WorldWideScience

Sample records for post-adoption contact adoption

  1. Post-adoption contact, adoption communicative openness, and satisfaction with contact as predictors of externalizing behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; Rueter, Martha; Von Korff, Lynn; Gonzalez, Christopher

    2011-05-01

    This study examined the relation between three variables related to adoptive family relationships (post-adoption contact between adoptive and birth family members, adoption communicative openness, and satisfaction with contact) and adoptee externalizing behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood. The study included 190 families of infant-placed, domestic adoptees during childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze predictors of externalizing behavior from contact (adoptive parents and adolescent reports), adoption communicative openness (adoptive mothers), and satisfaction with contact (adoptive parents and adolescent). Externalizing behavior showed moderate stability across childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Contact and adoption communicative openness were related to each other, but not to externalizing behaviors in adolescence or emerging adulthood. Controlling for the effect of Childhood Externalizing, adoptive families most satisfied with contact reported relative declines in adoptee externalizing behavior during adolescence compared to those in less satisfied families. Satisfaction was also indirectly associated with Emerging Adult Externalizing, through its effect on Adolescent Externalizing. Although contact and adoption communicative openness were highly correlated with each other, neither was related to adoptees' externalizing behavior in adolescence or emerging adulthood. Family-level satisfaction with contact was more predictive of externalizing outcomes. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2010 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  2. Bridging the Divide: Openness in Adoption and Post-adoption Psychosocial Adjustment among Birth and Adoptive Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Xiaojia; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Martin, David; Leve, Leslie; Neiderhiser, Jenae; Shaw, Daniel S.; Villareal, Georgette; Scaramella, Laura; Reid, John; Reiss, David

    2008-01-01

    Using 323 matched parties of birth mothers and adoptive parents, this study examined the association between the degree of adoption openness (e.g., contact and knowledge between parties) and birth and adoptive parents’ post-adoption adjustment shortly after the adoption placement (6 to 9 months). Data from birth fathers (N=112), an understudied sample, also were explored. Openness was assessed by multiple informants. Results indicated that openness was significantly related to satisfaction with adoption process among adoptive parents and birth mothers. Increased openness was positively associated with birth mothers’ post-placement adjustment as indexed by birth mothers’ self reports and the interviewers’ impression of birth mothers’ adjustment. Birth fathers’ report of openness was associated with their greater satisfaction with the adoption process and better post-adoption adjustment. PMID:18729667

  3. Contact Between Adoptive and Birth Families: Perspectives from the Minnesota Texas Adoption Research Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; McRoy, Ruth G; Wrobel, Gretchen M; Ayers-Lopez, Susan

    2013-09-01

    A growing number of adoptive families have contact with their children's birth relatives. The Minnesota Texas Adoption Research Project is examining longitudinally the consequences of variations in contact arrangements for birth mothers, adoptive parents, and adopted children in domestic infant adoptions, and is studying the dynamics of relationships within these family systems. Individuals who had contact were more satisfied with their arrangements than those who did not have contact. Satisfaction with contact predicted more optimal adjustment among adopted adolescents and emerging adults. Adoption-related communication predicted identity development among adopted adolescents and emerging adults. Birth mothers who were more satisfied with their contact arrangements, regardless of level of contact, had less unresolved grief 12 to 20 years after placement. Adoptive and birth relatives who engage in contact need flexibility, strong interpersonal skills, and commitment to the relationship. These skills can be learned, and they can be supported by others, through informal, psychoeducational, and therapeutic means.

  4. Contact in Adoption and Adoptive Identity Formation: The Mediating Role of Family Conversation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korff, Lynn Von; Grotevant, Harold D.

    2012-01-01

    The present study examined adoption-related family conversation as a mediator of the association between adoptive parents’ facilitation of contact with birth relatives and adolescent adoptive identity formation. The sample consisted of 184 adoptive families. Data were collected in two waves from adoptive mothers and fathers, and adoptees (M = 15.68 years at adolescence; M = 24.95 years at emerging adulthood) using semistructured interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation models showed a good fit to sample data, and analyses supported the hypothesized mediation model. Contact with birth relatives is associated with more frequent adoption-related family conversation, which in turn is associated with the development of adoptive identity. These results highlight the importance of supporting activities such as contact that lead to adoption-related family conversation. PMID:21517175

  5. Contact Between Birth and Adoptive Families During the First Year Post-Placement: Perspectives of Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farr, Rachel H; Goldberg, Abbie E

    Despite growing visibility of lesbian- and gay-parent adoption, only one qualitative study has examined birth family contact among adoptive families with lesbian and gay parents (Goldberg, Kinkler, Richardson, & Downing, 2011). We studied adoptive parents' (34 lesbian, 32 gay, and 37 heterosexual; N = 103 families) perspectives of birth family contact across the first year post-placement. Using questionnaire and interview data, we found few differences in openness dynamics by parental sexual orientation. Most reported some birth mother contact, most had legally finalized their adoption, and few described plans to withhold information from children. We discuss implications for clinical practice, policy, and research.

  6. Age at placement, adoption experience and adult adopted people's contact with their adoptive and birth mothers: an attachment perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howe, D

    2001-09-01

    Adoption holds particular interest for attachment researchers. Although children adopted as babies experience almost continuous care by their adoptive parents, older placed children experience at least one major change of caregiver when they join their adoptive family. Moreover, in the majority of cases, older placed children have generally suffered a pre-adoption history of abuse, neglect and/or rejection. It is now being recognized that older placed children's attachment histories and internal working models (IWMs) established in relationship with their initial carers remain active in relationship with their new carers. Transactional models have helped both researchers and practitioners to understand the dynamics of parent-child relationships in cases where insecure children with histories of neglect, abuse and rejection find themselves in new caregiving environments. The present study examines the childhood experiences of adult adopted people and their current levels of contact with their adoptive mothers, and in cases where people had searched for and found a birth relative, current levels of contact with their birth mother. Although no information was collected on the adopted adult's pre-placement history, age at placement was used as a proxy measure to examine whether older placed children reported different adoption experiences and what their current levels of contact were with their adoptive and birth mothers. The findings show that age at placement was associated with adopted people's reported experiences of being adopted and current rates of contact with their adoptive and birth mothers, with those placed at older ages most likely to report that they (1) did not feel they belonged in their adoptive families while growing up, (2) did not feel loved by their adoptive mother, (3) were least likely to remain in high-frequency contact with their adoptive mother, and (4) were least likely to remain in high-frequency contact with their birth mother. An

  7. Contact in adoption and adoptive identity formation: the mediating role of family conversation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von Korff, Lynn; Grotevant, Harold D

    2011-06-01

    The present study examined adoption-related family conversation as a mediator of the association between adoptive parents' facilitation of contact with birth relatives and adolescent adoptive identity formation. The sample consisted of 184 adoptive families. Data were collected in two waves from adoptive mothers and fathers, and adoptees (M = 15.68 years at adolescence; M = 24.95 years at emerging adulthood) using semistructured interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation models showed a good fit to sample data, and analyses supported the hypothesized mediation model. Contact with birth relatives is associated with more frequent adoption-related family conversation, which in turn is associated with the development of adoptive identity. These results highlight the importance of supporting activities such as contact that lead to adoption-related family conversation. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

  8. Contact Between Birth and Adoptive Families During the First Year Post-Placement: Perspectives of Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Parents

    OpenAIRE

    Farr, Rachel H.; Goldberg, Abbie E.

    2014-01-01

    Despite growing visibility of lesbian- and gay-parent adoption, only one qualitative study has examined birth family contact among adoptive families with lesbian and gay parents (Goldberg, Kinkler, Richardson, & Downing, 2011). We studied adoptive parents’ (34 lesbian, 32 gay, and 37 heterosexual; N = 103 families) perspectives of birth family contact across the first year post-placement. Using questionnaire and interview data, we found few differences in openness dynamics by parental sexual ...

  9. Processes linked to contact changes in adoptive kinship networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunbar, Nora; van Dulmen, Manfred H M; Ayers-Lopez, Susan; Berge, Jerica M; Christian, Cinda; Gossman, Ginger; Henney, M Susan M; Mendenhall, Tai J; Grotevant, Harold D; McRoy, Ruth G

    2006-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to reveal underlying processes in adoptive kinship networks that experienced increases or decreases in levels of openness during the child's adolescent years. Intensive case study analyses were conducted for 8 adoptive kinship networks (each including an adoptive mother, adoptive father, adopted adolescent, and birth mother), half of whom had experienced an increase in openness from indirect (mediated) to direct (fully disclosed) contact and half of whom had ceased indirect contact between Waves 1 and 2 of a longitudinal study. Adoptive mothers tended to be more involved in contact with the birth mother than were adoptive fathers or adopted adolescents. Members of adoptive kinship networks in which a decrease in level of contact took place had incongruent perspectives about who initiated the stop in contact and why the stop took place. Birth mothers were less satisfied with their degree of contact than were adoptive parents. Adults' satisfaction with contact was related to feelings of control over type and amount of interactions and permeability of family boundaries. In all adoptive kinship networks, responsibility for contact had shifted toward the adopted adolescent regardless of whether the adolescent was aware of this change in responsibility.

  10. Contact in Adoption and Adoptive Identity Formation: The Mediating Role of Family Conversation

    OpenAIRE

    Korff, Lynn Von; Grotevant, Harold D.

    2011-01-01

    The present study examined adoption-related family conversation as a mediator of the association between adoptive parents’ facilitation of contact with birth relatives and adolescent adoptive identity formation. The sample consisted of 184 adoptive families. Data were collected in two waves from adoptive mothers and fathers, and adoptees (M = 15.68 years at adolescence; M = 24.95 years at emerging adulthood) using semistructured interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation models showed...

  11. Adoptees' contact with birth parents in emerging adulthood: the role of adoption communication and attachment to adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farr, Rachel H; Grant-Marsney, Holly A; Grotevant, Harold D

    2014-12-01

    As adoptees transition to adulthood, their roles in the family may shift, providing them with opportunities to have increasing autonomy in their decisions about contact and initiating conversations about adoption. Research has often focused more on adoptees as children, yet in emerging adulthood, there are important shifts in the life roles and relationships of adoptees during which adoptive parents continue to be meaningful. This study examined associations among attachment and communication within the adoptive family during adulthood with emerging adult adoptees' experience of birth family contact (frequency of and satisfaction with birth family contact), in a sample of 167 emerging adults with varied contact with birth family (from no contact to frequent contact). Results suggest that perceptions of secure parent-child attachment relationships, as well as sensitive and open communication with adoptive parents about adoption, continue to be important for emerging adult adoptees and lead to greater satisfaction for adoptees with birth parent contact-regardless of whether adoptees actually have birth family contact. In particular, positive family communication about adoption during adulthood was predictive of satisfaction with birth parent contact. Limitations and implications are discussed. © 2014 Family Process Institute.

