Abstract  Title: Self-service technology and baby boomers: An empirical study of baby boomers’ acceptance towards self-service technologies in supermarkets. Authors: Casper Elheim, Eric Lindén & Hannes Löfquist Institution: Linnaeus University, School of Business and Economics. Program: Detaljhandel and Service Management (180 hp)  Course: 21VT-2FE67E Supervisor: Christine Tidåsen  Examiner: Selcen Öztürkcan Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to study the personal characteristics of baby boomers, and how these characteristics are affecting the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of SSTs. Furthermore, how the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, in turn, are affecting the attitudes towards actual system use.  Method: A qualitative interview study was conducted to collect the data required to address the research question and purpose of the degree project. The approach is inductive, with a few deductive elements.  Conclusions: The personal characteristics of an individual within the baby boomer generation did not have the expected impact on the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of self-scanning. Decreases and increases in technology innovativeness caused changes in perceived usefulness, and self-efficacy and technology anxiety only affected each other.

<p>Pregnancy is one of the most important periods of a woman’s life, during which lots of potentially worrying changes occur in her body. Being aware of the nature of these changes can help her to make informed decisions and decrease her level of uncertainty and anxiety. Delivering information to pregnant women to help understand these changes is not a new idea. Brief searches of the web turned up many related resources and information. One important aspect of pregnancy that was found to be widely used was keeping daily records in a paper-based format. However, to the author’s best knowledge, there is no pregnancy specific electronic personal health record (ePHR) currently being used in Canada. In this study, a preliminary pregnancy specific PHR module was developed, and its usefulness and usability evaluated.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Majoriteten av alla utvecklade informationssystem misslyckas. Detta beror på olika faktorer, där otillräcklig användarinvolvering och användaracceptans under utvecklingen är den vanligaste orsaken. Technology Acceptance Model – TAM är en teoretisk modell som studerar användaracceptans och de faktorer som påverkar användaracceptans av ett informationssystem. Denna studie har använt den kvalitativa forskningsmetoden för att testa användningen av TAM vid utvecklingen av ett ärendehanteringssystem hos en offentlig myndighet. Resultatet av denna studie påvisar fördelar med att använda TAM vid utvecklingen av ett informationssystem och att användningen av modellen kan bidra till att utvecklingen av ett informationssystem kan utformas med användarnas preferenser i fokus och på så sätt undvika att användarna inte upplever ärendehanteringssystem som användarvänligt och användbart. Resultaten från denna studie visar också att de identifierade TAM-faktorerna överensstämmer till stor del med befintlig forskning. Samtidigt ger denna studie en mycket djupare förståelse för faktorer som påverkar användaracceptans för ett ärendehanteringssystem för en offentlig myndighet. Framtida forskning bör fokusera på att utvärdera användningen av TAM i början av systemutvecklingsprojektet istället för i slutet när informationssystemet har utvecklats och på att använda TAM för att utvärdera användaracceptans av ärendehanteringssystem som inkluderar både interna och externa användare. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p><p>There are other digital material (eg film, image or audio files) or models/artifacts that belongs to the thesis and need to be archived.</p>

As a response to the increased awareness of digital banking together with the Covid-19 pandemic, digital banking has emerged as a true contender to traditional banking in Malaysia. Digital banking services (DBS) serves as a technological advancement to enhance the usefulness and access of all banking features. In order to successfully implement DBS, the awareness of customers’ personal attributes is of significance. Therefore, this study contributes by zooming in on young customers in Malaysia and investigates their intention to use DBS in general as well as highlighting differences between the two specific core banking services deposit and loan. To assess this, the research adopts a quantitative deductive approach, building a conceptual framework upon previous technology adoption theories such as Technology acceptance model (TAM), Diffusion of innovation (DOI) and Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Furthermore, data was collected through a survey answered by 432 Malaysian students in Kuala Lumpur and analyzed through PLS-SEM and MGA.  The study found five significant drivers directly or indirectly influencing the intention to use DBS. While some of these drivers had been tested previously, the study developed a fresh constellation of drivers which to the best of the authors’ knowledge had not been tested previously. The analysis demonstrates distinct differences in the relationships between drivers for digital deposit and loan services. Overall, these results provide valuable insights for financial institutions seeking to enhance their digital banking offerings and cater to the preferences of young customers in Malaysia.

