Thesis(M.Com. (Business Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the use of mobile technology in SMEs for the improvement of the supply chain. The study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Technology Readiness Index (TRI) as theories. This study has four objectives: (1) To identify the determinants of the use of mobile technology in supply chains of SMEs, (2) To determine the level of adoption of mobile technology in the supply chain of SMEs, (3)To determine the relationships between determinants of the use of mobile technology and the adoption of mobile technology in the supply chain of SMEs, and (4) To determine the relationship between mobile technology adoption and supply chain performance. The study uses a quantitative approach. Exploratory and correlation research is used to determine the determinants of adoption of mobile technology. The study population are SMEs in Polokwane Local Municipality. A sample of 122 is used and aself administered questionnaire is used to collect primary data. Data analysis is carried out utilising SPSS version 27. A Cronbach alpha test is carried out to measure the internal reliability of the research instrument. The results show that there are positive relationships between determinants of the use of mobile technology and the adoption of mobile technology in the supply chain of SMEs and that there is a positive relationship between mobile technology adoption and supply chain performance. It is recommended to businesses to take into consideration the determinants of mobile technology adoptionin attempting to improve their supply chain performance and to adopt the mobile technology to enhance productivity and the processes of supply chain for those who have not adopted it. The research contributes to the knowledge about the factors influencing the use of mobile technology in SMEs for the improvement of supply chains / Service SETA

This thesis examines the effects of Culture, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) and Technology Readiness (TR) on the satisfaction and usage continuance intention of Internet banking customers within the Saudi Arabian context. The aim is to develop and test a new framework for use in determining the factors that affect Internet banking customers’ actual usage behaviours, with a special focus on the role of cognitive processes, and cultural and personal psychological traits. This research uses cross-sectional survey questionnaire methods within a quantitative approach. 261 valid responses were received. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesised relationships within the research model in Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS 20) software. ECT is well established in conventional marketing literature and explains how cognitive beliefs and affects lead to customers’ repurchasing behaviour. It was first adopted for the Information Systems (IS) context and then customised to explain IS continuance intention behaviour. However, previous ECT customisations in the IS context present a significant knowledge gap because technology-based services are sensitive to individuals’ psychological traits, which ECT does not account for. This research integrates psychological traits and culture into the ECT framework to explain customer satisfaction and continuance intentions in the context of Internet banking usage. It combines ECT with the UTAUT in order to expand ECT to include more cognitive beliefs. Then it integrates TR and Culture to account for psychological and sociological traits. The results present a new contribution to the body of knowledge by validating a theoretically backed integration of the above models into one structural model. This model broadens the understanding of the factors that influence IS satisfaction and usage continuance intention. Compared to previous studies, the explanatory power of this model is a major improvement, with an R2 of (0.61) for usage continuance intention.

The industry is facing major challenges today. The challenges are tougher global competition, customers who require individualized products and shorter product lifecycles. The predicted industrial revolution is a way to deal with these challenges. Industry 4.0 includes strategies linked to several technologies that will meet the new needs. Smart factory is a central concept in industry 4.0, which involves connected technologies of various kinds. Such as digital manufacturing technology, network communication technology, computer technology, automation technology and several other areas. In this work, these were defined as smart factory technologies. Implementing such technologies will result in improved flexibility, resource productivity and efficiency, quality, etc. But, implementing smart factory technologies poses major challenges for the companies. Laboratory environments can be utilized to address the challenges. This results in a new problem, how to transfer a smart factory technology developed in a laboratory environment to a full-scale production system. In the literature study no, structured approach was identified to handle this challenge. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to: create a work process that supports the technology transfer from a smart factory compliant laboratory environment to a full-scale production system. To justify the purpose, the following research questions were answered: RQ1: What are the differences in the operating environment between the laboratory and the full-scale production system? RQ2: How is a smart factory technology determined ready to be implemented into a full-scale production system? RQ3: What critical factors should a work process for the implementation of smart factory technologies include? The research questions were answered by conducting a multiple-case study in collaboration with Scania CV AB. During the case studies, interviews, observations and other relevant types of data collection were conducted. The results were as follows: RQ1: How difficult it is to transfer a technology from a laboratory environment to a full-scale production system depends on how large the differences between these are. The general difference is that laboratory environments are used to experiment and develop technologies and a full-scale production system is used to produce products. Some want the laboratory environment to be an exact copy of a full-scale production system, but this is not appropriate because it means you lose the freedom of experimentation and it would be much more expensive. RQ2: Determining whether a smart factory technology is ready consists of two parts, laboratory activities and pilot testing. A structured assessment method has been developed. The laboratory operations reduce the risks and contribute to raising the degree of maturity of the technology. In pilot testing, it is important not to interfere with the full-scale production system stability. This is the reason for doing pilot testing in a delimited area first and checking that the technology works as desired. RQ3: The critical factors identified were: competence and knowledge, technology contributing to improvements, considering risks with implementation, cost versus potential improvement, clear goals and reason for implementation and communication.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T13:53:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FernandoAMP_DISSERT.pdf: 4889933 bytes, checksum: eb2490758c2015cbb2e20ab438824277 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-21 / The present study aims to investigate the constructs of Technological Readiness Index (TRI) and the Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) as determinants of satisfaction and continuance intention use in e-learning services. Is proposed a theoretical model that seeks to measure the phenomenon suited to the needs of public organizations that offer distance learning course with the use of virtual platforms for employees. The research was conducted from a quantitative analytical approach, via online survey in a sample of 343 employees of 2 public organizations in RN who have had e-learning experience. The strategy of data analysis used multivariate analysis techniques, including structural equation modeling (SEM), operationalized by AMOS? software. The results showed that quality, quality disconfirmation, value and value disconfirmation positively impact on satisfaction, as well as disconfirmation usability, innovativeness and optimism. Likewise, satisfaction proved to be decisive for the purpose of continuance intention use. In addition, technological readiness and performance are strongly related. Based on the structural model found by the study, public organizations can implement e-learning services for employees focusing on improving learning and improving skills practiced in the organizational environment / Este estudo busca investigar os construtos da Escala de Prontid?o Tecnol?gica (TRI) e da Teoria da Desconfirma??o da Expectativa (EDT) como determinantes da satisfa??o e da inten??o de continuidade de uso em servi?os de e-learning. ? proposto um modelo te?rico que busque mensurar o fen?meno adequado ?s necessidades das organiza??es p?blicas que oferecem cursos de capacita??o ? dist?ncia com uso de plataformas virtuais para seus funcion?rios. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida a partir de uma abordagem anal?tica quantitativa, por meio de survey online em uma amostra de 343 funcion?rios de 2 organiza??es p?blicas do RN que tiveram experi?ncia em elearning. A estrat?gia de an?lise de dados utilizou t?cnicas de an?lise multivariada, incluindo a an?lise de equa??es estruturais (AEE), operacionalizada pelo software AMOS?. Os resultados apontaram que qualidade, desconfirma??o da qualidade, valor e desconfirma??o do valor impactam positivamente na satisfa??o, assim como a desconfirma??o da usabilidade, a inovatividade e o otimismo. Da mesma forma, a satisfa??o mostrou ser determinante para a inten??o de continuidade de uso. Em adi??o, a prontid?o tecnol?gica e o desempenho apresentam forte rela??o entre si. Com base no modelo estrutural encontrado pelo estudo, as organiza??es p?blicas podem implementar servi?os de e-learning para os funcion?rios se concentrando na melhoria de aprendizagem e no aprimoramento de habilidades praticadas no ambiente organizacional

This dissertation provides a novel methodology to assess the impact of additive manufacturing (AM) on the aerospace supply chain. The focus is serialized production of structural parts for the aeroengine. This methodology has three fundamental steps. First, a screening heuristic is used to identify which parts and assemblies would be candidates for AM displacement. Secondly, the production line is characterized and evaluated to understand how these changes in the bill of material might impact plant workflow, and ultimately, part and assembly cost. Finally, the third step employs an integer linear program (ILP) to predict the impact on the supply chain network. The network nodes represent the various companies – and depending upon their tier – each tier has a dedicated function. The output of the ILP is the quantity and connectivity of these nodes between the tiers.<br><br>It was determined that additive manufacturing can be used to displace certain conventional manufacturing parts and assemblies as additive manufacturing’s technology matures sufficiently. Additive manufacturing is particularly powerful if adopted by the artifact’s design authority (usually the original equipment manufacturer – OEM) since it can then print its own parts on demand. Given this sourcing flexibility, these entities can in turn apply pricing pressure on its suppliers. This phenomena increasing has been seen within the industry.

