Usage Intensity Research Articles

Social Media Usage Intensity and Academic Performance among Undergraduate Students in Saudi Arabia

As the statistics show, use of social media networks (SMNs) are very common among college students worldwide. According to a report by Hootsuite, Saudi Arabia was ranked as the number-one country in the growth of social media users. With the advancement of technology and internet speed, investigating how SMNs affect students has become an absolute necessity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social media networks (SMNs) on the academic performance of undergraduate students across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, taking gender differences into account. An invitation email to participate in the online survey was sent to all undergraduate students at five public universities in Saudi Arabia. In total, 453 students from five public universities participated in this study. The results suggested that female students tend to spend more time on SMNs for general purposes and academic purposes than male students. In regard to multitasking with SMNs during schoolwork and social media usage intensity, the results showed no significant differences between male and female students. Finally, the regression analysis showed a positive relationship between students’ academic performance and SMNs usage intensity after gender and high school GPA were controlled for.

Does Bike Sharing increase House Prices? Evidence from Micro-level Data and the Impact of COVID-19

With unique datasets, this paper studies the effects of dockless bike sharing on house prices. We find that in neighborhoods relatively far from subway stations, house prices increase with the usage intensity of shared bikes. This indicates a positive value of bike sharing as a complement to the subway network. Meanwhile, shared bike usage intensity also has a negative impact on house prices. The negative effect is mitigated for luxury neighborhoods and neighborhoods near City Management Teams, suggesting that the negative effect is related to bike misplacement. Since the breakout of COVID-19, both the positive and negative price impacts have become more evident. This is consistent with the fact that the user base of shared bikes, which allow for social distancing in an open space, has increased during the pandemic. This may enhance people’s confidence in the long survival of the bike sharing industry.

Islamic Faith-Based Content and Religious Social-media Motives

The predominance and use of social media for sacred and secular purposes have made it imperative to understand the role of social media in people’s religious motives and life. Therefore, grounded in gratification theory, the current study examines the impact of social media usage intensity, social media usage frequency, and religious appreciation in developing and strengthening different motives, i.e., ministering, spiritual enlightenment, religious information, relaxing entertainment, and well-being, among the followers of social media pages/accounts/sites for faith-based content. Following a quantitative research methodology, data were collected from the 562 followers of social media, i.e., Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in SmartPLS3 software. The results revealed that social media usage intensity and frequency positively influenced all five motives of individuals with a higher impact on individuals’ motive of gaining religious information followed by spiritual enlightenment and well-being. Likewise, religious appreciation positively impacted all five motives of individuals to assess the faith-based content on social media pages/accounts/sites. However, the intensity of the impact varied from well-being, relaxing entertainment, ministering, religious information to spiritual enlightenment from the highest to lowest level, respectively. Moreover, the unique concept, theoretical and practical implications, and future research insights of the study are major advances to literature in the field.

Needs affordance as a key factor in likelihood of problematic social media use: Validation, latent Profile analysis and comparison of TikTok and Facebook problematic use measures

Despite increasing concerns of maladaptive cognitive responses associated with social media, estimates of its prevalence are lacking in the literature. Further, existing studies have disproportionately focused on Facebook, while ignoring the penetration of TikTok and concerns of associated maladaptive behaviors. This study aims to 1) validate scale measures for problematic Facebook and TikTok use (PFU and PTTU) 2) comparatively assess the underlying cognitive pathways of the PFU and PTTU among a sample of university students, 3) determine the cut-off score of the PTTU assessment scale using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) and 4) evaluate the contribution of specific criteria in the diagnosis of PTTU. The scales used to assess PFU and PTTU were found to have appropriate psychometric properties. The scores between the PFU and PTTU scales were found to be strongly associated, however, the relationship was stronger in the group of Facebook users than in the group of TikTok users. Further, the manifestation of problematic use was not consistent between TikTok and Facebook. Loneliness was positively associated with both PFU and PTTU, while self-esteem was negatively associated with PFU only. The optimal cut-off score of the PTTU scale was determined to be 21, giving 8.7% as the estimated prevalence of PTTU. The criteria with the highest predictive power in the diagnosis of addiction among university students were “withdrawal” and “relapse”. The study concludes that while the underlying addiction pathways are similar between platforms the manifestation of maladaptive behavior and the drivers for usage intensity and problematic use are unique.

