Chatbots, virtual-try-on (VTO), e-WOM: modeling the determinants of attitude’ and continued intention with PEEIM as moderator in online shopping

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an empirical model by understanding the relative significance of interactive technological forces, such as chatbots, virtual try-on technology (VTO) and e-word-of-mouth (e-WOM), to improve interactive marketing experiences among consumers. This study also validates the moderating role of the perceived effectiveness of e-commerce institutional mechanism (PEEIM) as a moderator between attitude and continued intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through personal visits and an online survey. The link to the survey questionnaire was shared on different social media platforms and social networking sites. A total of 362 responses obtained in the online and offline modes were considered for this study.

Findings

e-WOM emerged as the strongest predictor of attitude, followed by chatbots and VTO. The results of this study revealed that PEEIM did not moderate the relationship between attitude and continued intention.

Originality/value

Using the self-determination theory and behavioral reasoning theory as theoretical frameworks, this study is an initial endeavor in the online shopping context to empirically validate interactive forces like chatbots, VTO, e-WOM and PEEIM as moderators together to arrive at a holistic framework. These forces, in turn, act as significant contributors to online shopping satisfaction.

Modeling users’ and practitioners’ intention for continued usage of the Internet of Medical Devices (IoMD): an empirical investigation

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the antecedents of continued usage intentions in the connected devices ecosystem in health care by analyzing the users' and physicians' expectations in a new ecosystem where one prefers to connect digitally rather than physically.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a unique study in which data was collected from 242 doctors and 215 end-users to gauge the expectations from the connected devices in health care. Further, these responses were hypothesised using UTAUT-2 and ECT theories to analyze general users’ and professional users’ or doctors’ expectations for continued usage in connected devices ecosystem in the health-care ecosystem.

Findings

Performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and price value emerged as significant predictors of satisfaction in both user groups. But habit and hedonic motivation reflected an insignificant impact on user satisfaction. Surprisingly, effort expectancy emerged as a significant factor for end-user satisfaction, and this became insignificant for professional user satisfaction. Satisfaction was positively related to continued usage for both user groups, and app quality has a positive impact on all the predictors.

Practical implications

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comparative study to understand the factors which influence consumer behavior leading to a holistic model and can be imbibed for creating a better customer experience in an era where we are more comfortable connecting digitally rather than physically.

Originality/value

This study has used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology-2 model and expectation confirmation theory to analyze the key factors influencing the intentions for continued usage of devices in the Internet of Medical Devices setup.

Modelling barriers to wearable technologies in Indian context: validating the moderating role of technology literacy

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine diverse risks and barriers that influence customers' attitude leading to their actual use of wearable devices in India. This study used technological literacy as a moderating variable to understand the relationship between barriers and attitudes toward adoption of wearable device.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire was developed through focused group discussions with field experts. Data were collected through online as well as offline modes. A Google form was created and its weblink was shared with the respondents using wearable devices. Both online as well as offline modes were used for data collection. Several reminders through telephone and revisits were undertaken to approach the respondents.

Findings

The results of this study indicated that psychological risk and financial risk emerged strongest barriers of wearable technologies. This was followed by infrastructure barriers and performance risk. The strength of the relationship between technological anxiety and attitudes was lower but still significant. Surprisingly, privacy risk and social risk were not statistically significant. This study also validated the impact of technological literacy as a moderator between risks and attitudes.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the research by validating numerous risks and barriers in the adoption of wearable devices. This study not only offers a novel perspective on researching diverse barriers but also elucidates the moderating role of technological literacy which has not been covered in extant literature.

Consumers’ coping strategies when they feel negative emotions in the face of forced deconsumption during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns

Introduction

This paper explores consumers’ coping strategies when they feel negative emotions due to forced deconsumption during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Methods

The tool used for data collection is the questionnaire. It was made using the LimeSurvey software. A total of 621 complete observations were analyzed.

Results

The findings demonstrate that anger positively influences the activation of seeking social support, mental disengagement, and confrontive coping strategies. Besides, disappointment activates mental disengagement but only marginally confrontive coping and not behavioral disengagement. Furthermore, regret is positively related to confrontive coping, behavioral disengagement, acceptance, and positive reinterpretation. Finally, worry positively impacts behavioral disengagement, self-control, seeking social support, mental disengagement, and planful problem-solving.