<p>Паметни&nbsp; туризам&nbsp; је&nbsp; постао&nbsp; образац&nbsp; примене&nbsp; ИКТ&nbsp; у&nbsp; туризму.&nbsp; Као&nbsp; посебна&nbsp; агенда&nbsp; у оквиру&nbsp; дискурса&nbsp; Е-туризма,&nbsp; паметни&nbsp; туризам&nbsp; показује&nbsp; већи&nbsp; степен&nbsp; деловања, остварујући&nbsp; утицај&nbsp; у&nbsp; свим&nbsp; фазама&nbsp; туристичког&nbsp; путовања,&nbsp; као&nbsp; и&nbsp; на&nbsp; готово&nbsp; све&nbsp; чиниоце везано за хетерогену туристичку понуду и тражњу. Поједине дестинације су препознале значај&nbsp; паметног&nbsp; туризма&nbsp; и&nbsp; на&nbsp; принципима&nbsp; развоја&nbsp; које&nbsp; подржава&nbsp; овај&nbsp; концепт, унапредиле&nbsp; своју&nbsp; конкурентску&nbsp; позицију.&nbsp; Ту&nbsp; се&nbsp; подједнако&nbsp; мисли&nbsp; и&nbsp; на&nbsp; побољшање туристичког&nbsp; искуства,&nbsp; али&nbsp; и&nbsp; на&nbsp; добробит&nbsp; коју&nbsp; остварује&nbsp; сама&nbsp; дестинација&nbsp; и&nbsp; њени становници.&nbsp; У&nbsp; том&nbsp; контексту,&nbsp; ова&nbsp; докторска&nbsp; дисертација&nbsp; је&nbsp; испитивала&nbsp; могућности примене концепта паметног туризма на простору Републике Србије и начине на које он може&nbsp; утицати&nbsp; на&nbsp; туристичку&nbsp; конкурентност&nbsp; земље.Анализирана&nbsp; је&nbsp; конкурентност Србије&nbsp; као&nbsp; дестинације&nbsp; паметног&nbsp; туризма&nbsp; и&nbsp; то&nbsp; са&nbsp; аспекта&nbsp; запослених&nbsp; у&nbsp; туристичком сектору, као и са аспекта туриста у две одабране дестинације, Нови Сад и Врњачка бања.Да би Србија могла у будућности да се профилише као дестинација паметног туризма и да се развија на могућностима овог концепта, неопходно је, између осталог, анализирати ту&nbsp; проблематику&nbsp; са&nbsp; аспекта&nbsp; људских&nbsp; ресурса.&nbsp; С&nbsp; обзиром&nbsp; да&nbsp; се&nbsp; паметни&nbsp; туризам&nbsp; као најновији&nbsp; тренд&nbsp; у&nbsp; туризму,&nbsp; заснива&nbsp; и&nbsp; на&nbsp; информационо-комуникационим&nbsp; технологија, ова&nbsp; два&nbsp; аспекта&nbsp; су&nbsp; узета&nbsp; као&nbsp; кључна&nbsp; у&nbsp; анализи&nbsp; конкурентности.&nbsp; Разумевање&nbsp; ових фактора&nbsp; може&nbsp; бити&nbsp; значајно&nbsp; у&nbsp; утврђивању&nbsp; слабих&nbsp; тачки&nbsp; и&nbsp; предности,&nbsp; као&nbsp; неопходних услова&nbsp; за&nbsp; развој&nbsp; паметног&nbsp; туризма,&nbsp; односно&nbsp; утврђивање&nbsp; потенцијала&nbsp; Србије&nbsp; за&nbsp; развој паметног туризма. Добијена сазнања такође могу да покрену питање да ли су запослени у&nbsp; туристичком&nbsp; сектору&nbsp; спремни&nbsp; да&nbsp; развијају&nbsp; паметни&nbsp; туризам&nbsp; тако&nbsp; што&nbsp; ће&nbsp; показати спремност и прихватити имплементацију нових технологија, било да се ради о усвајању новог информационог система на радном месту, или ће се нагласак ставити на системе услуга намењене туристима.</p> / <p>Pametni&nbsp; turizam&nbsp; je&nbsp; postao&nbsp; obrazac&nbsp; primene&nbsp; IKT&nbsp; u&nbsp; turizmu.&nbsp; Kao&nbsp; posebna&nbsp; agenda&nbsp; u okviru&nbsp; diskursa&nbsp; E-turizma,&nbsp; pametni&nbsp; turizam&nbsp; pokazuje&nbsp; veći&nbsp; stepen&nbsp; delovanja, ostvarujući&nbsp; uticaj&nbsp; u&nbsp; svim&nbsp; fazama&nbsp; turističkog&nbsp; putovanja,&nbsp; kao&nbsp; i&nbsp; na&nbsp; gotovo&nbsp; sve&nbsp; činioce vezano za heterogenu turističku ponudu i tražnju. Pojedine destinacije su prepoznale značaj&nbsp; pametnog&nbsp; turizma&nbsp; i&nbsp; na&nbsp; principima&nbsp; razvoja&nbsp; koje&nbsp; podržava&nbsp; ovaj&nbsp; koncept, unapredile&nbsp; svoju&nbsp; konkurentsku&nbsp; poziciju.&nbsp; Tu&nbsp; se&nbsp; podjednako&nbsp; misli&nbsp; i&nbsp; na&nbsp; poboljšanje turističkog&nbsp; iskustva,&nbsp; ali&nbsp; i&nbsp; na&nbsp; dobrobit&nbsp; koju&nbsp; ostvaruje&nbsp; sama&nbsp; destinacija&nbsp; i&nbsp; njeni stanovnici.&nbsp; U&nbsp; tom&nbsp; kontekstu,&nbsp; ova&nbsp; doktorska&nbsp; disertacija&nbsp; je&nbsp; ispitivala&nbsp; mogućnosti primene koncepta pametnog turizma na prostoru Republike Srbije i načine na koje on može&nbsp; uticati&nbsp; na&nbsp; turističku&nbsp; konkurentnost&nbsp; zemlje.Analizirana&nbsp; je&nbsp; konkurentnost Srbije&nbsp; kao&nbsp; destinacije&nbsp; pametnog&nbsp; turizma&nbsp; i&nbsp; to&nbsp; sa&nbsp; aspekta&nbsp; zaposlenih&nbsp; u&nbsp; turističkom sektoru, kao i sa aspekta turista u dve odabrane destinacije, Novi Sad i Vrnjačka banja.Da bi Srbija mogla u budućnosti da se profiliše kao destinacija pametnog turizma i da se razvija na mogućnostima ovog koncepta, neophodno je, između ostalog, analizirati tu&nbsp; problematiku&nbsp; sa&nbsp; aspekta&nbsp; ljudskih&nbsp; resursa.&nbsp; S&nbsp; obzirom&nbsp; da&nbsp; se&nbsp; pametni&nbsp; turizam&nbsp; kao najnoviji&nbsp; trend&nbsp; u&nbsp; turizmu,&nbsp; zasniva&nbsp; i&nbsp; na&nbsp; informaciono-komunikacionim&nbsp; tehnologija, ova&nbsp; dva&nbsp; aspekta&nbsp; su&nbsp; uzeta&nbsp; kao&nbsp; ključna&nbsp; u&nbsp; analizi&nbsp; konkurentnosti.