A Study on Technology Application and Performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Context of Cloud Computing Application-A Case Study of Hotel Industry in Henan,China

This paper examines how the adoption of cloud computing affects the relationship between the technical and environmental capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs)in the tourism industry in Henan Province,China,thereby promoting the stable and sustainable development of the tourism industry,combining the laws of tourism market development,vigorously constructing a smart tourism project,guiding tourism cloud service providers to strengthen the cooperation and contact with the market’s tourism enterprises,introducing and utilizing cloud computing technology,optimizing and improving the functions of various tourism services of the enterprises,and enhancing the processing and analysis of enterprise-related data to provide tourism information.Strengthen the processing and analysis of enterprise-related data to provide tourism information,and further study the adoption of cloud computing and its impact on small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs)in terms of technology and business environment knowledge,so as to make the best enterprise management decisions and realize the overall enhancement of the enterprise’s tourism brand value.

Analysis on the Impact of Cattle Fattening Technology on Farmer Households in Atabae Timor-Leste

Agriculture is one of the priority sectors in Timor-Leste. Introducing new agriculture technology is crucial to enhance agricultural production. Practicing cattle fattening can increase beef cattle body weight and generate income to the beef cattle farmers. As farmers face problems including agricultural production decline, lack of forages and information and weather unfavourable. The study’s purpose was to examine the impact of adoption of cattle fattening technology on farmer households in Atabae administrative post, Bobonaro municipality in Timor-Leste. There were 200 beef cattle farmers households where randomly selected in four villages in Atabae. It consisted of 65 farmers practicing cattle fattening and 135 farmers non-practicing cattle fattening. Face to face interviews used structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis such as t-test and descriptive analysis were used to examine impact adoption of cattle fattening technology by farmers and factor constraints of cattle production and the solutions of it. The results indicated the average value of cattle and profit were significant different from zero and it is associated with practicing of cattle fattening. The average of labour used on cattle activities, the average of cattle sold, and total cost spent on cattle were not significant different from zero. The percentage of farmers said that factors constraints cattle production were shortage of water and forage (53%) and spend time on culture ceremony and lack of capital (33%). The number of farmers said that they collected water from river, feed cattle with sago and forage (55.3%) and cultivated forage (23.4%). This finding contributes information to the farmers, traders, and Timorese government to continue implementing cattle fattening activities as it enhances farmers’ income and developing cattle production.

Dual carbon goal and agriculture in China:Exploring key factors influencing farmers’behavior in adopting low carbon technologies

Identifying the factors influencing farmers’adoption of low-carbon technologies(FA)and understanding their impacts are essential for shaping effective agricultural policies amied at emission reduction and carbon sequestration in China.This study employs a meta-analysis of 122 empirical studies,delves into 23 driving factors affecting FA and addresses the inconsistencies present in the existing literature.We systematically examine the effect size,source of heterogeneity,and time-accumulation effect of the driving factors on FA.We find that significant heterogeneity in the factors influencing FA,except for farming experience,sources of heterogeneity from the survey zone,methodology model,technological attributes,report source,financial support,and the sampling year.Additionally,age,farming experience,and adoption cost negatively correlate with FA.In contrast,educational level,health status,technical training,economic and welfare cognition,land contract,soil quality,terrain,information accessibility,demonstration,government promotion,government regulation,government support,agricultural cooperatives member,peer effect,and agricultural income ratio demonstrate a positive correlation.Especially,demonstration and age show a particularly strong correlation.Finally,the effect of demonstration,age,economic and welfare cognition,farming experience,land contract,soil quality,information accessibility,government promotion,and support,as well as agricultural cooperative membership and peer effects on FA,are generally stable but exhibit varying degrees of attenuation over time.The effect of village cadre,family income,farm scale,gender,health status,technical training,and off-farm work on FA show notable temporal shifts and maintain a weak correlation with FA.This study contributes to shaping China’s current low-carbon agriculture policies across various regions.It encourages policymakers to comprehensively consider the stability of key factors,other potential factors,technological attributes,rural socio-economic context,and their interrelations.

Does Internet use promote the adoption of agricultural technology?Evidence from 1449 farm households in 14 Chinese provinces

China is characterized as ’a large country with many smallholder farmers’ whose participation in modern agriculture is key to the country’s modern agriculture development. Promoting smallholder farmers’ adoption of modern agricultural production technology is one effective way to improve the capabilities of smallholder farmers. This paper aims to explore the impact of Internet use on the adoption of agricultural production technology by smallholder farmers based on a survey of 1 449 smallholders across 14 provinces in China. The results suggest that Internet use can significantly promote technology adoption, with the probability of adopting new crop varieties, water-saving irrigation technology and straw-returning technology increasing by 0.200, 0.157 and 0.155, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of Internet use is found to be heterogeneous with a greater effect on smallholder farmers having low education levels, limited training, and high incomes. To increase agricultural production technology adoption by smallholders, rural Internet infrastructure and Internet use promotion should be the focus for the Chinese government.

