Managerial decision-making style : India, Bangladesh, and Finland : cultural side of the game

Julkaisumaa Intia 356 IN IND

Understanding Online Game Players' Post-adoption Behavior: an Investigation of Social Network Games in China

Retaining players and re-attracting switching players has long been a central topic for SNG providers with regard to the post-adoption stage of playing an online game. However, there has not been much research which has explored players’ post-adoption behavior by incorporating the continuance intention and the switching intention. In addition, traditional IS continuance theories were mainly developed to investigate users’ continued use of utilitarian IS, and thus they may fall short when trying to explain the continued use of hedonic IS. Furthermore, compared to the richer literature on IS continuance, far too little attention has been paid to IS switching, leading to a dearth of knowledge on the subject, despite the increased incidence of the switching phenomenon in the IS field. By addressing the limitations of prior literature, this study seeks to examine the determinants of SNG players’ two different post-adoption behaviors, including the continuance intention and the switching intention. This study takes a positivist approach and uses survey research method to test five proposed research models based on Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2; Use and Gratification Theory; Push-Pull-Mooring model; Cognitive Dissonance Theory; and a self-developed model respectively with empirical data collected from the SNG players of one of the biggest SNG providers in China. A total of 3919 valid responses and 541 valid responses were used to examine the continuance intention and the switching intention, respectively. SEM is utilized as the data analysis method. The proposed research models are supported by the empirical data. The continuance intention is determined by enjoyment, fantasy, escapism, social interaction, social presence, social influence, achievement and habit. The switching intention is determined by enjoyment, satisfaction, subjective norms, descriptive norms, alternative attractiveness, the need for variety, change experience, and adaptation cost. This study contributes to IS theories in three important ways. Firstly, it shows IS switching should be included in IS post-adoption research together with IS continuance. Secondly, a modern IS is usually multi-functional and SNG players have multiple reasons for using a SNG, thus a player’s beliefs about the hedonic, social and utilitarian perceptions of their continued use of the SNG exert significant effects on the continuance intention. Thirdly, the determinants of the switch ing intention mainly exert push, pull, and mooring effects. Players’ beliefs about their current SNG and the available alternatives, as well as their individual characteristics are all significant determinants of the switching intention. SNG players combine these effects in order to formulate the switching intention. Finally, this study presents limitations and suggestions for future research.

Expectations of elderly people on the nurse-client relationship and interaction in home care : "When I see the nurse's smiling face it feels likes sunshine on a rainy and gloomy day"

The purpose of the thesis was to explore expectations of elderly people on the nurse-client relationship and interaction in home care. The aim is to improve the quality of care to better meet the needs of the clients. A qualitative approach was adopted. Semi-structured theme interviews were used for data collection. The interviews were conducted during spring 2006. Six elderly clients of a private home care company in Southern Finland acted as informants. Content analysis was used as the method of data analysis. The findings suggest that clients expect nurses to provide professional care with loving-kindness. Trust and mutual, active interaction were expected from the nurse-client relationship. Clients considered it important that the nurse recognizes each client's individual needs. The nurse was expected to perform duties efficiently, but in a calm and unrushed manner. A mechanic performance of tasks was considered negative. Humanity was viewed as a crucial element in the nurse-client relationship. Clients expressed their need to be seen as human beings. Seeing beyond the illness was considered important. A smiling nurse was described to be able to alleviate pain and anxiety. Clients hoped to have a close relationship with the nurse. The development of a close relationship was considered to be more likely if the nurse is familiar and genuine. Clients wish the nurses to have a more attending presence. Clients suggested that the work areas of the nurses could be limited so that they would have more time to transfer from one place to another. Clients felt that they would benefit from this as well. The nurses were expected to be more considerate. Clients wished for more information regarding changes that affect their care. They wished to be informed about changes in schedules and plans. Clients hoped for continuity from the nurse-client relationship. Considering the expectations of clients promotes client satisfaction. Home care providers have an opportunity to reflect their own care behaviour on the findings. To better meet the needs of the clients, nurses could apply the concept of loving-kindness in their work, and strive for a more attending presence.

Worldly Saints : Social Interaction of Dominican Penitent Women in Italy, 1200-1500

Doctoral dissertation, University of Turku

Copresence video conference mediated interaction

Abstract

A game theoretic simulation model for quality oriented timber supply to sawmills

Summary

Interaction of prechilling, temperature, osmotic stress, and light in Picea abies seed germination

Summary

Sensitivity of temperate grassland species to elevated atmospheric CO2 and the interaction with temperature and water stress

Selostus: Kohonneen hiilidioksidipitoisuuden, lämpötilan ja kuivuuden vaikutus nurmikasveihin

The Interaction of the Calcium Sensitiser Levosimendan with Cardiac Troponin C

Cardiac failure is one of the leading causes of mortality in developed countries. As life expectancies of the populations of these countries grow, the number of patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency also increase. Effective treatments including the use of calcium sensitisers are being sought. They cause a positive inodilatory effect on cardio-myocytes without deleterious effects (arrhythmias) resulting from increases in intracellular calcium concentration. Levosimendan is a novel calcium sensitiser that hasbeen proved to be a welltolerated and effective treatment for patients with severe decompensated heart failure. Cardiac troponin C (cTnC) is its target protein. However, there have been controversies about the interactions between levosimendan and cTnC. Some of these controversies have been addressed in this dissertation. Furthermore, studies on the calcium sensitising mechanism based on the interactions between levosimendan and cTnC as followed by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) are presented and discussed. Levosimendan was found to interact with bothdomains of the calcium-saturated cTnC in the absence of cardiac troponin I (cTnI). In the presence of cTnI, the C-domain binding site was blocked and levosimendan interacted only with the regulatory domain of cTnC. This interaction may have caused the observed calcium sensitising effect by priming the N-domain for cTnI binding thereby extending the lifetime of that complex. It is suggested that this is achieved by shifting the equilibrium between open and closed conformations.

Investigation of interaction between native and impurity defects in ZnSe

Zinc selenide is a prospective material for optoelectronics. The fabrication of ZnSe­based light-emitting diodes is hindered by complexity of p-type doping of the component materials. The interaction between native and impurity defects, the tendency of doping impurity to form associative centres with native defects and the tendency to self-compensation are the main factors impeding effective control of the value and type of conductivity. The thesis is devoted to the study of the processes of interaction between native and impurity defects in zinc selenide. It is established that the Au impurity has the most prominent amphoteric properties in ZnSe among Cu, Ag and Au impurities, as it forms a great number of both Au; donors and Auz„ acceptors. Electrical measurements show that Ag and Au ions introduced into vacant sites of the Zn sublattice form simple single-charged Agz„+ and Auzn+ states with d1° electron configuration, while Cu ions can form both single-charged Cuz„ (d1) and double-charged Cuzr`+ (d`o) centres. Amphoteric properties of Ag and Au transition metals stimulated by time are found for the first time from both electrical and luminescent measurements. A model that explains the changes in electrical and luminescent parameters by displacement of Ag ions into interstitial sites due to lattice deformation forces is proposed. Formation of an Ag;-donor impurity band in ZnSe samples doped with Ag and stored at room temperature is also studied. Thus, the properties of the doped samples are modified due to large lattice relaxation during aging. This fact should be taken into account in optoelectronic applications of doped ZnSe and related compounds.