&nbsp; Razumevanje&nbsp; ovih faktora&nbsp; može&nbsp; biti&nbsp; značajno&nbsp; u&nbsp; utvrđivanju&nbsp; slabih&nbsp; tački&nbsp; i&nbsp; prednosti,&nbsp; kao&nbsp; neophodnih uslova&nbsp; za&nbsp; razvoj&nbsp; pametnog&nbsp; turizma,&nbsp; odnosno&nbsp; utvrđivanje&nbsp; potencijala&nbsp; Srbije&nbsp; za&nbsp; razvoj pametnog turizma. Dobijena saznanja takođe mogu da pokrenu pitanje da li su zaposleni u&nbsp; turističkom&nbsp; sektoru&nbsp; spremni&nbsp; da&nbsp; razvijaju&nbsp; pametni&nbsp; turizam&nbsp; tako&nbsp; što&nbsp; će&nbsp; pokazati spremnost i prihvatiti implementaciju novih tehnologija, bilo da se radi o usvajanju novog informacionog sistema na radnom mestu, ili će se naglasak staviti na sisteme usluga namenjene turistima.</p> / <p>Smart tourism has become a form of ICT application in tourism. As a special agenda within the e-tourism&nbsp; discourse,&nbsp; smart&nbsp; tourism&nbsp; shows&nbsp; a&nbsp; higher&nbsp; degree&nbsp; of&nbsp; action,&nbsp; having&nbsp; an&nbsp; impact&nbsp; in&nbsp; all stages of travel, as well as on almost all factors related to the heterogeneous tourist offer&nbsp; and demand.&nbsp; Certain&nbsp; destinations&nbsp; have&nbsp; recognized&nbsp; the&nbsp; importance&nbsp; of&nbsp; smart&nbsp; tourism&nbsp; and&nbsp; on&nbsp; the principles of development&nbsp; supported by this concept, have improved their competitive position. This&nbsp; refers&nbsp; on&nbsp; improving&nbsp; the&nbsp; tourist&nbsp; experience,&nbsp; but&nbsp; also&nbsp; on&nbsp; the&nbsp; benefits&nbsp; for &nbsp; the&nbsp; destination itself and its inhabitants. In that context, this PhD theseis examined the possibilities of applying the smart tourism concept in the Republic of Serbia and the ways in which it can influence the tourism competitiveness. The competitiveness of Serbia as a destination of smart tourism was analyzed from the aspect of the employees in the tourist sector, as well as from the aspect of tourists in two selected destinations, Novi Sad and Vrnjacka banja.&nbsp;&nbsp; In order to profiled Serbia as&nbsp; a&nbsp; smart&nbsp; tourism&nbsp; destination&nbsp; and&nbsp; to&nbsp; develop&nbsp; it&nbsp; on&nbsp; the&nbsp; possibilities&nbsp; of&nbsp; this&nbsp; concept,&nbsp; it&nbsp; is necessary,&nbsp; among&nbsp; other&nbsp; things,&nbsp; to&nbsp; analyze&nbsp; this&nbsp; issue&nbsp; from&nbsp; the&nbsp; aspect&nbsp; of&nbsp; human&nbsp; resources. Considering&nbsp; that&nbsp; smart&nbsp; tourism,&nbsp; as&nbsp; the&nbsp; latest&nbsp; trend&nbsp; in&nbsp; tourism,&nbsp; is&nbsp; based&nbsp; on&nbsp; information&nbsp; and communication technologies, these two aspects&nbsp; have been taken as crucial in the analysis of tourism&nbsp; competitiveness.&nbsp; Understanding&nbsp; of&nbsp; these&nbsp; factors&nbsp; can&nbsp; be&nbsp; important&nbsp; in&nbsp; identifying weaknesses&nbsp; and&nbsp; advantages,&nbsp; as&nbsp; the&nbsp; necessary&nbsp; issue&nbsp; for&nbsp; the&nbsp; smart&nbsp; tourism&nbsp; development,&nbsp; i.e.,determining&nbsp; the&nbsp; potential&nbsp; of&nbsp; Serbia&nbsp; for&nbsp; the&nbsp; development&nbsp; of&nbsp; smart&nbsp; tourism.&nbsp; The&nbsp; gained knowledge&nbsp; can&nbsp; also&nbsp; raise&nbsp; the&nbsp; question&nbsp; of&nbsp; whether&nbsp; tourism&nbsp; sector&nbsp; employees&nbsp; are&nbsp; ready&nbsp; to develop&nbsp; smart&nbsp; tourism&nbsp; by&nbsp; showing&nbsp; willingness&nbsp; and&nbsp; accepting&nbsp; the&nbsp; implementation&nbsp; of&nbsp; new technologies, whether it is the adoption of a new information system at the workplace, or it is about service systems for tourists.</p>

Recent accessibility drives and price wars between the major South African (SA) cell phone companies suggest that the landscape for the adoption of mobile learning (m-learning) at the Higher Education Institution (HEI) level may be changing. As such, there is a need to gauge the current mobile readiness of students for m-learning. Mobile technology readiness refers to the extent to which students have access to mobile devices (not only handsets), and can afford data bundles that meet or exceed the requirements of a base set of currently available m-learning applications (Naicker and Van der Merwe 2012). Mobile operational readiness refers to students’ awareness of, attitude towards, support and training that is required for m-learning. This study conducted an assessment of the technology and operational readiness of students at a SA HEI. An in-depth literature survey was undertaken to delineate technology and operational readiness of students for m-learning. For technology readiness, an investigation was conducted on m- learning applications that are currently available and the technology requirements of these mobile applications. This was undertaken to determine the extent that the current student mobile handset profile match these requirements. The literature review also included a search for mobile opeeratratiioonnaall ffaactorctorss ssuuchch aass ssttuuddeennttss’’ aawwaarenerenessss ooff aanndd aattttiittuuddee ttoowwaarrddss mm--lleaearrnininngg as well as m-learning support and training that students require. The philosophical underpinning of this study was based on Activity Theory. The strategy of inquiry employed was a case study approach. Data was collected from students at the Durban University of Technology, a resident based SA HEI. A mixed methods data collection strategy was employed. The researcher used a field survey questionnaire as the primary research instrument to assess mobile technology and operational readiness. Focus group interviews were used as a secondary data