Innovativeness Research Articles

Do technological, environmental and entrepreneurial factors affect social commerce adoption?

PurposeIn today’s business world, adopting social commerce for day-to-day operations has increasingly become an important phenomenon. Several factors have been identified by previous researchers regarding the adoption of social commerce, but academic research is scarce on the relationship between the factors influencing social commerce adoption and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the post-COVID-19 situation. This study aims to identify the impact of technological, environmental and entrepreneurial factors on the adoption of social commerce by SMEs in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study utilised the deductive approach and collected data through a field survey by distributing a five-point Likert scale questionnaire to conveniently selected respondents from Sri Lankan SMEs. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used for the analysis of 384 responses.FindingsThe results revealed that technological factors [technology availability (TA) and cost-effectiveness (CE)], environmental factors [bandwagon effect (BE)] and entrepreneurial factors [attitude (AT), innovativeness (IN) and IT knowledge (IK)] have a significant impact on the social commerce adoption of SMEs in Sri Lanka. This study, as the first of its type, offers insightful information on the influence of variables on the adoption of social commerce after the COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar to any research, this study also has inherent limitations. Due to time and financial restrictions, the study’s convenience sampling method was adopted. The study’s possible limitation is its narrow focus, which could mean that it only examines a select few social media (SM) networks. The study’s conclusions might be less generalised since it focused on the western province of Sri Lanka. Future studies should take a cross-cultural strategy to explore the influence of social commerce adoption to improve the generalisability of research findings.Practical implicationsThis study provides an in-depth assessment of critical factors, facilitating policymakers, owners, leaders and managers (decision-makers) to gain insight into the real influencing factors on social commerce adoption and the significance of SM. The study helps them comprehend how outstanding governance and knowledge of influencing factors can boost SME success in various ways. For example, research reveals that various factors have a major influence on social commerce adoption.Social implicationsThere has been limited research conducted on social commerce adoption after the COVID-19 pandemic period; thus, this study looked at the variables influencing it amongst SMEs in a South Asian developing country like Sri Lanka after the pandemic lasted for two years. By placing a strong emphasis on the role of entrepreneurial characteristics and the available technology within one single framework in the context of SMEs and their involvement with social commerce adoption, this study contributes to the past literature by emphasising the role of several significant factors in SMEs' adoption of social commerce. Whilst previous studies looked at multiple factors influencing the adoption of social commerce globally, this study focussed on how these factors have a significant impact on SMEs in Sri Lanka.Originality/valueThis study developed a multi-perspective framework combining technological, environmental and entrepreneurial factors influencing SMEs to adopt social commerce. The study provides a contribution to the literature on social commerce adoption from the perspective of SMEs in a developing country like Sri Lanka after COVID-19. Exclusively, it examines the impact of entrepreneur-related factors on social commerce adoption.

Does knowledge management mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance?

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and knowledge management (KM) on firm performance (PERF), as well as the mediating role of KM in the EO–PERF (EO-PERF relationship). In particular, this study aims to explain the impact of KM on the relationship between the EO dimensions and PERF; dimensions are risk-taking (RT), innovativeness (IN) and proactiveness (PR).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses structural equation modelling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methodologies to explore target relationships. The sample consists of 150 small furniture manufacturers operating in Poland (out of 1,480 in the population).FindingsThe study findings show that KM partially mediates the IN–PERF relationship. Furthermore, fsQCA reveals that KM accompanied by IN is a core condition that leads to PERF. Moreover, the absence of KM (accompanied by the absence of RT and IN) leads to the absence of PERF. In addition, the results show that all the variables examined (RT, IN, PR and KM) positively impact PERF.Originality/valueThis study explores the role of KM in the context of EO and its impact on PERF in the low-tech industry. The study uses simultaneously two methodologies that represent different approaches in the search for the expected relationships. The findings reveal that KM mediates the EO-PERF relationship.

