RFID Meets the Internet

After several years of development, networked RFID is moving beyond the early adopter phase as more and more industry sectors are using this technology for increasingly diverse applications. Two main technological advances have made this possible: the wider availability of very low-cost and higher-range passive RFID tags that require no battery to operate, and the use of the Internet to interconnect standalone RFID systems and software through robust fixed- and mobile-communication networks. This special issue presents some recent work in RFID middleware, services, overlaying, and the network edge.     

E-learning as innovation: Exploring innovativeness of the VET teachers’ community in Estonia

In this article, the acceptance of e-learning by teachers of vocational secondary and professional higher education institutions (hereafter: VET teachers) in Estonia has been analysed. The analysis is based on questionnaire study, carried out in 2007. The theoretical framework of the article has been inspired by Everett Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory. It appears that there exists a statistically reliable difference between innovators and the remaining adopter categories among VET teachers. One can see that in the context of the VET teachers’ working environment, a multi-dimensional innovation gap appears, embracing gaps in the actual use of e-learning tools, different types of skills and competences, access and support indicators. The model of innovativeness constructed shows that the competences are predictors of innovativeness. The development of competences related to e-learning (ICT competence, e-learning competence, pedagogical competence) and innovativeness are closely related. It will be argued that while one of the challenges for the developers of e-learning is to provide teachers with relevant continuous training as well as making efforts in developing existing support structures, we can assume that for different adopter categories among teachers different strategies and support schemes should be applied, as the values and attitudes of different groups vary.     

Mobile phone purchase and usage behaviours of early adopter groups in Korea

Recent mobile phones known as smartphones offer a variety of applications, such as Web browsing, entertainment tools, and personal calendar and contact management applications of the type that traditionally run on desktop computers. Some of the reasons why smartphones became popular rapidly in Korea may be related to the adoption by the type of user known as the early adopter. Because the early adopter group played a more crucial role in the area of mass consumption and because the mass market is changing more rapidly than before, this study examines mobile phone purchase and usage behaviours of early adopter groups in Korea in order to gain vital insights into establishing marketing strategies for early adopter groups. In this study, segmentation by means of a factor analysis and cluster analysis is conducted to classify early adopter groups in accordance with their activities, interests, and opinion. Specifically, factor analysis is employed to identify the common characteristics among lifestyle variables, and cluster analysis is then adopted for those factors to classify early adopter groups according to their lifestyles. In addition, we analyse the mobile phone purchase and usage behaviours of early adopter groups in Korea. The results of this study can contribute to the effort to classify early adopter groups while also having implications pertaining to mobile phone vendors and mobile service providers who target early adopters depending on their different characteristics.     

Determinants of self-report and system-captured measures of mobile Internet use intensity

Most research on the first adoption and subsequent use (= acceptance) of Internet access through cellular networks and portable appliances (= mobile Internet) has followed a similar pattern. It has employed survey responses of mobile network operator [MNO] customers to explain consumers’ stated future use (continuance) intentions or claimed use intensities related to mobile Internet [MI] access by various beliefs about MI (e.g., perceived relative advantage, usefulness, ease of use). However, there is ample evidence suggesting that MI use intentions and self-reported use intensities are only weakly correlated with actual MI use. Therefore, the present paper develops hypotheses on how the ability of different types of variables to account for variance in MI use intensity may vary depending on whether subjectively estimated or objectively captured use serves as the criterion variable. The hypotheses are tested by analyzing actual MI use behaviors of 300 adopters in Germany, whose mobile IP traffic was extracted from an MNO’s billing engine. This “system-captured” criterion measure is integrated with MI adopter responses collected by means of a standardized telephone survey. Results show that the predictors are more strongly correlated with self-rated than with system-captured MI use intensity. Up to 38% of the variance explained in self-rated use may be attributed to artifactual covariance between variables caused by common measurement methods. Factual MI use case features (MI tariff type and appliance class, fixed Internet home access availability) are better able to account for variance in both self-rated and actual MI use intensity than MI related beliefs. The findings imply that variable relationships observed in earlier MI and information system (IS) acceptance studies are likely to have been inflated by common method biases and thus may have provided spurious support for the conceptual frameworks tested. Implications of the results for future MI and IS acceptance research and for MNO seeking to forecast and to influence the MI use intensity of their customers are discussed.     

Early MRP Systems at Royal Philips Electronics in the 1960s and 1970s

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands became an early adopter of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in the early 1980s. In the 1960s, Philips was poised to develop its own line of ERP solutions, but in 1979/1980, it stopped its own development and transitioned to purchased integrated standard packages from IBM. Nevertheless, early adopters such as Philips might have contributed to the start of the ERP industry.     

