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).

The construction sector is a considerable contributor to a country's economy. For example, there are more than 300 000 people employed in the construction sector in Sweden. Unfortunately, workers’ safety is a big problem in this high-employment sector since the potential risk for injury is high. In Sweden, workers in the construction industry are among the most injured, both in terms of work-related accidents and occupational injuries. With more technology advances, there has been an increasing interest in the construction sector regarding new technologies in recent years which also includes occupational safety and health technologies. The reason behind this growing interest could be creating more efficiency, increasing productivity, increasing safety, and keeping up with technical development in general. Studies have shown that the safety management in the construction sector is a serious challenge, despite the many efforts to prevent and reduce occupational accidents and injuries in this sector. Therefore there has been an increasing drive for replacing traditional safety approaches with modern safety technologies.  The objective of this thesis work was to investigate the current state of digital technologies adopted in the construction industry specifically for occupational health and safety.  A qualitative research approach was utilized in the current study, using two methods. The first method was an interview with OSH professionals, digital responsible, technology developer and construction workers from different construction companies. The second method was a scoping review of websites and documents to ascertain different types of safety technologies that have been investigated previously.  The results provide a list of different types of safety technologies that have been investigated previously and a versatile overview of safety technology's development process, adoption process, and facilitators and barriers for a successful adoption.  This study points out the benefits of utilizing safety technologies and provides extensive information regarding the adoption of safety tools, that could encourage engaged actors in the field to strive for more safety technologies which could lead to a safer work environment and healthyworker. / Byggsektorn är en betydande del av ett lands ekonomi. Till exempel så är mer än 300 000 anställda inom byggsektorn i Sverige. Arbetssäkerhet en viktig fråga i denna bransch då sysselsättningsgraden är hög och den potentiella risken för skador är stor. I Sverige är arbetare inom byggbranschen bland de mest utsatta både när det gäller arbetsrelaterade olyckor och skador. I och med att intresset för teknologiska framsteg har ökat inom sektorn dom senaste åren har detta även kommit att inkludera digitala verktyg för arbetsmiljöfrågor. Anledningen till detta växande intresse kan vara att skapa mer effektivitet, öka produktiviteten, förbättra säkerheten, och att följa den tekniska utvecklingen. Studier har visat att säkerhetshanteringen inom byggsektorn är en stor utmaning, trots många åtgärder att förebygga och minska arbetsolyckor och arbetsskador inom sektorn. På grund av detta har det uppkommit en ökande drivkraft att ersätta traditionella metoder med modern säkerhetsteknologi. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka det rådande tillståndet för digitala teknologier som appliceras specifikt för hälsa och säkerhet inom byggbranschen. I denna studie tillämpades ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt, detta gjordes med hjälp av två metoder. Den första metoden var intervjuer med arbetsmiljöansvariga, digitalt ansvariga, teknologiutvecklare, och yrkesmedarbetare från olika byggföretag. Den andra metoden var en översiktsstudie av webbplatser och dokument för att fastställa olika typer av säkerhetsteknologier som tidigare studerats. Resultatet blev en lista över olika typer av säkerhetsteknologier som har studerats tidigare, med en omfattande överblick över dess utveckling och tillämpningsprocess, samt faktorer som hjälpt och stjälpt en lyckad tillämpning. Denna studie pekar ut fördelarna med att använda säkerhetsteknologier och ger utförlig information om dess tillämpning i byggbranschen, förhoppningen är att detta kan uppmuntra den engagerade aktören inom sektorn att sträva efter mer tillämpning av säkerhetsteknologier och att detta leder till en säkrare och hälsosammare arbetsmiljö för byggnadsarbetare

This study presents the results of an exploratory study investigating the current level of awareness of blockchain technology among IT administrative staff and educators in the context of higher education in Sweden, by employing a qualitative method for data collection. This study has gained useful insight and perspective of participants’ level of understanding of blockchain technology in the context of higher education.The results demonstrate varied awareness levels of participants by highlighting the level of understanding about blockchain technology and their attitude towards acceptance of it. The study also sheds some light on the challenges associated with blockchain from the perspective of the participants. The study has tried to identify viable solutions to improve the acceptance and gradual adoption of blockchain technology in higher education.In conclusion, the results indicate that existing frameworks like the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) could be extended by adding a perception of cost to understand the acceptance and adoption of blockchain technology in the context of higher education. Further research is required to investigate the importance of cost perspective to UTAUT and TAM models and its relevance in the context of blockchain technology in higher education. Furthermore, the study suggests that addressing the knowledge gap by producing and distributing educational resources and programs focused on blockchain technology could raise the awareness level and understanding among various stakeholders in higher education which will help in the gradual adoption of blockchain technology in higher education.

