With the rapid development of the Internet and web technology, governments worldwide have caught onto this revolution and shown rapid development of electronic government (e-government) in the public sector. Nowadays, there are a significant number of e-governments that are accessible via the Internet and provide a range of information and services. However, existing research indicates that e-government still faces the challenge of generating greater users’ interaction in terms of accessing information, utilizing services and participating in e-government decision making. Among a variety of reasons for this challenge, usability and credibility have been found to be the key factors in users’ decisions about e-government engagement and need to be explored. This research attempts to evaluate the usability and credibility of current e-governments, focusing on specific e-government websites in the UK. This research adopted heuristic evaluation, which is based on users’ perception, to implement a thorough and in-depth assessment of e-government websites. In addition, to obtain a more comprehensive evaluation, users’ performance was measured in order to reveal the level of users’ interaction with e-government websites when they perform a set of practical tasks. The research design was a quasi-experimental, consisting of two linked experiments. Experiment 1 aimed to evaluate usability and credibility of the target e-government websites, identifying a range of existing usability and credibility problems. Based on the usability and credibility problems found, design solutions were proposed for each of the target e-government websites. Experiment 2 aimed to examine the effects of the proposed design solutions on the usability and credibility problems identified on the redesigned e-government websites. The findings of experiment 1 suggested that the e-government websites need to improve their usability and credibility. In particular, the most serious usability problems found in the target e-government websites lay within the areas of “aesthetic and minimalist design”, “recognition rather than recall”, and “consistency and standards”. In addition, the most serious credibility problems identified were within the areas of “site looks professional”, “make site easy to use and useful”, and “show the honest and trustworthy people behind the site”. The findings of experiment 2 revealed that the usability and credibility problems found in experiment 1 had been improved by the proposed design solutions. Furthermore, these improvements might increase the overall usability and credibility of the target e-government websites, making the users’ task performance better within the redesigned e-government websites. Based on the findings of the experiments, this research developed a set of usability and credibility guidelines. Each guideline addressed a number of the specific usability and credibility elements at the detailed level of e-government website design. These guidelines can be helpful to guide designers to develop more usable and credible e-government websites.

Denna studie utgår från en socialkonstruktivistisk ansats och undersöker hur interaktionen mellan målsägande och rättsväsende påverkar våldtäktsdomars utfall. Syftet är att betrakta denna interaktion utifrån ett genusperspektiv för att undersöka hur föreställningar och antaganden om genus påverkar målsägandens trovärdighet. Studiens empiriska material består av tolv våldtäktsdomar, varav sex med friande utfall och sex med fällande. För att analysera dessa domar har följande begrepp och teorier används: Nils Christies (2001) begrepp det ideala offret, Simone de Beauvoirs (2017), Yvonne Hirdmans (2003) respektive Pierre Bourdieus (2004) teori om genus samt Pierre Bourdieus (2004) teori om symboliskt våld. I resultatet tydliggörs hur målsägandens beteende före samt efter våldtäkten ligger till grund för hur tingsrätten bedömer dennes trovärdighet. Här uppmärksammas även våldtäktsmyter för att synliggöra de samhälleliga strukturer som bygger på normer och värderingar med utgångspunkt i ett genusperspektiv. / This study is based on a social constructivist approach and investigates how the interaction between plaintiff and judiciary affects the outcome of rape judgments. The purpose is to consider this interaction based on a gender perspective to investigate how allegations and assumptions about gender affect the plaintiff’s credibility. The empirical material of the study consists of twelve rape judgments, six of which are freeing outcomes and six with convulsions. In order to analyze these judgments, the following concepts and theories have been used: Nils Christie’s (2001) concept of the ideal victim, Simone de Beauvoir’s (2017), Yvonne Hirdman’s (2003) respective Pierre Bourdieu’s (2004) theory of gender, and Pierre Bourdieu’s (2004) theory of symbolic violence. The result clarifies how the plaintiff's behavior before and after the rape forms the basis for how the district court assesses its credibility. Rape myths are noted to visualize the social structures because of norms and values ​​based on gender perspectives.

Historically, companies disseminated financial information via the press release. The ability to disseminate information now exists on multiple "new media" channels beyond just the press release, with each channel reaching a different audience. With the different channels of communication come different connotations and associations that people have about the channels, which may affect the interpretation of the message, thereby altering management's ability to effectively communicate with stakeholders. I investigate whether retail investors' processing of financial information disclosures is dependent upon the fit between the channel and the type of information sent on the channel. Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model, I experimentally test how good and bad financial information posted on a social media channel, Twitter, compares to a more traditional channel, a company investor relations page where financial information is traditionally posted. I find that Twitter is associated with investors processing financial information unconsciously on the peripheral route while conscious or central route processing is associated with information coming from the company's investor relations page. Additionally, I find that investors have lower perceptions of management credibility after viewing financial disclosures on a company's Twitter feed than after viewing the same disclosures on the company's investor relations page.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the influence of foreign accent on credibility of non- native speakers of English. The study was inspired by Lev-Ari and Keysar (2010), who observed that native speakers of English are less likely to believe non-native speakers. In our research we used the same set of statements and similar settings of the experiment to find out whether foreign accent will have the same negative effect on credibility of non- native speakers as perceived by non-native listeners. 6 native speakers from Britain and the USA, and 6 non-native speakers recorded the set of trivia statements for the test and 45 non-native listeners rated on a scale whether they thought the statement they hear is true or not. The results were analysed from multiple points of view such as the influence of accent on credibility, the influence of gender on credibility, and we have also analysed the individual speakers and items in the test to see if the results could be influenced by the behaviour of one individual speaker or an item. The results of the experiment revealed that foreign accent has a negative effect on the credibility of non-native speakers as perceived by non-native listeners. Czech respondents rated British accent of English to be the most credible, while people who spoke with a foreign...