Exploring middle-aged and older adults’ sources of Internet self-efficacy: A case study

The purpose of this study was to examine sources underlying middle aged and older adults’ Internet self-efficacy. Interview data were collected from a total of 24 middle aged and older adults to categorize and synthesize their sources of Internet self-efficacy. It was found that there are five sources, (1) successful performance accomplishments or experience using the Internet to fulfill basic and living needs, (2) vicarious admirable modeling by children, friends, and neighbors, (3) verbal or social persuasion by influential friends and family, (4) fear, bad memory, slow reactions, or a joyful state, and (5) a proactive personality. In addition, it was found that in addition to performance accomplishments, psychological and physiological states are another primary source of Internet self-efficacy for middle-aged and older adults. Our findings advance the Internet self-efficacy literature as they extend what is known about the previous four sources, and indicate that proactive personality may be another important source that has been previously overlooked. The five sources are likely to be related to each other, emphasizing dynamic and reciprocal relationships between performance accomplishments and emotional and physiological states, emotional state and proactive personality, as well as social persuasion and performance accomplishments.     

Understanding adolescents’ problematic Internet use from a social/cognitive and addiction research framework

As Internet usage has become more prevalent among youth, so too has problematic Internet use. Despite the critical role of emotion regulation in the development of adolescents’ behaviors and the role of parenting interactions on their children’s behaviors, little research has examined these links with reference to problematic and addictive Internet use for adolescents. The main goal of this study was to examine these links, based on a sample of 525 high school students (368 males; M = 15.33 years, SD = 0.47) from a predominantly middle and lower-middle socioeconomic community in Seoul, Korea. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that students’ difficulties in emotion regulation was a mediating variable between students’ perceptions of their parents’ parenting behaviors and the students’ Internet use. The findings substantiate the importance of conceptualizing addiction from a social/cognitive theoretical framework and the notion that adolescence is the onset period for many addictive behaviors and so more proactive attention needs to be given to reducing these early negative behaviors. Based on these results, interventions designed to enhance adolescents’ emotion regulatory abilities have the likelihood to mitigate problematic and even addictive Internet use among youth.     

The effect of Internet use on adolescents’ lifestyles: A national survey

Computer and Internet technology continues to influence people’s lives, especially those of adolescents. The aim of this study was to explore the association between Internet use and adolescents’ lifestyles. With data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in China in 2009, a model revealing the effects of Internet use on adolescents’ lifestyles was established from a series of hierarchical regression analyses. The model shows that certain Internet habits, such as excessive online time, accessing the Internet in an Internet bar, and using the Internet for catharsis, are related to poor lifestyle habits in adolescents; however, using the Internet for purposes such as gaining knowledge and finding information positively predicts healthy lifestyles in adolescents. Implications regarding the relationship between Internet use and the lifestyles of adolescents are discussed.     

The evaluation of the student teachers’ attitudes toward Internet and democracy

The aims of this study are to find out (1) how student teachers’ attitudes toward Internet affect their attitudes toward democracy, (2) how student teachers’ attitudes toward democracy are in terms of their purpose of using Internet and (3) benefits provided by the Internet. The research is carried out in Ziya Gokalp Education Faculty at Dicle University during 2005–2006 academic year by the participation of 440 student teachers in total. “Likert Type Attitude Scale Toward the Use of Internet”, was used to determine the student teachers’ attitudes toward the Internet and “The Attitude Scale Toward Democracy” was used to find out the attitudes of the student teachers toward democracy. The data are analyzed by using variance analysis and correlation (Pearson) techniques. Scheffé test is used for significance test.     

Junior high school students’ Internet usage and self-efficacy: A re-examination of the gender gap

This paper investigated the gender differences in junior high school students’ Internet self-efficacy and their use of the Internet. A total of 1080 eighth graders were randomly selected from all junior high school students in Taiwan. The Internet Self-Efficacy Scale (ISES) was developed and used to examine students’ Internet self-efficacy in two dimensions: online exploration (explorative ISE) and online communication (communicative ISE). A survey including the ISES instrument was administered to all the subjects and finally 936 valid questionnaires (from 466 males and 470 females) were returned for data analyses. No significant gender difference was found in students’ total ISE and explorative ISE; however, a significant gender difference was found in students’ communicative ISE. Surprisingly, the girls had significant higher communicative ISE than had the boys. In addition, there was no significant gender difference in students’ Internet using experience and computer ownerships; however, there were significant gender differences in their Internet using purpose and intensity. In spite of the boys showed a significantly higher Internet use intensity than did the girls, the boys were more exploration-oriented Internet users and the girls were more communication-oriented Internet users. And this orientation played a significant role in their Internet self-efficacy. These results suggested that the gender gap may no longer exist in young students’ confidence in using the Internet. However, boys and girls used the Internet for significantly different purposes suggesting that the Internet played different roles for boys and girls in Taiwan. With a large scale examination by using a valid and reliable instrument, this study provided representative results for further related studies.     

