En Afrique sub-saharienne, l’insécurité foncière associée aux régimes de droits fonciers dits “coutumiers” ainsi que la sous-utilisation d’intrants modernes sont deux facteurs souvent évoqués comme limitant le potentiel agricole de l’Afrique. Sur cette base, les décideurs politiques ont pensé et mis en place des interventions visant à individualiser le droit de la terre et à promouvoir l’adoption d’intrants améliorés. Cette thèse utilise des données originales collectées en République Démocratique du Congo pour étudier deux exemples de politiques publiques s’inscrivant dans cette lignée et mises en oeuvre à 50 ans d’intervalle. Elle montre qu’elles ont eu des implications de court terme et de longterme allant bien au delà de celles qui sont généralement attendues. Les deux premiers chapitres s’intéressent à une politique mise en oeuvre durant la dernière décennie de la colonisation belge qui entraîna l’individualisation de terres communales et leur allocation à des familles individuelles. Ils utilisent une expérience naturelle pour étudier ses implications sur les structures sociales et les mécanismes coutumiers de résolution des conflits. Le troisième chapitre s’intéresse à une politique récente de subvention d’intrants agricoles. En utilisant une expérience aléatoire, il montre que l’intervention a conduit à une augmentation de l’utilisation de semences améliorées, et analyse ses conséquences sur les décisions d’allocation des ressources en terre et en travail par les ménages. / Contending that tenure insecurity under informal “customary” land institutions and theunder-utilization of modern inputs are two important factors holding back sub-SaharanAfrican agriculture, policy makers have designed policies to shift communal rights towardmore individualization and formalization, and to promote the adoption of improved inputs.This doctoral thesis uses an original database to explore two examples of such policiesthat took place 50 years apart in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It shows that theyhad short-term and long-term implications far beyond those commonly expected. The firsttwo Chapters focus on an intervention by the Belgian Colony that took place during thelast decade of colonization. It led to the division of communal land and its allocation toindividual families. Using a natural experiment, they study its consequences for socialstructures and customary conflict resolution mechanisms. The third Chapter focuses on arecent agricultural input subsidies intervention. It uses an experimental design to show that the subsidies successfully increased the use of improved seeds, and analyses its implications for households’ labor and land allocation.

ICT development and deployment and supporting policies take place within a fiercely contested globalised political economy. For organisations there is a pervasiveness of change processes, often externally imposed, which are rising with these globalising effects. This not only implies that the context in which organisations are situated is continuously changing, but also that the nature of the organisation itself is subject to change (Van Tonder, 2004). However, the external influences imposed on an organisation are often heterogeneous and make the management of adapting to the external environment extremely complex. This thesis explores such an externally imposed change on an organisation around the implementation of a contentious national policy. This entails not only dealing with the more usual dimensions of change in an organisation, but also the implications of the national debate and contentions around the national policy playing out in the local setting of the organisation. In this thesis the change explored is within a government department from a proprietary Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system to an open source ECM system. An interpretative approach was followed, using a longitudinal case study. Two main aspects of this change process are explored. The first is the impact of the national open source policy on government departments - an externally imposed change of mission, vision and values. The second is how internally the government department changed its internal work processes and information systems to comply with that policy. These two aspects are intertwined. Alignment of the organisation mission, values and objectives, with the proposed technological innovation and change management models emerges as a necessary condition for managing change. However, what emerged as a more challenging issue was whether internal organisational changes can be aligned with contentious national policy imperatives. Three theoretical lenses are used to explore this contentious issue: the HEM model of Du Plooy’s (1998); the improvisational change management model of Orlikowski and Hofman (1997); and institutional theory as it applies to Information Systems. The improvisational change model of Orlikowski and Hofman (1997) in combination with Du Plooy’s (1998) HEM model, was used to understand the change process unfolding in the implementation of an OS ECM system in a Government department in SA. The result of this application is some practical recommendations for government officials on future OS implementations, as well as a theoretical add-on to extend the change management model applied. The researcher found that models can increase our understanding and reveal how one can ‘cultivate’ the human environment within which technology is to be implemented. However, the process of developing an understanding of how national policy was developed and the rationale for it was also found to be important, as is developing an understanding of the rationale of this particular department for choosing to implement the OS ECM system. By adding to, or expanding on Orlikowski and Hoffman’s (1997) model to include a fourth element, indicating the external forces in the environment, such as government regulations; government policy; and the debate on global and national FOSS versus PS, highlights the need for this external alignment as well as prevents the focus on internal alignment only. Institutional theory was consequently applied in an attempt to unpack the organisational and change management dimensions of the change model, aiming at understanding the institutional forces which legitimates or contradicts the technical/rational ideas and actions of the change. The findings were threefold. Firstly, the role played by IS as an institutional process in and of itself and the way in which this could have affected the implementation of the new OS ECM system was discussed, pointing to the possibility that the new system was not necessarily being implemented to streamline the work practices, but rather due to its institutional status of being a ‘rational myth’; something which had to be done as ‘it’s just the right thing to do.” Secondly, OSS and PS were argued to be different ‘types’ of institutions. Using the institutional pillars it was argued that OSS and PS were driven by different institutional forces, with PS leaning towards the regulative pillar and OSS being more in line with the normative pillar. These two institutions were found to mainly differ with regard to their basis of compliance and the logic behind them. The insights offered by this argument revealed that when changing from OSS to PS, it would be very valuable to recognise that OSS and PS are two different ‘types’ of institutions, and to not only understand that the new system could therefore change the organisational processes when it is implemented, but to also acknowledge the change which will take place within the IS/IT institution itself – moving from the regulative to the normative. The change should thus be understood both within the two different IS innovations themselves, and in how these two innovations interact. Lastly, the research in this thesis went beyond the technical/rational actions of the stakeholders, and included an in depth analysis of the institutional forces at play in the broader social context of the Government department. It explained the institutions which were at play on the international, national and organisational levels, pointing out which of these forces worked in favour of or against the technical/rational actions, and in the process contributed to the unexpected outcome of the new OS ECM implementation process. / Thesis (PhD-- University of Pretoria, 2014 / Informatics / unrestricted

