Low Adoption Rates Research Articles

Breaking barriers to adoption: A multi-stakeholder platform approach to promoting improved common bean varieties among farmers in Malawi

Farmers’ low adoption rate of improved common bean varieties is the root cause of other challenges that stakeholders in Malawi's common bean value chain face in marketing, seed production, processing, and consumption. As a result, it is ideal to address the issue of low uptake by encouraging farmers to adopt improved varieties to make more significant contributions to the common bean value chain. The study's main objective was to assess the impact of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) and farmers’ attitudes on the uptake of improved common bean varieties. According to the findings of the KAP survey, there is a correlation between farmers’ knowledge, attitude, and uptake of improved common bean varieties. Using a probit model, the paper discovered that farmers in the project area's intervention site had a 25% higher probability of uptake than farmers in the counterfactual site. Farmer households that were members of MSPs were more likely to participate than farmer households that were not members of any MSP. Meanwhile, farmers who were negative or neutral about the accessibility and affordability of improved common bean varieties were less likely to uptake them than those who were positive. According to the findings, farmers with a neutral attitude toward the yield potential of the improved common bean varieties had a lower probability of uptake than farmers with a positive attitude. Therefore, the study recommends MSP-based initiatives as one way to promote the uptake of improved common bean varieties.

Prevalence and predictors of self-reported hearing aid use and benefit in Norway: the HUNT study

BackgroundKnowledge on hearing aid use and benefit is important to ensure appropriate and effective treatment. We aimed to assess prevalence and predictors of hearing aid use and benefit in Norway, as well as possible birth cohort changes.MethodsWe analyzed two large cross-sectional, population-based hearing surveys of 63,182 adults in 1996–1998 and 2017–2019 (the HUNT study). We used multivariable regression models to examine independent predictors of hearing aid use and benefit, including demography, hearing-related variables, known risk factors for hearing loss and birth cohort.ResultsThe nationally weighted hearing aid use in the adult population increased from 4.2% in 1997 to 5.8% in 2018. The use among individuals with disabling hearing loss (≥ 35 dB HL) increased from 46.3% to 64.4%. Most users reported some (47%) or great (48%) help from their hearing aids. In addition to the level of hearing loss and birth cohort, factors associated with hearing aid use included lower age, tinnitus, childhood-onset hearing loss, higher education, marriage, having children, being exposed to occupational noise or impulse noise, recurrent ear infections, and head injury. In addition to the level of hearing loss, factors related to hearing aid benefit included younger age, female gender, and higher income. Being bothered by tinnitus reduced the benefit.ConclusionOur study shows an increase in self-reported hearing aid usage over time in Norway, with lower adoption rates and perceived benefits observed among the elderly. The results suggest that having a spouse and children positively influences the adoption of hearing aids. These findings emphasize the necessity of customized strategies to address demographic disparities and the need for innovative enhancements in hearing rehabilitation programs.

ENTREPRENEURIAL E-COMMERCE MARKETING TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (MSMES) IN BANDAR LAMPUNG CITY

In Bandar Lampung, approximately 18% of MSMEs have not embraced e-commerce, despite its growing popularity and convenience. Limited access to technology and the internet, lack of digital literacy, concerns about security and trust, and traditional business practices are all factors contributing to this low adoption rate. This research aims to empirically investigate how digital marketing affects intellectual capital, perceived quality, and overall performance of MSMEs. Additionally, it explores the impact of MSMEs' intellectual capital and perceived quality on their performance. Employing a quantitative approach with descriptive analysis, this study targets MSME actors in Bandar Lampung. The sampling strategy involves multi-stage cluster purposive sampling, selecting 366 respondents for data collection through an online questionnaire using Likert scales. The analysis is conducted using Smart PLS, and the results reveal that digital marketing significantly and positively influences intellectual capital, perceived quality, and overall performance of MSMEs. Furthermore, both intellectual capital and quality perception show a positive and significant influence on MSME performance.

