Time-frequency domain causality of prime building cost and macroeconomic indicators in Ghana: implications for project selection

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, construction activity generated US$3.8 billion in 2014, representing about 12.7% of nominal GDP. A key factor that most investors in the construction sector consider in project selection is cost which has escalated over the years. Therefore, we examine the co-movements and causality in the time and frequency domains between the prime building cost index (PBCI) and its disaggregates on one hand and inflation and exchange rate on the other hand in Ghana. The findings revealed that the degree of co-movement between PBCI and inflation was significant at the 5% level and occurred over the long-run, indicating that construction cost drives inflation. The degree of co-movement between the prime build cost index and exchange rate occurred within the short term. These co-movements have policy implications for substituting inflation and exchange rates in project costing by investors in Ghana. The co-movement between the PBCI and inflation in the medium to higher frequencies suggests that inflation risk-averse investors should consider short-term projects. Again, the short to medium frequency co-movements between the PBCI and exchange rate indicates that investors should consider exchange rate risk in long-term projects.     

The intention–behaviour gap in technology usage: the moderating role of attitude strength

Extant theories of information technology (IT) usage present users' behavioural intention as the primary predictor of their IT usage behaviour. However, empirical evidence reveals only a low-to-medium effect size for this association. We call this inconsistency the ‘intention–behaviour gap’, and argue that a clearer understanding of this gap requires a deeper theoretical examination of the conditions under which intentions may or may not influence behaviour. Drawing on recent attitude theoretic research in social psychology, we distinguish between two types of attitudes – strong versus weak – and suggest that the intention–behaviour association may hold for users with strong attitudes but is likely to be weaker for those with weak attitudes. Using the elaboration-likelihood model, we propose two dimensions of attitude strength relevant to the IT usage context – personal relevance and related expertise – and theorise them to moderate the intention–behaviour association in a positive manner. Results from a longitudinal field survey of document management system usage among governmental employees at L'viv City Hall, Ukraine support our theoretical hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.     

Dynamic pricing with stochastic reference effects based on a finite memory window

Inspired by the latest empirical studies, we propose a new updating model for reference prices by assuming that consumers’ memories are limited and their recall of previous prices obeys a first-order Markov stochastic process. We investigate a dynamic pricing model with stochastic reference effects and finite memory. Consistent with the exponential smoothing model, we indicate that reference effects lead to monotonic convergence of the optimal price path to an expected steady-state price. The steady-state range tends to widen as consumers become loss-averse. The results of our numerical experiments differ from findings of certain models under the assumption of stochastic recall memory of consumers. The optimal price path fluctuates consistently around the steady state instead of remaining constant. The effect of the first price on the memory window and long-term profits decreases as the length of memory window increases.     

A hybrid multi-criteria decision-making method for cloud adoption: Evidence from the healthcare sector

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the main determinants (criteria as well as sub-criteria) influencing the adoption decision of cloud computing (CC) in the healthcare sector. In the present study, qualitative interviews and the Delphi method are used to find the relevance of identified determinants (criteria and sub-criteria) from literature. Further, an integrated hybrid approach of interpretive structural modeling, analytic hierarchy process, and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (ISM-AHP-TOPSIS) have been employed to identify interrelationships among criteria, rank critical criteria as well as subcriteria, and find the most suitable cloud service provider (CSP) respectively. This study analyses seven criteria and twenty-one sub-criteria that offers a roadmap to decision-makers before CC-adoption (CCA). The analysis of ISM and AHP revealed technology as the most critical and human-environment as the least critical criteria. The vital sub-criteria associated with each criterion are Management Strategic Planning (under Organisation), Government Policy (External Environment), Security (Technology), Financing of IT in Hospital (Economic), Perceived Visibility (Social), and Attitude of Colleagues about Cloud Computing (Human Environment). The results from TOPSIS revealed CSP5 being the most suitable service provider followed by CSP2. Finally, this research makes methodological contribution in terms of an integrated hybrid method, to select a suitable CSP for the healthcare sector and the theoretical contribution in terms of criteria & sub-criteria. This article answers an important question, i.e., whether the benefits of CCA outweighs its barriers, thereby exploring the potential (and future) of CC for the advancement of healthcare provision.     

