This dissertation investigates how very recent, recent, and established immigrants who use e-government service platforms in Canada experience and circumvent digital inequalities. Employing a Capabilities Approach perspective, this study focuses specifically on the challenges encountered by very recent, recent, and established Nepali immigrants to Canada in using federal-, provincial-, and municipal-level e-government service platforms. To meet this objective, an explanatory sequential design mixed-methods approach involving a survey with 261 respondents and five focus group meetings with 25 Nepali immigrants to Canada was used to gather the requisite data. In contrast with dominant narratives in much digital divide literature, the findings revealed no statistically significant differences in the use of e-government service platforms by very recent, recent, and established Nepali immigrants other than very recent immigrants were found to be using the federal-level e-government service platform more frequently than their recent and established immigrant counterparts. The lack of observable differences between the two groups was found to be linked to the participants' reliance on their social support networks of family and friends who provide the material and immaterial resources needed to mitigate the effects of digital inequalities. The implications of these unexpected findings are important for understanding the evolving on-the-ground dynamics with which immigrants must contend and, specifically, how their lived experiences contrast with stereotypical perceptions and understandings of their encounters with digital inequalities. The findings also contribute to advancing the knowledge both in terms of theory and practice. At the level of theory, the findings suggest the presence of two conversion factors — social support networks, and perceptions of convenience — that up to now have not received much attention in the Capabilities Approach literature. At the level of practice, the findings suggest a need to reconsider the ways in which the ubiquity of ICT devices and the pervasiveness of Internet connections along with changing immigration criteria are contributing to a transformation in how very recent, recent, and established immigrants experience digital inequalities.

Background: The society has changed and become increasingly characterized by technology-facilitated interactions. Companies are starting to make use of self-service. technologies (SSTs), instead of interpersonal encounters during service deliveries. Customers’ usage of SSTs has been examined in previous research. However, previous studies have ignored the fact that different types of SSTs have different factors that influence customer's experience and decision to use them, increasing the relevance of examining one specific SST, namely private SST to achieve more accurate results regarding what specific factors that influences customer decision to use this type of SST. The reason for choosing private SSTs is not only because it is the most recent type of SST, it is also the type of SST that develops continuously with the increased use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify the most important factors influencing customers to use private SST. Research Questions:- What value judgement influences customers to use private SSTs the most? - What factors influences customers’ value judgements? Methodology: This research takes on a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design. The chosen data collection method is performed through one independent survey. Conclusion: Hedonic and utilitarian value judgements have a positive relationship towards customer's decision to use private SSTs. The utilitarian value judgements have a greater impact on customer's decision to make use of private SSTs, in comparison to the hedonic value judgements. However, hedonic value judgements can still be considered as an important factor in influencing customer's decision to use private SSTs, as the hedonic value judgements still have a relatively strong impact on customer's decision to use private SSTs.

Waste management is an integral part of sustainable urban development. In the modern world, when attitude to waste is being shifted towards “waste as resource” and “waste as income generator”, ensuring separation of hazardous waste from the general waste stream becomes increasingly important. Sorting hazardous waste is critical in light of the whole recycling idea. Hazardous elements, while bearing a certain value if properly handled, can negate the costs of the recyclable materials if found in their stream. They present enormous long-term losses, if introduced into the environment, and can negatively influence our ability to benefit from recycling. Convenience is one of the most effective tools in increasing recycling rates (Carlson 2001, p.1275). It is a personally defined concept, and often depends on the users’ lifestyle-related factors. This thesis explores users’ understanding and habits of handling hazardous waste, as well as the challenges they encounter and their views and suggestions on convenience of hazardous waste recycling systems. The main method used in this comparative case study research is qualitative interviews conducted with a variety of people with different lifestyles living in Malmo. First, the thesis develops a list of lifestyle-related factors which lower the perceived convenience of recycling. People consider recycling to be effort demanding or easy not just because they are women or men, young or old, live in a dense area or not. But this perception is influenced by having or not having access to a transporting vehicle and time available, their household’s waste producing rates, time spent living in a certain place, available space for storing waste; physical constraints or difficulties with self-organization at home; established or not recycling habits or level of environmental concern. People’s recycling behavior is determined by these personal lifestyle-related factors. Second, aspects of convenience are being presented as the focus areas which planners should consider in increasing recycling rates. The convenience aspects are developed with regards to the challenges people with different lifestyles experience in recycling. While lifestyle-related factors cannot be influenced directly, aspects of convenience can be employed in ensuring efficiency of hazardous waste collection system. It is important that the hazardous waste collection system design takes them into the full account. Detailed descriptions of the aspects of perceived convenience are presented. They are grouped into convenience of access to information and convenience through facilities and services. The final conclusion of the thesis is that involving users would assist in addressing key aspects of recycling systems’ perceived convenience and increase their efficiency. It is hoped that the information can be helpful in designing successful hazardous waste collection systems with increased capability to reach national goals in recycling and reduce the amounts of hazardous substances in general waste. / Master Programme: Sustainable Urban Management, 2011-2012Thesis: On the Way to the Convenient Hazardous Waste Collection System in Malmo, Sweden. Users’ PerspectiveAuthor: Olga Belorusova (OB)Tutor: Peter ParkerDate of Submission: 24 May, 2012.