Deconstructed entrepreneurial orientation and export performance: mediating role of differentiation and cost leadership strategy from the developing country context

PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine the effects of innovativeness (INN), proactiveness, (PRC) and risk-taking (RIT) on the export performance of apparel small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the role of differentiation and low-cost leadership (LCL) strategies as mediating effects between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) dimensions and the performance of exporting firms. INN, RIT and PRC are considered EO dimensions.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was carried out by providing a questionnaire to the owners, directors and senior managers of the apparel SMEs – the primary data of 550 treated by structural equation modeling (SEM) technique for final data analysis.FindingsThe study has revealed the positive dimensional effect of EO on export performance. For the mediation effects of differentiation and LCL, differentiation strategy (DS) positively mediates between INN, PRC and export performance. However, no mediation has been found between RIT and export performance. On the other hand, LCL has found positive effects between INN, RIT and export performance. However, the mediation effect was absent between PRC and export performance.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations/implications- This study has been conducted on only Muslim owners, senior export managers and directors of apparel SMEs in Bangladesh. It has examined the two main competitive strategies as a mediator between EO dimensions and export performance. The findings of this study are based on one country data analysis.Practical implicationsEO, differentiation and low-cost leadership (LCL) strategy are resources and capabilities of an organization to create a competitive advantage to enhance performance. The factors of this research are helpful for SME practitioners.Originality/valueThe direct and indirect effects (differentiation and LCL strategy) of EO dimensions on export performance in an emerging country, i.e. the South-Asia region, is a pioneer study. Therefore, current research has theoretical and managerial implications for the international business and strategic management literature.

The Effect Of User Readiness Acceptance Of Sijagger V2 Using Technology Readiness Acceptance Model (Tram) (CASE Research: KPPBC TMP A Tangerang)

The digitization of the government system began with the declaration of the Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE) by President Jokowi in August 2018. The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGCE) implemented SPBE by building a Customs Excise Information System and Automation (CEISA) as its main service application, followed by the establishment of other applications other independent applications in the respective regional DGCE Work Units. The breakdown of the CEISA system in July 2021 caused a sizable national loss. To implement the SPBE and anticipate the occurrence of the same damage, KPPBC TMP A Tangerang built several independent applications to support customs and excise services, including Applications in the Tangerang network (SiJagger), Tangerang Customs Email (BeTa), Customs and Excise Service Email (PKC), Treasury Email, and Tangerang Certificate of Origin (SKA) Counter Email. To simplify the number of existing standalone applications, the SiJagger V2 application was created at KPPBC TMP A Tangerang as a replacement so that only one application is sufficient. This research aims to determine the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) of SiJagger V2 users, analyze the Technology Readiness Acceptance Model (TRAM) factors of these users for the SiJagger V2 application itself and to find out what needs to be improved to increase the readiness of the SiJagger V2 users. The data in this research were extracted using a quantitative method with data collection methods in the form of online questionnaires to 134 company respondents using SiJagger V2 in the supervision area of KPPBC TMP A Tangerang. Structural Equation Model (SEM) use as data analysis technique with SmartPLS program. The results from statistical test showed that the TRI index of SiJagger V2 users is included in the Low Technology Readiness category. The results showed that the TRI variables that affected the acceptance of the SiJagger V2 application at KPPBC TMP A Tangerang included the Optimism (OPT) and Innovativeness (INN) variables which had a significant positive effect, while the Discomfort (DIS) and Insecurity (INS) variables had a significant negative effect. Variables of TRAM that affect acceptance of SiJagger V2 application at KPPBC TMP A Tangerang include the variables Perceived ease of use (PEU), Perceived usefulness (PU), and Behavioral intention (BI) which have a significant positive effect, which is explained as follows: (1) OPT has positive significant effect on PEU, (2) OPT has positive significant effect on PU, (3) INN has positive significant effect on PEU, (4) INN has positive significant effect on PU, (5) DIS has negative significant effect on PEU , (6) DIS has negative significant effect on PU, (7) INS has negative significant effect on PEU, (8) INS has negative significant effect on PU, (9) PEU has positive significant effect on PU, (10) PEU has positive significant to BI, (11) PU has positive significant effect on BI. Results of this research are expected to be used as an evaluation of SiJagger V2 KPPBC TMP A Tangerang to be better so that SiJagger V2 users get customs and excise services faster and respond better, have a better experience in accessing information so that they are satisfied with the services provided by KPPBC TMP A Tangerang and increasing state revenue in the field of customs and excise.