gathering tool to triangulate and strengthen the results. The results were presented using descriptive and inferential statistics and were analyzed using the lens of activity theory. In terms of technology readiness, despite a high level of ownership and reasonable compliance with application requirements, data costs remain prohibitive. In assessing operational readiness, despite a positive attitude, the majority of the students require awareness, ongoing support and training. Several recommendations based on the findings are offered. For example, one of the findings showed that mobile connectivity affordability was low amongst students and it is recommended that the HEI work around exorbitant connectivity costs by combining m-learning technologies to form meaningful m-learning approaches at a minimum v cost. Another finding showed low awareness of m-learning at the HEI. A recommendation advanced to combat this finding is for the HEI to encourage and support dialogue among key stakeholders. This study concludes that any m-learning endeavour to implement m-learning at this HEI is bound to fail as only a small percentage of students are aware of m-learning and can afford data bundles to implement m-learning in its true sense. As an implication of this study to other HEI’s, the researcher suggests that regular mobile readiness surveys be conducted. / Science and Technology Education / M. A. (Information Systems)

Recent accessibility drives and price wars between the major South African (SA) cell phone companies suggest that the landscape for the adoption of mobile learning (m-learning) at the Higher Education Institution (HEI) level may be changing. As such, there is a need to gauge the current mobile readiness of students for m-learning. Mobile technology readiness refers to the extent to which students have access to mobile devices (not only handsets), and can afford data bundles that meet or exceed the requirements of a base set of currently available m-learning applications (Naicker and Van der Merwe 2012). Mobile operational readiness refers to students’ awareness of, attitude towards, support and training that is required for m-learning. This study conducted an assessment of the technology and operational readiness of students at a SA HEI. An in-depth literature survey was undertaken to delineate technology and operational readiness of students for m-learning. For technology readiness, an investigation was conducted on m- learning applications that are currently available and the technology requirements of these mobile applications. This was undertaken to determine the extent that the current student mobile handset profile match these requirements. The literature review also included a search for mobile opeeratratiioonnaall ffaactorctorss ssuuchch aass ssttuuddeennttss’’ aawwaarenerenessss ooff aanndd aattttiittuuddee ttoowwaarrddss mm--lleaearrnininngg as well as m-learning support and training that students require. The philosophical underpinning of this study was based on Activity Theory. The strategy of inquiry employed was a case study approach. Data was collected from students at the Durban University of Technology, a resident based SA HEI. A mixed methods data collection strategy was employed. The researcher used a field survey questionnaire as the primary research instrument to assess mobile technology and operational readiness. Focus group interviews were used as a secondary data gathering tool to triangulate and strengthen the results. The results were presented using descriptive and inferential statistics and were analyzed using the lens of activity theory. In terms of technology readiness, despite a high level of ownership and reasonable compliance with application requirements, data costs remain prohibitive. In assessing operational readiness, despite a positive attitude, the majority of the students require awareness, ongoing support and training. Several recommendations based on the findings are offered. For example, one of the findings showed that mobile connectivity affordability was low amongst students and it is recommended that the HEI work around exorbitant connectivity costs by combining m-learning technologies to form meaningful m-learning approaches at a minimum cost. Another finding showed low awareness of m-learning at the HEI. A recommendation advanced to combat this finding is for the HEI to encourage and support dialogue among key stakeholders. This study concludes that any m-learning endeavour to implement m-learning at this HEI is bound to fail as only a small percentage of students are aware of m-learning and can afford data bundles to implement m-learning in its true sense. As an implication of this study to other HEI’s, the researcher suggests that regular mobile readiness surveys be conducted. / Science and Technology Education / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

