Support Technology Adoption Research Articles

Ghanaian Farmers’ Personal Trait and Agricultural Technology Adoption: Consumer Behaviour Perspectives

The study of consumer behaviour has gained importance since it is used to pinpoint the elements that influence consumers’ decisions to embrace or reject innovations. This study seeks to understand adoption and use of agricultural technologies through the analysis of Ghanian farmers’ personal elements as inherent in consumer behaviour. Using a quantitative research methodology, 285 rural rice farmers in Ghana's Volta Region were randomly selected to participate in a cross-sectional survey that was used to gather data. The structural equation modelling method was used to test respondents’ attitude, perceived complexity and self-efficacy to adopt agricultural technology. This study found that a farmer’s attitude and self-efficacy to adopt and use agricultural technology were significantly positively correlated. The decision of adoption and use technology is however complex based on the varied attitude, self-efficacy and the technical requirement of the specific technology. The implication for this finding is relevant for technology marketing and regulatory policy to promote and support technology adoption and use by farmers in Ghana. The results, though relevant and valid in consumer behaviour and marketing, application context may vary widely requiring consideration of other variable for adaptation as envisaged in international marketing.

Blockchain-enabled digital asset tokenization for crowdsensing in environmental, social, and governance disclosure

Mobile crowdsensing has the potential to facilitate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure in supply chain networks. Traditional crowdsensing involves smartphone users sharing information to fulfill specific tasks while maximizing their rewards. But, implementing crowdsensing for ESG demands (1) cost-sharing to support technology adoption by information providers, (2) tracking the ownership and use of information, and (3) tackling the drawback of monetary incentives. This study investigates a novel digital asset tokenization mechanism for crowdsensing in ESG disclosure. Its blockchain tokens can keep track of each user's identity and consumption behavior to deliver necessary symbolic incentives to the information or digital asset provider. We model the interaction between providers and users as a two-stage Stackelberg game to analyze the participants' usage levels and optimal investment in technology. The incentive mechanism considers various factors such as technology adoption costs, level of cost sharing, and symbolic incentives to reveal their impact on participant benefits. Moreover, we endogenize the cost-sharing to evaluate/study the factors influencing the ideal/optimal cost-sharing level from digital asset consumers. We find that an increase in reputation incentive per token stimulates token consumption, which leads to more significant payoffs for the participants. Conversely, increasing technology adoption costs decreases token consumption, leading to lesser profits for the participants. However, in the case of cost-sharing, there exists a unique level of cost-sharing before (after) which utility of DA consumer increase (decreases), i.e., an incentive mechanism built on endogenous cost-sharing exhibits a competitive advantage over exogenous cost-sharing in terms of the profit it delivers to the DA consumers.

The Role of Governments in Driving Industry 4.0 Adoption in Emerging Countries

Industry 4.0 contributes to the virtualization of production system and enhances capabilities. However, the adoption process poses substantial challenges for SMEs in emerging markets due to institutional voids, resources, and public supports. This study explores the role of government in adopting Industry 4.0 by the SMEs and how organizational structure influences the process. It employed a quantitative approach and surveyed 225 managers. Industry 4.0 adoption is significantly influenced by government policy and subsidies. Government policy and subsidy transform organizational structure to be more transparent and flexible, streamlining them in adopting Industry 4.0. The organizational structure substantially mediates the relationships between government policy, subsidy, and Industry 4.0 adoption. This study implies that governments are vital in helping SMEs to adopt Industry 4.0 in emerging markets. Thus, governments should make policies that support technology adoption by offering sufficient funding/subsidies to boost innovation and technological transformation.

The adoption of precision agriculture enabling technologies in Swiss outdoor vegetable production: a Delphi study

Digital technologies are a promising means to tackle the increasing global challenges (e.g., climate change, water pollution, soil degradation) and revolutionising agricultural production. The current research used a two-stage Delphi study with 34 experts from various domains, including production, advisory and research, to identify the key drivers and barriers, the most promising technologies and possible measures to support technology adoption in Swiss outdoor vegetable production. Combining these experts’ views, the method provides realistic scenarios for future development. In Round 1, open-ended questions were used to collect the experts’ opinions. These were then transformed into closed-ended questions for Round 2, where controlled feedback was provided to the experts. Twenty-six experts participated in both rounds, resulting in an overall response rate that was comparably high (76%). It was found that economic factors were important drivers and barriers in technology adoption and, consequently, the experts recommended financial measures to support this adoption. The practical relevance of new technologies provided through communication and education holds further potential in terms of their promotion. These findings are valuable beyond the research field. Educators and policy makers can build on the results and optimally align their efforts to target technology adoption and contribute to more sustainable agriculture.

Wearable Sensing Devices: Towards the Development of a Personalized System for Construction Safety and Health Risk Mitigation.