Social Media Influencers (SMIs) and their sponsored posts on the Social Media represent a growing part of tomorrow’s digital marketing landscape. Marketers hire them to recommend their products to their large audiences through friendly and engaging social media posts. To please marketers, increasing and maintaining their audience size is of the utmost importance. Consequently, number of followers, likes, and comments have become the metrics of SMIs success. However, recent contradictory publications of business magazines and academic research raised the question of SMIs’ online popularity, credibility, and their efficiency as brand endorsers. Hence, an online-based survey experiment based examined the audience’s attitude of SMI credibility across three different level of online popularity using Ohanian’s (1990) source credibility model. Further, the relationship between SMI credibility and brand attitude, and the mediating effect of attitude toward sponsored post were investigated using a research model adapted from Attitude toward advertising models. The findings revealed that the more an SMI is popular, the more he is perceived as a credible brand advocate, and SMI credibility was found to positively and directly influences brand attitude. Semi-structured interviews strengthened the discussion of the quantitative results. Theoretical and managerial contributions of the study are presented and suggestions for future research ensue.

Idag vistas människor på internet i större utsträckning än tidigare och det medför att människor utsätts för ett stort informationsflöde. Enligt tidigare forskning har det för den enskilda individen blivit allt viktigare att kunna sålla bland informationen. Det som har studerats är ett tillvägagångssätt som internetanvändare omedvetet eller medvetet använder sig av när de ska bedöma ett system eller tjänst är hur pass trovärdig systemet eller tjänsten ser ut eller verkar vara. Dessutom har informationskällor olika egenskaper, som design, utformning av gränssnittet, informationsflödet et cetera, som påverkar människors uppfattning kring hur pass trovärdig informationskällan, ett system eller en tjänst anses att vara. Detta i sin tur påverkar en användares vilja och avsikt att använda sig av ett system, tjänst eller informationskälla. Denna studie har studerat hur pass viktigt upplevd trovärdighet är initialt för att en användare ska ta sig an en ny tjänst, samt vilka faktorer som bidrar till upplevd trovärdighet. Studien har genomförts med en anpassad modell av den etablerade technology acceptance model (TAM). Upplevd trovärdighet introducerades i modellen tillsammans med de existerande upplevd användbarhet och upplevd användarvänlighet för att se om det fanns några egenskaper som stärkte avsikt till användning. Studien genomförde sedan användartester med hjälp av “think aloud” och efterföljande intervjuer för att ta reda på deras syn på trovärdighet och hur det förhåller sig till etablerad forskning på området. Det visar sig i studien att den första upplevelsen av ett gränssnitt sätter nivån för hur den vidare upplevelsen blir och kan konstatera att ett väl utformat gränssnitt med tidsenliga färg och formval har stark påverkan för upplevd trovärdighet. Vidare går det att se att första upplevelsen håller i sig trots att användaren möter på motstånd i användartest och där information inte alltid presenteras optimalt. Avsikten till användning förstärks dock genom att kombinera ett väl utformat gränssnitt med tydlig information. Rekommendationer från vänner och antalet användare är också faktorer som bidrar till den upplevda trovärdigheten och avsikten till användning. / The modern human being accesses the internet to a larger extent than earlier and this leads to people facing a grand flow of information. Earlier research suggests that it has become increasingly important for individuals to be able to filter the information. One aspect that internet users consciously or unconsciously use to assess a service or system is its measure of credibility, how credible it appears to be or is. Furthermore, sources of information have different characteristics – for example design, user interface and flow of information – that affects people's perception concerning how credible a service, system or source of information appears to be. This also affects a user's will and intent to use a system, service or source of information. This study has investigated how important credibility is to a user in the early stages of use of a service or system, and map out the factors that affect the measure of perceived credibility. The study has its foundation in the technology acceptance model (TAM). Perceived credibility was introduced in the model together with the already existing perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use to see if there are characteristics that strengthened the intent to use. The study continued with user testing, “think aloud”- techniques and interviews with a group of potential users to find out how they view credibility. The answers were then compared to accomplished research in this area of study. The study shows that the initial experience with an interface sets the bar for the continued experience and that contemporary use of colour and form has profound impact. Even if the user faces issues during user testing and if flaws are found in the flow and structure of information, the first experience still holds its sway. The study also shows that the intent to use magnifies when a well-structured user interface is combined with clear information. Recommendations from friends and the number of users that a service or system has are also factors that contribute to the perceived credibility, which then leads to intention to use.

