Major Constructs Research Articles

How Do Worldviews Shape Human Moral Behaviors? Rediscovering the Moral Microfoundation Laid by Adam

Vast research has shown that human moral behaviors are profoundly influenced by their worldviews. Yet, how worldviews shape moral thinking and behavior at a micro level remains unclear. In this paper, we distinguish worldviews as open and closed system based on the ontological aspect of General Systems Theory. We then use this lens of open vs. closed system worldview to examine Adam Smith’s seminal work of the Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS) which he wrote 250 years ago. Through a careful examination this work, we were illuminated by Smith’s insights linking major moral constructs such as sympathy, self-interest, and restraint to self-interest to worldviews. Although these insights were largely overlooked by the subsequent generations, it is important for us to bring them back to the forefront of moral and ethical discourse as they laid the indispensable microfoundation of moral behaviors. We also draw implications of these Smithsonian insights which shed light on three type of ethical perspectives in the business context: shareholder value, stakeholder value, and open-system purpose driven perspective.

GHANA’S ROAD TO CASHLESS ECONOMY: THE E-ZWICH EXPERIENCE

In 2008, the Government of Ghana (GoG) through the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GHIPSS) launched a smart card called e-zwich which formed a central part of the government’s plan to move the country towards a cashless economy. Modernization of the cash sector has remained at best in a confused state since it was launched and at worst an embarrassing drawback. In this article, we employ the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the structural equation model to estimate users' behavioral intentions and actual usage of the cashless system. The structural results show that eleven out of the fourteen hypotheses are statistically significant, while the remaining three are statistically insignificant. The results also indicate that performance efficiency, effort efficiency, and social influence significantly influence the behavioral intentions of people to use the cashless system, and the age and gender of users significantly moderate the three constructs. Behavioral intentions and facilitating conditions are also found to influence actual usage of the cashless system significantly. This study fills the gap in the applicability of the UTAUT model in a central cashless system acceptance and usage. The study also provides empirical evidence on how demographic factors such as age, education, and gender moderate the relationships among the major constructs of the UTAUT model. For the first time, we support the empirical findings on the moderating effect of age in the UTAUT model with established economic theory, the life-cycle theory. We have outlined recommendations in detail on some important considerations needed to achieve smart financial economy in Ghana, and such achievement could be emulated by other countries that are yet to implement a central cashless system.

Assessing underlying effects on the choices of adaptive behaviours in offices through an interdisciplinary framework

This study evaluates subjective aspects related to the control of building systems (HVAC thermostat, windows, lights, and shades/blinds) in offices. The evaluation is based on a new interdisciplinary framework that combines insights from building physics and social science theories, synthesised in a novel survey. A case study in Florianópolis, southern Brazil, was conducted with 278 valid answers achieved. The levels of intention, ease, attitudes and expectations to share the HVAC thermostat control, as well as knowledge for doing so, were the lowest compared to the other systems evaluated. Additionally, the framework was used to perform a theoretical-driven Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach and identify underlying effects on choices of adaptive behaviours in offices. From the SEM results, the major constructs related to adaptive behaviours were determined. Intention and perceived behavioural control (PBC) were deemed positive with significant effects on choices for adaptive behaviours related to HVAC control, windows and shades/blinds. The conceptual model did not show a significant relation of intention and PBC on the lighting system adjustments. This outcome allows us to evaluate further theories, considering that habits may play a role in this context. The results provide important information related to the user-centric control of buildings, as well as support theory-driven interventions to improve adaptive opportunities for occupants. In other words, if one aims to increase adaptive opportunities for occupants, the results of this study suggest subjective aspects that may be enhanced in regards to each building system.

Enterprise modelling: Research review and outlook

Enterprise models are essential for the understanding, analysis, engineering, improvement, optimisation, maintenance and even management and control of enterprise systems. In that sense, Enterprise Modelling is foundational for Enterprise Engineering, Integration and Management and closely associated to Enterprise Architectures. This synthesis paper reviews and summarises important research works and contributions made to Enterprise Modelling over the last four decades, outlining major modelling constructs and their extensions as well as prominent modelling tools and methods and discussing future developments in the context of smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0.