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Risk, and how one proceeds with uncertainty, are key indicators of behavior. In particular, in observing farmers, risk perception is found to influence the decision to innovate and adopt new crops (Ghadim et al., 2005). Farmers who are more risk-averse tend to be later adopters of new crops, while risk-loving farmers tend to be first adopters (Barham et al., 2014). As such, the recent legal shifts in hemp production laws have prompted many growers eager to test out the crop to do so. A vast majority of current licensees planted less than 50 acres to start, despite being mostly corn and soy producers—implying large acreage access. The American ‘hemp rush’ provides us with a real-time display of adoption behavior and its gendered implications.

It has been shown that the use of Health Information Technology (HIT) is associated with reduced cost and increased quality of care. This dissertation examined the use of registries in Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) practices. A survey questionnaire was sent to a nationwide group of clinics certified for being a PCMH. They were asked to provide information about their payer mix, implementation barriers, registry implementation, registry use, and clinic satisfaction. The survey instrument was validated by an expert panel which included practitioners and researchers. Statistical methods including Structural Equation Modeling were used for analysis and to test the research hypotheses. The majority of medical home practices that responded used some type of computerized registry, either with basic patient information or integrated with detailed clinical information. And on average, they somewhat used registries for population management, individual health management, proactive care and planned care visits. All practices encountered some combination of barriers when implementing a medical home program. Most practices reported clinic satisfaction at least improved after becoming a medical home. The results of the analysis show that indeed payer mix, in particular Medicare and private insurance, has a significant relationship with level of registry implementation. There were no significant relationships between barriers and registry implementation or use. More sophisticated registry implementation led to greater registry use. And registry use is associated with increased clinic satisfaction. This research fills an important gap in understanding Health IT use, registries in particular, among Patient-Centered Medical Homes. The findings suggest that: 1) Implementation barriers may not be influencing use of computerized registries in medical home practices; 2) Using more sophisticated computerized registries facilitates registry use, which can help improve clinic satisfaction; 3) Payer mix may influence use of more sophisticated Health IT in medical home practices.