Occupants’ on-demand control of individual heating devices in rural residential buildings: An experimental scheme and on-site study

A better understanding of actual heating demands is crucial for optimizing operational heating systems, because disparities between expected load and actual demand are key factors in inefficient heating system design, implementation, and corresponding energy loss. Additionally, the discrete, energy consumption-based billing systems applied to freestanding rural residential buildings encourages reductions in energy waste but produces spatially and temporally distinct heating patterns. Conventional heating systems have only basic controls and slow response times that cannot reflect actual user demand. Hence, this paper presents an experimental scheme for measuring room-wise heating demands, and thus, the actual heating demand patterns of rural residential buildings. A case study was conducted on a typical rural residential building in Beijing to validate the method’s feasibility. Real-world usage patterns were obtained using indoor environment sensors and independently-controlled heating devices that collected the operational parameters of each room over three years, in a long-term non-intervention study design. Clustering analysis and various indicators were used to characterize heating demand for each room: heating patterns, usage intensity, and temporal variation. In most case, the occupants heated only a few rooms, rather than the whole building. These results have potential real-word implications for predicting occupant heating behavior and energy conservation.

Impact of Individuals’ Engagement in Social Network-An Extensive Analysis

Social Network (SN) is of avail for sharing information among individuals and communities for different purposes like sharing opinions, feelings, photos, videos and many others. Since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic and the ensuing limitations, the use of Apps on smart devices has exploded. In-line with how much time is spent on SN by a person, the manifestation of physical and mental problems are found in diverse patterns. In this review a comparative account is presented linking the time spent by individuals on social network and the patterns of the resultant health problems in course of time. Most of the earlier studies categorize the users in to various groups based on the time spent on social network. Then they describe the apparent problems that are faced, under two categories, due to the extensive time spent by the users on various social network applications. Finally, the review presents a comprehensive idea of the different analytical techniques used for finding problems faced with respect to the time spent and frequency of social network use. The results on the whole present a variegated picture as regards existence of correlation between intensity of usage and incidence of health problems.

Predicting adolescent perfectionism: The role of socio-demographic traits, personal relationships, and media.

BACKGROUNDThe present study investigated perfectionism from the bioecological model perspective as a multidimensional construct manifested in forms of excessively high personal standards, exaggerated worries about personal mistakes, doubt in one’s performance, oversized order and organization emphasis, and the importance of parental valuations and expectations.AIMTo investigate the relation between perfectionism; the quality of family, peer, and college relationships; and media usage and content interests.METHODSThe research was implemented in 2020 with 203 students (134 female, 66%) aged 18-25 years, enrolled at the University of Osijek in Croatia. The questionnaire had five parts: A) sociodemographic data; B) the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale; C) the “general life satisfaction” and “current situational life satisfaction” scale; D) family, peer, and college relationships quality scale; and E) media usage and content interests scale. All of the implemented instruments showed satisfactory reliability. A hierarchical regression analysis was implemented with the aim of establishing significant perfectionism predictors.RESULTSAge and gender were significant predictors of perfectionism. Participants with lower family relationship quality reported higher parental expectations and complaining as well as significantly higher doubts in personal performance and concern about mistakes. Similarly, a lower peer relationship quality predicted doubts in personal performance and stronger concerns about mistakes. The quality of college relationships positively predicted higher perfectionist personal standards and organization. General life satisfaction predicted higher concerns about mistakes, while current situational life satisfaction predicted higher levels of perfectionist organization. Media usage intensity had no significant effect. Adolescent interest in information-educational media predicted higher personal standards as well as concern about mistakes and organization. Higher interests in entertainment media content predicted more concern about mistakes, while interest in negative media content negatively predicted organization in adolescents. CONCLUSIONSociodemographic traits, relationships with family, peers and colleagues, as well as life satisfaction and media content interests represent significant adolescent perfectionism predictors, explaining 14%-28% of individual perfectionism dimensions.

