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The internal resources of a firm should not be regarded as the only source of innovation; organizations need to look at the external sources which can contribute greatly. This can happen through the recent development in technologies and the emergence of social media; such advancements have empowered consumers to have social interaction with their peers in online communities. As a source of generation of innovative ideas, company-based communities have not received enough attention, although they are strong drivers for co-creation of value by customers. Easy online communication channels, facilitated through online communities, have developed open innovation as an attractive means of customer involvement in value creation. However, literature in this area is devoid of empirical research on the way consumers can participate in open innovation communities using Web 2.0 technologies. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This paper, therefore, looks at the opportunities offered by social media to firms for open innovation in the context of new product development (NPD). The study is based on social support theory and the concept of social media generating open innovation; a model for the research has thus been proposed. The model has been tested using partial least square through an online questionnaire.

The results indicate that social media is a cost-efficient way for firms to look at external sources of innovation, specifically in NPD. Online communities, developed specifically for new products, can support the innovation process for the business sector. The paper discusses the results of this empirical research and has some practical implications for practitioners in this field.

The study indicate that social media empower individuals to come online, get involved in social interaction and share their experiences about a new product with other peers in the network. Social media and informational support, as social capital of online communities, both have influence on participation of individuals in the online communities of open innovation for NPD.

The purpose of this paper is to explore in depth how Web 2.0 (focusing on social media) contributes to create a better communication channel to provide information, support and assistance to patients. Social relationships of individuals on the Internet through social media have created added value for many industries. This phenomenon can be an opportunity for the health care industry, which has encountered huge challenges such as increasing demands, budget cuts, growing numbers of patients and more demanding patient expectations. Web 2.0 and social media have the potential value to make possible an increase in the productivity of modern health care and a reduction in cost to the central government. Social media introduces better channels of communication with patients to increase the value of e-health. Social media are building more social communities that empower patients to share their personalized health information and treatments.

Grounded on social support and transaction cost theories, this paper evaluates the current potential of social media to discuss values it can offer for the overall benefit of the health care industry.

The results show how the social relationship of individuals provides online social support and reduction of cost through social media, leading to the development of modern health care. Implications and limitations are discussed at the end of the paper.

The analysis results indicated that social media provides strong social support for patients who seek help online. Informational support and emotional support have been confirmed as two main dimensions of social support in online health care. It makes a contribution to the health care literature by extending it to online health care support in the context of social media. It may inform and provide some initial understanding to guide future research. In addition, this study indicates that social support theory and transaction cost are appropriate theoretical foundations for studies of online health care. This finding is very valuable, as it helps researchers to advance the understanding of how social media support online health care.

Existing work on internet banking has provided substantial knowledge of the benefits and economic impacts of internet banking from the bank’s perspective. However, internet banking provides advantages for customers as well as the banking industry. The purpose of this paper is to investigate customer perceptions of internet banking in the UK with the goal of providing a comprehensive understanding of British internet banking.

In order to provide the detailed understanding of customers’ perceptions of internet banking, a qualitative study was conducted. The primary method of data collection were 25 interviews. To provide triangulation and increase reliability, various documents and secondary data analyses about internet banking in the UK were also used to supplement the analysis.

The results indicate that money transfers and bill payment are the most popular facilities with UK internet banking adopters. More importantly, security is the most important factor affecting the rate of internet banking adoption in the UK. To resolve customers’ security concerns about internet banking, some banks have introduced technologies such as card readers to avoid online fraud. In addition, the authors also found that customers are highly satisfied with internet banking.

The qualitative nature of the study meant that in-depth interviews with a relatively small sample were the most appropriate method to address the research question. Future studies with larger, more representative sample sizes are encouraged to investigate how the findings can be generalized to larger populations. In addition, due to the popularity of social media, future studies are also advised to examine how they can influence customers’ perceptions of internet banking and boost its adoption rate.

This paper investigates current perceptions of internet banking in the UK from the customers’ perspective. Therefore, the findings of this study complement with existing work that focusses more on the bank’s perspective to present a comprehensive understanding of this topic.

The emergence of Web 2.0 opened a new route for education to use the values derived from this development. The future of e-learning is social learning, where individuals can learn online due to the facility of social media. Social media such as online communities are places for social interactions between users. These social interactions are the way forward and can drive social support in an online context. This paper aims to explore the impact of these interactions

This study uses social support theory to explore the impact of social interactions on the internet on learning and education. The research uses a case study and investigates the health industry.

The paper explains the development in e-learning through social media and the emerging concept of social learning.

The contribution of this research is to emphasise social relationships of individuals in the internet and social interaction in online communities which enhance their learning qualities. The research drawn on social support theory describes social learning as a future for e-learning.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

When a doctor says more people die as a result of worrying about illnesses they might or might not have, rather than illness itself, the medic's opinion might lack the backing of hard facts and figures. But it is one worth noting, especially when the internet has become such a hypochondriacs' playground where they can discover a multitude of symptoms and immediately start to be frightened by them.

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to digest format.