Research on Evaluation Elements of Urban Agricultural Green Bases: A Causal Inference-Based Approach

The construction of agricultural green bases is an important part of sustainable agricultural development. This paper takes urban agriculture green bases in Shanghai as an example, choosing base construction elements, production, and ecological construction elements, as well as status assessment elements as evaluation indicators, in order to construct an evaluation system for urban agriculture green bases. Using a Bayesian network, typical urban agricultural green bases in six agricultural districts of Shanghai were evaluated. The construction of the evaluation system was analyzed by using intervention, counterfactual inference, and other methods to analyze the correlation and importance of the indicators. The results show that there are differences among the bases in various indicators, but they all reach a high level overall; base construction elements as well as production and ecological construction elements are the main factors affecting the level of urban agricultural green bases; improving the base management system (BMS), innovativeness (IN), and economic benefits (EBs) are key ways to improve the production capacity of agriculture green bases. Green base construction should pay attention to top-level design, coordinate the planning of industrial layout, technical mode, scientific and technological support, and supporting policies. Based on the conclusion, this paper provides some useful recommendations for creating urban agriculture green bases, which help promote urban agriculture transformation, upgrading, and coordinating development between urban and rural areas.

Entrepreneurial Marketing Practices and the Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kogi State

Purpose: This study is aimed at the entrepreneurial marketing practices (EMP) and performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kogi State.Methodology:A survey research design was used for the study. The researchers gathered data from 208 participants. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.Findings: Findings showed that SMEs' proactive-ness (PROA) and customer satisfaction have a negative association. However, the relationship is insignificant (p>0.05). Risk-taking (RSKT) and innovativeness (INVT) of SMEs and customer satisfaction have a favorable link that is statistically significant (p<0.05).Implication:The study concludes that SME owners and managers must properly evaluate their EMP, which may be the possible cause of the inability to cope with the dynamic and competitive business climate. The study recommended, among others, that SME owners and managers embrace more innovativeness and risk-taking disposition to achieve improved performance relative to customer satisfaction and combine entrepreneurial marketing skills of risk-taking and innovativeness.

Validation and testing of a measurement model for the assessment of agripreneurial competencies

PurposeThis article aims to develop a measurement scale for assessing agripreneurial competencies relevant to emerging economies in alignment with the SDG2 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.Design/methodology/approachThe scale development procedure includes item development and refinement, data collection, reliability and validity tests and scale purification with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).FindingsThe validated scale carries eight dimensions of competencies: Agreeableness (AG), Technological Competency (TC), Competitive Spirit (CS), Innovativeness (IN), Self-Confidence (SC), Social Responsibility (SR), Conscientiousness (CO) and Leadership (LS). The analysis puts forth a good and fit model, and the new scale reports sufficient convergent and discriminant validity.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is focused on the agripreneurial competencies of individual agripreneurs; institutional agripreneurs are excluded from the study.Social implicationsIdentifying prominent agripreneurs using the scale developed from this study will aid in allocating various government and non-governmental organisations' assistance to agripreneurs. Since developing economies rely heavily on agriculture, any positive contribution can help alleviate poor economic growth, end hunger, and promote sustainable agriculture (SDG 2 of 2030).Originality/valueThough several scales for measuring entrepreneurial competencies are available, there is no standard scale to measure agripreneurial competencies. This article presents the development and validation of a measurement scale to assess the major competencies of agripreneurs that influence agripreneurship performance.