Stakeholder analysis for effective implementation of water management system: Case of groundwater charge in South Korea

Groundwater Charge was introduced in 2005 as one of the sustainable resource management measures in South Korea. The implementation rate, however, stagnated around 37 %, indicating that most local governments chose not to adopt this ‘optional’ regulation. While previous Stakeholder Analysis studies mainly blamed exclusion – or limited involvement – of stakeholders in the designing and structuring stage of policy-making process for policy failures, this study focused on the interest conflicts and dynamics hindered implementation process. This is because the issue with the subject policy, i.e., Groundwater Charge in South Korea, is low ‘implementation rate’ not the ‘collection rate’ or ‘tax deficit.’ If it was simply design or structural issue, the Charge should suffer from tax deficit problem due to lower tax income than operational costs. Thus, in order to investigate the reasons of low Charge adoption rate at the local government level, the Stakeholder Analysis Theory was applied to examine each stakeholder of the Charge to distinguish the interaction among supportive and opposing groups. The analysis revealed that there are only strong opponents of the policy without clearly identifiable supporters. Having agricultural & fishery industry and small independent businesses in spas, hotels, and swimming pool as strong Players, the Context setters (local governments) are not motivated to enforce Groundwater charge. Furthermore, today's social norm governed by economic efficiency is preventing the environmentalists and other Subjects to counteract Players. Under these circumstances, this study recommends the Subject to transform the Crowds (general public) into policy supporters through education. Environmental education is the only viable means to encourage necessary paradigm shift to enable effective implementation of environmental policies like Groundwater charge.

The Benefits of Cochlear Implantation for Adults: A Systematic Umbrella Review.

The uptake of cochlear implants among adults who could benefit (based on pure-tone audiometry) in developed countries is estimated to be less than 10%. Concerns about potential surgical complications, fear of losing residual hearing, and limited awareness about the benefits of this intervention contribute to the low adoption rate. To enhance quality of life and improve the uptake of cochlear implants, it is essential to have a clear understanding of their benefits. This umbrella review aims to summarize the major benefits of cochlear implant usage in adults, by synthesizing findings from published review articles. A comprehensive search of databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, was conducted. The search was limited to English-language review articles published between 1990 and 2022, focusing on cochlear implant outcomes in at least 5 adults (aged ≥18 years). Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles, and conducted a quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses. Forty-two articles were included in this review. There were 15 systematic reviews with meta-analysis, 25 systematic reviews without meta-analysis, and 2 systematic scoping reviews. All 42 articles underwent quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses, of which 40% (n = 17) satisfied 9 out of 11 quality criteria. This umbrella review shows that cochlear implants are associated with improvements in speech perception and recognition as well as improved quality of life and cognition. These benefits are observed in a significant proportion of adults undergoing the procedure, highlighting its effectiveness as a viable intervention for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. The potential benefits of cochlear implantation appear to outweigh the risks and complications associated with the procedure. It is recommended that adults with severe to profound hearing loss in particular, engage in informed discussions with healthcare professionals to consider cochlear implantation as a viable treatment option.

Understanding mHealth Adoption and Lifestyle Improvement: An Empirical Test of the Antecedents and Mediating Mechanisms

The potential of using mobile phones for health care service delivery has been well acknowledged. Despite that mobile health (mHealth) related research has proliferated in the past decade, mHealth is still in the fledgling stage with a low adoption rate. There is a research gap in understanding factors influencing mHealth adoption and examining the effects of mHealth use on health outcomes. The purpose of this study was thus to explore influential factors of mHealth use, and test mediation pathways through which mHealth use impacts healthy lifestyle behaviors (e.g. sleep, exercise, and social participation). Survey results from 432 online participants illustrate that performance expectancy, social influence, support conditions, and perceived reliability were significantly associated with mHealth use. However, the impact of effort expectancy on mHealth use was statistically nonsignificant. Moreover, the results indicate that mHealth use can not only contribute to the improvement of healthy lifestyle behaviors directly but also exert an impact through the mediating effect of health competence. Knowing what factors motivate people’s mHealth use and how mHealth use contributes to lifestyle improvement can help trigger interventions to boost mHealth adoption and improve public health. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Unveiling the Biosimilar Paradox of Oncologists' Perceptions and Hesitations in South Korea: A Web-Based Survey Study.

