{"title":"Classified evaluation of R&D activities in Chinese universities: An application of new meta-frontier directional distance function framework","authors":"Lei Chen , Cuiyun Luo , Li-Huan Liao , Suhui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102671","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102671","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Standardized evaluation has been applied in the research and development (R&D) activities of Chinese universities for a long time, which ignores the technological heterogeneity between these activities. Standardized evaluation has thus been difficult to meet the evaluation needs of the Chinese government, and classified evaluation is imperative for the diversified development of R&D activities in Chinese universities. Therefore, this paper introduces directional distance function (DDF) model with endogenous technique into meta-frontier data envelopment analysis framework to construct a new theoretical tool of classified evaluation, and this new method is applied to evaluate the efficiency of R&D activities of 939 Chinese universities. The theoretical contribution is to unify the endogenous directions relative to different frontiers, and then a new meta-frontier DDF framework is constructed; while the practical contribution is to provide the following conclusions and implications: (1) classified evaluation and standardized evaluation have different applicability to different categories of Chinese universities; (2) the homogeneity of the improvement direction is serious in Chinese universities; (3) different categories of Chinese universities have different improvement needs in different inputs and outputs, and the distances between most universities and their two frontiers are not far; (4) the selections of both improvement direction and indicator are important factors affecting the evaluation results. Finally, some useful suggestions are provided to improve the efficiency of R&D activities in Chinese universities.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102671"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141951297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kang Luo , Chien-Chiang Lee , Mingli Zeng , Weihui Hu
{"title":"How does the development of digital economy in central cities promote the coordinated development of regions? Evidence from 19 urban agglomerations in China","authors":"Kang Luo , Chien-Chiang Lee , Mingli Zeng , Weihui Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102674","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102674","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Externality is the power source of the spillover effect of digital economy development in China's central cities. Based on panel data of 200 prefecture-level cities in 19 urban agglomerations in China from 2011 to 2020, this research constructs a theoretical model with income output, labor, and capital input and adopts the panel fixed effect model to empirically test the impact of central cities' digital economy development on peripheral cities' urban agglomerations. The results are as follows. First, digital economy development in central cities significantly improves the level of such development in peripheral cities. Second, the spillover effect of this development in central cities is affected by their own geographical location, economic development level, and city size. Third, the spillover effect of digital economy development in central cities mainly arises through the learning mechanism.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102674"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141951296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Analysis of asymmetric VR games – Steam platform case study","authors":"Kinga Stecuła","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102673","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102673","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The paper presents research on the topic of asymmetric virtual reality (VR) games. These types of applications are in the development phase when it comes to their presence on the market, range, amount, and popularity. This research discusses the original topic, as it is still a niche compared to video games and even to VR applications on the market. The article presents a quantitative analysis of asymmetric VR applications available in the international market. One of the popular gaming platforms, Steam, was chosen as a subject for the case study in this investigation. The objectives of the conducted research include, first, a quantitative analysis and presentation of up-to-date data on asymmetric VR games available on Steam; then, providing and systematizing new knowledge about the asymmetric VR term, identifying the nature of asymmetric VR games, and finally, recognition of the current situation and the latest trends within the concept of asymmetric VR. Based on the results, it was concluded that the dominating genre of asymmetric VR was action (49.4 %), indie (46.0 %) and casual (45.4 %), followed by simulation (37.4 %). Most of the games were available in English (96.6 %), and far behind English, there were French and German languages (30.5 %), and then Spanish – Spain (28.2 %), Russian (27 %), Japanese (25.9 %), simplified Chinese (25.3 %) and others. The analysis of user re-views on Steam that asymmetric VR receive favorable feedback, with ‘very positive’ as the most prevalent label, representing 35.0 % of analyzed games. Notably, only four games achieved the ‘overwhelmingly positive’ label, including ‘Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes’ in the basic version and in the version with soundtrack (97 % positive reviews), ‘Rock Life: The Rock Simulator’ (95 % positive reviews), and ‘IronWolf VR’ (95 % positive reviews). Last but not least, the paper describes the features of the analyzed asymmetric VR application. The results of the research make a contribution to the field and provide new knowledge on the following: the new subarea of VR, the nature of asymmetric VR (author's concept), human behavior and interaction in asymmetric virtual gameplay, and communication in asymmetric VR.