A cell phone is an electronic communication device that helps break down the distance barriers between people, with added mobility advantages. For some users a cell phone is more than a communication device; it may be used as a fashion accessory, and for some the cell phone is needed to seek help in emergency situations. The cell phone market has been expanding globally over the past decade, with approximately 423 million sold globally in the year 2002 (Kiljander & Johanna, 2003). According to the CIA World Factbook (2006), the UK has more cell phones than people. The global expansion of cell phone companies may impose problems to cell phone users, since unlike the personal computer industry the cell phone industry has no standard interface, and manufacturers have the freedom to gradually improve the user interface (Kiljander & Johanna, 2003). For a user interface to be well accepted by a target population it is necessary to identify and explore the underlying design preferences. User interfaces of new technology may lead to anxiety and delayed technology acceptance, especially for users with disabilities. Even though the need for users participating in the design process has been realized, users with disabilities are not always included in the design process (Newell & Gregor, 2001). This study followed a participatory design process, to compare and contrast the cell phone interface design preferences of users from two different nations, including users with no apparent disability and users with visual disabilities. A study was conducted to identify possible relationships between national culture, disability culture and design preferences of cell phone interfaces. The theoretical framework used to guide this study was Hofstede's (1991) five dimensional cultural model. Various studies have explored cross-cultural interface design and found some relationship of these cultural dimensions with interface design components (Choi et. al., 2005; Marcus, 1999; Marcus and Gould, 2001). This study included 13 product interactive focus groups, with a total of 69 participants, 34 in India and 35 in the United States, of the age group 19-50 years. There were 4 units of analyses in this research study. This included a control group of users without any apparent disability and a disability group with a visual disability of legal blindness. The two countries, India and the United States, were selected for this comparative study because of their diverse cultural backgrounds and the rapid expansion of cell phone usage which they are witnessing. The four units of analyses differed in their cultural dimensions. There were no significant correlations found on Design preferences of cell phone features based on Choi et at. (2005)'s study on mobile services with Hofstede (1990)'s cultural dimensions. However the relationships of some these features with the underlying cultural dimensions were found when group level analysis instead of the individual level of analysis was undertaken. Differences were also found in the ratings of the hardware attributes between disability groups and differences in usability ratings were found based on nationality and disability groups. The content analysis of the focus group sessions provided an insight to the preferences on cell phone interface components and the gave a better understanding of the mobile/cell phone culture in the two countries. These results are summarized to provide guidelines for designing cross-cultural user interfaces that are nationality specific and disability specific. A pyramid model for a holistic process of designing cell phones for users with disabilities integrated the findings of this thesis and Jordon (2002)'s pleasurability framework is proposed in the conclusion section of this thesis. / Master of Science

Three decades of mobile phone diffusion, thousands of mobile-phone-based health projects worldwide ("mHealth"), and tens of thousands of health applications in Apple's iTunes store, but fundamental questions about the effect of phone diffusion on people's healthcare behaviour remain unanswered. Empirical, theoretical, and methodological gaps in the study of mobile phones and health reinforce each other and lead to simplifying assumptions that mobile phones are a ubiquitous and neutral platform for interventions to improve health and healthcare. This contradicts what we know from the technology adoption literature. This thesis explores the theoretical link between mobile phone diffusion and healthcare access; develops and tests a new multidimensional indicator of mobile phone adoption; and analyses the effects of phone use on people's healthcare-seeking behaviour. My mixed methods research design - implemented in rural Rajasthan (India) and Gansu (China) - involves qualitative research with 231 participants and primary survey data from 800 persons. My research yields a qualitatively grounded framework that describes the accessibility and suitability of mobile phones in healthcare-seeking processes, the heterogeneous outcomes of phone use and non-use on healthcare access, and the uneven equity consequences in this process. Quantitative analysis based on the framework finds that mobile phone use in rural India and China increases access to healthcare, but it also invites more complex and delayed health behaviours and the over-use of scarce healthcare resources. Moreover, increasing phone-aided health action threatens to marginalise socio-economically disadvantaged groups further. I present here the first quantitative evidence on how mobile phone adoption influences healthcare-seeking behaviour. This challenges the common view that mHealth interventions operate on a neutral platform and draws attention to potential targeting, user acceptance, and sustainability problems. The framework and tools developed in this thesis can support policy considerations for health systems to evaluate and address the healthcare implications of mobile phone diffusion.

