This thesis utilizes a series of seven logistic regression models to examine the predictors of the likelihood of adoption among U.S. women based on the National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle 6. The individual characteristics that have been found most influential in determining adoption behavior in past studies were examined, including age at the time of the interview, parity, fecundity status, and socioeconomic status. A special focus was placed upon the relationship between the race and ethnicity of a woman and her adoption behavior, which has received limited attention in the adoption literature. The results of this analysis suggest that the main determinants of adoption are undergoing change. While findings on the relationship between a woman’s age and her likelihood of adoption are consistent with past research, the relationships of parity, marital status, fecundity status and socioeconomic status with adoption behavior each exhibit surprising developments. Additionally, the results of this analysis reveal that race and ethnicity are important variables in terms of the adoption behavior of U.S. women. The implications of these results, as well as the need for more comprehensive adoption data, are also discussed.

The view of procurement and partnership management with the supplier has been drastically changed for many enterprises, because of the emergence of Internet and Electrical Commerce in the present age. The way of competition between enterprises has been combined into the supply chain. We believe that the implementation of e-procurement will contribute to the increasing of gross profit, benefit and competitiveness undoubtedly. For the big firm like integrated steel mill, it is definitely necessary to simplify the complicated purchasing procedure, so that the tactical issue of e-procurement just can create high value from the procurement. In this thesis, an Innovation Adoption model is proposed to study the e-procurement adoption intention by MRO supplier of Taiwan¡¦s steel industry, and it¡¦s impact on supply chain also has been evaluated. Based on relevant research, the Innovation Diffusion adoption model in the thesis is proposed, which is composed of three major perspectives including environment, organization, and e-procurement technology factor. Besides, related issues in each perspectives are also addressed. Furthermore, two perspectives of partnership and achievement of supplier are also proposed to study the impact of the performance of supply chain. The conclusion of this research indicates that supplier will increase the intension of adopting e-procurement depends on buyer¡¦s resource support as well as buyer¡¦s coercive power. In addition, top management support of supplier is a important factor for the adoption. Besides, market share and transaction frequency in the e-procurement represent buyer being a significant customer will enforce the will of supplier to corporate with buyer to adopt e-procurement. Furthermore, result from regression analysis shows that Trust is major influential factor for the performance of supply chain. However, influence of Trust will be reduced, because of perceived cost being emphasized. The transaction mechanism of e-procurement should provide a fair and transparency transaction platform, so that supplier will corporate to enforce the performance of entire supply chain. According to the research result, some of the advisements for the supplier and buyer were also discussed in thesis

Abstract At present, the pervasion of cable television (CATV) is over 85% in Taiwan, so that the digitalization of CATV has brought an important influence to the Taiwan television industry. The purposes of this study are to explore the key factors of influencing digital cable television (CDTV) user¡¦s adoptive behavior by technology acceptance model (TAM). An extended TAM incorporating the notion of compatibility, trialability, observability, habits and network externality. Collecting data form one CDTV operators by convenience sampling. This study found that compatibility, trialability, observability, habites are directly positive to the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, whereas, the network externality was negative to perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. In addition, network externality, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were directly positive to the behavioral intention to use. This study suggest that CATV operators could especially regard for providing ample and quality digital content and beta test of CDTV and making the CDTV simple to manipulate, while promote CDTV.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 1997. Graduate Programme in Interdisciplinary Studies. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180-188). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL:http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ27368.

Thesis ( Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Master's thesis. / Format: PDF. Bibl.

Background:Rapid development of digital technologies creates innovative ways of learning, Massive Open Online Courses being one of them. To keep up with the development, two Swedish universities have launched their own courses despite lack of clear benefits for education. Exploring the adoption process of employees and identifying differences between universities are important as the acceptance of innovation among employees is crucial for success. Purpose:The purpose of this study is to explore the adoption process of a new innovation in the education sector, thus contributing to a more concrete research of individual adoption of an innovation in education context. Research question:What are the differences between the two Swedish universities in the adoption of an innovation, being MOOC, based on the individual perception of the employees? Methodology:A qualitative embedded multiple case study strategy, with deductive reasoning. Conclusion:The findings acknowledged that the adoption of MOOCs occurs on individual level at the universities despite unclear outcomes, absence of performance-based incentives and lack of managerial support. Hence, the findings suggest that non-financial incentives and innovativeness of the individuals were the important factors triggering the acceptance. Moreover, a presentation of potential outcomes and personal benefits of the MOOCs will enhance the adoption.