Impact of climate-smart agricultural technology on multidimensional poverty in rural Ethiopia

A large body of empirical literature showed that the adoption of agricultural technologies reduces poverty. However, dominants of those studies so far used one-dimensional income or expenditure-based measures of poverty which may not reflect other types of deprivations. Therefore, the major objective of this study is to examine the impact of adopting climate-smart agricultural technology, which refers to a joint application of row planting methods and the use of chemical fertilizers, on the multidimensional poverty status of rural households in Ethiopia. To estimate the impact of the stated technologies, this study employs propensity score matching and endogenous switching regression methods. To measure the multidimensional poverty index, the study also uses the Alkire and Foster counting approach. Using the Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey(ESS), collected in 2015-Wave 3, the results of the study show that the adoption of these technologies reduces deprivation score and one of its component, the standard of living part. Regionally, a high reduction in deprivation is observed in Amhara and Oromiya regions. The results also show that the impact is significantly higher in severely deprived households. It is also observed that the reduction in multidimensional poverty due to the technology is through an increase in income/consumption via improvement in production gain. The impact channels more through the non-food expenditure pathway. Finally, this study also sheds light on the effects that technology adoption has on multidimensional poverty reduction.

Do cooperatives participation and technology adoption improve farmers’welfare in China?A joint analysis accounting for selection bias

This study examines the impact of farmers’cooperatives participation and technology adoption on their economic welfare in China.A double selectivity model(DSM)is applied to correct for sample selection bias stemming from both observed and unobserved factors,and a propensity score matching(PSM)method is applied to calculate the agricultural income difference with counter factual analysis using survey data from 396 farmers in 15 provinces in China.The findings indicate that farmers who join farmer cooperatives and adopt agricultural technology can increase agricultural income by 2.77 and 2.35%,respectively,compared with those non-participants and non-adopters.Interestingly,the effect on agricultural income is found to be more significant for the low-income farmers than the high-income ones,with income increasing 5.45 and 4.51%when participating in farmer cooperatives and adopting agricultural technology,respectively.Our findings highlight the positive role of farmer cooperatives and agricultural technology in promoting farmers’economic welfare.Based on the findings,government policy implications are also discussed.

Variable Rate Technology and Cotton Yield Response in Texas

Variable Rate Technology （VRT） takes within-field variability into consideration and aims to match resource application to crop requirement. Even though Texas is the most important cotton producing state in the US, the rate of VRT adoption is very low here. Hence, analyzing the factors influencing the adoption and providing a regional estimate of the impact of VRT adoption on cotton yield is very important. This study used the 2009 Southern Cotton Precision Farming Survey to analyze the farm and farmer characteristics affecting the adoption of VRT among Texas cotton farmers and to empirically estimate the impact of adoption of VRT on cotton yield in Texas. A two-stage least square procedure with a logistic regression model in the first stage and a multiple linear regression model in the second stage was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that there are significant regional differences in adoption pattern within the state of Texas; and the farmers from the coastal region, where there is higher within-field variability, were more likely to adopt VRT compared to other regions. Younger farmers, farmers managing larger farms, and farmers who use computers for farming operations were more likely to adopt VRT. The results also showed that, on an average, the adoption of VRT does not lead to significant yield improvements for cotton in Texas. Since the impact of VRT adoption on yield is not significant, the source of economic advantage of VRT adoption in Texas may be the reduction of input cost.

Factors Influencing Attitude towards Technology Adoption among Permanent Food Production Park (PFPP) Program Participants in West Malaysia

The study explores the factors influencing attitude towards agricultural technology adoption among Permanent Food Production Park(PFPP)program participants in West Malaysia and the factors that influence their attitudes.The PFPP program is one of the programs introduced by the government of Malaysia with the objectives of increasing food production,as well as supporting local agriculture entrepreneurs.The study employed a cross-sectional study design and has been conducted in four West Malaysian states with a sample of size of 275 respondents.The results indicated that the respondents had a positive attitude towards technology adoption and factors such as knowledge and skill,benefit,education level,years of experience in agriculture and gross income had influenced their attitude.

