the hospice model, reducing the experience of moral distress in organ donation nurses