Twelve percent of families in the United States have a child with a disability, yet little is known about the long-term consequences of growing up with a disabled sibling. This…
Abstract
Twelve percent of families in the United States have a child with a disability, yet little is known about the long-term consequences of growing up with a disabled sibling. This study builds on previous research regarding disability effects on families and offers an additional view on the linked lives of families and, in particular, siblings. Using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Children and Young Adults, this study examines the odds of college completion among young adults with a disabled sibling during childhood. Specifically, I examine the gender differences among those who had a sibling with a disability. Women are more than 35% less likely to complete college if they had a disabled sibling during childhood; there is no significant difference by sibling disability status for boys. To understand whether children in low-resourced families are particularly penalized by having a disabled sibling, I examine whether various family resources attenuate the low graduation odds among those who had a disabled sibling. I find that having stably married parents during childhood largely eliminates the college completion gap between those with and without a disabled sibling. However, increases in mothers' education or family income do not attenuate the college completion gap. By identifying this gender disadvantage in college completion, this study shows that disabilities have consequences not just for disabled individuals but for their siblings as well, shining a light on a hidden cost of disability on families.
Details
Keywords
Thermal characterisation of surface mount devices (SMDs) has become a growing concern as these components have increased in use—a situation aggravated by the lack of accepted…
Abstract
Thermal characterisation of surface mount devices (SMDs) has become a growing concern as these components have increased in use—a situation aggravated by the lack of accepted industry standards for making thermal measurements. This paper attempts to provide better understanding of thermal resistance terminology, and to summarise some of the existing problems with current standards and common practices. A defined methodology for obtaining SMD thermal characteristics is proposed, involving measurement by vendors and confirmation by users, and suitable for use in meeting application‐oriented requirements. The importance of providing a clear and complete set of test condition information is also emphasised.
Irena Stepanikova and Karen S. Cook
This study investigates racial and ethnic patterns in perceived non-adherence among American White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian health care users, using data from a national sample…
Abstract
This study investigates racial and ethnic patterns in perceived non-adherence among American White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian health care users, using data from a national sample of recent health care users (N=5,124). We estimated multivariate logistic regression models of perceived non-adherence for all respondents and by respondents’ race/ethnicity. The results revealed that Blacks and Hispanics respectively had 39 percent and 36 percent lower odds of perceived non-adherence compared to Whites, but the odds of perceived non-adherence were 91 percent higher among Blacks who reported having experienced racial/ethnic bias in health care when compared to other Blacks. Good physician–patient communication was associated with a 63 percent lower odds of perceived non-adherence among Whites and Hispanics. The results suggest that compared to Whites, Blacks and Hispanics are less, not more, likely to report perceived non-adherence.
J. Hill, P. Hostert and A. Röder
The importance of thoroughly monitoring the state of the environment in Mediterranean ecosystems has long been recognised. With regard to the spatial extension of large areas…
Abstract
The importance of thoroughly monitoring the state of the environment in Mediterranean ecosystems has long been recognised. With regard to the spatial extension of large areas threatened by various degradation processes it becomes obvious that terrestrial observation alone is hardly able to cope with this task. Remote sensing with air‐ or spaceborne sensor systems provides a comprehensive spatial coverage, is intrinsically synoptic, and collects objective, repetitive data and is thus ideally suited for monitoring environmentally sensitive areas. The major problem associated with its use is to quantitatively interpret a measured signal that has interacted with remote objects in terms of the properties of these objects. In parallel to the advances in remote sensing geographical information systems (GIS) have emerged as a fully functional support for resource management tasks. As an example for tracing and analysing environmental change with coupled remote sensing and GIS approaches we present a case study on the island of Crete which was carried out in the framework of research programmes supported by the European Union. Although it is known that grazing in Crete dramatically increased during the last two decades, it was not well understood how grazing pressure differs spatially and in how far it altered the landscape of Crete. One of the major rangeland areas of central Crete, the Psiloritis Mountains, have been selected to serve as a test site for answering these questions. On the basis of an extended Landsat‐TM and ‐MSS data set acquired between 1977 and 1996 it has been shown that time series analysis techniques based on vegetation fractions derived from spectral unmixing can substantiate a spatio‐temporal interpretation of degradation processes. In areas under massive grazing pressure such processes can be linked to the respective driving forces by GIS‐based analyses of natural and socio‐economic boundary conditions.