Investment inefficiency and the adoption of eco-innovations: The case of household energy efficiency technologies

This paper examines the factors determining household adoption of energy efficiency eco-innovations. We do so by testing hypotheses grounded in diffusion and finance theory and the literature on the barriers to energy efficiency. Using two large surveys of UK households, we explore the adoption of nine technologies. Our results indicate ‘investment inefficiency’ amongst household adopters occurs for two reasons. First, contrary to notions of rational choice, we find a negative relationship between the investment return of technologies and their level of diffusion. Second, we show adopters of these technologies display characteristics broadly consistent with diffusion theory, contradicting the prediction of finance theory that investment return, not individual characteristics, should drive adoption. We also find that policy has played a role in inducing the diffusion of these technologies and that tenure and spill-over effects are important in adoption. Finally, adoption is motivated more by a desire to save money than by environmental concern. We conclude by giving examples of how our research can lead to better policy timing and targeting.     

Responsive supply in fashion mass customisation systems with consumer returns

Mass customisation systems have been well-established in the fashion industry. Some fashion brands offer the mass customisation system for their selected seasonal products, and allow unconditional returns and full refund for any unsatisfied customers. Motivated by the above mentioned observed industrial practice and based on the growing importance of responsive supply, we explore in this paper the value of quick response supply in fashion mass customisation systems with consumer returns. We focus on investigating how the consumer returns rate affects (i) the optimal inventory decision of the fashion brand, (ii) the achievability of Pareto improvement in implementing quick response supply, (iii) the respective values of quick response for the fashion brand, the fashion supplier and also the fashion supply chain, and (iv) the impact of quick response supply on the environment. We interestingly find that consumer returns enhance the value of quick response supply to the fashion supplier. Quick response supply is also found to be helpful in reducing the environmental cost under the fashion mass customisation system with consumer returns.     

Consumer confidence in the safety of milk and infant milk formula in China

A series of food safety incidents related to domestically produced dairy in China harmed consumer confidence and caused a dramatic decrease in dairy consumption from 2008 to 2010. Compared with previous studies that mainly assessed consumer confidence in food or dairy in general, this study focused on 2 specific dairy products, milk and infant milk formula (IMF). Based on data from 934 Chinese consumers, confidence in the safety of milk and IMF was measured by using a multi-item scale with 2 dimensions—optimism and pessimism. We found that Chinese consumers were optimistic about the safety of milk and IMF but, at the same time, were concerned about the risks related to milk and IMF. Chinese consumers have less confidence in IMF than in milk. Structural equation modeling indicated that consumer trust in manufacturers and third parties in the dairy supply chain and confidence in other foods, such as meat and fish, can foster consumer confidence in the safety of milk and IMF, while the extent of recall of the melamine infant formula incident in 2008 and trait worry exert negative effects. In addition, consumers with more children or less family income are likely to be more confident in domestically produced IMF. These insights into consumer confidence and its determinants can assist dairy supply chains and regulatory institutions in formulating effective risk communication strategies to strengthen consumer confidence.     

食品安全在企业财务绩效中的功能作用及实现路径

食品企业所具有的食品安全保障能力,必然促使其利益相关方作出能够影响企业利益的行为选择,最终通过企业的财务绩效反映出来。通过对食品安全在企业财务绩效中功能的审视,可以发现食品安全通过影响消费者、政府以及社会舆论等利益相关者对其产品的态度,能够对其财务绩效起到相应的提升作用。因此,财务绩效具有促进食品企业履行食品安全保障责任的功能。然而,由于诸多因素的影响,财务绩效促进企业履行食品安全保障责任的功能可能出现失范。这些因素包括短期绩效和长期绩效之间的矛盾、信息披露制度欠缺,以及食品企业社会责任意识缺失等。因此有必要通过相应的路径,采取针对性的措施,以构建财务绩效促进食品企业履行食品安全保障责任功能的机制。     

Exploring the motivational factors on continuous usage intention of smartwatches among actual users

Nowadays, smart wearable technology comes up to different sectors and is gaining momentum to be implemented in everyday objects. Smartwatches are the most popular type of wearable devices. The current study attempts to understand the motivational factors of consumers’ continuous intention to use smartwatches. In particular, a netnography research has been conducted and consumers’ opinions on smartwatches on Amazon have been analysed. Eight key determinants of continuous usage intention of smartwatches have been identified. Some of them (healthology, complementary goods and enabling technologies) were not included in previous technology adoption models, highlighting that existing models need to be updated when it comes in the domain of continuous usage intention of wearable technologies.