An examination of citizen satisfaction with mandatory e-government services: comparison of two information systems success models

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the utility of information systems (IS) success models in mandatory e-government services, as opposed to the volitional ones that have been the focus of previous studies. The models include the technology acceptance model (TAM) (1989) and Seddon’s model (1997), which involve three (ease of use, usefulness and citizens satisfaction) and four variables (system quality, information quality, usefulness and citizen satisfaction). Design/methodology/approach The models were compared based on a survey conducted on 780 foundation year students of government universities in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Government has launched a mandatory e-government service geared to assist high school graduates in the university academic admission process. The goodness-of-fit and parsimony of fit indices and the explanatory power were used to compare the two models. Findings The structural equation modeling techniques revealed that overall, the two models both exhibited reasonable fit with the collected data, whereas TAM showed the best fit to the sample data and yielded superior goodness-of-fit indices over Seddon’s model. In terms of explanatory power, Seddon’s model predicted 28% (R2 = 0.28) of the variance explained for citizen satisfaction, whereas TAM predicted 21% (R2 = 0.21). All the parsimony of fit indices favored TAM over Seddon’s model. Research limitations/implications This study examined the validity of TAM and Seddon’s model, using citizen satisfaction as the dependent variable to compare them. TAM and Seddon’s model were modified to better fit the current research context of mandatory e-government services; thus, the findings may not hold for their original or other voluntary settings. In addition, the focus on a single survey for a certain time in a certain territory of mandatory e-government service may have limited the generalizability of the results to other mandatory contexts. Future research should make use of large, cross-sectional samples in different mandatory contexts to enhance result generalization. Practical implications This study’s findings can provide e-government practitioners with deeper perceptions of how to address citizen satisfaction with mandatory e-government services. The results exposed usefulness as the common and major construct, having the strongest influence on citizen satisfaction in both TAM and Seddon’s model; thus, maximizing the benefits of e-government services for citizens is crucial to their success. The causal relationship between information quality and citizen satisfaction was not supported. This supports the perspective that e-government services are currently evolving quickly, becoming more integrated and easier-to-use, generally requiring only a few clicks and less information. Originality/value This study has extended the assessment of the validity of IS success models to a mandatory IS usage setting. The comparison study of different IS success models is crucial as it acts as a guide for researchers to determine the trade-off between the models used to conduct research on a particular context. The study concludes that TAM is the most parsimonious and universal model for the study of user satisfaction in mandatory contexts. The findings will provide e-government practitioners with insights into IS success measures suited to enhance the effectiveness of newly and future mandated e-government services.

Defining Excellence in Physical Therapist Education: A Comparison of 2 Theoretical Perspectives

Background and Purpose. Defining excellence and assessing quality in physical therapist education are challenging for many reasons, including the variable nature of curricular approaches, program structure and settings, teaching approaches, and institutional culture. In addition, the stakeholders differ depending on the unique program mission or outcome one considers. Thus, there are tensions about measuring inputs, processes, or outcomes, using quantitative versus qualitative data, and the value of program diversity. Recently, 2 approaches to measuring physical therapist education program excellence have been reported in the literature. Although these studies were not connected, the foundations of each suggest some unifying core concepts. This paper evaluates the 2 approaches to assessing program excellence, comparing clusters and attributes of the Engagement Theory of Program Quality applied by the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy task force for benchmarking excellence with the dimensions and elements for education reform proposed by the study of Excellence and Innovation in Physical Therapist Education. Position and Rationale. The Engagement Theory of Program Quality is a generic model designed to assess graduate programs, whereas the theoretical model proposed by the study of Excellence and Innovation in Physical Therapist Education is specific to physical therapist education. The models, however, demonstrate considerable correspondence, suggesting that excellence in graduate programs in higher education has common roots regardless of type of program. Discussion and Conclusion. There is clear convergence of major constructs across the 2 theoretical models. The most salient commonalities include the emphases on shared vision; leadership; collaborative relationships/partnerships; adequate resources to support students, faculty, and infrastructure; and the capacity for transformation of the people and institutions involved in the educational endeavor. These commonalities suggest a basis for initial consensus of a professional shared vision, as well as the foundation for further efforts at defining excellence and developing structures and processes for appraising quality in physical therapist education programs. We urge development of a culture of assessment to move our physical therapist education programs closer to achieving excellence.

