Mobile Technology Usage in Business Relationships

Sheabutter processing and marketing is a major traditional enterprise among women in the Northern Ghana. The use of mobile technology has increased rapidly in many developing countries including Ghana. Looking at the unique marketing and other forms of transactions among women in the shea industry, it is essential for the industry to adopt mobile technology to ensure smooth transaction and market transformation. Mobile money technology adoption and shea butter marketing among women was studied by using cross-sectional survey data from Tolon District in Northern Ghana. A total of 250 women sheabutter processors and marketers in 13 communities in the district was selected randomly in 2022. The impact of mobile money technology adoption was analyzed using the Heckman Treatment model, and revealed that the adoption of mobile money technology had positive impact on sheabutter marketing. The factors influencing mobile technology adoption were also examined using the Probit model. The study recommends that expansion of mobile technology networks, increased investment in education, provision of credit facilities to processors can improve the sheabutter business. Women processors in rural communities should be trained on how to use mobile phones to access financial services by telecommunication companies and NGOs.

This article focuses on investigating the utilisation of mobile technologies in outreach services at the National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ). The study adopted a case study strategy anchored on an interpretivist paradigm. Data were gathered from interviews with a purposively selected maximum variation sample of NAZ staff members and from relevant primary documents and physical artefacts. The collected data were thematically analysed and presented in accordance with the research objectives. The findings established that staff were aware of and keen to adopt mobile technologies for outreach purposes. However, negative conditions at NAZ such as limited access to the internet, lack of a clear policy, equipment, and technical support hindered mobile technology adoption for outreach purposes. The study established that the disparity between staff awareness levels and institutional preparedness influenced staff members’ adoption of mobile technologies outside official channels. As such, mobile technologies used in outreach services at NAZ were ad hoc. Overall, the study established that mobile technology utilisation at NAZ was in the elemental stages, where use variety, breadth and intensity were constrained. The study recommends that NAZ should craft a policy to regulate and institutionalise the use of mobile technologies for outreach purposes, and upgrade their ICT facilities.

The construction industry is typically characterised as being slow to change and to adopt new information technologies. Mobile technologies have been no exception; the primary reasons given for this hesitancy are the perceived lack of return on investment and an absence of industry -specific examples of successful adoption. A series of eleven case studies have been undertaken to facilitate the removal of these barriers. The case studies, detailed in this paper, were selected to demonstrate the use of mobile technologies by point-of-activity workers in construction, their influence on process efficiency, improved opportunities for data collection, and that rapid return on investment is usually achievable. The analysis identifies generic benefits of the applications and the lessons learnt provide clear guidance that should help ensure mobile technologies are appropriately deployed in construction. This paper concludes that the successful implementation of mobile technology typically produces a return on investment within one year of adoption, regardless of the initial set -up costs, and that the adoption of mobile technologies can make a significant contribution to the ongoing drive for process improvement. As such, they are a valuable tool to reduce some of the unnecessary costs currently inherent in construction projects .