  12. Post-Adoption Services: Needs of the Family

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Denise

    2005-01-01

    This study, conducted in an agency providing post-adoption services, describes the demographic characteristics of parents and children in post-adoptive families and assesses the differences in perceptions between mothers and fathers, as well as other characteristics of families who adopt children with special needs. (Contains 3 tables.)

  13. Adoption of On-farm and Post-harvest Rice Quality Enhancing Technologies in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiamiyu, SA.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the rate and determinants of adoption of improved rice quality enhancing technologies among a randomly selected sample of 150 farmers and 18 rice processors from six rice producing areas of Niger State. Data were collected through interview schedule using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and regression model were adopted to analyze data. Results show that adoption of quality enhancing technologies was low among the selected sample of these rice value chain actors. The adoption indices of on-farm and post-harvest quality enhancing practices were 0.46 and 0.37 respectively. Some socioeconomic attributes including: Age, level of education, contact with extension, access to credit and level of commercialization were statistically significant determining factors (P≤0.05 influencing adoption at farm level, while post-harvest technology adoption was determined by level of education, access to credit and membership of cooperatives. Promotion of quality enhanced technologies among these actors in the rice value chain is recommended.

  14. Patterns and Predictors of Adoption Openness and Contact: 14 Years Postadoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crea, Thomas M.; Barth, Richard P.

    2009-01-01

    Increased attention is being paid to open adoption arrangements between birth parents and adopted children and families. This study examines openness and contact among 469 adoptions at 14 years postadoption from the fourth wave of the California Long-Range Adoption Study (CLAS) and 378 adoptions matched across all waves. The proportion of families…

  15. Adoptive parenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; Lo, Albert Yh

    2017-06-01

    Challenges in adoptive parenting continue to emerge as adoption policies and practices evolve. We review three areas of research in adoptive parenting that reflect contemporary shifts in adoption. First, we highlight recent findings concerning openness in adoption contact arrangements, or contact between a child's families of birth and rearing. Second, we examine research regarding racial and cultural socialization in transracial and international adoptions. Finally, we review investigations of parenting experiences of lesbian and gay adoptive parents. Overall, parenting processes (e.g., supportive vs. problematic family interaction) are better predictors of child adjustment than are group differences (e.g., open vs. closed adoptions; adoption by heterosexual vs. same-sex parents). The distinctive needs of adopted children call for preparation of adoption-competent mental health, casework, education, and health care professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Open adoption: adoptive parents' reactions two decades later.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Deborah H

    2013-01-01

    Unlike in the past, most adoption agencies today offer birth parents and adoptive parents the opportunity to share identifying information and have contact with each other. To understand the impacts of different open adoption arrangements, a qualitative descriptive study using a snowball sample of 44 adoptive parents throughout New England began in 1988. Every seven years these parents who adopted infants in open adoptions have participated in tape-recorded interviews to explore their evolving reactions to their open adoption experiences. This article reports the results of in-depth interviews with these parents now that their children have reached young adulthood. This longitudinal research illuminates how open adoptions change over the course of childhood and adolescence, parents' feelings about open adoption, challenges that emerge in their relationships with their children's birth families, how those challenges are managed and viewed, and parents' advice for others living with open adoption and for clinical social work practice and policy. Findings reveal that regardless of the type of openness, these adoptive parents generally feel positive about knowing the birth parents and having contact with them, are comfortable with open adoption, and see it serving the child's best interests.

  17. determinants of contact farmers adoption of improved cassava

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    iya beji

    ADP contact farmer's adoption of improved cassava production technologies in Imo. State of Nigeria under the Ecologically Sustainable Cassava production project ..... 120. Source: Computer Analysis of the Field Survey Data, 2003/2004. 18 ...

  18. Open adoption of infants: adoptive parents' feelings seven years later.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Deborah H

    2003-07-01

    Adoptions today increasingly include contact between adoptive and birth families. What do these "open adoptions" look like? How do the participants feel about them? This article, based on part of a longitudinal study that first examined adoptive parents' perceptions of their infants' open adoptions seven years ago, explores the parents' reactions now that their children are school age. This qualitative descriptive research revealed changes in the openness in the adoptions over time and identified four dimensions along which open adoptions vary. Findings showed parents' enthusiasm for the openness in their adoptions, regardless of the type and extent of openness. Implications for social work practice, education, and policy are explored.

  19. Juridical aspects of post mortem adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Rodrigo Martinez

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The legislature, with the enactment of the Statute of Children and Adolescents, now provides the named posthumous adoption, allowing the death of the adopter, in the course of the procedure does not generate the extinction pleaded adoption. Has the purpose to show that, notwithstanding the absence of such law, the construction of new adopters and adopted by families are recognized, since permeated the socially demonstrated affection, even in passing the death of the person occurs before you have to start legal formalization of the adoption petition, thus characterizing the figure of posthumous adoption without prior judicial manifestation.

  20. Effects of the history of adoption in the emotional adjustment of adopted adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reppold, Caroline Tozzi; Hutz, Claudio Simon

    2009-11-01

    Since the decade of 1980, the model of stress and coping proposed for the assessment of vulnerability of adoptive families emphasizes that the emotional adjustment of those adopted is moderated by variables such as institutionalization, the manner and age at which the adoption was revealed, the change of first name, and the contact with the biological family. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of these variables to the perceived parenting style, mood, and self-esteem of the adopted adolescents. Participants in the study were 68 adolescents, between the ages of 14 and 15, adopted during infancy through judicial channels. The adolescents responded to a questionnaire about the history of adoption and to scales of Parenting Styles, Depression and Self-esteem. The main results indicated that the late revelation of adoption and the change of the first name are connected to higher levels of depression and low self-esteem and to more frequent perceptions of negligent or authoritarian parenting style. The contact with the biological family was frequently mentioned among those who perceived their parents as authoritative and presented the best indicator of mood and self-esteem. These findings were discussed in light of the necessity for multidisciplinary actions which can improve the psychological adaptation of the adopting families.

  1. Adoption Patterns for the Digital Post System by Danish Municipalities and Citizens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berger, Jesper B.; Hertzum, Morten

    2014-01-01

    The value of e-government, services to citizens by public institutions through the internet, is dependent on the mutual adoption of e-government by both the public institution and the citizens. This paper describes a longitudinal study of e-government adoption by municipalities and citizens...... Post. The adoption patterns among citizens were less distinct. We calculated the realized savings to only 20% of the anticipated savings, leading to a deficit of nearly €5 million in 2013. Municipal funding was reduced according to the anticipated savings. In addition, the variation in adoption...

  2. Paramountcy, Family Rights and Contested Adoption: Does Contact with Birth Relatives Balance the Scales?

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, Mandi; McLoughlin, Priscilla

    2016-01-01

    This article combines practitioner insight and research evidence to chart how principles of partnership and paramountcy have led to birth family contact becoming the expected norm following contested adoption from care in Northern Ireland. The article highlights how practice has adapted to the delay in proposed reforms to adoption legislation…

  3. Post-adoption behaviour of farmers towards soil and water conservation technologies of watershed management in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gopal Lal Bagdi

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (IISWC and its Research Centres have developed many successful model watershed projects in India in the past and implemented many Soil and Water Conservation (SWC technologies for sustainable watershed management. While many evaluation studies were conducted on these projects in the past, there has been no assessment of the post-adoption status of the SWC technologies over a longer period. It was imperative to appraise the behaviour of the farmers with regard to the continuance or discontinuance of the technologies adopted, diffusion or infusion that took place and technological gaps that occurred in due course of time in the post watershed programme. Therefore, it was realized that the post-adoption behaviour of beneficiary farmers who have adopted different soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management projects should be studied in detail. The research study was initiated in 2012 as a core project at Vasad as the lead Centre along with IISWC headquarter Dehradun, and Centres Agra, Bellary, Chandigarh, Datia, Kota & Ooty, with the specific objectives of the study to measure the extent of post-adoption behaviour (continued-adoption, discontinuance, technological gap, diffusion and infusion of farmers towards the adopted SWC technologies of watershed management. In the present study various indices regarding continued adoption, dis-adoption (discontinuance, technological gap, diffusion, infusion regarding soil and water conservation technologies for watershed management were developed for measurement of post-adoption behaviour of farmers. It was revealed that a little less than three-fourth (73% of SWC technologies continued to be adopted and more than one-fourth (27% were discontinued by farmers. Out of the total continue adopted SWC technologies by farmers, a little less than one-fifth (19% of technologies continued to be adopted with a technological gap. More than one

  4. Bridging the divide: openness in adoption and postadoption psychosocial adjustment among birth and adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Xiaojia; Natsuaki, Misaki N; Martin, David M; Leve, Leslie D; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Shaw, Daniel S; Villareal, Georgette; Scaramella, Laura; Reid, John B; Reiss, David

    2008-08-01

    Using 323 matched parties of birth mothers and adoptive parents, this study examined the association between the degree of adoption openness (e.g., contact and knowledge between parties) and birth and adoptive parents' postadoption adjustment shortly after the adoption placement (6 to 9 months). Data from birth fathers (N = 112), an understudied sample, were also explored. Openness was assessed by multiple informants. Results indicated that openness was significantly related to satisfaction with adoption process among adoptive parents and birth mothers. Increased openness was positively associated with birth mothers' postplacement adjustment, as indexed by birth mothers' self-reports and the interviewers' impression of birth mothers' adjustment. Birth fathers' report of openness was associated with their greater satisfaction with the adoption process and better postadoption adjustment.

  5. Adopted Adolescents' Preoccupation with Adoption: The Impact on Adoptive Family Relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohler, Julie K.; Grotevant, Harold D.; McRoy, Ruth G.

    2002-01-01

    Examines relationship between intensity of adopted adolescents' thinking about their adoptions and their adoptive family relationships in 135 adopted adolescents. Adolescents with extremely high levels of preoccupation reported significantly higher levels of alienation and significantly lower levels of trust for their adoptive mothers and fathers.…

  6. FACTORS FOR KMS POST ADOPTION: THE EXPLORATORY STUDY IN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA

    OpenAIRE

    Sureena Matayong; Ahmad Kamil Bin Mahmood

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the analytical factors that influence Knowledge Management System (KMS) adoption at the individual level known as post adoption phase. Though many organizations have increasingly recognized KMS significance and started to implement it but its adoption has proved to be very difficult and many organizations are still facing with challenges. The analysis of Grounded Theory (GT) process provides results of the individual factors influence the adoption. These factors offer insi...

