Business Commons^™

Adoption Of Cybersecurity Policies By Local Governments 2020, Donald F. Norris Phd, Laura K. Mateczun Jd

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This paper should be of interest to the readers of this journal because it addresses a subject that has received little scholarly attention; namely, local government cybersecurity. The U.S. has over 90,000 units of local government, of which almost 39,000 are “general purpose” units (i.e., municipalities, counties, towns and townships). On average, these governments do not practice cybersecurity effectively (Norris, et al., 2019 and 2020). One possible reason is that they do not adopt and/or implement highly recommended cybersecurity policies. In this paper, we examine local government adoption or lack of adoption of cybersecurity policies using data from three surveys. …

Adoption And Diffusion Of At-Home Medical Tests, Savannah Campbell, Mark Mitchell, Jerome Christia, Melissa Clark

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The purpose of this study is to understand the at-home medical test market including the medical and regulatory requirements to create at-home medical tests, as well as the market factors that influence consumer adoption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To address testing shortages of COVID-19 tests companies created at-home tests which were rapidly approved by the FDA, bringing at-home testing to the forefront.

History of at-home health testing is reviewed, the medical requirements for creating them, and how the pandemic has affected such testing. Tables are also included to demonstrate currently available tests and potential future tests. The …

Realist Evaluation Of The Early-Stage Implementation Of A Smartphone-Based Disease Surveillance Project In Two Armed-Conflict Communities In Nigeria, Bashir M. Mustapha, Samuel C. Avemaria Utulu

The African Journal of Information Systems

We investigate the early-stage implementation of a smartphone-based acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance project in communities experiencing armed conflicts in Nigeria. We aim to expose factors influencing the early-stage implementation of smartphone-based AFP surveillance in two rural communities experiencing armed conflicts in Northern Nigeria. Thus, exploring “what works, for whom and under what contextual conditions?” in the early-stage implementation of a smartphone-based AFP surveillance project, given the involvement of multiple stakeholders. We adopted stakeholder theory as a lens to guide the study. We adopted a qualitative case study method, realist philosophy, semi-structured interview, participatory observation, and thematic data analysis. The …

A Framework For Accessing Patient Big Data: Ant View Of A South African Health Facility, Sibulela Mgudlwa, Tiko Iyamu

The African Journal of Information Systems

This study was undertaken to develop a framework that can be used to guide analysis when translating and transforming big data into a more purposeful resource for healthcare service delivery in South Africa. It is intended to assist in addressing some of the challenges encountered by healthcare facilities. Qualitative data were collected, with a focus on the types of interactions that happen between actors when accessing and using patients’ big data for healthcare services. Actor-network theory (ANT) was applied as a lens in the analysis of the data, to examine the relationships between actors when accessing and using big data …

Servqual Measurement In A Healthcare Setting: Before And After Corrective Strategy Implementation, Jerome Christia, Aaron Ard, Lorraine Runion

Atlantic Marketing Journal

In the United States, the most dominant industry is services, yielding the highest volume of total employment and gross domestic product. Due to this insight, academics and business professionals continue to research and apply strategies to achieve distinctive competitive advantages in the services arena. The steady growth and increasing significance of the service sector in the United States and other developed markets has resulted in a sizeable body of related research addressing a variety of issues such as service quality and its characteristics. Healthcare is an impactful service industry that has received a considerable amount of attention. In the healthcare …

Causes Of Challenges In Implementing Computer-Based Knowledge Management Systems In Healthcare Institutions: A Case Study Of Private Hospitals In Johannesburg, South Africa, George Maramba, Alfred Coleman, Felix F. Ntawanga

The African Journal of Information Systems

The advent of computer-based knowledge management systems has changed the world, especially in the way businesses operate, making them an integral aspect to modern economies and the drivers of success. Studies show that the implementation of computer-based knowledge management systems is challenging, particularly in healthcare institutions. This paper presents a study that was undertaken to identify the causes of challenges encountered when implementing computer-based knowledge management systems in healthcare institutions. A case was used as this study’s research methodology in which three private hospitals based in Johannesburg, South Africa, were utilized. Six participants, two from each private hospital, were purposively …

