The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of devices which contain electronics, sensors or software that enables them to connect at anytimeand anywhere through a cyber-physical system. Before the establishment of such a system, it should be considered to what extent the users are ready to adopt and use it in their daily routines. Therefore, this paper explores users' attitudestowardsusing IoT technologies to receive healthcare services. This is in contrast to most previous research, which has studied the technical requirements or devices of the IoT that are required in healthcare services, or ways in which connectivity and performance can be improved using the IoT. Based on known models of technology acceptance, an integrated framework was developed to investigate the impact of security and privacy concerns, and familiarity with the technology, on users' trust in the IoT, and then to measure the effect of that trust on Omani users' attitudes regarding use ofIoT technologies to receive healthcare services. This framework enabled the measurement of risk perception as a mediator between user trust and their attitudes towards using the IoT. Data were collected from 387 respondents and were analysed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 25 statistics software. Exploratory and confirmatory analysis and structural equation modelling were applied. The findings showed that levels of security, privacy and familiarity affected trustin the IoT. Furthermore, these levels of trust in the IoT were found to affect both users' perceptions of risk in, and their attitude towards, using the IoT. The users' risk perception partially mediated the relations between users' trustand their attitude regarding use of the IoT. The framework was supported and interpreted by 40 per cent of the variance in the attitude towards usingthe IoT in healthcare, while the mediator showed 47 per cent of the variance in the attitude towards using the IoT inhealthcare.

This research aims to identify the factors affecting the adoption of Facebook commerce, in specific the adopted Facebook advertisements for both small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and how this contributes to enhancing such SMEs’ organizational performances. Specifically, ease of use, demographic targeting, interaction, and brand awareness are regarded as the key factors that can influence Facebook’s advertisements adoption. However, three organizational performance dimensions (efficiency, flexibility, and responsiveness) are considered to be the most significant areas of focus in this research. In this study, both the quantitative research approach and the descriptive research design were employed. Data were collected from different SMEs in Muscat and Dhofar in Oman, and the total valid questionnaires suitable for analysis reached 342. The participants were primarily from those who publicize their services through Facebook. Many statistical techniques including exploratory, confirmatory, and structural equation modeling have been adopted in this study; meanwhile, the quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 25 softwares. The findings of this study suggested that the ease of use, demographic targeting, interaction, and brand awareness interpreted 20% of the variance in the Facebook advertisements as the dependent variable. However, Facebook advertisements as an independent variable were found to have a statistically significant effect on the SMEs’ performance dimensions (efficiency, flexibility, and responsiveness) with standard regressions of 0.66, 0.51, and 0.74, respectively, thereby explaining 44% of the variance in the efficiency, 26% of the variance in the flexibility, and 55% of the variance in the responsiveness. Regarding the researchers’ knowledge, this research stands out as the first research to highlight SMEs that measure statistically the relationship between the organizational performance dimensions and Facebook advertising as key social media tools within a unique context—such as Oman as an example of developing countries.

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COVID-19 restrictions significantly affected SMEs, which have faced many challenges to their sustainability within this fragile new environment. This study proposes a holistic framework of sustainable performance by interrelating factors showing robust associations to produce this effect' for achieving sustainable performance in SMEs, through integrating the Technology Organisation Environment (TOE) and Resource Based View (RBV) models, to test how sustainable green practices can process the TOE factors when affecting sustainable performance. The research focuses on SMEs with worldwide employees and involves data collected from a range of different employees belonging to four different managerial levels. The process incorporated the analysis of 669 questionnaires to test the proposed hypotheses using structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that, together, TOE factors represent crucial inputs for green practices such as green training, green performance appraisal, that, in turn, mean critical processes lead to sustainable performance (output). Additionally, the findings should also inspire SMEs to focus even more effort on internal technological and organisational factors and to encourage an eco-friendly culture that would demand stakeholders adopt a more positive environmental stance.

A number of generic CRM implementation frameworks have been developed, yet no systematic framework has been developed to help HEIs orientate CRM strategy to align with university business strategies and stakeholder needs. This research iteratively develops the CRM Strategy Orientation Support (CRM-SOS) framework, which aims to support HEIs in orientating their strategic CRM system at the pre-implementation stage and align CRM strategy with the business strategy; thus, reducing the chance that HEIs will experience CRM implementation failure. To reach our proposed CRM-SOS framework, we employed Design Science Research (DSR) methodology steps (Vaishnavi and Kuechler 2004) by analysing UK HEIs specific CRM implementation case studies, conducting semi-structured HEIs-based interviews, followed by evaluation of the resulted framework by HEI Information Systems (IS) experts. We concluded with a new CRM-SOS framework for HEIs consisting of five stages. The framework can be used to personalise the stages until they fit the strategic outputs and match the top management KPIs. Although existing research agrees that intensive attention should be given to CRM planning, there is no consensus or developed framework, for use within HEIs, demonstrating how CRM strategy can be orientated to align with university strategies and customer needs.

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The information and communication technology (ICT) of trade balance is one of the main facilitators of any business sustainability. As ICT and financial inclusion eases access to knowledge and enhances significantly developing several human skills and competencies, its impact in industrial sectors has mainly recognized as positive. But digitalization as well arguable comes with some other challenges, while disruptive digital innovations exerted on different industries and economies. In this spirit, this study aims to measure the impact of financial access and the information and communication technology (ICT) trade balance on the dark and bright sides of digitalization. Data has been collected from 31 countries of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the period of 2008–2019. Technological growth, technological innovation, technological performance risk and ethical proxies were used to examine the dark and bright sides of digitalization. The main findings were consistent and confirmed by the estimated panel least squares, fixed and random effects, feasible generalized least squares and system generalized method of moments (S-GMM) estimators. Financial access has found to have a significant negative impact on the digitalization proxies reflecting the dark side of digitalization in all estimators. Whereas, the ICT trade balance has found to have a significant positive impact on digitalization proxies reflecting the bright side of digitalization in most estimators. These results contribute to the policy debate on the importance of digital finance models and ICT exports awareness when promoting the bright side of digitalization. Furthermore, policy makers should monitor and update information that is disclosed digitally as the results of this study extended support the creative destruction theory which implicitly included economic innovation and the business cycle theories.

PurposeMost Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have silos of distributed processes, which adds to the confusion and conflict concerning the Customer Relationship Management (CRM), desires, expectation and needs (DEN). Where possible, in order to maximise resource impact and minimise organisational disruption, HEIs should practically map these DEN to processes, roles, events, activities, channels, and technologies (PRE-ACTs) that already exist within the organisation. The paper iteratively considers use of additional practical approaches that need be considered in order to ensure that strategic HEI CRM DEN are effectively captured, and that the requirements are appropriately mapped to existing HEI activities.Design/methodology/approachContent from 27 JISC cases, 10 semi-structured interviews and three focus group sessions have been collected and analysed using thematic analysis to understand how to develop preliminary stage 2 steps and assess the applicability of the final CRM strategy orientation support (CRM-SOS) framework stage 2 methods.FindingsThe authors believe that this study provides substantial practical support to CRM implementation practitioners when analysing customer CRM desires, expectation, and needs requirements. The developing practical tools aim to 1) support practitioners better comprehend the multifaceted life cycles, needs, and requirements of HEI customers, and 2) aid in the planning and management of CRM change more effectively.Originality/valueThe paper is extending the recent research around CRM strategy in HEIs by proposing additional practical approaches that need be considered to ensure that strategic CRM are effectively captured. The paper also offers considerable practical support to CRM implementation practitioners when analysing customer CRM desires, expectation, and needs' requirements.