Non-mobile Users Research Articles

A Study of Factors Influencing Customers’ Adoption of Mobile Banking in Oman


 
 
 The commercial banking sector in Oman is a dynamic sector with a large number of banking service users. However, the customers’ adoption of technology in terms of online banking and mobile banking remains less due to the various socio-demographic factors. Given the cost and operational benefits of mobile banking, there is a need to understand how commercial banks can motivate non-mobile banking users to adopt mobile banking in this context. Thus, the current study is conducted with a view to understand customers’ adoption of mobile banking using the Perceived Characteristics of Innovation model. The data is collected from the commercial bank account holders who are non-users of mobile banking (n=80). The key findings are that perceived ease of use (β=.487, P<.05); and observability (β=.530, P<.05) positively and significantly influence customers intention to use mobile banking; whereas, relative advantage (β=-.068, P>.05); compatibility (β=-.413, P>.05); and trialabiltiy (β=.371, P>.05) exert insignificant influence on customers intention to use mobile banking. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that perceived ease of use and observability are key factors which commercial banks need to focus to encourage customers to adopt mobile banking.
 
 

E-Commerce and the Factors Affecting Its Development in the Age of Digital Technology: Empirical Evidence at EU–27 Level

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors influencing e-commerce and to evaluate the long and short-term impacts on the development of e-commerce activity. After establishing the hypotheses to verify, we use multiple panel regressions to test the influence of education level, consumer’s residence, consumer’s labour market status, internet banking, mobile and non-mobile users on the development of e-commerce. For this matter, in this paper, by adopting the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) method and a vector error correction model (VECM), we performed an empirical analysis of the nexus between education level, consumer’s residence, consumer’s labour market status, internet banking and mobile and non-mobile users and e-commerce, based on panel data for EU–27 countries from 2011 to 2020. The results of the study indicate that all the variables involved in the two econometric models and associated with education level, consumer’s residence, labour market status, internet banking, mobile and non-mobile users, all have significant impacts on the development of e-commerce. Most of the variables positively influence the development of e-commerce except for internet purchases by individuals un-employed and for internet purchases by non-mobile users that are negatively correlated with e-commerce activity.

Does mobile phone ownership matter? Insights on engagement in mHealth and e-government interventions from Southern Africa

ABSTRACT The proliferation of mobile phones across the world has contributed to the rise of mHealth interventions as a complementary means for improving health outcomes in areas where health facilities are limited. However, community members who do not own or have access to mobile devices feel excluded from such interventions. In this paper, we seek to understand and explore engagement strategies that support the inclusion of non-mobile phone owners in mHealth interventions. We conducted a review of mHealth and community engagement literature to gauge the strategies different studies have employed to engage non-mobile phone owners and users. We further reflected on two Southern African case studies from health and citizen engagement sectors to gain insights on ways non-mobile phone owners may feel included in mHealth interventions. Through a process of thematic analysis, we have identified three areas that mHealth implementers could draw from when designing more inclusive mHealth interventions. These strategies include the need for sensitising communities, using multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral collaboration, and embracing a braided approach to communication technologies. We hope that this paper will inform mHealth project implementers on different strategies they can use to include community members, regardless of whether they own mobile phones or not.

Mobile vs. Non-Mobile Live-Streaming: A Comparative Analysis of Users Engagement and Interruption Using Big Data from a Large CDN Perspective

Video streaming on the Internet is constantly changing and growing. New devices and new video delivery mechanisms generate huge gaps in the understanding of how video application works. From exploratory research of one among the largest streaming services in Brazil, this work presents a comparison between mobile and non-mobile users, in large-scale lives. This work focuses on metrics such as engagement, interruption, churn, and payload. This work also presents a report-overview of mobile-users, considering the operating system, geolocation, network access, interruption, and engagement. These results might offer potential information for streaming improvement, in addition to serving as a historical mark.

Grandma’s New Tablet – The Role of Mobile Devices in Trying to Innovate in IT

Seniors already make use of IT, but among this segment, there are still difference in use and behavior. Even though elderly people make use of the internet and developed capabilities, there is still a use divide compared to younger segments. We conducted a paper based quantitative study in the US, to find differences in trying to innovate in IT based on the use habits of mobile and non-mobile devices among seniors. We associate the use of mobile device with a more exploratory character trait and therefore expect seniors who make use of more kinds of devices to be more prone to explore their IT. The results show that indeed for the mobile users the personal innovativeness is the main influence on trying to innovate, whereas for non-mobile users the computer self-efficacy is the main determinant.

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed Device Access on User Engagement Associated With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Online Nutrition Education.