Uncertainty aversion and farmers' innovative seed adoption:Evidence from a field experiment in rural China

Based on the microdata of 705 wheat farmers in the Loess Plateau, this study empirically analyzes the impact of uncertainty on farmers' adoption of innovative seeds using a field experiment. The results indicate that farmers are generally ambiguity-averse and risk-averse. In addition, farmers with higher ambiguity aversion and risk aversion are less likely to adopt innovative wheat seeds, where their risk aversion plays a dominant role. Enhancing information access will alleviate the negative influence of ambiguity aversion on farmers' adoption of innovative seeds, and interlinked insurance and credit contracts will be beneficial to ease the adverse effect of risk aversion on the adoption of innovative wheat seeds. Meanwhile, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the inhibitory effects of ambiguity aversion and risk aversion on innovative seed adoption are more significant among farmers with lower education and household income.The government can establish both ex-ante and ex-post relevant guarantee mechanisms to help farmers preferably cope with various uncertainties in the production process, remitting farmers' ambiguity aversion and risk aversion to enhance new agricultural technology adoption rates.

Adoption of Improved Rice Varieties in the Global South:A Review

Improved rice varieties(IRVs)play a significant role in establishing food security and improving livelihood in the Global South since its introduction in the 1960s.However,the adoption of new IRVs has remained relatively low.This low adoption poses a challenge to rice-producing and consuming countries as they are increasingly threatened by production shortages,malnutrition,and poor rice quality.Many empirical studies have attempted to identify the determinants influencing the adoption of IRVs by distinguishing the characteristics between adopters and non-adopters.This review showed a consensus on the important determinants influencing the adoption of IRVs in the Global South.Findings synthesized from 99 studies suggested that variables(farm size,education,information access and farm location)examined extensively are not necessarily the most important determinants of adoption when undertaking a weighted analysis.Terrain,source of seed and technology-related attributes(perceived yield,maturity,ease of use,marketability and technical efficiency)are more important determinants of adoption,with determinants changing according to adoption type(probability or intensity of adoption),variety type and region.The recommendations for future adoption studies include:incorporating more technology-specific variables,increasing research for overlooked regions and variety types,shifting away from predominant static analysis by capturing the dynamics of the adoption process,and considering the potential biases in analyses.This review will facilitate the development of targeted interventions and policies that promote IRV adoption in the Global South.

A maturity model for blockchain adoption

Background:The rapid development of the blockchain technology and its various applications has rendered it important to understand the guidelines for adopting it.Methods:The comparative analysis method is used to analyze different dimensions of the maturity model,which is mainly based on the commonly used capability maturity model.Results:The blockchain maturity model and its adoption process have been discussed and presented.Conclusions:This study serves as a guide to institutions to make blockchain adoption decisions more systematically.

Factors influencing the internet banking adoption decision in North Cyprus: an evidence from the partial least square approach of the structural equation modeling

Purpose:This paper aims to examine how the adoption decision of the internet banking in North Cyprus would be affected based on the following dimensions;the technology features,the personal characteristics,the social environment and the expected risk.Design/methodology/approach:A self-administered survey was conducted with 291 participants responded to it.The partial least square approach of the structural equation modeling(PLS-SEM)is employed to investigate the direct effects of the proposed factors on the adoption decision.Additionally,the mediation test is used to examine indirect effects.Findings:Results showed that even though the participants appreciated the benefits of the online banking as the perceived usefulness factor exerts the greatest direct effect,they would rather use clear and easy-to-use websites,adding to that their assessments of the usefulness of these services are significantly influenced by the surrounding people’s views and prior experience.This is demonstrated by the total effects of the perceived ease of use and the subjective norm factors,which are greater than the direct effect of the perceived usefulness factor since both of these factors have significant direct and indirect effects mediated by the perceived usefulness factor.The negative impact of the perceived risk factor is weak compared to the previous factors.While the personal innovativeness factor showed the weakest effect among the proposed factors.

Farmers' Willingness-to-Pay for Environment and Human Health and Adoption of IPM

Although chemical control of pests increases crop production, it brings a lot of damage to environment and human health. There exist a number of alternative methods that are not so harmful to environment and human health. However, whether and how much in extent these technologies adopted are plausible depends on the comparison of benefit-cost between chemical control and the alternative control methods (such as Integrated Pest Management, IPM) and farmers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for envirorment and human health. Using contingent valuation method (CVM), the author investigates farmers' WTP for environment and human health, recognizes the factors influencing WTP, and accordingly points out the importance of pest control technology extension and government regulation of pesticides.

Farmers' seed choice behaviors under asymmetrical information: Evidence from maize farming in China

the financial support of the National Social Science Foundation of China （14ZDA038）;the National Natural Science Foundation of China （71222302;71373255;71573133）;the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences （2012RC102）

Adoption of small-scale irrigation technologies and its impact on land productivity:Evidence from Rwanda

In an attempt to identify solutions to the effects of erratic rainfall patterns and droughts that limit agricultural production growth,the Rwandan government has recently increased investments in irrigation development.In this study,we analyze the adoption of small-scale irrigation technologies(SSITs)and its impact on land productivity using cross-sectional data from a sample of 360 farmers in Rwanda.The study uses the propensity score matching technique to address potential self-selection bias.Our results reveal that adoption decisions are significantly influenced by factors such as education,farm size,group membership,gender,extension services,access to credit,access to weather forecast information,risk perceptions,access to a reliable source of water for irrigation,awareness of rainwater harvesting techniques,and awareness of subsidy programs.In addition,the results show that the adoption of SSITs has a significantly positive impact on land productivity.The study concludes with policy implications that highlight the need to promote the adoption of SSITs among farmers as a strategy to improve agricultural productivity and food security in Rwanda.

