The purpose of this thesis is to fill the previous research gap concerning automation in the horticulture industry by discovering the adoption of automation in the U.S. and Canada, exploring the possibilities of introducing autonomous solutions and provide recommendations as to how this could create opportunities for small robotics companies targeting the industry. A case company in the U.S. and Canada was used as an example of a small robotics company for the case study. Two research questions were formulated: RQ1: Which major tasks in the horticulture industry should a small robotics company aim to automate? RQ2: What are the barriers for companies in the horticulture industry to invest in automated solutions? A mixed methods research with a pragmatic, inductive and exploratory approach was employed. The primary source of data was gathered from surveys, due to the geographical diversity of the region studied. The surveys reveal that the average level of automation across all respondents averaged at 47%. Given the strategy of the case company, a small robotics company is argued to aim to automate the following tasks: placing plant liners, sticking cuttings and planting seed, spacing of plants and containers, plant pruning, harvesting and grading production, and pesticide application. The horticulture industry is showing low barriers to invest in automation. The relatively high levels of automation are leading to increased trust in automation and further investments in automation. This is shown in the technology being perceived as useful amongst 75-85% of respondents and perceived as easy to use amongst 94% of respondents. / Syftet med denna avhandling är att fylla det tidigare forskargapet om automatisering inom hortikultur, genom att utforska acceptansen av automatisering i USA och Kanada, utforska möjligheterna att införa autonoma lösningar och ge rekommendationer om hur detta kan skapa möjligheter för små robotföretag som riktar sig mot branschen. En fallstudie på ett robotföretag i USA och Kanada användes som ett exempel på ett litet robotföretag. Två forskningsfrågor formulerades: RQ1: Vilka stora uppgifter inom hortikultur bör ett litet robotföretag sträva efter att automatisera?RQ2: Vilka hinder finns för företag inom hortikultur att investera i automatiserade lösningar? En blandad metodforskning med ett pragmatiskt, induktivt och utforskande tillvägagångssätt användes. Den primära källan till data samlades från undersökningar, på grund av den geografiska mångfalden i regionen som studerades. Undersökningarna visar att den genomsnittliga automatiseringsgraden för alla svarande i genomsnitt uppgick till 47%. Med tanke på bolagets strategi rekommenderas ett litet robotföretag att automatisera följande uppgifter: rada upp plantor, stick och plantera frön, skapa avstånd mellan växter och behållare, beskära och kvalitetsgranska skördar, och applicera bekämpningsmedel. Hortikulturindustrin visar låga hinder för investeringar i automatisering. De relativt höga automatiseringsnivåerna leder till ökat förtroende för automatisering och ytterligare investeringar i automation. Detta framgår av tekniken som uppfattas som användbar bland 75–85% av de svarande och uppfattas som lätt att använda bland 94% av de svarande.

Internet voting (i-voting) has been researched since countries started trialing it two decades ago. Although several countries have abandoned their trials, some implemented i-voting in national elections. I-voting research discusses successful implementations of i-voting in countries such as Estonia, Switzerland, and Canada, which has generated many different factors for successful adoption. However, no systematic literature review (SLR) on i-voting adoption factors has been identified. The problem that this thesis addresses is the lack of a comprehensive overview on reasons why an individual decides to adopt an i-voting solution. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is “to identify i-voting adoption factors on the individual level”. This study aims to answer the following research question: “How can TAM be adapted to explain an individual’s intention to adopt i-voting?” A semi systematic literature review of 117 articles is used that contains articles spanning two decades of i-voting research. The scope is narrowed down to adoption factors on the individual level and include the non-technical factors: “Voter experiences and perceptions”, “Trust”, and “Education”, and the technical factors: “User experience”, and “Performance”. The technology acceptance model (TAM) is used to explain how the factors relate to Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Perceived Usability (PU) within TAM. A suggestion of an extended model is also made that includes other factors which were identified to explain individual adoption. Thus, the conclusion of this thesis is that TAM can in part explain an individual’s intention to adopt i-voting, but that it should be adapted to include the following additional factors: “Trust”, “Demographics”, “Education”, and “Voter experiences and perceptions”. Recommendations for future research on i-voting, limitations, and ethical and societal consequences are also discussed.

