Suchergebnisse

Fog-computing and Internet of Things (IoT) together will work as a robust enabling technology for the success of a Smart city. Hence, the study focuses on the critical success factors based on Fog computing-IoT (FIoT) to bring success in Indian Smart cities by introducing a two-stage neural network that includes structural equation modeling and artificial neural network (SEM-ANN) hybrid approach. The research article introduces a new factor, Fog Computing (FC). IoT is again sub-divided into three more factors like the Internet of People (IoP), Internet of Services (IoS), and Internet of Energy (IoE) as the independent variables. 13 Smart cities and 379 respondents are involved in this study in India. The data analysis is done through two-stage SEM and ANN, which measures linear and non-linear relationships. From SEM output, it is identified that the IoE, Internet of People (IoP), and IoS have some significant positive effects on FIOT. The SEM accepted variables are considered the input for the next layer of ANN analysis that identified IoS as FIOT.

The purpose of the current article is to identify the frequently used terms for the field of study that deals with the information and communication technology usage in the government and explore the difference and relationship, if any, between these terms. This field of study is inundated with old and new terminologies that lack clarity of usage leading to opportunistic usage, confusion, and impacting accumulation of knowledge. A three-stage search was followed to: (1) identify key terms used to refer to the field of study; (2) identify top ranked journals across social science, computer, and business management that publish in this field; and (3) identify the most frequently used terms in these select journals. The seven terms thus identified are smart government, e-government, e-governance, digital government, open government, e-democracy, and e-participation. The origin, definitions, and models of these terms is further explored, and their relationship is illustrated in diagrams of concentric and overlapping circles. The current study is a step toward developing a stable and dependable vocabulary that may benefit scholars in operationalizing the terms and practitioners in policy implementation and assessing policy effectiveness.

This dissertation aims at explaining the difference in the degree of e-participation across countries using institution and technology variables. It further looks at how the factors differ in their influence across the three levels of e-information, e-consultation, and e-decision making. Institutional and technology variables are identified using the literature review of offline and online public participation (or e-participation). Using the policy feedback theory and Giddens' structuration theory a conceptual model depicting the complex relationship between institutional and technology variables is developed. The dimensions of digital divide, namely ICT affordability and skills, are found to be the most important explanatory variables. However, the most significant finding of the current study is the role of institutions as the antecedent to technology resources for promoting e-participation. Previous cross-national studies have not looked at this relationship between the institution and technology variable. The results of data analysis inform that ICT affordability and skills in a country act as mediator for the institutions to promote e-participation. At the same time ICT skills and the political rights and civil liberties interact to generate a greater impact on e-participation than their solo effect. Although the magnitude of influence of previous e-participation score increases as one progresses to more complex e-participation levels, but its marginal effect reduces considerably at the advanced level of e-decision making.

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of the stringency of COVID-19 protocols on the volatility of sectoral indices during the period 03:2020–05:2021. Specifically, this study investigates the role of economic disturbances on sectoral volatility by applying a range of conditional volatility techniques.Design/methodology/approachFor this analysis, two approaches were adopted. The first approach considers COVID stringency as a factor in the conditional variance equation of sectoral indices. In contrast, the second approach considers the stringency indicator as a possible determinant of their estimated conditional volatility.FindingsResults show that the stringency of the protocols throughout the pandemic phase led to an instantaneous spike followed by a gradual decrease in estimated volatility of all the sectoral indices except pharma and health care. Specific sectors such as bank, FMCG, consumer durables, financial services, IT, media and private banks respond to protocols expeditiously compared to other sectors.Originality/valueThe key contribution of this study to the existing literature is the innovative approach. The inclusion of the COVID stringency index as a regressor in the variance equation of the conditional volatility techniques was a distinctive approach for assessing the volatility dynamics with the stringency of COVID protocols. Furthermore, this study also adopts an alternative approach that estimates the conditional volatility of the indices and then tests the effect of the stringencies on estimated volatility in a regression framework.

AbstractSeveral Japanese companies and the government are recently promoting a plastic ban and imposing a tax levy to curb litter and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This has led to a rapid rise of nonplastic packaging alternatives. While plastics and litter are pressing concerns, it is paramount to examine environmental risks of other alternatives before wide application and legislative action, to not further the risk of environmental damage. This study aims to quantify and compare plastic products such as polyethylene‐terephthalate (PET) bottles and high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) bags with widely available alternatives in Japan like glass bottles, aluminum bottles, paper bags, and textile bags, to find a product with the least environmental impact. A life cycle assessment is conducted from a cradle‐to‐grave environmental impact approach that includes raw material extraction, production, transportation, end‐of‐life treatment, and disposal. Sixteen impact categories including climate change, acidification, aquatic‐toxicity, so forth, and weighing is assessed using the MiLCA software. The functional unit is one piece of each packaging product, and impacts of product‐filling, storage, recycling, and reuse are excluded for a consistent comparison. HDPE bags performed better than paper and textile bags in 15 of the 16 analyzed impact categories. Similarly, PET bottles outperformed aluminum and glass bottles in 12 out of the 16 impact categories analyzed. Weighted results also highlight the heightened negative environmental impacts of replacing plastic packaging with widely available alternatives.