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This study investigates near field communication (NFC) payment method adoption in the Republic of Kosova, aiming to understand factors influencing consumer behavior toward NFC technology adoption. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT-3) model and perceived risk theory, the research seeks to establish relationships between various factors and user intentions regarding NFC payment technology.

Using a quantitative approach, the research used a comprehensive questionnaire of 40 questions rated on a seven-point Likert scale across 16 constructs aligned with the research objectives. A convenience sampling method was used, distributing electronic questionnaires to 200 individuals representing diverse demographics in the Republic of Kosova.

The study identified significant support for numerous hypotheses, demonstrating substantial correlations between factors like performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, habit, facilitating conditions and personal innovativeness with behavioral intention to use and behavioral intention to adopt NFC payments.

Because convenience sampling was used, there are restrictions on the study’s sample size. Moreover, although the study delves into noteworthy elements impacting the adoption of NFC payment systems, it might not cover all possible factors that could influence consumer behavior in this regard.

Policymakers, NFC product developers, companies in the technology and payment sectors and Republic of Kosova customers all gain strategically from the research’s findings. Policymakers may make informed judgments about legislation, improve product development and marketing tactics and empower consumers to accept NFC payments by having a better understanding of consumer preferences and behaviors related NFC technology.

Understanding consumer preferences and behaviors regarding NFC technology can refine product development and marketing strategies, inform policymaking and empower consumers’ decisions about adopting NFC payments.

This study’s innovative approach in combining the UTAUT-3 model and perceived risk theory contributes significantly to the understanding of factors influencing users’ intentions in adopting emerging payment technologies, filling a gap in NFC payment literature.

Because the success of m-payment services depends on the enablers and barriers that affect user satisfaction, the present research explores the effects of perceived value and sacrifices on users' satisfaction with m-payment services. The predicted relationships among perceived value, perceived sacrifices, users' satisfaction, continuance intention, word-of-mouth (WOM), shopping effectiveness, quality of life (QOL) and stickiness were established based on the mobile technology acceptance model (MTAM) and the value-based adoption model (VAM).

A representative data sample of 430 Egyptian banking clients was analyzed to test the hypotheses using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The findings revealed that all perceived value constructs significantly positively affect users' satisfaction. Moreover, all perceived sacrifice constructs significantly negatively affect users' satisfaction. Users' satisfaction, in turn, has a significant positive effect on continuance intention, WOM, shopping effectiveness, QOL and stickiness with m-payment services.

This is the first study to examine several levels of m-payment outcomes, including m-payment, consumer and bank outcomes, based on the integration of MTAM and VAM models.

Because brand addiction is one of the most intense forms of consumer–brand relationships, this type of behavior has recently attracted the attention of researchers in the field of consumer behavior management. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of brand addiction among Iranian consumers.

This research used a cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 401 people in Iran. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

This study found that brand love and brand involvement significantly influence brand addiction. Brand addiction was also positively associated with contingent self-esteem (CSE), compulsive shopping and resilience to negative information. Additionally, the results revealed a positive and significant effect of brand involvement on brand love and a similar positive and significant effect of CSE on compulsive shopping.

By examining the antecedents and consequences of brand addiction in an Islamic country, this research offers valuable insights that can enrich the literature on brand addiction in consumer behavior and brand management.

This study is motivated to provide a theoretically informed, data-driven assessment of the consequences associated with the participation of non-human bots in social accountability movements; specifically, the anti-inequality/anti-corporate #OccupyWallStreet conversation stream on Twitter.

A latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling approach as well as XGBoost machine learning algorithms are applied to a dataset of 9.2 million #OccupyWallStreet tweets in order to analyze not only how the speech patterns of bots differ from other participants but also how bot participation impacts the trajectory of the aggregate social accountability conversation stream. The authors consider two research questions: (1) do bots speak differently than non-bots and (2) does bot participation influence the conversation stream.

The results indicate that bots do speak differently than non-bots and that bots exert both weak form and strong form influence. Bots also steadily become more prevalent. At the same time, the results show that bots also learn from and adapt their speaking patterns to emphasize the topics that are important to non-bots and that non-bots continue to speak about their initial topics.

These findings help improve understanding of the consequences of bot participation within social media-based democratic dialogic processes. The analyses also raise important questions about the increasing importance of apparently nonhuman actors within different spheres of social life.

The current study is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, that uses a theoretically informed Big Data approach to simultaneously consider the micro details and aggregate consequences of bot participation within social media-based dialogic social accountability processes.

In this study, students’ perceptions of the effective practices of their research mentors were examined. The research mentors implemented the practices informed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) mentorship competencies to mentor underrepresented students in engineering education research in a virtual environment.

This research experience for undergraduates (REU) program, situated in the United States of America, consisted of undergraduate students (i.e. mentees), graduate students and faculty mentors who all had at least one underrepresented identity in engineering (i.e. Black, Latiné/x, and/or women). Using qualitative methods, we used data from reflection surveys and follow-up interviews with REU mentees to understand the outcomes of the mentorship strategies employed by the mentors in the program. The data were analyzed thematically using CIMER model constructs and social capital theory as guiding frameworks.