Smart mobile tourism app featuring augmented reality and big data analytics: an empirical analysis using UTAUT2 and PCT models

Purpose Considering the limited understanding of determinants influencing the adoption of smart mobile tourism app (SMTA) featuring augmented reality (AR) and big data analytics (BDA), privacy concern (PC) and the risk of privacy information disclosure (PI) have threatened SMTA adoption. This study aims to propose an expanded consumer acceptance and use of information technology (UTAUT2) model by including new contextual components, integrated with privacy calculus theory (PCT) model to examine the determinants influencing behavioural intention (BI) to use SMTA. Design/methodology/approach Personal innovativeness (IN) and privacy information disclosure (PI) are incorporated in UTAUT2 model to determine its effect on SMTA featuring AR and BDA technologies from smart perspective. Both privacy concern (PC) and privacy risk (PR) derived from PCT model are also included to determine its influences on an individual's willingness to disclose privacy information for better-personalised services. We collected responses from 392 targeted participants, resulting in a strong response rate of 84.66%. These responses were analysed statistically using structural equation modeling in both SPSS 22.0 and SmartPLS 3.0. Findings Findings showed that personal innovativeness (IN), habit (HT) and performance expectancy (PE) significantly affect behavioural intention (BI) while privacy concern (PC) significantly affect privacy information disclosure (PI) to use SMTA. In contrast, effort expectancy (EE), hedonic motivation (HM) and privacy information disclosure (PI) had no significant effects on behavioural intention (BI) while privacy risk (PR) had no significant effects on privacy information disclosure (PI) to use SMTA. Originality/value The study findings help tourism practitioners in better comprehending recent trends of SMTA adoption for establishing targeted marketing strategies on apps to improve service quality. In addition, it enables app development companies acquire app users’ preferences to enhance their app development for leading app usage.

Is innovativeness influenced by proactiveness and risk-taking? Evidence from Poland based on structural equation modelling

This article focuses on entrepreneurial orientation in a firm’s internationalisation process, which is one of the leading research trends in international entrepreneurship. The objective of the study is to verify the relationship between proactiveness, risk-taking and innovativeness as components of the entrepreneurial orientation of internationalised Polish firms. The article answers the main research question of how proactiveness and risk-taking influence innovativeness as an interrelated three-dimensional construct of entrepreneurial orientation. We present the results of a study based on a stratified sampling of 355 internationalised Polish firms. Structural equation modelling (CB-​SEM) demonstrated a positive effect of proactiveness (PROACT) and risk-taking (RISK) on innovativeness (INNO) as an interrelated three-dimensional construct of entrepreneurial orientation. Moreover, the level of proactiveness (PROACT) and risk-taking (RISK) explained 32% of the variation in innovativeness (INNO), which is high in social sciences, including business studies.

Exploring the Mechanisms Linking Perceived Organizational Support, Autonomy, Risk Taking, Competitive Aggressiveness and Corporate Sustainability: The Mediating Role of Innovativeness

To achieve organizational performance excellence, modern organizations have not only the option but the necessity to adapt and implement corporate sustainability (CS) practices. CS changes previous business models, taking into account environmental and social aspects, thereby determining the success of the organization. The implementation of CS is, however, reinforced or limited by a number of internal and environmental factors. The main research goal was therefore to identify and evaluate the mechanisms linking perceived organizational support (POS) and entrepreneurial orientation dimensions such as autonomy (AU), risk taking (RT), competitive aggressiveness (CA) and innovativeness (IN) with CS. In order to verify the research hypotheses, a survey was conducted on a group of 200 small and medium-sized enterprises in 2022. A managerial approach was used in the study. The respondents used a 5-point Likert scale for the assessment of their attitudes and opinions. The relationships have been examined using structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that the type of enterprise moderates the relation between perceived organizational support and corporate sustainability, and innovativeness mediate this relation.

Sustainable Development and Saudi Vision 2030: Entrepreneurial Orientation of Students Toward E-Businesses and Proposed Model of “Virtual Business Incubator” for SEU