Adoptioner i Sverige har minskat under de senaste åren. Barnen som adopteras är äldre än tidigare och har ofta medicinska problem. Forskning har visat att adoptivföräldrarna är osäkra i sin nya roll. Tankar och känslor väcks hos både föräldrar och barn i samband med adoptionen. Många adopterade barn kommer från svåra förhållanden med flera tidigare vårdare och får svårt att knyta an till sina nya föräldrar. Adoptivfamiljen kan ha behov av stöd från sjuksköterskan på barnavårdscentralerna (BVC). Dessvärre kan det vara svårt för BVC-sjuksköterskan att upprätthålla sin kompetens då antalet adoptivbarn är få. Föreliggande studie syftar därför till att beskriva BVC-sjuksköterskans stödjande förhållningssätt till familjer med adopterade barn. Åtta kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med distriktssköterskor och barnsjuksköterskor, som hade minst fem års erfarenhet av att arbeta på BVC. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys, enligt Lundman och Hällgren Graneheim. Efter analys framkom följande fem kategorier: Balans och obalans i anknytningen, Egen kompetens och strategier, Adoptivfamiljens styrkor och svagheter, Familjens behov och Barnets behov. I resultatet framkom att familjer med adopterade barn har ett stort behov av stöd från BVC-sjuksköterskan och speciellt i ett tidigt skede som adoptivförälder, vilket kan hjälpa att förebygga framtida problem. Stödet kan ges både genom enkla konkreta råd och praktiska strategier men även genom djupare stödjande samtal. BVC-sjuksköterskan bör vara lyhörd, inge trygghet och förtroende samt bemöta varje familj som unik. Besöken planeras efter varje familjs individuella behov. Familjens styrkor uppmärksammas och tillvaratas. Kliniska implikationer är att BVC erbjuder täta kontakter initialt, redan före adoptivbarnets läkarbesök, samt att BVC-sjuksköterskan vågar fråga hur familjen mår, hur de har det och ger familjerna den tid de behöver. BVC-sjuksköterskan bör vara följsam och uppmärksam på anknytningen mellan barnet och föräldrarna. Vi ser ett behov av fortsatt forskning kring BVC:s möte med adoptivfamiljen. Det finns även behov av vidare forskning utifrån adoptivföräldrarnas erfarenheter av att få ta emot stöd från BVC.

Ambiguous loss refers to a loss that is unknown or undefined, making it difficult to cope with and resolve. Using a life course perspective that asserts that humans have agency to affect change in their own lives, this study focuses on an adoptee’s perceived ability to enact change in the situation surrounding the ambiguous loss that they may have experienced as a result of their adoption. Life course perspective also incorporates the concept of life trajectories, which explain how an early life experience can affect an individual over the course of his or her life. This study describes the essence of coping with adoption-related ambiguous loss from the viewpoint of adult adoptees.

There has been little understanding of how consumers adopt and use the mobile Internet. This dissertation seeks to bridge this gap in prior literature by focusing on consumers’ cross-platform consumption behavior on mobile devices. The first study of this dissertation addresses how the adoption of mobile applications influences the use of corresponding mobile websites. Pseudo-panel analysis based on repeated cross-sectional data suggests that the introduction of a mobile app by a major national media company leads to a significant increase in demand at the corresponding mobile news website. In addition, it reports that this effect is greater for consumers with higher appreciation for concentrated news content, with stronger propensity for a particular political viewpoint, and with fewer time constraints. The results are consistent with the interpretation that adoption of a provider’s news app stimulates corresponding mobile news website visits. The second study of this dissertation examines whether the quality of local fixed-line Internet service influences mobile Internet adoption and usage. An empirical analysis shows that local fixed-line Internet speed relates negatively to mobile Internet adoption and usage; if the local fixed-line connection is insufficient, consumers tend to get online through their mobile phones. Further, better local mobile Internet speed increases the likelihood of adopting and using the mobile Internet. Neither fixed-line nor mobile Internet speed has significant impacts on mobile-specific offline services such as taking photos or videos. In some circumstances, competition between the two platforms is stronger, such as among younger consumers and those living in areas with lower fixed-line Internet speeds.