  7. Institutional care and iron deficiency increase ADHD symptomology and lower IQ 2.5-5 years post-adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doom, Jenalee R; Georgieff, Michael K; Gunnar, Megan R

    2015-05-01

    Increased ADHD symptomology and lower IQ have been reported in internationally adopted (IA) children compared to non-adopted peers (Hostinar, Stellern, Schaefer, Carlson & Gunnar, 2012; Kreppner, O'Connor & Rutter, 2001). However, it is unclear whether these outcomes are due to institutional deprivation specifically or to co-occurring micronutrient deficiencies that disrupt brain development (Fuglestad, Rao & Georgieff, 2008b). In this study, IA children were compared to children raised in their biological families to examine differences in ADHD symptomology and IQ 2.5-5 years post-adoption and to assess the contributions of iron deficiency (ID) and duration of deprivation to these cognitive outcomes. ADHD symptoms (parent- and experimenter-reported) and IQ were evaluated in 88 IA (M = 62.1 months, SD = 2.4) and 35 non-adopted children (M = 61.4 months, SD = 1.6). IA children were assessed 29-64 months post-adoption (M = 41.9 months, SD = 10.2). ID was assessed during the initial post-adoption medical visit in 69 children, and children were classified into four groups by iron status, ranging from normal to ID anemia (most severe). IA children had greater ADHD symptomology, p IQ, p = .001, than non-adopted children. Within the IA group, children with more severe ID at adoption had greater ADHD symptomology, r(69) = 0.40, p = .001, and lower IQ, r(68) = -0.28, p IQ, r(85) = -.08, p = .52. Longitudinal results indicate improvement in IQ from 12 months post-adoption to age 5 for children with greater ID severity at adoption and longer duration of institutional care but no improvement in ADHD symptoms. These results signify continuing effects of early deprivation and ID on ADHD symptoms and IQ years after adoption. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUFDAS3DD1c. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Post-Adoption Problem Behaviours in Adolescent and Adult Dogs Rehomed through a New Zealand Animal Shelter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Carolyn Gates

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Problem behaviours in dogs rehomed through animal shelters can jeopardise the long-term success of adoptions. In this study, data from 61 adolescent and adult dog adoptions that occurred through an animal shelter in Auckland, New Zealand, from 1 November 2015 to 31 July 2016 were analysed to describe the frequency of problem behaviours and level of adopter concern at different time points post-adoption. Amongst the 57 dogs with behavioural information available, 40 (70% had at least one reported problem behaviour, and the most frequently reported problem behaviours were poor manners (46%, destruction of household items (30%, and excessively high energy (28%. Very few dogs showed territorial aggression when objects or food items were removed (2% and 4%, respectively. However, aggression toward people or other dogs was frequently reported (19% and 19%, respectively. Of the 54 adopters that provided a response about their level of concern over their dog’s problem behaviours, 24 (44% were not concerned at all, 23 (43% were a little concerned, 4 (7% were moderately concerned, and 3 (6% were very concerned. Based on our interpretation of these findings, post-adoption support programmes targeted toward teaching adopters how to correctly train their dogs may be beneficial to increasing adoption satisfaction.

  9. Beyond the adoption/ non-adoption dichotomy: the impact of innovation characteristics on potential adopters' transition through adoption process stages

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Agarwal, M.K.; Frambach, R.T.

    2002-01-01

    Research on innovation adoption has suffered from a bias towards understanding the factors that affect the dichotomous adoption/non-adoption decision.Much less attention is devoted to the question why potential adopters fail to progress to the adoption stage from earlier stages in the decision

  10. INTERNET USE ADOPTION AMONG ACADEMICIANS: Comparing Innovative Adopters and Other Adopter Types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norbayah BTE MOHD SUKI

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Online shopping represents an innovation to be adopted or rejected by online consumersglobally. Previous experiences and knowledge of innovation are the main factors affectingpeople’s willingness to adopt a new innovation. We explore how Internet use differsbetween academicians who are innovative adopters and other types of adopters.Academicians who are innovative adopters are hypothesized to: have more years of experience on online shopping, have greater frequency of purchase, and pay a higher price for items purchased online.Data were collected from 301 respondents. Results provide new perspective on innovativeadopters among Malaysian academicians; they have less experience than other adopters inshopping for products online, make fewer purchases online and pay small amount ofmoney in shopping for products online than other adopters. Directions for future research are also discussed.

  11. Family building using embryo adoption: relationships and contact arrangements between provider and recipient families-a mixed-methods study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frith, Lucy; Blyth, Eric; Lui, Steve

    2017-05-01

    What contact arrangements are established between providers and recipients of embryos using Snowflakes® Embryo Adoption Program? Contact arrangements varied considerably and were generally positively described, although some challenges were acknowledged. Reproductive technologies create new and diverse family forms, and the ways in which families created by embryo adoption are negotiated in practice have not been extensively investigated. This exploratory, mixed-methods study had two phases: (i) an online survey (open May-September 2013) and (ii) qualitative semi-structured interviews by email (conducted between 2014 and 2015), exploring participants' experiences of contact with their embryo provider or recipient. Phase I included 17 providers (14 women and 3 men) and 28 recipients (27 women and 1 man). Phase II included 8 providers (5 women and 3 men) and 12 recipients (10 women and 2 men). All participants, except one, were located in the US. This study illustrates how embryo adoption in the US, as a form of conditional donation, can operate and how the participants define and negotiate these emerging relationships. All families were open with their children about how they were conceived and early contact between recipients and providers (frequently before birth) was valued. On the whole, participants were happy with the amount and type of contact they had, and where the current contact did not involve the children, it was seen as a way of keeping the channels open for future contact when the children were older. Participants often portrayed the opportunities for contact as being in the best interests of the child. The study participants are a particular group who had chosen to either receive or give their embryos via a conditional embryo adoption agency in the US and had established contact. Therefore, this is not a representative sample of those who provide or receive embryos for family building. This embryo adoption model clearly fulfils a need; some people

  12. Strengthening Adoption Practice, Listening to Adoptive Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkinson, Anne; Gonet, Patricia

    2007-01-01

    In-depth interviews with 500 adoptive families who received postadoption services through Virginia's Adoptive Family Preservation (AFP) program paint a richly detailed picture of the challenges adoptive families face and what they need to sustain adoption for many years after finalization. Findings document the need for support in a variety of…

  13. 22 CFR 96.50 - Placement and post-placement monitoring until final adoption in incoming cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... qualified escorts, if used, and, if possible, in the company of the prospective adoptive parent(s). (b) In... greater. (c) When a placement for adoption is in crisis in the post-placement phase, the agency or person... resolving the crisis and the placement is disrupted, the agency or person assuming custody of the child...

  14. Beyond adoption status: Post-adoptive parental involvement and children's reading and math performance from kindergarten to first grade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Tony Xing; Kim, Eun Sook; Baggerly, Jennifer; Mahoney, E Emily; Rice, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we went beyond adoption status to examine the associations between postadoption parental involvement and children's reading and math performance from kindergarten to first grade. Secondary data on a sample of adopted children and nonadopted children were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998 to 1999 (ECLS-K). Weighted data on the children's reading performance were available for 13,900 children (181 were adopted); weighted data on the children's math performance were available for 14,128 children (184 were adopted). Descriptive data showed no group difference in reading scores at all 3 Waves but adopted children scored lower than nonadopted children in math at Wave 2 (Spring of kindergarten) and Wave 3 (Spring of first grade). However, controlling for 6 covariates, latent growth modeling showed that adoption status was unrelated to Wave 1 reading and math scores or subsequent growth rate. Rather, parents' beliefs on skills needed to succeed in kindergarten were a significant predictor of reading and math performance at Wave 1 and subsequent growth rates, and parents' educational expectation was a significant predictor of growth rate in reading and math. Our findings highlight the importance of parental involvement in adopted children's learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Adoption: biological and social processes linked to adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D; McDermott, Jennifer M

    2014-01-01

    Children join adoptive families through domestic adoption from the public child welfare system, infant adoption through private agencies, and international adoption. Each pathway presents distinctive developmental opportunities and challenges. Adopted children are at higher risk than the general population for problems with adaptation, especially externalizing, internalizing, and attention problems. This review moves beyond the field's emphasis on adoptee-nonadoptee differences to highlight biological and social processes that affect adaptation of adoptees across time. The experience of stress, whether prenatal, postnatal/preadoption, or during the adoption transition, can have significant impacts on the developing neuroendocrine system. These effects can contribute to problems with physical growth, brain development, and sleep, activating cascading effects on social, emotional, and cognitive development. Family processes involving contact between adoptive and birth family members, co-parenting in gay and lesbian adoptive families, and racial socialization in transracially adoptive families affect social development of adopted children into adulthood.

  16. The Adoption Process: Knowing the Experience of Adopting Families.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Carolina Gravena Vanalli

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Adoption includes changes to both the child and the adoptive home. Seeking to know the experiences regarding adoption, the couple and the family's experiences, two adoptive mothers were interviewed. The results indicate that the integration of the adopted child was carried out in a positive way, filling an apparent empty spot, and the adopted child was considered responsible for family harmony.

  17. Longitudinal analyses of adoptive parents' expectations and depressive symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foli, Karen J; Lim, Eunjung; South, Susan C

    2017-12-01

    Grounded in a theoretical model specific to adoptive parents, we examined the relationship between parental expectations and depressive symptoms across time. Assessments of 129 adoptive parents of 64 children were performed at three time points before and after placement of an adopted child with the family: 4-6 weeks pre-placement and 4-6 weeks and 5-6 months post-placement. Expectations were assessed in four dimensions: expectations of self as parents, of the child, of family and friends, and of society. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. Associations between parental expectations and depressive symptoms were analyzed, and longitudinal multilevel modeling was conducted to explore influences on expectations over time. Parental expectations changed from pre- to post-placement. With the exception of expectations of self as parent, adoptive parents' pre-adoption expectations were affirmed in the post-adoption time periods. In each expectation dimension, higher affirmation of expectations was correlated with decreased depressive symptoms before and after placement of a child. While parental expectations are not unique to adoptive parents, the essence and characteristics of certain expectations are unique to these parents. When working with adoptive parents, nurses who care for families should assess expectations both pre- and post-placement with awareness of their relationship to depressive symptoms. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. The Texas Adoption Project: adopted children and their intellectual resemblance to biological and adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, J M

    1983-04-01

    Intelligence test scores were obtained from parents and children in 300 adoptive families and compared with similar measures available for the biological mothers of the same adopted children. Results supported the hypothesis that genetic variability is an important influence in the development of individual differences for intelligence. The most salient finding was that adopted children resemble their biological mothers more than they resemble the adoptive parents who reared them from birth. A small subset of the oldest adopted children did not resemble their biological mothers. The suggestion that the influence of genes declines with age is treated with caution since other adoption studies report a trend in the opposite direction.