This study aims to explore Saudi students’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO) toward e-businesses in the line of achieving the strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Saudi Vision 2030 (hereafter, Vision 2030) is a strategic framework to attain the sustainable development of Saudi Arabia. It was first announced by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in April 2016. Authors have proposed a Saudi Vision Linkages Model to show the role and importance of university education (UE) and entrepreneurial culture in fulfilling the specific requirements of the Saudi labor market to attain the ultimate strategic objectives of Vision 2030. The authors also proposed a conceptual model of the study to depict the relationships of EO with their entrepreneurial intention toward online businesses (e-EI). The study used a multidimensional model of the EO where three subdimensions, namely risk-taking propensities (RTP), innovativeness (INV), and pro-activeness (P-ACT), are used. The conceptual model of the study also shows UE and gender (GEN) as moderating variables. The authors used convenience sampling to collect cross-sectional data and conducted an online survey among the students at Saudi Electronic University (SEU) using a 5-point Likert-type scale to collect the data through a questionnaire, observing a total of 17 items and 408 filled questionnaires were received. Authors proposed six hypotheses where four hypotheses build the direct relations, namely, RTP (H1), INV (H2), P-ACT (H3), and UE (H4) with e-EI and hypotheses H5 and H6 are further divided into the subhypotheses, respectively, in H5a, H5b, H5c and H6a, H6b, H6c to show the moderating effect of UE (H5) and GEN (H6). SmartPLS 4.0 software is used to apply structural equation modeling for the analysis of data. Reliability, composite validity, discriminant validity, and model-fit indices of the measurement model are assessed before running a bootstrapping to measure the significance and standardized β estimates of the paths of hypotheses (structural model analysis). After analyzing the results, in the suggestions section, the authors have suggested that the university build a university business incubator for the students to promote entrepreneurial activities on all the campuses with a head office in the Riyadh campus.

Inside entrepreneurial orientation: Do risk-taking and innovativeness influence proactiveness?

The article focuses on the interdependencies within entrepreneurial orientation. The objective of the study was to verify the relationship between risk-taking and innovativeness, on the one hand, and proactiveness on the other hand, as three elements of entrepreneurial orientation of internationalized firms. The main research question the article answers is: In what way do risk-taking and innovativeness influence proactiveness within the interrelated three-dimensional construct of entrepreneurial orientation? The article employs structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) to analyse survey results based on a stratified sampling of 355 internationalized firms from Poland. The empirical findings demonstrate the positive impact of risk-taking (RISK) and innovativeness (INNO) on proactiveness (PROACT) within the interrelated three-dimensional construct of entrepreneurial orientation. Moreover, the level of risk-taking (RISK) and innovativeness (INNO) accounts for 36% of the variation in proactiveness (PROACT), which is considered high in social sciences, including business studies.

The Influencing Factors of Users’ Attitudes and Continuance Intention for Olympic Viewing on Mobile Applications in China

Along with the proliferation of the mobile information system, broadcasters depend on multiple channels to distribute the massive amount of Olympic content. Users’ viewing habits for the Olympics gradually tend to be diverse, and undergo changes from the outlets of television to mobile broadcasting on smartphones. Through the mobile application of rights holding broadcasters, the users not only watch high-quality live-streaming content via multiple platforms but also enjoy interviews with athletes after the competition. In this way, it is necessary to investigate the users’ potential attitudes and intentions toward mobile viewing regarding the emerging techniques. In this study, we conduct an online survey to reveal the influencing factors of users’ attitudes and continuance intention of Olympic viewing on a mobile app during the period of Tokyo 2020 Summer and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where a total of 439 valid responses are collected. A conceptual model integrating the technology acceptance model and information system success model is established, which consists of information quality (IQ), system quality (SYQ), subjective norms (SN), innovativeness (INN), perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived enjoyment (PE), attitude (ATT), and continuance intention (CI). For the measurement, partial least square structural equation modeling is adopted to test the proposed model. The results show that respondents hold positive attitudes and robust continuous intentions towards mobile viewing. We also find that the constructs of IQ, SYQ, SN, INN, PEOU, and PE have a direct impact on attitude and continuance intention, which explained 80.6% and 70.8% of the variance, respectively. Although PEOU, PE, and SN are unexpected to have no direct correlation with CI, all of them can indirectly impact CI via the mediation of ATT. Therein, the moderation effects of average time focusing on Olympic contents and app usage time per session exists between PEOU and CI and SN and CI, accordingly. Through empirical investigation, this study offers a glimpse into individuals’ perception and willingness to mobile Olympic viewing, which aims to provide a reference for relevant Olympic service providers.