Namaste In The Usa: The Growing Pains That Traditional Yoga Faces In America – An International Marketing Case Study, Clay T. Wilderman, Mona Sinha

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

Yoga is a mind, body, and spiritual practice that originated nearly 5,000 years in India. It is known to relieve stress, enhance athletic performance, increase strength and flexibility as well as assist in achieving inner peace, focus, and improving mental wellness. In recent years, the practice of yoga has grown exponentially in the United States with about 37 million practitioners in 2016. However, the future growth of yoga in the U.S faces some critical challenges. American innovations in yoga techniques and the rise of the yoga accessories industry with deep linkages with consumerism, is drawing the practice away from its …

The Inherently Flawed Relationship Between Physicians And Pharmaceutical Companies’ Gifts: Tanstaafl*, David P. Paul Iii

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Pharmaceutical companies frequently give practicing physicians and physicians-in-training an assortment of free “gifts,” ranging from pens to stethoscopes to continuing medical education. In an ideal world, these gifts would not compromise, or even seem to compromise, physicians’ decision-making. Unfortunately, as we live in a non-perfect world, this paper examines how physicians have been shown to perceive such gifts, the pharmaceutical companies’ position regarding these gifts, what the theory of gift-giving and gift-receiving tells us about this behavior, and what the future may hold as healthcare becomes more transparent.

Double Trouble: Commingled Effects Of Fast Food And Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption And The Intervening Role Of Physical Activity On Childhood Obesity, Christopher Berry, Scot Burton, Elizabeth Howlett

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Children are exposed to a great deal of food and beverage promotion. This is particularly concerning given that the prevalence of childhood obesity, a critical public health challenge, may be partially due to the increased consumption of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages. However, there are lingering questions about the complex relationships between fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, physical activity levels, and childhood obesity. To address these complex relationships, this research examines the interaction of fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, along with the frequency of physical activity, in leading to the likelihood of a child being overweight or obese. …

Factors Influencing Perceptions And Attitudes Of Nurses Towards The Use Of Ict In Patient Care In Kwazulu Natal Province, South Africa, Stephen M. Mutula

The African Journal of Information Systems

This paper presents the results of a study to determine factors influencing perceptions and attitudes of nurses towards the use of ICT in 16 hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire and factor analysis performed to extract relevant variables. Overall, results revealed positive dispositions of nurses towards the use of ICT. Results further revealed self-efficacy, adoption of computers to improve nursing care, confidence in using computers; usefulness; interactability and knowledgeability were major factors influencing perceptions and attitudes of nurses towards use of ICT at the work place. Findings may inform institutional and provincial …

An Attitudinal Analysis Of Preventive Health Care Information Users: With Insights From Social Media, Joseph D. Cangelosi, David Kim, Edward Ranelli

Atlantic Marketing Journal

As the U.S. health care system continues to restructure itself, an increased emphasis on preventive health care will be a very important component. It is vital that preventive health care information (PHCI) be readily accessible and applied. This research explores the impact of social media as a source for accessing PHCI. Specifically, it examines how individuals rate active vs. passive internet delivery systems (IDS) to gather PHCI. Results of the study indicated that online health forums (active IDS) were the most popular source of PHCI, whereas Facebook and Twitter were most unpopular. On the whole, accessing PHCI via active IDS …

Smokers’ Vs. Non-Smokers’ Attitudes Toward Tobacco Usage, Jeff W. Totten, Betty J. Cayton

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The purpose of the study was to collect attitudinal and behavioral data on a sample of college students from a Southern state university regarding tobacco usage. The sample was designed to include both smokers and non-smokers. A non-probability sample of 508 college students was collected by handing out surveys in classes and in campus buildings. The questionnaire was designed by the students and the authors and included half of Pechmann and Shih’s (1999) smoking perceptions scale items. Users made up 36.6% of the sample. The average length of time reported using tobacco products was five years, with 78.3% stating they …