Deploying Internet banking and e-commerce—case study of a private-sector bank in India

Over the last decade India has been one of the fastest adopters of information technology, particularly because of its capability to provide software solutions to organizations around the world. This capability has provided a tremendous impetus to the domestic banking industry in India to deploy the latest in technology, particularly in the Internet banking and e-commerce arenas. This article discusses the experiences of a private-sector bank in deploying Internet banking and e-commerce in India. Strategic alignment of business and IT strategies, planning and implementation of e-banking initiatives, and management of benefits are captured, along with key contributions to development. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Loneliness and generalized problematic Internet use: Parents’ perceived knowledge of adolescents’ online activities as a moderator

This study examined adolescents’ perceptions of parents’ knowledge of their online activities as a moderator of the relationship between loneliness and generalized problematic Internet use (PIU). The purpose of this study was to address two gaps in research. First, previous research has only investigated these relationships from a main effects perspective; the present study extended research by examining generalized PIU from an interaction effects perspective. Second, it is timely to examine the relationship between loneliness and generalized PIU in an adolescent sample which has not been previously explored. A total of 1098 adolescents (49.2% male, 50.8% female) from Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes participated in this study. The key finding was that perceived parental knowledge was a moderator of the relationship between loneliness and generalized PIU; parental knowledge was better able to differentiate adolescents’ level of generalized PIU at lower rather than at higher levels of loneliness. This moderator effect was stronger in magnitude for parents who had no awareness of their adolescents’ online activities compared to parents who were in the know about their adolescents’ online activities. These findings emphasize the importance of prevention and early intervention work with early adolescents and their parents with respect to adolescent loneliness and generalized PIU.     

Development of a quantitative model of the impact of customers’ personality and perceptions on Internet banking use

Despite the rapid increase of Internet users and cited benefits of using Internet banking, the number of Internet banking users has not risen as strongly as expected. In order to understand this problem, it is critical to understand how customers’ personalities and perceptions influence Internet banking use. In this study, a quantitative model of Internet banking use was developed, which incorporates four dimensions, namely, (1) openness toward advanced technology as an individual personality dimension, (2) website usability, including perceived usefulness and ease of use, (3) perceived security concern, and (4) green concern for conserving nature resources as the social influence dimension. The study investigates the moderating effect between these dimensions on Internet banking use. A survey instrument was used to gather data to estimate the proposed research model. The results show that openness, website usability, and perceived security concern significantly influence customers’ Internet banking use. In terms of moderating effects, all dimensions play an important role as a moderator on the relation between other dimensions and Internet banking use. Overall, the model helps to increase our understanding of how these dimensions interact to influence Internet banking use, which can help in the design of Internet banking and other e-channel systems.     

A time-based assessment of the influences,uses and benefits of intermediary website adoption

An e-enabled distribution chain has many advantages: a key element is the company website which combines sales and marketing functions. Intermediary websites interface between the supplier and the marketplace; consequently, adoption and use of websites by intermediaries can benefit an extended supply chain. We examined intermediary e-commerce development, focusing on the adoption and use of websites, the factors influencing initial adoption, the characteristics of adopters and patterns of website use. Based on interview and survey data from financial services intermediaries, we used Rogers’ model of innovation to identify adopter groups. Statistically significant differences were found between the five adopter categories in terms of key company characteristics, key factors influencing the initial decision to develop a website and its subsequent use. There are implications for providers in widening intermediary participation in website technology.     

Sophistication of Internet usage (SIU) and its attitudinal antecedents: An empirical study in Hong Kong

The measurement of Internet use in empirical studies has undergone a progression from uni-item measurement to multi-item measurement. Based on several operationalizations of Internet use in existing studies, the paper proposes a reflective measurement model, called ‘sophistication of Internet usage’ (SIU), with five indicators (online time, online activities, online skills, diversity of online method, and diversity of online places). With data from a longitudinal random survey conducted in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2005, a uni-dimension measurement model is established based on confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent and discriminant validity of the uni-dimension model is also established within multi-trait-multi-method (MTMM) paradigm by confirmatory factor analysis. The model shows that individuals’ positive life outcome expectation, expected ease of use, and perceived popularity of the Internet are significant antecedents of SIU with demographic characteristics controlled.     