The effects of national cultures on two technologically advanced countries: The case of e‐leadership in South Korea and the United States

AbstractThe increased use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has triggered enormous innovation in the public sector and created positive public value at the managerial, delivery of services, and policy levels. However, these positive outcomes do not automatically accrue simply by adoption of ICTs as public leaders can fail to adopt relevant new ICTs, use them poorly, or use them in ways that actually diminish public value, which raises the question of the importance of e‐leadership. This article examines e‐leadership and innovation capacity at the individual public manager level and fills in some gaps about the practice and implementation of ICTs in the public sector. We explore eight research questions useful in theorizing about e‐leadership, develop constructs of e‐leadership, and describe the current development of e‐leadership. By comparing e‐leadership in two country settings (South Korea and the United States), we also overcome the limitations of the existing Western‐oriented studies about innovations in the public sector. In addition to the growth of e‐leadership use and requirements for a variety of competencies equivalent to, but separate from, traditional communication competences, we find that national cultures exert significant influence on the major constructs of e‐leadership, which implies that an effective e‐leadership strategy should consider cultural contexts seriously.

Data on corona-virus readiness strategies influencing customer satisfaction and customer behavioural intentions in South African retail stores.

This article presents raw inferential statistical data that determined the coronavirus readiness strategies at retail stores in South Africa and their consequences for consumer behavioural intentions. The data was collected from customers within the metropolitan area of Bloemfontein. The data were analysed using a quantitative approach. Structured questionnaires were provided to customers throughout South Africa's Bloemfontein metropolitan area. Reliability and validity were confirmed. The data was presented using Structural Equation modelling (SEM) using the Smart PLS program. The analysis of the SEM path shows estimates of the interconnectivity of the major constructs in the data. The findings from this dataset show that sanitised retail entrances, sanitised retail counters and sanitised retail shelves had a statistically significant effect on customer satisfaction with covid-19 readiness in retail stores. Furthermore, the data reveals that retail social distancing and senior citizens shopping hours had a statistically insignificant effect on customer satisfaction with covid-19 readiness. Moreover, the data reveals that customer satisfaction with covid-19 readiness strategies of retail stores also had a positive and statistically significant effect on customer behavioural intentions.

VALIDATION OF ELDERLY ABUSE ASSESSMENT TOOL

Background: Several screening tools for elderly abuse have been developed but they have rarely been validated properly for wider use. The multiplicity of the tools available revealed the need to develop through collaborative research, a simple and reliable tool that can be adapted and used in different geographical and cultural settings. As the cases of abuse increase, nurses are in a position to rescue this vulnerable population through equipping knowledge and be knowledgeable on using elderly assessment tool for abuse cases.
 Objective: To validate the developed Filipino-based elderly abuse assessment tool. 
 Methods: The study utilized descriptive confirmatory method design and underwent validation and reliability process. Five experts conducted the scrutiny during validation and 220 elderly clients’ subjected the tool for reliability tests. Data are analyzed using SPSS version 23, while frequency and percentage were used for continuous variable.
 Results: The Elderly Abuse Assessment Tool is valid and reliable. The tool is clear in terms of the word composition, the texts are understood easily, comprehensive, and relevant based on expert reviews. It has I-CVI of 0.84 (44 items) and increases value in its second version to 0.87 (42 items). On one hand, the tool obtained a very high degree of reliability with Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.974 during the second version. Regardless of item numbers are retained, the value remains high. Constructs identified from the validated tool. Kaiser’s criterion or the Eigenvalue result of the second version of the developed tool revealed six factors that can be extracted. However, in the Scree test or plot, only two factors located above the inflection points. This means that two factors or constructs can be named. The researcher decided to choose the lesser number for easier naming of factors. The tool was classified into two constructs, namely physico-sexual and psycho-financial factors, respectively.
 Conclusion: The Elderly Abuse Assessment Tool (EAAT) is valid and has a very high degree of reliability. Physico-sexual and Psycho-financial are the two major constructs of the tool. Filipino nurses can now articulate their expression of unending caring through the utility of the validated Elderly Abuse Assessment Tool (EAAT).

Teachers’ Perceptions on Management of Conflict in Primary Schools in Mberengwa District

