Online Service Providers Research Articles

Zooming In and Out of Programming: Developing an Approach to Trauma-and Violence-Informed Physical Activity “Post-Pandemic”

Researchers have found that physical activity is an effective health promotion tool due to its positive effect on wellbeing, however, despite the overwhelming evidence on the benefits of physical activity, many structural and systemic inequities exist that affect access and uptake particularly for women. These barriers have been exacerbated over the last few years as conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has made engagement in physical activity even more difficult for equity-deserving populations. Community organizations have reported an increase in gender-based violence and a strain on support services. In this qualitative research study, we present findings that demonstrated how COVID-19 complicated the delivery of in-person programs for equity-deserving populations. Using a feminist participatory action research approach, community-specific barriers to physical activity from the perspectives of individuals who deliver physical activity programming and social services to self-identified women were generated in three themes using thematic analysis: 1) Increased Need, Decreased Services; 2) Online Service Provision was Not Effective for Clients or Providers; 3) Physical Activity was Not Deemed an “Essential Service”-Transitioning from Survival Mode to a New Normal. Taken together, findings underlined the importance of effective and sustainable resources and strategies to improve access for women to engage in physical activity programs.

Exploring E-Customer Satisfaction Using e-SERVQUAL Among Online Shoppers

When interacting with a company's products and services, customer satisfaction is an overall feeling of contentment that a client is experiencing. Previous studies have shown an increase in revenue when a company prioritizes customer satisfaction with its products or services. Around 70 percent of Malaysians are dynamic online consumers, with most of them shopping via websites. e-SERVQUAL assesses the efficacy and efficiency of a website in facilitating shopping, purchase, and delivery processes. It encompasses the pre-purchase and post-purchase phases. The e-SERVQUAL dimensions (privacy, website design, responsiveness, reliability, usability, and information quality) are elements that impact e-customer satisfaction. A total of 100 respondents at Bandar Utama City Centre who shop online participated in the survey. According to the data, males outnumber females among the respondents. The survey comprised three sections: A, B, and C. Section A comprised the demographic information of the respondents, Section B concentrated on the e-SERVQUAL aspects, and Section C addressed e-customer satisfaction. The data was examined utilizing the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results indicated that the majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with the quality. However, website design improvements should be made to encourage more online shopping. The recommendation in this study is beneficial to online service providers and future studies on e-SERVQUAL should be extended to another dimension to explore more aspects of determining quality service in an online setting.

Digital technology and psychological happiness: the mediating roles of interpersonal relationships and employment situations.

Psychological happiness represents the ultimate pursuit of human beings, and the impact of digital technology on psychological happiness is becoming increasingly significant in the era of the digital economy. Based on data from 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study constructs an empirical model that examines the effect and mechanism of digital technology on happiness. Additionally, this study investigates the heterogeneity and robustness of the impact of digital technology on happiness. The research conclusions are as follows: Firstly, digital technology can promote psychological happiness. When controlling for other factors, the marginal effect coefficient of digital technology is 0.031. Secondly, the effect of digital technology on personal happiness varies among different groups, particularly among women, young individuals, primary and college graduates, and rural residents. Furthermore, as absolute income increases, the happiness effect of digital technology diminishes. Thirdly, in terms of the influencing mechanism, digital technology indirectly affects individual happiness by influencing health status, interpersonal relationships, employment situations and income levels. Specifically, digital technology negatively impacts personal health, interpersonal relationships, and agricultural work, while positively impacting family relationships, non-agricultural employment, absolute income and relative income. Digital technology affects happiness through these channels indirectly. Based on the study results, it is proposed that efforts should be made to enhance the development of digital technology infrastructure in remote rural areas, reduce the financial burden associated with digital technology, and promote the digital technology ecosystem. Moreover, providing online services, such as e-commerce, travel reservations, and digital financial management, can improve access to digital technology in rural areas and contribute to increased happiness levels. Simultaneously, there is a need to strengthen digital skills training, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the elderly and rural residents, to improve their proficiency in digital technologies. This can be achieved through the integration of additional educational resources, thereby facilitating cost-free digital technology training and guidance. Meanwhile, it is essential to vigorously develop the new economy and innovative employment models, create job opportunities, foster entrepreneurial prospects, and improve income levels to enhance individual well-being.