Social media has become an attractive platform for companies to advertise their brands on and a common method is to pay internet celebrities to use their fame to promote the companies’ brands. One of these social media platforms is Youtube where “YouTubers” using their fame to promote brands on a daily basis in form of video logs (vlogs). Studies has indicated that the more credibility an endorser has, the more likely the purchase intention is, but also higher retention for the advertised brand. Therefor the purpose of this study is to describe the factors of endorser credibility, benefiting endorsers in how they can increase their credibility. The study also looked at the relation between endorsers’ credibility and attitude towards the advertisement, benefiting companies in choosing the most profitable endorser. A quantitative study was conducted to answer the research purpose, where a questionnaire was sent out to students on LUT (Luleå University of Technology). The results of this study suggested that endorsers credibility consists of all the five factors that was looked at in this study which was trustworthiness, attractiveness, expertise, homogeneous and tie strength. Findings of this study also suggested a direct and positive relation between some factors of endorser credibility with attitude towards advertisement

The aim of this master´s thesis is to verify the usability of credibility and bankruptcy models for predicting the bankruptcy of the company and evaluate the financial situation of the company after the reorganization in the conditions of the Czech Republic. The theoretical part of this thesis contains of descriptions corporate crisis and its causes, consequences and individual phases. Next in this part are described models and their method of calculation. In the practical part are presented selected companies on which are applied the models. The companies´ situation has been evaluated several years before and after the declaring bankruptcy and then has been evaluated the ability of the credibility and bankruptcy models to predict the companies´ problems ahead of time. At the end of this thesis are summarized the results from evaluating of these companies by prediction models, the influence of input data on results and the recommendations to include the models in financial management of the company.

The primary purpose of this thesis was to discover whether two classical modes of persuasion, which Paul used in the letter to the Galatians, are really useful tools for effective preaching. This study consists of seven chapters. The introductory chapter provided a problem posing and formulation of the study, a clear study goal and hypothesis and delimitation and definition, and indicated the methodology to be used to accomplish this thesis. In chapter two, a historical review of classical rhetoric was presented. A brief history of classical rhetoric and the relationship between rhetoric and preaching as communication were explained to serve as general background to classical rhetoric and the relationship between rhetoric and preaching. In chapter three, some basic concepts of classical rhetorical theories for this thesis were considered to explain how these terms are used and related in this thesis. Chapter four was devoted to two parts. First is an investigation of Paul in an attempt to determine whether he used classical rhetorics. Galatians is a strong echo of Paul’s actual oral preaching so that the level of Paul’s rhetorical awareness and the nature and characteristics of his letter can be grasped. Second is an examination of the rhetorical situation in which the original communication was accomplished. To understand the kinds of rhetoric, and Paul’s main purpose in Galatians, the particular historical situation and rhetorical problems have to be understood, as well as the literary structure of Galatians, the purpose of Galatians and Paul’s intent in the letter as a whole. In chapter five, the modes of persuasion (ethos, and pathos) in Galatians were analysed. This chapter showed the reader how Paul used and developed Aristotles’ two modes of persuasion in his preaching to persuade audiences effectively to actions. In chapter six, the implications for effective preaching was discussed in terms of the twin modes of persuasion in Galatians. This study set the important strategies for effective contemporary preaching. Chapter seven presented and an overview and sermon outline of the four elements of persuasion for effective preaching and contributions to persuasive preaching for the effective preacher. In the final chapter, a summary of the contents was presented in the Conclusion, which arrived at a concrete argument in terms of which the hypothesis presented in the Introduction can be tested. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Increased international competitiveness to host sport mega-events indicates their perceived value in stimulating regional and national economic, social and cultural development. In the context of broader governmental public opinion management strategies, sport mega-events hold the potential to mobilize soft power resources of the host country, expressed in values, culture and policies, and engage with and influence the publics of other countries. This thesis investigates the significance of sport mega-events for the host country’s public diplomacy strategies and practice by exploring the concepts of public diplomacy, sport mega-events, soft power and national image within a multi-disciplinary conceptual framework. The analysis of scholarly literature, official and media reports reveals how aspects of reputation, credibility, and legitimacy guide both foreign public opinion and the practice of public diplomacy in conjunction with sport mega-events. Moreover, international reputation of the host nation, including status, prestige and image, appeared to benefit the most as a result of strategic application of sport mega-events to public diplomacy. This can be achieved by proving functional reputation though demonstration of financial and organizational success. Alternatively, social reputation of the host is at risk of sustaining considerable damage as a result of resistance from social activists groups, thus requiring extensive damage control efforts of the host country's image. The conclusions drawn from this study raise significant questions about the potential of sport mega-events being effectively used for public diplomacy and the experience of the host governments, revealing functional competence as having the greatest potential to influence public diplomacy strategy built around hosting sport mega-events.