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This study offers an overview of foreigners' Alipay usage when linked with credit cards issued by foreign agencies during their travel to Mainland China. Employing a qualitative ethnography method, the author engaged in firsthand participant observations, conducted informal interviews with local citizens, and analyzed archival data to investigate this phenomenon. The analysis employed a socio-technical perspective with swift guanxi to elucidate the present observed scenario and potential solutions when encountering challenges while using Alipay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In response to the growing need for organizations to enhance their digital capabilities and the widespread adoption of enterprise social media (ESM) in the workplace, researchers have extensively studied the effects of ESM on various organizational outcomes. Nonetheless, a notable theoretical gap exists regarding the influence of ESM on the development of organizational digital maturity. This paper aims to bridge this gap by conducting a comprehensive literature review to investigate how the utilization of ESM can facilitate the transformation of organizational value-creation processes, thereby contributing to the overall enhancement of digital maturity. Design/methodology/approach: Using the information technology (IT) value-creation framework developed by Mooney et al. (1996) and applying a template analysis methodology as outlined by King (2012), the authors conducted a systematic literature review (Okoli and Schabram, 2010), to investigate the influence of ESM on value creation within the digital business environment. Findings: The study's outcomes are structured around a theoretical framework that combines the contingency theory and the sociotechnical perspective to provide a comprehensive understanding of digital maturity. This paper also delves into how ESM facilitates the transformation of organizational value-creation processes, ultimately contributing to the overall progress of their digital maturity. Research limitations/implications: This study adapts existing theoretical models to fit the context of ESM and integrates multiple perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of its impact. It identifies a convergence in the definition of ESM and offers insights into its various dimensions and effects on value creation. Hence, scholars can use the identified theoretical frameworks and conceptual convergence to guide future investigations into the impact of ESM on value creation, fostering theoretical development and empirical research. Practitioners can benefit from the insights to develop effective strategies for implementing ESM within their organizations, aligning with broader organizational objectives to enhance performance, streamline operations and drive structural changes. Furthermore, both scholars and practitioners can use the identified limitations of the study to identify areas for further improvement and exploration, thus contributing to the advancement of knowledge and practice in ESM and value creation. Limitations of this research include the exclusion of gray literature, a relatively small sample size of analyzed articles, and the restriction to specific databases as per systematic review guidelines, potentially overlooking valuable contributions from alternative sources. Practical implications: This paper provides a comprehensive exploration of how ESM can support value-creation processes within organizations. It offers valuable insights to help managers incorporate ESM into their digital strategies and to understand its value-creation effects. Originality/value: Adopting a value-creation perspective and integrating the contingency theory and the sociotechnical perspective to build a comprehensive framework, this research introduces an original approach by showcasing how ESM can facilitate shifts in value-creation processes of organizations, paving the way to contribute to the development of their digital maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of digital technologies, the use of augmented reality in the tourism sector has received increasing attention. However, the understanding of the factors influencing tourists' post-experience intention with augmented reality devices is incomplete and there is a lack of empirical research. This study explores the impact of AR technical factors, individual factors and situational factors on users' post-experience AR usage intention and destination revisit intention through satisfaction based on a socio-technical perspective. The survey data collected from 254 visitors who visited the Liangzhu Museum using the corresponding AR glasses were analysed, and the results showed that the novelty of the technical aspect, the technology trust of the individual aspect and the aesthetics, education and authenticity of the situational aspect influenced visitors' AR usage intention and destination revisit intention through satisfaction. This study has an impact on future research on the application of augmented reality technology to heritage museums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In live streaming shopping, exploring the influencing mechanism of consumers’ participation is an important prerequi site for understanding consumer behavior in social commerce activities. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship betw een technological and social factors (visibility, media richness, guidance shopping and real-time interactivity) in live streaming shop ping and consumers’ purchase intention. The mediating roles of attraction and cognitive assimilation were also examined. Methods: This study collected 425 pieces of data through questionnaire survey. The structural equation model is established based on S-O-R frame. The hypothesis is tested by structural equation model. Results: Our study found that that real-time interactive and media richness positively affect attraction; visibility, guidance shopping and media richness positive affect cognitive assimilation; cognitive assimilation and attraction positive affect consumers’ purchase intention; cognitive assimilation and attraction play a partial mediating role in the influence of technology and social factors on cons umers’ purchase intention of live streaming shopping. Discussion: From the perspective of socio-technical, this study explores the influence mechanism of different influencing factors on consumers’ purchase intention in live streaming shopping. This study expands the application of IT affordance theory in the context of live streaming shopping, and reveals the mediating role of attraction and cognitive assimilation between social, technological factors and consumers’ purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the impact of the virtual public sphere on how urban spaces are experienced and conceived in our data-driven society. It places particular emphasis on urban scale digital twins, which are virtual replicas of cities that are used to simulate environments and develop scenarios in response to policy problems. The article also investigates the shift from the technical to the socio-technical perspective within the field of smart cities. Despite the aspirations of urban scale digital twins to enhance the participation of citizens in the decision-making processes relayed to urban planning strategies, the fact that they are based on a limited set of variables and processes makes them problematic. The article aims to shed light on the tension between the real and the ideal at stake during this process of abstracting sets of variables and processes in the case of urban scale digital twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This paper aims to draw on a socio-technical perspective to explore how information and communication technology (ICT) supports the validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL) in specific practices and arrangements. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use qualitative content analysis to analyse 43 country reports of the "European inventory on validation" published by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) in 2019. Findings: This study conceptualises ICT supported VNFIL practices and arrangements from a socio-technical perspective. Given this, the paper finds that ICT is used mainly to provide information on validation practices and arrangements, store qualification registers online and identify and document learning outcomes. The use of ICT to assess and certify learning outcomes remains limited. Originality/value: VNFIL is very rarely seen in a technical context. This paper contributes to a theoretical perspective and highlights the mutual interdependence of social and technical components. Furthermore, this study provides an overview of inasmuch ICT is currently used to support VNFIL practices and arrangements. Based on the results, validation researchers and practitioners can get inspiration on how to develop ICT supported VNFIL practices and arrangements further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of a new enterprise system is a major change event for end-users. Since organisations need to modify their processes and structures to align with the enterprise system, users must learn and understand the new system as well as engage with it in their work practices. Past research has largely focused on the initial organisational adoption of an enterprise system. However, there has been little research concerning the change process in the post-adoption stage. This research addresses this gap by drawing on the punctuated sociotechnical information system change (PSIC) model to explain the change through critical events, gaps between socio-technical components, responses to gaps, and outcomes. The research question is: How do socio-technical changes unfold in an enterprise system implementation? The study employs a qualitative interpretive case study method. The results reveal that changes in the structure of work following enterprise system implementation affect organisational performance, the social system, and individual work practices. This research contributes to a better understanding of technical and social changes and their impacts in the post-adoption of enterprise system implementation. The findings may assist organisations in providing appropriate resources and support for successful enterprise system implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates that a shift from a purely technical to a more socio-technical perspective has significant implications for the conceptualization, design, and implementation of smart city technologies. Such implications are discussed and illustrated through the case of an emerging urban analytics tool, the City-scale Digital Twin. Based on interdisciplinary insights and a participatory knowledge co-production and tool co-development process, including both researchers and prospective users, we conclude that in order to move beyond a mere "hype technology," City-Scale Digital Twins must reflect the specifics of the urban and socio-political context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A predominant understanding in information systems research (ISR) is that technology has institutionalizing, routinizing, and socializing effects in its interaction with users in the human enterprise. Subscribing to these effects from an organizational point of view no longer provides a full understanding of the more complex dynamics in the 21st century workplace inhabited by a vast amount of different technologies with different purposes. Through a critical realist analysis, focusing on patterns in socio-technical structures and more specific actions and outcomes afforded by the recent and forceful adoption of unified communication and collaboration platforms (UCC), the authors see a new, powerful socio-technical mechanism of individualization that is profoundly changing these socio-technical dynamics. Through 18 interviews with knowledge professionals, the study finds that the mechanisms of individualization reduce the influence of the organization as an institutionalizing and socializing socio-technical system. As an example, the power of individualization creates new parallel structures of small networks of close colleagues. Thus, this research sees new structural patterns and dynamics emerging, forming a much more complex, yet self-organizing socio-technical system. The authors suggest expanding the socio-technical understanding of the present techno-organizational reality by taking into account the socio-technical mechanisms that produce certain outcomes. By understanding the fundamental mechanisms at work, they provide those with a fuller understanding of how these mechanisms can enable, while simultaneously crippling, each other. This fuller understanding also aids the pursuit of providing workplaces that achieve both humanistic and economic objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prior research on the area of internet of things (IoT) development has primarily emphasized the overview descriptions and rarely investigated this area from a socio-technical standpoint. However, IoT development is a socio-technical ensemble, which requires analysis with a simultaneous focus on both technical and non-technical issues. Hence, this paper aims to analyze the development of IoT through the lens of the socio-technical system (STS) theory. Design/methodology/approach: Having reviewed the STS theory, the key components of the IoT development are identified using prior literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts involved in the Iranian IoT development effort. Findings: As a result, this paper provides insight into the key socio-technical issues in the IoT development classified under technology, tasks, structure and actors as four components of STS. Moreover, the close connections between the components are clarified. Originality/value: This research is among the earliest studies, which use the STS theory to investigate the IoT development. The conducted socio-technical analysis of this study may assist the governments, industries and entrepreneurs as the chief stakeholders of IoT development to better align their actions with each other and achieve a balance between both technical and social sides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article takes the contemporary transformation in electricity access in Rio de Janeiro's favelas as a starting point for a broader review of the relationship between the right to the city in informal settlements and the neoliberalization of the electricity service (introduction of full cost recovery and 'the user pays' principle). It examines the socio-technical process through which contractual customer relationships have been established or restored through regularization of the electricity service in two favelas, namely, the installation of meters and networks. I suggest that applying a science and technology study perspective to the right to the city helps explore both the materiality and the spatial dimension of power and politics and, in so doing, provides an insight into some of the forms of mediation that help reshape recognition, urban practices and the favela dwellers' position within such an essential service. Our analysis shows how the means of recognizing these city dwellers 'by the network' are materially and symbolically reshaped by commercial processes. The question then is whether this right to the city, which is being reshaped by commercial processes, will be the source of new inequalities or new politicizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating knowledge within a team for developing new products and services is considered a primary means for improving organizational performance. Drawing upon the socio-technical perspective, we investigate the blended effects of social (learning culture, teamwork quality, and knowledge complexity) and technical (IT support) factors on team-level knowledge creation and team performance. We propose a model that features synergetic interactions between social and technical factors in this knowledge creation process. The model was tested by utilizing data from a field survey of industry managers. The results show significant interactions between social and technical factors, which influence team-level knowledge creation and, in turn, team performance. Our findings can be used to develop socio-technical initiatives to enhance the process of creating team-level knowledge within firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain how sociability and usability enhanced members’ satisfaction, and how such satisfaction in turn, influenced their continuance intention of knowledge sharing in academic virtual communities (AVCs). Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on social capital theory and technology acceptance model, this study proposed a theoretical socio-technical model, and the partial least squares method is used to examine the proposed model, based on data collected from 431 subjects in a well-known academic community in China (i.e. ScienceNet). Findings – Both sociability and usability were important to improve members’ satisfaction with knowledge sharing in AVCs. Specifically, social interaction ties, trust, reciprocity, shared vision, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness are antecedents of members’ satisfaction, which in turn positively affects their continuance intention of knowledge sharing in AVCs. Practical implications – This study provided insights that can help AVCs’ administrators develop effective strategies that could encourage continued knowledge sharing behavior through promoting members’ satisfaction. Originality/value – While the socio-technical framework has mainly been used to study initial adoption and participation of knowledge sharing. This study proposed a socio-technical model to move a step forward by explaining the exact roles of sociability and usability in terms of promoting members’ satisfaction and identifying its critical effect on their continuance intention to share knowledge in AVCs, leading to a more comprehensive picture of members’ satisfaction and continuance intention of knowledge sharing in AVCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses key barriers to implementing a clinical information system (CIS) in a Hong Kong nursing home setting, from a healthcare specific socio-technical perspective. Data was collected through field observations ( n = 12) and semi-structured individual interviews ( n = 18) of CIS stakeholders in a Hong Kong nursing home, and analyzed using the immersion/crystallization approach. Complex interactions relevant to our case were contextualized and interpreted within the perspective of the Sittig-Singh Healthcare Socio-Technical Framework (HSTF). Three broad clusters of implementation barriers from the eight HSTF dimensions were identified: (a) Infrastructure-based barriers, which relate to conflict between government regulations and system functional needs of users; lack of financial support; inconsistency between workflow, work policy, and procedures; and inadequacy of hardware-software infrastructural and technical support; (b) Process-based barriers, which relate to mismatch between the technology, existing work practice and workflow, and communication; low system speed, accessibility, and stability; deficient computer literacy; more experience in health care profession; clinical content inadequacy and unavailability; as well as poor system usefulness and user interface design; and (c) Outcome-based barriers, which relate to the lack of measurement and monitoring of system effectiveness. Two additional dimensions underlining the importance of the ability of a CIS to change are proposed to extend the Sittig-Singh HSTF. First, advocacy would promote the articulation and influence of changes in the system and subsequent outcomes by CIS stakeholders, and second, adaptability would ensure the ability of the system to adjust to emerging needs. The broad set of discovered implementation shortcomings expands prior research on why CIS can fail in nursing home settings. Moreover, our investigation offers a knowledge base and recommendations that can serve as a guide for future implementation strategies and policies in CIS initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study looked at the opportunities and constraints facing artisanal units involved in the production of dimension stone. Twenty-seven observable variables were derived from literature and developed into a questionnaire with prompts to indicate the level of their influence in the input environment of artisanal stone producer organizations. The questionnaire was administered to 148 key stakeholders involved in the production and use of dimension stone in Nairobi. Factor analysis was applied to the responses, a process that reduced the 27 variables into four underlying components that are actionable. The four underlying components that the 27 variables have been reduced to are: hostile policy environment, perceived negative impacts associated with quarrying, easily obtainable inputs, and simple and easily applicable production techniques. The study concludes that the constraints outweigh the opportunities available for these producers. Policy makers should therefore look into the four underlying components so as to enhance the enabling environment for the production of artisanal dimension stone. The study successfully applied socio-technical systems theory and factor analysis, two well-established instruments, to an informal systems phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – As social networking is becoming more popular, social software has achieved an important position in the internet business industry. For social software to be successful, it is crucial to understand how users form their continuous usage intentions toward social software. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing upon socio-technical and social cognitive perspectives, this study proposes a theory-based model that investigates the interaction effects between social (i.e. perceived user base and relationship commitment) and technical (i.e. perceived system quality) factors of social software, in addition to their direct effects on continuous usage intentions. To empirically validate the proposed research model, a structural equation modelling technique was used. Findings – The results of our model test indicate that all relevant social and technical factors are significant determinants of continuous usage intention. Moreover relationship commitment exhibits a positive interaction effect with perceived system quality on continuous usage intention, while perceived user base does not. Practical implications – Service designers or providers of social software should make an effort to nurture social relationships among users, expand users' social networks, and reinforce users' relationship commitment to their friends. Originality/value – Given the lack of investigations into socio-technical interactions in prior social software studies, the theoretical perspectives and empirical findings of this study are useful to both academics and practitioners. The findings also raise new implications regarding the various types of interactions (e.g. enhancing or suppressing) between the social and technical factors around social software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current literature on knowledge management (KM) presents KM as a broad field that encompasses many perspectives. This paper reviews these perspectives with the aim of offering a