Details
Keywords
Ron Ashkenas, Wes Siegal and Markus Spiegel
Organizations today operate in highly dynamic environments and are becoming more complex. Helping their organizations master this complexity is a major leadership challenge. To…
Abstract
Organizations today operate in highly dynamic environments and are becoming more complex. Helping their organizations master this complexity is a major leadership challenge. To better understand how managers’ behaviors aggravate or reduce complexity, we reviewed 1,400 responses to a proprietary organizational complexity survey. Analysis identified specific managers’ behaviors that contribute to perceived complexity. We draw from these findings, literature on complex adaptive systems, and our consulting experiences to identify specific strategies managers can use to make it simpler for people to get things done, and even to “master” complexity by turning it into a source of strategic advantage.
Smart card-based E-payment systems are receiving increasing attention as the number of implementations is witnessed on the rise globally. Understanding of user adoption behavior…
Abstract
Smart card-based E-payment systems are receiving increasing attention as the number of implementations is witnessed on the rise globally. Understanding of user adoption behavior of E-payment systems that employ smart card technology becomes a research area that is of particular value and interest to both IS researchers and professionals. However, research interest focuses mostly on why a smart card-based E-payment system results in a failure or how the system could have grown into a success. This signals the fact that researchers have not had much opportunity to critically review a smart card-based E-payment system that has gained wide support and overcome the hurdle of critical mass adoption. The Octopus in Hong Kong has provided a rare opportunity for investigating smart card-based E-payment system because of its unprecedented success. This research seeks to thoroughly analyze the Octopus from technology adoption behavior perspectives.
Cultural impacts on adoption behavior are one of the key areas that this research posits to investigate. Since the present research is conducted in Hong Kong where a majority of population is Chinese ethnicity and yet is westernized in a number of aspects, assuming that users in Hong Kong are characterized by eastern or western culture is less useful. Explicit cultural characteristics at individual level are tapped into here instead of applying generalization of cultural beliefs to users to more accurately reflect cultural bias. In this vein, the technology acceptance model (TAM) is adapted, extended, and tested for its applicability cross-culturally in Hong Kong on the Octopus. Four cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede are included in this study, namely uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and Confucian Dynamism (long-term orientation), to explore their influence on usage behavior through the mediation of perceived usefulness.
TAM is also integrated with the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) to borrow two constructs in relation to innovative characteristics, namely relative advantage and compatibility, in order to enhance the explanatory power of the proposed research model. Besides, the normative accountability of the research model is strengthened by embracing two social influences, namely subjective norm and image. As the last antecedent to perceived usefulness, prior experience serves to bring in the time variation factor to allow level of prior experience to exert both direct and moderating effects on perceived usefulness.
The resulting research model is analyzed by partial least squares (PLS)-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The research findings reveal that all cultural dimensions demonstrate direct effect on perceived usefulness though the influence of uncertainty avoidance is found marginally significant. Other constructs on innovative characteristics and social influences are validated to be significant as hypothesized. Prior experience does indeed significantly moderate the two influences that perceived usefulness receives from relative advantage and compatibility, respectively. The research model has demonstrated convincing explanatory power and so may be employed for further studies in other contexts. In particular, cultural effects play a key role in contributing to the uniqueness of the model, enabling it to be an effective tool to help critically understand increasingly internationalized IS system development and implementation efforts. This research also suggests several practical implications in view of the findings that could better inform managerial decisions for designing, implementing, or promoting smart card-based E-payment system.
Details
Keywords
This study investigated how Generation Z adopted brand messages through trending topics and analysed the central and peripheral routes of information adoption. It explored the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated how Generation Z adopted brand messages through trending topics and analysed the central and peripheral routes of information adoption. It explored the roles of informational and emotional supports in influencing information adoption through perceived information usefulness and considered the adoption of brand messages within trending topic discussions.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the extension information adoption model, this study employed a quantitative approach by utilising covariance-based structural equation modelling to analyse 400 valid web-based questionnaire responses from Sina Microblog users among Generation Z in China.
Findings
Adopting brand messages via trending topics, with cues emphasising information quality as the central route and information credibility as the peripheral route, enhances perceived information usefulness. Notably, Generation Z can derive informational and emotional support from trending topic discussions, influencing their perceived information usefulness. This process operates independently of the dual routes of information adoption.
