Examining the adoption of telehealth during public health emergencies based on technology organization environment framework

PurposeDisasters and pandemics pose challenges to health-care provision. Accordingly, the need for adopting innovative approach is required in providing care to patient. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to present telehealth as an innovative approach for providing care to patients and reducing spread of the infection and advocates for the adoption of telehealth for digitalized treatment of patients. Design/methodology/approachAn integrative review methodology of existing evidence was conducted to provide implications for integration of telehealth for digitalized treatment of patients. This paper draws on Technology Organization Environment (TOE) framework to develop a model and propositions to investigate the factors that influence telehealth adoption from the perspective of the supply side and the demand side of medical services. FindingsFindings from this study discuss applications adopted for telehealth and recommendations on how telehealth can be adopted for medical-care delivery. More importantly, the findings and propositions of this study can act as a roadmap to potential research opportunities within and beyond the pandemic. In addition, findings from this study help provide guidelines on how health practitioners can rapidly integrate telehealth into practice for public health emergencies. Originality/valueThis study identifies the social, technological and organizational factors that influence telehealth adoption, and opportunities of adopting telehealth during the public health emergencies. This study concludes that specific policy changes to improve integration of interoperable solutions;data security;better physical infrastructures;broadband access;better transition and workflow balance;availability of funding and remuneration;regulations and reimbursement;awareness;and training will improve telehealth adoption during public health emergencies.

Applications of Industry 4.0 for Pandemic Responses and Business Continuity: A TOE-DCV Integrated Approach

The fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, covers a broad range of technologies. The applications of Industry 4.0 help in interconnectivity as well as automation process and support seamless operations. Not many studies have taken place to examine how different applications of Industry 4.0 could help in turbulent situations or in crises like COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, there is a research gap. In such background, the aim of this study is to investigate how different applications of Industry 4.0 could help to respond to such turbulent situation and help in business continuity and sustainability of operations. The present study develops a theoretical model combining technology–organization–environment framework and dynamic capability view to examine the role of Industry 4.0 applications for business continuity and sustainability of business operations especially for managing any turbulent situation like COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical model was validated using partial least square structural equation modeling technique considering 338 respondents from different industries. The study found that there is a greater need to adopt Industry 4.0 applications for managing business operations during any turbulent situation. The study also found that there is a significant moderating impact of corporate governance in adopting Industry 4.0 applications to manage business operations especially during crisis. IEEE

Investigating the factors affecting the intention to adopt cloud-based ERP systems during the COVID-19 era: evidence from Jordan

Purpose: Generally, the use of cloud-based services has proliferated all around the world. This tendency increased dramatically during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic when many people were obliged to conduct business remotely. This research study aims to investigate the intentions to adopt (IA) cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in Jordan, as this sort of research is scarce in developing countries. Specifically, this research study combined the model of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, in addition to looking at COVID-19 as a moderating variable. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 60 participants working in Jordanian companies that currently use, or have the intention to use, cloud-based ERP systems. An online questionnaire was developed and used to collect responses. The study hypotheses were examined statistically using simple regression analysis and hierarchical multiple regression. Findings: The study results clearly indicate that complexity, observability, employee information technology (IT) skills, organizational culture (OC) and top management support significantly affect the intention to adopt cloud-based ERP systems. In contrast, relative advantage (RA), compatibility, trialability, regulatory environment and competitive pressure had no significant effect on adoption intention. Interestingly, the advent of COVID-19 increased the intention to adopt cloud-based ERP systems. Research limitations/implications: The study's findings will provide theoretical and practical suggestions for the effective adoption of cloud ERP in Jordan, as well as aiding other developing nations in comparable situations in implementing cloud-based ERP systems. Originality/value: The study enriches the knowledge and further examines the underlying reasons for adopting cloud-based ERP systems in a developing country. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Proposing a multifaceted model for adopting prefabricated construction technology in the construction industry