Den ökande och snabba utvecklingen av informations- och kommunikationsteknik har skapat ett nytt ekosystem inom hälso- och sjukvårdssektorn bestående av digitala plattformar. Detta har gjort det möjligt för patienter att söka och ta emot vård på nya sätt som tidigare inte var möjligt. Att digitalisera patientresan har visat sig vara effektivt och underlättar självständigt boende och enkel åtkomst för uppföljningskonsultationer för de som lider av kroniska sjukdomar. Trots detta är många människor, särskilt äldre, underrepresenterade i användningen av digitala vårdplattformar. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka äldre patienters beteende inom digitala vårdplattformar för att tillgodose behoven hos den större befolkningen och minimera den digitala klyftan. För att uppnå syftet formulerades följande forskningsfrågor: Vilka är skillnaderna i användningsbeteende mellan äldre och yngre primärvårdspatienter på digitala vårdplattformar? Vilka är de viktigaste förebyggande faktorerna som påverkar äldres användningsbeteende? Denna studie följde en mixad forskningsdesign. Vi använde SPSS för att utföra one-way ANOVA följt av ett Games-Howell post hoc-test för varje variabel som möjligtvis kunde förklara en skillnad i användningsbeteende mellan yngre och äldre primärvårdspatienter. För att svara på vår andra forskningsfråga genomförde vi 17 intervjuer med respondenter i åldern 60+ som tidigare använt en digital vårdplattform. Våra resultat visar att det finns en signifikant skillnad i användningsbeteende mellan äldre och yngre primärvårdspatienter. Den äldre generationen spenderar mer tid under anamnes, onboarding och i väntekö, där de i åldern 75+ sticker ut mest på alla uppmätta variabler. Den äldre generationen tenderade också att betygsätta tjänsten något lägre, uppskatta deras hälsa högre och bli tilldelad färre antal sjukvårdsexperter i processen jämfört med den yngre generationen. De viktigaste förebyggande faktorerna som påverkar äldres användningsbeteende är den upplevda användbarheten, upplevda användarvänligheten, deras digitala mognad, förtroende, och attityd till digital vård. Denna studie bidrar till den glesa litteraturen inom digitala vårdplattformar och äldres beteende efter adoption av informations- och kommunikationsteknik. Vi tillhandahöll ny kunskap om äldres användning av digitala vårdplattformar i jämförelse till den yngre generationen och lade till en förklaring angående vilka faktorer som påverkar användningsbeteendet hos den äldre generationen. Dessutom stärker vi nuvarande teori genom att betona vikten av att undersöka de påverkande faktorerna snarare än kronologisk ålder. Våra praktiska bidrag riktar sig till både plattformsägare och vårdpersonal med syftet att ge vägledning i hur dessa två aktörer ska agera för att öka användningen bland den äldre generationen, där utformning av plattformen och information är särskilt viktigt att ta hänsyn till. / The rise and rapid development of information communication technologies have created a new ecosystem in the healthcare sector consisting of digital platforms. This has enabled patients to access, seek, and receive care in new ways which was not previously possible. Digitizing the patient journey is proven to be effective while facilitating independent living and easy access for follow-up consultations for those who live in rural areas and are suffering from chronic diseases. Yet, many people, especially elderly, are underrepresented in the usage of digital healthcare platforms. The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate elderly patients’ behavior inside the digital healthcare platforms to accommodate the needs of the greater population and minimize the digital divide. To achieve the purpose, the following research questions were formulated: What are the differences in usage behavior between elderly and younger primary care patients in digital healthcare platforms? Which are the key antecedent factors that influence the usage behavior of the elderly? This study followed a mixed method research design. We used SPSS to perform a one-way ANOVA followed by a Games-Howell post hoc test for each variable that possibly could explain a difference in usage behavior between younger and elderly primary care patients. To answer our second research question, we held 17 interviews with respondents in the age of 60+ that previously had used a digital healthcare platform. Our findings reveal that there is a significant difference in usage behavior between elderly and younger primary care patients. The elderly generation spend more time during anamnesis, onboarding, and in waiting lines, where those in the age 75+ stand out the most on all measured variables. The elderly generation also tended to rate the service slightly lower, estimate their health higher and get assigned to fewer healthcare professionals in comparison to the younger generation. The key antecedent factors that influence the usage behavior of elderly is the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, their digital maturity, trust, and attitudes towards digital healthcare. This study contributes to the sparsely literature within digital healthcare platforms and elderly’s behavior after adoption of ICTs. We provided new knowledge regarding elderly’s usage of digital healthcare platforms in contrast to the younger generation and added an explanation of factors that influence the usage behavior. In addition, we strengthen current theory by highlighting the importance of examining influencing factors rather than chronological age. Our practical contributions address both platform owners and healthcare professionals and aims to give direction in how these two actors should act to increase usage among the elderly generation, where design of the platform and information are especially essential to take into consideration.

