The research and development as well as the propagation of sustainable, appropriate technology requires the availability of stable funding. Crowdfunding is a form of funding whereby small sums of investments or contributions are collected from the general public and used to finance the development of goods or services. This method has been widely used in the arts and cultural fields and presents a useful alternative means by which to fund appropriate technology projects. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence backers who participate in appropriate technology projects through crowdfunding platforms, analyze the connections among these factors, and thereby establish the usefulness of crowdfunding as a viable new funding alternative. Results indicate that the key factors influencing user intention to crowdfund appropriate technology projects include social influence, effort expectancy, and perceived trust. In comparison to the findings of previous studies, performance expectancy was not found to have a significant effect. When compared to crowdfunding conducted in other fields, these results suggest that crowdfunding for appropriate technology is closer in nature to donations. Accordingly, for funding of these projects to be successful, aggressive online exposure using the social network service (SNS) of backers should be pursued from the earliest stages of funding. diversity of participation, and provision of stable funding [6]. For appropriate technology to be sustainable, mid-to-high grade technologies should be used to address local issues; such technologies should create additional value via markets. Furthermore, additional diverse sources of funding beyond government assistance should be secured [4,7].Crowdfunding refers to activities wherein donations or investments are collected from the public via such platforms as social networks to fund a variety of projects, ranging from the production of cultural or artistic content to the establishment of startups [8]. Unlike traditional fundraising methods, such as offline donations or using an automatic response system (ARS), crowdfunding is not constrained by geography. Additional advantages include the ability to utilize diverse interpersonal networks via social network service (SNS). Furthermore, it is relatively more efficient, in that the funding process requires low intermediary costs (e.g., wages or promotion costs). As a result of these strengths, crowdfunding has emerged as an alternative means of funding among projects for non-profit causes, cultural or artistic projects, experimental technologies, and startups that are unable to access traditional methods of financing, such as bank loans and stock issues [9].Crowdfunding strengthens sustainable appropriate technology projects not only as a means of funding but also through the promotion of such projects through social networking services as well as advocate relevant technologies and knowledge exchanges through a funding platform. Although a variety of groups are currently attemptin...

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

This research poses the question of whether the diffusion of information and communications technology (ICT) in countries can affect human progress. Human progress in this research is defined as progress that allows every member of a society to live in an environment with high economic, political, and civil liberties. To examine the posed question, the authors developed the following three hypotheses. First, ICT diffusion serves as a determinant in human progress. Second, the size of the impact of diffusion of ICT on human progress may differ depending on the income level of the economy. Lastly, the impact of ICT on human progress may differ depending on the type of technological medium. These hypotheses were tested with a sample of 102 countries panel for 14 years from 2000 to 2013 with data from the International Telecommunications Union to see the status of diffusion of ICT, the Heritage Foundation and the Freedom House in order to employ the measure of human progress by a yearlagged seemingly unrelated regression analysis with both pooled and grouped samples. The results suggest that the diffusion of ICT is a determinant of human progress at the global level and that the effects differ depending on the type of technology or the income level of the country.

Sustainable growth can be a source of success for firms. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a key tool for sustainable growth. However, should firms invest in CSR without having confidence in the effects and methods of CSR? This study explored the R&D, technology commercialization, and CSR motivation as core competencies that enhance corporate performance through CSR from a normative perspective-the stakeholder's perspective. The purpose of this study was to investigate both strategic and traditional CSR's relationships with financial performance based on the confidence in the effectiveness of CSR. Another important objective of this study was to explore management factors that influence strategic CSR. Firms consider R&D and technology commercialization as strategic management factors. Therefore, this study analyzed the influence of these strategic management factors along with CSR motivations, which may influence strategic and traditional CSR.

No abstract