Given that not even 10% of clothing is sold online, apparel e-commerce faces major challenges as opposed to traditional apparel shopping or e-commerce of digital goods. Due to the constantly increasing online business, it is essential to optimize the online apparel purchase process, for it to become more competitive. Perceived product risk and return rates– for apparel– are exceptionally high. Fitting and size uncertainty is the key reason to both purchase hesitance as well as number of returns. In this study it is investigated whether fitting enabling technologies (FETs) can benefit apparel e-commerce by making the purchase process more efficient and solving the aforementioned complications. Focus here is put onto three main fitting technologies: Fits.Me, UPcload and Virtusize. In order to serve the study purpose, subjects of research included the classification of apparel goods, the theory of perceived risk as well as technology acceptance. The measures of the technological acceptance model (TAM) were used to examine and evaluate the applications. These were ‘skills’, ‘perceived ease of use’, ‘perceived enjoyment’, ‘perceived usefulness’ and ‘post-purchase evaluation’. The method was based on a deductive approach, first examining theory and then confirming results practically. A general online observation of diverse (fitting) enabling technologies paired with extensive literature research of accompanying topics, lead to the selection of three case technologies, which could be tested and evaluated based on the components of the literature review. Closing the gap between retailer and consumer in order to create purchase process efficiency could be achieved. Purchase hesitance due to the inability of physical examination of intangible apparel goods could be minimized through the integration of FETs. The measures of the TAM were tested overall positively in regard to the technologies in the e-tail context. The online apparel purchase process had been aligned with the conventional buying procedure and consequently generated the same benefits, allowing apparel e-commerce to finally achieve competitive advantage, to potentially substitute traditional apparel shopping and to eventually build upon a consistent and coherent international size infrastructure. / Program: Master programme in Applied Textile Management

Abstract: Title: The emergence of Big Data and Auditors' Perception (A comparative study on India and Bangladesh) Aim: The aim of the study is to explore and compare the perception of auditors in India and Bangladesh towards the implementation of big data analytics in audit. Method: In this study a qualitative method has been applied using semi-structured interviews. The study is an exploratory research and has been analysed thematically. Results and conclusions: Employing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a conceptual framework, this study conducted a comparative analysis of auditors' perceptions, emphasizing the components of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, intention to adopt, and their interactions. The results of the study show that the intention to adopt big data analytics tools emerges as a shared aspiration among auditors from both India and Bangladesh.

Customers uses both offline and online channels before the final purchase, retailers that are operating and selling their products both online and offline can benefit from aligning the experiences on their channels by using an omni-channel strategy. The smartphone is becoming a natural part of our day-to-day life and keeping us connected, also when visiting abrick and mortar retailers. Mobile technology therefore possesses the opportunity to integrate in-store experience with the online world for creating value for customers. But many retailers are struggling in their integration efforts towards an omni-channel strategy due toall the possible technologies to invest. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the acceptance of mobile technologies in a brick and mortar retail setting, the chosen technologies are beacons and augmented reality.This research investigated the mediating effect of the four technology readiness dimensions:optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity, on the constructs of the technology acceptance model: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The research was carried out with a positivist research philosophy, inductive approach and lastly with an explanatory research design including a quantitative method. The data was collected through a survey, which got answered by 224 participants. The data was further statistically analyzed. The result showed that several of the dimensions of technology readiness had a significant effect on the constructs of technology acceptance model, especially the dimension: optimism. Thus, retailers that wants to introduce mobile technology into their stores should put emphasis on customizing their offerings towards the customers’ different level of technology readiness, especially optimism.