The Moderating Role of Academic Discipline in Acceptance of Video Technology for Educational Purposes

This study aims to investigate the role played by academic discipline differences in terms of their influence on the acceptance of video technology being used for educational purposes by higher education students. The research model was based on Technology Acceptance Model in which academic discipline (hard, pure, soft, applied) was involved as a moderator variable.Data were collected from 240 students using a questionnaire on which the partial least-squares structural equation modelling and the Henseler's multi-group analysis were used to compare differences among academic discipline-groups. In summary, results show that the degree of importance attached to perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and attitude toward video use when students explain the intensity of their instructional video usage differs between hard/soft, and pure/applied academic disciplines. In the case of hard-pure subjects (e.g. natural sciences) and hard-applied subjects (e.g. engineering or computer science) the intensity of video usage, as a learning resource, is mostly determined by the students' expectations in relation to the effortlessness (or otherwise) of learning with videos. In the case of soft-pure subjects (such as sociology) and soft-applied subjects (such as law and business studies) positive/negative feelings associated with video usage also play an important role in the intensity of video usage as a learning resource. The degree to which a student believes that using videos would enhance his or her learning has a stronger influence on the intensity of video usage in the case of soft-pure subjects than in the case of soft-applied subjects.

Contextual factors moderating the impact of strategic management accounting on competitive advantage

PurposeThis study investigates the influence of six interrelated contextual factors, namely organisational structure, quality of information technology, business strategy in terms of deliberate strategy-formulation, market orientation, market competition and perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU), on the usage intensity of innovative management accounting techniques commonly referred to as strategic management accounting (SMA); the impact of SMA usage on competitive advantage; and the moderating influence of the contextual factors on the relationship between SMA usage and competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were obtained through a structured questionnaire from publicly listed manufacturing companies on the main board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and moderated regression were used to analyse data. Both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine the validity and reliability of variables as first and second order of analysis. Structural equation modelling (SEM) (maximum likelihood estimation method) was applied to assess the robustness of result.FindingsMarket orientation and deliberate strategy-formulation emerged as significant determinants of SMA usage intensity. Although there is a significant relationship between SMA usage and competitive advantage, the strength of the relationship is moderate. Organisational structure, deliberate strategy-formulation and PEU significantly moderate the relationship between SMA usage and competitive advantage.Research limitations/implicationsThe emergence of deliberate strategy-formulation, as both a significant predictor of SMA usage intensity and as the strongest moderator of the relationship between SMA usage and competitive advantage, establish that it is organisations that take a proactive approach to strategy issues that may derive the most benefit from SMA utilisation.Practical implicationsThe result from this study brings to fore the need to involve management accountants in strategy-formulation and implementation in order to leverage their competence in deploying SMA techniques to enhance organisational competitiveness.Originality/valueThe current study is the first, to the researcher's knowledge, to specifically examine interrelated contextual factors distinctively affecting SMA usage and organisational competitiveness in a developing country. Whilst these six factors have been stressed as important determinants of the adoption of innovative management accounting techniques, the study provides empirical evidence on the extent to which they exert on SMA. The study presents empirical evidence on the relevance of market orientation—a construct which has surprisingly received little research attention in management accounting literature—as a variable which could affect the adoption of management accounting innovation.

