Chris Wagstaff, Anna Davis, Elizabeth Jackson-McConnell, Matilda MacDonald, Ashley Medlyn and Sandra Pillon
Homelessness and psychoactive substance (PS) use are both determinants of physical and mental ill health, with the homeless population using, and dying of PSs more frequently than…
Abstract
Purpose
Homelessness and psychoactive substance (PS) use are both determinants of physical and mental ill health, with the homeless population using, and dying of PSs more frequently than the general population. However, there is a gap in research on the real-world implications psychoactive substance use (PSU) has on the homeless population. This study aims to explore the experiences of PSU from the perspective of homeless users.
Design/methodology/approach
Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit participants and semi-structured interviews collected data from participants, with interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) generating common themes from the data gathered.
Findings
Four participants were interviewed. The themes generated were family and close relationships; cyclical patterns; mistrust in people and services; and low self-worth.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited by potential bias from researchers who built relationships with participants through the data collection process. Despite efforts to remove this bias, through reflexivity throughout data collection and analysis, some bias may be still present. The researchers saw the participants as vulnerable people who were striving to overcome adversity. Such conception of the participants is reflective of how the participants portrayed themselves. The small sample is suitable for IPA purposes. Of course, it could have been possible that if different participants had been recruited or more participants had been recruited, then there could have been different themes and findings. IPA prides itself on its idiographic focus.
Practical implications
More research is needed on a wider scale to assess the extent and cause of these issues. Increased education and dissemination of research such as this is required to break down stigma within the public and guide policy change in professional services.
Originality/value
This paper interpretatively presents themes generated by semi-structured interviews with four homeless PSUs. As such, these individuals are vulnerable and have faced adversity throughout life from both society and the services they use. Their vulnerability leads to a cycle of substance use and a feeling of low self-worth, which is perpetuated by the perceived views of those around them.
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This chapter examines two 21st-century Disney fairy tale adaptations, Frozen (2013) and its sequel Frozen II (2019), focussing on the representation of male characters and the…
Abstract
This chapter examines two 21st-century Disney fairy tale adaptations, Frozen (2013) and its sequel Frozen II (2019), focussing on the representation of male characters and the discourse on masculinity that can be inferred from both films.
Despite featuring two prominent female protagonists – Queen Elsa and Princess Anna – and dealing with themes such as sisterhood and female bonding, a close reading of the two films reveals that they are as much about masculinity as they are about femininity. For instance, filmmakers introduce heterosexual romance where there was none before, as well as male characters Prince Hans and Kristoff, who are not present in the literary source that they draw from, Hans Christian Andersen's ‘The Snow Queen’ (1844).
Furthermore, these male characters are given names, personalities, and motivations, which cannot be said of previous Disney fairy tale Prince Charming-type figures. Therefore, Hans and Kristoff are proposed to be variations of this archetype and can be read as an attempt on Disney's part to complicate it, undermine the patriarchal masculinity that it stood for in its previous Disney renderings, and propose alternative models for the implied 21st-century audience.
Although Prince Hans is initially presented as a stereotypical Disney fairy tale prince, he is eventually revealed to be a narcissistic lover and a patriarchal villain. Kristoff, by contrast, is the humble, lower-class, sensitive ‘new’ man who is presented as a socially acceptable alternative and finally takes Prince Charming's place by becoming the princess's love interest and partner. Frozen can be read as a cautionary tale that urges young women to choose their romantic (male) partners wisely and warns both male and female audiences against the dangers of fragile patriarchal masculinity.
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Shelby R. Steuart and W. David Bradford
A growing body of research finds a consistently negative relationship between medical cannabis access and aggregate measures of opioid use. Nothing is currently known about the…
Abstract
A growing body of research finds a consistently negative relationship between medical cannabis access and aggregate measures of opioid use. Nothing is currently known about the types of opioids that are being most impacted by cannabis access. Using the Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021) difference-in-differences (DID) estimator for the main analysis and data on all opioid shipments to every United States (US) pharmacy from 2006 to 2014, the authors found no evidence of overall change in the total number of morphine milligram equivalent (MME) units of opioids shipped to pharmacies, following the opening of medical cannabis dispensaries. However, across all opioids, the authors found a reduction in the highest MME dosage strengths (8.8% decrease in 50–89 MME doses and 11.3% decrease in 90+ MME doses). This decrease appears to be driven predominantly by commonly diverted opioids, where the authors found a reduction in the highest MME dosage strengths (12.2% in 50–89 MME doses and 13.8% in 90+ MME doses). Further, the authors see a 6.0% increase in low-to-moderate dose opioids (0–49 MMEs). This is consistent with patients using cannabis concomitantly with opioids in order to achieve a lower opioids dose.