Biosimilars offer a cost-effective alternative to original biopharmaceuticals with comparable efficacy and safety. The perception and familiarity of prescribers toward biosimilars play a critical role in their market penetration. Yet, few studies have explored the perception of oncologists toward biosimilars, much less in Asia. The objective of this study is to understand barriers of adopting biosimilars among oncologists and explore strategies to promote their use in clinical practice settings. A web-based survey was conducted among Korean oncologists from September to October 2022, assessing their perception of biosimilars and prescribing practices. Among the 118 surveyed oncologists, 75.4% (89 out of 118) had previously prescribed biosimilars. When asked about their preference, 48.3% (57 out of 118) of the respondents preferred originators to biosimilars, whereas 16.1% (19 out of 118) favored biosimilars over the originators. The primary reason for preferring the originators was trust in safety and efficacy (94.7%, 54 out of 57). Still, a paradox was noted as 87.0% (47 out of 54) and 85.2% (46 out of 54) of these also acknowledged the comparable efficacy and safety of biosimilars. A relatively small number of the respondents (16.1%, 19 out of 118) did not consider prescribing biosimilars to biologic-naïve patients at all, and up to 56.8% (67 out of 118) expressed reluctance to switch prescriptions from originators to biosimilars. However, 90.7% (107 out of 118) of respondents considered changing their prescription to biosimilars if patients faced financial stress. Concerns regarding the efficacy when switching to biosimilars were expressed by 42.7% (38 out of 89) of oncologists with biosimilar prescribing experience, increasing to 69.0% (20 out of 29) among those without such experience. Korean oncologists perceived biosimilars to be as safe and effective as originators. However, there is a notable mismatch between this perception and their prescribing practices, particularly among those who have not prescribed biosimilars before. The financial burden of patients served as a significant driver for prescribing biosimilars, yet marginal price differences between originators and biosimilars may be associated with the low adoption rate of biosimilars in Korea. Active price competition may enhance market penetration of biosimilars.

Methods for scaling up an outreach intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in rural areas

BackgroundMailed fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outreach and patient navigation are evidence-based practices shown to improve rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) and follow-up in various settings, yet these programs have not been broadly adopted by health systems and organizations that serve diverse populations. Reasons for low adoption rates are multifactorial, and little research explores approaches for scaling up a complex, multi-level CRC screening outreach intervention to advance equity in rural settings.MethodsSMARTER CRC, a National Cancer Institute Cancer Moonshot project, is a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a mailed FIT and patient navigation program involving 3 Medicaid health plans and 28 rural primary care practices in Oregon and Idaho followed by a national scale-up trial. The SMARTER CRC intervention combines mailed FIT outreach supported by clinics, health plans, and vendors and patient navigation for colonoscopy following an abnormal FIT result. We applied the framework from Perez and colleagues to identify the intervention’s components (including functions and forms) and scale-up dissemination strategies and worked with a national advisory board to support scale-up to additional organizations. The team is recruiting health plans, primary care clinics, and regional and national organizations in the USA that serve a rural population. To teach organizations about the intervention, activities include Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) tele-mentoring learning collaboratives, a facilitation guide and other materials, a patient navigation workshop, webinars, and individualized technical assistance. Our primary outcome is program adoption (by component), measured 6 months after participation in an ECHO learning collaborative. We also assess engagement and adaptations (implemented and desired) to learn how the multicomponent intervention might be modified to best support broad scale-up.DiscussionFindings may inform approaches for adapting and scaling evidence-based approaches to promote CRC screening participation in underserved populations and settings.Trial registrationRegistered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04890054) and at the NCI’s Clinical Trials Reporting Program (CTRP no.: NCI-2021–01032) on May 11, 2021.

