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Previous studies have suggested that organizational social norms can positively affect employee well-being. However, such social norms have not been well developed during the post-COVID-19 transition to hybrid work, which combines office and remote work, and it is unclear how employees' perceptions of social norms for hybrid work affect their well-being. In this study, we investigated the impact of social norms for hybrid work on the well-being of hybrid workers living in Japan through a mixed-method approach consisting of an online survey (n = 212) and semi-structured interviews (n = 20). The results indicate that hybrid workers who feel subject to strong social norms have lower well-being. Conversely, those who are more willing to conform to social norms have higher well-being. Given our findings, we discuss implications for the design of systems to help hybrid workers conform to organizational social norms and to improve their well-being. © 2023 ACM.
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The COVID-19 crisis has severely hampered the worldwide market, leading to several issues in the supply chain of several necessities, but a considerable increase in the healthcare sector for the pharmaceutical industry. Using machine learning, this research aims to comprehend and forecast pharmaceutical sector sales post-COVID-19. This paper analyzed the major non-communicable diseases and the pharmaceuticals used to treat them, discovered and determined the most significant factors, and utilized them to construct appropriate models for the study. An online survey was performed among Indian families using a structured questionnaire, including both open-ended and closed-ended questions on the family's health. Prior to and during the lockdown, information on non-communicable diseases and the usage of medications was gathered. Our results suggest that the unanticipated transformation in lifestyle has altered disease prevalence, which is a consideration for the pharmaceutical sector to address. And these models helped to figure out how disease levels were changing and how likely it was that the number of people with certain diseases would go up based on their symptoms. This gave a better idea of how to treat the patients. © 2023 IEEE.
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OBJECTIVE: In January 2022, Fiji was hit by multiple natural disasters, including a cyclone causing flooding, an underwater volcanic eruption, and a tsunami. This study aimed to investigate perceived needs among the disaster-affected people in Fiji and to evaluate the feasibility of the Humanitarian Emergency Settings Perceived Needs Scale (HESPER Web) during the early stage after multiple natural disasters. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self-selected, non-representative study sample was conducted. The HESPER Web was used to collect data. RESULTS: In all, 242 people participated. The number of perceived serious needs ranged between 2 and 14 (out of a possible 26), with a mean of 6 (SD = 3). The top 3 most reported needs were access to toilets (60%), care for people in the community who are on their own (55%), and distress (51%). Volunteers reported fewer needs than the general public. CONCLUSIONS: The top 3 needs reported were related to water and sanitation and psychosocial needs. Such needs should not be underestimated in the emergency phase after natural disasters and may require more attention from responding actors. The HESPER Web was considered a usable tool for needs assessment in a sudden onset disaster.
Subject(s)
Disaster Planning , Natural Disasters , Needs Assessment , Humans , Fiji , Disaster Victims/psychology , Feasibility Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Floods , Tsunamis , Cyclonic Storms , Volcanic Eruptions , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , AgedABSTRACT
Purpose: The research on consumerism has been dramatically rising in recent decades. However, in the food industry, little research has been empirically conducted in the beverage industry. This research empirically tests the consequences of consumer perceptions: perceived price (PPR), perceived quality (PQ), perceived packaging (PPG) and perceived taste (PT) on repurchase intention (RI) particularly;it unveils the consumer attributes, e.g. gender, age and ethnicity between consumer perceptions and RI of the consumers. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected from 403 consumers of the beverage industry (e.g. Nestle, Mitchell's Fruit Farms, Murree Brewery and OMORE) in Pakistan. The researchers used online survey questionnaires followed by a cross-sectional approach because data collection physically was not possible due to COVID-19. Findings: Data were analyzed by Smart partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) 3.3.3, and the results supported the significant influence of consumer perceptions separately, e.g. PPR, PQ, PPG and PT on RI. Additionally, gender, age and ethnicity were found to have a moderating role between consumer perceptions and RI, so, the truth of having consumer attributes has been revealed. Practical implications: The managers of beverage industries should provide ethical and operational strategies to tackle consumer's problems based on cultural norms. Furthermore, they should make sensible measures for the quality branding of the beverage products. In this way, the consumers will have a better experience of quality, price, taste and packaging, in turn, to RI. Originality/value: This research targeted the beverage industry that needs facts and figures based on consumer attributes, e.g. age, gender and ethnicity. This research also disclosed the behaviors of consumers according to their gender, age and area of residence. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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The speed of spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 led to global lockdowns and disruptions in the academic sector. The study examined the impact of mobile technology on physics education during lockdowns. Data were collected through an online survey and later evaluated using regression tools, frequency, and an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that the usage of mobile technology had statistically significant effects on physics instructors' and students' academics during the coronavirus lockdown. Most of the participants admitted that the use of mobile technologies such as smartphones, laptops, PDAs, Zoom, mobile apps, etc. were very useful and helpful for continued education amid the pandemic restrictions. Online teaching is very effective during lock-down with smartphones and laptops on different platforms. The paper brings the limelight to the growing power of mobile technology solutions in physics education. © 2018 Tsinghua University Press.