Introduction: Conflict is major social construct happening in most communities where people of divergent and different backgrounds finds themselves inhabiting a common environment. Schools formulate habitat with semi-seclusion from the rest of society and conflict arising needs to be managed. Also engaging is conflict resolution without taking sides in such environments where children interact with adults more frequently requires skills and training which aspects do not form part of teaching and learning curriculum. Peri-urban schools find themselves as rich ground for conflict due to their being neither urban or rural but tend to receive influence from both settlements. Conflict nature and conflict resolution may tend to take different forms from an aggregate of approaches seen or taken in urban and rural settings. Therefore, the study explored school teachers’ perceptions on conflict management in eight representative schools in Mberengwa District.
 Materials and Methods: The sample of the study comprised of eight school managers, thirty-two members of school disciplinary committee members and twenty-four junior classroom practitioners Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in the study. The qualitative research design followed focused group discussions and open-ended questions fielded during interviews to school heads and school disciplinary committee members who formed the management team of the schools. Quantitative data was obtained through closed ended questionnaires given to primary school teachers. The school teachers were selected using a stratified simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling were used to select both the school heads and the school disciplinary members.
 Results: The study revealed that poor communication(100%),unfairness (87.5%), shortage of resources(100%), role-conflicts(70.3%), poor governance (87.5%) and political afflictions (87.5%) were the root causes of conflict in primary schools when compares to other causes (P <0.05). Thirty disciplinary committee members (100%) and twenty-four teachers (92.2%) indicated that student-student, teacher-teacher and teacher-managers conflicts were common in peri-urban schools contrasted to other forms of conflict (P <0.05). Conflict resulted in strained relationships (100%), caused of disunity (100%), disrupted teaching and learning (88%), was time consuming (78%), lowered production (78%), caused stress and high blood pressure (100%) and diverted attention from crucial activities (75%). Heads of schools displayed a conflict avoidance as a conflict resolution strategy. Conflict management literature was in short supply in schools and schools rarely conducted conflict management meetings. Confrontation, collaboration and compromise were the most used conflict management strategies. Managed conflict had benefits of creating social change and allowed staff to engage more and needed to be included in curriculum development.
 Conclusion: Primary school head teachers need to conduct meetings on conflict management and procure literature on conflict management to resolve conflict appropriately. Members of disciplinary committee need to handle conflict fairly and to consult literature on conflict management so that they can handle conflicts progressively and as benefit to teaching and learning. Educational officers need to facilitate and ensure that conflicts are handled appropriately and progressively. Introduction of conflict management as a learning tool, study area or be taken as a cross-cutting component in the competency-based curriculum was necessary.

An examination of two major constructs of cross-cultural competence: Cultural intelligence and intercultural competence

Cross-cultural competence (CCC) is an important ability for individuals in today's globalized world. To improve our understanding of it, this study examines the relationship between two major constructs of CCC - cultural intelligence (CQ) and intercultural competency. Results from a canonical correlation analysis of online survey data collected from 246 Police Officers in Ireland indicated a strong relationship between CQ and intercultural competence. The lower stages of intercultural competence were more negatively related to metacognitive and motivational CQ facets; higher stages of intercultural competence were more positively related to behavioral and cognitive CQ facets. Metacognitive CQ was positively related to both lower and higher stages of intercultural competence. The results offer insights on the developmental patterns of various components of CCC. Implications for the conceptualization and the measurement of CCC are discussed.

Usage-based Approaches to Second Language Acquisition: Cognitive and Social Aspects

Usage-based approaches focus on learning language through engaging in the interpersonal communicative and cognitive processes. They consider language as the best accomplishment of our social and cognitive competences which bridges society and cognition. Based on usage-based approaches, language can be learned from language use, by means of social skills and generalizations over usage events in interaction. These approaches actually explore how language learning occurs through language experience. Therefore, usage-based approaches are input-dependent and experience-driven and assume frequency of usage as an inseparable part of language learning which plays an important role in the language production, language comprehension, and also grammaticality of the patterns. While usage-based approaches have been successful in showing how first language is learnt from the input, it is still less clear how these approaches can be made use of in second language learning. The present study provides an overview of the usage-based approaches to second language acquisition and their cognitive and social underpinnings. Firstly, the notion, underlying tenets, and major constructs of usage-based approaches are summarized. Then usage-based linguistics is described in detail. Finally, cognitive and social aspects of usage-based approaches are taken into account.