Wearable sensing devices (WSDs) are increasingly helping workers stay safe and healthy in several industries. However, workers, especially in the construction industry, have shown some aversion towards the use of WSDs due to their ability to capture specific information that may be considered personal and private. However, this revered information may provide some critical insight needed by management to plan and optimize worksite safety and support technology adoption in decision making. Therefore, there is a need to develop personalized WSD systems that are mutually beneficial to workers and management to ensure successful WSD integration. The present study aims to contribute to knowledge and practice by filling this critical gap using insight from 330 construction workers with experience using WSDs. The results from this study indicate that all 11 WSD functions identified through this study play a vital role in improving worker safety and health and that approximately two out of three workers are open to sharing the physiological and environmental information captured using these WSDs with their management. However, functions for detecting workers’ proximity to workplace hazards, specifically energized electrical materials, toxic gas, and fire/smoke, were the most critical functions that had mutual value to workers and management. Finally, the present study proposed and evaluated a phased personalized WSD system that should encourage successful WSD integration.

Towards actionable farm typologies: Scaling adoption of agricultural inputs in Rwanda

Rollout of development interventions using a one-size-fits-all model can achieve economies of scale but neglects to account for variability in farm and farmer characteristics. A data-driven approach to incorporate farmer diversity in scaling strategies may help to achieve greater development impact. However, interpreting the multiplicity of smallholder characteristics is complex, time-consuming, and the ways in which the insights gained can be implemented is poorly understood. Navigating these tensions, we present a farm typology study carried out in collaboration with a large development organisation (the “scaling partner”) promoting agricultural inputs in Rwanda. This study was conducted late in the scaling pathway, in order to finesse the scaling strategy, rather than to target intervention selection. Drawing on nearly 3000 interviews from 17 districts of the Western, Southern, and Eastern Provinces of Rwanda, the typology differentiates households along two axes: 1. prosperity (a cornerstone of conventional typologies), and 2. adoption of inputs (fertilisers and improved crop varieties). We used an efficient household survey tool, a minimum-variable approach, and concepts from the study of adoption of agricultural innovations. Through an action-research collaboration with the scaling organisation we adapted the methods and the findings to be “actionable.Approximately two-thirds of the study population were using fertilisers and improved seed to some extent. Along each prosperity stratum, however, there were multiple degrees of adoption, demonstrating the value of including adoption information in typology constructions. Ten farm types were identified, where the key differences along the prosperity axis were land area cultivated and livestock owned, and the key differences along the adoption axis were perceptions of input efficacy, access to training, and education level. We also present a simple decision tree model to assign new households to a farm type. The findings were used in three ways by the scaling organisation: (i) characterisation of the population into discrete groups; (ii) prioritisation, of farm types for engagement, and geographical locations for further investment; and (iii) design of decision support tools or re-design of packages to support technology adoption for specific farm types. The need for field-level validation of the typologies was also stressed by the scaling organisation.

Unlocking the Potential: Understanding the Psychological Factors That Influence Technology Adoption in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry

Summary To maximize the opportunities for the adoption of newly developed products, there is a need to better understand how psychological factors have an impact on the acceptance and deployment of innovative technology in industry. While there is extensive general literature on the psychological factors that influence consumer behavior and the use of new technologies, there seemed to be very limited understanding of this topic, specifically relating to the upstream energy sector. A literature review was conducted to (1) identify what, if any, research has been conducted in relation to the psychological factors influencing technology adoption and deployment in the oil and gas (O&G) industry and (2) identify what interventions have been developed to support technology adoption in O&G. A literature search was undertaken, and given the limited research anticipated, minimum selection criteria were applied on the basis of Cochrane quality control (Higgins and Green 2011). In the 17 articles that met the search criteria, there was limited discussion of the psychological factors that have an impact on O&G technology adoption. The articles were subject to Braun and Clarke (2006) thematic analysis, producing a list of psychological factors that influence technology adoption in O&G. Only five psychological factors were identified: personality (e.g., exploration traits and risk aversion), attitude (e.g., trust and not-invented-here syndrome), social (e.g., social norms), cognition (e.g., risk perception), and psychological factors at an organizational level (leadership and organizational culture). In addition, our review identified a small number of interventions that were developed and deployed to support technology adoption in O&G. Given the early stages of this research area, combined with the relevance for technology innovation in upstream O&G, our review adds to the literature by identifying an initial framework of the key psychological factors. This essential set of factors can be used to direct future research, as well as to support effective interventions aimed at supporting the introduction of new technology.