Research background and purpose The research aims to determine the factors affecting the adoption and use of mobile technologies by top managers. The research sample consists of top managers in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from SME managers in Turkey. Within the scope of the research, 204 survey data were collected from top managers in SMEs. SmartPLS 3 were used to analyze the data. Findings It has been determined that factors such as usefulness, social impact, and self-efficacy positively affect the intention to use mobile technologies. In addition, behavioral intention had a significant and strong effect on actual usage. It has been determined that the intention to use mobile technolo-gies has a mediating role in the effect of factors on actual usage for mobile usage, social impact and technology self-efficacy. According to the findings, hedonic and mobile ease of use did not affect the behavioral intention of actual use, either directly or indirectly. Value added and limitations The originality of this research lies in its integrated approach, combining the perspectives of top managers of Turkish SMEs with the UTAUT theoretical framework to explain their behavioral in-tentions toward adopting mobile technologies for business purposes. Therefore, the findings uniquely represent the adoption intentions of SME executives in Turkey.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to quarantines and mandatory spatial distancing; people of all ages were encouraged to use technologies instead of actual human contact as part of COVID-19 prevention. The promotion of mobile applications (apps) during the pandemic influenced mobile technology use behavior. This study explored age differences in mobile technology use during the COVID-19 pandemic. A pilot-tested survey was distributed using online survey software. Persons surveyed were 35 years of age or older, currently living in the United States of America with experience using mobile technology. Survey questions pertained to mobile technology use frequency and factors influencing the decision to use mobile technology. The nationwide response included 1212 individuals. The average age of participants is 56.12±12.26 years old (female: male = 1.24:1). Responses were categorized participants into three age groups, 35 to 49, 50 to 64, and 65 or older. Daily mobile technology use frequency increased significantly (p<0.01) for all groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, with participants 35 to 49 having a significantly higher (p<0.01) use frequency than other groups. Regarding factors influencing the decision to use mobile technology, 64.1% of respondents aged 50 to 64 identified the necessity of using this technology during the pandemic as a significant factor, and 64.0% of participants in age 65 or older reported that the availability of functions on mobile devices is critical. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in mobile technology use with people in different age groups differentially valuing the factors that affected their user behavior.

Purpose Despite the potential of mobile health applications in reducing barriers to accessing health information and facilities, the adoption and usage of such applications were low among low-income populations. This study aims to examine the use of mobile technology for health management and the perceived barriers of the use of mobile applications for health management among low-income working adults in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 working adults aged 25–45 from low-income families. The interviewees were asked about their perceptions of their health, their perceptions about and use of mobile health applications and they were asked to describe their ideal mobile health management app. Findings Interviewees often suffer from physical pain and many face relationship difficulties. They seek out health information actively on the internet, often using a mobile phone. However, their use of wearables and health mobile applications is limited. The perceived barriers of using mobile health applications included perceived difficulties in downloading and registering, privacy concerns and a lack of awareness of the health apps available. They prefer internet searching to a dedicated app. Their ideal health applications should be video based with real-life narratives. They were concerned about the credibility of the health information provided and preferred apps that engage professional and authoritative sources. Research limitations/implications The study was based on a convenience sample recruited through a nonprofit organization. It has the limitation of generalizing the results for the target population. Future studies can use survey methodology to test a theoretical model linking perceived barriers and intention to use mobile health technology. Studies using experimental design can investigate perceived ease of use and perceived benefits of different mobile health app designs. Practical implications These findings can inform the government’s health department and health organizations in designing appropriate mobile health applications that target those with limited financial and time resources. Originality/value There is a lack of studies that explore perceived barriers of adoption of mobile health technology in developed societies. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the one of the first qualitative studies conducted in Hong Kong among low-income working adults about their health conditions and usage of mobile health technology.

Mobile phones play a key role in information and communication technology, as they ease communication and interaction for users. However, older adults are often described as being on the wrong side of the digital divide, as they are less likely to adopt and use such technology. While research abounds on technology adoption and use among older adults, prior research has often examined this demographic as a homogenous group, however inequalities among older adults exist driven by socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, researchers have called for understanding the mechanisms behind technology adoption and use among older adults so that we can start to bridge the digital divide. We sought to address gaps in the current literature by integrating the motivational theory of lifespan development and the theory of digital inequality in examining the inequalities and motivations that drive mobile technology adoption, use, and proficiency. We used a mixed method approach to collect data from 67 community-dwelling older adults that consisted of semistructured interviews and survey assessments. Results suggest that inequalities in income and occupation at/prior to retirement are associated with categories of mobile technology proficiency. Results further suggest that the majority of participants employ compensatory secondary control strategies which facilitate lower levels of mobile technology adoption and use. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

