ABSTRACT
We present a novel study concerning the attitudes of road transport enterprises towards a broad application of telematics in operational management in road transportation. The study aims to assess telematics application in road transport and its changes over time while showing the factors most likely to determine the systems' use. Unobserved categories defined in the technology acceptance model (TAM) are adjusted to measure perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitudes toward using telematics systems by road transport managers. The study is based on 323 transport enterprises analyzed in two waves in 2020 and 2021. The use of two different time points is motivated by an observed increase in the digitalization of transport documents caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical findings support the TAM's usefulness in evaluating IT in transport business management. The findings also reveal that the significantly increased telematics use in 2020 was observed while it was endured. The results are checked for robustness and used for simulations. The study compares managers' behaviors over time and simulates the effect of individual (observed) variables on unobserved TAM categories.
ABSTRACT
Background: To contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, between March and May 2020 the stay-at-home order and contacts of people in Germany were severely restricted. Studies worldwide allow the assumption that social isolation ordered by the crisis can have a significant influence on the well-being of those affected. To better understand the health consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown and to be able to counteract them preventively, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adults living in Germany was investigated in connection with the housing situation and the subjectively perceived household environment during this period.