title: The development of an international model for technology adoption: the case of Hong Kong

authors: Au, Alan Kai Ming

abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the causal relationships between the internal beliefs formation of a decision-maker on technology adoption and the extent of the development of a technology adoptive behaviour. In particular, this study aims to develop an International Model For Technology Adoption (IMTA), which builds upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen 1992) and improves on the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis 1986). 

The development of such a model requires an understanding of the environmental factors which shape the cognitive processes of the decision maker. Hence, this is a behavioural model which investigates the constructs influencing the adoption behaviour and how the interaction between these constructs and the external variables can impact on the decision making process at the level of the firm. 

Previous research on technology transfer and innovation diffusion has classified factors affecting the diffusion process into two dimensions: 1) external-influence and 2) internal-influence. Hence, in this research, the International Model For Technology Adoption looks at how the endogenous and exogenous factors enter into the cognitive process of a technology adoption decision through which attitudes and behavioural intentions are shaped. 

Under the IMTA, the behavioural intention to adopt is a function of two exogenous variables, 1) Strategic Choice, and 2) Environmental Control. The Environmental Control factor is further categorised by two exogenous factors, namely, 1) Government Influence, and 2) Competitive Influence. In addition, the Competitive Influence factor is, in turn, classified into five forces: namely, 1) Industry Structure, 2) Price Intensity, 3) Demand Uncertainty, 4) Information Exposure, 5) Domestic Availability. 

Regarding the cognitive process which forms the attitude to adopt, it is hypothesised to be affected by six other endogenous beliefs: 1) Compatibility; 2) Enhanced Value; 3) Perceived Benefits; 4)Adaptative Experiences, 5) Perceived Difficulty; and 6) Suppliers’ Commitment. 

A survey research method was utilised in this study and the research instrument was developed after a comprehensive review of the relevant literature and an expert interview. A total of 298 completed questionnaires were returned; giving a response rate of 13.56%. Of the 298 questionnaires, 39 of the responses were unusable with missing date. This gives a total of 259 usable questionnaires and an effective response rate of 11.78%. 

The results of the analysis suggested that the fitness of the International Model For Technology Adoption was good and the data of this study supported the overall structure of the IMTA. When compared with the null model, which was used by the EQS as a baseline model to judge to overall fitness for the IMTA, the IMTA yielded a value of 0.914 in the Comparative Fit index; hence, indication of a good fit model. 

In addition, the results of the principal component analysis also illustrated that the 16-factor International Model For Technology Adoption was an adequate model to capture the information collected during the survey. The results shown that this 16-factor structure represented nearly 77% of the total variance of all items. A further analysis into the factor structure, again, revealed that there existed a perfect match between the conceptual dimensionality of the International Model For Technology Adoption and the empirical data collected in the survey. 

However, the results of the hypotheses testing on the individual constructs were mixed. While not all the magnitude of these ten hypotheses was statistically significant, almost all pointed to the direction conceptualised by the IMTA. 

From these results, it can be interpreted that while the results of the structural equation modelling analysis provided overall support to the International Model For Technology Adoption, the results of individual constructs of the Model revealed that some constructs were forming a larger impact than others in the decision making process to adopt foreign technology. In particular, the intention to adopt was greatly affected by the attitude of the prospective adopters, the influence of the government and the degree of industry rivalry. However, the impact of the overall competitive influence factor on the intention to adopt was not supported by the results. Again, the existence of investment alternative was also not a serious concern for the prospective adopters.

text: The development of an international model for technology adoption: the case of Hong Kong The purpose of this study is to examine the causal relationships between the internal beliefs formation of a decision-maker on technology adoption and the extent of the development of a technology adoptive behaviour. In particular, this study aims to develop an International Model For Technology Adoption (IMTA), which builds upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen 1992) and improves on the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis 1986). 

The development of such a model requires an understanding of the environmental factors which shape the cognitive processes of the decision maker. Hence, this is a behavioural model which investigates the constructs influencing the adoption behaviour and how the interaction between these constructs and the external variables can impact on the decision making process at the level of the firm. 

Previous research on technology transfer and innovation diffusion has classified factors affecting the diffusion process into two dimensions: 1) external-influence and 2) internal-influence. Hence, in this research, the International Model For Technology Adoption looks at how the endogenous and exogenous factors enter into the cognitive process of a technology adoption decision through which attitudes and behavioural intentions are shaped. 

Under the IMTA, the behavioural intention to adopt is a function of two exogenous variables, 1) Strategic Choice, and 2) Environmental Control. The Environmental Control factor is further categorised by two exogenous factors, namely, 1) Government Influence, and 2) Competitive Influence. In addition, the Competitive Influence factor is, in turn, classified into five forces: namely, 1) Industry Structure, 2) Price Intensity, 3) Demand Uncertainty, 4) Information Exposure, 5) Domestic Availability. 