Brand trust and brand loyalty in mall shoppers

PurposeIn today's competitive business environment the success of an organisation depends on its ability to create brand trust and loyalty in the customers. Therefore, the present study focusses on some major constructs of emotional attachment that help in creating brand trust and brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modelling using SmartPLS 2.0 software has been utilised to analyse 332 mall shoppers' data from the age group between 16 and 30 years, as they are highly brand conscious and willing to purchase branded products.FindingsThis study findings show that brand loyalty is not only directly or indirectly influenced by emotional attachment antecedents such as perceived quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction and perceived differentiation but also directly affected by brand trust. Moderating analysis on different income group structures shows that the high-income group customer moderates the result findings, as he/she is highly brand conscious and loyal towards a particular brand.Research limitations/implicationsResearch outcome provides some valuable insights to the retailers for further expansion of consumer market by using various promotional programmes and strategies that focus on the emotional factors of the customer and generate strong brand attachment. This study also suggests some useful factors such as buying pattern, paying capacity and lifestyle, which the future researchers can focus.Practical implicationsThis study suggested that shopping mall retailers should try to increase customer involvement and perception towards the brand during shopping process and clearly differentiate their brand from competitive brands by showing why and how it is better than alternative brands.Originality/valueMajor contribution of this study is the empirical analysis of emotional attachment antecedents such as perceived quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction and perceived differentiation on brand trust and loyalty especially in emerging organised retail markets.

Big data for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME): a knowledge management model

PurposeBig data has raised challenges and opportunities for business, the information technology (IT) industry and research communities. Nowadays, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are dealing with big data using their limited resources. The purpose of this paper is to describe the synergistic relationship between big data and knowledge management (KM), analyze the challenges and IT solutions of big data for SME and derives a KM model of big data for SME based on the collected real-world business cases.Design/methodology/approachThe study collects eight well-documented cases of successful big data analytics in SME and conducts a qualitative data analysis of these cases in the context of KM. The qualitative data analysis of the multiple cases reveals a KM model of big data for SME.FindingsThe proposed model portrays the synergistic relationship between big data and KM. It indicates that strategic use of data, knowledge guided big data project planning, IT solutions for SME and new knowledge products are the major constructs of KM of big data for SME. These constructs form a loop through the causal relationships between them.Research limitations/implicationsThe number of cases used for the derivation of the KM model is not large. The coding of these qualitative data could involve biases and errors. Consequently, the conceptual KM model proposed in this paper is subject to further verification and validation.Practical implicationsThe proposed model can guide SME to exploit big data for business by placing emphasis on KM instead of sophisticated IT techniques or the magnitude of data.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the KM literature by developing a theoretical model of KM of big data for SME based on underlying dimensions of strategic use of data, knowledge guided big data project planning, IT solutions for SME and new knowledge products.

From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation

Eccles and colleagues’ expectancy-value theory of achievement choice has guided much research over the last 40+ years. In this article, we discuss five “macro” level issues concerning the theory. Our broad purposes in taking this approach are to clarify some issues regarding the current status of the theory, make suggestions for next steps for research based in the theory, and justify our decision to call the theory Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT). First, we note how visual representations of the model make it appear static, linear, and monolithic, something that was not intended from its inception. Second, we discuss definitions of the major psychological constructs in the model, focusing on our and others’ elaboration of the task value component, particularly the “cost” component. In this section we also discuss research on the development of expectancies and values. Third, we discuss the often-neglected middle part of the model focused on how individuals understand and interpret their own performance as well as the many messages they receive from different socializers regarding their activity participation and performance. In the fourth section we discuss the situative and culturally-focused aspects of the model, stressing the impact of the situation and cultural background on children’s developing expectancy and value hierarchies. The fifth issue (one that we mention in several of the previous sections) concerns the importance of understanding the development of individuals’ hierarchies of expectancies of success and subjective task values and how they relate to performance, choice, and engagement.

Measurement and the Study of Motivation and Strategy Use: Determining If and When Self-report Measures are Appropriate

The goal of this special issue is to examine the use of self-report measures in the study of motivation and strategy use. This commentary reviews the articles contained in this special issue to address the primary objective of determining if and when self-report measures contribute to understanding these major constructs involved in self-regulated learning. Guided by three central questions, this review highlights some of the major, emergent themes regarding the use of self-report. The issues addressed include attention to evidence for construct validity, the need to consider broad methodological factors in the collection and interpretation of self-report data, and the innovations made possible by modern tools for administering and analyzing self-report measures. Conclusions forward a set of conditions for the use of self-report measures, which center on the role of theoretically-driven choices in both the selection of self-report measures and analysis of the data these measures generate.

Construction of a human cell landscape at single-cell level.

Single-cell analysis is a valuable tool for dissecting cellular heterogeneity in complex systems1. However, a comprehensive single-cell atlas has not been achieved for humans. Here we use single-cell mRNA sequencing to determine the cell-type composition of all major human organs and construct a scheme for the human cell landscape (HCL). We have uncovered a single-cell hierarchy for many tissues that have not been well characterized. We established a 'single-cell HCL analysis' pipeline that helps to define human cell identity. Finally, we performed a single-cell comparative analysis of landscapes from human and mouse to identify conserved genetic networks. We found that stem and progenitor cells exhibit strong transcriptomic stochasticity, whereas differentiated cells are more distinct. Our results provide a useful resource for the study of human biology.