A Security Model for Web-Based Communication

Web access involves various protocols to resolve domain names to IP addresses, establish data exchange channels with Web servers, and to authenticate communication partners. Each protocol has its own set of requirements and security measures. In addition to technical features, operating the Web also introduces organizational and political aspects which are important to consider when deploying a secure basis for Web-based communication. In this paper, we propose an algorithmic security model based on the widely deployed technologies DNS(SEC) and Web PKI to cover the three dimensions identification , resolution , and transaction . Our model enables quantification and qualification of the security assurance provided by an online service provider. To verify the applicability of our model, we investigate the online presence of Alerting Authorities in the U.S., selected German Emergency Service providers, and UN member states . We observe partially enhanced security relative to global Internet trends, yet find cause for concern as only about 6% of unique hosts cater to secure resolution. About 46% of investigated organizations use shared certificates with 1% of all organizations having no or invalid certificates. Two thirds of organizations are not uniquely identifiable and as such lack the basic requirement of trustworthy communication.

Online Age Verification: Government Legislation, Supplier Responsibilization, and Public Perceptions.

There are widespread concerns about the online harms to children operating online. As such, governments have enacted laws to require online service providers to deploy age verification to prevent such harms. We investigate the following three research questions regarding this topic: (1) To what extent have different governments legislated age verification controls? (2) Do governments embrace a responsibilization strategy when it comes to online age verification? and (3) How does the UK public feel about online age verification legislation? We find that governments are applying a responsibilization strategy, which has led to widespread deployment of privacy-invasive or ineffective age verification. The former violates the privacy of underage users, with the latter undermining the overarching aims of the legislation. We have also found general disengagement and a lack of trust in the government amongst the public with regards to new online age verification laws within the UK. To conclude, despite governments globally looking to put more robust online age verification mechanisms in place, there remains a general lack of privacy preservation and affordable technological solutions. Moreover, the overarching aims of the online safety and age verification legislative changes may not be satisfied due to the general public stakeholder group's disengagement and lack of trust in their government.

PEBASI: A Privacy preserving, Efficient Biometric Authentication Scheme based on Irises

We introduce a novel privacy-preserving biometric authentication scheme based on irises that allows a user to enroll once at a trusted biometric certification authority (BCA) and authenticate to online service providers (SPs) multiple times without involving the BCA during the authentication. Our scheme preserves the user’s biometric privacy from the SPs and transactional privacy from the BCA, while providing security against a malicious user. During the enrollment, the BCA issues a signed token that encrypts the user’s biometrics. We introduce techniques enabling the SP and the user to perform secure computation of biometric matching between such encrypted biometrics and the user’s biometrics captured at the authentication time. We provide a prototype implementation, a performance evaluation, and a security analysis of the protocol.

The impact of digitalization on promoting business during crisis: evidence from Armenian SMEs

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the factors that affect the attitudes of Armenian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) regarding digitalization, examining whether they view it as a tool to foster innovation and business growth, while also assessing the extent to which digitalization mitigated the negative impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. Design/methodology/approach The empirical approach is based on data collected from 452 Armenian SMEs, which were further analyzed using SPSS Statistics 23.0 software. Scales for assessing the COVID-19 impact, innovation and digitalization were constructed and validated. To test five hypotheses, binomial logistic regression was conducted to appraise the importance of digitalization for Armenian SMEs, including the ability to mitigate the consequences of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Findings The results of the analysis showed that the economic sector plays a significant role in forming the expectations of firms on the positive impact of digitalization, while the company size does not affect them. This paper found that the provision of online services before the pandemic did not help Armenian SMEs to be less affected by the crisis. Furthermore, the perception of whether digitalization facilitated innovative processes, products and services did not depend on the degree of being affected by COVID-19. Finally, the findings indicate that the more agile companies which had the ability to convert their business model into an e-business model were less affected by the crisis. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by studying the effect of digitalization on SMEs, as well as how SMEs in small developing countries like Armenia mitigated the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current work is unique as, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no prior empirical studies focusing on impact of digitalization and innovation induced by exogenous shocks in an under-researched country like Armenia.

"It's a Very Good Second Option": Older Adults' Experience of Telehealth.

The growing ability to provide online services has enabled the proliferation of exercise-based telehealth interventions; however, adoption in older adults may be impacted by low digital literacy and "technophobia." The aim of this study was to explore the experience of community and aged-care dwelling older adults following exercise-based telehealth services to provide insights that could guide future telehealth exercise delivery. Semi-structured interviews for qualitative analysis. Participants (age ≥60) who had completed at least one online exercise session from a registered health professional were recruited through a combination of purposeful and snowball sampling methods via their exercise facility or provider. A semi-structured interview guide was used by 2 interviewers to investigate participants' experiences and a "critical friends" approach used to identify common themes. Thirteen interviews with 21 participants were conducted from 2 different facilities. Analysis identified meaning units within 3 themes and subthemes. Technology subthemes related to digital confidence prior to telehealth and changes during interventions, as well as the usability of technology for telehealth. Clinical practice subthemes described the different motivations to exercise, perceived benefits of telehealth, important implications for practitioners, and perceptions of safety. The social connection theme related to the social benefits of telehealth. Older adults in our sample were technologically confident and capable of performing exercise sessions delivered via telehealth. They notice benefits from this form of exercise delivery however, prefer face-to-face exercise delivery.

