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Mobile applications are becoming a preferred delivery method for the government sector and contributing to more convenient and timely services to citizens. This study examines the intention to use mobile applications for the government services (mG-App) in Oman. This study extended the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by including two constructs namely trust and information quality. Data were collected from 513 mobile application users across Oman. The research model was analyzed in two stages. First, structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to determine significant determinants affecting users' acceptance of mG-App. In the second stage, a neural network model was used to validate SEM results and determine the relative importance of determinants of acceptance of mG-App. The findings revealed that trust and performance expectancy are the strongest determinants influencing the acceptance of mG-App. The findings of this research have provided theoretical contributions to the existing research on mG-App and practical implications to decision-makers involved in the development and implementation of mG-App in in Oman.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the interrelationships among Knowledge Management (KM), Information Systems (IS), and Employees' Empowerment (EE) on Employees' Performance (EP). Design: Accordingly, a structural model is developed that delineates the interactions among these constructs and explores the mediating effect of employees' empowerment on the relationship between KM, IS and employees' performance. A questionnaire-based survey was designed to test the aforementioned model based on dataset of 287 employees' Pharmaceutical industries in Jordan. Results: The model and posited hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling analysis. The results indicated that KM and IS positively and significantly affect EE, in which the latter impact EP as well. However, neither KM nor IS proved to be positively related to EP. Additionally, EE positively and significantly mediated the relationship between KM and EP; besides the relationship between IS and EP. Originality: This is one of the few studies which investigate the interrelationships among Knowledge Management (KM), Information Systems (IS), and Employees' Empowerment (EE) on Employees' Performance (EP), and the first to test the model on companies in the pharmaceutical industries in Jordan.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the factors that may hinder or facilitate consumers’ adoption of mobile-commerce (m-commerce) activities in the context of developing countries exemplified here by Oman. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was developed through integrating factors from UTAUT2 (performance expectancy, expectancy effort, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, habit and self-efficacy) and SERVQUAL (system quality, service quality and information quality). Data were collected from 530 Omani m-commerce users through a cross-sectional survey. Findings The results of the structural equation modelling showed that consumers’ behavioural intention (BI) towards m-commerce adoption was significantly influenced by information quality, habit, performance expectancy, trust, hedonic motivation, service quality, price value and facilitating conditions, in their order of influencing strength, and explained 65.5 per cent of the variance in BI. Unexpectedly, effort expectancy, social influence, self-efficacy and system quality had no significant effect on BI. Practical implications This study will explain the currently relatively low penetration rate of m-commerce adoption in Oman, which will help local m-commerce businesses to develop the right organizational strategies, especially related to marketing strategies and developing mobile applications, which will draw the attention of many users. Originality/value This is one of the few studies that integrates UTAUT2 with SERVQUAL and tests the proposed model in non-Western cultural contexts. Specifically, in contrast to previous studies, diversity of individuals’ acceptance behaviour is examined in Oman.

This paper aims to investigate the effects of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, trust, job opportunity, top management support, competitive pressure, and regulatory support on employees" behavioral intention to use cloud computing. Data was collected by means of self-administrated questionnaire containing 25 items from 205 employees" working in three, four, and five star hotels. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses. Results of the current study revealed that there are significant impacts of four independent variables (i.e. job opportunity, top management support, competitive pressure, and regulatory support) on behavioral intention (BI) to use cloud computing; whereas four independent variables (i.e. perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and trust) have no significant impact on BI. The results of T-test also showed that there is a significant difference in the impact of BI to use cloud computing in favor of gender. On the other hand, the results of ANOVA"s test showed that there is no significant difference in the impact of BI that can be attributed to age, educational level, and personal income; whereas a significant difference found in favor of work position and hotel"s classification. In light of these findings, implications to both theory and practice are discussed.

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The use of social networks is a growing phenomenon, being increasingly important in both private and academic life. Social networks are used as tools to enable users to have social interaction. The use of social networks (SNs) complements and enhances the teaching in traditional classrooms. For example, YouTube, Facebook, wikis, and blogs provide a huge amount of material on a wide range of subjects. This research aims to explore the need to change the traditional style of teaching and learning after the innovation of Web 2.0. The main objectives of this research are to discover the motives for the use of social networks by higher education students in Oman, to recognize the impact of social networking tools in learning and education generally, to analyse the problems that students might face when using social networks, and to determine whether the traditional learning methods need to be changed in the era of Web 2.0 technologies? In order to achieve the objectives of this research, the research methodology is to conduct a survey amongst Omani students at different universities, colleges, and other higher education institutions and to explore the social networking tools that might have an influence on teaching and learning styles. The type of data collected will be both quantitative and qualitative. This study is based mainly on the student's perspective - the impact on students of using social networking tools and what effect it has on the traditional style of learning and teaching. This study highlights the benefits of using social networks as tools for developing a new style of learning, and the negative impacts that can affect the process of learning, in order to provide a justification for using social networks in higher education.

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