The continuous development and expansion of online-banking have significantly changed the way of conducting banking errands. The traditional bank is gradually perishing as online-banking takes over, leading customers and banks to acquire new ways of communicating. Self-service technology and customer needs have changed the relationship between banks and their customers from physical to digital. Online-banking relationships were established to create interest for long-term relations to avoid the cost of acquiring new customers. How service quality factors within online-banking affect customer satisfaction have become relevant to study as it contributes to a bank’s performance. Where the performance increases the chances of competitive advantages such as a bigger market share and long-term success in the banking industry. The purpose of this thesis is to explain how service quality within online-banking affects customer satisfaction, using service quality factors from the e-SERVQUAL, SSTs and TAM. A quantitative method based on relevant theories were used through a positivistic and a deductive research approach in order to test the study hypotheses. The result of this study is based on 110 respondents. The result presents a positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction, as Technology and Fulfilment contributed the most and Reliability the least to customer satisfaction.

Magister Curationis - Mcur / AIMS: This study aims to investigate the use and acceptance of educational technologies by academics in a nursing school in the Western Cape, South Africa (determination of educational technology use, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and influencing factors). The findings of the study may be used to facilitate planning for and implementation of increase use of educational technologies to enhance teaching and learning. METHODS: The research design was a quantitative descriptive survey using a self-administered questionnaire. Due to small population size, all 58 academics (28 lecturers- qualified personnel to teach students conduct research and involved in administration of modules and levels) and 30 clinical facilitators- registered nurses with clinical expertise who assists students in the clinical placements were included in the study. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) provided the framework for the study. The study adapted an existing questionnaire developed by Kripanont in 2007. Validity and reliability of the instrument were established and pre-testing was done to validate the questions. Data was entered into SPSS version 23 and analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics techniques. RESULTS: The findings suggested that though academics use educational technology but usage was found to be low and the academics were selective in the type of technology that they use which is influenced by need, availability, duties and academic positions of such academic. This will help facilitating planning for implementation of increased use of educational technology to enhance teaching and learning. Lecturers use educational technology for teaching and learning, while its use among the clinical facilitators is still minimal. The most commonly and frequently used devices were desktops and laptops. Low usage of smartphones for educational purpose among academics was reported. Email was the most common application used by academics for teaching and learning, followed by WhatsApp. The e-learning platform was poorly used; however, the lecturers still used it more compared with the clinical facilitators. Low usage was reported on other educational technologies included in the study. Most of the respondents reported a moderate to high experience with educational technology. More than two-thirds of the respondents used educational technology for enhancing their knowledge on current evidence of nursing, preparing for classes, preparing teaching materials, student contact and supervision and for facilitating/teaching in class. Time and institutional factors were mentioned to be important factors to consider when engaging with any educational technology. Finally, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and academic position were predictors of use of educational technology.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to identify the factors of adoption within alternative e-payments methods, and gain a deeper understanding of the reasons to why these factors affect the consumer’s adoption. This will be conducted through empirical research, as well as looking into previous theory in order to propose a research framework that is appropriately adapted to the specific phenomenon of alternative e-payments.   