  19. Process of adoption communication openness in adoptive families: adopters’ perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Acciaiuoli Barbosa-Ducharne

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Communication about adoption is a family interaction process which is more than the simple exchange of information. Adoption communication can be characterized in terms of the level of openness of family conversations regarding the child’s past and the degree of the family’s adoption social disclosure. The objective of this study is to explore the process of adoption communication openness in Portuguese adoptive families by identifying the impact of variables related to the adoption process, the adoptive parenting and the adoptee. One hundred twenty five parents of children aged 3 to 15, who were adopted on average 4 years ago, participated in this study. Data was collected during home visits using the Parents Adoption Process Interview. A cluster analysis identified three different groups of families according to the level of adoption communication openness within the family and outside. The findings also showed that the process of the adoption communication openness started when parents decided to adopt, developed in parent-child interaction and was susceptible to change under professional intervention. The relevance of training given to prospective adopters and of professional practice based on scientific evidence is highlighted.

  20. Adopted children in their adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schechter, M D; Holter, F R

    1975-08-01

    The adoptive process can produce unusual stresses on the child, and biologic and adoptive parents, from prenatal to postnatal life, and through the various phases of physical and pscyhological development. Because of the possibility of these children and their families falling into the "at risk" category with greater potential for psychological and social problems, the pediatrician is of primary importance in diagnosis and counseling. The pediatrician can be of major help in properly diagnosing emotional, behavioral and/or learning problems occurring in adopted children. There must be a thorough evaluation of the child and his family to understand and properly treat symptomatic behavior. The pediatrician can give advice regarding developmental milestones, and especially help the adoptive parents in appreciating their conscious and unconscious attitudes so as to enhance attachment behaviors. Pediatricians are the consultants to whom parents turn for advice regarding the timing of telling about adoption. This advice needs to be individualized according to the specific child's needs. Using a developmental conceptual framework, the pediatrician is in the best position to help the parents and their adopted children with their feelings about societal attitudes and how these can most appropriately be handled. Along this line, the pediatrician can give help and advice when and if the adoptee decides to search for his biologic parents. There is a need to clarify laws which seal the original birth certificate permitting those adoptees who wish to attain a knowledge of potentially related disease processes and an identity with his own genealogical past to do so. This would also allow the adoptee to offer his own children information about their own genetic pool and an awareness of adoption as one of the most valuable and historically significant child rearing practices.

  1. Hospitious Adoption: How Hospitality Empowers Children and Transforms Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gritter, James L.

    2009-01-01

    Building on previous books by the author, "Hospitious Adoption: How Hospitality Empowers Children and Transforms Adoption" examines the next step after open adoption. Gritter takes the approach that practicing goodwill, respect, and courage within the realm of adoption makes the process move smoother and enriches children's lives. Following a…

  2. Transitions of Adoptive Parents: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foli, Karen J; Hebdon, Megan; Lim, Eunjung; South, Susan C

    2017-10-01

    As adoptive parents create a new family, they face myriad changes both pre-and post-placement of their child. The aim of this study was to describe parent perceptions and depressive symptoms during this transition via reports collected with an online survey. Using content analysis, we analyzed a total of 110 responses from 64 parents at three time points: 4-6weeks pre-placement, and 4-6weeks and 5-6months post-placement. Five main themes were revealed: Transition from uncertainty to a new normal; unique experiences related to adoption; rest/fatigue: out of balance; life stressors; and faith/spirituality. Two subthemes were also identified: previous losses (pre-placement) and joy and love (post-placement). During the transition from pre-to post-placement, adoptive parents experience a unique passage, with both challenges and strengths exclusive to this group of parents. While acknowledging the commonalities of some parenting experiences, healthcare and adoption professionals should recognize the unique dynamics that adoption brings to families. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Thinking About Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... asked questions. Q: I think I want to adopt. Where do I begin?​ A: Thinking about adoption ... through adoption. Learn more about their How-to-Adopt and Adoption Parenting Network . Q: What are the ...

  4. Determinants of continuance intention in a post-adoption satisfaction evaluation of a clinical information system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadji, Brahim; Dupuis, Isabelle; Leneveut, Laurence; Heudes, Didier; Wagner, Jean-François; Degoulet, Patrice

    2014-01-01

    The evaluation of end-user satisfaction is an essential part of any clinical information system (CIS) project. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the determinants of CIS continuance intention in a late post-adoption phase at the Georges Pompidou University Hospital (HEGP) in Paris. We designed an electronic survey instrument based on an IT post-adoption model (ITPAM) developed from three previous models, i.e., the Delone and McLean Information Success Model, the Davis TAM model and the Bhattacherjee information system continuance intention model. 419 questionnaires were collected from CIS users directly involved in patient care. The perceived CIS quality, usefulness and user satisfaction are significantly lower for medical professions than other professional groups. Continuance intention is very high within all professional subgroups. In a multiple regression analysis, the global satisfaction (R(2) = .780) was positively and significantly correlated with CIS quality, confirmation of expectations and perceived CIS usefulness. The continuance intention (R(2) = .392) was positively and significantly correlated with perceived CIS usefulness, confirmation of expectations and global satisfaction. In a late post-adoption CIS deployment phase, continuance intention does not significantly depend on individual end user characteristics but is significantly associated with the perceived CIS usefulness, confirmation of expectations and global satisfaction.

  5. Correlates and predictors of parenting stress among internationally adopting mothers: A longitudinal investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viana, Andres G; Welsh, Janet A

    2010-07-01

    This study examined correlates and predictors of parenting stress among internationally adopting (IA) mothers with the goal of expanding the knowledge base on the experiences of adoptive parents. One hundred and forty-three IA mothers completed pre-adoption (Time 0) and six months post-adoption (Time 1) surveys with questions regarding child-, parent-, and family-related characteristics. Mother reports of higher depression symptoms, higher expectations of child developmental and behavioral/emotional problems, and a greater number of children in the family at pre-adoption were significantly related to higher parenting stress six months post-adoption. In contrast, mother reports of higher expectations for child acceptance and higher perceived social support at pre-adoption were significantly related to lower parenting stress six months post-adoption. Higher maternal depression symptoms, higher expectations of child behavior/emotional problems, and a greater number of children in the family at pre-adoption together accounted for 22% of the variance in parenting stress six months post-adoption. Concurrent higher maternal depression symptoms and higher reports of child behavioral/emotional problems predicted higher parenting stress six months post-adoption over and above pre-adoption predictors, and accounted for an additional 33% of the variance. Results and directions for future research are discussed from a transactional perspective, with particular emphasis on the importance of pre-adoptive information for adoption research and practice.

  6. Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... a relative, foster parent, or a completely new family. An adoptive family might be a single parent, a couple, or ... doesn't mean they don't love their adoptive family or feel close to them. This curiosity, which ...

  7. The role of siblings in adoption outcomes and experiences from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farr, Rachel H; Flood, Margaux E; Grotevant, Harold D

    2016-04-01

    In many families, siblings play important roles in shaping each other's outcomes and experiences across development. In adoptive families, siblings may affect adoptees' feelings about adoption and birth family contact. Among "target adoptees" (i.e., 1 participating adopted individual within adoptive families) with siblings who may have also been adopted or the biological children of the adoptive parents, we examined how adoption experiences and individual adjustment from adolescence into emerging adulthood were associated with sibling relationship dynamics. We present 3 studies using longitudinal, mixed method data within the same overarching sample of adoptive families. Study 1 was a follow-up to Berge et al.'s (2006) study of adolescent adoptees and their adopted siblings with birth family contact; we found evidence of changes in the status of contact collectively experienced by 26 adopted sibling pairs when target adoptees were emerging adults. In Study 2, we found that target adoptees (n = 91) with siblings (adopted or not) who were more involved with target adoptees' birth family contact demonstrated more favorable behavioral outcomes than target adoptees who had uninvolved siblings. Finally in Study 3, for target adoptees with siblings who were also adopted (n = 51), results showed that target adoptees felt more positively about their own adoption when siblings expressed similar positive feelings about individual adoption experiences. Implications of our findings are discussed in terms of the enduring contributions of sibling relationships from childhood into adulthood and the unique ways in which adoptive siblings are important in shaping one another's experiences of adoption. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Adopters and non-adopters of Internet banking: A segmentation study

    OpenAIRE

    Patsiotis, A.; Hughes, T.; Webber, D. J.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose – This study examines Internet banking adoption and resistance behaviour in Greece in order to develop profiles of adopters and non-adopters of the service. The aim is to illustrate customers’ resistance behaviour towards Internet banking. Existing research does not explain resistance behaviour, since it does not clearly distinguish non-adoption from resistance. Consequently, it has not recognized the different types of non-adoption.\\ud Design/methodology/approach – A measuring instru...

  9. Healthy depictions? Depicting adoption and adoption news events on broadcast news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kline, Susan L; Chatterjee, Karishma; Karel, Amanda I

    2009-01-01

    Given that the public uses the media to learn about adoption as a family form, this study analyzes U.S. television news coverage of adoption between 2001 and 2005 (N = 309 stories), to identify the types of news events covered about adoption. A majority of news stories covered fraud, crime, legal disputes, and negative international adoption cases. Adoptees as defective or unhealthy were depicted more in negative news event stories, birth parents appeared less overall, and adoptive parents were most likely to have healthy depictions in positively oriented adoption experience, big family, and reunion stories. Although three quarters of the stories used primary adoption participants as news sources, one-third of the negative event stories did not contain healthy depictions of adoption participants. The authors discuss ways journalists and researchers might improve adoption news coverage.

  10. Adopters and non-adopters of wood pellet heating in Norwegian households

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sopha, Bertha Maya; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Kloeckner, Christian A.