Regarding the cognitive process which forms the attitude to adopt, it is hypothesised to be affected by six other endogenous beliefs: 1) Compatibility; 2) Enhanced Value; 3) Perceived Benefits; 4)Adaptative Experiences, 5) Perceived Difficulty; and 6) Suppliers’ Commitment. 

A survey research method was utilised in this study and the research instrument was developed after a comprehensive review of the relevant literature and an expert interview. A total of 298 completed questionnaires were returned; giving a response rate of 13.56%. Of the 298 questionnaires, 39 of the responses were unusable with missing date. This gives a total of 259 usable questionnaires and an effective response rate of 11.78%. 

The results of the analysis suggested that the fitness of the International Model For Technology Adoption was good and the data of this study supported the overall structure of the IMTA. When compared with the null model, which was used by the EQS as a baseline model to judge to overall fitness for the IMTA, the IMTA yielded a value of 0.914 in the Comparative Fit index; hence, indication of a good fit model. 

In addition, the results of the principal component analysis also illustrated that the 16-factor International Model For Technology Adoption was an adequate model to capture the information collected during the survey. The results shown that this 16-factor structure represented nearly 77% of the total variance of all items. A further analysis into the factor structure, again, revealed that there existed a perfect match between the conceptual dimensionality of the International Model For Technology Adoption and the empirical data collected in the survey. 

However, the results of the hypotheses testing on the individual constructs were mixed. While not all the magnitude of these ten hypotheses was statistically significant, almost all pointed to the direction conceptualised by the IMTA. 

From these results, it can be interpreted that while the results of the structural equation modelling analysis provided overall support to the International Model For Technology Adoption, the results of individual constructs of the Model revealed that some constructs were forming a larger impact than others in the decision making process to adopt foreign technology. In particular, the intention to adopt was greatly affected by the attitude of the prospective adopters, the influence of the government and the degree of industry rivalry. However, the impact of the overall competitive influence factor on the intention to adopt was not supported by the results. Again, the existence of investment alternative was also not a serious concern for the prospective adopters.

year: 1997

title: Social, cultural, and political constructions of Corporate Social Responsibility in China: A study of business discourses in the Fiberhome Technologies Group

authors: Zhao, Lili

subjects: Corporate social responsibility

abstract: Abstract

This thesis focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR), a vital issue for both business and academic researchers, and examines how the reality of CSR is socially constructed within a Chinese social, political and cultural context. In particular, this thesis examines understanding and practice of the discourse of CSR within a large Chinese State-owned enterprise (SOE), FiberHome Technologies Group (FHTG). It explains how cultural and political factors contribute to the production and development of CSR discourse in China. It also scrutinises social practices of corporate social performance, especially employer-employee relationships, within FHTG by investigating both the actual knowledge of CSR that FHTG publishes on its headquarters’ homepage and the research participants’ interpretation of management construction of CSR discourse. 

Website documents produced by FHTG’s headquarters from 2006 to 2008 were collected and 33 participants (managers and employees) from five headquarters’ departments and six subsidiary companies were interviewed for this study. Participants were selected according to the extent of their work experience with at least one year of work experience being a minimum requirement. Website information and interview transcripts were analysed using Fairclough’s (1992) three-step approach to CDA to examine how the knowledge of CSR is constructed and reproduced by organisational members and how it shapes the ways in which the social reality of Chinese CSR is constructed. 

The thesis argues that the reality of Chinese CSR is shaped by the Chinese cultural system of Confucianism focusing on human virtues, as well as government adoption of some Western CSR initiatives. The research findings suggest a hybrid form of business management model by embracing both a Chinese management and a Western management style into business practice. The Chinese management style constructs a discourse of Confucian entrepreneurship which forms a distinctive feature of Chinese CSR practices, focusing on the development of human virtues that guide companies to a new way of improving their CSR performance. Also, the adoption of a Western management style exhibits a giving discourse that considers the interests of stakeholder groups including employee, government, community and society. In addition, the research findings suggest that employees’ understanding of CSR is shaped by FHTG’s social performance and is similar to the management construction of CSR discourse. Their definition of CSR involves three key aspects: social harmony, employee welfare, and economic benefits. 