The results indicated the identified strategies students perceived as the most impactful for mentorship throughout the program. Students in the REU gained knowledge on how to activate social capital in mentorship relationships and how to better mentor others.

The findings provide insight on how to operationalize the CIMER mentorship competencies to skillfully mentor underrepresented students in engineering. Given the size of the REU and the nature of qualitative research, the sample size was limited.

The results help inform mentorship practices for underrepresented individuals in engineering education and the workforce. Further, they add to the practical knowledge of implementing CIMER best practices virtually, at a time when the world has transitioned to more hybrid and virtual working and learning environments.

This study identifies impactful strategies for operationalizing mentorship strategies informed by theory- and evidence-based CIMER mentorship competencies. In addition, this study extends knowledge about how to implement mentoring best practices and engage mentorship in a virtual environment.

Heritage buildings are a witness to previous civilizations and constitute important elements in transmitting cultural identity through generations. In 1938, Alexandria University was established; it was called the University of Farouk at the time. In 1952, the university was named “Alexandria University,” and since then, it has witnessed growth and expansion in several fields. The research aims to preserve the heritage of this academic institution. It seeks to document this wealth of buildings that tell the story of the second-earliest university in Egypt.

A mixed-method approach was employed. A descriptive method was used to narrate the history of the university and the importance of its buildings. Within the quantitative approach, a questionnaire was chosen as the survey instrument for collecting the data within the research case study. The aim was to determine the awareness of students, staff and employees of the heritage importance of their faculty. Within the qualitative approach, several interviews were conducted with employees in the engineering departments of the university administrative building at Chatby and some of the selected faculties. The aim was to determine the methods used for the conservation of these buildings.

Alexandria University has a heritage value not only in its great history but also through its heritage buildings. Raising the awarness of the university's affiliates of this heritage will lead to enhance the feelings of loyalty and belongings to the university. Therefore, preserving this heritage and properly managing it is crucial.

Universities have to recognize that their built heritage constitutes a unique expression that can create a distinctive sense of place. University heritage is crucial in defining and interpreting the university cultural identity. The institution must identify resources that will help build a new public image and contribute to develop a successful brand. Campus appearance is an important factor that has a significant impact on student feelings of loyalty and belonging.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between patient satisfaction (PS) and the parameters in healthcare and supply chain management (HLSCM).

The structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method have been employed to identify correlation and possible configuration of causal factors that influence PS, including lack of resilience (LS), lack of visibility (LV), cost management (CM) and integration and interoperability (II).

The results from SEM confirmed that PS is highly correlated with lack of visibility, CM and II as critical parameters. Moreover, fsQCA findings state that the configuration of high levels of both resilience and lack of visibility, as well as high levels of II, are crucial for PS.

The researchers also identified the configuration of factors that lead to low PS. The study’s results could assist healthcare providers in improving their supply chain operations, resulting in more effective and efficient healthcare service delivery and ultimately improving PS.

The fsQCA method used in the study provides a more nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between these factors. The inclusion of supply chain management characteristics as parameters in the evaluation of PS is a novel aspect of this research. Previous studies largely focused on more traditional factors such as physical care, waiting times and hospital amenities. By considering supply chain management factors, this study provides insights into an under-explored area of PS research, which has important implications for healthcare providers looking to improve their operations and PS.

Race and gender – and their intersection – play an important role in mentorship. In the current study, informed by critical race theory (CRT) and intersectionality, we identified and explored helpful and harmful mentoring experiences among Black women undergraduates.

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with Black female undergraduate students (n = 18) from five undergraduate institutions in the United States. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, a codebook was developed through a series of team meetings, and inductive qualitative coding was performed.

Eight major themes were revealed, with three indicating positive mentorship experiences and five indicating negative mentorship experiences. Participants expressed appreciation for effective mentor support concerning professional development, personal concerns, and race-specific support. Experiencing ineffective mentorship compounded other systemic barriers that the participants faced and led them to censor their self-expression while communicating with their mentors.

This examination of mentoring perspectives from Black women undergraduate students provides a foundation for future directions in mentorship improvement for Black women.

This paper investigates the influence of blockchain technology on trust and transparency within supply chain management. While existing research suggests blockchain has revolutionary potential, real-world evidence remains limited. This study aims to bridge this gap.

The research relies on transaction cost analysis and principal-agent theory to develop a conceptual model. The model proposes how blockchain fosters trust and transparency, ultimately leading to a market-based governance model within supply chains. Five different blockchain applications were analyzed in a multi-case study through document reviews and expert interviews to test the model’s assumptions.

The study’s findings challenge initial assumptions. The complexity of blockchain networks and a reluctance to share information among participants hinder blockchain technology’s ability to increase trust and transparency. Consequently, the expected reduction in opportunism and uncertainties is not observed, and a market-based governance model fails to materialize. In practice, supply chain partners gravitate toward permissioned blockchains managed by established consortia. Acting as trusted third parties, these consortia assume control over network management, rendering blockchain essentially unnecessary.

This paper sheds light on the practical limitations of blockchain technology in revolutionizing supply chain management. While blockchain promises much, the findings suggest that established consortia currently play a more critical role in fostering trust and transparency within supply chains.