For the EU to reach net-zero by 2050, an increased rate of renewable energy generation is needed. Off-grid tiny houses serve as a sustainable housing option as they are energy conservative, and their primary source of energy is renewable energy. However, off-grid living is faced with challenges due to the seasonal energy imbalance caused by the intermittent characteristics of renewable energy. This thesis aims to explore the potential of reducing this energy imbalance by using an electric vehicle (EV) to charge the home when there is an energy shortage and charge the EV when there is an energy surplus. This concept is enabled by bidirectional charging, also referred to as “Vehicle to Anything” (V2X). The main research question is to understand if an off-grid tiny house supported by V2X can be self-sufficient on energy and what the prerequisites for usage are. The method for answering this research question is firstly by conducting a general study followed by a case study. In the general study, industry experts are interviewed and surveyed to assess the innovation’s technology, market, and regulatory readiness and attributes of the innovation related to potential adoption. Thereafter, a case study with a partner in Sweden offering stays in off-grid tiny houses was conducted. The aim was to understand the system dynamics of the energy balance for an off-grid tiny house with solar panels and a home battery when adding an EV.  Results show that it is regulatory unproblematic to connect an EV to power off-grid living today, and the technology is more ready than the market. To increase the readiness level of the innovation, standardization of equipment and communication is needed. The attributes of the innovation that supports adoption are that the EV is mobile and offers large storing capacity which increases flexibility and hence decreases dependency on renewable energy. However, setting up the off-grid system and following safety regulations can be considered complex. Thereto, the innovation is seen as most applicable for short-term stays and individual usage. Results from the case study show that the EV can theoretically prolong the season for off-grid tiny house living by 1-4 months by reducing the energy imbalance and increasing self-sufficiency. Moreover, the EV can increase the share of renewable energy that is being used by storing energy when there is excess solar energy available.  On a final note, to answer the main research question if off-grid living supported by V2X can become self-sufficient on energy and what the prerequisites are for usage, the study concludes that it is theoretically possible, but the innovation is dependent on all technology components being tested and validated together in an off-grid environment. The EV needs to have bidirectional capabilities and the home needs to be equipped with smart software and an inverter to control the charging and discharging. Thereto, there needs to be a business model that creates value confirmed by the market, both customers and industry actors. Lastly, from a regulatory point of view, the concept is feasible as long as the installation of the energy system follows Swedish safety regulations. The EV can then, according to the model, theoretically help to prolong the season by reducing the energy balance making the energy system self-sufficient on energy. The EV can be discharged as well as charged by the excess solar, and hence the smart bidirectional charging of the EV and the home can increase theshare of renewable energy available for use and reduce the energy imbalance. Implications of this thesis suggest increased access to off-grid living as the V2X technology can prolong the season for people living off-grid as well as for off-grid businesses in the hospitality industry. This would allow for increased business value and opportunities within both the housing and tourism industry. The findings also support sustainable development as the innovation increases resource efficiency of the EV as it can serve multiple purposes, including transportation, energy storage, and energy supply. / För att EU ska nå nettonoll till 2050 krävs mer förnybar energi. Off-grid tiny houses är små hus som är frikopplade från stamnätet och är ett hållbart boendealternativ då de är energisnåla och deras primära energikälla är förnybar energi. I dagsläget finns det dock flera utmaningar med att bo off-grid till följd av den säsongsbaserade energiobalansen orsakad av de intermittenta egenskaperna hos förnybar energi. Därför syftar det här examensarbetet till att utforska potentialen för att minska energiobalansen genom att använda en elbil för att ladda hemmet när det råder energibrist och ladda elbilen när det finns ett energiöverskott. Detta koncept möjliggörs av dubbelriktad laddning, även kallad "Vehicle to Anything" (V2X). Den huvudsakliga forskningsfrågan är att undersöka om off-grid tiny house med stöd av V2X kan bli självförsörjande på energi och vilka förutsättningarna är för användning. Metoden för att besvara forskningsfrågan är inledningsvis en empirisk studie följt av en fallstudie. I den empiriska studien uppskattas den teknologiska, marknadsmässiga och regulatoriska mognadsgraden av att använda en elbil för att försörja off-grid boenden. Vidare undersöks innovationens egenskaper för att förstå hur lösningen skulle kunna tilltala möjliga användare. Studien gjordes genom att intervjua samt skicka ut en enkät till branschexperter. Därefter genomfördes en fallstudie med en partner i Sverige som erbjuder vistelser i off-grid tiny houses. Under fallstudien modellerades energisystemet bestående av ett off-grid hus, ett hembatteri samt solpaneler för att förstå hur energibalansen förändras när en elbil adderas till systemet. Resultaten visar att det är regulatoriskt oproblematiskt att ansluta en elbil till ett off-grid tiny house för att förse det med ström, och tekniken är mer redo än marknaden. För att innovationens mognadsgrad ska öka krävs mer standardisering av både utrustning och kommunikationsprotokoll. Egenskaper som uppmuntrar användning av innovationen är att elbilen är mobil och erbjuder stor lagringsmöjlighet vilket i sin tur minskar beroendet av förnybar energi. Det kan dock anses kompliceratatt sätta upp