BackgroundOnline health education has expanded its reach due to cost-effective implementation and demonstrated effectiveness. However, a limitation exists with the evaluation of online health education implementations and how the impact of the system is attenuated by the extent to which a user engages with it. Moreover, the current online health education research does not consider how this engagement has been affected by the transition from fixed to mobile user access over the last decade.ObjectiveThis paper focuses on comparing the impact mobile versus fixed devices have on user engagement key performance indicators (KPI) associated with the wichealth website (.org), an Internet-based parent-child feeding intervention offered to clients associated with the US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).MethodsData were collected from 612,201 nutrition education lessons completed by 305,735 unique WIC participants in 21 states over a 1-year period. Data consisted of system-collected measures, profile items, and items from an exit survey administered at the conclusion of each lesson. User engagement was defined based on 3 KPIs associated with usage of the wichealth website: number of link views, link view time, and progression in stage of readiness to change. Independent samples t tests were used to compare KPIs between fixed only and mobile only device users and paired samples t tests were used to compare KPIs within users who completed at least one lesson each on both a fixed and mobile device. A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of KPI performance thresholds in the independent samples study group given access device type while controlling for confounding of user characteristics associated with these KPIs.ResultsAnalysis of 8 user characteristics (lessons completed, race, ethnicity, language, state of residence, pregnancy status, beginning stage of change, and preferred nutrition education method) were significantly (P<.001) related to various KPI differences between mobile and fixed device access. Non-mobile users were significantly (P<.001) more likely to engage based on all 3 KPIs, even after logistic regression control for the potential confounding related to the strongly associated user characteristics identified.ConclusionsThe findings of this study support the idea that online health education developers need to seriously consider access device when creating programs. Online health education developers need to take extra effort to truly understand access patterns of populations being served, and whether or not access device will influence user engagement performance indicators.

Users Engage More with Interface than Materials at Welsh Newspapers Online Website

A Review of:&#x0D; Gooding, P. (2016). Exploring the information behaviour of users of Welsh Newspapers Online through web log analysis. Journal of Documentation, 72(2), 232-246. &#x0D; doi:10.1108/JD-10-2014-0149&#x0D; &#x0D; Objective – This study has two specific objectives: to learn about the behaviours of visitors to the Welsh Newspapers Online (WNO) website, and to explore how the identified behaviours are different from those common to information-seeking in a physical archive.&#x0D; &#x0D; Design – Analysis of Google Analytics and web server content logs. &#x0D; &#x0D; Setting – Welsh Newspapers Online website: http://newspapers.library.wales &#x0D; &#x0D; Subjects – WNO had 19,805 unique visitors from 12 March 2013 to 30 June 2013, who made 52,767 visits to the site. &#x0D; &#x0D; Methods – Gooding accessed the WNO Google Analytics account, which provided visitor numbers, user engagement by page visit and visit duration, bounce rate, and mobile and social media usage. Using anonymized processed content logs provided by the National Library of Wales, he then explored searches undertaken by users on the website; instances where users browsed, filtered, or otherwise interacted with search results; and instances where users viewed content.&#x0D; &#x0D; Main Results – Google Analytics statistics showed users of WNO demonstrate behaviour that is “deeper and more sustained than general web browsing” (p. 237). The number of visitors who only viewed one page and then left the site (bounce rate) was low, while page views and time spent on the site were higher than considered standard on general websites. Mobile users made up 11% of visits, although on average they viewed fewer pages and stayed for less time than non-mobile users. Screen size was directly correlated to the level of engagement. There were 9% of visitors referred via social media, but generally showed a low engagement rate similar to that of mobile users; the exception was users who were directed to WNO via blogging platforms.&#x0D; &#x0D; Web log analysis showed visitors most frequently accessed newspapers from the 1840s and 1850s. They viewed the title page much more frequently than any other page in the newspapers, likely reflecting that the title page is default when users access a paper via browsing. A correlation between time spent on the site and searching versus engaging with content was found: the longer a visitor was on WNO, the less time they spent searching, and the more time spent engaging with content. Still, as Gooding reports, “over half of all pageviews are dedicated to interacting with the web interface rather than the historical sources” (p. 240).&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion – WNO visitors spend more of their time interacting with the site’s interface than with digitized content, making it important that interface design be a high priority when designing online archives. Gooding concludes that despite a focus on interface, visitors are still engaged in a research process similar to that found in an offline archive and that “a differently remediated experience is not necessarily any less rich” (p. 242).

Antecedents of social presence and gratification of social connection needs in SNS: A study of Twitter users and their mobile and non-mobile usage

As the use of social network sites (SNS) proliferates, more people than ever are becoming connected to one another. Nonetheless, we have little knowledge about how certain characteristics of SNS fulfill their users’ need for social connection and enhance this connectivity. Building on uses and gratification theory, this study of Twitter users posits that users are drawn to SNS to fulfill their social connection needs and that the sense of social presence SNS engender plays a significant role in fulfilling these needs. We argue that this sense of social presence is formed by immediacy-related characteristics (represented as immediate feedback) and intimacy-related characteristics (represented as feelings of privacy and responsiveness) of SNS in Twitter. We further investigate how those characteristics operate differently on mobile and non-mobile users. To test our hypotheses, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 798 Twitter users and analyzed their responses using a structural equation model. The results support our research model. Furthermore, analysis of the responses of 367 primarily mobile users and 161 primarily desktop users indicates that the linkage between immediacy-related characteristics and social presence is stronger and the linkage between intimacy-related characteristics and social presence is weaker among mobile users than desktop users of Twitter.