E-Wallet usage intensity and the determining factors during pandemics

COVID-19 has changed the way we live to the extent of many choices in our lives. Physical distancing measurement that took place months, followed by restriction to travel, to reduce mobility, has been gradually implemented by the government of Indonesia. The e-wallet transaction by volume during the pandemic accounts for 1,7 million times with 67 total users in Indonesia. This study is comprehensive on previous research on 2020 with a smaller sample. This research is aimed to find out 1) the usage intensity of e-wallet amongst them and 2) to understand the underlying factors of using such e-wallet. The data is collected by interviewing 100 students in Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia. The data was then analyzed using NVIVO and interpreted using content analysis to reach the objective of this research. It is found out that 1) undergraduate students use it quite frequently, and 2) three key factors as the determining factors, namely practicality efficiency, and discount. This research aims to contribute to the digital payment literature and future research agenda on e-wallet amongst undergraduate students during pandemic and post-pandemic.

Does Improved Management Practices Usage Affect Farm Income? Evidence from Cassava Farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria

In the face of climate change, improved management practices (IMP) may play a significant role in driving up productivity and profitability. However, studies on the impact of IMP use on farm revenue, particularly among producers of cassava, have not gotten enough attention. So, we looked at how using Improved Management Practices affected the income of cassava growers in Kwara State, Nigeria. The specific goals were to: a) identify the Improved Management Practices used by cassava farmers; b) examine how using Improved Management Practices affected the farmers' farm income; and c) define the poverty profile of the cassava farmers. Using descriptive statistics, index ranking, correlation, and the Foster Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) poverty decomposition model, the cross-sectional data collected from 120 cassava farmers were analyzed. The findings showed that the three most commonly used Improved Management Practices in the research area were guided planting time, herbicides, and guided planting distance. Additionally, the intensity of IMP consumption positively and significantly affects farm income. According to the FGT results, 30% of farmers were in poverty. It is important to explore any tactics and laws that would encourage farmers to learn more about Improved Management Practices and, as a result, enhance the intensity of IMP usage.

Impact of Usage Intensity of Facebook on Fear of Missing Out and Depression:Moderated Mediating Effect of Facebook Usage Behaviour

Impact of Usage Intensity of Facebook on Fear of Missing Out and Depression:Moderated Mediating Effect of Facebook Usage Behaviour

Applications in Human Resource Management: A Study of Authoritative Textbooks

For the purpose of achieving four research objectives: (1) to describe general meaning, types, and utility of applications in Human Resource Management (HRM) useful for teaching and learning purpose; (2) to explore, record, and classify applications in HRM presented in the textbooks on HRM selected for the study; (3) to determine the importance of the classified applications in HRM as per the intensity of usage; and (4) to propose some implications of the findings in the way that will contribute theoretically and practically. The adopted research strategy was the desk research strategy and the study was carried out by using two non-scientific methods, i.e., authority to a greater extent and logical beliefs to a certain extent. By adopting seven conditions 29 authoritative textbooks were utilized and from which a considerable number of applications were explored and recorded. They were logically classified into 15 applications which were arranged in the order of importance in terms of the intensity of usage. Finally, implications were given briefly.

Does the Number of Likes Affect Adolescents’ Emotions? The Moderating Role of Social Comparison and Feedback-Seeking on Instagram

Instagram is a social networking site (SNS) that facilitate the social-comparison and feedback-seeking (SCFS) processes, which are particularly relevant during adolescence. Likes represent numeric evaluative feedback and seem to be considered as a form of social reward. In this research we examine some psychosocial factors that could influence the Instagram usage intensity (i.e. SCFS and motivations) and analyze the moderating role of SCFS in the relationship between the number of likes on posts and adolescents’ emotions. The sample consisted of 182 adolescent students aged between 13 and 18 years (M = 15.35 years, SD = 1.11). The results show that the social interaction, storage, and gossip motivations mediate the relationship between SCFS and Instagram usage intensity, and that the influence of the number of likes on emotions depended on the degree of SCFS. The discussion of the findings emphasizes that likes have a special social and affective relevance for adolescents with high SCFS, who might become more emotionally susceptible to the feedback they received from their audience on Instagram. This research could be a precedent to future research and the development of intervention programs based on the responsible use of SNSs in an educative context.

Does the Intensity of Gadget Use Impact Social and Emotional Development of Children aged 48-72 Months?