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the present paper is to understand the differences between adopters and non-adopters of wood pellet heating in Norwegian households by comparing the two groups with regard to key points of adoption. A mail survey of 669 adopters and 291 non-adopters of wood pellet heating was conducted in 2008. Results indicate that there are significant differences between groups with respect to socio-demographic factors, decision-related factors, heating systems adopted and reasons for shifting heating systems. The results also indicate that the adopter group shows characteristics of early adopters, whereas the non-adopter group has characteristics of late adopters. The results for levels of income and education contradict what would be predicted from theory, however. Both groups show no significant difference with respect to values, but the perception of which heating system is the most environmentally friendly differs significantly. The top three reasons cited by the adopter group for installing wood pellet heating are getting an environmentally friendly heating system, low operation costs and an anticipated increase in electricity prices. According to the non-adopter group, the main barriers to adoption are high installation costs, followed by the difficulties of refitting the house for wood pellet heating. A higher subsidy (i.e., an average of 64% of the total installation cost) rather than the current subsidy of up to 20% was required by the non-adopter group to switch to wood pellet heating. (author)

  11. [Perception of parental socialization strategies in adoptive and non-adoptive families].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernedo Muñoz, Isabel María; Fuentes Rebollo, María Jesús; Fernández-Molina, M; Bersabé Morán, Rosa

    2007-11-01

    Although parental socialization styles have been investigated in recent years, little research has been carried out on the issue of parental styles in adoptive families. The aim of this research is to analyse parental styles both from the point of view of the parents and of adopted and non-adopted adolescents, taking as covariables the adolescents' sex and age. The sample was made up of 55 adopted adolescents (20 boys and 35 girls with an age range of 11-17 years) and their 55 adoptive parents, and 402 non-adopted adolescents (200 boys and 202 girls with an age range of 11-17 years), and their 258 parents. Two scales evaluated parental styles: the Affect Scale and the Rules and Demands Scale. The results showed that, both from the point of view of the parents and of the adolescents, adoptive families are more affective, communicative and inductive, and less critical and indulgent than non-adoptive families. No differences were found between adopted and non-adopted adolescents on the Parents' Rigidity Scale.

  12. Adoptive parenting and attachment: association of the internal working models between adoptive mothers and their late-adopted children during adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, Cecilia S; Di Folco, Simona; Guerriero, Viviana; Santona, Alessandra; Terrone, Grazia

    2015-01-01

    Recent literature has shown that the good outcome of adoption would mostly depend on the quality of adoptive parenting, which is strongly associated with the security of parental internal working models (IWMs) of attachment. Specifically, attachment states-of-mind of adoptive mothers classified as free and autonomous and without lack of resolution of loss or trauma could represent a good protective factor for adopted children, previously maltreated and neglected. While most research on adoptive families focused on pre-school and school-aged children, the aim of this study was to assess the concordance of IWMs of attachment in adoptive dyads during adolescence. Our pilot-study involved 76 participants: 30 adoptive mothers (mean age = 51.5 ± 4.3), and their 46 late-adopted adolescents (mean age = 13.9 ± 1.6), who were all aged 4-9 years old at time of adoption (mean age = 6.3 ± 1.5). Attachment representations of adopted adolescents were assessed by the Friend and Family Interview (FFI), while adoptive mothers' state-of-mind with respect to attachment was classified by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Adolescents' verbal intelligence was controlled for. Late-adopted adolescents were classified as follows: 67% secure, 26% dismissing, and 7% preoccupied in the FFI, while their adoptive mothers' AAI classifications were 70% free-autonomous, 7% dismissing, and 23% unresolved. We found a significant concordance of 70% (32 dyads) between the secure-insecure FFI and AAI classifications. Specifically adoptive mothers with high coherence of transcript and low unresolved loss tend to have late-adopted children with high secure attachment, even if the adolescents' verbal intelligence made a significant contribution to this prediction. Our results provides an empirical contribution to the literature concerning the concordance of attachment in adoptive dyads, highlighting the beneficial impact of highly coherent states-of-mind of adoptive mothers on the attachment

  13. Adoptive parenting and attachment: association of the Internal Working Models between adoptive mothers and their late-adopted children during adolescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia Serena ePace

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Recent literature has shown that the good outcome of adoption would mostly depend on the quality of adoptive parenting, which is strongly associated with the security of parental internal working models (IWMs of attachment. Specifically, attachment states-of-mind of adoptive mothers classified as free and autonomous and without lack of resolution of loss or trauma could represent a good protective factor for adopted children previously maltreated and neglected. While most research on adoptive families has focused on pre-school and school-aged children, the aim of this study was to assess the concordance of IWMs of attachment in adoptive dyads during adolescence.Method. Our pilot-study involved 76 participants: 30 adoptive mothers (mean age=51.5±4.3, and their 46 late-adopted adolescents (mean age = 13.9 ± 1.6, who were all aged four to nine years old at time of adoption (M = 6.3 ± 1.5. Attachment representations of adopted adolescents were assessed by the Friend and Family Interview (FFI, while adoptive mothers’ state-of-mind with respect to attachment was classified by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI. Adolescents’ verbal intelligence was controlled.Results. Late-adopted adolescents were classified as follows: 67% secure, 26% dismissing and 7% preoccupied in the FFI, while their adoptive mothers’ AAI classifications were 70% free-autonomous, 7% dismissing, and 23% unresolved. We found a significant concordance of 70% (32 dyads between the secure-insecure FFI and AAI classifications. Specifically adoptive mothers with high coherence of transcript and low unresolved loss tend to have late-adopted children with high secure attachment, even if the adolescents’ verbal intelligence made a significant contribution to this prediction.Discussion. Our results provides an empirical contribution to the literature concerning the concordance of attachment in adoptive dyads, highlighting the beneficial impact of highly coherent

  14. Factors influencing the adoption of telemedicine for treatment of military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clemens Scott Kruse

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Military veterans returning from a combat zone often face mental health challenges as a result of traumatic experiences. The veteran in the United States has been underdiagnosed and underserved. Since its advancement in the 1990s, telemedicine has become a more prevalent means of delivering services for post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans in the United States, but its adoption is not ubiquitous. Objective: To clarify the association of telemedicine and the treatment of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder through identification of facilitators and barriers to the adoption of the modality. Methods: Reviewers analysed articles from CINAHL and PubMed databases, using relative key words, selecting the 28 most germane to the study objective. Results: The most common adoption facilitators were: improving access to rural populations of veterans (22%, effective treatment outcomes (16%, and decreased costs related to care (13%. The most prevalent barriers were: veterans lacking access to necessary modalities (25%, availability of physicians competent in post-traumatic stress disorder treatment (20%, and complications with technology (20%. Five themes surfaced for facilitators: accessibility, effectiveness, cost reduction, positive patient perception, and supportive community; and 5 themes for barriers: access to technology, technical complications, physician availability, negative patient perception, and uninformed patients. Conclusion: This literature review identifies cost and outcomes-effectiveness. The association of telemedicine with the treatment of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder is feasible, beneficial and effective.

  15. 'Adoption and attachment theory' the attachment models of adoptive mothers and the revision of attachment patterns of their late-adopted children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, C S; Zavattini, G C

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the attachment patterns of late-adopted children (aged 4-7) and their adoptive mothers during the first 7- to 8-month period after adoption and aimed to evaluate the effect of adoptive mothers' attachment security on the revision of the attachment patterns of their late-adopted children. We assessed attachment patterns in 20 adoptive dyads and 12 genetically related dyads at two different times: T1 (time 1) within 2 months of adoption and T2 (time 2) 6 months after T1. The children's behavioural attachment patterns were assessed using the Separation-Reunion Procedure and the children's representational (verbal) attachment patterns using the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task. The attachment models of the adoptive mothers were classified using the Adult Attachment Interview. We found that there was a significant enhancement of the late-adopted children's attachment security across the time period considered (P= 0.008). Moreover, all the late-adopted children who showed a change from insecurity to security had adoptive mothers with secure attachment models (P= 0.044). However, the matching between maternal attachment models and late-adopted children's attachment patterns (behaviours and representations) was not significant. Our data suggest that revision of the attachment patterns in the late-adopted children is possible but gradual, and that the adoptive mothers' attachment security makes it more likely to occur. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  16. The war at home: affective economics and transnationally adoptive families in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stryker, Rachael

    2011-01-01

    The question of how to best conduct post-placement interventions for transnationally adoptive families at risk of dissolution (legal annulment) is an emerging issue in the United States. The current popular trend for adoptive families to pursue biomedical post-placement interventions, despite a lack of proof that such interventions actually work to keep the adoptive family intact, suggests the need for a more phenomenological approach to understanding both adoptive parents’ and transnational adoptees’ post-placement experiences. This study examines the empirical experiences of adoptive families at risk of dissolution in the United States who attempt to define and navigate the path toward family stability after adopting. From the coding of this data set emerge some routes through and by which emotions circulate between adoptive parents and transnational adoptees through the family body and the family social. Particularly, it investigates one post-placement “affective economy” at work in which adoptive parents attempt, through the expression of particular forms of parental love, to align adoptees as subjects of the private, nuclear American family, while adoptees more often attempt to create space for more heterogeneous forms of family, ones that include birth parents and other kin-like relations in their countries of origin. Ultimately, it illuminates some vastly different and sometimes contradictory ways that adoptive parents and adoptees can interpret family through emotional lenses, ones that can prevent a smooth post-placement transition for adoption actors. An understanding of these differences and how they shape, and are shaped by, the post-placement affective economy within families at risk of dissolution may aid in locating indicators for adoption dissolution, and possibly, designing more effective post-placement interventions for families struggling in the aftermath of adoption. It may also help scholars begin to think about the construction and

  17. Influences of IT substitutes and user experience on post-adoption user switching : An empirical investigation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ye, C.; Seo, D.; Desouza, K.C.; Papagari, S.; Jha, S.

    2008-01-01

    This study examines factors that influence individual users' post-adoption switching behavior between information technology products that are near perfect substitutes. The introduction and popularity of Mozilla Firefox Web browser provided an ideal empirical setting for this study. Drawing upon

  18. Influences of IT substitutes and user experience on post-adoption user switching : An empirical investigation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ye, C.; Seo, D.; Desouza, K.C.; Papagari, S.; Jha, S.