socio-technical view. KM has emerged with strong links to the multidisciplinary field of information systems (IS) where technology has been seen as a relevant enabler of change within organisations. Yet these organisational changes have also been emergent in the practices of people according to the social setting in which they are embedded. The process of knowledge will be reviewed as well as its enhancement through Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) and how this technology needs to be integrated into an existing organisational context for people to use it effectively. The resource-based view and practice-based view are considered to form a sociotechnical view in order analyse the complexity of KM and why people may share or retain their knowledge. A framework is also proposed to present the literature reviewed from a socio-technical perspective. For further studies, this paper aims to facilitate research into how organisations can encourage knowledge processes through the right incentives and effective technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Positive Energy Block (PEBlock) is a new paradigm towards low-carbon cities. However, there is a paucity of literature about methods and tools to develop PEBlocks in practice. This study proposes a multi-criteria decision making optimisation framework for PEBlocks for cities. It explores PEBlock scenarios based on adaptable criteria and actions applied to a block composed of three school buildings, where only one acts as a positive node of the future energy network. Findings point out the flexibility of PEBlock scenarios; firstly, selecting a list of 21 potential positive energy scenarios among 300 possible combinations concerning the block analysed, secondly, individuating the optimal solution and finally, comparing it with others based on the weight assigned to the criteria. This study contributes to understanding the emerging properties concerning PEBlocks, discussing their features and stressing main peculiarities compared to other models (e.g., positive energy districts). It also emphasises the PEBlock as a feasible and reliable energy infrastructure to support new urban organisations (e.g., self-organised energy communities), drawing future developments and implications. Limitations associated with this study are also stressed in the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the need for knowledge management has been drastically increasing so organizations may meet the high level of dynamic, complex business change and uncertainty. In particular, knowledge sharing has been recognized as a critical process through which organizational knowledge can be utilized. For successful knowledge sharing, companies need to capitalize on various socio-technical enablers. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how these enablers can affect knowledge sharing intention and behavior, and explore practical implications for knowledge sharing. For this purpose, the paper proposes a theoretical model to investigate these enablers from a socio-technical perspective. PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis was employed to validate the model. This field study involves 164 users. Furthermore, interviews with experts were investigated for practical implications. Our analysis reveals that social enablers such as trust and reward mechanisms are more important than technical support in isolation for facilitating knowledge sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing an effective mobile work environment is one of the major challenges that many organizations are facing today. Organizations need to understand the myriad of issues that will determine the success of mobile work. These issues can be best studied from the socio-technical perspective in order to gain a holistic understanding of mobile work. The premise of the socio-technical theory is that the social and technical systems are interdependent and must be jointly optimized in order to determine the best overall solution for the organization. Based upon the information gleaned from structured interviews conducted with the Chief Information Officers (CIO) of ten organizations, this study identifies the primary elements of the social and technical subsystems related to mobile work. Additionally, the study provides a list of recommendations for organizations in order to improve their mobile work environment using the socio-technical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open government data (open data) initiatives have been at the forefront of the strategy to make more transparent, responsive, and accountable government, and thereby lead to open innovation across the public and private sector. Governments around the world often understand that open data is disclosing their data to the public as much as possible and that open data success is the result of a data and technology-related endeavor rather than the result of organizational, institutional, and environmental attributes. According to the resource-based theory, however, managerial capability to mobilize tangible and intangible resources and deploy them in adequate places or processes under the leadership of capable leaders during the information technology (IT) project is a core factor leading to organizational performance such as open data success. In this vein, this study aims to analyze managerial factors as drivers and challenges of open data success from the resource-based theory. Findings illustrate that managerial factors are the driving forces that often boost or hinder open data success when institutional, socio-economic, and demographic factors are controlled. Discussion illustrates theoretical and practical implications for the managerial factors as drivers and challenges of open data success in terms of the comparison between technological determinism and the socio-technical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]