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Anna-Sophie Oertzen and Gaby Odekerken-Schröder
Despite ample research on the adoption of online banking, the post-adoption phase remains largely neglected. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new conceptual model to…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite ample research on the adoption of online banking, the post-adoption phase remains largely neglected. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new conceptual model to investigate drivers, attitudes and behaviours in the post-adoption phase of the e-postbox, a co-creative online banking feature.
Design/methodology/approach
Research from bank marketing, services marketing, information systems and relationship management informs the proposed post-adoption model. Empirical tests rely on structural equation modelling and a sample of 750 current customers of the e-postbox of a large German bank.
Findings
The proposed model provides a multifaceted view of the post-adoption phase, including task-related, organisation-related and interpersonal communication-related drivers. This study reveals the importance of integrating dual interpersonal communication as a post-adoption driver and a post-adoption behaviour. It also extends the technology acceptance model by applying it to the post-adoption phase. Significant effects of age further suggest that younger customers express the most favourable attitudes towards and highest intentions to continue using the e-postbox; interestingly, older customers use it more and share more word-of-mouth.
Research limitations/implications
This paper develops a post-adoption model that highlights the importance of continued usage for successful co-creation between the bank and its customers.
Practical implications
Managers can encourage continued usage during the post-adoption phase of a co-creative, digitalised service, which determines the retention of current customers and opportunities to attain new customers.
Originality/value
This study defines and establishes constructs for the post-adoption phase and categorises them according to post-adoption drivers, attitudes and behaviours.
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Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the…
Abstract
Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the Afro‐American experience and to show the joys, sorrows, needs, and ideals of the Afro‐American woman as she struggles from day to day.
Dorota Dobija, Anna Maria Górska and Anna Pikos
The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of how internal organisational processes change in response to external demands, by investigating the changes undertaken…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of how internal organisational processes change in response to external demands, by investigating the changes undertaken by two Polish business schools (b-schools) in anticipation of and in response to the demands of accreditation agencies (AAs) and other powerful stakeholders. Specifically, it examines the internal research-related performance measurement (PM) system and changes in the use of performance information (PI).
Design/methodology/approach
The case study method is adopted, using data from publicly available documents and interviews with the faculty and management at the two schools. The data are interpreted and analysed using the neo-institutional theory.
Findings
Powerful stakeholders are the primary reason for changes in PM systems and the manner in which PI is used. Specifically, AAs reflect an additional layer in the PM system, allowing for a downward cascading PI effect. This also leads to a wider use of PI across different organisational levels.
Research limitations/implications
This study focusses on two case studies in a region still undergoing transition. Thus, this analysis could be reinforced through additional cases, different data collection methods and cross-country and between-country comparative analyses.
Originality/value
The changes in PM systems and particularly the use of PI are discussed in the context of Polish higher education (HE) and, more broadly, the entire Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. Moreover, the consideration of two b-school cases facilitates a comparative analysis of the differences in PM systems and the use of PI in the context of stakeholders’ PI needs.
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Mauro Sciarelli, Anna Prisco, Mohamed Hani Gheith and Valerio Muto
The present research aims to identify the determinants for users' behavioral adoption of Blockchain, exploring the relationships among these variables and investigating whether…
Abstract
Purpose
The present research aims to identify the determinants for users' behavioral adoption of Blockchain, exploring the relationships among these variables and investigating whether the proposed model can provide a more comprehensive manner to understand the adoption of Blockchain technology.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach and extends it with external constructs: “reduced cost” and “efficiency and security”. This paper used a quantitative and exploratory approach through the collection and analysis of data from a total of 108 Italian innovative SME. We have used the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach using SmartPLS for model evaluation.
Findings
The results show that “efficiency and security” is an important driver of firms' decision-making process to adopt Blockchain. Moreover, the results show that perceived usefulness is a strong predictor of the intention to use Blockchain in business processes.
