On a recent semester-long stay in India, students from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) learned about a variety of social and economic development issues, with an emphasis on the role and status of women. This study describes and assesses the impact and effectiveness of their learning with a particular focus on their exposure to Meerut Seva Samaj (MSS), one economic development initiative concentrating on rural women. The Indian economy has recently witnessed an increase in entrepreneurship among women. Entrepreneurship often allows women to engage in home-based work so that they still can attend to their domestic duties, while also helping to financially support the family. Banks, companies, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are finding that offering micro-credit, or small loans, and other types of entrepreneurial assistance can help women start businesses. Meerut Seva Samaj provides a concrete example of how Indian women, especially in rural areas, can become successful entrepreneurs with the help of technology, training and other resources. MSS also assists local communities in the use of biogas, an environmentally friendly energy source that improves the environment and fertility of land in rural areas. The study places this service learning case study from India in the context of the literature on women, economic development, entrepreneurship and environmental issues.
Demand for business intelligence (BI) applications continues to grow at a rapid pace. Business intelligence via mobile devices is the latest frontier to drive demand among organizations interested in BI applications. However, mobile BI is still in its infancy. There are many opportunities to advance the way users use and interact with BI applications using mobile BI. Nevertheless, there are many challenges and issues that still require attention to attain mobile BI success. This paper highlights the state of mobile BI solutions and strategies to consider during a mobile BI implementation. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities mobile BI presents to organizations.
With the mass introduction of computers in the workplace researchers have spent considerable time, over the last two decades, investigating methods to effectively integrate this technology into the daily routines of employees at all levels within the organization [1–3]. An exogenous variable, and precursor to introduction of computers, is computer anxiety [4–6]. Computer anxiety is generally defined as an anxious response by the individual to the anticipated or actual contact with computers [7]. This article examined the relationship of cognitive appraisal, locus of control, prior exposure, and computer anxiety. It was hypothesized that an individual's appraisal of a computing situation, whether the person was internally or externally focused, and their prior experience with computers would affect their level of computer anxiety as measured by the Computer Concerns Questionnaire. A stepwise multiple regression was performed and the results indicated that cognitive appraisal and exposure were significant predictors of computer anxiety. The authors conclude that early assessments of a novice user's appraisal of the situation should be used to tailor training programs to the specific individual's needs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.