off-grid-systemet och följa de säkerhetsföreskrifter som krävs. Vidare ses innovationen som mest användbar för korttidsvistelser och individuellt bruk. Resultaten från fallstudien visar att elbilen kan förlänga säsongen för off-grid tiny houses boende med 1-4 månader genom att minska energiobalansen och öka systemets grad av självförsörjande. Dessutom kan elbilen öka andelen förnybar energi som används genom att lagra energi när det finns överskott av solenergi tillgänglig. Slutligen, för att svara på den huvudsakliga frågeställningen om off-grid tiny houses med stöd av V2X kan bli självförsörjande på energi och vilka förutsättningarna är för användning, drar studien slutsatsen att det är teoretiskt möjligt, men innovationen är beroende av att alla tekniska komponenter testas och valideras tillsammans i en off-grid miljö. Elbilen måste ha dubbelriktad laddning och hemmet måste utrustas med smart mjukvara och en växelriktare för att styra laddning och urladdning. Därför behöver det finnas en affärsmodell som skapar värde som bekräftas av marknaden, både av kunder och branschaktörer. Slutligen, ur ett regulatoriskt perspektiv, är konceptet genomförbart så länge installationen av energisystemet följer svenska säkerhetsföreskrifter. Elbilen kan då, enligt modellen, teoretiskt bidra till att förlänga säsongen genom att minska energibalansen och göra energisystemet självförsörjande på energi. Elbilen kan både ladda ur energi till boendet samt laddas av överskottet av solenergi, och därför kan den smarta dubbelriktade laddningen av elbilen och hemmet öka andelen förnybar energi tillgänglig för användning och minska energiobalansen. Implikationerna av denna uppsats tyder på ökad tillgång till off-grid boende eftersom V2X-tekniken kan förlänga säsongen för människor som bor off-grid såväl som för off-grid-företag inom besöksnäringen. Detta skulle möjliggöra ökat affärsvärde och möjligheter inom både bostads- och turistnäringen. Resultaten stöder också hållbar utveckling eftersom innovationen ökar resurseffektiviteten för elbilen eftersom den kan tjäna flera syften, inklusive transport, energilagring och energiförsörjning.

Transportations role in society is increasingly important and today it has a prominent role in business, citizens lives as well as in the world economy. The increasing globalization and urbanization puts significant pressure on the existing transport system, with increasing demand for high-speed travel. However, this comes with implications on the environment, and the environmental concerns constitutes one of the biggest pressures in transport. And as the contemporary modes are bound by their technologies, enabling marginal rather than radical improvements, a possible window of opportunity for new radical technologies to enter the market can emerge. One new technology emerging within transportation today is called hyperloop, a technology that could prove to meet demand for faster, cheaper, safer and more environmentally efficient transportation. However, the technology is still in an early stage of development and hence surrounded by major uncertainties. Further, the nature of the technology necessitates overcoming several obstacles before it can reach commercial practice. And this together with a limited knowledge of the concept in Sweden makes it difficult to predict if hyperloop can become a viable transport alternative on the Swedish market. Which condensed lays the foundation to the purpose of this paper: "To give an overarching understanding of the Swedish transport market dynamics, together with a comprehensive evaluation of the hyperloop concept. And hence contribute to more inclusive knowledge and understanding of hyperloop’s viability in the Swedish context." Since the phenomenon has not been comprehensively studied previously, the elected research design is that of an exploratory case study, with an inductive, qualitative approach. To address the purpose, a literary review of the theoretical field was conducted. Looking in to previous research on disruptive innovation, diffusion of innovations, technical transitions, transformational pressure as well as window of opportunity. The empirical material gathered during the research process was derived from two main channels. Firstly, an extensive review of scientific articles about the hyperloop technology was conducted, providing insights on the technology and its surroundings. This was complemented by qualitative interviews to obtain material on the dynamics of the Swedish transport market as well as for understanding hyperloop in the Swedish context. The empirical study was further accompanied by a review of news articles and websites to map the most recent progress in the hyperloop development. By analyzing the empirical material through three frameworks; Characteristics of Diffusion, the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and Technology Readiness Level (TRL), interesting findings and conclusions were drawn. These together points towards that hyperloop, if the technology reaches its predicted performance, will have significant relative advantages and observable effects in the relation to the contemporary modes of transportation. Further, a noticeable window of opportunity, sprung from capacity shortages and pressure towards environmental sustainability, seems to exist on the Swedish market. A window which could be capitalized upon and justify hyperloop in the Swedish context. The current state of the technology does however come with implications as it so far is insufficient to decrease uncertainty amongst