This thesis contributes to knowledge from three perspectives: theoretical, methodological and managerial. Theoretically, this thesis contributes to the development of Chinese CSR theory. This theory promotes economic productivity as a means of achieving social wellbeing and employee wellbeing. Methodologically, this thesis offers a benchmark for the study of CSR discourse by using a face-to-face interview method which has previously rarely been used in research on CSR in a Chinese context. Managerially, this thesis provides a guide for government officials and business managers to design the strategies based on their own countries’ cultural, political, economic, social and institutional frameworks.

text: Social, cultural, and political constructions of Corporate Social Responsibility in China: A study of business discourses in the Fiberhome Technologies Group Abstract

This thesis focuses on corporate social responsibility (CSR), a vital issue for both business and academic researchers, and examines how the reality of CSR is socially constructed within a Chinese social, political and cultural context. In particular, this thesis examines understanding and practice of the discourse of CSR within a large Chinese State-owned enterprise (SOE), FiberHome Technologies Group (FHTG). It explains how cultural and political factors contribute to the production and development of CSR discourse in China. It also scrutinises social practices of corporate social performance, especially employer-employee relationships, within FHTG by investigating both the actual knowledge of CSR that FHTG publishes on its headquarters’ homepage and the research participants’ interpretation of management construction of CSR discourse. 

Website documents produced by FHTG’s headquarters from 2006 to 2008 were collected and 33 participants (managers and employees) from five headquarters’ departments and six subsidiary companies were interviewed for this study. Participants were selected according to the extent of their work experience with at least one year of work experience being a minimum requirement. Website information and interview transcripts were analysed using Fairclough’s (1992) three-step approach to CDA to examine how the knowledge of CSR is constructed and reproduced by organisational members and how it shapes the ways in which the social reality of Chinese CSR is constructed. 

The thesis argues that the reality of Chinese CSR is shaped by the Chinese cultural system of Confucianism focusing on human virtues, as well as government adoption of some Western CSR initiatives. The research findings suggest a hybrid form of business management model by embracing both a Chinese management and a Western management style into business practice. The Chinese management style constructs a discourse of Confucian entrepreneurship which forms a distinctive feature of Chinese CSR practices, focusing on the development of human virtues that guide companies to a new way of improving their CSR performance. Also, the adoption of a Western management style exhibits a giving discourse that considers the interests of stakeholder groups including employee, government, community and society. In addition, the research findings suggest that employees’ understanding of CSR is shaped by FHTG’s social performance and is similar to the management construction of CSR discourse. Their definition of CSR involves three key aspects: social harmony, employee welfare, and economic benefits. 

This thesis contributes to knowledge from three perspectives: theoretical, methodological and managerial. Theoretically, this thesis contributes to the development of Chinese CSR theory. This theory promotes economic productivity as a means of achieving social wellbeing and employee wellbeing. Methodologically, this thesis offers a benchmark for the study of CSR discourse by using a face-to-face interview method which has previously rarely been used in research on CSR in a Chinese context. Managerially, this thesis provides a guide for government officials and business managers to design the strategies based on their own countries’ cultural, political, economic, social and institutional frameworks.

year: 2012

title: Paremias xeocosmolóxicas de predición do tempo en galego e maorí (Geocosmologic paroemias of weather prediction in Galician and Maori)

authors: Lopez-Fernandez, Laura

abstract: This comparative study collects phraseological units -dictons- (Rodegem 1984 e Sevilla Muñoz 1988; 1992) related to the semantic field of weather forecast from two cultures, which have not been in contact, and which are located in the antipodes of the planet: Galician and Maori. The methodology used utilizes a diachronic analysis (although not diastratic), of geocosmological proverbs, that can be or not in use nowadays, which include dictons about atmospheric phenomena, observation of the stars and star lore, and weather forecast through observation of animals, especially birds. The dictons collected in Maori do not come from informants but from the few books and digital sources available at the moment and this represents only a fragment of their traditional oral culture, thought and legacy of the different iwis. The collected dictons in Galician have been collected from a variety of digital corpus and resources.

text: Paremias xeocosmolóxicas de predición do tempo en galego e maorí (Geocosmologic paroemias of weather prediction in Galician and Maori) This comparative study collects phraseological units -dictons- (Rodegem 1984 e Sevilla Muñoz 1988; 1992) related to the semantic field of weather forecast from two cultures, which have not been in contact, and which are located in the antipodes of the planet: Galician and Maori. The methodology used utilizes a diachronic analysis (although not diastratic), of geocosmological proverbs, that can be or not in use nowadays, which include dictons about atmospheric phenomena, observation of the stars and star lore, and weather forecast through observation of animals, especially birds. The dictons collected in Maori do not come from informants but from the few books and digital sources available at the moment and this represents only a fragment of their traditional oral culture, thought and legacy of the different iwis. The collected dictons in Galician have been collected from a variety of digital corpus and resources.

year: 2015