Refining mobile location-based service adoption: the lens of pull effect- and push effect-related motivations

PurposeMobile location-based service (m-LBS) seems like a new class of personalized service due to location positioning technologies. This work aims to investigate consumer readiness (RED) toward m-LBS based on integrating pull effect- and push effect-related factors into the technology acceptance model (TAM).Design/methodology/approachAn online survey collected data from 423 participants, and the research framework was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results divulge that consumer RED is determined by TAM antecedents, including usefulness (USE) and ease of use (EOU). EOU motivates USE in m-LBS. Regarding pull effect-related factors, absorptive capacity (ABC) is the strongest positive factor influencing consumer RED to use m-LBS, followed by technology willingness (TWI) and innovativeness (INN). Moreover, INN, trust (TRU) and perceived risk (RIS) significantly influence USE and EOU.Originality/valueThis work endeavors to explicate customer RED toward m-LBS by incorporating some meaningful pull effect-related dimensions (i.e. ABC, TWI and INN) and pushing effect-related dimensions (i.e. RIS) into crucial antecedents rooted in TAM. Thus, the findings assist practitioners in developing marketing strategies by boosting pull effects and controlling push effects on customer engagement in m-LBS.

Measuring user acceptance of satellite broadband in the UAE

The Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector provides different connectivity solutions in urban areas. Unfortunately, market players make little effort to ensure connectivity to underserved markets. The analysis of the existing ICT market revealed the possibility of a solution to this problem by utilizing the latest advances in satellite communication. It is recognized that connectivity through satellites is generally not a popular option in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), although there are still some underserved markets in the UAE that require better connectivity solutions. In this study, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been used to assess users’ acceptance in the UAE market to introduce NGSO satellite broadband connectivity. We consider the main two independent variables of the model: perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU). Additional two variables had been proposed which significantly affect UAE consumers’ intention to use satellite broadband which are: innovativeness (INN) and satisfaction with current services (SAT). The study results support that PU, PEU, and INN will positively influence the UAE population’s intention to use the service. The hypothesis that PEU will positively affect PU was also supported. The hypothesis that SAT will negatively influence the UAE population’s intention to the service was not supported. Additionally, the study also shows that UAE consumers’ intention to use satellite broadband is unrelated to gender or age group. A set of recommendations were drawn to support the smooth introduction of NGSO satellite broadband service in the UAE.

Analysis of the Influence of Technological Innovativeness on Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and Perceived Playfulness and their implications for Usage Intention: An analysis of LinkAja application users

By using the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) framework, this study aims to investigate the factors that influence the usage intention of e-wallet applications, especially LinkAja, to make payments in today's digital era. Through the data collection process carried out by surveying 100 respondents, the results found show that the technological innovativeness (IT) variable can indirectly affect usage intention through the variable perceived ease of use and perceived playfulness, besides that it was also found that the variable perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived playfulness (PP) has a positive effect on usage intention. By investigating digital payments using e-wallets as a means of transactions, this study is expected to contribute to the development of the LinkAja application as one of the largest e-wallet companies in Indonesia, because the digital economy is one of the stimuli that could support the economic development of a country. In addition, the digitization of monetary transactions around the world is also a major factor requiring the use of e-wallets by the public, thereby increasing the number of users in the future. This research is certainly quite important to do because it is hoped that it can add insight to the public about the LinkAja e-wallet and also help the LinkAja company to find out what things affect people's intentions to use LinkAja as their e-wallet so that the company can adjust its development. going forward with variables that do affect the desire to use LinkAja.

A NEW LOGARITHM METHODOLOGY OF ADDITIVE WEIGHTS (LMAW) FOR MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING: APPLICATION IN LOGISTICS

Logistics management has been playing a significant role in ensuring competitive growth of industries and nations. This study proposes a new Multi-Criteria Decision-making (MCDM) framework for evaluating operational efficiency of logistics service provider (LSP). We present a case study of comparative analysis of six leading LSPs in India using our proposed framework. We consider three operational metrics such as annual overhead expense (OE), annual fuel consumption (FC) and cost of delay (CoD, two qualitative indicators such as innovativeness (IN) which basically indicates process innovation and average customer rating (CR)and one outcome variable such as turnover (TO) as the criteria for comparative analysis. The result shows that the final ranking is a combined effect of all criteria. However, it is evident that IN largely influences the ranking. We carry out a comparative analysis of the results obtained from our proposed method with that derived by using existing established frameworks. We find that our method provides consistent results; it is more stable and does not suffer from rank reversal problem.