the potential adopters. Factors that likely will prolong the adoption of the technology in Sweden relates to the relative complexity of the system, its limited compatibility with existing practices and the low maturity of the technology. Hence, the hyperloop companies must prove the concept feasible and increase the maturity to gain sufficient acceptance and recognition. This paper contributes to the academic community by assessing the compatibility of hyperloop on the Swedish market, as well as if hyperloop could become a viable alternative transport solution in Sweden. It provides insight to specific perspectives of the Swedish market, its requirements and the demand for alternative transport solutions. Hence, this paper is considered to make both an analytical contribution in terms of evaluating the viability of disruptive technologies. And an empirical contribution by shedding light on new important insights for the potential diffusion of hyperloop. Insights that are significant for hyperloop actors as well as for dominant actors on the Swedish transport market. / Transporters roll i samhället blir allt viktigare och de har idag en framträdande roll inom näringsliv, medborgares liv samt världsekonomin. Den ökande globaliseringen och urbaniseringen sätter dock ett betydande tryck på det existerande transportsystemet, med ökande efterfrågan för höghastighetsalternativ. Detta medför implikationer för miljön, och oron kring transporters miljöpåverkan är ett av de största bekymren för transportsektorn. Eftersom de existerande transportalternativen är bundna av sin teknik, vilket begränsar dem till inkrementella snarare än radikala förbättringar, kan en möjlighet för nya transportsätt att komma in på marknaden öppna sig. En kommande ny teknik som utvecklas inom transport idag kallas hyperloop, en teknik som kan visa sig möta efterfrågan för snabbare, billigare, säkrare och mer miljösmarta transporter. Tekniken är dock i ett tidigt utvecklingsskede och är därav omgärdad av stora osäkerheter. Vidare kräver teknikens natur att flertalet hinder kommer att behöva överkommas innan tekniken kan nå kommersiellt bruk. Detta tillsammans med den begränsade kunskap som finns kring konceptet i Sverige gör det svårt att förutspå om hyperloop kan bli ett möjligt transportalternativ på den svenska marknaden. Kondenserat ligger detta till grund för syftet med den här uppsatsen: "Att ge en övergripande förståelse av dynamiken på den svenska transportmarknaden, tillsammans med en djupgående utvärdering av hyperloop konceptet. Och därav bidra till en mer inkluderande kunskap och förståelse kring hyperloops möjligheter i den svenska kontexten." Eftersom detta fenomen inte tidigare har studerats i större utsträckning valdes en forskningsdesign i form av en undersökande fallstudie med ett induktivt, kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt. För att adressera syftet gjordes en litterär översyn av det teoretiska fältet. Med inblickar i tidigare forskning kring disruptiv teknik, diffusion av innovation, tekniska övergångar, transformationstryck samt möjlighetsfönster. Det empiriska materialet till studien samlades in genom två kanaler i huvudsak. Först, genom en djupdykning i tidigare forskning och vetenskapliga artiklar relaterade till hyperlooptekniken, för att generera insikter kring tekniken och dess omgivning. Detta kompletteras med kvalitativa intervjuer för att erhålla material om dynamiken på den svenska transportmarknaden samt för att ge en förståelse av hyperloop i den svenska kontexten. Den empiriska studien kompletterades ytterligare med en översyn av nyhetsartiklar och webbplatser för att kartlägga de senaste framstegen i hyperlooputvecklingen. Genom att analysera det empiriska materialet med hjälp av tre ramverk; Egenskaper för Spridning av Innovation, Perspektiv i Multipla Nivåer (MLP) och Teknisk Mogenhetsnivå (TRL), kunde flertalet intressanta upptäckter och slutsatser dras. Vilka tillsammans pekar mot att hyperloop, om tekniken lyckas uppnå den predikterade prestandan, kommer att ha betydande relativa fördelar och synliga effekter i förhållande till dagens transportsätt. Vidare kan ett märkbart möjlighetsfönster, sprunget ur kapacitetsbrist och tryck mot miljömässig hållbarhet, identifieras på den svenska marknaden. Detta fönster skulle kunna kapitaliseras på och motivera hyperloop i den svenska kontexten. Teknologins nuvarande tillstånd har emellertid konsekvenser, eftersom den hittills inte är tillräcklig för att minska osäkerheten hos potentiella adopterare. Faktorer som sannolikt kommer att förlänga processen att adoptera tekniken i Sverige härstammar från systemets relativa komplexitet, dess begränsade kompatibilitet med befintliga metoder samt teknikens låga mogenhet. Därav är det essentiellt för hyperloopbolagen att bevisa konceptet möjligt och öka mogenheten för att få tillräcklig acceptans och erkännande. Detta arbete bidrar till det akademiska samhället genom att bedöma kompatibiliteten mellan hyperloop och den svenska marknaden, samt om hyperloop kan bli ett genomförbart transportalternativ i Sverige. Arbetet bidrar med insikter i specifika perspektiv på den svenska marknaden, dess krav samt efterfrågan för alternativa transportlösningar. Därav kan denna uppsats anses utgöra både ett analytiskt bidrag genom dess utvärdering av genomförbarheten av disruptiv teknik. Samt ett empiriskt bidrag genom att belysa viktiga insikter för den potentiella spridningen av hyperloop. Insikter som är viktiga för såväl hyperloopaktörer som de dominanta aktörerna på den svenska transportmarknaden.