Adoption of processing technologies and innovative food preservation techniques: findings from smallholders in the Lindi Region in Tanzania

Adopting processing technologies and innovative food preservation is crucial for improving the food security and nutritional status of rural populations in Tanzania and other countries in the Global South. However, low adoption rates among smallholders highlight the need for a better understanding of farmers’ decision-making processes. The aim of this study is to examine extrinsic and intrinsic factors influencing smallholders’ decision-making processes in the adoption of innovative food processing and preservation techniques (specifically, pigeon pea flour-based products, threshers, dehullers) in Mitumbati and Mibure in the Lindi Region in Tanzania. Primary data on 555 farm households were collected using a standardized survey. Extrinsic influential factors were analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis. The results on internal decision-making are based on an analysis of barriers and motivations identified by farmers in relation to the uptake of the different innovations. Training and awareness emerged as the most significant factors positively associated with the adoption of all innovative processing and preservation techniques. Moreover, the results show that the primary drivers for smallholders in the study region to adopt innovative technologies were the potential health benefits and time savings they offered. The main challenge they faced was a lack of knowledge about the innovations. The results indicate that disseminating knowledge is crucial for the successful adoption of innovative processing technology in the study region. Improving and expanding training programs to be more inclusive can help to create incentives and overcome barriers, leading to increased adoption.

How Does Age Moderate the Determinants of Crowdfunding Adoption by SMEs’s: Evidences from Morocco?

In recent years, crowdfunding has emerged as a new fundraising technique for start-up ventures; however, Moroccan small and medium-sized businesses are still wary of this novel source of funding. This is confirmed by the low adoption rate of this financial innovation as well as the limited number of crowdfunding platforms in Morocco. This study aims to identify the impact of performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), and perceived risk (PR) on SMEs’s intention to use crowdfunding platforms using a research model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Empirical data were collected from 241 respondents through a survey, and structural equation modelling was used to analyze the findings. The results show that performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), and facilitating conditions (FE) affect SMEs’s intentions to use crowdfunding. However, social influences (SI) and perceived risk (PR) were not found to be significant determinants. Regarding the moderating effect of age, our study has highlighted that this variable has moderated the relationship between the three independents variables: performance expectancy, facilitating conditions and perceived risk. Finally, this paper offers recommendations for how to increase SMEs’s intention to use crowdfunding platforms.

Revitalising Export Orientated SMEs of Sri Lanka with Trade Credit Insurance

Financial losses due to unsettled receivables from commercial debtors, which expose them to enhanced credit risk, pose a serious challenge to the profitability and expansion of export-orientated small and medium enterprises (SMEs) the world over. Trade credit insurance is a specialised insurance product that aims to mitigate credit risk by protecting the account receivables of businesses involved in international trade. However, the adoption of trade credit insurance amongst export-orientated SMES remains strikingly low. The purpose of this paper was to examine the effectiveness of the use of trade credit insurance in raising the profitability levels of export-orientated SMEs, the reasons for its low adoption rate, and strategies to encourage enhanced utilisation of it among SMEs. The quantitative methodology was employed by way of a survey in conducting this study, which included a sample of 345 managers or owners of export-orientated SMEs in Sri Lanka. Descriptive analysis revealed that 20.9% of the respondents were unaware of the existence and benefits of trade credit insurance, and only 63.2% were utilising trade credit insurance. Ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that SMEs that employed trade credit insurance in mitigating trade credit risk showed significantly higher growth in profitability in comparison to those who did not. Therefore, to revitalise the export-orientated SMEs and enhance their contribution towards the economic prosperity of the country, it is recommended to increase awareness of trade credit insurance among them and strengthen their risk management culture while improving the service quality of service providers.