    This study examines factors that influence individual users' post-adoption switching behavior between information technology products that are near perfect substitutes. The introduction and popularity of Mozilla Firefox Web browser provided an ideal empirical setting for this study. Drawing upon

  19. A Non-Modeling Exploration of Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Adoption and Non-Adoption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moezzi, Mithra [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Ingle, Aaron [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Lutzenhiser, Loren [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States); Sigrin, Benjamin O. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-09-01

    Although U.S. deployment of residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has accelerated in recent years, PV is still installed on less than 1 percent of single-family homes. Most research on household PV adoption focuses on scaling initial markets and modeling predicted growth rather than considering more broadly why adoption occurs. Among the studies that have investigated the characteristics of PV adoption, most collected data from adopters, sometimes with additional non-adopter data, and rarely from people who considered but did not adopt PV. Yet the vast majority of Americans are non-adopters, and they are a diverse group - understanding their ways of evaluating PV adoption is important. Similarly, PV is a unique consumer product, which makes it difficult to apply findings from studies of other technologies to PV. In addition, little research addresses the experience of households after they install PV. This report helps fill some of these gaps in the existing literature. The results inform a more detailed understanding of residential PV adoption, while helping ensure that adoption is sufficiently beneficial to adopters and even non-adopters.

  20. International Adoption: Issues of Acknowledgement of Adoption and Birth Culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trolley, Barbara C.; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Families who adopt children internationally are faced with not only the acknowledgement of the adoption but also the recognition of the child's birth culture. Thirty-four families were surveyed to assess issues regarding the relevance, frequency, and means of acknowledgement of the adoption and of the birth culture. Findings suggest ways adoption…

  1. Social Skills in Children Adopted from Socially-Emotionally Depriving Institutions

    OpenAIRE

    Julian, Megan M.; McCall, Robert B.

    2015-01-01

    This study assessed social skills in post-institutionalized (PI) children with respect to age-at-adoption, age-at-assessment, and gender. Parent ratings of social skills (Social Skills Rating System) and behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist) were obtained for 214 children and 127 adolescents who were adopted from socially-emotionally depriving Russian institutions. Results showed that children adopted before 18 months of age have better social skills than those adopted after this age; ...

  2. [Adoptive parents' satisfaction with the adoption experience and with its impact on family life].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Sandoval, Yolanda

    2011-11-01

    In this study, we discuss the relevance of adoptive families' satisfaction in the assessment of adoption processes. The effects of adoption on a sample group of 272 adoptive families are analyzed. Most families show high levels of satisfaction as to: their decision to adopt, the features of their adopted children and how adoption has affected them as individuals and as a family. Statistical analyses show that these families can have different satisfaction levels depending on certain features of the adoptees, of the adoptive families or of their educational style. Life satisfaction of the adoptees is also related to how their adoptive parents evaluate the adoption.

  3. To Adopt Or Not To Adopt? The Transnational Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Africa

    OpenAIRE

    Zori, S.

    2015-01-01

    The idea that policy diffusion can occur via two different mechanisms has gained attention in the realm of international accounting since the European Union’s adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) in 2005. Proponents of classical economic approaches to policy adoption argue that countries adopting IFRS are motivated solely by the economic consequences of the standards from which they anticipate an improvement in information quality. Neo-institutional scholars argue, ...

  4. Adoption of Children with Disabilities: An Exploration of the Issues for Adoptive Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Good, Gretchen A.

    2016-01-01

    This systematic literature review is an exploration of issues for adoptive families throughout the adoption process and into the various phases of the life of the adoptive family. Although there has been much recent research related to adoption, in general, very little adoption literature addresses the often unspoken needs of families who want to…

  5. The Danish Adoption Register.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Liselotte; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

    2011-07-01

    The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia. The register encompass information on all 14,425 non-familial adoptions of Danish children legally granted in Denmark 1924-1947. It includes name and date of birth of each adoptee and his or her biological and adoptive parents, date of transfer to adoptive parents and date of formal adoption. The linkage to biological and adoptive parents is close to complete, even biological fathers are registered for 91.4% of the adoptees. Adoption registers are a unique source allowing disentangling of genetic and familial environmental influences on traits, risk of diseases, and mortality.

  6. Inhibitors of e-Government adoption: Determinants of habit and adoption intentions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Rey-Moreno

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Explanatory models of e-Government adoption are based on the premise that user behavior results from users’ intentions, which derive from users’ beliefs and attitudes. According to such models, citizens’ high intentions to use e-Government tools should have led to the widespread adoption of these tools. Yet this has not occurred. Therefore, existing models fail to explain the adoption of e-Government. These models must be complemented to explain the cause of citizens’ failure to adopt e-Government. Attempts to build a satisfactory model include the design of dual models (jointly analyzing facilitators and inhibitors and integrating models (jointly analyzing the interaction between intention and habit in prompting behavior. This study identified several inhibitors of e-Government adoption. Organizational support, self-efficacy, benefits, loss aversion, regret aversion, control, transition costs, sunk costs/switching costs, uncertainty, habit, resistance, and inertia were found to inhibit citizens’ adoption of e-Government.

  7. Social Skills in Children Adopted from Socially-Emotionally Depriving Institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Julian, Megan M; McCall, Robert B

    This study assessed social skills in post-institutionalized (PI) children with respect to age-at-adoption, age-at-assessment, and gender. Parent ratings of social skills (Social Skills Rating System) and behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist) were obtained for 214 children and 127 adolescents who were adopted from socially-emotionally depriving Russian institutions. Results showed that children adopted before 18 months of age have better social skills than those adopted after this age; those assessed in childhood demonstrate better social skills than those assessed in adolescence. PI females, especially later-adopted adolescents, have particularly poor social skills. Children with poor social skills tend to have higher rates of behavior problems.

  8. Becoming an Adoptive Parent

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McIlvenny, Paul; Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

    Our research approaches transnational adoption as a nexus of local and global practices which are mediated in talk, text and other modalities of discourse. We use mediated discourse analysis combined with virtual ethnography to understand the cross-cultural similarities and differences in transna......Our research approaches transnational adoption as a nexus of local and global practices which are mediated in talk, text and other modalities of discourse. We use mediated discourse analysis combined with virtual ethnography to understand the cross-cultural similarities and differences...... in transnational adoption practice and representation. We present the results of our analysis of how the experiences of adoptive parents are (re)mediated in a Danish television documentary series following five prospective adoptive couples, not all of whom succeed in their 'quest' to adopt from abroad. Furthermore......, we trace how adopters publicly narrate their own experiences and problems with fertility and with adoption, as well as how they construct their personal websites, network with others locally and internationally, orient to other ‘sites’ or sources of information, share advice and create 'public goods...

  9. Open Adoption Placement by Birth Mothers in Their Twenties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clutter, Lynn B

    The purpose of this study was to summarize birth mothers' descriptions of unplanned pregnancy experienced in their twenties and how open adoption influenced their lives. Naturalistic inquiry was used with purposive sampling from one agency and telephone interviews of women who experienced unplanned pregnancy in their twenties and relinquishment through open adoption. Recorded, transcribed, and deidentified interviews were analyzed for qualitative themes. Fifteen participants judiciously weighed the open adoption decision. Over half parented other children prior to placement. Most knew they could not have parented this child due to life stressors. Placement was a hard decision, but ongoing contact with birth child and adoptive family was valued. Open adoption processes made them stronger by being happy that their child experienced family life with greater opportunities than birth mothers could offer at the time. Summarized themes used the acronym COMMITTED: C-care deeply about what is best for the child, O-ongoing open adoption: good and hard, M-meeting together regularly, M-moving on in personal growth, accomplishments, and milestones, I-independence from previous stressors or crises, T-transitions, T-therapeutic support, E-emotions, D-depression giving way to deepened strength and personal direction. Open adoption is reinforced as a positive resolution of unintended pregnancy for birth mothers in their twenties.

  10. Adopted Children and Discipline

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Family Dynamics > Adoption & Foster Care > Adopted Children & Discipline Family Life ... are the reasons for these patterns of parental inaction? Some adoptive parents are afraid their youngster might stop loving ...

  11. Personality disorders in adopted versus non-adopted adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westermeyer, Joseph; Yoon, Gihyun; Amundson, Carla; Warwick, Marion; Kuskowski, Michael A

    2015-04-30

    The goal of this epidemiological study was to investigate lifetime history and odds ratios of personality disorders in adopted and non-adopted adults using a nationally representative sample. Data, drawn from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), were compared in adopted (n=378) versus non-adopted (n=42,503) adults to estimate the odds of seven personality disorders using logistic regression analyses. The seven personality disorders were histrionic, antisocial, avoidant, paranoid, schizoid, obsessive-compulsive, and dependent personality disorder. Adoptees had a 1.81-fold increase in the odds of any personality disorder compared with non-adoptees. Adoptees had increased odds of histrionic, antisocial, avoidant, paranoid, schizoid, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder compared with non-adoptees. Two risk factors associated with lifetime history of a personality disorder in adoptees compared to non-adoptees were (1) being in the age cohort 18-29 years (but no difference in the age 30-44 cohort), using the age 45 or older cohort as the reference and (2) having 12 years of education (but no difference in higher education groups), using the 0-11 years of education as the reference. These findings support the higher rates of personality disorders among adoptees compared to non-adoptees. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  12. extension communication and farmers' adoption of yam production ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ita

    training on seed yam multiplication and small size nature of yam minisett, while ... contact farmers, posters, bulletins and radio served as sources of information to ... KEY WORDS: Adoption, Communication, Channels, Extension, Production, ...

  13. Adoption and Assisted Reproduction. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freundlich, Madelyn

    The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the fourth in a series to use an ethics-based…

  14. Mediating Discourses of Transnational Adoption on the Internet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McIlvenny, Paul; Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

    2005-01-01

    Transnational (or intercountry) adoption is a global phenomenon with a diverse range of practices which are increasingly under scrutiny. Notable differences are found in practices across both ‘sending’ countries (such as China, Columbia, India, South Africa and South Korea, and ‘receiving...... prior to their first contact with the adopted child. Research studies of transnational adoption are increasingly common, but come predominantly from psychological, psycho-social or social welfare perspectives. In contrast, we take a discourse studies approach that develops a theoretical...... and methodological bridge between mediated discourse analysis (MDA) and other approaches to mediation, agency and action. With this approach we trace a host of discourses and contingent practices that are heterogeneously assembled to ‘translate’ a child from one familial ‘place’ or nexus of practice in the world...

  15. Correlates and Predictors of Parenting Stress among Internationally Adopting Mothers: A Longitudinal Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viana, Andres G.; Welsh, Janet A.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined correlates and predictors of parenting stress among internationally adopting (IA) mothers with the goal of expanding the knowledge base on the experiences of adoptive parents. One hundred and forty-three IA mothers completed pre-adoption (Time 0) and six months post-adoption (Time 1) surveys with questions regarding child-,…

  16. Korean Adoptee Identity: Adoptive and Ethnic Identity Profiles of Adopted Korean Americans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beaupre, Adam J.; Reichwald, Reed; Zhou, Xiang; Raleigh, Elizabeth; Lee, Richard M.

