Ease of use and usefulness are believed to be fundamental in determining the acceptance and use of various, corporate ITs. These beliefs, however, may not explain the user’s behavior toward newly emerging ITs, such as the World-Wide-Web (WWW). In this study, we introduce playfulness as a new factor that reflects the user’s intrinsic belief in WWW acceptance. Using it as an intrinsic motivation factor, we extend and empirically validate the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for the WWW context. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

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Beyond the Usefulness and Ease of Use : Extending the TAM for a World - Wide - Web Context

Green marketing stems from the degrading of ecological environment and consumer's increasing sense of(environmental) protection.The essence of green marketing is to response actively to man's increasing concern for ecological(environment) and make choices and decisions in marketing by adhering to the environmental protection principle and the(ecological) principle and building up green technology,green market and green industry.Therefore,green marketing has profound ethical connotation.However,green marketing in present Chinese enterprises is actually in conflict with the logics of enterprise behavior.

On "Green Marketing"

Background: Internet safety programs urge youth to avoid sharing personal information and talking with "strangers" online. Objective: To examine whether sharing personal information and talking with strangers online or other behaviors are associated with the greatest odds for online interpersonal victimization. Design: The Second Youth Internet Safety Survey was a cross-sectional random digit-dial telephone survey. Setting: United States. Participants: A total of 1500 youth aged 10 to 17 years who had used the Internet at least once a month for the previous 6 months. Main Exposure: Online behavior, including disclosure of personal information, aggressive behavior, talking with people met online, sexual behavior, and downloading images using file-sharing programs. Outcome Measure: Online interpersonal victimization (ie, unwanted sexual solicitation or harassment). Results: Aggressive behavior in the form of making rude or nasty comments (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.3; P<.001) or frequently embarrassing others (AOR, 4.6; P=.003), meeting people in multiple ways (AOR, 3.4; P<.001), and talking about sex online with unknown people (AOR, 2.0; P=.02) were significantly related to online interpersonal victimization after adjusting for the total number of different types of online behaviors youth engaged in. Engaging in 4 types of online behaviors seemed to represent a tipping point of increased risk for online interpersonal victimization (OR, 11.3; P<001). Conclusions: Talking with people known only online ("strangers") under some conditions is related to online interpersonal victimization, but sharing personal information is not. Engaging in a pattern of different kinds of online risky behaviors is more influential in explaining victimization than many specific behaviors alone. Pediatricians should help parents assess their child's online behaviors globally in addition to focusing on specific types of behaviors.

Internet prevention messages : Targeting the right online behaviors. Commentary

https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa38958/Download/0038958-06032018151557.pdf

Consumer adoption of mobile banking services: An empirical examination of factors according to adoption stages

Assessing the determinants of internet banking adoption intentions

PurposeThis study seeks to assess the mediating role of financial service branding on investment decisions from the perspective of financial service investors.Design/methodology/approachField data were obtained from 403 individuals and corporate investors in financial service institutions who invested savings and pensions funds into short to medium term financial instruments from an emerging market in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data were analysed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM).FindingsBranding significantly mediates return on investment (ROI) decisions. However, the ROI did not have a significant direct effect on investment decisions. ROI has a significant indirect effect on investment decisions due to branding influence on investors.Research limitations/implicationsData collected was cross sectional. Future research can use longitudinal data for better long term planning. Study can also be done in other emerging economies to determine how the financial sector characteristics for each country can be a source of difference from branding and investment standpoint.Practical implicationsAlthough consumer investment decisions are logically influenced largely by ROI, investors place savings and pensions into financial instruments largely managed by reliable corporate brands with solid reputation known as safe havens for hedging lifetime investments.Originality/valueThis study covers the research gap in brand power and the reputation of financial service institutions as well as the investment decisions of financial service investors in emerging Sub-Saharan African.

The mediating role of financial service branding on investment decisions: an emerging market's perspective

Poverty has been acknowledged globally as a challenge afflicting billions of people. Microfinance is seen as a means of alleviating extreme poverty through supporting low income customers, micro enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using microfinance products to ameliorate risks associated with the poor. Modern business success thrives on careful market and customer conscious behaviour of companies as a prerequisite for achieving market competitiveness and growth. This means market-focused organizations must continuously champion customer interests throughout the entire business through a strong marketing orientation. Also, market oriented organizations ought to carefully blend various marketing mix variables using strong marketing posture. The purpose of this study is to reveal the antecedents of marketing orientation among microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Ghana. 

Using a qualitative approach, data were obtained through interviews from 18 microfinance sector experts comprising managers, academics, and advocates selected based on their strategic positions and roles within Ghana‟s MFI sector. The findings of the study identified a number of marketing antecedents that contribute to marketing orientation namely, deliberate customer engagement using local dialects and constantly sharing critical market findings among work colleagues with responsive action from top management to delight clients to remain competitive. The identification of these antecedents adds to knowledge about marketing orientation among microfinance institutions using basic marketing principles to bank the unbanked low income customers and SMEs.

Identifying antecedents of marketing orientation of microfinance institutions in Ghana : the case study of microfinance companies

Purpose – This study evaluates the mediating role of social media entertainment on social information (content) and social media performance, during the COVID-19 era. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data were randomly gathered from 373 students from two top universities (public and private) in Ghana, a sub-Saharan African economy. Data analysis was achieved utilizing the partial least square–structural equation model (PLS-SEM). Findings – Social media (SM) entertainment partly mediates the link between social media content and social media performance of students, suggesting that social media entertainment is almost indispensable in creating social media content to achieve optimum performance among tertiary students. Research limitations/implications – The use of cross-sectional data alone for this study does not give us the opportunity to observe the social media activities of respondents over a longer period. Future studies could, therefore, include longitudinal data. Practical implications – The findings in this study suggest that faculties can modify their pedagogical activities to include social media and reflect some entertainment content, since it has an influence on student performance within the social media space. Social implications – SM has a great influence on students’ performance socially and academically; therefore, educational stakeholders like university authorities, faculties, parents and guardians, and the government should consider social media as a tool for attaining educational goals. Originality/value – The study extends the use of UTAUT2, in understanding students’ learning and behavior processes, by linking antecedents of adoption to the post-adoption effect.

Robert Kwame Dzogbenuku

Papers

The mediating role of financial service branding on investment decisions: an emerging market's perspective

Identifying antecedents of marketing orientation of microfinance institutions in Ghana : the case study of microfinance companies

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