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2016-07-01T21:32:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Roberto Antonio Winter.pdf: 2306529 bytes, checksum: a8d1cdc9ad22f45147be60e7a42ca592 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-01T21:32:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Roberto Antonio Winter.pdf: 2306529 bytes, checksum: a8d1cdc9ad22f45147be60e7a42ca592 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-22 / Organizational learning process is part of the quest for competitiveness and it is also present on the project’s results, summing up together with several organization projects in order to make up its result. The learned lessons support managers in their projects with the successful and unsuccessful experiences through the registry stored and provided in a centralized and organized way. The learned lessons registry in any project stage helps the project members to meditate about the process, achievements, stimulating the sharing of tacit and explicit knowledge created. On this process of storing and retrieving learned lessons, the web’s 2.0 collaborative tools are present, and in this context the wiki platform is one of the most cited when storing and retrieving learned lessons. Add up the fact that there are no process on the most used references (PMBOK-PMI and ICB-IPMA) to these factors and it is identified a gap on the studies. This scenario motivates the quest for a model that helps the learned lessons management in Information Technology projects and Information Systems. This dissertation aims to evaluate a learned lesson management model on IT/IS project utilizing web 2.0 tools. This model supports the management of learned lessons: gathering, verification, dissemination and reusing. This study has an explanatory and prescriptive approach using an abductive, inductive and deductive method. The Design Science Research is the research’s approach. This study looks for contributing towards the project’s practice and its results and creating academic knowledge with the accuracy that the study requires in its method. The Target 2.0 was instantiated in the implementation phase of an IT project, demonstrating that the model achieved its expected results, solving while searching the company's problem with the GLA. The result emerged evidence of the sociomaterial relations, the quality of relations between people and the model, under present social theory. The research contributes to the GLA practice in projects, helps with project managers in GLA, besides contributing to the Administration allowing expand the use of the organization's knowledge management model. The research contributes to the theory and use of GLA model in the implementation phase of an IT project, in a small business, with improvements in GLA. / O resultado dos diversos projetos de uma empresa contribui para o resultado estratégico do negócio, para a aprendizagem nos projetos, e para o processo de aprendizagem organizacional. Em adição a aprendizagem em projetos, com as lições aprendidas, apoiam os gestores em seus projetos, com o registro das experiências bem sucedidas e de fracassos, coletando e reutilizando as experiências de forma organizada e centralizada. Esta pesquisa explora a gestão de lições aprendidas (GLA), com apoio de uma plataforma wiki, em uma empresa de médio porte, no ramo de TI, especializada em sistemas de logística e transporte. Na relevância do tema, encontram-se as necessidades das empresas, a pouca atenção ao tema nos guias mais utilizados em projetos (PMBOK-PMI e ICB-IPMA). Esse cenário motiva a busca de um modelo que auxilie a GLA em projetos de Tecnologia da Informação e Sistemas de Informação (TI/SI). Essa dissertação tem como objetivo avaliar a instanciação de um modelo de gestão de lições aprendidas em projetos de TI/SI, utilizando uma wiki. Este modelo suporta os processos de GLA: conscientização; coleta; verificação; armazenamento; disseminação e reuso. Este estudo adota o paradigma Design Science Research e o método Technical Action Research, têm uma abordagem exploratória e prescritiva, com uso dos métodos abdutivo, indutivo e dedutivo. A pesquisa instanciou o modelo Target 2.0 na fase de execução de um projeto de TI, demonstrando que o modelo atingiu seus resultados, contribuindo durante a pesquisa para a solução do problema da empresa com a GLA. No resultado emergiu evidências da relação sócio material, na qualidade das relações entre as pessoas e o modelo, sob uma presente teoria social. A pesquisa contribui para a prática de GLA em projetos, contribui com gestores de projetos na GLA, além de contribuir com a Administração permitindo expandir o uso do modelo gestão do conhecimento da empresa. A pesquisa contribui na teoria com uso do modelo na GLA da fase de execução de um projeto de TI, apresentando melhorias na GLA. As seis proposições elaboradas pelo pesquisador, foram confirmadas pela análise dos resultados da pesquisa de campo, sendo que uma possui ressalva que sugere melhorias na elaboração das páginas wiki.