Understanding determinants of social networking service fatigue: an interpretive structural modeling approach

The moderating effect of technology overload on the ability of online learning to meet students' basic psychological needs

Purpose

Most students are considered digital natives and are presumably equipped to handle extensive technology use. However, online learning turns students into involuntary telecommuters when it is the primary modality. The prevailing trends of online learning, digital socialization, telehealth and other online services, combined with remote work has increased students' reliance on information and communications technologies (ICTs) for all purposes, which may be overwhelming. We examine how technology overload strains the ability of online learning to meet students' basic psychological needs (BPNs), which can decrease positive outcomes such as academic enjoyment and personal performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected via an online survey of 542 university students and the proposed model was tested using partial least squares (PLS) regression.

Findings

We find that technology overload can diminish the positive relationship between online learning intensity and BPNs satisfaction, which is alarming because BPNs satisfaction is critical to students' positive experiences. Moreover, we find that technology overload and lack of technology experience can directly drive BPNs frustration, which decreases positive outcomes and increases academic anxiety.

Originality/value

We extend a theoretical framework for telecommuting to examine online learning. Additionally, we consider the role of technology overload and experience both as drivers and as moderators of students' BPNs satisfaction and frustration in online learning. Our results provide valuable insights that can inform efforts to rebalance the deployment of ICTs to facilitate online educational experiences.

Analysis of challenges for blockchain adoption within the Indian public sector: an interpretive structural modelling approach

Purpose

Blockchain is one of the most significant emerging technologies that is set to transform many aspects of industry and society. However, it has several major technical, social, legal, environmental and ethical complexities that offer significant challenges for mainstream use within the public sector. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has compelled many public sector employees to work remotely, highlighting a number of challenges to blockchain adoption within the Indian context signifying the pertinence of this research topic in the post-pandemic era. This study offers insight to researchers and policymakers alike on how such challenges are interdependent within this important subject.

Design/methodology/approach

We explored 16 unique sets of challenges selected from the literature and gathered data from nine experts from government settings, healthcare and education sectors and academia who have significant knowledge and experience of blockchain implementation and use in their respective organisations. The implementation of Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and Matriced' Impacts Croise's Multiplication Appliquée a UN Classement (MICMAC) provided a precise set of driving, linkage and dependent challenges that were used to formulate the framework.

Findings

The developed ISM framework is split into six different levels. The results suggest that the bottom level consists of challenges such as “Lack of standards (C9)” and “Lack of validation (C10)” form the foundation of the hierarchical structure of blockchain adoption. However, the topmost level consists of a highly dependent challenge termed “adoption of blockchain in the public sector (C16)”. The research filters the selected set of five challenges to develop a parsimonious model and formulated six propositions to examine the impact of “lack of standard (C9)”, “lack of validation (C10)” on “security issues (C3)” and “privacy concerns (C2)”, which eventually determine individuals' “reluctance to use blockchain technology (C12)”.

Originality/value

This research fills a key gap in exiting research by exploring the key challenges in blockchain adoption within the public sector by developing a valuable framework to model this important topic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to address these challenges and develop a parsimonious model for challenges of blockchain adoption in the public sector settings.