Our effectiveness as instructors lies ultimately in how well our students can understand and apply the concepts we teach. In response to the growing importance of accountability in the educational process and the abundance of social networking technology and communication tools available for possible classroom use, this paper will use The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to examine the adoption of established and emerging information technology in higher education classrooms. Hence, the goal of this paper is to test theoretical explanations from UTAUT in the context of higher education through the development of a set of hypotheses predicting the conditions under which classroom technology use is likely to emerge. Data collection occurred via an online survey. The instrument was sent to business faculty members teaching face-to-face classes at a southeastern university. Our findings suggest that in the context of instructors' use of technology for classroom purposes, the most important antecedents are performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and habit with more complex effects when gender is added as an interaction term. Results from this study will provide useful information on the frequency of use of technology, along with significant factors affecting its adoption in the classroom. Departmental leaders interested in the variations in individual faculty's level of inclination toward technological changes would find them particularly useful. Keywords: Behavioral intention, Technology use, Technology acceptance 1. Introduction Exceptional classroom instruction in higher education is not talked about nearly as much as the sports achievements for universities or even the research success within certain disciplines. In fact, most universities continue to reward research rather than teaching effectiveness for tenure-track faculty, and many students select universities based on the success and reputation of a football or basketball program. However, how well students understand and apply the concepts taught is the measure of instructor effectiveness, and should be one of the most important aspects of educational programs. As far back as 1955, conference remarks made by Lloyd Morey, then President of the University of Illinois, addressed improvement of instruction and the depth of responsibility that collegiate departments have to ensure quality of preparation of their members for academic teaching (1955). Active learning in higher education has been emphasized extensively over the past decade, and the "challenge is for lecturers to find ways of triggering and increasing student interest in the subject they are studying" (Tin, 2009). Without additional encouragement or rewards, many professors may focus most of their efforts on research, even with the tremendous increase in technology and digital media currently available that can actively engage learners. The infusion of new technology has had a dramatic effect on the way that we send and receive information. Comm...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to assertiveness research and assess the differences in assertiveness as it relates to gender, national culture, and ethnicity. Design/methodology/approach – The data for the study are from 231 undergraduate students majoring in business at one of four academic institutions: three in the USA and one in the Republic of Vietnam. Students completed the 30-item Rathus Assertiveness Schedule. Findings – This research suggests that individuals who are alike in level of education and status demonstrate similar levels of assertiveness, regardless of gender, national culture, or ethnicity. However, differences were seen as the data show white American males to be the most assertive, with African American females next. White females ranked third, followed by Vietnamese females, concluding with Vietnamese males. Research limitations/implications – Although the sample size is small, the intent of this research was never to have the subjects represent the general population in terms of the variables used. Instead, the authors attempted to control for gender, culture, and ethnicity variables by using a sample of college students who were similar in relation to education and social status. Future research could more fully research the findings from this study which suggest that African American women are more assertive than all other groups with the exception of white males. Originality/value – This study also gives credence to the suggestion that the global manager, in order to become more effective, needs to fully understand employee differences as represented by gender, national culture, and ethnicity.