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102673"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141962842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Intermediaries (not) in action: Impediments to initiating the utilization of public research","authors":"K. Florian Schneider","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102672","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102672","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper addresses a critical research gap in the field of university-industry knowledge transfer, with a particular focus on the often-neglected initiation stage from a failure analysis perspective. A workshop and follow-up interviews were conducted to systematically explore the motivations and abilities of both the knowledge senders and the recipients for initiating knowledge transfer processes in the field of intelligent mobility. In contrast to conventional approaches, our study does not presuppose successful knowledge transfer initiation; instead, it offers a unique opportunity to investigate the phenomenon of its omission. The intricate interplay among actors and their differing perceptions of research applicability, which leads to specific tasks for intermediaries in initiating knowledge transfer processes, is analyzed. The findings of this study indicate that both internal and external intermediaries encounter challenges in fulfilling their roles, particularly in initiating the utilization of public research. The key challenges identified include <em>a flawed understanding of scientific research</em>, <em>a lack of initiative spirit</em>, and <em>a disregard for actual responsibilities</em>. This study offers valuable insights that can inform the development of evidence-based policies aimed at initiating the utilization of public research.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102672"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X24002203/pdfft?md5=2631a168d7855637f96fd29a693dfc7d&pid=1-s2.0-S0160791X24002203-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141984977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring drivers of fintech adoption among elderly consumers","authors":"Yunwoo Choi , Sangpil Han , Changjun Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102669","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102669","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As the digital economy expands, understanding the integration of elderly consumers into this paradigm becomes crucial. This study presents a nuanced exploration of the factors that influence elderly consumers' adoption of fintech services and elucidates the pivotal role of daily digital experiences in fostering the elderly's acceptance of such services. Employing an integrative approach, this study examines demographic, personal, socioenvironmental, and digital usage characteristics, through South Korean panel data (N = 3465) from 2019 to 2020. The findings uniquely identify the 50–64 age group and those cohabitating with younger generations as being more inclined toward fintech usage. This study introduces a novel perspective by demonstrating that elderly individuals' enjoyment of digital media and their engagement with younger generations significantly drive their involvement with fintech services. The elderly exhibits substantial potential as proactive fintech users, navigating perceived risks with discernment. This study contributes to the academic discourse by offering comprehensive insights into elderly consumers' fintech adoption, highlighting the importance of understanding this demographic's unique preferences and interactions with the digital economy. It also underscores the potential for targeted strategies to enhance fintech service adoption among the elderly and foster a more inclusive digital finance landscape.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102669"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141847228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marta F. Arroyabe , Carlos F.A. Arranz , Ignacio Fernandez De Arroyabe , Juan Carlos Fernandez de Arroyabe
{"title":"Exploring the economic role of cybersecurity in SMEs: A case study of the UK","authors":"Marta F. Arroyabe , Carlos F.A. Arranz , Ignacio Fernandez De Arroyabe , Juan Carlos Fernandez de Arroyabe","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102670","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102670","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study explores the economic role of cybersecurity in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), situating cybersecurity within the framework of merit-goods within the economic theory of market failures and public goods. By examining 240 SMEs across the UK, the empirical findings of this investigation underscore its classification as a merit-good due to its extensive social benefits and the critical gap in its optimal provision. The results confirm the existence of market failure, such as the lack and asymmetry of information regarding cybersecurity, acknowledging the myopia and lack of information within SMEs, leading to suboptimal implementation of cybersecurity. Moreover, the lack of optimal implementation is evidenced by the findings indicating that neither cybersecurity incidents nor cybersecurity impacts in SMEs drive the implementation of cybersecurity. Additionally, we observe that implementation is more focused on control systems than on management systems, which is a significant differentiating factor from large enterprises. The study contributes theoretically by framing cybersecurity as a merit-good, provides managerial insights into SME cybersecurity practices, and emphasizes the importance of nuanced policies to bridge the implementation gap.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102670"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X24002185/pdfft?md5=26eff34ef08df1aedd9d2f4694cbee5d&pid=1-s2.0-S0160791X24002185-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141845139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lipeng Yin , Pengcheng Wang , Heng Li , Ningning Mao , Huahua Hu , Mark D. Griffiths