Discussion

The study’s originality lies in its investigation of consumers’ coping strategies when experiencing negative emotions due to forced deconsumption in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Integrating gamification and instructional design to enhance usability of online learning

The current study investigates the interaction of Gamification, and Instructional Design to enhance the Usability of e-Learning in higher education programs. The study also examines the mediating role of Instructional design. Data were collected from a self-structured questionnaire from the academicians and was analyzed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results of the study confirmed that gamification is a multi-dimensional construct significantly predicted by elements, game dynamics, motivation, and game mechanics. Further, Instructional design partially mediates the relationship between gamification and usability of e-learning. This research demonstrates that Gamification can enhance the learning environment for e-learning students. This study will also inspire educators and course developers to give due consideration to the instructional design and gamification of an online course. The research findings will motivate educators/instructors/course developers to give equal importance to instructional design and gamification as well as to the content.

Factors influencing adoption of online teaching by school teachers: A study during COVID-19 pandemic

The research develops a theoretical model that highlights the determinants of adoption of online teaching at the time of the outbreak of COVID 19. Empirical data was gathered from 643 school teachers by means of an online survey. The proposed conceptual framework was investigated empirically by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings of the study revealed performance expectancy, and facilitating conditions had a positive impact on behavioural intention as well as attitude. However, effort expectancy failed to drive teachers' adoption to online teaching. On the other hand, social influence had insignificant relationship with attitude but significant relationship with behavioural intention. Attitude had a significant impact on behavioural intention as well as actual use. This study contributes to the literature by presenting and validating a theory-driven framework that accentuates the factors influencing online teaching during outbreak of a pandemic.

Emotional Maturity and Employer Satisfaction

The present research study examines emotional maturity and its relationship with employer satisfaction in recruiting fresh engineering Information Technology graduates. Four hundred sixty-five employers of multinational and national information technology companies in India were considered as respondents. These employers conduct the campus placement drives in the public and private technical universities of India for the recruitment of fresh engineering graduates with specialization in information technology. The collected data was analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results revealed that all the four dimensions of emotional maturity are defined by emotional stability, emotional progression, social adjustment, and personality integration. Emotional maturity had a significant positive relationship with employer satisfaction. The study is useful for employers investing in India to recognize employability skills in young graduates. The findings of the study will also give insight to academicians to recognize the need for soft skills in their course curriculum.

A unified perspective on the adoption of online teaching in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

The study aims to develop a theoretical model that highlights the determinants of the adoption of online teaching at the time of the outbreak of COVID-19. This study adopted a time-series analysis to understand the factors leading to the adoption of online teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data were gathered from 222 university faculty members by using an online survey. In the first phase, data were collected from those faculty members who had no experience of conducting online classes but were supposed to adopt online teaching as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. After two weeks, a slightly modified questionnaire was forwarded to the same group of faculty members, who were conducting online classes to know their perception regarding the adoption and conduct of online teaching.

Findings

Both the proposed conceptual frameworks were investigated empirically through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Significant differences were found in the perceptions of faculty members regarding before and after conducting classes through online teaching.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by presenting and validating a theory-driven framework that accentuates the factors influencing online teaching during the outbreak of a pandemic. This research further extends the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology by introducing and validating three new constructs, namely: facilitative leadership, regulatory support and project team capability. Based on the findings, practical insights are provided to universities to facilitate adoption, acceptance and use of online teaching during a health-care emergency leading to campus lockdowns or the imposition of restrictions on the physical movement of people.

HEd-INNOSERV: perceived service innovation scale for the higher education sector

Purpose

The study aims to emphasize the need for an exclusive theory, approach and measurement scale for service innovation. In the past three decades, the importance of services and service-related industry has grown tremendously. Well-established scales used for research in manufacturing cannot be directly adopted and measured in the service industry. This article follows the synthesis approach by including both technological and non-technological typologies for measuring service innovation. This is followed by reporting the effect of service innovation on outcome performances. The context of the study is the higher education sector.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrated research design was used to collect data from students in various parts of south India. In total, two focus group discussions and three in-depth interviews were conducted for item generation. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for the reliability and validity of the scale. The study developed the HEd-INNOSERV scale consisting of seven dimensions comprising 34 items.