This dissertation aims to understand the mechanisms behind the adoption of smart cities technologies (SCT) and how they can promote social equity in local communities in the United States. There is a distinct lack of empirical research addressing the methods designed for the promotion of social equity despite their numerous benefits. The present study will address this omission in the scholarship by providing evidence-based insights on how public administrators can leverage SCT to promote distributional social equity through the Digital Era Governance (DEG) and Adoption Theory frameworks. This study also demonstrates the efficacy of applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to understand better the mechanism leading to the acceptance and adoption of SCT in the United States. Lastly, it provides insightful evidence demonstrating the value of these approaches and their influence on policymakers’ decisions using SCT to address one of society’s most challenging issues, fostering social equity. It utilizes data from the ICMA’s 2016 Smart Cities Survey, the 2015 Sustainability Practices Survey, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The study employs logistic and negative binomial regressions to examine the factors influencing commitment to using SCT, engagement with SCT, and distributional social equity. The findings indicate that factors such as ‘perceived usefulness’ and ‘ease of use’ influence commitment to SCT usage, which impacts SCT engagement, leading to social equity outcomes

To facilitate a better understanding of the social psychological factors that influence adoption of project management practices, this study draws upon the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) from social psychology, and the technology acceptance model (TAM) from information systems research. These models define and relate a number of belief constructs that predict the acceptance of technologies in a variety of settings. In general, the three models each have relatively consistent empirical support, with comparison studies showing mixed support for each of the models being the moderately "better" model. In the current study, the three models are thoroughly integrated using a latent constructs approach and structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. Overall, constructs from TRA and TAM, but not TPB, predict the use of specific project estimating, plan development, and plan commitment practices defined in the Capability Maturity Models (CMM/I).

[pt] Realidade Virtual (ou VR, do inglês Virtual Reality) é o termo usado para descrever um ambiente gerado por computador que as pessoas podem, sob os sentidos de imersão e presença, explorar e interagir. Esta tese tem como objetivo investigar como a presença de pessoas em cenários colaborativos como reuniões de trabalho pode ser mediada de forma benéfica pelo uso de tecnologias de Realidade Virtual. Neste sentido, acredita-se que aplicações em VR, se utilizadas como ferramentas para auxiliar reuniões híbridas, proporcionam maior envolvimento e engajamento das pessoas durante a atividade. Esta pesquisa foi parcialmente desenvolvida durante a pandemia de COVID-19 e argumenta sobre a relevância de investigar formas de interação em meio a regras de distanciamento social. Para uma base teórica, os conceitos de realidade e virtualidade foram formalizados e a evolução das tecnologias e aplicações de VR foi delineada. Aqui demonstrou-se como ambientes de imersão tridimensional podem impactar a experiência humana e têm sido adotados por diversas indústrias além do universo dos jogos. Após a revisão da literatura, foram definidas técnicas a fim de responder a uma série de questões de pesquisa: primeiro, um trabalho exploratório sobre movimento e interação em VR, seguido por entrevistas semiestruturadas e um questionário. Os dois últimos se concentraram em investigar as percepções das pessoas sobre as configurações físicas e remotas das reuniões de trabalho. Por fim, o experimento final buscou aplicar um Modelo de Aceitação de Tecnologia para medir a aceitação ou rejeição de VR como ferramenta para reuniões de trabalho híbridas. / [en] Virtual Reality is the term used to describe a computer-generated environment that people can, under the sense of immersion and presence, explore and interact with. This thesis aims to investigate how the presence of people in collaborative scenarios, such as work meetings, can be mediated in a beneficial way by the use of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. In this sense, we believe that VR, if used as a tool to assist fully remote and hybrid work meetings, provide greater involvement and engagement of people during the activity. Our research was partially developed concurrently with the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we argue about the relevance of investigating forms of interaction amid rules of social distancing. For a theoretical basis, we first formalized the concepts of reality and virtuality and covered the evolution of VR technologies and applications. Here, we demonstrated how three-dimensional immersion environments can impact the human experience and have been adopted by several industries beyond the universe of games. After the literature review, we defined research techniques to address several research questions. We started with an exploratory work on movement and interaction in VR, followed by semi-structured interviews and a web-based survey. The latter two focused on investigating people s perceptions of the physical and remote settings of work meetings. At last, the final experiment sought to apply a modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to measure the acceptance or rejection of VR as a tool for hybrid work meetings.