Problem: The substantial growth of e-commerce, and the limitations within conventional card payment has paved way for the development of new and innovative alternative e-payment methods. Past research point towards that, there are gaps in literature, where there is a lack of qualitative studies within the field. Furthermore, Sweden is one of the nations with the highest level of innovativeness, as well as e-commerce usage making it an appropriate market to analyze.   Method and Methodology: By applying an intepretevism paradigm, this research views knowledge from a subjective viewpoint. The primary data is collected through a qualitative approach, using one-to-one semi structured interviews, in order to obtain deeper a response. The gathered data is later on analyzed and compared with the previous research within the field.   Findings: The findings of this thesis identifies the factors of adoption within alternative e-payments and why they have an affect. Certain factors seemed to be of greater importance than others, and many of the factors held similarities showing their interdependent nature. Furthermore, new factors were identified as well as the factors being highly context specific, identifying gaps that should be addressed in future research.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / à luz de pressupostos funcionalistas, esta Tese apresenta uma anÃlise do tratamento dado Ãs categorias Tempo, Aspecto e Modalidade nos materiais didÃticos tanto de FrancÃs quanto de PortuguÃs LÃngua Estrangeira, utilizados nos cursos de ExtensÃo da Universidade Federal do Cearà (UFC). Em relaÃÃo ao Tempo, verificamos se os materiais didÃticos correlacionam forma > funÃÃes e funÃÃo > formas, ou seja, se mencionam o fato de uma forma codificar mais de uma funÃÃo e/ou de uma funÃÃo ser codificada por mais de uma forma, e se abordam diferentes mecanismos de marcaÃÃo de Tempo: morfossintÃticos e semÃntico-discursivos. Quanto ao Aspecto, tratamos dos traÃos aspectuais de duratividade (habitualidade x iteratividade) e telicidade e da marcaÃÃo Aspectual: inerente e composicional. Para Modalidade, analisamos mecanismos de marcaÃÃo da Modalidade por meio do verbo, advÃrbio e adjetivo (em posiÃÃo predicativa) e correlaÃÃo dos usos modais à fonte e ao alvo. O corpus à composto por duas coleÃÃes: Latitudes, de FrancÃs LÃngua Estrangeira, contendo trÃs volumes, trÃs cadernos de exercÃcios e trÃs guias pedagÃgicos; e Bem-Vindo!, de PortuguÃs LÃngua Estrangeira, contendo cinco volumes e dois cadernos de exercÃcios. Os resultados apontaram que dos 2.232 exercÃcios no conjunto de materiais de FrancÃs, 144 relacionaram-se à categoria Tempo, 82 à categoria Aspecto e 199 à categoria Modalidade. Quanto ao conjunto de exercÃcios de PortuguÃs, dos 768 exercÃcios, 57 foram para Tempo, 29 para Aspecto e 57 para Modalidade. Observamos que, nos materiais de FrancÃs, a categoria Modalidade sobressaiu-se em relaÃÃo Ãs categorias de Tempo e Aspecto. Nos materiais de PortuguÃs, Tempo e Modalidade apresentaram o mesmo quantitativo, jà Aspecto foi a categoria com menos exercÃcios em relaÃÃo a Tempo e Modalidade em ambos os materiais. Para a categoria Tempo, nos materiais de FrancÃs, os Ãndices percentuais para forma-funÃÃes e funÃÃo-formas foram, respectivamente, 0,09% e 0,94%; para mecanismos morfossintÃticos de codificaÃÃo temporal, o percentual foi de 4,39% e para mecanismos semÃntico-discursivos de codificaÃÃo temporal, 1,03%. Para a categoria Tempo, nos materiais de PortuguÃs, os Ãndices estÃo assim distribuÃdos: forma-funÃÃes (0,52%); funÃÃo-formas (1,30%); mecanismos morfossintÃticos de codificaÃÃo temporal (4,81%) e mecanismos semÃntico-discursivos de codificaÃÃo temporal (0,78%). Para a categoria Aspecto, nos materiais de FrancÃs, o Ãndice percentual para traÃos aspectuais foi 1,34%, prevalecendo o traÃo duratividade em detrimento do traÃo telicidade; quanto aos mecanismos de marcaÃÃo aspectual: hà 1,12% para aspecto inerente e 1,20% para composicional. Nos materiais de PortuguÃs, hà 1,30% de atividades que consideram o traÃo aspectual de duratividade, 1,17% para mecanismos de marcaÃÃo aspectual inerente e 1,30% para mecanismos composicionais. Para a categoria Modalidade, nos materiais de FrancÃs, observamos mecanismos de marcaÃÃo da modalidade: verbo (6,04%), advÃrbio (0,67%) e adjetivo em posiÃÃo predicativa (1,61%); e correlaÃÃo dos usos modais à fonte e ao alvo [0,58%, sendo fonte (0,18%) e alvo (0,40%)]. Nos materiais de PortuguÃs, os Ãndices percentuais para mecanismos de marcaÃÃo da modalidade sÃo: verbo (4,03%), advÃrbio (1,17%) e adjetivo em posiÃÃo predicativa (0,39%); para a correlaÃÃo dos usos modais à fonte e ao alvo, hà 1,82%, sendo fonte (0,39%) e alvo (1,43%).