Mobile phone usage has grown rapidly and is widely used as an advertising channel. Both short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) are typically used for mobile advertising. The goals of this study are to examine the determinants of attitudes toward mobile advertising in an apparel context and subsequent impact on behavior intention and to investigate the effects of modality and culture on attitudes toward apparel mobile advertising. Results indicate that entertainment, informativeness, irritation, and credibility are determinants of attitudes toward apparel mobile advertising, and attitudes can explain behavioral intention at least in part. Perceived entertainment is different between SMS and MMS apparel mobile advertising, and perceived entertainment, informativeness, irritation, and credibility are different between U.S. and Korea participants.

Uncertainties still exist about the safety of cell phone use and the level of cell phone-driven radiation. The purpose of the current inquiry was to determine the long-term health impacts of cell phone-driven radiation via the use of cell phones. In this cross-sectional study, which was based on socio-ecological theory, secondary data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed to assess the difference in the prevalence of thyroid cancer, mouth/tongue/lip cancer, and heart disease between exposed and non-exposed/less exposed cell phone-driven radiation groups in the United States. Logistic regression was used to address three research questions. Findings initially showed that cell phone use was associated with cancer outcome. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between individuals who were heavy users or sometimes users of cell phones and thyroid or mouth/tongue/lip cancer when compared to individuals who rarely or do not use cell phones. There was a relationship between heavy/sometimes users and heart disease when compared to individuals who rarely/do not use cell phones. Yet, when all the confounders/covariates were included in the model, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups compared. For assessment of thyroid cancer cases among individuals who received 'all/almost all calls' via the cell phones and those who received calls 'sometimes' on cell phones, age and sex were added in the model. Based on the study findings, policy-makers could further explore the implementation of comprehensive regulatory measures to address cell phone safety.

Copper cable theft (CCT) has a devastating effect on the South African economy, and essential services such as TELKOM, ESKOM AND TRANSNET have been seriously disrupted, due to CCT. This dissertation focuses on the value of the cell phone record as a source of intelligence during (CCT) investigations. The cell phone industry is growing each year, and millions of people worldwide possess a cell phone. Some of these people are involved in criminal activities – which mean that cell phones, with their advanced capabilities, hold evidence which relates to crime. The activation of cell phone activity is contained on a cell phone record, and, when analysed, such information becomes intelligence which has a positive impact on CCT investigations. The purpose of this study is to assist and give guidance to investigators, in order to analyse the cell phone record(s) of CCT thieves. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.

<p>This thesis examines the relationship between work/life balance and Smartphones (Blackberry, iPhone, Android etc.)</p><p>Academic research has areas where not much research has been done previously including the qualitative research on work/life balance, positive crossover of work/life balance, newness of Smartphone technology, and consequences of constant connectivity. This study hopes to eliminate some of the gaps in these areas of research and proposes two research questions:  <strong>So what does owning a Smartphone mean for work life and home life?  Most importantly can this phone help people towards or assist with the balance they are so looking for or do the phones not impact this balance and just assist in the work life and home life realms separately?</strong></p><p>A qualitative approach using constructionist and interpretivist views were used to conduct the research. Empirical material was collected during phone interviews with participants in the USA, while supporting material was gathered from conference papers, academic articles, websites, and textbooks.</p><p>There are two major themes within this paper, work/life balance and Smartphone technology. For work/life balance a common understanding was reached that work and personal life should be kept happy but that doesn’t mean equal.  Also discussed is research about people that put up boundaries in their lives to try and separate things, one group of people likes to have work and personal separate but one group likes them combined.  Research also presents that there are consequences for setting up boundaries but that having the ability to choose where these boundaries are makes for a much happier situation.  On the technology side of research there is support for these devices being used to manage people’s different selves through communication from being more connected to people to feeling left out when the technology is not there. Also mentioned is how people adapt the devices to fit new and unique situations that the devices may not have been intended to be used for.</p>

