Micro-blogging adoption in the enterprise: an empirical analysis

Given the increasing interest in using social software for company-internal communication and collaboration, this paper examines drivers and inhibitors of micro-blogging adoption at the workplace. While nearly one in two companies is currently planning to introduce social software, there is no empirically validated research on employees’ adoption. In this paper, we build on previous focus group results and test our research model in an empirical study using Structural Equation Modeling. Based on our findings, we derive recommendations on how to foster adoption. We suggest that micro-blogging should be presented to employees as an efficient means of communication, personal brand building, and knowledge management. In order to particularly promote content contribution, privacy concerns should be eased by setting clear rules on who has access to postings and for how long they will be archived.

Enterprise software adoption and perceived business performance — an empirical investigation in Germany and the U.S.

This work contributes to the ongoing debate on the productivity paradox by considering CIOs’ perceptions of IT business value. Applying regression analysis to data from an international survey, we study how the adoption of certain types of enterprise software affects the CIOs’ perception of the impact of IT on the firm’s business activities and vice versa. Other potentially important factors such as country, sector and size of the firms are also taken into account. Our results indicate a more significant support for the impact of perceived IT benefits on adoption of enterprise software than vice versa. CIOs based in the US perceive IT benefits more strongly than their German counterparts. Furthermore, certain types of enterprise software seem to be more prevalent in the US.

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of recent Jatropha curcas L. adoption by smallholders in Kenya: A rural livelihood assessment in Bondo, Kibwezi, and Kwale districts

Between 2004 and 2007, NGOs, community based organisations and private investors promoted jatropha in Kenya with the aim of generating additional income and producing biofuel for rural development. By 2008 it became gradually evident that jatropha plantations (both mono- and intercropping) are uneconomical and risky due to competition for land and labour with food crops. Cultivation of jatropha hedges was found to have better chances of economic success and to present only little risks for the adopting farmers. Still, after 2008 a number of farmers went on adopting jatropha in plots rather than as hedges. It is hypothesised that lack of awareness about the low economic prospects of jatropha plantations was the main reason for continued adoption, and that smallholder farmers with higher resource endowments mainly ventured into its cultivation. In this study we provide an empirical basis for understanding the role of households' capital assets in taking up new livelihood strategies by smallholder farmers in three rural districts in Kenya. For that purpose, we assess the motivation and enabling factors that led to the adoption of jatropha as a new livelihood strategy, as well as the context in which promotion and adoption took place. A household survey was conducted in 2010, using a structured questionnaire, to collect information on household characteristics and capital asset endowment. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical tests. We established that access to additional income and own energy supply were the main motivation for adoption of jatropha, and that financial capital assets do not necessarily have a positive influence on adoption as hypothesised. Further, we found that the main challenges that adopting farmers faced were lack of access to information on good management practices and lack of a reliable market. We conclude that continued adoption of on-farm jatropha after 2008 is a result of lacking awareness about the low economic value of this production type. We recommend abandoning on-farm production of jatropha until improved seed material and locally adapted agronomic knowledge about jatropha cultivation becomes available and its production becomes economically competitive.