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:07:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo1366_1.pdf: 1580189 bytes, checksum: 0f7a548c2f6f7f1afab3295158b325fb (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / A identidade da marca é tida como elo de ligação entre as diversas mensagens por ela proferidas ao longo dos anos. Esse elemento possui alguns aspectos perenes e outros mutáveis, os quais farão com que a marca se atualize. Produtos, nome, raízes geográficas e símbolos são alguns dos elementos mencionados como fontes da identidade da marca; pouca atenção, porém, é dada ao aspecto humano. Entre as várias pessoas que interagem com ela, interferindo na constituição de sua identidade, uma é especial: o seu fundador. É este quem provê características à marca, como se fosse um pai. Estudamos, utilizando a análise narrativa, o caso da TAM e de seu fundador Rolim. Ao analisarmos suas palavras sobre a marca desenvolvida, verificamos que o fundador não menciona a marca sem falar de si mesmo e contar sua história, pois, com o passar do tempo, suas identidades tornam-se entrelaçadas. A objetivação dos elementos identitários do empreendedor na identidade da marca se dá através da atuação do fundador em todas as ações da empresa e a expressão de seu exemplo como devendo ser seguido por todos que a compõem

We are in an emerging digital society where we are increasingly dependent on the mastery of IT and digital technologies to better carry out our everyday tasks. They cover everything from keeping in touch with family and friends to pay bills and declare. At the same time there are those who have not learned how to use the new technology and live their lives outside of the digital society. What happens to these people, in a society that is becoming increasingly digitized? Do they take harm by being in digital exclusion? It looks like this are issues that will not become less important as digital technology constantly changes. Technology of the future will be equally undesirable for tomorrow's elderly as today's technology is undesirable for today’s elderly. This research report looks at how to find a way to get those who involuntary find themselves in digital isolation to get an entry to digital use and become part of the digital society. The report makes use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Senior Technology Acceptance & Adoption Model (STAM), models developed to predict whether users will accept or reject a system, to find out how you may be able to get users to want to use and learn a system. In a study reminiscent of an experiment in which four participants with low experience in IT use has been testing a simple Content Management System (CMS), and started to use IT in their work, this report concludes that there are tendencies showing that workplace could be an interesting entrance when you are trying to create an interest in IT and digital technology in those who are in the digital exclusion.

Sociala medier och IT support, två områden som det ofta pratas om. Allt fler företag väljer att kombinera dessa två och låta sina kunder kontakta dem då de behöver IT support via sociala medier, detta fenomen kallas ’Social IT support’. Många människor, använder dagligen sociala medier dock är det oklart vad användare anser om att söka IT support via sociala medier. Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka hur användaren ser på att söka IT support via sociala medier samt vid vilket tillfälle de hellre skulle använda sig av traditionell IT support så som telefon och e-post samt om användaren förräntar sig snabbare respons från företaget då de söker IT support via sociala medier. Undersökningarna som genomförts har syftat till att undersöka och granska vad verkliga individer tycker och tänker kring ämnet. Undersökningarna som genomfört har bestått av en strukturerad kvantitativ enkät med 102 respondenter samt en semi strukturerad kvalitativ intervju som har genomförts på fem individer. Resultatet som framkommit av undersökningen visar att majoriteten av respondenterna är positivt inställda till att prova på att söka IT support via sociala medier. Undersökningen visar också att det är de olika problemen som uppstår som påverkar om de väljer att söka IT support via sociala medier eller på det traditionella sättet. Resultatet visar även att de flesta respondenter förväntar sig snabbare kontakt från företaget då de sökt IT support via sociala medier än över telefon. Vilket är känt från tidigare forskning dock har skillnader från tidigare forskningar påträffats. Undersökningen visar även att män har högre förväntningar än kvinnor på hur lång tid det ska ta för ett företag att kontakta dem.