Economic Impact of Mutant Cassava （Manihot Species） for Agricultural Improvement in Ghana

The importance of agricultural innovations for raising the living standards of farmers has received substantial attention from the economic and political communities. In Ghana, cassava serves as an important source of calorie and cash crop. Production constraints such as the cassava mosaic disease caused by virus have limit farmers access to productivity potentials and marketing. Breeding efforts attempting to address this constraints have had some success such as the mutant Tech Bankye virus resistant variety. This research, therefore, analysed the impact of some production input on mutant cassava productivity growth in Ghana with the use of Cobb-Douglas production function. Results show that farmers cultivate the mutant variety in addition to other traditional varieties to averse risking in marketing and income. The average cost of production of the mutant variety is higher compared to that of the traditional variety. Eighty percent of the farmers complained difficulty in accessing market for the mutant variety because it could not replace the traditional variety in terms of its texture for the local native ＂fufu＂ production and ＂ampesi＂ and also deteriorate quickly in storage. However, for industrial production of ＂gari＂ and starch, the mutant is the best. Both the mutant cassava and the traditional varieties showed increasing returns to scale, however, the returns to scale of the mutant variety were lower compared to that of the traditional variety. Also, the opportunity cost of forgoing the traditional varieties to cultivating the mutant variety was very high making adopted farmers hesitant to continue it cultivation.

Profitability and Farmer Acceptability of Selected Climate Smart Technologies and Practices for Maize-Beans Production in Drought-Prone Areas, Uganda

Climate change is increasingly affecting farm-level decisions on when to plant and which climate smart agriculture (CSA) options to use. This study was conducted to determine the profitability and farmer acceptability of different CSA options for maize-bean production in drought-prone areas of Uganda. It was conducted on-farm in Rakai and Nakasongola districts during 2020 and 2021. Variables included: planting date (early vs late);varieties (common beans: NABE 4 and NAROBEAN 2, and maize: Longe 5 and Bazooka);intercropping versus pure stand;and fertiliser use (manure, Diammonium phosphate (DAP) or combination). The experimental design was split-split plot, replicated six times. Over two years, early planting caused 16% and up to 46% higher yields of maize and beans, respectively, than late planting, resulting in 14% - 28% and 18% - 43% higher Benefit/Cost (B/C) ratio for maize and beans, respectively. Intercropping reduced maize and beans yield by 16% - 25% and 52% - 57%, respectively. The B/C was highest for sole maize;intercropping was more profitable than sole beans. Fertilizer (DAP) was most profitable when Bazooka was early-planted as sole crop followed by intercrop. For late planted-crop, manure was better. These practices were more beneficial when applied simultaneously for both crops excluding bean variety. Farmers’ lessons stressed the importance of early planting and fertilizer use;however, majority indicated they were to adopt more than two of the practices tested.

Social Networking With a Purpose

Online dating sites are growing steadily in popularity, despite challenging economic times. In addition, online dating sites are facing increasing competition for their services from free social networking sites. Despite these harsh economic times and the increasing competition, online dating websites have continued to increase in popularity. This growth justifies the need to better understand how these volitional and paid websites have been so successful. By addressing the call for research in emergent information systems （IS） contexts, this study proposes a theoretical framework for investigation in a purely volitional website context. A framework based on the DeLone and McLean＇s IS success model is developed. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Technological Innovation Adoption Model for Construction Products

The construction sector is in need of further self-development due to recent innovations in technology.This is because the environmental problems which have been handled seriously all over the world in recent years,and studies related to the way of creating requirements and measures for healthy construction environments have been emphasized.For adoption of new technological construction products in that sector;a system which will encompass designers,contractors and users is required.For selection and widespread use of new technological products,the decision-making is not only sufficient but also cultural and socio-economic factors and conditions are gaining in importance.For the implementation and control of the new construction product assigned,a process of testing is required.The process of testing should be structured by allowing the use of new technological products in a system of continuous self-improvement by preventing the usage without change for a substantial amount of time.All of these processes have been examined within the scope of the doctoral thesis in model,which was developed for the adoption of technological innovation.In this study,the aim is to contribute to the creation of an appropriate adoption roadmap for constant self-renewal and self-improvement of construction environments,which are sensitive to the environment.