PurposeAlthough prefabricated construction (PC) technology has attracted considerable attention worldwide because of its significant role in the global fight against COVID-19, market-driven adoption is still limited. The mechanisms for PC technology adoption have yet to be defined, which inhibits its diffusion in the construction market. This study aims to reveal the intrinsic motivation and action mechanism for PC technology adoption.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the study integrates characteristics from the diffusion of innovation theory to propose a multifaceted model for explaining practitioners' PC technology adoption behavior from technology, organization and environment contexts. The proposed theoretical model was empirically examined via a survey of 234 professionals in mainland China using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique.FindingsThe outcomes indicated that relative advantage, corporate social responsibility and market demand are significantly positively related to practitioners' perceived usefulness from PC technology. Regulatory support and trading partner support have noticeable positive effects on practitioners' perceived ease of use from PC technology. Perceived ease of use is found to positively influence perceived usefulness, and both of them have a positive influence on the attitude toward adopting PC technology. Attitude is further confirmed as an important predictor of adoption intention, which would lead to actual PC technology adoption behavior.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to explore industry perceptions toward PC technology adoption, providing valuable guidance for the effective diffusion of PC technology and laying a reliable foundation for research on other construction innovation adoption in post-COVID-19.

Adoption of AI in response to COVID-19-a configurational perspective.

Although the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) has often been highlighted in strategic agility and decision outcomes, whether it helps firms strengthen their competitiveness and the means firms use to achieve such competitiveness are still under-researched. Our research thus joins the recent discussion on digitalization trends and strategic responses to COVID-19 to better understand how firms strengthen their competitiveness during such challenging times. Namely, this study incorporates the strategic responses to COVID-19 into the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework by investigating the impacts of different configurations of TOE contexts and strategic responses on a firm's competitive advantage. We used fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to investigate how TOE contexts and strategic responses integrate into configurations and impact a firm's competiveness. By applying a configurational approach with data from 514 exporting firms in China, we find a strong indication of the equifinality of different strategies, indicating that multiple strategic paths can be used to respond to crises. The adoption of AI, while important, is not sufficient to enhance a firm's competitiveness. Our results stress the significance of data quality, organizational resources and capabilities, and digital business model innovation for AI adoption. We also identify successful strategic paths of AI adoption aversion and ambidextrous strategies. The findings have practical implications for firms seeking effective strategies to respond to future crises and sustain their competitive advantages.

Exploring Critical Challenges and Factors Influencing E-Learning Systems Security During COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic swiftly forced the closure of higher education institutions across the world. As a result, all educational institutions have made a considerable move toward e-learning. E-learning systems suffer from confidentiality, integrity, and availability-related security threats. Hence, understanding this problem from various perspectives that include technology, human behavior, management, and policies, as well as implementing policies and standards will assist in finding the most influencing factors that can help in protecting e-learning information systems from potential security threats. In this research, a review has been conducted to analyze and assess 55 states of the art articles on e-learning security and to identify countermeasures to strengthen e-learning information systems. The study contributes to our understanding of how to strengthen the e-learning information systems security by answering the following questions: What are the factors that have an impact on the e-learning systems vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the most important technology, management, and environment-based factors that need to be considered for protecting e-learning systems from potential security attacks?. The results of this study will enable decision and policymakers at higher education institutions to better understand the essential elements of adopting an e-learning system. Knowing these factors will help the designers and developers of e-learning systems adopt secure software design and development methodologies to reduce the likelihood that such vulnerabilities and it contributes to enhancing the system's security resilience against potential attacks. In addition, university management will be more knowledgeable about how to instruct their staff and students on best practices for using e-learning web applications. © 2022 IEEE.