There are many theories that attempt to explain second language acquisition processes and factors determining success or failure. Despite a lack of general agreement between proponents of these theories, research has convincingly shown that the amount of exposure to target language input is one important predictor of ultimate achievement levels. „Time on task‟ is as important in language learning as it is in many other domains (cf. Reber, 1993) and it is therefore important to identify ways in which this can be increased. An obvious possibility is to encourage learners to engage with (and in) the language outside the classroom. Informal learning, in the sense of learning outside of formal education, has been shown to be a major aspect of adult learning (Cross, 2007) and, given appropriate preparation and support, learners can greatly increase opportunities for learning if they can do so independently. Mobile technologies have obvious potential in this regard. However, is it possible to improve language skills in this way? In this article we report on an exploratory study into the use of cellphones for extensive listening practice. We used input enhancement to draw learners‟ attention to not only the meaning of the materials but also the formal (grammatical) aspects of the input. We found that the use of mobile technology presented a number of challenges and in this study did not result in learners acquiring the target structures. We conclude with a number of recommendations for the use and future study of mobile technologies for (language) learning.

The use of mobile technologies to enhance 21st century learning is increasing in K-12 schools and teacher education institutions. Thus, there is a need to effectively prepare preservice teachers to use mobile technologies in their future classrooms. This chapter explores the effective use of mobile technologies in teacher preparation in ways that are transferred to K-12 teaching and learning. It goes on to look at two major organizations: the university and partner school involved in the preparation of preservice teachers. Additionally, the purposes of incorporating information and communication technologies in teacher preparation as identified by Davis are explored to understand how mobile technologies align with these purposes. Common challenges of using mobile technologies in teacher preparation are also presented.

In Indonesia, developing robust approaches to the community management of biosecurity includes making meaningful connections to small crop farmers across long distances. In the case of Australian Indigenous rangers, connections need to be made to tour guides whose places of work are spread across even greater distances. Clearly these connections are dependent on effective communication that values and links local knowledge, industry practice, scientific developments and policy directions. The rapid adoption of mobile technologies across urban, regional and remote communities worldwide has the potential to provide a communication network for previously isolated people around issues of common concern. This chapter discusses the use of mobile technologies and m-learning (mobile-learning) in a small farming community in West Timor, Indonesian and with Indigenous people in Northern Australia. The case studies examine the issues related to using mobile technologies and m-learning to engage community members and researchers in the community management of significant knowledge and its transfer between stakeholders. Finally, the potential of utilizing mobile technologies and m-learning in the community management of plant biosecurity is examined.

PurposeMobile technologies have become indispensable in sales. However, there is a lack of agreement about whether mobile technology use facilitates the sales job or contributes to the salesperson’s stress and reduced job satisfaction. To address this controversy, this study aims to examine the effect of mobile technology use (smartphones, laptop computers and tablets) on salespeople’s role stress and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses are tested using responses of 265 sales employees working for a broad range of industries in Spain.FindingsThis study shows that mobile technology use during working hours has a positive effect on job satisfaction through a mediating process that involves role stress. In addition, the impact of mobile technology use on role stress is strengthened by technological compatibility.Originality/valueThe current study extends previous research by moving beyond a focus on technology-centric outcomes (i.e. sales performance) to understanding broader, more psychological outcomes, namely, role stress and job satisfaction. Importantly, previous research reporting that salespeople feel “plugged in” to a device all day have not made the distinction about when the mobile device is used. One important difference in this study is that it exclusively focuses on mobile technology use during working hours.

The study examined influence of undergraduates’ perceived usefulness and ease of use of mobile technologies on its adoption for learning. Two research questions guided the study. Four hundred (400) students were randomly selected from the two purposively selected universities in Ogun State South West Nigeria. The study employed multiple regressions in the analysis of the data collected. From the result it was found out that undergraduate students’ perceived usefulness (=0.305, t=3.867, p&lt;.05) has significant contribution on the adoption of mobile technologies for learning. Also, it was established that undergraduate students’ perceived ease of use (=0.151, t=1.992, p&lt;.05) has significant contribution on the adoption of mobile technologies for learning. The study concluded that perception of students on the usefulness and ease of use influences adoption of mobile technology for learning. Amongst others, the study recommended the need to encourage undergraduates to adopt mobile technologies for learning instead of social media only.