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This study examined the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Japanese expatriates living in China. The survey period was from March 30 to July 31, 2021;responses were received via an online survey. An online survey gathered responses from 236 participants about the impact of COVID-19 on their work and life. While 80% of the participants re-sponded that COVID-19 had impacted their work and life, 60% said that it had a physical or mental impact. Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U test were conducted to compare the effects of COVID-19 on job performance, including personal attributes. The impact of COVID-19 was associated with gender (p =.007), age (p =.010), occupation (p =.005), job title (p =.009), and living arrangements with or without a partner (p =.005). The impact was also correlated with age (p =.030), job position (p =.014), number of times the respondent had lived in Japan (p =.003), and number of years in Japan (p =.015). The most significant effect on mental and physical health was correlated with job position (p =.016). Thus, Japanese expatriates living in China were substantially affected by the COVID-19 epidemic;although, 60% of them said their region was easy to live in. Further, despite the Chinese government's strict isolation orders, they found the thorough testing and use of the coronavirus tracking app reassuring. This suggests the importance of providing not only mental care for expatriates during the COVID-19 epidemic but also prompt decision-making based on an accurate understanding of the local situation. © Fuji Technology Press Ltd.
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COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of telehealth. With this shift comes a need for empirically based research regarding the effect of telehealth on patient experience. The present study employed an online survey (N = 996) examining whether a patient's perceptions of a telehealth visit predicts (a) the likelihood that they will schedule a future telehealth visit, and (b) their recall of clinical information. Participants viewed a video of a real clinician delivering information on a COVID-19 antibody test, and responded to demographic, socioemotional, and cognitive items. We found that for every 1-point increase in an individual's satisfaction with their interaction with the doctor, they were.73 times more likely to revisit the doctor (p < .01). These results provide insight for researchers and medical professionals regarding patient perceptions of virtual encounters and suggest best practices to consider as we further integrate telehealth. © 2022 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.
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The objective of the work presented is to highlight experiences, impacts and challenges which students had to face during online learning and the corona-pandemic. This paper reports on findings of a survey conducted at a German university of applied sciences. An online survey was developed and administered. Responses were analyzed, using mostly descriptive statistics, and key findings are shared. These relate to experiences and challenges encountered by students during the time of online learning and revealing insights to the student perspective on online learning. These findings inform decision makers in considering future options regarding the use of technology for distance learning too. © 2022 IEEE.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has had dramatic impact on many dimensions of living and studying conditions of students at University. This paper analyses student satisfaction and motivation during the lockdown period and try to understand whether different socio-economic and environmental conditions have influenced needs and demands of students during the emergency online didactics. Drawing from the results of a questionnaire administered to students enrolled in the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, this research is aimed at describing which factors, beyond the quality and the professionalism of the lecturers and the quality of the education received, influence the satisfaction with the online learning experience and impact on students' motivations and perceived engagement. Moreover, the study investigates the pandemic's direct effects on gender differences and inequalities, analysing the obstacles affecting the self-organization of study at home. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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The subscription of digital services has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this was not the same for digital news subscription which remained low. Therefore, this study looks to study the factors that influence the resistance to digital news subscription during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to achieve this, the Innovation Resistance Theory was applied. Data was collected through an online survey that yielded 199 responses. Based on the results of the data analysis, two out of the five barriers were revealed to have insignificant relationships with resistance. With that said, value barrier, risk barrier, and image barrier were established as significant facilitators of resistance. Several insights were then proposed to news media companies. Moreover, this study fills the theoretical gap of comprehending the antecedents of resistance on digital news during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Australian retail sector has fallen victim to the recent lockdowns due to COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to adopt new technologies to conduct business online. As a result, several businesses are attempting to use Blockchain technology to enhance security and promote transparency. Prior studies indicated the importance of human factors in technology adoption decisions. However, there is limited research on how human factors play out in blockchain technology adoption decisions in the Australian retail sector. Therefore, this study identifies the human factors and presents a research model to investigate their influence on technology adoption decisions in the Australian retail sector. The proposed study will use a quantitative approach and collects data using online survey questionnaires. This study will test the derived hypotheses using the structural equation modelling technique. This study is expected to help develop appropriate policies to enhance blockchain technology adoption in the Australian retail sector. © 2022 IEEE.