Adoption of Climate-Smart Rice Production Practices and Technologies: A Tool Towards Rice Production Efficiency and Agricultural Sustainability

Climate change and high rice imports pose significant threats to local rice production, food security, and the livelihoods of rice farmers. This study examines the potential of climate-smart rice practices and technologies to enhance domestic production and adapt to environmental changes in major rice-producing municipalities within South Cotabato, Region 12, focusing on the clusters of Norala, Santo Niño, and Banga. Using surveys from 189 farmers and interviews with technical personnel, the study identified synchronous planting, alternate wetting and drying (AWD), and direct seeding as the most commonly adopted practices. Conversely, rainwater catchment facilities and Rice Crop Manager (RCM) technology had lower adoption rates. Cost and return analyses demonstrated increased yields and net income for farmers employing the most adopted practices. The findings suggest that higher adoption rates for climate-smart practices can be achieved through training programs, financial assistance, and community demonstrations. The study recommends collaboration between the Department of Agriculture and other stakeholders to enhance farmer awareness, develop agricultural education programs, and provide vocational training on sustainable practices to attract young farmers. Financial and technical support for farmers is also essential. Replicating the study in other regions and with different farmer groups will strengthen its findings. By empowering farmers to achieve higher yields, secure income, and environmental protection, climate-smart rice production offers a sustainable path toward national rice security.

Strengthening health monitoring: Intention and adoption of Internet of Things-enabled wearable healthcare devices.

Health self-monitoring technologies are gaining popularity worldwide, but they face low adoption rates in emerging countries. There is a deficiency in studies that have applied the value-belief-norm (VBN) model to understand the adoption of IoT-enabled wearable healthcare devices (WHDs). This study investigates the adoption of IoT-enabled WHDs among older adults in China, using the VBN model as a theoretical framework. Using a convenience sampling method and a web-based cross-sectional survey method, we collected data from 476 respondents, which we analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling using Smart PLS version 3.3.5. The findings highlight the significance of health values and motivation in shaping personal health beliefs, which, in turn, influence personal norms and awareness of consequences. Particularly, awareness of consequences and attributions of responsibility significantly impact personal norms. Personal and social norms, in turn, strongly affect the intention to adopt IoT-enabled WHDs, ultimately driving their actual adoption. This research contributes novel insights into the behavioral dynamics surrounding the adoption of IoT-enabled WHDs, providing valuable guidance for marketers and policymakers. Marketers can leverage these insights to develop tailored marketing strategies within the IoT-enabled WHD industry. Additionally, policymakers are urged to prioritize campaigns aimed at enhancing awareness and understanding of self-healthcare monitoring, with a focus on promoting the unique health benefits of IoT-enabled WHDs.

A Wearable Fluorescence Imaging Device for Intraoperative Identification of Human Brain Tumors.

Malignant glioma (MG) is the most common type of primary malignant brain tumors. Surgical resection of MG remains the cornerstone of therapy and the extent of resection correlates with patient survival. A limiting factor for resection, however, is the difficulty in differentiating the tumor from normal tissue during surgery. Fluorescence imaging is an emerging technique for real-time intraoperative visualization of MGs and their boundaries. However, most clinical grade neurosurgical operative microscopes with fluorescence imaging ability are hampered by low adoption rates due to high cost, limited portability, limited operation flexibility, and lack of skilled professionals with technical knowledge. To overcome the limitations, we innovatively integrated miniaturized light sources, flippable filters, and a recording camera to the surgical eye loupes to generate a wearable fluorescence eye loupe (FLoupe) device for intraoperative imaging of fluorescent MGs. Two FLoupe prototypes were constructed for imaging of Fluorescein and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), respectively. The wearable FLoupe devices were tested on tumor-simulating phantoms and patients with MGs. Comparable results were observed against the standard neurosurgical operative microscope (PENTERO® 900) with fluorescence kits. The affordable and wearable FLoupe devices enable visualization of both color and fluorescence images with the same quality as the large and expensive stationary operative microscopes. The wearable FLoupe device allows for a greater range of movement, less obstruction, and faster/easier operation. Thus, it reduces surgery time and is more easily adapted to the surgical environment than unwieldy neurosurgical operative microscopes. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement-The affordable and wearable fluorescence imaging device developed in this study enables neurosurgeons to observe brain tumors with the same clarity and greater flexibility compared to bulky and costly operative microscopes.

Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Health and Enhancing Healthcare in Developing Nations.

Artificial intelligence (AI), which combines computer science with extensive datasets, seeks to mimic human-like intelligence. Subsets of AI are being applied in almost all fields of medicine and surgery. This review focuses on the applications of AI in healthcare settings in developing countries, designed to underscore its significance by comprehensively outlining the advancements made thus far, the shortcomings encountered in AI applications, the present status of AI integration, persistent challenges, and innovative strategies to surmount them. Articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane were searched from 2000 to 2023 with keywords including AI and healthcare, focusing on multiple medical specialties. The increasing role of AI in diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and patient management, as well as hospital management and community healthcare, has made the overall healthcare system more efficient, especially in the high patient load setups and resource-limited areas of developing countries where patient care is often compromised. However, challenges, including low adoption rates and the absence of standardized guidelines, high installation and maintenance costs of equipment, poor transportation and connectivvity issues hinder AI's full use in healthcare. Despite these challenges, AI holds a promising future in healthcare. Adequate knowledge and expertise of healthcare professionals for the use of AI technology in healthcare is imperative in developing nations.

Factors associated with casual sexual behavior among college students in Zhejiang Province, China: A cross-sectional survey.

This study aimed to analyze the characteristics and risk factors associated with casual sexual behavior among sexually active college students and to contribute to AIDS prevention and control efforts among this demographic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a stratified cluster sampling technique. Self-reported sexually active college students were selected as respondents from 11 cities in Zhejiang Province from October 8 to November 30, 2018. A questionnaire was used to collect variables such as demographic information, sexual attitudes, intervention acceptance, and self-efficacy of condom use. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Among 3,771 college students who reported engaging in sexual activity, 675 (17.90%) reported engaging in casual sexual encounters. The multivariate analysis revealed multiple factors associated with casual sexual behavior among students: being male, originating from a city/town, having pursued HIV testing education in the last year, seeking HIV risk self-assessment within the last year, accepting to engage in one-night stand behavior, accepting to partake in commercial sexual activity, having conducted HIV antibody tests within the last year, homosexual partner or homosexual/heterosexual partner, demonstrating self-efficacy in condom usage, and monthly living expenses falling within the range of 1001-1500 yuan. Additionally, students with knowledge that appearance does not determine HIV infection, a proclivity for seeking HIV counseling and testing following high-risk sexual behavior and awareness that the centers for disease control provides HIV diagnosis were found to have significant associations with casual sexual activity. Casual sex is significantly prevalent among college students, with male, students from urban areas, those who accepted to engage in one-night stand behavior and partook in commercial sexual activity demonstrating a higher propensity for such behavior. This tendency can be attributed to several factors including a more liberal sexual attitude, a rudimentary understanding of HIV risk, and a low adoption rate of HIV testing. Therefore, it is imperative to enhance HIV prevention and education among college students.

Effect of sociodemographic factors on the adoption of environmental conservation practices in Kimao dam catchment, Baringo County, Kenya

Demographic and land size owned by households often impact the adoption of environmental conservation approaches in wetlands. Kimao dam is at risk of sedimentation, considering the steep topology and reduced vegetation cover. Contemporary attempts by stakeholders to restore water catchments are insufficient due to the low adoption rate of the environmental conservation measures. The study assessed factors that cause the low adoption rate of the environmental conservation practices among households within the Kimao catchment area in Kimalel location, Baringo County. The objectives of the study were to: (i) determine the effects of sociodemographic factors (age, gender, household number) on the adoption of environmental conservation practices, and (ii) establish the effects of land size owned by households on the adoption of environmental conservation practices. The ex-post-facto research design was used. A stratified proportional random sample of 225 households was surveyed using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS version 26). The results showed that the level of adoption of environmental conservation practices was low (M=9.47, SD=4.7) on a scale of 1 to 22. The level of adoption of environmental conservation practices within the Kimao dam catchment area was found to be affected by age of the household head (β=.294, t=4.59, p=.001) and household number (β=0.147, t=2.22, p=0.027) but not gender (t=-0.648, df=223, p=0.518). The Land size (β=0.162, t-2.45, p=0.015), also affected the level of adoption of environmental conservation practices. Demographic factors act independently or synergistically with other factors to influence policy adoptions in water ecosystem management. Stakeholders need to provide sound scientific and feasible policies to collaboratively manage the Kimao dam. The findings of the study will influence policy development in implementing environmental conservation practices in Baringo County.