An extensive review of the literature reveals a lack of insight into why some employees and their families benefit from the adoption of mobile technology while others do not. The paper summarizes the authors' efforts to answer this question. The authors undertook a longitudinal case study of the adoption and use of a BlackBerry Smartphone by 25 professional knowledge workers. Four theoretical lenses were used to help with the data analysis process: boundary theory, the social constructivist view of technology, sensemaking and attribution theory. Analysis of the Time 2 data identified three groups. Segmentors (n = 4) did not use their smartphones outside work hours. Integrators (n = 8), used their smartphones to connect to both work and family anywhere, but not any time (temporally separated work and family roles). Struggling segmentors (n = 13) felt pressured by their organization to use their device 24/7 and did so. The analysis indicates that the relationship between the use of mobile technology and successful boundary management depends on the development of a strategy to manage the device prior to adoption, the ability to change one's strategy to respond to concerns at home, and self‐control.

Mobile technologies enable both education and science lecturers to provide the educational materials to their students on mobile technologies. But many science and education lectures educators were likely not using mobile technology to its maximum potential. The objectives were to examine the relationship between science and education lecturers and the effect of specialisation in the use of mobile technologies for instruction. The study was a descriptive research of survey type. 160 respondents were randomly selected for this study from the faculty of science and education. Frequency, percentage, multiple regression, and ANOVA were used for the analysis. The findings established that a positive relationship exists between science and education lecturers in the use of mobile technologies for instruction. It was recommended that lecturers should be encouraged to explore different ways in which mobile technologies can be used in teaching and learning.

Purpose. The article discusses the use of mobile technologies in teaching mathematics to engineering students. The relevance of the paper is due to the need to introduce new methods and means of teaching in connection with the increasing integration of mobile technologies into all areas of life, the interests and characteristics of the new, networked generation of students, the limited possibilities of using innovative methods and means of teaching mathematics due to the conduct of classes outside the computer lab.Materials and methods. The peculiarity of this study is that the integration of mobile technologies into the process of teaching mathematics is considered as a system of three components: technological, informational and social. The analysis of these components made it possible to obtain answers to research questions: where and how mobile devices should be used when studying mathematics; what mobile applications will provide the most effective learning of the discipline; how to organize the educational process using mobile technologies to increase interest and motivation in learning mathematics.Results. The main reasons for the lack of interest in studying mathematics and low motivation include the high level of abstraction of the discipline and the characteristics of the modern, networked generation of students. Analysis of scientific sources and our own observations made it possible to identify such characteristics as problems with understanding complex and long text, the ability to easily read from a small screen and process information in parallel, the choice of sound and images instead of text, the desire for short-term learning and instant results, and attitude towards mobile devices as vital items. Taking into account the interests and wishes of students, and relying on the didactic capabilities of mobile technologies, the paper proposes mobile applications for studying various topics of a mathematical course, assignment options that help increase motivation, develop group work skills and digital literacy. The importance and effectiveness of using social services for visualizing mathematical concepts and calculation schemes, as well as the WhatsApp messenger for instant messaging between students and receiving timely individual and group consultation from a lecturer, is shown. An important characteristic of the messenger is the presence of video communication.Conclusion. The analysis of scientific literature, the study of the requirements of employers and the interests of the modern, networked generation of students, indicated the need to integrate mobile technologies into the process of teaching mathematics. Working with different groups in terms of both the level of mathematical knowledge and the level of proficiency in mobile technologies made it possible to identify and outline ways to solve the main issues of using mobile technologies in teaching mathematics. With limited time to study mathematics, it is difficult for a lecturer to allocate additional time to present the capabilities and effectiveness of mobile applications. A solution to this issue may be to include a section “Mobile Technologies” in a course related to the study of information and communication technologies. It is noted that group work also contributes to a more effective study of the capabilities and techniques of working with mobile applications.