Digital Construction Technology and Job-Site Equipment Demonstration: Modelling Relationship Strategies for Technology Adoption

The construction technology market is competitive and complicated, due to the high-risk of digital technology utilisation in construction projects and the conservative character of construction companies. This complexity affects the process of job-site technology dissemination and adoption in which construction companies make decisions to purchase and utilise the new technology. The complexity is one of the reasons that many new remote technologies, positioning and locating systems, lasers and drones, 3D printing, and robots are not widely adopted in the short term, despite vendors making determined efforts to overcome this. Three objectives are investigated in this paper: (i) to define criteria for examining patterns of vendors’ strategies to support technology adoption; (ii) to present fact-based evidence of different vendors’ demonstration methods; and (iii) to present examples of different technology groups based on their required strategies. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal investigation of the construction technology market, including patterns of technology demonstration and a conceptual model of classifying vendors and their technologies in construction market places. The model involves the three most important factors that distinguish technology exhibitors: Physical appearance, Interpersonal relationship and Technology demonstration. Data was collected from technology exhibitions, involving randomly selected vendors. This data was analysed using hierarchical and c-means clustering techniques. The hard-clustering techniques resulted in vendors being placed in five classes based on the elements of the PIT framework. Fuzzy analysis shows how these classes fit into an underlying strategy spectrum. Understanding the strategies used in each class enables new vendors to select their own dissemination strategies based on their own particular circumstances. The practical implication of this study is to present a set of dissemination strategies to new technology stakeholders involved in Industry 4.0. The identified patterns of technology vendor strategies and the novel conceptual model contribute to the body of knowledge in technology diffusion.

Moving beyond alternative fuel hype to decarbonize transportation

In the past three decades, government, industry and other stakeholders have repeatedly been swept up with the ‘fuel du jour’, claiming that a particular alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) technology can succeed in replacing conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. However, AFV technologies have experienced relatively little success, with fossil fuels still accounting for about 95% of global transport energy use. Here, using the US as a case study, we conduct a media analysis to show how society’s attention has skipped among AFV types between 1980 and 2013, including methanol, natural gas, plug-in electric, hybrid electric, hydrogen and biofuels. Although our results provide no indication as to whether hype ultimately has a net positive or negative impact on AFV innovation, we offer several recommendations that governments can follow to move past hype to support significant AFV adoption and displace fossil fuel use in the transportation sector. Alternative fuel technologies are crucial to decarbonize transport, but attention has shifted among options over time. This study presents an analysis of media, innovation and funding data for these different options and recommends actions to help move beyond hype to support technology adoption.

Moving from Theory to Practice

Technology integration continues to be a professional development concern, especially in elementary schools. It remains unclear why there is a difference between how teachers talk about using technology and how they apply it in teaching reading. The purpose of this investigation was to explore professional development options that would help teachers connect theory to practice by studying their decision-making process. In a case study design, 10 K-4 teachers participated in one 60-minute interview, one follow-up interview, and one 45-minute focus group. With the use of typological analysis, transcripts were coded for initial and emerging themes. Results indicated that integrating mobile devices was highly dependent upon teachers being self-directed learners. Teachers relied on informal collegial interactions when deciding to use mobile devices. Continuous professional development that addresses adult learning styles was recommended by the teachers to support technology adoption.

Innovation Intermediaries in China

Government and nonprofit innovation intermediaries that work to enable the innovativeness of firms include R&D performers such as government research institutes, property-based enablers such as science parks and business incubators, technology transfer offices, economic development organizations, industry associations, and business financing and support programs. In this paper we examine the nature and evolution of innovation intermediaries in China over the three decades from 1980 to 2010. Based on our investigation we conclude that China’s innovation intermediaries continue to reflect her legacy of central control and planned regional specialization. As a consequence they may be well suited to support technology adoption and incremental innovation, but may be poorly suited to support innovation that crosses industrial or disciplinary boundaries, or that is otherwise unanticipated by the system’s designers.

Preventative tele-health supported services for early stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial pilot.

BackgroundChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a prevalent debilitating long term condition. It is the second most common cause of emergency admission to hospital in the UK and remains one of the most costly conditions to treat through acute care.Tele-health monitoring offers potential to reduce the rates of re-hospitalisation and emergency department visits and improve quality of life for people with COPD. However, the current evidence base to support technology adoption and implementation is limited and the resource implications for implementing tele-health in practice can be very high. This trial will employ tele-health monitoring in a preventative capacity for patients diagnosed with early stage COPD following discharge from hospital to determine whether it reduces their need for additional health service support or hospital admission and improves their quality of life.Methods/DesignWe describe a pilot study for a two arm, one site randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the effect of tele-health monitoring on self-management, quality of life and patient satisfaction. Sixty patients who have been discharged from one acute trust with a primary diagnosis of COPD and who have agreed to receive community clinical support following discharge from acute care will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: (a) Tele-health supported Community COPD Service; or (b) Usual Care. The tele-health supported service involves the patient receiving two home visits with a specialist COPD clinician (nurse or physiotherapist) then participating in daily tele-monitoring over an eight week period. Usual care consists of six home visits to the patient by specialist COPD clinicians again over eight successive weeks. Health status and quality of life data for all participants will be measured at baseline, on discharge from the service and at six months post discharge from the service.DiscussionThe tele-health service under study is a complex service delivered through a collaboration between local authority and health care partners. The implementation of this service demanded significant changes to established working patterns and has been a challenging process requiring considerable planning - a challenge that many providers are likely to face in the future.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN68856013