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This study investigates wearable activity tracker (WAT) adoption intention among South African Generation Y university students by extending the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to include brand name as a predictor. A cross-sectional survey of 462 Generation Y students from three South African institutions was analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling to test relationships between attitude, subjective norm, brand name, and adoption intention. Results indicate that attitude, subjective norm, and brand name significantly influence WAT adoption intention, with attitude as the strongest predictor, followed by brand name. The extended TRA model demonstrated acceptable fit, reliability, and validity, highlighting brand reputation's critical role in reducing perceived risk in emerging markets. The study is limited by its non-probability sample from three campuses in one province, suggesting future research should employ longitudinal designs, expand geographic scope, and incorporate additional constructs. Findings provide practical guidance for WAT manufacturers to prioritize building trustworthy brands and emphasizing health benefits, while marketing strategies leveraging peer influence and affordable pricing can enhance adoption among cost-conscious students. Promoting WAT adoption among youth can advance health awareness and public health goals in developing countries where proactive health monitoring technologies remain underutilized. This study offers one of the first empirical examinations of WAT adoption intention among South African Generation Y students using an extended TRA model. Unlike prior research focused on medical settings or limited samples, this study incorporates brand name as a novel construct, demonstrating its pivotal role in wearable tech adoption. This research contributes original empirical evidence from a developing market context, advancing theoretical and practical understanding of wearable technology adoption.

This research explores the technological factors that influence the adoption of mobile commerce by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Polokwane Municipality. Using a quantitative approach, data were gathered from 146 SME owners, randomly selected from a total population of 261. The study applied descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and regression techniques to examine the relationships between variables. ANOVA was used to evaluate the sub-hypotheses, while regression analysis tested the primary hypotheses. The instruments used in the study demonstrated strong internal consistency, with all Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.7. Additionally, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test confirmed that the data met the assumption of normality. The results showed that perceived cost, perceived benefit, and perceived compatibility each play a significant role in influencing m-commerce adoption. These findings offer valuable insights into the internal technological considerations that impact digital uptake in SMEs. The study provides both academic value by contributing to the theoretical understanding of technology adoption, and practical guidance for enhancing m-commerce use within the SME sector, particularly in similar socio-economic environments.

The research investigates how goal contagion impacts the acceptance of digital technologies and also explores the moderating effect of COVID-19 and survival instinct within the interconnection between goal contagion and the acceptance of digital technologies. The research has undertaken partial least squares structural equation modeling to identify the direct as well as moderating effects based on a sample of 250 individuals across diverse firms in Bangladesh. The research also involved the Importance-Performance Map Analysis approach (IPMA) to explore key areas of importance and performance, thus providing a holistic understanding of key factors impacting the acceptance of digital technologies. Then, an ANN model analysis was used to determine how important the components determined by the PLS-SEM study were in terms of relative influence. The study revealed that others’ behavior and situational context have a significant impact on goal contagion. The outcome also showed that goal contagion has a significant impact on the acceptance of digital technologies; besides, survival instinct and COVID-19 have a statistically significant moderating effect between goal contagion and the acceptance of digital technologies. The IPMA findings showed that COVID-19 and goal contagion are the most important factors for the acceptance of digital technologies. The ANN findings revealed that situational context is the most contributing construct for goal contagion. The findings also demonstrated that COVID-19 and goal contagion are the most influential constructs for the acceptance of digital technologies. The findings of this research contribute significantly to the relevant knowledge by promoting a theoretical framework for comprehending the factors that influence the acceptance of digital technologies. Furthermore, this research illustrates valuable insights for companies that are planning to make strategic decisions regarding their digital technologies.

This exploratory analysis investigated the use of cloud accounting within the SME sector in Zimbabwe. This study addresses a significant gap in the existing literature, as no prior research has specifically explored the utilization of cloud accounting within the SME sector in Zimbabwe. The study employed a qualitative research approach using purposive sampling. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews and was thematically analyzed. The study revealed a low utilization of cloud accounting among SMEs in Zimbabwe. The lack of awareness is particularly pronounced, hindering SMEs from recognizing the benefits and functionalities of cloud accounting systems. The study found that SMEs implementing cloud accounting experience many benefits that significantly enhance their financial management processes, operational efficiency, and overall business performance. The study emphasized the need for targeted awareness campaigns, comprehensive training programs, and robust policy support to bridge the knowledge gap and facilitate the widespread adoption of cloud accounting. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and technology vendors aiming to promote the digital transformation of the SME sector in Zimbabwe. Value This study provides valuable insights into the barriers and opportunities for adopting cloud accounting in Zimbabwe's SME sector, highlighting the need for awareness, training, and policy support to drive digital transformation and improve financial management, operational efficiency, and overall business performance.

The retail industry has seen a significant transformation since augmented reality (AR) technology was introduced into online shopping. However, several barriers continue to hinder the global adoption of online AR shopping, particularly for high-involvement products. This study investigates these barriers in the South African context, adopting a quantitative research approach. Data were collected through online self-administered questionnaires from a sample of 664 South African consumers. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to achieve the research objectives. The findings revealed that image barrier strongly inhibits AR adoption. Although insecurity and tradition barrier were not statistically significant, their negative effect suggests they may act as barriers to adoption. Surprisingly, discomfort and risk barrier yielded positive but non-significant results, leading to the rejection of these hypotheses. This research provides insights that are vital for retailers, technology developers, and policymakers striving to leverage AR technology effectively in online retail. The study offers practical strategies to address these barriers and facilitate wider adoption of AR technology. Additionally, it contributes to the broader discourse on the intersection of technology adoption, consumer behavior, and retail marketing strategies, particularly within the socio-economic and cultural complexities of South Africa.