Cloud accounting adoption in Thai SMEs amid the COVID-19 pandemic: an explanatory case study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) function. To maintain business efficiency and reduce operating costs in the context of the constraints imposed by the pandemic, SMEs have been forced to embrace new digital technologies. Cloud accounting is becoming an increasingly important business operating tool for SMEs. By adopting cloud-based accounting, SMEs can become more efficient, financially organized, and flexible. This study aims to investigate the factors that have a pervasive influence on cloud accounting adoption among SMEs in Thailand, following the pandemic's effects. This study integrates three technology adoption theories-the Technology-Organization-Environment framework, Diffusion of Innovation theory, and Institutional Theory-and studies them alongside SMEs' unique characteristics. The research employs a qualitative case study method and triangulated sources of evidence. The findings provide important implications for the research community, policymakers, cloud accounting vendors, and SME owners aiming to formulate better approaches to cloud accounting adoption after the pandemic. The results suggest that vendors should focus on SMEs' particular characteristics and needs. By contrast, SMEs should determine the organizational fit of the cloud accounting platform and integrate cloud accounting with other aspects of their operations.

Determinants of e-learning adoption in higher education in Iraq an academics and students' perspective

E-learning allows the students to access, repeat and use the scientific materials wherever and whenever the users want. Both academics and learners are the leading and essential actors in the process of the learning process. Moreover, the acceptance of a technology is the positive react for users by using such technology. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, e-learning has become mandatory over the world, thus, there is a necessity to investigate the determinants of e-learning adoption in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Iraq. Consequently, this paper aims to investigate elearning adoption and identify the determinants of e-learning in HEIs. An instrument was developed with eight dimensions based on technology organization and environmental (TOE) elements. The sample selection was of 580 students and 130 university lecturers who spread over several colleges. A clustering sampling method was used in the sampling selection process. Some hypotheses were proposed and tested via the paired T-test tool. To evaluate the relationship between the TOE variables and e-learning adoption, a regression analysis was carried out. The study findings classified into two categories, first, it helps to determine to what extent e-learning be adopted. Second, it provides meaningful guidance for higher education institutions that should follow as a pre-requested before adopting e-learning. © 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Organizational readiness to adopt artificial intelligence in the exhibition sector in Western Europe

This exploratory study explores perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and organizational readiness to adopt AI, in the exhibition sector of the events industry. A theoretical framework synthesizing the Technology - Organization - Environment framework and the Technology Readiness Index was developed to guide this qualitative study. Seventeen senior managerial representatives from exhibition organizations across nine Western European countries were interviewed, and a reflexive thematic approach was adopted to analyse the data. The findings suggest that the European exhibition industry is a slow adopter of AI, which may impact its future competitiveness, despite the stimulus provided to AI adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The degree of confidence in organizational technological practices, financial resources, the size of the organization, and issues of data management and protection, as well as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, motivate or inhibit readiness for AI adoption in the event industry. A new Exhibition Sector Readiness for AI Adoption Model is presented in this research that managers and researchers can use to analyze inhibitors and motivations for AI adoption, which is contextualized for the current challenges facing the exhibitions sector.

Let's Connect to Keep the Distance: How SMEs Leverage Information and Communication Technologies to Address the COVID-19 Crisis.

COVID-19 caused significant challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the event industry. To address these challenges, many SMEs leveraged information and communication technologies (ICTs), with some even emerging strengthened from the crisis. Drawing on the technology-organization-environment framework and technology-affordances-and-constraints theory, we investigate the adoption of ICTs as a crisis response strategy in 10 SMEs in the German business event (e.g., corporate events, conferences) industry. Our findings reveal that ICT adoption not only depends on rational decisions based on organizational, environmental, and technological characteristics, but also on these dimensions' interrelationship and the specific ICTs' affordances and constraints. Introducing readily available ICTs (e.g., video-conferencing) has significant potential in addressing physical distancing in the short and medium term, while more sophisticated ICTs (e.g., virtual reality) are more likely to gain importance in the long term. Thus, we expand our understanding of organizational technology adoption and ICT-enabled crisis response strategies in SMEs.