Are we sure that Mobile Health is really mobile? An examination of mobile device use during two remotely-delivered weight loss interventions

BackgroundThe “m” in mHealth is often thought of as the ability to receive health information and monitor behaviors on the go. Little is known about how people actually use mobile vs. traditional access methods and if access method affects engagement and health outcomes. MethodsThis study examines the 3-month outcomes of two mobile weight loss interventions (Pounds Off Digitally (POD) and mobile POD (mPOD)) where participants were required to own a mobile device for study entry and received weight loss information via podcast. Only participants in both studies who were randomized to receive the same theory-based podcast (TBP) were used in this analysis. In POD, 41 participants were randomized to the TBP condition (37 to a control not included in this analyses). In mPOD, 49 participants were randomized to the TBP (n=49) and 47 to the TBP+mobile group (a self-monitoring app and Twitter app for social support). The goal of this study is to examine how participants accessed study components and to examine how type of device impacts engagement and weight loss. ResultsExamining data from both studies in aggregate, despite a mobile delivery method, 58% of participants reported using a non-mobile device to access the majority of the podcasts (desktop computers), 76% accessed the podcasts mostly at their home or work, and 62% were mainly non-mobile (e.g., sitting at work) when listening. Examining objective download data for mPOD, 49% of downloads (2889/5944) originated from non-mobile delivery methods vs. mobile platforms (3055/5944). At 3 months, 55% of Twitter posts originated from the website (n=665 posts) vs. a mobile app (n=540; 45%). There was no difference in the number of podcasts participants reported listening to by device. There were more Twitter posts by mobile app users (51±11) than Twitter website users (23±6, p<0.05). There was a trend (p=0.055) in greater weight loss among mobile users for podcasts (−3.5±0.5%) as compared to non-mobile users (−2.5±0.5%). Weight loss was significantly greater in Twitter mobile app users (−5.6±0.9%) than website users (−2.2±0.5%, p<0.01). ConclusionType of device used for podcast listening did not affect engagement but there was a trend toward greater weight loss among mobile users. Method of Twitter posting was associated with engagement and weight loss with mobile app users posting more to Twitter and losing more weight.

An observational study of undergraduate students’ adoption of (mobile) note-taking software

Mobile learning is increasing in popularity, but not all university students have mobile devices to support it. Our study investigated cross-platform software that has the potential to allow education practitioners to provide mobile support to their students’ learning, while offering similar functionality to non-mobile users via more traditional computing platforms. Undergraduate students were trained in the use of multi-platform cloud-based note-taking software (Evernote), and used the software in independent study for 8 weeks. Data show adoption for a range of functions, particularly gathering and managing information, organisation and planning, and the recording of ideas. Multimedia functions were also adopted innovatively by some students. Use for reflection was rare. Non-adopters were in a minority, giving low utility appraisals and difficulty in changing habits as reasons. Subjective evaluations and recommendations showed that a majority of students felt positive about the software and found it quick and easy to use. Mobile and non-mobile users only differed on the number of locations in which they used the software, and the proportion of notes classified as ideas, both being higher in mobile users. The data provide decision support for education practitioners who wish to provide mobile learning to their students alongside traditional platforms.

OAR: An Opportunistic Auto-Rate Media Access Protocol for Ad Hoc Networks

The IEEE 802.11 wireless media access standard supports multiple data rates at the physical layer. Moreover, various auto rate adaptation mechanisms at the medium access layer have been proposed to utilize this multi-rate capability by automatically adapting the transmission rate to best match the channel conditions. In this paper, we introduce the Opportunistic Auto Rate (OAR) protocol to better exploit durations of high-quality channels conditions. The key mechanism of the OAR protocol is to opportunistically send multiple back-to-back data packets whenever the channel quality is good. As channel coherence times typically exceed multiple packet transmission times for both mobile and non-mobile users, OAR achieves significant throughput gains as compared to state-of-the-art auto-rate adaptation mechanisms. Moreover, over longer time scales, OAR ensures that all nodes are granted channel access for the same time-shares as achieved by single-rate IEEE 802.11. We describe mechanisms to implement OAR on top of any existing auto-rate adaptation scheme in a nearly IEEE 802.11 compliant manner. We also analytically study OAR and characterize the delay jitter and the gains in throughput as a function of the channel conditions. Finally, we perform an extensive set of ns-2 simulations to study the impact of such factors as node velocity, channel conditions, and topology on the throughput of OAR.