Tác động của dịch vụ trực tuyến lên năng lực cạnh tranh của các ngân hàng thương mại Việt Nam

This study determines and measures the impact of online services on the competitiveness of Vietnamese commercial banks. The authors use the Generalized Least Squared method and data from 33 Vietnamese commercial banks from 2016 to 2022 to estimate the relationship. The results show that banks with high online service indexes demonstrate higher competitiveness. Internet banking activities for corporate and individual customers positively impact the competitiveness of state-owned and private commercial banks. Online services do not show a significant impact on listed banks. Meanwhile, e-banking activities have positive effects on unlisted banks. In addition, the study also provides recommendations on enhancing brand image, developing technology platforms, and enhancing security and connectivity of online service provision activities to improve the competitiveness of commercial banks.

Unveiling the influence of the extended online-to-offline food delivery service environment on urban residents' usage: A case study of Nanjing, China

Online-to-offline food delivery services (OFDS) platforms have reshaped the urban food landscape. However, existing studies do not reveal the relationship between the changes in the food environment under the influence of OFDS and residents' usage of OFDS. This study considers the impact of OFDS on the food environment and innovatively introduces the concept of extended OFDS food environment (OFDS-FE). Unlike traditional food environments that offer physical dining options within a limited walking distance, the OFDS-FE refers to the food environment formed by different types of restaurants that rely on OFDS platforms to provide online services within the delivery area. Combining questionnaire survey data and Meituan takeaway restaurant data in Nanjing, China, the empirical results suggest that higher online restaurant density, lower road network density, and lower online restaurant accessibility within the extended area are associated with higher OFDS usage by residents. These findings highlight the significance of OFDS-FE in explaining residents' use of OFDS, providing a new perspective for understanding the relationship between the food environment and residents' dining behaviors. These results also shed light on urban planning and design.

Cyber violence governance on digital platforms: criminal compliance and public-private co-governance

Cyber violence is endangering the order of cyberspace with the characteristics of depersonalization and de-accountability, and the governance of digital platforms is facing challenges such as lagging response, lax implementation and conflict of interest. Platforms, as providers of online services, have a natural technological advantage and should be responsible for the governance of public cyberspace. There is an urgent need to establish a detailed criminal compliance plan to reduce the criminal compliance risk due to online violence through the whole process of prevention beforehand, timely disposal during the incident, and reflection after the incident, and a positive incentive function can be expected. In addition, the prudent involvement and appropriate intervention of public power are key elements in the governance of online violence. Under the framework of binary co-regulation, the public and private sectors complement each other and dynamically synergize to make up for the inadequacy of the current legal regulation.

Revolutionizing Cloud Security: Innovative Approaches for Safeguarding Data Integrity

Cloud computing uses third-party servers or private clouds to provide online services and on-demand enterprise resource access. Microsoft Azure, Amazon, IBM, and Google Apps allow customers to design and run cloud-based apps from anywhere. These cloud services store and retrieve data from faraway servers, highlighting the importance of security due to internet data transfer. Before using cloud computing, firms must handle security issues. Pay-per-use, self-service, and scalability make the model popular in banking, healthcare, retail, education, manufacturing, and business. Pay-per-use models let users use servers, networks, storage, services, and applications without buying them. Limited data control can result in account service issues, traffic hijacking, insecure APIs, malicious insiders, technology sharing issues, and multi-tenancy data failures. Continuous research and development improve security and user confidence. This paper provides a framework for understanding cloud computing, identifies security dangers and research issues, and emphasizes its relevance in major industries. It also recommends cloud security innovations and assesses worldwide data protection policies to improve data security and reduce risks. Cloud-stored data is vulnerable to programs with security weaknesses, notwithstanding its benefits. If the guest OS’s security is unreliable, virtualization on a hypervisor may expose data to attacks. Additionally, data security vulnerabilities in transit and at rest will be addressed.