Information communication technology acceptance and usage in the microfinance sector: The perspective of least developed countries

This study aims to identify the determinants that influence the acceptance and usage of ICT among microfinance employees in the least-developed countries. It extended the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model with the inclusion of Innovativeness (IN) from the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory. The quantitative approach was adopted, with a survey questionnaire distributed online to microfinance employees in Yemen, completed by 195 respondents. Both measurement and structural data analyses were employed through Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), using Smart PLS software. The results show that the UTAUT variables Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Facilitating Conditions (FC) and IN were significant predictors of Behavioural Intention (BI) to accept and use ICT by microfinance employees, but not Social Influence (SI). The results also reveal that the most significant factors affecting BI were EE followed by PE, IN and FC respectively; BI was the most significant factor affecting Use Behaviour (UB) of ICT among the tested relationships in the study model. Significantly, the results show that IN was a crucial factor as it significantly affected PE, EE and BI to use ICT. The outcomes of the study will assist decision makers to make appropriate interventions for the effective use of ICT by employees in a flourishing and infant industry like microfinance. Consequently, it will help in eradicating and eliminating poverty, a global issue.

Students perceptions of using mobile technologies in informal English learning during the COVID-19 epidemic: A study in Chinese rural secondary schools

During the COVID-19 quarantine period, mobile technologies have been greatly promoted to be used by students to assist their learning. Although mobile learning has been well researched, studies investigating rural school students’ intentions were not enough. This study investigated rural secondary school students’ mobile technology uptake and their perceptions of using mobile technologies in informal English learning during the COVID-19 epidemic. Results suggested Chinese rural school students held positive attitudes towards mobile assisted English learning, and they most tended to use smartphones, followed by portable electronic dictionaries, tablets and laptops in informal English learning. Rural secondary school students’ behavioral intentions (BI) were significantly influenced by perceived usefulness (PU), facilitating conditions (FC) and attitude towards use (ATU) of mobile devices. Innovativeness (INNO) and perceived ease of use (PEU) did not significantly influence students’ behavioral intentions. These factors explained 83.1% of variance of students’ behavioral intentions. Based on the findings, the study offers suggestions that teachers, governments and educational policy makers take measures to pay attention to students’ mobile learning in informal English learning.

Extending the debate over entrepreneurial education effectiveness: the case of a Saudi university

PurposeThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of entrepreneurial education (EE) through its impact on the predictor of behavior, which is entrepreneurial intention (EI), by studying the context of a Saudi university, in this case, Umm Al Qura University (UQU). The research theorizes a relationship between EE, innovativeness (INN) as a dimension of personality traits (PTs), and EI, mediated by entrepreneurial motivation (EM). Additionally, in this study, INN played a mediator role between EE and EI.Design/methodology/approachAll direct and indirect effects were tested using a quantitative approach. A sample of 240 undergraduate UQU students from different specialties was applied. UQU is witnessing an unprecedented movement that seeks to spread entrepreneurial culture throughout the educational system as a whole, following the recommendations of the Kingdom's 2030 vision.FindingsThe results indicate that EE and INN significantly predicted EI, though in an uneven manner. However, EM played a significant mediator role only between INN and EI. INN is a significant mediator in the relationship between EE and EI.Practical implicationsFuture entrepreneurs must learn how to think, communicate, solve problems, deal with failure and exploit new opportunities. However, the debate over the contribution of EE to entrepreneurs is continuing. All educators, government officials, members of society and others are involved in encouraging entrepreneurial initiative. They should consider and understand how to affect entrepreneurial feasibility and desirability.Originality/valueVariables included in the research model are not original; however, rarely in recent research works have psychological variables such as EM and INN been integrated into one model to explain the intention to enterprise business. This study provides a well-supported explanation of intention as a good predictor of entrepreneurial behavior that will be useful to all involved in encouraging potential entrepreneurs to succeed.