Suchergebnisse

Empirical studies on technology adoption usually are based on data from self-reported measures, and a large subset of this literature draws on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) or Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). However, for non-Internet users, self-reported measures and these theoretical frameworks face important limitations: non-users often are under-informed about the technology and are unable to accurately explain their non-use. In addition, the measurement instruments in the TAM/TPB literature often are not applicable to non-users. Addressing these issues, this paper examines non-Internet users' awareness of the Internet's benefits and its impact on adoption intention. Focusing on the under-informed, this approach substitutes awareness for perceived usefulness (or affective attitude). Test results demonstrate good predictive power on non-Internet users' adoption intention, calling for caution when applying these commonly used analytical tools to study late-adopters of technology.

For more than a decade, the Chinese government has poured copious resources into rural informatization as a means to increase agricultural productivity and rural economic growth. Such efforts so far have not produced definite results in rural areas, but increasing economic inequality and rising environmental threats have already forced the government to rethink its growth-centered development policy. Indeed, recent government releases clearly state the resolve to departure from the "GDP obsession" of the past. Meanwhile, the past three decades saw the rise of a powerful alternative development approach—the Capability Approach (CA), which focuses on empowering individuals and sees economic growth as one element of well-being. Given that the CA can potentially help devising a more coherent and holistic framework for Information and communications technologies for development (ICT4D), this paper examines the compatibility between the Capability Approach and the top-down socialist approach towards rural informatization in China. Built on two case studies of rural informatization in rural China, the present paper identifies potential obstacles to the adoption of the Capability Approach and discusses policy implications and suggestions.

The current controversy surrounding research replication in biomedical and psychosocial sciences often overlooks the uncertainties surrounding both the original and replication studies. Overemphasizing single attempts as definitive replication successes or failures, as exemplified by media coverage of the landmark Reproducibility Project: Psychology, fosters misleading dichotomies and erodes public trust. To avoid such unintended consequences, science communicators should more clearly articulate statistical variation and other uncertainty sources in replication, while emphasizing the cumulative nature of science in general and replication in particular.

Research demonstrates that some government agencies are more accomplished than others when it comes to e‐government. More generally, various scholars suggest that e‐government is moving forward at a relatively slow pace, especially in relation to the sophistication of government Web sites. With these issues in mind, this research utilized interviews with state public utility commission staff members to explore their agencies' experiences with staffing, funding, coordinating, and prioritizing their e‐government efforts, particularly their Web site activities. Assessing such efforts in both quantitative and qualitative terms, this research found that a mix of various factors, including financial resources, knowledgeable staff, and administrative oversight, related to better performance. Moreover, although public utility commissions have a clear mission to serve both consumers and regulated utilities, this research indicates that the commissions are focusing more of their e‐government efforts on industry rather than citizens.