Mazen Ali, Esra Wali, Yousef Al-Hinai and Sherah Kurnia
Most studies of mobile commerce (MC) adoption by individuals have focused on the influence of a set of factors at a single point in time, and thus, cannot capture the process by…
Abstract
Purpose
Most studies of mobile commerce (MC) adoption by individuals have focused on the influence of a set of factors at a single point in time, and thus, cannot capture the process by which the individuals progress from simple to sophisticated MC adoption. This paper aims to enhance the current understanding of MC adoption by using a process approach to investigate MC adoption progression among individuals and the factors influencing their decisions to adopt different MC activities of varying complexity levels over time.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected through a series of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 22 users of mobile devices to understand how they progressed in MC adoption over time and the factors influencing their decisions to adopt different levels of MC activities. The data were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques.
Findings
The findings showed reciprocal influences between individuals’ perceptions and MC adoption. As individuals adopted and gained experience with basic MC activities, their perceptions of MC improved over time, leading to the adoption of more advanced MC activities.
Originality/value
This research proposes a novel process approach and an innovative MC Adoption Maturity model to explain MC adoption progression over a time dimension. The model includes three levels of MC adoption maturity and explains adoption progression from one level to the next. The concept of MC adoption maturity will enable researchers to understand changes in users’ experiences and perceptions throughout adoption maturity progression.
Details
Keywords
Esther Ishengoma and Terje I. Vaaland
– The purpose of this paper is to identify important university-industry linkage (UIL) activities that can stimulate the likelihood of employability among students.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify important university-industry linkage (UIL) activities that can stimulate the likelihood of employability among students.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 404 respondents located in Tanzania, comprising students, faculty members and employees from 20 companies operating within the oil and gas industry and mining constitute the empirical basis for the study. Descriptive analysis, the Mann-Whitney U-test and a Kruskal-Wallis test were applied to help analyse the data.
Findings
The results reveal that UIL activities were strongly perceived to raise the employability of students, in particular student internships in companies followed by joint projects and the involvement of companies in modernizing university curricula. Adoption and diffusion internship strategies are suggested for foreign companies and for local firm, respectively, as vehicles for increasing employability.
Research limitations/implications
Perceived effects on the likelihood of employability are measured, and not actual effects.
Practical implications
The findings have implications for foreign companies exploring resources in the host country, local firms trying to improve competitiveness, universities trying to improve its role in society, students preparing for work-life and policy makers defining premises for resource-extractive foreign companies.
Originality/value
Very few empirical studies of UILs have previously been carried out in a developing country context, and in particular in dealing with student employability. The fact that many developing nations have attractive rich natural resources implies that international companies have a motive to invest in the UILs, and possess valuable competencies that can improve the overall quality of the universities and the attractiveness of graduating students.
Details
Keywords
Terje I. Vaaland and Esther Ishengoma
The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceptions of both universities and the resource-extractive companies on the influence of university-industry linkages (UILs) on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the perceptions of both universities and the resource-extractive companies on the influence of university-industry linkages (UILs) on innovation in a developing country.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 404 respondents were interviewed. Descriptive analysis and multinomial logistic regression models were applied to analyse the data.
Findings
The findings revealed significant differences between the three informant groups across the three main groups of linkage activities. The industry informants consider all three groups of UILs important for enhancing innovation, in terms of bringing student closer to the industry. The faculty members consider consultancy and research arrangements more important than collaboration, in training and educational activities. The student perceptions on all UIL activities were relatively weak on UIL activities as a vehicle to improve innovation.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the findings, it seems that the universities should take advantage of a positive attitude among industrial actors and intensify efforts to develop UILs.
Practical implications
The research can be used for sharpen international oil companies effort towards universities in petroleum rich developing countries.
Social implications
Implications for policymakers and universities in developing countries, and for the local industrial base. In a broad sense the UIL stimulated innovation has implications on poverty reduction in natural resource-rich host countries.
Originality/value
Research on UILs in developing countries is rare, particularly in a context in which international companies are faced with host country expectations and legal requirements to invest in knowledge sector and local industry.