Background: The increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in personalized marketing has reshaped consumer interactions in the digital era. With technological advancements, there is a growing need to explore how AI-driven personalization influences consumer behavior, particularly in satisfaction, loyalty, and ethical considerations. Purpose: This thesis investigates the impact of AI-driven personalized marketing on consumer perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. It aims to understand how trust and ethical considerations such as data privacy and algorithmic bias influence consumer responses and engagement with personalized marketing. Method: Employing a quantitative approach, this study integrates quantitative analysis from surveys conducted on 100 participants. This method provides a comprehensive understanding of the implications of AI-driven personalization. Statistical tools like SPSS were used for data analysis, ensuring rigorous examination of the collected data. Conclusion: The findings reveal a nuanced response to personalized marketing. While AI-driven personalization can enhance consumer engagement and satisfaction, transparency and ethical considerations are critical in securing consumer trust and loyalty. The study underscores the importance of ethical marketing practices and the need for continuous adaptation to technological advancements to align with consumer expectations and ethical standards. This research contributes to academic discussions on personalized marketing and offers strategic insights for integrating technological advancements with consumer-centric approaches in marketing practices.

This research has taken place to investigate the drivers of what makes people want to purchase virtual goods. While more and more people are expected to buy virtual goods in the digital era, a better understanding of their demand could be key to success in the digital industry in the future. The research question of this study asks what the areas of purchase intention are toward virtual goods which is what this study set out to determine. To create a basis for the study theoretical framework was developed and consisted of three main parts: subjective norms, attitude, and functional values. These topics created a foundation by which the questions were produced to determine the purchase intentions of virtual goods. Unstructured interviews were then conducted using open-ended questions to get respondents honest thoughts and opinions regarding their purchase intention of virtual goods. Theoretical saturation was reached at five respondents in which data was collected. This data was then coded with a method influenced by grounded theory. The data was analyzed thematically into codes and then sorted into categories which include society, product value, and functional value which were found to be the most fitting categories for the data received from the interviews. The conclusion determined that the purchase intention of virtual goods was driven by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms, attitude toward purchase, perceived enjoyment, perceived value, trust and security, and functional value after the analysis produced a model that can be used for future research.

Genom att använda välutformade digitala lärspel med tydligt syfte kanelevers inlärning förbättras och deras positiva attityder gentemotmatematikämnet främjas. För att framgångsrikt införa digitala lärspel imatematikundervisningen är det avgörande att lärare visar acceptans förtekniken. Det krävs emellertid att lärare är villiga att integrera tekniken i sinundervisning och ser värdet i dess användning för att kunna implementeradigitala lärspel i matematikundervisningen. Syftet med denna studie är att tareda på och synliggöra vad för förutsättningar matematiklärare i årskurs 4–6upplever sig behöva för att implementera digitala lärspel imatematikundervisningen. Empirin till studien samlades in genomsemistrukturerade intervjuer med tolv verksamma matematiklärare från femkommunala skolor, fördelat på fyra kommuner. Det teoretiska ramverk somanvänds i studien är Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Förbearbetningen av empiri används en tematisk analys, som genererar femteman: (1) Erfarenhet och intresse, (2) Kollegial stöttning, (3)Kompetensutveckling, (4) Skolledningens ansvar och (5) Tid. Dessa temananalyserades med en induktiv ansats baserad på TAM. Studien visar attkollegial stöttning, kompetensutveckling, erfarenhet, ansvarstagande avskolledning och tid är aspekter som lärare upplever sig behöva för attunderlätta implementering av digitala lärspel i matematikundervisningen. / By using well-designed digital learning games with a clear purpose,students' learning can be improved, and their positive attitudes towards thesubject of mathematics can be promoted. To successfully introduce digitallearning games in mathematics education, it is crucial for teachers todemonstrate acceptance of the technology. However, it requires teachers tobe willing to integrate the technology into their teaching and recognize itsvalue in order to implement digital learning games in mathematicseducation. The purpose of this study is to identify and highlight whatconditions do mathematics teachers in grades 4-6 perceive they need inorder to implement digital educational games in mathematics instruction.The empirical data for the study was collected through semi-structuredinterviews with twelve practicing mathematics teachers from five publicschools, distributed across four municipalities. The theoretical frameworkused in the study is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A thematicanalysis was employed for processing the empirical data, which generatedfive themes: (1) Experience and interest, (2) Collegial support, (3)Professional development, (4) School leadership responsibility, and (5)Time. These themes were analyzed using an inductive approach based onTAM. The study reveals that aspects such as collegial support, professionaldevelopment, experience, school leadership accountability, and time areperceived by teachers as necessary to facilitate the implementation of digitaleducational games in mathematics instruction.