Values in British higher education: knowledge, freedom and wellbeing

British higher education is ranked among the best in the world, but some of its core values are under strain. Knowledge and critical thinking can be undermined by biased mind-sets, especially when engaging with the social media. Research demonstrates that false news goes viral much more quickly than true news. Political correctness and the woke movement can militate against freedom, especially in gender-related matters. Surveys show that many staff and students have a lower sense of wellbeing than the rest of the population. Conscious of these problems, the Government has responded with an Act to place extensive new obligations on certain types of online service providers, requiring them to protect their users by managing risks relating to illegal and harmful content. A separate Act has also been passed to protect freedom of speech in universities. The issue of staff and student unhappiness is much less amenable to legislation because it is so multi-faceted. However, it is a very important issue for a healthy, democratic society that fosters cooperation, trust and community. It needs to be addressed.

Digital Economy: Legal and Economic Status on the Example of the EAEU

The article discusses the legal and economic aspects of the development of the digital economy, highlighting the main elements of the digital economy, which become fundamental in the presence of digital platforms and the digital environment. The active implementation of information and communication technologies creates the basis for digital platforms for the introduction of new technologies and information relations based on the use of artificial intelligence, global industrial Internet networks of things and services, and big data technology. The development of services for the provision of online services, the development of online stores in new forms, the improvement of information sites, online communities and other forms of digital transformation of the economy, make it possible to extract more and more financial income by processing and providing more information through the digitalization of goods and services produced. The experience of introducing the digital agenda in the EAEU, including in trade relations, was studied, directions for digital transformation in the formation and development of the digital economy of the EAEU, aimed at creating a common information environment, including in the Internet space, were noted and proposed.

How to Validate Consumer Self-Actualization or Narcissism through Social Media Services??

This research takes the perspective of tour and travel service companies in providing services through consumer self-actualization behavior or narcissism and adopts Maslow's hierarchy of needs framework to capture motivational intentions (Pincus, 2023). Researchers believe the findings of this research can provide insight for tour and travel service companies to strategy (1) Validate consumers' self-actualization needs or narcissism through satisfying social media services and the use of social media, (2) Create social media platforms to support operational needs and provide online service. This research uses a simple research design method with triangulation theory. Qualitative research (Rofiah & Bungin, 2021) with a phenomenological approach. The research locus was located at an East Java tour & travel company. The focus of this research was conducted on: 10 tour & travel company owners in East Java. The data analysis technique used is Manual Data Analysis Procedure (MDAP) by Rofiah, (2022), from the results of interviews accompanied by triangulation of sources, methods and theories it was found that to validate tour and travel consumers there are 3 important things that must be done by tour and travel companies : (1) Marketing Objectives (Geographic Segmentation, Psychographic Segmentation, Determining the Size of Market Segments, Suitability and Suitability, Adjusted to Market Demand, Demographic Segmentation, Behavioral Segmentation, Potential from Competitors, Brand Positioning/Company name); (2) Marketing Logic (Flexible Services Offered, Different Service Products, Prices Taking Market Prices into Account, Staged Payment System, Human Resources Based on Generations, Varied Products and Services, Offering a Guarantee System, Discounts/Rebates, Good Employee Attitudes ); (3) Promotion (Strategic Location, Easy Ordering Process, Dividing Marketing Team Based on Generation, Prioritizing Consumer Convenience, Online and Offline Promotion, Giving Door Prizes, Establishing Good Communication/Relationships, Following Trends/Something Viral)

A Comprehensive Survey on Automated Machine Learning for Recommendations

Deep recommender systems (DRS) are critical for current commercial online service providers, which address the issue of information overload by recommending items that are tailored to the user’s interests and preferences. They have unprecedented feature representations effectiveness and the capacity of modeling the non-linear relationships between users and items. Despite their advancements, DRS models, like other deep learning models, employ sophisticated neural network architectures and other vital components that are typically designed and tuned by human experts. This article will give a comprehensive summary of automated machine learning (AutoML) for developing DRS models. We first provide an overview of AutoML for DRS models and the related techniques. Then we discuss the state-of-the-art AutoML approaches that automate the feature selection, feature embeddings, feature interactions, and model training in DRS. We point out that the existing AutoML-based recommender systems are developing to a multi-component joint search with abstract search space and efficient search algorithm. Finally, we discuss appealing research directions and summarize the survey.