Adoption of Information and Communications Technology in the Turkish Forest Products Industry: A Case Study

Aim of study: This study explores the adoption of information and communications technologies (ICTs) and current and potential ICT use in forest products industry. Based on the perceptions of the respondents, the paper investigates the underlying factors affecting the adoption of ICT. 
 Area of study: Case study is conducted in Düzce province where nearly all types of forest product enterprises are conducting business operates. 
 Material and method: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with owners and/or engineers of forest products companies. A questionnaire was developed with three main sections, including 20 questions and 81 judgments. Data on the study parameters were coded and analyzed using SPSS software.
 Main results: The three major constructs of these factors, based on the purposes of ICT use, were identified as business productivity, information exchange and customer communications. Increased access to current industry news was the principle benefit expected by the respondents from the Internet use, followed closely by enhancement of the company image and facilitation of banking transactions. According to the study, information and communications applications were more common than e-business and e-commerce use in the forest products industry. 
 Research highlights: The forest products industry should plan to develop and implement ICT strategies focusing on increased business productivity, competitiveness and profits, in addition to efficient customer and supplier communications and expanded markets.

Blockchain in logistics industry: in fizz customer trust or not

PurposeThe study is an attempt to explore much talked but less understood issue of “blockchain in logistics industry” in modern perspective. The customers' acceptance of blockchain technology in logistics and supply chain is tested through “Technology Acceptance Model” by using attitude, perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), behavioral intention and use behavior.Design/methodology/approachData has been collected through online and offline medium, where active 240 responses have been collected finally using convenience sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out for data analysis.FindingsThe customers' acceptance of blockchain technology in logistics and supply chain is tested through “Technology Acceptance Model.” The findings reveal model fit where PEOU, PU and attitude are the major constructs of the model to realize the substantial gains in logistics process efficiency.Research limitations/implicationsConvenience sampling has been considered for the study to collect the data of online users of various technology applications for tracking and shipment detail, whereas a more specified method sampling can be considered for the future research. The study has been conducted in the Indian context, which has been considered as the limitation pertaining to generalization across countries and industries.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study will be helpful for market practitioners to build transparency between customers and industry to overcome the frictions in logistics. Blockchain will help in monitoring the performance history and previous commitments of logistics professionals resulting in selecting a responsible logistics solution provider. Access to critical data by the authorized member of the supply chain will reduce unsubstantiated disputes.Social implicationsBlockchain technology will be available to everyone on the network. This will bring transparency and help logistics professionals such as carriers, shippers and brokers to detect early frauds and prevent thefts. It will increase customer trust toward any financial transaction for tracking the ownership of titles.Originality/valueBlockchain technology is envisioned to be a technology that could be a game-changer for decentralizing infrastructure, introducing transparency and building trust in the supply chain. The current study is a novel addition to the literature where blockchain technology enables the indisputable storage of verified data that was previously kept in safeguarded silos.

Community education to enhance the more equitable use of precision medicine in Northern Manhattan

Focusing screening and treatment to those most likely to benefit is the promise of precision medicine but inequitable distribution of precision medicine innovations may exacerbate health disparities. We investigated whether complex genomic concepts can be successfully communicated to diverse populations. Incorporating principles of Community-based Participatory Research, we created a precision medicine curriculum tailored to the needs of our predominantly Hispanic community. We administered the curriculum over 26months, assessed pre- and post-test comprehension of 8 genetics-related terms, and compared comprehension differences based on demography and health literacy. In total, 438 individuals completed pre-/post-test assessments. At pre-test, 45.6% scored ≥75% across eight major constructs; 66.7% at post-test. Comprehension increased for 7/8 terms with greatest pre/post-test increases for 'mutation' (55% to 78%) and 'sporadic' (34% to 59%). Mean pre-test comprehension scores (≥75%) were lower for Spanish versus. English speakers; mean post-test scores were equivalent. No heterogeneity by demographics or health literacy was observed. We demonstrate that a brief community educational program can improve knowledge of complex genomic concepts. Interventions to increase understanding of genomic concepts underlying precision medicine are key to patients making informed treatment and prevention decisions and may lead to more equitable uptake of precision medicine initiatives.