Research limitations/implications
Marketers can leverage influencers and users’ comments to motivate Generation Z to adopt brand messages through trending topics, but this study was limited by the demographic diversity of its sample and the specific types of brands analysed. Incorporating cross-cultural comparisons, group analyses, potential moderating factors and control variables could improve the model’s generalisability.
Originality/value
Compared to information adoption models rooted in the organisational information exchange, the originality of this study lies in confirming that, within the context of trending topics, which blend social connections with an anonymous environment, informational and emotional supports can serve as additional cues influencing brand information adoption via perceived information usefulness.
Details
Keywords
Social media offers better prospect for travellers to seek for travel information, choose a location and share their personal travel experiences. The current study aims to examine…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media offers better prospect for travellers to seek for travel information, choose a location and share their personal travel experiences. The current study aims to examine how tourists gather information from YouTube shorts and its influence on their intention to use it for selection of an ecotourism destination.
Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual model of the study is constructed on information adoption model (IAM). An adaptive questionnaire was utilised to gather 374 valid responses. Partial least square structural equational modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilised for data analysis.
Findings
The results showed a positive significant relationship between all the constructs of IAM. The findings also show significant mediating effect of attitude and moderating effect of involvement between information quality and adoption also between source credibility and information usefulness.
Research limitations/implications
This study will help destination marketers by providing valuable insights to them to promote their destinations more effectively on social media platforms. This study will also help travel influencers in understanding what are the factors they should focus on while providing information about ecotourism destination. It will additionally help the local economy and conveys a message to travellers about responsible travel behaviour when selecting or visiting ecotourism destination.
Originality/value
This is the very first attempt to investigate the adoption of YouTube shorts information and formulating behavioural intentions to utilise it for ecotourism destination selection.
Details
Keywords
Alain Yee Loong Chong, Kok Wei Khong, Teng Ma, Scott McCabe and Yi Wang
The purpose of this paper is to examine what influence travelers’ adoption of online reviews, and whether the online reviews will influence their travel planning decisions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine what influence travelers’ adoption of online reviews, and whether the online reviews will influence their travel planning decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 193 respondents from eWOM websites and analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results revealed that eWOM has a significant influence on travel decisions. Furthermore, travelers were willing to adopt information from eWOM and this information was useful in their travel planning and decisions. Gender and time spent on online reviews were found to affect travel planning and decisions. Travelers also found that the reviews and issues raised in eWOM had credibility and were of good quality.
Research limitations/implications
The study was not able to incorporate all factors which may be relevant to this study and so further theoretical development may be necessary to develop the conceptual model. The sample size, while adequate, can be expanded further.
Practical implications
Operators and administrators of eWOM can use these findings to develop more user-friendly interfaces so that more positive reviews and sales can be generated.
Social implications
The results showed that travelers who adopt the information in eWOM will, in turn, use eWOM in their travel planning. This confirms the importance of eWOM and travelers in general will translate their pre-travel decisions into actual travel planning.
Originality/value
This research extended existing eWOM and information system adoption studies and focused on the travel planning context. This research validated the significant roles of eWOM argument quality and credibility in predicting the information usefulness of eWOM.
Details
Keywords
Abdulaziz Elwalda, İsmail Erkan, Mushfiqur Rahman and Deniz Zeren
Mobile messaging applications (MMAs) have surpassed top social media platforms. Recent and rapid use of MMAs has made it extremely difficult to ignore the existence of…
Abstract
Purpose
Mobile messaging applications (MMAs) have surpassed top social media platforms. Recent and rapid use of MMAs has made it extremely difficult to ignore the existence of customer-to-customer (C2C) mobile information. This study, therefore, aims to expand the knowledge of customers' adoption behaviour of such information.
Design/methodology/approach
Through applying and utilizing social support theory (SST) and the information adoption model (IAM), this study introduces a holistic theoretical model, explaining customers' adoption of information derived from MMAs and exploring the antecedents of IAM. Based on the data collected from 305 UK MMA users, this study empirically tests the research model using structural equation modelling estimation.
Findings
The results of this study reveal that social support is a key antecedent of information quality and credibility and support IAM in terms of its ability to explain MMAs' information adoption.
Practical implications
The insights are valuable for businesses and marketers to understand customers' mobile communications and be socially support-oriented while developing marketing communication strategies.
Originality/value
The study integrates SST and IAM to improve the understanding of customers' information adoption behaviour. It is the first attempt that establishes that social support is a key antecedent of IAM.