This study aims to provide an overview of the attitude toward mobile banking among early adopters in Myanmar. By conducting exploratory interviews with ten bank employees, factors that are important for the adoption of mobile banking were also identified. The qualitative method allowed factors beyond the existing technology adoption frameworks to emerge. From the results, it was concluded that the attitude toward mobile banking is overall positive among the early adopters. Findings were aligned with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), suggesting that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are important factors for the usage of mobile banking. Social influence did not show any consistent results, but external barriers such as regulations and cash-based society were evidently important factors for adoption. Moreover, experience showed to have an impact on the participants’ attitude and the adoption of mobile banking. The findings from this paper could work as a foundation when formulating future hypotheses for mobile banking adoption in Myanmar. Regarding practical contributions, banks can get an insight into what is important to focus on when designing a strategy to increase the rate of mobile banking adoption. For future research, it would be of interest to extend the sample and collect data from both users and non-users. / Denna studie syftar till att ge en övergripande bild av attityden mot mobila banktjänster bland tidiga användare i Myanmar. Genom explorativa intervjuer med tio bankanställda, identifierades också faktorer som är viktiga för att anamma mobila banktjänster. Den kvalitativa metoden möjliggjorde faktorer som ligger utanför de befintliga teoretiska ramverken att vara del av studien. Från resultaten drogs slutsatsen att attityden mot mobila banktjänster är övergripande positiv bland de tidiga användarna. Resultaten låg i linje med modellen Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), vilket tyder på att uppskattad användbarhet och uppskattad användarvänlighet är viktiga faktorer för anammandet av mobila banktjänster. Socialt inflytande visade inga konsekventa resultat, men externa barriärer som regleringar samt kontantbaserat samhälle visade sig vara viktiga faktorer för anammandet till mobila banktjänster. Dessutom påverkade erfarenhet deltagarnas attityd mot och anammandet av mobila banktjänster. Resultaten från denna rapport kan användas som en grund vid formulering av hypoteser i framtida forskning inom implementering av mobila banktjänster i Myanmar. Vad gäller det praktiska bidrag från denna studie, kan bankerna få en inblick i vad som är viktigt att fokusera på vid utformning av strategi för att öka användningen av mobila banktjänster. För framtida forskning vore det intressant att utöka urvalet av deltagare och samla in data från både användare och icke-användare.

[pt] Os dispositivos vestíveis de saúde, como ferramenta tecnológica, podem contribuir para o diagnóstico e tratamento de doenças, permitir o acompanhamento de pacientes à distância e otimizar a utilização de recursos na indústria da saúde. Este estudo propõe um modelo integrativo de aceitação de tecnologia para avaliar os fatores determinantes da adoção dispositivos vestíveis de saúde pelos consumidores, alinhando construtos oriundos do modelo de aceitação de tecnologia com outros construtos, como prontidão tecnológica, confiança e autoeficácia. Os dados obtidos nos questionários de pesquisa de 424 consumidores, analisados por meio da modelagem de equações estruturais, indicam relações significativas entre os construtos avaliados, tendo sido observada uma particular relevância nos efeitos da utilidade percebida, antecedida pela confiança e prontidão tecnológica, sobre a atitude e a intenção de uso dos dispositivos vestíveis de saúde. Portanto, os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que o modelo proposto representa um avanço na compreensão dos fatores que influenciam a atitude geral de adoção pela população da tecnologia dos dispositivos vestíveis de saúde. / [en] Wearable health devices, as a technological tool, may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, besides allowing a remote monitoring of patients and optimizing the use of resources in the health industry. This study proposes an integrative model of technology acceptance to assess the determining factors for the adoption of wearable health devices by users, aligning constructs from the technology acceptance model with other constructs, such as technological readiness, assurance and self-efficacy. The data obtained from the survey questionnaires of 424 consumers, which were analyzed through structural equation modelling, indicate significant relationships between the evaluated constructs. Particular relevance was observed in the effects of perceived usefulness, preceded by assurance and technological readiness, on attitude and intention to use wearable health devices. Therefore, the results of this research suggest that the proposed model represents an advance in the understanding of the factors that influence the general attitude of the population to adopt the use of the technology of wearable health devices.

企業の新技術導入インセンティブと市場構造の関係を分析し、政府が行うべき経済政策を示す。分析には寡占市場モデルを使い、競争、新技術の導入費用、費用関数の違い、リーダー企業の存在が与える影響を分析している。また、3章では新技術の戦略的運用方法についての分析を行う。寡占市場では、政府は新技術導入に対して補助金または課税政策を行い、企業の新技術導入を促す、あるいは抑制することが望ましい。 / This paper analyzes the relationship between the incentive for the new technology adoption and the market structure and shows the optimal policy for the new technology adoption by using oligopoly models. The competitivenesss among firms, fixed cost for new technology adoption, the form of cost function and the existence of leader firm affect the incentive for new technology adoption and optimal policy. The concluding chapter analyzes the optimal strategic uses of new technology which include licensing to the other firm in the new market or entry to the new market or both of them. / 博士(経済学) / Doctor of Economics / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