Interactive technology has increasingly gained attention from both consumers and retailers, reshaping the shopping experience. Among these technologies, augmented reality (AR) has emerged as a powerful tool that enables businesses to engage customers in distinctive and immersive ways. Although several leading companies have developed dedicated AR applications or integrated AR features into existing apps, limited research has explored how AR in mobile shopping apps influences consumer attitudes and shopping intentions. This study examines the effects of utilitarian value (UV), hedonic value (HV), and symbolic value (SV) of AR on customer attitudes and intentions to shop via mobile applications. Based on empirical data from 389 respondents, the results reveal that UV, HV, and SV positively influence attitudes toward mobile app shopping. However, only HV and SV significantly impact shopping intention. Additionally, attitude mediates the relationship between the perceived values of AR and the intention to shop. These findings contribute to the understanding of AR’s role in mobile commerce and offer practical insights for retailers, managers, and AR designers aiming to enhance the customer experience through in-app AR features.

This study examines the impact of customer, supplier, and competitor pressures on the adoption of mobile commerce (m-commerce) by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Polokwane, South Africa. The research follows a quantitative approach, with data collected from 146 randomly selected SMEs out of a total population of 261. A structured questionnaire was used to measure the pressures from customers, suppliers, and competitors, all assessed using a five-point Likert scale. Reliability of the constructs was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha coefficients exceeding 0.7, and the normality of the data was verified through the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. To analyse the data, ANOVA and regression analysis were applied. The findings reveal that customer, supplier, and competitor pressures significantly influence SMEs’ decisions to adopt m-commerce solutions. These results contribute to the understanding of external factors that shape technology adoption in SMEs, offering both theoretical insights and practical implications. SMEs that respond to these pressures may improve their competitive position by integrating mobile technologies into their operations, leading to better market responsiveness and enhanced business processes. This research provides a foundation for future studies on mobile commerce adoption, focusing on underexplored external influences.

This paper evaluates how the perceptions of consumers from different demographic backgrounds influence their adoption and use of digital personal banking, and suggests marketing activities required to increase digital banking by these different demographic target groups. The method involved an online survey of a sample of 400 respondents with bank accounts in the iLembe district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, focusing on the demographic dimensions of age, gender, education and income. The study found that high digital banking users were older (24+), with higher education and a higher income, while low digital banking users were younger (18-23), with a lower level of education and a lower income. No differences according to gender were found. The convenience of digital banking and a good online banking experience were the factors that most encouraged digital banking use by high users, while perceptions of high cost and having low control over their online banking activities were factors that discouraged low users from more digital banking use. These findings confirmed the previous research about the influence of age and education on digital banking use, but contributed new knowledge about the influence of income, and the lack of influence of gender, on digital banking adoption and use. Comprehensive recommendations for banks, policy makers and other stakeholders are provided.

Against the backdrop of rapid advancements in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), ChatGPT has emerged as a representative application, drawing significant research interest in user behavior patterns. This study applies the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Model to investigate the key factors influencing the adoption of ChatGPT among users in Taiwan. Using a cross-sectional survey approach, we recruited a sample of 454 Taiwanese ChatGPT users through social media and online forums. The study analyzed the impact of four key constructs—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions—on behavioral intention and actual usage behavior. The results indicated that performance expectancy and effort expectancy play pivotal roles in shaping behavioral intention, while facilitating conditions significantly affect actual usage behavior. Furthermore, cultural background exerts a critical moderating effect on the influence of social factors. These findings highlight the unique characteristics of user behavior in Taiwan, provide practical insights for optimizing the design and promotion of GenAI tools, and offer valuable implications for technology adoption policies.

This article explores social network site (SNS) users’ understanding of the danger the integration of human intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI), termed “augmented intelligence,” presents.  Augmented intelligence, a subsection of artificial intelligence (AI), aims to enhance human intelligence with AI and is heralded as a significant step in problem-solving. A crucial concern is the profound threat to SNS users’ information security. A quantitative approach examined SNS understanding regarding the diffusion of augmented intelligence into SNS users’ spaces. An online survey was administered to 165 SNS users residing in the Gauteng province of South Africa.  Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory was used as the theoretical lens. Ethical clearance was obtained, and the data collected was anonymized and kept confidential. The article provides new insights that can help SNS users understand that a new threat to their information security in the form of augmented intelligence is emerging. Findings suggest that out of the five constructs drawn from DOI that explain the diffusion of augmented intelligence into sophisticated social engineering attacks, relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity were perceived by study participants as likely predictors of augmented intelligence adoption. Users, however, differed on exactly how the augmentation process was being achieved.

Industry 4.0 technologies have optimized efficiency and effectiveness through the manufacture of sophisticated products and services, which result in enhancement of operations, improvement in safety, time, and cost-saving, and have revolutionized operations in almost all industries and have tremendously transformed the aviation sector. This study aims to examine the passenger travel experience with the implementation of e-services before, during, and after trips, from ticket bookings, self-check-in, smart boarding, in-flight services to baggage tracking after flight. Furthermore, the study seeks to identify the modern technologies with which air passengers are familiar or actively use, and to analyze the factors that influence their acceptance of these e-services.  A research model was developed based on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) and modified to suit the objectives of this study. The study objectives were achieved through a survey, a self-administered online questionnaire from 253 air passengers was obtained, and data was analyzed using SPSS 25 software. The results reveal that performance expectancy, price-value, hedonic motivations, perceived benefits and habit have a positive significant influence on behavioral intention, while social influence, perceived challenges, facilitating conditions and effort expectancy were not supported. The results of the study give insights into how different passengers, different age groups, different geographical locations, and different technological maturity perceive such implementations. This will provide policymakers ideas on how to better manage and enhance e-services.