Present-biased individuals and their underinvestment in household energy efficiency: Evidence from first-tier Chinese cities

Governments worldwide have placed much effort into improving energy efficiency to realize energy conservation and carbon emission reduction. However, households' investment in energy-efficient products seems not as positive as expected, resulting in the energy efficiency gap. The phenomenon concerning Chinese households and its underlying causes have been overlooked to a considerable extent within the extant literature. The present study endeavours to elucidate the role of present bias in shaping people's energy efficiency investment behaviour. To this end, an online survey containing a sample of more than 3000 individuals residing in Shanghai and Beijing, China was conducted. It is found that: (1) Evidence shows that about one-third of the respondent are present-biased consumers according to the results of survey-elicited time preferences. (2) All else being equal, those showing present bias are significantly underinvesting in energy-efficient appliances. This is reflected in lower adoption rates of energy-efficient electric heaters, water heaters, and washing machines. (3) Present-biased energy consumers exhibit an attention deficit regarding the energy costs of home appliances and may also encounter higher energy bills. (4) Those with signs of being sophisticated, namely, self-aware of the bias, may improve energy-related decisions, thereby mitigating the behavioral failures. This paper underscores the need to aid individuals in recognizing and addressing the present bias when promoting energy-efficiency products.

AGEISM IN THE USE AND DESIGN OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: A THEORETICAL MODEL

Abstract Ageism is currently defined as a main societal challenge for successful and healthy aging. Concurrently, the vast development of digital technology in the last decades highlights a newly under-researched intersection of ageism and the use and design of digital technology. However, a theoretical model explicating how ageism may influence the use and design of technology is currently missing. A proposed model was created based on a mixed-methods approach combining findings from 5 studies of a doctoral dissertation. The integrated analysis identified manifestations of ageism in stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination regarding the use and design of technology, appearing explicitly and implicitly, mainly in a negative context and on different levels (micro-individual, meso-social interaction, and macro-design and policy). Use and design of technology were found to be entangled together. Importantly, two main paradoxes are highlighted. First, the fixation on designing care and healthcare technologies, stereotypically disregarding the diversity of other needs of older persons. A second paradox was found in the discrepancy between acknowledging the “ideal” practice of involving older persons throughout the whole design process, and the actual practice of limited involvement. Ultimately leading to biases in the design process and exclusion of older persons. Consequently, emerging technologies often have low adoption rates, which are further (stereotypically) attributed to the incompetence of older persons to use digital technology, and are contrary to the increase in actual use and motivations older persons have to use technologies that can promote their well-being. Implications of the model for policy and future research are discussed.

Business forecasting methods: Impressive advances, lagging implementation.

Reliable forecasts are key to decisions in areas ranging from supply chain management to capacity planning in service industries. It is encouraging then that recent decades have seen dramatic advances in forecasting methods which have the potential to significantly increase forecast accuracy and improve operational and financial performance. However, despite their benefits, we have evidence that many organizations have failed to take up systematic forecasting methods. In this paper, we provide an overview of recent advances in forecasting and then use a combination of survey data and in-depth semi-structured interviews with forecasters to investigate reasons for the low rate of adoption. Finally, we identify pathways that could lead to the greater and more widespread use of systematic forecasting methods.