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The dynamic and rapid spread of COVID-19 presented a challenge in explaining complex issues to uninformed members of society. Although the conveying of this information was dependent on web maps, few studies have focused on the effectiveness of these maps for informing the general public. This study employs the map usability literature to define three map design dimensions: (1) clarity, (2) understanding, and (3) accuracy. Using these dimensions, we developed a framework for categorizing geovisualizations into scientific, rhetorical, and informative maps based on their purpose. We analyzed four examples of COVID-19 geovisualizations under this framework and conducted an online survey to evaluate their interpretation by users. Only 10% to 60% of users understood each map correctly and poor design practices significantly affected the user interpretation of the maps. The degrees of understanding conformed to our framework. Scientific maps were ambiguous owing to their complexity and the over-emphasis on map cartographic accuracy, whereas informative maps that balance accuracy, clarity, and understanding were more interpretable. Meanwhile, no rhetorical COVID-19 dashboards were included in our sample. We demonstrated that one map cannot provide a complete and comprehensive overview. Therefore, our framework calls for the conscious design of different types of maps to convey the different shades of cartographic reality. © 2023 Cartography and Geographic Information Society.
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The aim of the article is to show the role of digital skills and literacy as a consequence of the processes of digitalization, but also as a prerequisite for conducting online learning in educational systems. The different dimensions of digitalization and the formation of digital skills by people of different ages and professions are analysed. The methodology is based on various surveys, including an online survey conducted by the authors of the article among the Bulgarian population on the state of digitalization and online learning. An important place in the study is occupied by online education in secondary and higher education in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Views and assessments of the participants in the learning process and their readiness for mobile learning are shown. The main conclusion of the article is that in Bulgarian society there is a relatively good availability of digital skills, which are important for modern processes. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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In this paper, we examine the non-home-cooked meal (NHCM) preferences of individuals for their dinner meal by studying the monthly count of NHCM meals by channel type: eat-out, eat-in takeout, and eat-in delivery. Data from a 2022 online survey collected in Texas is employed to estimate a multivariate joint model. Model estimation results indicate that the most frequent customers of the eat-out channel are white individuals, individuals from 3+ motorized vehicle-owning households, those in non-joint families, those in households with no children, full-time employees who never work from home or do so only for a small fraction of their workdays, and those residing in areas with a high density of restaurants. The distinct consumer segments for the eat-in takeout channel include young individuals, those with high household incomes, those working from home all their workdays or a substantial fraction of their workdays, and urban residents;the most enthusiastic consumers of the eat-in delivery channel are white individuals, those with less than three vehicles in the household, individuals with children, urban residents, and those worried about pandemic-related personal health risks. Older individuals, non-white individuals, individuals with a graduate degree, individuals in fewer motorized vehicle-owning households and in joint families, those with children in the household, and rural residents constitute the most committed population segments of the home-cooked meal (HCM) consumption channel. The results suggest the important impact of workplace location on dining channel choice. The results also show clear evidence of complementary and substitution effects at play;the delivery channel complements eating out but substitutes takeout. Similarly, eat-out has a substitution effect on eat-in takeout. These effects have important implications for activity-travel behavior due to emerging technology-based ordering options for dining choices, especially in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
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The decisions of whether and how to evacuate during a climate disaster are influenced by a wide range of factors, including emergency messaging, social influences, and sociodemographics. Further complexity is introduced when multiple hazards occur simultaneously, such as a flood evacuation taking place amid a viral pandemic that requires physical distancing. Such multihazard events can necessitate a nuanced navigation of competing decision-making strategies wherein a desire to follow peers is weighed against contagion risks. To better understand these trade-offs, we distributed an online survey during a COVID-19 pandemic surge in July 2020 to 600 individuals in three midwestern and three southern states in the United States with high risk of flooding. In this paper, we estimate a random parameter discrete choice model in both preference space and willingness-to-pay space. The results of our model show that the directionality and magnitude of the influence of peers' choices of whether and how to evacuate vary widely across respondents. Overall, the decision of whether to evacuate is positively impacted by peer behavior, while the decision of how to evacuate (i.e., ride-type selection) is negatively impacted by peer influence. Furthermore, an increase in flood threat level lessens the magnitude of peer impacts. In terms of the COVID-19 pandemic impacts, respondents who perceive it to be a major health risk are more reluctant to evacuate, but this effect is mitigated by increased flood threat level. These findings have important implications for the design of tailored emergency messaging strategies and the role of shared rides in multihazard