{"title":"Gender differences in the associations between parental phubbing, fear of missing out, and social networking site addiction: A cross-lagged panel study","authors":"Lipeng Yin , Pengcheng Wang , Heng Li , Ningning Mao , Huahua Hu , Mark D. Griffiths","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102668","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102668","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Despite the exploration of detrimental consequences of parental phubbing and adolescent social networking site (SNS) addiction, research regarding their bidirectional relationships and underlying mechanisms is lacking. To address this research gap, the present study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional relationships between parental phubbing, fear of missing out (FoMO), and adolescent SNS addiction. Furthermore, the study investigated the mediating role of FoMO and the moderating role of gender therein. Data were collected among 1447 Chinese adolescents in June 2019 (T1) and January 2020 (T2). The results showed significant positive correlations among all three variables in both waves. There were bidirectional associations between parental phubbing and adolescent SNS addiction. T1 parental phubbing positively predicted T2 FoMO, and T1 FoMO positively predicted T2 SNS addiction, but not vice versa. FoMO mediated the link between parental phubbing and subsequent adolescent SNS addiction. T1 SNS addiction predicted T2 parental phubbing, and T1 FoMO predicted T2 SNS addiction – but these effects were significant only among girls. The effect of T1 FoMO on T2 FoMO was significantly stronger among girls than in boys. The findings contribute to the literature on parental phubbing and adolescent SNS addiction and provide insights for prevention and intervention programs addressing adolescent SNS addiction.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102668"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141849816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Virtual human on social media: Text mining and sentiment analysis","authors":"Sihong Li , Jinglong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102666","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102666","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Virtual humans are embodied agents with a human-like appearance. Despite the recent booming development that has sparked widespread academic interest, how people perceive these seemingly human but entirely fictional creations remains unclear. To explore the status, trends, emotional tendencies, and focus of attention of the Chinese public towards virtual humans, this paper utilizes text mining techniques to collect and analyze popular posts related to virtual humans on Chinese social media. The results indicate that public discussions primarily focus on the technological and industrial development of virtual humans, applications in the fields of virtual idols and virtual streamers, and the corporate investment and policy development of virtual humans. Despite positive emotions dominating, there is an increasing trend in negative emotions. Concerns are related to service failures, the uncanny valley effect, ethical crises, and technological unemployment. The research findings contribute to policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the public in understanding the general attitudes toward virtual human technology, enabling informed decision-making.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102666"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141839314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohsen Ghaffari , Alireza Aliahmadi , Abolfazl Khalkhali , Amir Zakery , Tugrul U. Daim , Mehdi Zamani
{"title":"Exploring the technological leaders using tire industry patents: A topic modeling approach","authors":"Mohsen Ghaffari , Alireza Aliahmadi , Abolfazl Khalkhali , Amir Zakery , Tugrul U. Daim , Mehdi Zamani","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102664","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102664","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Researchers have long been interested in the transportation industry, recognizing its significant impact on human societies. Specifically, the automobile industry and its components have garnered special attention due to the evolving nature of transportation technologies. With this in mind, this study aims to explore the current and future technologies within the tire industry as a technological-based component of the automotive industry. Additionally, the research examines the key topics, leaders of technology, and strategies of technology-owning companies in these topics. To carry out this investigation, we employed a combination of methods including patent analysis and topic modeling. The selection of leading technology companies was based not only on the number of patents but also on the impact and quality of their patents, which was carefully evaluated. By leveraging these methods and results, tire companies and other industries can gain a competitive edge in technology, acquire insights into the current and future market share of leading companies, and develop effective roadmaps for their own advancement.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102664"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141845998","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Devora Peña-Martel, Nieves L. Díaz-Díaz, Jerónimo Pérez-Alemán, Domingo J. Santana-Martín
{"title":"Are the media drivers of R&D?","authors":"Devora Peña-Martel, Nieves L. Díaz-Díaz, Jerónimo Pérez-Alemán, Domingo J. Santana-Martín","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Research exploring how extra-legal institutional aspects might impact corporate investment policy in innovation is still in its early stages. This lack of research is even greater when it comes to studying the role of media attention in corporate innovation. This study extends prior literature by investigating the relationship between media visibility and research and development (R&D) investment in a continental European context. Using a sample of Spanish listed firms in the 2008–2022 period, results indicate that media attention has a positive effect on corporate innovation. The results provide support for arguments that the media reduce agency conflicts, facilitate fundraising, and increase the reputational risk of internal agents as well as the pressure to meet stakeholder demands and the chances of obtaining external help to develop new ideas and projects. Moreover, we show that media attention encourages innovation in companies who are more isolated from stakeholder demands, who face greater agency conflicts, or who suffer from financial difficulties.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102665"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X24002136/pdfft?md5=fa1780e28537eff6a87e5c3068420cc9&pid=1-s2.0-S0160791X24002136-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141960785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}