The paradigm of diffusion research can be traced back all the way to the 1940s when Ryan and Gross investigated the diffusion of hybrid seed among farmers in Iowa. Since the 1960s diffusion research has been applied in a wide variety of disciplines, for instance, to study the diffusion of the Internet and the non-diffusion of the Dvorak keyboard. Currently, the technologies that are on top of the Gartner Hype Cycle are all associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), which shortly can be defined as learning devices that perceive their environment and take actions to maximize their success at some goal. Consequently, some people suggest that the current hype surrounding AI can be the end of the human kind, while others believe it will give way for millions of fresh jobs and cleverer decision-making. In recent years both media and political organizations have shown great interest in AI. In addition, the industry is captivated by the potential uses of AI. In the last years, AI-related companies in the US have raised billions of dollars in the stock market together with a large number of acquisitions. The large flow of capital into AI technology underpins the fast development of AI solutions. The purpose of this study is to investigate how groups approach AI. What can be concluded after reviewing different sectors is that organizations seem to share a common interest of AI. Furthermore, organizations share the opinion that eventually AI will be a more natural part of their processes. Organizations investing a larger share of their budget in R&D have a longer experience of using AI and are currently doing projects utilizing more advanced technologies within AI. In organizations from other sectors, the investments in AI depend on the people with the authority to invest money in projects and their view on AI. Organizations generally seem to approach AI in a similar way. Firstly, they evaluate what AI is. Secondly, they find areas to make small iterative PoC-projects utilizing AI, usually with machine learning. Finally, more money is invested if the PoC-projects were successful and the organization starts looking at how to acquire more competence within the area to fully exploit the value of AI. / Paradigmet för innovationsspridning kan spåras ända tillbaka till 1940-talet när Ryan och Gross undersökte spridningen av hybridfrön bland bönder i Iowa. Sedan 1960-talet har forskningen tillämpats inom en mängd olika discipliner, till exempel för att studera spridningen av Internet och icke-spridningen av Dvorak-tangentbordet. För närvarande är teknologierna som ligger på toppen av Gartner Hype-cykeln alla förknippade med artificiell intelligens (AI), som kan definieras som lärande enheter som uppfattar sin miljö och vidtar åtgärder för att maximera sin framgång gällande något mål. Hypen som nu finns kring AI har lett till att vissa människor tror att det kan innebära slutet för mänskligheten medan andra tror att det kommer att ge plats för miljoner nya jobb och smartare beslutsfattande. Under de senaste åren har både medier och politiska organisationer visat stort intresse för AI samt visat intresse för potentiella användningsområden av AI. AI-relaterade företag i USA har under de senaste åren har tagit in miljarder dollar i riskkapital. Ett stort antal förvärv och kapitalflödet till AI-teknik ökar den snabba utvecklingen av AI-lösningar. Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva spridningen av AI i organisationer från ett antal olika sektorer. Vad som kan sägas efter att ha studerat olika sektorer är att organisationer delar en gemensam nyfikenhet för AI och att de tror att AI kommer bli en allt mer naturlig del av sina processer. De företag som spenderar mycket pengar på FoU har längre erfarenhet av att använda AI och gör för närvarande projekt som använder mer avancerade tekniker. I andra organisationer är investeringarna inom AI beroende av de anställda som har rätt att investera pengar i projekt och deras syn på AI. Organisationer verkar allmänt närma sig AI på ett liknande sätt där de först utvärderar vad AI är. Därefter väljer de ett antal områden där de gör små iterativa projekt där de utnyttjar AI, vanligtvis via ML. Därefter investerades mer pengar om de små projekten lyckas och företaget börjar titta på hur man kan förvärva mer kompetens inom området.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the latest development in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry. This development can be used for planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of any facility. The majority of the users of BIM technology are architects. Although its benefits had been highlighted and underlined especially in comparison with older developments such us Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools, its implementation is considered still in an early stage due to low adoption from architects. Right now in Sweden and more specifically in the Stockholm area, the construction sector is booming due to the increased demand for housing.  Thus, there is an increased demand for more houses in a shorter time. BIM is a technology that can enhance the society in terms of design and construction with regard to the building environment. This can be achieved by avoiding human errors, decreasing project costs, increasing the productivity and quality, and reducing the project delivery time. Moreover, BIM can assist the management team in maintaining and operating different facilities. The focus of this research is on the barriers to adopting BIM technology in architectural companies. Furthermore, the attempt will be to investigate the individual, organizational and technical aspects that affect BIM adoption.  This study will implement a qualitative research method by in-depth interviewing four professionals in the area of architectural design. This investigation will be driven by the main research question, which is: What are the barriers to adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) in architectural companies?