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The purpose of this paper is to explore how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China leverage their strengths to engage stakeholders in knowledge co-creation processes and get mutual benefit via knowledge-based view (KBV).

Based on KBV, the authors conduct a multiple-case study of five SMEs in China to embrace the knowledge co-creation practice using semi-structured interview, organizational documents and onsite observation.

This study highlights how SMEs leverage their strengths to engage stakeholder to co-create knowledge and practice for the better capturing and utilization of external and internal knowledge. The authors identify three processes of knowledge co-creation for SMEs based on knowledge sharing, knowledge integration and knowledge application in the B2B context. This study finds that SMEs engage their stakeholders in knowledge sharing by building and maintaining trust. The knowledge integration process was driven by the owner’s openness. Mutual learning facilitates the knowledge application process of SMEs.

This study relies on a limited number of case studies and considers only firms’ perspective to analyze the SMEs co-create knowledge with their stakeholders. Further studies could examine the challenge of knowledge co-creation in multiple stakeholders’ relationships in B2B contexts, i.e. in relation to product and service innovation with complexity and uncertainly.

Managers need to make choices when designing knowledge co-creation process in collaborative product development activities. The use of online and offline approaches can help balance requirements in terms of joint problem-solving across firms, the efficiency of knowledge co-creation and effective of knowledge leakage.

The conceptualization of knowledge co-creation as knowledge sharing and knowledge integration and knowledge application extends existing perspective on knowledge co-creation as either a transfer of knowledge or as revealing the novel situation of pertinent knowledge with entirely assimilate it. The findings point to the complexity of knowledge co-creation as a process influenced by stakeholder engagement, perspectives on knowledge, trust of multiple stakeholders, openness of firm boundaries and mutual learning of SMEs with their stakeholders.

Tremendous growth and worldwide expansion of Islamic banking industry has gained widespread attention of economist, bankers, investors and financial experts regardless of economic and political volatility in global banking industry. To compete with conventional banking, Islamic banks are setting up themselves with innovative technologies to gain competitive edge and market share. The establishment of mobile banking has been proven a technological wonder by eliminating time and space boundaries, and one can access financial services anywhere and at any time. For effective market segmentation, recognizing gender differences in factors affecting the adoption patterns of m-banking may provide competitive edge. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate how gender differences impact the intention to adopt Islamic mobile banking in Pakistan.

The study uses extended technology acceptance model (TAM) on final 243 participants from Pakistan. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) methodology has been applied for data analysis using SPSS 21 and AMOS 21.

Results have identified two interesting and different models for males and females in intention to adopt Islamic mobile banking. It is inferred that males are more task driven and desire for personality, value and status, so their intention is significantly impacted by perceived usefulness and perceived self-expressiveness. Whereas, females have found lack of IT knowledge and trust; therefore, their intention is significantly impacted by perceived credibility. However, the perceived financial cost was found of no concern for both males and females and social norms influenced the adoption, but there existed no significant gender differences.

The contribution of this study to existing literature is twofold. First, the existing research on mobile banking has mainly applied TAM on conventional banking overlooking the important ethnic group, the Muslims, who prefer Islamic banking. Second, the impact of gender differences is investigated in factors affecting intention to adopt Islamic mobile banking that has not been studied previously. The study fills the gap.

Collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity are the most essential Cs of education. However, at present, these Cs are interlinked with technology to make it more effective and reliable. Educational technology infuses higher education, many people use it on a daily basis. Students are eager to adopt such technologies that help them in academia. Hence, this study aims to investigate how cloud computing adoption influences the academic performance of students by incorporating innovative, knowledge, economic and technological factors in the model.

The data are collected by using the survey method and the five-point Likert scale is used for this purpose. The statistical techniques applied to the data set were confirmatory factor analysis and partial least square structural equation modeling.

All dimensions have been observed to have a positive association with perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. On the other hand, the innovative factors which include relative advantage and complexity have a negative impact on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness except for compatibility. Moreover, economic factors, all have a negative relationship. Finally, research shows that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have a direct and significant relationship with cloud computing adoption among students, which ultimately predicts their academic performance.

Present research makes the following vital contributions; first, focus on the role of innovative factors, economical, technological and knowledge factors together that were previously largely ignored. Second, it extends the model of technology acceptance model for analyzing the cloud computing adoption pattern among university students. Finally, this study uses PLS-SEM for analyzing the relationship.