Purpose –This study aims to analyze the correlation between the intensity of gadget use and the social-emotional development of children aged 48-72 months.Design/methods/approach – The Study uses quantitative research with a cross-sectional study. The sample includes 126 children using a simple random sampling technique at Al-Furqon Kindergarten and Bunda Ghifari Kindergarten Surabaya, Indonesia. The independent variable is the intensity of gadget use which is measured using a questionnaire. The dependent variable is the children’s social-emotional development as measured by the Questionnaire of Problems and Emotional Behavior.Findings – There is a significant correlation between the intensity of gadget usage and the social-emotional development of children aged 48-72 months (p-value < 0.05). High-intensity gadget use will increase their social-emotional development in the referral category, which means it requires treatment by the experts.Research implications/limitations - The result of this study supports the theory that high intensity of gadget usage on children will affect their social and emotional development. This study only focuses on children’s social and emotional development without examining another developmental variable that may affect the study results.Practical implications – Parents are expected to play a role in supervising and limiting the use of gadgets on children to avoid the negative impacts.Originality/value –This study contributes to the literature by showing the effect of gadget use on children’s social and emotional development.
 Paper type Research paper

Logistics input intensity, trade facilitation and comparative advantage

This paper investigates the impact of trade facilitation on comparative advantage in logistics-intensive manufacturing industries. To capture the industry-level heterogeneity, we introduce logistics input intensity (LII) to measure the degree of logistics service used by different manufacturing sectors. The results show that country-level trade facilitation measured by Logistics Performance Index (LPI) can promote the comparative advantage more in manufacturing sectors with higher usage intensity of logistics, especially in developing countries. Furthermore, after dividing the logistics input intensity into two parts of foreign and domestic, we find that foreign logistics input can enhance manufacturing comparative advantage in countries with low LPI. It is suggested that policymakers in developing countries should formulate specific policies to guide logistics resources toward manufacturing sectors that are more dependent on logistics and open up the logistics services market to take full advantage of foreign logistics services.

Social media marketing, shoppers' store love and loyalty

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of social media marketing activities (SMMA) on shoppers' store love and the impact of store love on store loyalty in grocery retail. Moreover, it explores the mediating and moderating role of store love and social media usage intensity (SMUI).Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted among grocery shoppers and social media users in Norway. A total of 177 valid responses were collected and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe study discovered that SMMA impacts store love, and store love affects store loyalty. Store love serves as a mediator between SMMA and store loyalty. SMUI positively moderates the relationship between SMMA and store love; however, the relationship between store love and store loyalty is not moderated by SMUI.Research limitations/implicationsDespite having limited generalizability from a cross-sectional study, this study provides literary additions to the body of knowledge in grocery retail and enhances the cognitive appraisal theory (CAT) and the attachment theory (AT).Practical implicationsThe findings of this study will help grocery shoppers, store managers and grocery chain marketers to comprehend the role of SMMA in building emotional attachment with a grocery store and help make better decisions.Originality/valueFor the first time, this study incorporated SMUI as a moderator in the relationship between SMMA, store love and store loyalty in grocery retail. The study also proposes a new explanation for the relationship between SMMA and store loyalty by highlighting the mediating role of store love.

Balanced scorecard usage and organizational effectiveness: evidence from manufacturing sector