During the past years, gamification has become an influential trend in technology and the promises are widespread. The definition of gamification is known as the implementation of game elements (leaderboards, badges, points) within a non-game context. The term emerged as a result of business digitalization showing potential in increasing employee engagement and productivity. As a result of its infancy, little is known about the factors that define the use intention of a prospective user. Moreover, the role that different demographic backgrounds might have on the use intention of potential users is largely unknown.  This study has specifically sought to uncover these factors by subjecting the constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model within the context of gamification. The study investigates the factors that define the intention of users to engage in platforms based on gamification. Furthermore, by exploring the link between demographic factors and gamification use intention, this study contributes to filling an important research gap. Where prior research has predominantly focused on examining the effects of age and gender, this study has aimed to propose new findings on the factors of educational background and IT literacy.  This research has employed a quantitative research method based on the collection of survey responses. For data collection, an online survey was conducted within the organizational context of Volvo CE, 93 survey responses have been taken into consideration for the analysis. The data analysis method of choice is based on PLS-SEM, with the analysis performed through the software programmes SmartPLS and SPSS. Through this method, the relevance of the constructs to Gamification Use Intention (GUI) could be investigated, whilst the controlling effect of demographics was also uncovered. The conclusions indicate that the two main defining technological acceptance factors for gamification use intention are perceived enjoyment, and perceived usefulness. Additionally, perceived ease of use has materialized as an indirect indicator of GUI through its positive effect on enjoyment and usefulness. In the case of the demographic factors, gender was found to have no effect, age decreases GUI as individuals are older, individuals with higher IT literacy experience higher GUI, and higher GUI is found for individuals with lower educational backgrounds.

Skiftet från en bensindriven bil till en elbil är ett ämne som drastiskt accelererat under de senaste fem åren med motivation av miljömässiga fördelar. Detta skifte börjar inte bromsa in, utan snarare att fler konsumenter väljer en elbil framför en bil med en förbränningsmotor. I takt med att bilen blir mer avancerad, blir även tekniken inuti bilen mer komplicerad för konsumenter att använda. Syftet med denna studie är att jämföra köpintentioner av en Elbil mellan Tyskland och Storbritannien, med specifik hänsyn till Technology acceptance model (TAM). Studien är genomförd som en kvantitativ undersökning med Polestar som samarbetspartner. För Tyskland respektive Storbritannien är respondenterna 54 respektive 56 styck. Analysering av resultat har gjorts genom en deskriptiv analys samt en korrelationsanalys, för att hitta mönster i de datamaterial som insamlats. Resultatet påvisar att det finns såväl likheter som skillnader i köpintentionerna för såväl Tyskland som Storbritannien. Exempelvis påvisar resultatet att TAM har en likvärdig inverkan på köpintentionerna hos de båda länderna, samtidigt som exempelvis miljö har en större inverkan hos konsumenter i Storbritannien än i Tyskland. / The shift from a petrol-powered car to an electric car is a topic that has accelerated dramatically over the past five years with the intention of environmental benefits. This shift is not starting to slow down, rather more consumers are choosing electric vehicles over cars with internal combustion engines. As the car becomes more advanced, the technology in the car also becomes more complicated for consumers to use. The purpose of this study is to compare the purchase intentions of electric cars in Germany and the United Kingdom, with specific regard to the Technology acceptance model (TAM). The study was conducted as a quantitative study partnered with Polestar. For Germany and the United Kingdom, the respondents are 54 and 56 respectively. Analysis of results has been done through descriptive analysis and correlation analysis, to find patterns in the data material collected. The results show that there are similarities and differences in the purchase intentions for both Germany and the United Kingdom. For example, the results show that TAM has an equal impact on the purchasing intentions of the two countries, while for example, the environment has a greater impact on consumers in the UK than in Germany.