<p><strong>Problem: </strong>As almost everyone has a cell phone today, keeping your customers is very important. An important group for cell phone carriers is young people. This is a group that uses cell phones more and more. However, attracting these people could be hard. One of the most common strategies to attract customers today is promotion through TV-commercials. Another strategy that has gained popularity is branding. We therefore asked ourselves how these strategies could affect each other and eventually young peoples’ choice of cell phone carrier.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Our purpose is to investigate how branding and communication strategies are best used in cell phone carriers TV- commercials, and how they affect young peoples’ consumer behavioral processes.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>To solve the purpose of this thesis we have used an inductive approach. We have gathered both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data have been collected from a questionnaire filled out by students from Jönköpings University and qualitative data from a focus group we have held. The results were analyzed with help from theories about communication strategies and branding.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Branding has a strong influence on young peoples’ view on cell phone carriers TV- commercials. However cell phone carriers TV- commercials have no direct effect on young peoples’ choice of cell phone carrier. It just has an indirect effect since; TV- commercial can be considered a source of information or a way of forming attitudes.</p>

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation. Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (March 2017) / Innovation is one of the core and key characteristics of entrepreneurship, which stimulates operational and financial success of a firm. Innovation is ambidextrous in nature, characterised by exploration and exploitation. This report is concerned with exploitative innovation, which is characterised by new; products, services, and processes. This Research Report investigates how human capital investments (years of schooling and years of work experience of telecoms firms’ senior managers and executives) relate to innovation performance. This paper uses the human capital theory and the resource base theory to understand the perceived impact of human capital investments on performance and also its perceived moderation effect on the nexus between innovation and performance. Research findings from 81 senior management and executives of four major telecoms firms in South Africa indicate that innovation has a perceived direct impact on the perceived success of the firm. However, a counterintuitive relationship of human capital investments with performance is observed. Furthermore, human capital investments have a counterintuitive moderating effect on the nexus between innovation and performance. Therefore, this research report discusses human capital variable configurations that are more likely to have a perceived impact on a telecoms firm performance, and human capital variable configuration that are likely to have a moderating effect on the nexus between innovation and performance. / MT2017

[pt] Jesus Cristo, Príncipe da paz é um estudo teológico do tema da paz bíblica, cuja chave de leitura é sua relação com a pessoa e a mensagem de Jesus Cristo, e que apresenta, em linhas gerais, as exigências evangélicas de uma ética e de uma ação pastoral comprometidas com a construção da paz. O interesse em estudar a paz bíblica encontra seu fundamento no fato de que a paz, um desejo dos diversos povos em todos os tempos e lugares, está presente no texto da Bíblia, naquilo que ela nos testifica sobre a relação entre Deus e a humanidade, bem como sobre o seu projeto salvífico. A partir da análise de certos textos do Antigo e do Novo Testamentos, este trabalho busca sistematizar toda a riqueza e complexidade do tema da paz bíblica. Seu objetivo principal é mostrar como que o evento Jesus Cristo dá uma nova dinâmica a esse tema. Em sua pessoa e em sua mensagem está o sentido pleno do que seja a paz bíblica, já que ela está inserida na própria dinâmica da Revelação da face de Deus Pai, assim como no anúncio e na instauração do seu Reino. Desta maneira, esta dissertação mostra que uma teologia e uma ética cristã da paz encontram seus fundamentos na pessoa e na mensagem de Jesus Cristo. / [en] Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, is a theological study of the theme of the Biblical peace, centering on its relationship with the person and the message of Jesus Christ. It summarizes evangelical requirements of an Ethics and of a pastoral action committed to the building of peace. The interest in the study of Biblical peace has its foundations on the fact that peace - a desire of the various peoples throughout history - is present in the Biblical texts when they speak of God`s relationship to humanity and of His salvation project. Departing from an analysis of certain texts of the Old one the New Testament this work tries systemize all the richness and complexity of the theme of Biblical peace. Its main objective is to show how the event Jesus Christ gives a new meaning to this theme. In His person and in His message rests the full meaning of what Biblical peace is, since it is contained in the very process of the Revelation of the face of God, the Father, and in the announcement and establishment of His Kingdom as well. In this fashion, this dissertation shows that a Theology and a Christian Ethics of peace have their foundation on the person and on the message of Jesus Christ.