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the drivers and impact of balanced scorecard (BSC) usage on organizational effectiveness in manufacturing companies. The objectives of the paper were to assess the organizational factors affecting the usage intensity of the BSC; the relative benefits of BSC determining its adoption speed; and the extent to which BSC usage enhances organizational effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a survey research design. Data collection was through a structured questionnaire administered on senior accounting/ finance personnel of 300 manufacturing companies that are members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Binary logistic regression analysis, discriminant analysis and structural equation modeling (maximum likelihood estimation method) were used to analyze survey data obtained from 104 BSC adopters.FindingsResult shows that the three organizational factors affecting BSC usage intensity are affiliation to a foreign entity, availability of specialist skills and business strategy (strategic pattern). The strongest predictor is, however, the availability of specialist skills. The strongest determinants of the BSC adoption speed are the need for financial stability and the importance of customer feedbacks. The impact of BSC usage on organizational effectiveness is positive, statistically significant but weak. The inability of BSC usage to contribute appreciably to organizational effectiveness is attributable to the lack of integration among the performance measures in the BSC framework and the shallow usage rate of BSC.Practical implicationsAlthough it is commendable that financial stability and customer satisfaction strongly drive BSC adoption speed, the low rating recorded by other factors related to product development, employee development and process improvement suggests that the performance measures in the BSC framework are not used in an integrative manner. This also confirms that the BSC, like other innovative management accounting techniques, is applied at a rudimentary level by organizations in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe current study contributes to knowledge by exposing the organizational factors and relative benefits driving BSC adoption. It provides empirical evidence on why the BSC may not deliver the optimal benefit of improving organizational effectiveness despite its popularity and potential as an integrated performance measurement (IPM) apparatus that can add value to organizations. The paper adds to the scarce literature on IPM in developing countries. Drawing from the result that availability of specialist skills is the strongest predictor of BSC usage intensity, the practice of enmeshing the management accounting function with general accounting/finance should be discouraged.

Life Cycle Assessment of Ethiopian Cement Manufacturing: A Potential Improvement on the Use of Fossil Fuel in Mugher Cement Factory

The use of imported fuel in the Ethiopian cement industry increased the cost of production and the environmental burden, necessitating intervention. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, energy usage intensity, and resource exploitation of Ethiopian cement production were evaluated using the life cycle impact assessment (LCA) tool, aiming to recommend improvements. The LCA study used cumulative energy demand (CED) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. For the case study of Mugher cement factory (MCF), the results on energy use intensities showed 3.74, 3.67, and 2.64 GJ/ton of clinker, Ordinary Portland cement (OPC), Pozzolana Portland cement (PPC), respectively. The result revealed MCF's energy use intensity was within the global range of 3.32 to 5.11 GJ/ton of cement production using similar kiln technology. The results on the GHG emissions were 0.87, 0.84, and 0.59 tons of CO2-equivalent/ton of clinker, OPC, and PPC, respectively. Process emissions accounted for 60% of overall CO2 emissions, with energy-related emissions accounting for the remaining 40%. CO2 emissions of MCF are below the global limit of 0.9 tons/ton of clinker, where all energy sources are fossil fuels. However, it is higher than the 0.65 ton/ton of clinker from a moderate rotary kiln in China. MCF used 70% of its total energy sources from imported fossil fuels, and transportation of the imported fuel added 1.2% CO2 to total emissions. A suggested fossil fuel use improvement scenario for MCF, where coffee husk replaces 50% of the imported coal improved the energy intensity, GHG emissions, and total cost of coal in clinker production by 1.2%, 14%, 36%, respectively.

Antecedents of social media usage intensity in the financial sector of an emerging economy: a Pls-Sem Algorithm

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to offer a critical understanding of the motivations and benefits of social media usage by small and medium financial enterprises with an empirical study from an emerging economy such as Ghana. Based on previous studies, the current study hypothesizes that customer-firm relationship, financial expectation, firm’s visibility and growth, and market share expectation drive social media usage intensity in the financial industry. Quantitative data was gathered from management and staff of SMEs, specifically, financial institution outlets (having social media channels i.e., Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.) was used to investigate the proposed conceptual framework. Using structural Equation Modelling, the research showed that customer-firm relationship, financial expectation, firm’s visibility and growth, and market share expectation are positively associated with social media usage intensity within the financial sector. Moreover, it was discovered that financial firms that offer physical products only were equally employing social media networks for marketing communication purposes based on cost-effective motives. At the same time, we found that SMEs are more likely to consider ‘market share expectation’ as a key motivation for social media adoption by the financial industry. The findings from this study have provided some solutions to potential research issues specific to strategic management practices. Limitations and future research directions are discussed in the concluding remarks.