Findings

The study developed the HEd-INNOSERV scale consisting of seven dimensions comprising 34 items. The empirical results demonstrate that the scale is reliable, valid and generalizable across higher education institutions (HEIs). The scope for future research is to develop a generalized scale that can measure across the entire service sector.

Research limitations/implications

The scale shall help researchers in testing the conceptual models earlier developed in the service innovation domain. Similarly, HEIs could measure their stakeholders' perceptions of their innovation activity. Further, the result indicates that innovation enhances the reputation of the institution, which ultimately results in positive word of mouth.

Practical implications

Commercialization of the scale by developing an appropriate algorithm would help institutions in measuring their innovation-led initiatives continually and establish quality and standards. The scale can be used complementarily with other measures adopted from regulatory and rating agencies.

Originality/value

The HEd-INNOSERV scale shall help in optimizing the existing business processes of HEIs by helping them consciously introduce appropriate technological and non-technological innovations.

Social vacation: Proposition of a model to understand tourists' usage of social media for travel planning

This study develops a theoretical model that highlights the determinants of actual social media (SM) usage for travel planning by combining theoretical frameworks from the marketing, psychology and information systems literature. The data was collected through field as well as online survey in India. An online survey questionnaire link was shared on different social media platforms and social networking sites. Besides, field visits were carried out to collect data in-person through face-to-face interviews. The final sample consists of 539 observations. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to validate the hypothesized relationships among constructs. The results suggest that technological convenience and perceived enjoyment influence the perceived ease of using SM for travel planning. In turn, perceived ease of use impacts perceived usefulness, along with media richness. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, along with trust positively influence intentions to use SM for travel planning, while perceived risk inhibits those intentions. However, trust increases perceived usefulness and mitigates perceived risk. Importantly, intentions exert a strong impact on actual use. This study contributes to the literature by presenting and validating a theory-driven framework that unveils the factors influencing actual usage of SM for travel planning. The proposed theoretical framework emphasizes the key relationships among factors and provides a research basis for development in other contexts.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Unusual Techniques for Unusual Situations

Background:

The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in prone position has been dealt with in 2010 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines but have not been reviewed in 2015 guidelines. The guidelines for patients presenting with cardiac arrest under general anesthesia in lateral decubitus position and regarding resuscitation in confined spaces like airplanes are also not available in AHA guidelines. This article is an attempt to highlight the techniques adopted for resuscitation in these unusual situations.

Aims:

This study aims to find out the methodology and efficacy in nonconventional CPR approaches such as CPR in prone, CPR in lateral position, and CPR in confined spaces.

Methods:

We conducted a literature search using MeSH search strings such as CPR + Prone position, CPR + lateral Position, and CPR + confined spaces.

Results:

No randomized controlled trials are available. The literature search gives a handful of case reports, some simulation- and manikin-based studies but none can qualify for class I evidence. The successful outcome of CPR performed in prone position has shown compressions delivered on the thoracic spine with the same rate and force as they were delivered during supine position. A hard surface is required under the patient to provide uniform force and sternal counter pressure. Two rescuer technique for providing successful chest compression in lateral position has been documented in the few case reports published. Over the head CPR and straddle (STR), CPR has been utilized for CPR in confined spaces. Ventilation in operating rooms was taken care by an advanced airway in situ.

Conclusion:

A large number of studies of high quality are required to be conducted to determine the efficacy of CPR in such positions.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Evaluation of Knowledge, Efficacy, and Retention in Young Doctors Joining Postgraduation Program

Background:

High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rapid defibrillation the cornerstone for resuscitation from cardiac arrest and increase the incidence of return of spontaneous circulation. Regular CPR training imparted to health-care personnel increases knowledge and helps in skill enhancing.