Technology has taken over tasks that were originally carried out by professionals in all different kinds of industries and sectors ranging from self-check in at airports to money transfer via mobile devices. In the healthcare sector the internet has become one main information resource for health-related issues and with the introduction of mobile devices such as smartphones the mHealth market has evolved. With help of mHealth applications (mHealth apps) patients can actively participate in maintaining their health and take over tasks usually fulfilled by health professionals. Despite the advantages of mHealth apps in practice, the download numbers are decreasing and the academic world has not paid much attention to the end-users point of view. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors influencing end-users in their intention to use mHealth apps. In order to answer this research question a quantitative research design has been chosen. The data is collected with help of an online self-completion questionnaire and statistical analysis with the software SPSS. Time and Perceived Usefulness were two out of five factors that had an influence on the end-users intention to use mHealth apps. A key finding of this study is that the mHealth app market is still in its early stage and end-users lack knowledge about it. This paper contributes to theory as well as to practice by providing new research directions for the academic world and insights for app developers and marketers to adapt their marketing strategies in order to meet the customers’ needs.

Purpose – The purpose is to develop a greater understanding of what is requested by customers with regards to e-commerce and mobile payments and how managers attitude can affect the technological adaption process. Furthermore, a suggested framework will be presented on how SMEs can adapt to these changes. Problem – The move towards the cashless society has changed the business environment and increased the demand for mobile payments and e-commerce. The transition to implement new technologies requires resources in terms of time, money and knowledge. Therefore, this process can be challenging for SMEs. Design-Methodology-Approach – Primary data is collected through case studies and secondary data from previous research conducted. Two SMEs within the retail business in Jönköping is investigated using semi-structured interviews. The combined data is analyzed together with previous literature within the field. Findings – The findings show that customers’ demand of e-commerce and mobile payments has increased. A positive correlation between managers’ attitude towards new technology and the implementation process is found. To adapt to these technological changes, it is important for SME managers to invest equally in knowledge and technology.

Cette thèse a pour objectif d’étudier le fonctionnement des catégories de temps, aspect et mode (TAM) et l’interaction de ces trois catégories dans des phrases complexes en mandarin moderne à partir d’un corpus tiré principalement d’énoncés authentiques (oral et écrit). A travers cette étude nous cherchons à répondre à trois questions liées à l’interprétation de la temporalité en mandarin : (i) Comment les catégories temporelles, aspectuelles et modales se manifestent et interagissent dans des phrases complexes ? ; (ii) Quelles sont les différences entre les interactions du TAM dans la phrase complexe et celles dans la phrase simple ? ; (iii) Comment est exprimé l’ordre séquentiel en mandarin ? La théorie temporelle de Comrie (1985) et le modèle aspectuel élaboré par Tournadre (2004) sont utilisés comme cadre théorique de cette étude. Dans la première partie, nous présentons les théories du TAM utilisées en linguistique générale et introduisons les notions fondamentales que nous allons utiliser dans la thèse. Puis nous abordons les moyens linguistiques employés en mandarin pour véhiculer des valeurs temporelles, aspectuelles et modales, ainsi que le fonctionnement de ces trois catégories dans la phrase simple afin de comparer ce fonctionnement avec celui dans la phrase complexe. La seconde partie consiste à analyser l’interaction du TAM dans divers types de phrases complexes, comprenant des phrases subordonnées ou des constructions verbale en série. / This dissertation is a corpus-based study of the tense, aspect and mood (TAM) and the interaction between these three categories in complex sentences in modern Mandarin Chinese. It aims to answer three questions related to the interpretation of temporality in Mandarin: (i) How temporal, aspectual and modal categories are marked and how they interact in complex sentences? ; (ii) What are the differences between the interactions of TAM in complex sentences and those in simple sentences? ; (iii) How is temporal sequence expressed in Mandarin? The temporal theory of Comrie (1985) and the aspectual model developed by Tournadre (2004) will be used as the theoretical framework to analyze the data. In the first part, we first introduce the concepts and theories of TAM used in general linguistics. Then we discuss the linguistic means used in Mandarin to convey temporal, aspectual and modal concepts, and the functioning of these three categories in simple sentences in order to compare it with the functioning in complex sentences. The second part is devoted to the analysis the interaction of TAM categories in various types of complex sentences which include those in subordinate clauses and verbal construction in series.