Youth and the Internet: Uses and practices in the home

The aim of the present research was to examine the relationship between Greek young people aged 12–18 and the Internet through their patterns of Internet use in the home. A particular objective of the study was the investigation of the possible effects of social stratification, gender and age on their domestic Internet use. A sample of 418 high school students selected from 17 schools in four Greek cities completed a structured self-reported questionnaire primarily concerned with Internet use (frequency, purpose and behaviour patterns) at home and the types of the parental supervision. The research was carried out during the period 2004–2005. The main findings of the study were the following: (a) Internet access remains at a very low level and is insufficiently used for school purposes, (b) younger students (aged 12–15 years) use it more frequently than older ones for information seeking concerning school work, (c) the Internet is an indicator of social and economic stratification since most young people with access to it come from family environments with a higher educational and socioeconomic background and live in urban and semi urban areas, (d) boys make up the majority of systematic users, mainly for entertainment purposes, (e) the Internet is a place and space safeguarding the “privacy” of young people with the majority of them preferring to surf alone, (f) parental supervision and monitoring seems to be absent largely from the relationship between youth and the Internet, and (g) in general, the frequency and type of Internet use are not significantly affected by students’ places of residence or the educational level and profession of their parents.     

Teachers’ attitudes toward web-based professional development,with relation to Internet self-efficacy and beliefs about web-based learning

This study was conducted to explore the relationships between teachers’ Internet self-efficacy, beliefs about web-based learning and attitudes toward web-based professional development. The sample of this study included 421 teachers, coming from 20 elementary schools in Taiwan. The three instruments used to assess teachers’ Internet self-efficacy (ISS), beliefs about web-based learning (BWL), and attitudes toward web-based professional development (AWPD) revealed high reliability. In this study, the results supported that teachers’ Internet self-efficacy and beliefs about web-based learning were important predictors of their attitudes toward web-based professional development. The belief for the positive consequences of web-based learning is very important for the favorable attitudes toward web-based professional development.     

The impact of computer use at home on students’ Internet skills

This article reports on a study into the impact of students’ use of the Internet and the computer at home on digital skills they need for school. The study was conducted in the lower grades of Dutch secondary education (students aged 13–15). More than 2500 students, distributed over 116 classes in 68 schools, participated in the study. Internet and computer skills were measured by means of an objective test. Multilevel analysis was used to examine the impact of home access and use on Internet and computer skills taking into account the effect of students’ backgrounds. Students in pre-university education, third-graders and non-minority students appeared to have better Internet skills and a more advantageous home computer use than students in pre-vocational education, first-graders and minority students, respectively. The Internet skills of girls were hardly less developed than those of boys. Home access to e-mail and the extent to which students use the home computer for surfing, e-mailing, chatting and text processing were found to be substantially related to Internet and computer skills (taking into account the effect of several background characteristics of the students).     

An analysis of the business characteristics of adopters and non‐adopters of World Wide Web technology

The World Wide Web has received considerable media attention in recent times. Little is known concerning the technology’s appeal for commercial applications, and the topic deserves investigation. This study aims to analyze the differences between adopter and non‐adopter businesses according to their organizational characteristics. Six characteristics consistently associated with the adoption of technology, business size, age, industry, use of an IT support unit and IT budget, and degree of technology experience, are selected from the literature. A sample of 245 adopter businesses is gathered using on‐line directories and “keyword” searches of the World Wide Web. A sample of 245 non‐adopter businesses is obtained from the state business telephone directory. The study finds a number of interesting associations. No significant relationship is found between business size and World Wide Web adoption. Adopters tend to be younger yet more experienced with technology than non‐adopters. Businesses that made use of IT budgets and IT support units also tended to be adopters, however adoption did not rely on the existence of these two factors. The study raises a number of additional findings that are of interest but are not directly related to this work. These findings merit further research. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Future Internet technologies for environmental applications

This paper investigates the usability of Future Internet technologies (aka “Generic Enablers of the Future Internet”) in the context of environmental applications. The paper incorporates the best aspects of the state-of-the-art in environmental informatics with geospatial solutions and scalable processing capabilities of Internet-based tools. It specifically targets the promotion of the “Environmental Observation Web” as an observation-centric paradigm for building the next generation of environmental applications. In the Environmental Observation Web, the great majority of data are considered as observations. These can be generated from sensors (hardware), numerical simulations (models), as well as by humans (human sensors). Independently from the observation provenance and application scope, data can be represented and processed in a standardised way in order to understand environmental processes and their interdependencies. The development of cross-domain applications is then leveraged by technologies such as Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Big Data Processing and Analytics. For example, “the cloud” can satisfy the peak-performance needs of applications which may occasionally use large amounts of processing power at a fraction of the price of a dedicated server farm. The paper also addresses the need for Specific Enablers that connect mainstream Future Internet capabilities with sensor and geospatial technologies. Main categories of such Specific Enablers are described with an overall architectural approach for developing environmental applications and exemplar use cases.