Über Gewalt und Liebe: Transnationale Adoption in Österreich

Über Gewalt und Liebe: Transnationale Adoption in Österreich Julia Rehsmann Eine Adoption bedeutet meist den Bruch mit der leiblichen Familie – zu verstehen als ein „Akt der Gewalt“ – und die Inkorporation in ein neues Familiennetzwerk – ein „Akt der Liebe“. Kinder zu bekommen wird in unserer Gesellschaft als wichtiger Teil des Lebens gesehen und trotz Fortschritten in der Reproduktionsmedizin bleibt die Zahl international adoptierter Kinder global gesehen auf einem gleich hohen Niveau. Im Rahmen einer Adoption werden vorherrschende Konzepte von Verwandtschaft und Zugehörigkeit in Frage gestellt, da die Beziehung zwischen Eltern und Kind nicht auf biogenetischer, sondern auf sozialer, emotionaler und rechtlicher Verbundenheit basiert. Wenn Adoptionen zwischen verschiedenen Ländern zustande kommen und das Kind meist anders aussieht als die Adoptiveltern, tauchen unweigerlich Fragen zu Identität, Zu- gehörigkeit, race und Kultur auf. Antworten zu Fragen wie „Wer bin ich?“ und „Woher komme ich?“ sind im Falle von Adoption und insbesondere von transnationaler Adoption komplizierter und schwieriger zu finden als im Falle der klaren biogenetischen Eltern-Kind-Beziehung. Welche Bedeutung hat diese Migration junger Kinder vor allem aus armen Nationen in die wohlhabenderen Länder der Vereinigten Staaten und Europas? Welche Bedeutung haben die in den letzten Jahren vermehrt auftretenden Reisen von Adoptierten und ihren Familien in ihre jeweiligen Geburtsländer? Die Adoptionsfamilie widerspricht in gewisser Hinsicht dem Bild der Familie als Teil des privaten Lebens, da sie während des Adoptionsprozesses von Bereichen des öffentlichen Lebens (Institutionen, Agenturen, Gesetzen) beeinflusst und bestimmt wird. Transnationale Adoptionen stellen nicht nur Individuen, sondern auch staatliche Institutionen vor große Herausforderungen und verlangen nach neuen Strategien im Umgang mit neuen Familienstrukturen. Im Rahmen des Vortrags soll ein Überblick über das Phänomen in Österreich gegeben werden und in Bezug zu anderen sozialanthro-pologischen Arbeiten zum Thema gesetzt werden, wobei in der empirischen Forschung der Fokus auf Familien mit Kindern aus Äthiopien lag.

Worksite Tobacco Prevention: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Adoption, Dissemination Strategies, and Aggregated Health-Related Outcomes across Companies

Evidence based public health requires knowledge about successful dissemination of public health measures. This study analyses (a) the changes in worksite tobacco prevention (TP) in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, between 2007 and 2009; (b1) the results of a multistep versus a “brochure only” dissemination strategy; (b2) the results of a monothematic versus a comprehensive dissemination strategy that aim to get companies to adopt TP measures; and (c) whether worksite TP is associated with health- related outcomes. A longitudinal design with randomized control groups was applied. Data on worksite TP and health-related outcomes were gathered by a written questionnaire (baseline

Analysing factors determining the adoption of environmental management measures on the highlands of Ethiopia

A study was conducted on the highlands of Ethiopia to identify and analyse the factors determining the adoption of environmental management measures. In 1985, Ethiopia was classified into low –and high-potential areas based on the suitability of the natural environment for rain-fed agriculture. To address these objectives, case study areas were selected from low-potential and high-potential areas randomly. Data were collected through face-to-face interview and key informants, focus group discussion and field observation. In the low-potential areas, the physical environment ‒ particularly soil and forest environments have shown substantial recovery. Similarly, the water environment has improved. However, in the high-potential areas sampled, these resources are still being degraded. Clear understanding of the benefits of soil conservation structures by farmers, active involvement and technical support from the government and full and genuine participation of farmers in communal environmental resources management activities were found to be main factors in the adoption of environmental management measures.

Carbon dioxide emissions and international trade at the turn of the millennium

We present a new dataset of geographical production-, final (embodied) production-, and consumption-based carbon dioxide emission inventories, covering 78 regions and 55 sectors from 1997 to 2011. We extend previous work both in terms of time span and in bridging from geographical to embodied production and, ultimately, to consumption. We analyse the recent evolution of emissions, the development of carbon efficiency of the global economy, and the role of international trade. As the distribution of responsibility for emissions across countries is key to the adoption and implementation of international environmental agreements and regulations, the final production- and consumption-based inventories developed here provide a valuable extension to more traditional geographical production-based criteria.