Information management in the smart city

Smart cities and quality of life: a quantitative analysis of citizens' support for smart city development

Purpose

This study examined a tourism destination, Macao, a fast-progressing smart city under development, vis-à-vis a set of smart city quality of life (SCQOL) domains and verified their effects on citizens' attitudes, perceptions and support for citizen-centric smart city development (SCD).

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a quantitative approach. In particular, a questionnaire survey was used to collect data from Macao citizens. Factor analysis was used to identify SCQOL domains, while multiple linear regression and cluster analysis were used to achieve the research objectives.

Findings

This study identified five SCQOL domains: smart environment, smart people, smart livelihood, smart economy and economic policy, and smart mobility. Each of the domains had a different influence on citizens' attitudes and support for SCD. Three citizen segments (passive, neutral and enthusiastic supporters) were identified.

Practical implications

The five SCQOL domains, their effects on citizens' support for SCD and the three citizen segments identified can help implement the appropriate measures to enhance the target groups' SCD. The findings are also of practical value in evaluating the citizen-centric approaches on smart progress in other contexts.

Originality/value

The concept of smart technology has been widely applied to all aspects of city development. The main goal of SCD is to enhance citizens' quality of life. However, most studies have only explored smart cities and quality of life in isolation. Grounded on citizen centrality, this study contributes to the literature on SCD by proposing a new concept of SCQOL, identifying the domains constituting SCQOL and their influence on citizens' support for SCD.

An Assessment Framework for the Transformation of Mobility 4.0 in Smart Cities

Investing in digital transformation turns out to be a strategic action to tackle contemporary issues and to improve competitiveness for enterprises. The high variability of options in the digital transformation process enforces a higher complexity level in configuring and setting up objectives and goals based on cities’ needs; hence, a systematic approach is required to assist decision makers for better and sustainable transformation. A reference model is described in this paper to support decision makers with comprehensive assessment data for digital transformation cities transport. The proposed reference model assesses the cities based on digital transformation of transport services to assist policy makers for better decisions in transforming the Mobility 4.0. The proposed model in this study functions as a knowledge-based systematic framework for assessing the capabilities of the cities, diagnosing their needs under given circumstances and identifying the best fitting workflow for digital transformation of urban transportation systems and related services. The reference model takes on board a group of smart city indices with respective assessment criteria in determining a smartness level of transportation components. A conceptual 4-tier smartness scale has been proposed to establish a consistent assessment subject to cities circumstances in many respects. The reference model has been formalised into a mathematical model to characterise the assessments. The mathematical model encompasses strategic assessments by experts to identify priorities of investments in the digitalization process, which are aligned with strategic goals and policies of cities’ management.

Mobile Communications for Tourism and Hospitality: A Review of Historical Evolution, Present Status, and Future Trends

As the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technology captures public attention, reviewing the first to fourth generations with the anticipated implications of 5G and afterward, and future research would present a useful value to the literature. This study uses a systematic content analysis methodology to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary review of mobile communication research in tourism and hospitality to help academic researchers and industry practitioners understand the research area. The study also analyzes the future changes that mobile communication technologies and their applications will bring to tourism and hospitality research trends and industry practices. This study not only contributes to identifying some research gaps in the extant research, but can also provide significant theoretical guidance and practical implications for further academic and industrial research related to mobile communication technologies in tourism and hospitality.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic marketing decision-making: a research agenda

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review literature about the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic situations and identify the research that is needed in the area of applying AI to strategic marketing decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach was to carry out a literature review and to consult with marketing experts who were invited to contribute to the paper.

Findings

There is little research into applying AI to strategic marketing decision-making. This research is needed, as the frontier of AI application to decision-making is moving in many management areas from operational to strategic. Given the competitive nature of such decisions and the insights from applying AI to defence and similar areas, it is time to focus on applying AI to strategic marketing decisions.

Research limitations/implications

The application of AI to strategic marketing decision-making is known to be taking place, but as it is commercially sensitive, data is not available to the authors.

Practical implications

There are strong implications for all businesses, particularly large businesses in competitive industries, where failure to deploy AI in the face of competition from firms, who have deployed AI to improve their decision-making could be dangerous.

Social implications

The public sector is a very important marketing decision maker. Although in most cases it does not operate competitively, it must make decisions about making different services available to different citizens and identify the risks of not providing services to certain citizens; so, this paper is relevant to the public sector.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first papers to probe deployment of AI in strategic marketing decision-making.

Geospatial data in the UK

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the rise of geospatial data, its importance for business and some of the problems associated with its development and use.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews a certain amount of previously published literature but is based mainly on analysis of the very large number of responses to a consultation paper on geospatial data published by the UK Government.

Findings

The findings are that while there is strong appreciation of the potential benefits of using geospatial data, there are many barriers to the development, sharing and use of geospatial data, ranging from problems of incompatibility in data definitions and systems to regulatory issues. The implication for governments and for providers and users of geospatial data relates to the need to take a long-term approach to planning in resolving the issues identified.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings are limited to the UK, but similar findings would be likely in any other large Western country.

Practical implications

This paper confirms the need for a strong and coherent approach to the planning of geospatial data and systems for the establishment of a clear basis for the different parties to work together and the need to clearly separate the roles of the government in establishing frameworks and standards and the role of the private sector in developing applications and solutions.

Social implications

Society is increasingly dependent on the use of geospatial data, in improving living standards and dealing with social problems. The recommendations identified in this paper, if followed, will facilitate these improvements.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is the tight synthesis that it provides of a wide ranging and complex range of responses to the UK Government consultation and placing these responses in the wider context of the development of geospatial data.

The making of information nations

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main characteristics of what have come to be called information nations and to identify some of the determinants of success in becoming an information nation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a critical review of the literature and of secondary data on information technology and services from studies of the innovativeness of nations.

Findings

Success in becoming an information nation is not necessarily closely connected with investments in information technology and services by firms and policies supporting these investments by governments, or with education policies designed to support the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Other factors, such as the vibrancy of capitalism, particularly the funding of new ventures, the culture of the nation and its focus on non-scientific determinants of innovation, such as design, are also important. Governments should be careful not to take credit for achievements when their policies are merely coincident with those achievements.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitations relate to the focus of this article on two sets of nations, South East/East Asia and two Western nations. The review of their performance is relatively high level and needs to be deepened, while the number of nations included in the research needs to be increased.

Practical implications

This paper has substantial practical implications for government policymakers, in terms of whether and how they should make policy at all in this area, and for companies trying to establish a long-term position in the global economy, in terms of being careful not to go against the very strong economic forces which favour certain kinds of activities in certain countries.

Social implications

This paper has significant social implications, because much of the thinking about developing information societies relies on generalisations about the creation of information nations that may not hold. Governments and social commentators are encouraged to approach the idea of making “big policies” in this area with some scepticism.

Originality/value

The content of this paper is not original, but the challenge to policymakers is relatively original, as too often the work of academics is sponsored by governments that are trying to legitimate the value of their own efforts.