    2015-01-01

    Adopted Korean adolescents face the task of grappling with their identity as Koreans and coming to terms with their adoptive status. In order to explore these dual identities, the authors conducted a person-centered study of the identity profiles of 189 adopted Korean American adolescents. Using cluster analytic procedures, the study examined…

  17. Growth and development in internationally adopted children: extent and timing of recovery after early adversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palacios, Jesús; Román, Maite; Camacho, Carlos

    2011-03-01

    Following initial adversity, internationally adopted children arrive with significant growth and developmental delays. Post-placement recovery has been widely documented, but little has been known about its extent and timing several years after placement and in children with diverse pre-adoptive experiences. A total of 289 children adopted from six countries into Spanish families were studied. Growth and psychological development were considered on arrival and after an average of over 3 years. Growth and developmental initial delays affected a substantial percentage of the children. Post-adoption recovery seemed quicker and more complete in weight and height than in head circumference and psychological development. Initial and later values were correlated, but growth-development relation on arrival subsequently lost significance. Most of the catch-up happened in the first three post-adoption years. Adoption offers an impressive opportunity for recovery after previous adversity, although continuity between past and present persists. The improvement is more marked in some areas than in others and more substantial in the first post-adoption years. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. Factors Affecting Adoption of Recommended Cauliflower Production Technology in Nepal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pankaj Raj Dhital

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Binary logit regression model of econometrics was used to identify the factors affecting adoption of recommended agricultural technology by the commercial farmers of Nepal. A survey was carried out in 2012 in 120 households from Kavre district, Nepal. The objective was to appraise factors affecting adoption of recommended technology of cauliflower, finding out the level of adoption, identifying the constraints of cauliflower cultivation, assessing the perceived level of satisfaction and studying the relationship of certain selected variables on the adoption. Education, Occupation, contact with Personal Localite sources of information, Group membership and Experience were the most influencing factors for adoption of recommended technology. Though, other factors were not strong enough to contribute significantly but indirectly influence the adoption decision of farmers as combined effects. Occupation was found as negatively associated. Landholding size was strongly and positively influencing among the non significant factors. The level of satisfaction and the constraints of cauliflower production were also identified. Transfer of technology will be effective if and only if the client adopts the technology. For an effective transfer of technology, it is better to go for activities for the welfare of the socioeconomic factors of the farmers.

  19. The International Adoption Project: population-based surveillance of Minnesota parents who adopted children internationally.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellerstedt, Wendy L; Madsen, Nikki J; Gunnar, Megan R; Grotevant, Harold D; Lee, Richard M; Johnson, Dana E

    2008-03-01

    To conduct the first population-based surveillance in the United States of parents who adopted children from countries outside of the United States. A 556-item survey was mailed to 2,977 parents who finalized an international adoption in Minnesota between January 1990 and December 1998; 1,834 (62%) parents returned a survey. Eighty-eight percent of the parents reported transracial adoptions (97% of the parents were white); 57% of the adopted children were Asian; 60% were female; and on average, the children were 18 months-old at the time of placement. Only 15% of the parents reported household annual incomes less than $50,000 and 71% reported they had college educations. Sixty-one percent traveled to their child's country of birth prior to the adoption. Almost three-quarters involved their children in experiences related to their birth countries and 98% would recommend international adoption. Three-quarters of the parents believe that parental leave was an issue for them as they adopted. This is the first population-based survey of U.S. parents who have adopted internationally. The adoptive parents were socioeconomically different than birth parents in Minnesota and their families are most likely to be transracial. Because international adoption has become more prevalent, it is important to understand the strengths and needs of families that are created through this unique form of migration.

  20. Adoption of Innovation from the Business Sector by Post-Primary Education Organizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazzan, Orit; Zelig, Dafna

    2016-01-01

    Business organizations adopt innovation with the objective of meeting competition and improving their business performance; education organizations, likewise, operate in a competitive environment, are evaluated by stakeholders, and adopt innovation. The research presented here links these two sectors; its objective was to characterize the process…

  1. Transmission of infectious diseases from internationally adopted children to their adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sciauvaud, J; Rigal, E; Pascal, J; Nourrisson, C; Poirier, P; Poirier, V; Vidal, M; Mrozek, N; Laurichesse, H; Beytout, J; Labbe, A; Lesens, O

    2014-08-01

    Internationally adopted children may suffer from different pathologies, including infectious diseases contracted in the country of origin. We evaluated the frequency of infectious diseases that may disseminate from adoptees to adoptive families on their arrival in France. All children who attended the clinic for international adoption in Clermont-Ferrand from January 2009 through to December 2011 were eligible for inclusion in the study. Standardized medical records dedicated to international adoption were retrospectively reviewed for demographic data, clinical diagnosis, and biological and radiological results. Data were completed by phone interviews with adoptive families after informed consent. One hundred and forty-two medical records were retrospectively reviewed and 86% of families agreed to be interviewed. One hundred and seventy-one potentially transmissible infections were diagnosed in 142 children, 12% (n = 20) of which were transmitted to adoptive families. Most of these infections were benign and transmission was restricted to the close family. Tinea was diagnosed in 44 adoptees and transmitted in 15 cases. Panton Valentine leukocidin producing methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) was transmitted to an adoptive father who required hospitalization for bursitis. Transmission also occurred for CMV (n = 1), hepatitis A (n = 1), giardiasis (n = 1), scabies (n = 1), Moluscum (n = 2) and pediculosis (n = 2). Two cases of chronic hepatitis B and latent tuberculosis were diagnosed without subsequent transmission. In conclusion, infectious diseases are common in internationally adopted children and should be detected shortly after arrival to avoid transmission. © 2013 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2013 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

  2. Predictors of Relationship Dissolution in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E.; Garcia, Randi

    2015-01-01

    Little work has examined relationship dissolution or divorce in adoptive parents or same-sex parent couples. The current study examined predictors of relationship dissolution across the first 5 years of parenthood among a sample of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male adoptive couples. Of the 190 couples in the study, 15 (7.9%) dissolved their relationships during the first 5 years of adoptive parenthood. Specifically, 7 of 57 lesbian couples (12.3%), 1 of 49 gay male couples (2.0%), and 7 of 84 heterosexual couples (8.3%) dissolved their unions. Results of our logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of relationship dissolution were significantly higher for (a) couples who adopted a non-infant (i.e., older) child); (b) participants who reported feeling less prepared for the adoption, three months post-adoptive placement; and (c) couples in which both partners reported very low, or very high, pre-adoption levels of relationship maintenance behaviors. Findings have implications for adoption professionals seeking to support same-sex and heterosexual prospective adopters, as well as societal debates and policy regarding same-sex relationships and parenting. PMID:26053348

  3. Predictors of race, adoption, and sexual orientation related socialization of adoptive parents of young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E; Smith, JuliAnna Z

    2016-04-01

    Using a sample of 125 lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive parent couples with young children (M = 6.32 years), this study examined predictors of direct socialization (preparation for adoptism, racism, and heterosexism) and indirect socialization (modeling interactions by responding to outsiders' inquiries about their child's adoptive status, racial background, or family structure). In terms of direct socialization, parents of older children tended to engage in more socialization around adoptism and heterosexism, and parents of daughters tended to engage in more socialization around racism and heterosexism. Greater perceived child interest in adoption was related to more direct socialization around adoptism. Parents of color reported more direct socialization around racism. Having a child of color was related to more direct socialization around heterosexism. Regarding indirect socialization, sexual minority parents reported more socialization around adoption and race. Greater perceived child interest in adoption was related to more indirect adoption socialization. Being more "out" was related to more indirect socialization around parent sexual orientation. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. Using Free Adoptions to Reduce Crowding and Euthanasia at Cat Shelters: An Australian Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawford, Heather M; Fontaine, Joseph B; Calver, Michael C

    2017-12-04

    Many healthy adult cats are euthanised annually in shelters, and novel approaches are required to reduce euthanasia rates. Waiving adoption fees is one such approach. However, concerns that less responsible owners will be attracted to free events persist among welfare groups. We evaluated evidence for differences in cat fate, health, and adherence to husbandry legislation via a case-study of a free adoption-drive for cats ≥1 year at a Western Australian shelter. Post-adoption outcomes were compared between free adopters and a control group of normal-fee adopters. The free adoption-drive rehomed 137 cats, increasing average weekly adoptions by 533%. First-time adopters were a significantly larger portion of the free cohort, as a result of mixed-media promotions. Both adopter groups selected cats of similar age; sex and pelage. Post-adoption, both groups retained >90% cats, reporting near identical incidences of medical and behavioural problems. Adopters did not differ in legislative compliance regarding fitting collars, registering cats, or allowing cats to roam. The shelter reported satisfaction with the adoption-drive, because in addition to relieving crowding of healthy adults, adoption of full-fee kittens increased 381%. Overall, we found no evidence for adverse outcomes associated with free adoptions. Shelters should not be dissuaded from occasional free adoption-drives during overflow periods.