This thesis is framed within the research area of Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), which is concerned with how ICT can make a difference to the lives of the poor. This study focuses primarily on mobile phones and how they can be used as part of an Agriculture Market Information Service (AMIS) in order to provide crucial information to farmers in Bangladesh. AMIS principally collect, manage and disseminate agricultural market prices and related information through various processes and media. These services are mainly used by farmers. The research question of how mobile phone-based AMIS can be designed and deployed in order to improve opportunities for farmers in Bangladesh is investigated through a design science research approach in four steps; understanding the scope and challenges related to AMIS in least developed countries; diagnosing the situational realities of farmers of Bangladesh; understanding the process of adopting mobile phones and investigating market information practices and preferences in a rural context; and finally designing and implementing a mobile phone based AMIS and evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of it for the farmers of Bangladesh. In this thesis, development is viewed in terms of bringing about an in-crease in farmers’ capability set directed towards the utilization of resources for the purpose of production and trade. Information and knowledge are important drivers of development and poverty reduction: ICT can create new opportunities to expand the availability, exchange, and impact of information and knowledge. This thesis contributes to ICT4D research and practice through empirical findings, the design of an AMIS, test results, and the development of analytical tools. Its major contributions include an increased understanding of farmers’ attitudes and preferences towards the use of technology in general, and mobile phones in particular, and a broader understanding of ICT for human development in the context of poor rural regions. / Informatics or ICT4D

女性網際網路使用者不斷增加的趨勢帶動下，針對女性提供服務的網站近年來頻頻出現。然而，網際網路使用者對於此一以性別區隔為訴求的網站所抱持的態度和定位為何？現階段女性網站經營者必須謹慎衡量哪些關鍵因素以吸引使用者前往？本研究希望藉由研究的進行與結果的發現，找出影響網際網路使用者瀏覽女性網站的因素，並驗證使用者認知和實際使用間的因果關係。 在以科技接受模型為研究架構之基礎進行研究後的結果顯示，女性網站之3C3O網站特性和使用者的網站認知間存有因果關係：網站設計的編排（context）、網站內容的豐富性（content）、網站發言或討論空間的經營（community），以及網站資訊的有條不紊（orderliness）等對於使用者的認知都會造成不同程度的影響；然而，大膽顛覆的用字遣詞（originality）以及技術層面的客製化服務（outreach），對於使用者的認知則沒有明顯的助益。 另一方面，科技接受模型原本所假設的認知─態度間的因果關係，在女性網站的實驗情境中亦有所變動。認知易用性（perceived easy of use）對網站態度產生的影響漸趨薄弱而不重要，相反地，認知有用性（perceived usefulness）和認知娛樂性（perceived playfulness）對態度產生的影響則漸顯重要，尤其是認知娛樂性的因素對於女性網站的使用更扮演了相當重要的角色。然而，當大部分的網際網路使用者將女性網站所提供的內容服務定位為休閒娛樂提供者的角色時，網站經營者亦需反思消費者對此服務的定位是否適切。 / The cyberspace has shown a growing number of female sites. It is of interest to understand the user perceptions on these gender-specific service appearances and the attitudes toward using them. This research attempts to identify the factors that influence users’ willingness to reuse a female site, and the relationship between user acceptance and actual usage. A survey of 390 respondents who have experience with and 310 respondents who have no experience with female sites in Taiwan was conducted. The results showed that the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) proposed by Moon & Kim is applicable, with some relationships altered. Moreover, the site characteristics such as the arrangement of CONTEXT, the richness of CONTENT, the atmosphere of COMMUNITY, and the ORDERLINESS of information are the four key factors that affect users’ perceptions of the site. The ORIGINALITY of design and the OUTREACH of service, however, present no significant benefit to form positive perceptions of female site users.