Originality/value
This research advances the literature on technology adoption in business processes, focusing on a particular technology: Blockchain. The field has been strengthened by investigating the determinants of technology adoption, adding new perspectives; both reduced cost and efficiency, and security.
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Maria Anna Pagnanelli, Annarita Colamatteo, Fabio Cassia and Marcello Sansone
This study aims to extend the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) by incorporating hedonic motivation and service quality and exploring their collective impact on users’…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to extend the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) by incorporating hedonic motivation and service quality and exploring their collective impact on users’ continuance intention in the context of e-grocery. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing e-grocery technology acceptance.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical analysis follows a cross-sectional design, using data collected in Italy from January to March 2023. The survey, utilizing the convenience sampling method, focuses on users who have made online grocery purchases in the previous six months. Data analysis employs partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which enables causal-predictive model assessment.
Findings
The research reveals significant relationships among hedonic motivation, service quality, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and continuance intention. Hedonic motivation positively impacts perceived usefulness but not perceived ease of use. Service quality significantly influences both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Additionally, perceived ease of use positively influences perceived usefulness and continuance intention, while perceived usefulness significantly impacts continuance intention.
Research limitations/implications
The cross-sectional design could limit the study’s ability to capture the evolution of users’ continuance intention over time. Cultural influences on users’ perceptions could be explored further to develop context-specific strategies.
Practical implications
The findings emphasize the importance of hedonic motivation, service quality, ease of use and perceived usefulness in shaping users’ intentions to continue using online grocery services. Practitioners are encouraged to focus on enhancing hedonic elements for increased user loyalty and invest in service quality, particularly in customer care and checkout processes, to improve user perception and ease of use.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the existing literature by integrating hedonic motivation and service quality into TAM2, offering a novel perspective on their combined impact on technology acceptance. The inclusion of these factors enhances the model’s applicability in understanding user behaviour in the adoption of technology, specifically in the e-grocery sector.
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Ciro Troise, Aidan O'Driscoll, Mario Tani and Anna Prisco
This research leverages an integrated framework that uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to analyse the main drivers of users'…
Abstract
Purpose
This research leverages an integrated framework that uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to analyse the main drivers of users' intention to use food delivery apps. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumer's willingness to adopt online food delivery (OFD) using the models' constructs and extend them to consider food choices, convenience, trust and the effect of the perceived risks related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as contextual factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the data. The final sample consists of 425 people in Italy.
Findings
The authors have found that combining the TAM and the TPB provides a valid and significant model that can be used to understand OFD users' behavioural intentions. Moreover, the results show that subjective norms have a stronger effect on behavioural intentions than the personal attitude and that trustworthiness and the perception of risks related to COVID-19 have different effects. Accordingly, the authors derive several theoretical and managerial implications from these results.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the current debate on consumer behaviour in the OFD context. Only a few studies have integrated the TAM and TPB models in this context. This paper sheds light on the factors useful in predicting people's choice to buy food via OFD. Furthermore, it highlights the key role of some contextual factors and subjective norms over more technical ones.
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The purpose of this paper is to incorporate an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) and examine how various factors comprehensively influence and determine consumers’…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to incorporate an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) and examine how various factors comprehensively influence and determine consumers’ perceptions, attitude, and usage intention of 3D-printed apparel.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was designed using established measures and 1,002 participants were recruited.
Findings
All external variables were related. Beyond indirect influences, tech optimism still moderately influenced ease of use, but weakly influenced attitude; aesthetics still strongly influenced usefulness and attitude, but weakly influenced usage intention; performance still strongly influenced ease of use, usefulness, and attitude. In addition, only indirect influences came from tech optimism to usefulness and usage intention, aesthetics to ease of use, and performance to usage intention. The TAM relationships were mostly confirmed, except ease of use to usefulness. Usage intention was mostly determined by attitude, which was largely influenced by design, performance, and usefulness, and limitedly contributed by aesthetics and usefulness.
Research limitations/implications
Participants’ response might be influenced by the provided materials of 3D-printed apparel.
Practical implications
The present study explicitly showed a complete picture about all possible influences among factors. Business managers can make strategies to meet consumers’ needs based on the current study without worrying about overlooking any possible effects.
Originality/value
The current study, for the first time, examined: consumers’ adoption intention of 3D-printed apparel, the relationships among external variables, and how external factors comprehensively influenced consumers’ perceptions, attitude, and usage intention.