This study examined the factors influencing online purchases among consumers in Bangladesh, employing a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data from 353 individuals in Bangladesh revealed that perceived ease of use, social influence, security, convenience, trust, emotional experience, and functional experience significantly positively affect the intention to purchase online. Additionally, results show that the intention to purchase online significantly positively affects actual online purchases. Findings further highlighted that intention to make online purchases mediated the influence of perceived ease of use, social influence, security, convenience, trust, emotional experience, and functional experience over online purchases. The study provides significant practical recommendations to help businesses and consumers support online purchasing with diverse advantages.
The state delivery of affordable and sustainable housing continues to be a complicated challenge in Africa, and there is a need to encourage private sector participation. As a result, this study examines the risks associated with private sector participation in affordable housing and supporting infrastructure investment and the strategies towards mitigating the risks from an Afrocentric perspective. The evidence from a systematic literature review was coupled with the opinion of an international expert panel to address the paper’s aim and provide recommendations for developing improved housing and supporting infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. The review outcomes and the qualitative data from the panel discussion were analysed using thematic analysis. The results revealed that market dynamics, land supply and acquisition constraints, cost of construction materials, unsupportive policies, and technical and financial factors constitute risks to affordable housing in the region. Mitigation strategies include leveraging joint efforts, strengths, and resource bases, increasing access to land and finance for private sector participation, developing a supportive government framework to promote an enabling environment for easy access to land acquisition and development finance, local production of building materials, research and technology adoption. In line with the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 targets and principles, reforms are required across the housing value chain, involving the private sector and community. Application of the study’s recommendations could minimise the risks of affordable housing delivery and enhance private sector participation.
After the pandemic (COVID-19), there is a dire need to gain a competitive advantage for tourism organizations which can be accomplished by implementing new technologies to facilitate sustainable healthier services. Given that, the study aims to shed light on the importance of digital leadership to improve sustainable business performance considering the parallel mediation of digital technology and digital technology support in the tourism sector of Pakistan. The sample population consists of technology-based tourism organizations in Pakistan. Cochran’s formula was chosen for sampling, in which 37 organizations with 792 employees were selected for data through a random sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed through structural equation modeling, and findings reveal that digital leadership positively influences sustainable business performance. Furthermore, the mediating role of technological leadership support and digital technologies partially mediates the association between digital leadership and sustainable performance.
In 1859, the French invasion of Gia Dinh marked the beginning of their acquisition of Cochinchina. Shortly after their arrival, France brought printers on their ships, along with firearms and artillery. The printers were intended to quickly disseminate the policies of the invading army to the inhabitants of the occupied territory. At the end of 1861, the inaugural official newspaper in Cochinchina, ‘Le Bulletin officiel de l’expédition française de la Cochinchine’, had been published. The Royal Printing House (l’Imprimerie Impériale), the first printing facility in Cochinchina, was also established at the end of 1861 to accommodate printing tasks, particularly the production of gazettes. In 1873, various private printing houses emerged in Saigon-Cho Lon. Printing and publishing efforts gradually assimilated into the social fabric of Cochinchina after serving as a tool of the invaders. They transformed into political and cultural institutions within colonial society, notably in Saigon-Cho Lon. The progression of these activities during the process was observable, at least for those granted permission to participate. The requirements of the colonial environment and the vitality of the private sector fuelled these new activities, although the colonial authorities deemed it necessary to exert control over them. This article offers additional information on the printing and publishing activities in Saigon-Cho Lon, Vietnam, highlighting the accomplishments of some distinguished printers.
Climate change plays a vital role in shaping the knowledge construction of farmers for managing their agricultural land. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the coffee farmers’ knowledge construction process regarding climate change. This research utilizes qualitative methods. This research approach uses the grounded theory, which can help researchers uncover the relationship between the coffee farmers’ knowledge construction and climate change. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using constant comparative methods. The transcription of the field notes was analyzed using NVivo version 12, a program for analyzing qualitative data. There were 33 informants in the study. This study found that the conditions and situations of wind speed and uncertain whether strongly influence the farmers’ construction of climate knowledge. Coffee farmers are looking for new ways to respond to climate change, such as increasing the intensity of the care they give to their coffee plants, gradually harvesting according to the ripeness of the coffee fruits, finding alternative ways to dry the coffee beans, and reducing the use of fertilizer. However, coffee farmers are also starting to adapt old knowledge from their parents to the latest perceived climate phenomena, so that they can look for alternative sources of livelihood outside their farms. This knowledge construction process serves as a form of adaptation by the coffee farmers to climate change, and reflects the dynamic between traditional knowledge and current experience. Understanding this knowledge construction helps coffee farmers to cope with climate change and to design appropriate policy strategies to support the sustainability of coffee farming in an era of climate change. Further research is needed at the regional level.
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