當今行動裝置愈來愈普及，人們在接收和處理資訊、消費、娛樂以及種種生活便利服務的需求不減反增，衍生出的行動加值性服務也愈來愈多元，造就了行動商務的蓬勃發展。由於台灣行動電話持有率與全民上網普及率均在全球市場上名列前矛，然而消費者對行動商務的接受度普遍仍不高，因此本研究目的在找出影響台灣地區使用者採用行動商務的因素，並探索這些因素之間如何相互影響，最後如何影響使用者的採用意願。 本研究將以Sally& Indrit所提出的概念性整合性行動商務採用模型為基礎，加以修正後利用結構方程式進行假說驗證，並以不同類型的行動商務服務如功利型與享樂型作為調節變數，探討使用者在使用不同類型的服務時，影響其採用該服務的因素會對其採用態度有何種程度的影響，試圖解釋台灣地區使用者的採用行動商務之行為。 本研究結果發現： (1)使用者愈認為該行動商務的服務是有用的、有娛樂性的、使用過程是安全的和能維護隱私的，以及價格愈合理，使用者採用該行動商務服務的態度即愈正向。 (2)價格因素除了直接影響採用態度之外，還會對採用意願有直接影響。 (3)當使用者覺得該服務容易使用時，同時也較會認為該服務是有用的。 (4)當使用者認為該行動商務之服務為有用時，同時則認為該服務的娛樂性是較低的。 (5)使用者先前的使用知識與經驗及其所能掌控該服務的能力愈高，會增加其認知易用性，進而透過認知有用性的提升，其採用態度愈正向。 (6)使用者認為該服務有用與否及是否具有娛樂性，易受同儕或廠商的行銷活動影響，進而影響其採用態度，外部影響力與廠商的行銷活動對採用態度有間接的影響。 (7)使用者在使用功利型服務時，相較於使用享樂型的服務時，其對服務的認知有用性這項因素對其採用該服務的態度會有較大的影響。 (8)使用者所認知的易用性這項因素在使用者採用享樂型服務時更顯重要。 / With the higher availability of mobile devices, people’s needs in receiving information, consuming, pursuing entertainment, and other convenient services in life have augmented, resulting in the increase the variety of mobile services and attributing to the prosperity of mobile commerce. Both the possession rate of mobile phones and the penetration rate of the access to the Internet in Taiwan occupied the leading positions in global market, yet the consumers’ acceptance for mobile commerce is comparatively low. Thus, the purpose of the research is to discover possible factors that influence users’ adoption of mobile commerce in Taiwan, and to explore how these factors affect one another and further make impact on the users’ intention to use. This research, based on the conceptual framework for the acceptance of mobile commerce proposed by Sally & Indrit (2007), underwent the revision of the model and validated the hypotheses, including using different kinds of mobile services such as utilitarian and hedonic types as moderators to explore how these factors can influence the users’ attitude toward use differently when adopting different types of mobile services. The research intends to explicate the users’ adoption behavior of mobile commerce in Taiwan. The research induces the following findings: (1)The higher degree the users perceive that the mobile services are useful, joyful, secure, and that the price of the services is reasonable, the more positive the users’ attitude toward adoption for mobile services is. (2)The factor of price not merely influences the users’ attitude toward use, but also influences their intention to use. (3)When the users find the mobile services easy to use, they tend to feel that the services are useful. (4)When the users find the mobile services very useful, they tend to perceive less enjoyment of the services. (5)When the users possess more prior knowledge, experience, and behavior control for the mobile services, they tend to perceive higher degree of ease of use, which results in higher perceived usefulness, and their attitude toward use for mobile services will be more positive. (6)Peer influence and promotion from the enterprises can easily affect the users’ perception of usefulness and enjoyment for mobile services, which further influences their attitude toward use. External influence and promotion from the enterprises will make indirect impact on users’ attitude toward use. (7)The users’ perceived enjoyment makes greater influence to their attitude toward use when using utilitarian services than hedonic services. (8)The users’ perceived ease of use makes greater influence to their attitude toward use when using hedonic services than utilitarian services.