This project was initiated due to the need for new manners of taking care of elderly. The purpose was to determine the perception of eHealth within home care. The goal was to analyze the perception of eHealth in order to find factors which may affect the implementation of eHealth services. To distinguish the perception, surveys with health personnel within home care and the general public as well as and interviews with municipalities were performed. An extension of the Technology Acceptance Model was used in order to locate the perception to seven different categories related to eHealth. The results from the surveys were statistically analysed, and a factor analysis was executed on the surveys, in order to find groups with similar perception on eHealth. The surveys showed that the general perception of the usability and ease of use of eHealth is positive, even though one view was that the society needs to invest more money within the area. The factor analysis resulted in six different groups of perceptions for the personnel and three groups for the general public. The interviews demonstrated that a clear and common definition of eHealth is missing. Despite that, a positive perception of eHealth within the municipalities existed. A conclusion made was that with clear guidelines of how to work eHealth, a wider and faster implementation will be easier to accomplish. / Syftet med detta projekt var att undersöka inställningen till eHälsa inom äldrevården. Projektet initierades på grund av att det fanns ett behov av nya tillvägagångssätt för att ta hand om äldre människor. Målet var att analysera inställningen till eHälsa, och om möjligt, finna faktorer som kan påverka implementeringen av eHälsotjänster. För att lokalisera inställningen gjordes enkätundersökningar med personal inom hemtjänsten samt med allmänheten. Även intervjuer med kommuner utfördes. En påbyggnad av Technology Acceptance Model användes för att lokalisera upp- fattningen kring sju kategorier relaterade till eHälsa. Enkätundersökningarnas resultat analyserades statistiskt, samt så utfördes en faktoranalys för att hitta grupper som hade liknande uppfattning gällande eHälsa. Analyserna visade att den allmänna uppfattningen gällande nyttan med, och användarvänligheten av eHälsa är positiv. Majoriteten anser att samhället behöver investera mer pengar i området. Faktoranalysen resulterade i sex olika grupper av inställningar inom personalen samt tre grupper för allmänheten. Intervjuer med kommuner påvisade att en klar och tydlig definition av eHälsa saknas. Trots det, har de i stort en positiv inställning till eHälsa och dess utveckling. En slutsats är att tydligare riktlinjer rörande arbete med eHälsa skulle kunna möjliggöra en smidigare implementering.

This thesis attempts to analyze the factors that affect the behavioral intentiontowards purchasing apparels through the Internet. A combination of TechnologyAcceptance Model and Theory of Planned Behavior along with constructs of Trustand Perceived Risk was chosen as the basis of framework for this study to explainhow online consumers behave while purchasing garments online and to illustrate thestrength of the relationship between consumers intention and constructs of attitude,Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Subjective Norms, PerceivedBehavioral Control, Perceived Risk, and Trust. A pilot study along with severalinterviews was conducted to create a basis for the final questionnaire, which led to thedata gathered from 347 people of Iranian society. The measures and hypotheses wereanalyzed using Multiple Regression analysis. Results demonstrated crucial effect ofvariables such as social factors, Perceived Behavioral Control, Attitude, PerceivedRisk, and Trust on people’s behavioral intention towards shopping garments online.Furthermore, the implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed andrelevant conclusions have been mentioned. / <p>Validerat; 20150827 (marikav)</p>

Self-service technologies (SSTs) have grown rapidly and aim to help customers self-serve. Self-service can be facilitated through help centers, which offers information and support. As the demand for on-going support continues to rise, it is important with continuous research of how to assist help centers to match the affordances of current technology to customers’ needs while providing a good User Experience (UX). Therefore, this study investigates how UX design can be used to improve help centers as a tool for self-service for different stakeholders. This study was in collaboration with Nasdaq, where the users’ needs, expectations and concerns when looking for help to use Nasdaq’s products were identified. In an evaluation, the main features of help center’s that influenced users experience and encouraged their use of the technology were measured by a theoretical lens of a revised version of a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The results of this study declare that the major significance in establishing a successful help center lies in ensuring easy accessibility to information through a search function and a well-organized side navigation. Additionally, incorporating a training and getting started page with a combination of videos and text are crucial for advanced products. / Självbetjäningsteknologier (SST) har vuxit snabbt och syftar till att assistera kunder att hjälpa sig själv. Självbetjäning kan underlättas genom ett hjälpcenter, vilket erbjuder information och support. Eftersom efterfrågan på ständig support fortsätter att öka är det viktigt med kontinuerlig forskning om hur man kan skapa hjälpcenter som matchar den nuvarande teknikens möjligheter till kundernas behov samtidigt som man tillhandahåller en bra användarupplevelse (UX). Därför undersöker denna studie hur UX design kan användas för att förbättra hjälpcenter som ett verktyg för självbetjäning för olika intressenter. Denna studie gjordes i samarbete med Nasdaq, där användarnas behov, förväntningar och oro när de söker efter hjälp att använda Nasdaqs produkter identifierades. I en utvärdering mättes huvudfunktionerna i ett hjälpcenter som påverkade användarnas upplevelse och uppmuntrade deras användning av tekniken genom en teoretisk lins bestående av en reviderad version av Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Resultaten av denna studie visar att det viktigaste för att etablera ett framgångsrikt hjälpcenter ligger i att säkerställa lättillgänglighet till information genom en sökfunktion och en välorganiserad sidnavigering. Dessutom är det avgörande för avancerade produkter att införa en tränings- och komma igång-sida med en kombination av videor och text.