The financial services division has been significantly impacted by the emergence of mobile payments, which can be attributed to the fast progressions in mobile technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones. The present research investigates critical factors prompting the adoption of mobile payment services in developed and developing countries, namely Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. This research aims to explain the resemblances and gaps in the adoption of mobile payments in developed and developing nations. The detailed analysis of the related past studies has identified organization, trust and security, financial inclusion, consumer preferences, and government support as the primary determinants that impact mobile payment adoption. The present investigation is based on the Technology Acceptance Model, including the extended model of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2. Developed economies such as Sweden, Estonia, and Germany have the infrastructure to implement mobile payment alternatives effectively. The widespread adoption of mobile payments in these countries can be recognized by several factors, such as governmental initiatives that promote digitalization, a well-established financial framework, and consumer knowledge of various payment modalities. While implementing mobile payment services in developing nations like Pakistan and Sri Lanka presents distinctive obstacles. A significant portion of the general public lacks access to banking services, insufficient digital infrastructure, and reduced trust in technology exists. The anticipated surge in mobile payment adoption within emerging markets can be attributed to the widespread availability of smartphones and governmental efforts to broaden access to Mobile payment services. This research enhances our comprehension of the factors and barriers that constrain the implementation of mobile payment services. This research is useful for policymakers, banks, and technology firms as they develop strategies to expand mobile payment options.

Background: The rapid advancements in technology to measure different bodily functions have enabled normal person to measure various biological values of a body such as a heartbeat, calories, blood pressure, and more. These measurements can help healthcare providers provide better disease assessment, but what are the challenges that make it difficult for healthcare providers to adopt such devices? Purpose: This thesis investigates the challenges that healthcare providers face in adopting wearable devices. Method: To achieve the thesis' purpose, the authors choose to conduct a quantitative study through a survey and a qualitative study through semi-structured interviews. The data was acquired through an online survey of Indian healthcare providers and the public, which was distributed using the messaging app WhatsApp. To ensure that enough responses were collected, the authors adopted a non-probability snowball sampling approach. The interviews were conducted in India in person. The questionnaire was divided into five sections based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), two well-known theories for predicting human behaviour on technology adoption. Finding: The findings reveal that individuals' attitudes towards using wearables and their purchase intentions serve as strong predictors of its adoption intention. The study also highlights that the primary challenges hindering the adoption of wearable technologies in the healthcare sector are the ease of use and device affordability. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of wearables, offering valuable insights for healthcare professionals and stakeholders in promoting their effective implementation.

This study has the purpose to investigate the existing state of adoption of blockchain technology in higher education, exploring the obstacles, and potential associated with its implementation to provide an updated and concise overview of the challenges and assess the feasibility of adopting blockchain in higher education.This research includes a literature review to examine the current status of blockchain in higher education. Additionally, a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews is utilized to gain an in-depth understanding of blockchain adoption, the potential challenges of its adopting, and its prospects within higher education by investigating the perspective of the interviewed academic community.Furthermore, the TOE framework is used to categorize adoption challenges into technical, organizational, and environmental dimensions. Challenges identified include technical complexity, resistance to change, financial constraints, perception of immaturity, lack of awareness, limited interoperability, insufficient skills, inadequate organizational support, regulatory compliance, cultural factors, and ecosystem readiness.Besides, the TAM is utilized to highlight the potential of blockchain based on respondents’views. It also explores how challenges from the TOE framework impact users’ perceptions of blockchain’s ease of use and usefulness in higher education. The overall findings indicate that adopting blockchain in higher education presents challenges such as resistance to change, cost concerns, lack of awareness, cryptocurrency bias, technical complexity, regulatory compliance, and ecosystem readiness.As a consequence, considering the identified level of readiness of universities to embrace new technologies, it is evident that blockchain is still in its early stages of recognition in higher education. However, its potential benefits are suggested such as reducing bureaucracy, enhancing communication and collaboration, improving payment systems, and ensuring secure document storage. It will require time for the full potential of blockchain to be acknowledged and accepted within the field of higher education

Mutah University in Jordan / The full text will be available at the end of the emabargo: 17th June 2024