A gap exists in the literature between general diffusion of technological innovations and socioeconomic development that results in an ambiguous connection between theory, academia, and professional practice. To inform governments in sub-Saharan Africa on how to achieve the diffusion of innovation for economic development through the voices of regional stakeholders, this qualitative multiple case study was conducted to gain deeper understanding on the views of stakeholders on rapid technology diffusion and its implication on labor market challenges within their regions of Angola. Information from semistructured interviews with 8 adult participants, male and female, born and residing in impoverished communities in Angola, and possessing knowledge regarding their experiences with the topic of the study, observational field notes, and archival data were collected to obtain information regarding specific stakeholders’ experiences with the rapid diffusion of innovation. Identifiable themes emerged through thematic analysis of the textual data and cross-case synthesis analysis. A total of 7 categories that enclose a total of 17 themes were identified. The categories are (a) diffusion of innovations and adoption circumstances, (b) compatibility of technology with social values, (c) trialability within the cultural context, (d) adoption of technology, (e) innovation decision process factors, (f) trust in technology by community stakeholders, and (g) inclusive innovation for low-income stakeholders. Findings enhanced social change efforts by providing insights on the potential impact of the rapid diffusion of innovations among impoverished communities in sub-Saharan Africa and the implications faced by stakeholders on labor market challenges within their regions.

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Local area networks (LANs) provide links between computing devices, such as workstations, file servers, and printers, over a relatively small geographic area (usually within a single building or organization). While computer networks have existed for almost thirty years, networking technology has only recently become available to small organizations. In the late 1980's the use of LANs has begun to mushroom, and presumably has begun to affect the organizations which use LANs. A review of the literature reveals many technical and product-oriented articles about LANs, but no previous research into the organizational effects of LANs. However, a strong tradition of studying the effects of technology on social structures exists. This dissertation describes a study which builds from this tradition. The research described herein is an exploratory study of the effects of LANs on a small business environment. The particular environment chosen, the auto parts industry, is representative of many inventory-intensive, transaction-oriented small businesses. Forty-six respondents, all auto parts retailers, were asked about their reasons for acquiring their LANs and about their level of satisfaction with their LANs. Growth trends, employment trends, and regional differences in LAN usage were also studied. In brief, the major findings of the research are the following: Acquisition and satisfaction. (1) Three clusters of factors stand out among the reasons why auto parts firms have made the investment in networking technology: financial controls, managerial controls, and external factors impinging on the firm. The financial controls cluster is the most important. (2) A high level of satisfaction with computer networks exists in the auto parts user community. (3) The reasons for the high level of user satisfaction reported in Finding 2 were examined. Users report being most satisfied with financial objectives, followed closely by managerial objectives. As a group they are less satisfied with external objectives. Growth. (4) Auto parts companies which have purchased computer networks have shown significant growth, as reflected in increases in the total number of employees since the purchase. (5) Auto parts companies which have purchased computer networks have not experienced significant changes in the number of office employees since the purchase. Employment trends. (6) In the auto parts industry, the use of unskilled, or lesser-skilled, employees on the auto parts counter is increasing and is likely to continue to increase. (7) In the auto parts industry, the number of women in non-traditional positions (such as working on the parts counter or in management) has increased in the last decade. Regional differences. (8) The proportion of stores in the metropolitan Boston area which have computer networks is significantly lower than the proportion in all other areas contacted during the interview process.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 241-259.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

<div>This dissertation consists of three essays that study problems that decision-makers face when hitherto niche technologies scale up. Typically, scaling up involves market expansion with participation from a variety of agents with complex preferences, using the technology to maximize their utility. A major problem for the decision maker then is either one or a combination of the following: deciding policy for optimal business or social outcomes, implementing effcient demand allocation mechanisms or improving market design.</div>

Manufacturing hiring managers in the United States who fail to implement adequate recruitment strategies for skilled production workers experience reduced profits and sustainability challenges. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that successful manufacturing hiring managers in North Carolina used to recruit skilled production workers to sustain business profitability. Inductive analysis was guided by the human capital theory, and trustworthiness of interpretations was strengthened by member checking. The population for the study consisted of 4 business leaders who demonstrated the use of effective recruitment strategies to sustain profitability in manufacturing businesses in southeastern North Carolina. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with the leaders and review of artifacts pertaining to employee recruitment strategies. Six themes emerged: fueling competition for local labor market, enhancing advertising methods, networking, providing job training, growing talent, and building new perceptions of manufacturing. The application of the findings from this study could contribute to positive social change by providing manufacturing business leaders with effective strategies for recruiting skilled workers. Business leaders could contribute to positive social change by increasing workplace stability and employees' abilities to support their families. Businesses and individuals could benefit from improved standards of living, thereby contributing to the sustainment and prosperity of communities.

<p dir="ltr">In my dissertation, I delve into the moderation and economic dynamics of online platforms. With the proliferation of platforms facilitating user interaction, it becomes imperative to grasp the mechanisms underlying content creation and the economic ramifications of such policies on diverse user groups. Comprising three essays, my dissertation examines the influence of crowd-sourced misinformation monitoring, the effects of privacy on content creation by fact-checkers, and the likelihood of platform acquisition.</p><p dir="ltr">In the first essay, I investigate the impacts of crowd-based misinformation monitoring programs by examining how implementing crowd-based monitoring affects both the quality and quantity of user-generated content. Using data from Twitter's Birdwatch program, I find that content quality, measured subjectively through cognition, improves, while objective measures like user engagement show no significant change. Additionally, there's a decrease in sentiment extremity and machine-learning-calculated misinformation, indicating a potential improvement in overall content quality and reduction in misinformation. However, the program's launch leads to fewer tweets suggesting a trade-off with reduced content volume. </p><p dir="ltr">In my second essay, I analyze how privacy measures affect fact-checkers' content creation. Using Twitter's Birdwatch program, which assigns aliases to fact-checkers, I study the impact of anonymity on their behavior. The results show that privacy measures lead to more content creation on the main platform without any impact to fact-checking activity. Additionally, the content becomes more neutral and less negative. Users also feel more comfortable discussing political topics on Twitter afterward. These findings underscore the importance of privacy measures for effective misinformation monitoring.</p><p dir="ltr">In my third essay, I examine the likelihood of platform company acquisitions, a trend on the rise. These companies' multi-sided nature increases their complexity, presenting both challenges and opportunities in acquisitions. While complexity can lead to information asymmetry, it also enhances attractiveness as an acquisition target. Analyzing Crunchbase data, I find a positive correlation between platform company complexity and acquisition likelihood. </p>

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