evacuations. Specifically, emphasizing or deemphasizing the severity of each threat in a multihazard scenario may assist in: (1) encouraging a reprioritization of competing risk perceptions;and (2) magnifying or neutralizing the impacts of social influence, thereby (3) nudging evacuation decision-making toward a desired outcome. © 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Vaccines have proved to be effective in reducing mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a part of the population is still reluctant to be vaccinated. Thus, the aim of this work was to apply a framework to create Personas, fictional representations of real people, to assess the characteristics of the population willing to be vaccinated in order to develop personalized eHealth-based interventions to increase compliance to vaccinations. Data was collected through an online survey at the beginning of 2021. Multiple dimensionality reduction methods were used as input for K-Medoids clustering with PAM algorithm to create Personas. The optimal number of Personas and dimensionality reduction method to be used were evaluated through the average silhouette graph and the percentage of statistically different attributes between Personas. From 1070 respondents, three Personas were identified. Persona 3 showed statistically significant lower trust in institutions, lower education and lower willingness of being vaccinated when compared to the other two Personas. The developed approach to create Personas was deemed able to identify the main characteristics of those more prone not willing to be vaccinated, suggesting that behavioral change techniques should focus on taking advantage of the closer social circle of those reluctant to vaccines. © 2022 IEEE.
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Using the exact wording of the European Central Bank's definition of price stability, we started a representative online survey of German citizens in January 2019 that is designed to measure long-term inflation expectations and the credibility of the inflation target. Our results indicate that credibility has decreased in our sample period, particularly in the course of the deep recession implied by the Covid-19 pandemic. Interestingly, even though inflation rates in Germany have been clearly below 2% for several years, credibility has declined mainly because Germans increasingly expect that inflation will be much higher than 2% over the medium term. We investigate how inflation expectations and the impact of the pandemic depend on personal characteristics including age, gender, education, and political attitude.
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The digital skills which should be acquired by educators in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) are crucial towards the implementation of distance learning. However, less research has been done on the significance of these skills, particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to evaluate the development of digital skills among educators in TVET. This study utilizes an online survey, which is distributed to the teachers and educators in Malaysia to investigate their perception towards the implementation of digital learning. A total of n=242 respondents, whom are educators from public and private educational institutions, participated in the survey. The research method applied in this study is a quantitative method, involving use age of questionnaires to obtain data. Overall, the results of the study show a Mean of Acceptance m=3.98, while for readiness on facilities, m=3.58, technology, m=3.96 and self-confidence, m=4.28. While the mean for awareness is m=4.23. The implications of the findings of this study will be able to contribute to the field of digital learning. The contribution of this study can provide an overview on the development of applications to facilitate students and lecturers in open distance learning (ODL). © 2022 IEEE.
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Virtual reality appears an interesting technology to offer healthcare workers innovative programs for managing stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and when the crisis will be over. However, the unfamiliarity and the cost of virtual reality could represent significant technical and socioeconomic obstacles in its adoption in the mental health panorama. Therefore, this study aimed to explore in a sample of doctors and nurses the use of virtual reality, their interest in this technology, and the availability to spend for purchasing a virtual reality system. Forty-four doctors and nurses completed an online survey (72.2% female;mean age 41.5 ± 10.7). Results showed that: (a) most healthcare practitioners have never tried virtual reality and have a low level of knowledge of this technology, regardless of profession, gender, and age group;(b) healthcare workers showed medium interest in using virtual reality-based programs for stress and anxiety management, both at home and in the hospital, with differences between men and women (p <.01);(c) the cost of virtual reality systems represents for many doctors and nurses a critical barrier to the use of this technology for psychological support. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Fake news is defined as "false stories that appear to be news, spread on the Internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke", thus, it is not necessary false information, although often refers to false information [1]. COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the generation as well as consumption of fake news. Afraid of the unknown virus, people started to consume all possible information they found on internet, while various parties with specific opinions or ideas started to generate and circulate false information and fake news. Fake news have impacted even to the health of people [2]. The paper analyses the five on-line surveys conducted by the author and her research team between December 2020 and March 2022. There are differences among the answers, mostly due to the COVID-19 situation as well as the differences in government measures. From these surveys, it emerged that the personality strongly impacts one's perception as well as behaviour changes. The paper discusses about the findings from the surveys in comparison to the literature to identify the limitation and future research topics. © 2022 ACM.