Aims:

The aim of this study is to evaluate background knowledge, percentage improvement in the skills, and residual knowledge after a period of 6 months of postgraduate (PG) students as well as the efficacy of the designed teaching program for CPR.

Design:

The study type was interventional, nonrandomized with end point classification as efficacy study. Study Interventional model was single group assignment.

Methods:

A questionnaire-based study was conducted on 41 first year PG students. Their educational qualification was Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The study was conducted; 3 months after, these PG students joined hospital for their PG studies. The questionnaire designed by the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care was given as the pretest (before the CPR training program was initiated), posttest (immediately after the CPR training program was concluded), and residual knowledge test (conducted after 6 months of the CPR training program). After collection of data, a descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate results.

Statistical Analysis:

Statistical analysis was conducted for determining the test of significance using two-tailed, paired t-test.

Results:

The average overall score was 25.58 (±5.605) marks out of a maximum of 40 marks in the pretest, i.e., 63.97%. It improved to 33.88 (±3.38) marks in posttest, i.e., 84.74%. After 6 months in the residual knowledge test, the score declined to 26.96 (±6.09) marks, i.e., 67.4%.

Conclusion:

The CPR training program being conducted was adequately efficacious, but a refresher course after 6 months could help taking the knowledge and skills acquired by our PG students a long way.

Customer satisfaction using website functionality, perceived usability and perceived usefulness towards online shopping in India

The purpose of this research is to understand and analyze the role of perceived usability and perceived usefulness influencing customer satisfaction towards online shopping in India. Findings of the study reveal that website functionality has a significant and positive impact on perceived usability. Additionally, perceived usefulness and perceived usability has a positive impact on customer satisfaction. The scale has been extended to include satisfaction with the ‘Cash-on-delivery’ mode of payment being adopted by Asian countries. This paper builds a foundation for researchers to extend online retailing research in developing countries where the switch over to Internet shopping is more of a recent phenomenon as compared to its adoption by developed countries.

A comparative study on effect of addition of clonidine and fentanyl as adjuvants to local anaesthetics for subarachnoid block in patients undergoing lumbar laminectomies

Background:

The synergism between local anesthetic agents such as bupivacaine with intrathecal adjuvants such as opioids and clonidine is well established.

Aims:

This study evaluates the clinical efficacy of clonidine75 μg versus fentanyl 25 μg as adjuvants to bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia.

Settings and Design:

A prospective, randomized, parallel arm study was conducted over a period of 12 months in a tertiary care hospital.

Materials and Methods:

Sixty patients were divided randomly into two groups, Group C and Group F. Patients in Group C received 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine heavy mixed with 0.5 ml (75 μg) clonidine intrathecally, and patients in Group F received 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine heavy mixed with 0.5 ml (25 μg) fentanyl intrathecally.

Statistical Analysis:

Data were analyzed using statistical tests for comparison of means.

Results:

The mean durations of sensory block was 253.3 and 249.6 minutes in group C and group F respectively, which was statistically not significant (P = 0.76). The mean durations of motor block were 302.3 and 293.6 min, respectively, in Group C and Group F, which were also statistically not significant (P = 0.53). The mean durations of postoperative analgesia were 653.4 and 611.2 min, respectively, in Group C and Group F, which were statistically not significant (P = 0.09). Mean heart rate after 10 min was 82.5 in Group C and 87.2 in Group F, which was statistically not significant (P = 0.29), and mean arterial pressure in mmHg after 10 min was 96.3 in Group C and 97.3 in Group F, which was also statistically not significant (P = 0.86).

Conclusion:

Both clonidine 75 μg and fentanyl 25 μg when used as adjuvants to bupivacaine in the subarachnoid block have comparable beneficial results in terms of duration of analgesia, duration of motor blocks, and hemodynamic stability and also have a comparable incidence of complications.

Delirium in trauma

Delirium is a common, severe and acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that affects mainly older patients. Delirium is a well-recognised complication of trauma and is important as it is associated with an increase in mortality as well as cognitive and functional decline, increased length of hospital stay and increased risk of institutionalisation on discharge. Recognition and management is challenging and the psychological impact for patients and relatives devastating. This review discusses the current understanding of delirium with specific reference to trauma patients.