A hybrid machine learning with process analytics for predicting customer experience in online insurance services industry

It is essential to innovate and improve service levels by predicting possible process outcomes due to the growth of online service providers. This study estimates the customer satisfaction level based on customer experience analysis. In doing so, we answer recent calls for research about a more thorough exploration of customer behavior using predictive process monitoring techniques. In particular, a hybrid framework of supervised/unsupervised machine learning methods is proposed to predict the outcomes of customers’ experiences while dealing with the problem of high intra-class variance. This problem occurs due to the large dispersion of traces identified in the customer journeys. In this regard, customer journeys are first matched with the event log format aiming to implement a Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) clustering technique based on the similarity between the customer journeys. After summarizing the journeys by removing low-value activities, the multi-class decision tree classification method is applied, and the level of customer satisfaction is predicted. Due to the imbalanced nature of the data, the oversampling for imbalanced classification is applied to achieve good results in accuracy indicators such as recall, precision, and F1-score. Finally, the proposed approach has been evaluated on a real-life event log, BPI Challenge 2016, to investigate unsatisfied customers. The results of the machine learning models on the test data show a high degree of accuracy in predicting customer dissatisfaction.

Examining the global influence of e-governance on corruption: a panel data analysis

This study analyzes the impact of e-governance on corruption using a panel dataset comprising 110 countries over the period from 2003 to 2021. The specific focus of the research is on the relationship between the E-government Development Index (EGDI) and its four components, namely the Online Service Index (OSI), Human Capital Index (HCI), Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII), and E-Participation Index (EPI), and their effects on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). To examine these relationships, the empirical analysis employs a fixed effect model, which is a suitable statistical approach for panel data analysis. The findings of the study reveal significant negative associations between the EGDI, OSI, HCI, and TII with corruption levels across countries worldwide. This implies that higher levels of e-government development, online service provision, human capital, and telecommunication infrastructure are associated with lower corruption perceptions. However, the EPI does not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship with the CPI. Based on these results, the paper provides recommendations for governments to prioritize two key areas. Firstly, governments should invest in the development of e-government infrastructure to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public administration, thereby reducing corruption. Secondly, initiatives aimed at enhancing public awareness and understanding of e-governance should be prioritized, as they contribute to increased citizen engagement and participation, which can ultimately lead to improved governance practices and reduced corruption levels.

Impact of banking functions on online investment intention in India: Examining the mediating role of service experience

The study aimed to determine the various antecedents of banking functions that may lead to consumers’ intention to use online banking channels for investment with the role of service experience in mediating the relationship between banking function, online investment intention, cost perception, and behavioral factors. Data were collected through an online survey to understand consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions among online banking users in India. The population of this study is Indian residents who are customers of banks providing online services. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were used as sampling methods. The study used an online survey with a list-based sample frame using social media chat functions or messaging applications in which the Google forms link was shared. A total of 561 valid responses were successfully accumulated from 1,136 Google forms, indicating a response rate of 61.78%. The study employs SEM-PLS using PLS 2.0 software for data analysis. The results validated the direct effect of online investment intention through a bank on different components of banking channel function linkages: information and service awareness, transactional efficacy, trust, brand effect, convenience, and information technology support (p < 0.05). The findings also highlighted that customer service experience mediates the relationship between banking channel function and consumers’ investment intention through online banking channels, significantly impacting customers’ cost perception and behavioral factors (p < 0.05). The research implications are expected to improve the banking service experience of customers and might motivate them to use the online banking channel for investment.

Identifying, Prioritizing, and Assessing Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction Covered by Supplemental Insurance: A Mixed-Method Study

Background: With increasing specialization in various sectors of the market environment, it has become essential to identify customer satisfaction indicators and prioritize them to enhance the provision of supplementary health insurance services. Objectives: This study aimed to identify, prioritize, and assess satisfaction indicators among individuals covered by supplemental insurance. Methods: This exploratory mixed-method study involved 20 participants, including university faculty members, managers, and insurance experts in Khuzestan province. In the qualitative phase, a scoping review of relevant literature was initially conducted using electronic databases such as Scopus and Web of Science to extract key axes. Subsequently, in two stages of fuzzy Delphi, relevant indicators were extracted and then prioritized by a panel of experts using the fuzzy AHP method. Results: A total of 33 articles were retrieved through the database search. Following semi-structured interviews, 11 indicators were identified, including premium, insurance obligations limit, timely payment of expenses, provision of online services, respectful treatment, reasonableness of required documents, waiting period, complaint handling, franchising information, and discrimination in service provision. Among these factors, the premium had the highest priority, with a final weight of 0.190. Conclusions: The results highlight the significance of premium as the most influential factor in the study. Therefore, insurance company managers should focus on increasing insured individuals' satisfaction and enhancing their companies' overall perception.