  5. From Surrogacy to Contested Adoption: What Went Wrong?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenfield, Joanna; Jennings, Seamus

    1995-01-01

    Notes the complex and emotive nature of surrogate motherhood. Describes a surrogacy arrangement that was apparently based initially on a clear agreement and partnership, but developed into a disputed adoption application when the surrogate mother became dissatisfied with contact arrangements. (HTH)

  6. Cultural Tourism in Transnational Adoption: "Staged Authenticity" and Its Implications for Adopted Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quiroz, Pamela Anne

    2012-01-01

    The discursive practices of adoptive parents in two online transnational adoption forums (2006-2008) and observations of five international adoption workshops suggest that what Heather Jacobson described as "culture keeping", the cultural socialization of children that retains a sense of native group identity, is more aptly characterized as…

  7. Nutrition educator adoption and implementation of an experiential foods curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diker, Ann; Cunningham-Sabo, Leslie; Bachman, Kari; Stacey, Jane E; Walters, Lynn M; Wells, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Describe changes in Nutrition Educator (NE) and Extension Agent (EA) motivation, self-efficacy, and behavioral capability over time after experiential food tasting curriculum training. Identify promoters of curriculum adoption, implementation, and future use. Mixed methods design including surveys, lesson implementation reports, and interviews. New Mexico limited-resource schools. Convenience sample of New Mexico Extension NE (n = 42) and their EA supervisors (n = 21). Three-hour curriculum training employing Social Cognitive Theory and Diffusion of Innovations. Perceived change in motivation, self-efficacy, and behavioral capability from post-training through 8-month post-training; promoters and challenges to curriculum adoption, implementation, and future use. Repeated-measures ANOVA analyzed perceived behavior change over time. Significance was set at P ≤ .05. Qualitative responses were categorized by theme. Gains in NE motivation, self-efficacy, and behavioral capability were sustained at 8 months post-training. High adoption/implementation rates (79%) were attributed to strong implementation expectations, observational learning, experiential training elements, and perceived curriculum compatibility. Environmental factors including time constraints, personnel turnover, and scheduling conflicts proved challenging. Maximizing curriculum simplicity and compatibility and incorporating behavioral capability, observational learning, and expectations into training support adoption and use. Adaptations and techniques to problem-solve challenges should be provided to new curricula implementers. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  8. A comparison of adoptive parents' perceptions of their child's behavior among Indian children adopted to Norway, the United States, and within country: implications for adoption policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Suzanne; Groza, Victor

    2013-01-01

    The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children suggests that intercountry adoption be considered as a permanent care option only after other solutions within the child's country of origin have been exhausted. Data from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were examined for 478 Indian children ages 4-18 adopted domestically, adopted to Norway, and adopted to the United States. The CBCL has a reported reliability of .9 (Achenbach, 1991; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983) and contains five subscales assessing internalizing problems plus a summative Internalizing Scale, and three subscales assessing externalizing problems plus a summative Externalizing Scale. Perceptions of Norwegian, American, and Indian adoptive parents regarding their child's functioning were compared. Children adopted to Norway and the United States were perceived by their parents to be functioning significantly better behaviorally than children adopted within country, while controlling for age of child and gender of adoptive parent completing the CBCL. Policymakers should examine the evidence prioritizing within country adoption over intercountry adoption.

  9. Beyond preadoptive risk: The impact of adoptive family environment on adopted youth's psychosocial adjustment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Juye; Brooks, Devon; Barth, Richard P; Kim, Hansung

    2010-07-01

    Adopted children often are exposed to preadoptive stressors--such as prenatal substance exposure, child maltreatment, and out-of-home placements--that increase their risks for psychosocial maladjustment. Psychosocial adjustment of adopted children emerges as the product of pre- and postadoptive factors. This study builds on previous research, which fails to simultaneously assess the influences of pre- and postadoptive factors, by examining the impact of adoptive family sense of coherence on adoptee's psychosocial adjustment beyond the effects of preadoptive risks. Using a sample of adoptive families (n = 385) taking part in the California Long Range Adoption Study, structural equation modeling analyses were performed. Results indicate a significant impact of family sense of coherence on adoptees' psychosocial adjustment and a considerably less significant role of preadoptive risks. The findings suggest the importance of assessing adoptive family's ability to respond to stress and of helping families to build and maintain their capacity to cope with stress despite the sometimes fractious pressures of adoption.

  10. Predicting Virtual Learning Environment Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Penjor, Sonam; Zander, Pär-Ola Mikael

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the significance of Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory with regard to the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) at the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB). The focus is on different adoption types and characteristics of users. Rogers’ DOI theory is applied...... to investigate the influence of five predictors (relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, trialability and observability) and their significance in the perception of academic staff at the RUB in relation to the probability of VLE adoption. These predictors are attributes of the VLE that determine the rate...... of adoption by various adopter group memberships (Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, Laggards). Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were deployed to analyse adopter group memberships and predictor significance in VLE adoption and use. The results revealed varying attitudes...

  11. The experience of adoptive parents in adoption reunion relationships: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petta, Gabrielle A; Steed, Lyndall G

    2005-04-01

    The issues experienced by adoptive parents when faced with an adult child's searching or reunion relationship with his or her birth family, how adoptive parents place themselves within this process, and the factors that influence their experience at this time were explored in a qualitative study of 21 adoptive parents. Themes derived from semistructured interviews are discussed, and implications for clinical practice and future research are suggested. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

  12. Using Free Adoptions to Reduce Crowding and Euthanasia at Cat Shelters: An Australian Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather M. Crawford

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Many healthy adult cats are euthanised annually in shelters, and novel approaches are required to reduce euthanasia rates. Waiving adoption fees is one such approach. However, concerns that less responsible owners will be attracted to free events persist among welfare groups. We evaluated evidence for differences in cat fate, health, and adherence to husbandry legislation via a case-study of a free adoption-drive for cats ≥1 year at a Western Australian shelter. Post-adoption outcomes were compared between free adopters and a control group of normal-fee adopters. The free adoption-drive rehomed 137 cats, increasing average weekly adoptions by 533%. First-time adopters were a significantly larger portion of the free cohort, as a result of mixed-media promotions. Both adopter groups selected cats of similar age; sex and pelage. Post-adoption, both groups retained >90% cats, reporting near identical incidences of medical and behavioural problems. Adopters did not differ in legislative compliance regarding fitting collars, registering cats, or allowing cats to roam. The shelter reported satisfaction with the adoption-drive, because in addition to relieving crowding of healthy adults, adoption of full-fee kittens increased 381%. Overall, we found no evidence for adverse outcomes associated with free adoptions. Shelters should not be dissuaded from occasional free adoption-drives during overflow periods.

  13. 33 CFR 230.21 - Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... FOR IMPLEMENTING NEPA § 230.21 Adoption. See 40 CFR 1506.3. A district commander will normally adopt... recirculated as provided in 40 CFR 1506.3 (b) or (c), the adopted EIS with the supplement, if any, will be processed in accordance with this regulation. A district commander may also adopt another agency's EA/FONSI. ...

  14. Foreign Adoption in Ireland: A Case Study of the Irish-American Adoptions, 1947–1952

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O'Keeffe, Brian

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The Irish-American adoptions were a revolutionary way of dealing with Ireland’s ‘problem of the illegitimate child’. Ireland had long been promoted as a Catholic, and thus, a morally pure country. Having a child out of wedlock often resulted in the mother and child being shunned by their family and community and having little choice but to seek the help of church-run institutions. These institutions began facilitating illegal extraterritorial adoptions in 1947 to relieve the mounting pressures as those seeking their help continued to grow annually. These adoptions were heavily concerned with protecting the religious faith of the child, and this often took prominence over the quality of home. The adoptions were facilitated exclusively by these church-run institutions, allowing for complete control over the selection of prospective parents. The standards of these adoptions fell well below what was expected on the U.S. domestic scale, with no visits to the homes of prospective parents occurring, and crucially, there was no way to facilitate the reversal of an adoption. During the early life of the Irish-American adoptions, the Department of External Affairs had little involvement, only issuing passports for children that had been adopted. This changed however in 1951, as the ‘Jane Russell Case’ attracted front page media attention. The Russell case highlighted the lackadaisical approach of many of those within the Department to the exporting of some of Ireland’s youngest citizens. Undue publicity continued in the early 1950s, notably with the German newspaper, 8 Uhr Blatt. It is this media attention that forced the Department to finally address the glaring issues that severely hindered the success of the Irish-American adoptions. The Department was powerless to do anything once the child had been passed into the care of the adoptive parents. The Adoption Act 1952, marked a major turning point in the care of illegitimate children in

  15. To trust or not to trust: social decision-making in post-institutionalized, internationally adopted youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitula, Clio E; Wenner, Jennifer A; Gunnar, Megan R; Thomas, Kathleen M

    2017-05-01

    Chronic parental maltreatment has been associated with lower levels of interpersonal trust, and depriving environments have been shown to predict short-sighted, risk-averse decision-making. The present study examined whether a circumscribed period of adverse care occurring only early in life was associated with biases in trust behavior. Fifty-three post-institutionalized (PI) youth, adopted internationally on average by 1 year of age, and 33 never-institutionalized, non-adopted youth (M age  = 12.9 years) played a trust game. Participants decided whether or not to share coins with a different anonymous peer in each trial with the potential to receive a larger number of coins in return. Trials were presented in blocks that varied in the degree to which the peers behaved in a trustworthy (reciprocal) or untrustworthy (non-reciprocal) manner. A comparison condition consisted of a computerized lottery with the same choices and probabilistic risk as the peer trials. Non-adopted comparison youth showed a tendency to share more with peers than to invest in the lottery and tended to maintain their level of sharing across trials despite experiencing trials in which peers failed to reciprocate. In contrast, PI children, particularly those who were adopted over 1 year of age, shared less with peers than they invested in the lottery and quickly adapted their sharing behavior to peers' responses. These results suggest that PI youth were more mistrusting, more sensitive to both defection and reciprocation, and potentially more accurate in their trusting decisions than comparison youth. Results support the presence of a sensitive period for the development of trust in others, whereby conditions early in life may set long-term biases in decision-making. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Openness in Adoption: Exploring Family Connections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D.; McRoy, Ruth G.

    Noting social and demographic changes provoking a trend toward openness in adoption practice, this book presents the findings from a nationwide study examining the impact of variations in openness in adoption on participants in the adoptive kinship network: adopted children, adoptive parents, and the children's birth parents. The first chapter of…

  17. Adoption of nuclear power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sommers, P.

    1980-01-01

    This article develops a model of the innovation-adoption decision. The model allows the economic situation of a utility and its perception of uncertainty associated with an innovation to affect the probability of adopting it. This model is useful when uncertainties affecting decisions about adoption persist throughout the diffusion process, thereby making the usual adoption model implicit in rate-of-diffusion studies inappropriate. An empirical test of the model finds that firm size, power pool size, and selected aspects of uncertainty about the innovation are significant predictors of US utility companies' decisions on whether or not to adopt nuclear power generation. 17 references, 2 tables

  18. Adoption Applicants Screening: Characteristics and Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    رضا رزاقی

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Recently an increasing interest in studying and exploring the Iranian adoptive families has been evolved. Nevertheless, there are still frequent unknown factors about adoption in Iran. This study proceed to survey on characteristics of adoptive applicants due to programming and interventional needs in adoption counselling area. In this study, the descriptive survey method has been used and it involved all clients who referred to adoption counseling from March 2014 to March 2016. The clients were 411 adoptive applicants who ate-nded in semi-structured interview. Among the clients, 78% of them aimed at the adoption institutionally and 22% have followed the process illegally. Nearly half of the marriage life of infertile couples were spent to seek for infertility services. The findings indicated that nearly 27 percent of applicants are ready for adoption and other applicants require more preparation or canceling adoption process. Adoptive applicant screening process is critical and sensitive and consulting services facilitate this process; but the important point is the use of standard instrument and check-lists according to local and cultural conditions.

  19. To adopt or not to adopt? The RFID adoption consideration by entrepreneurs in a purchasing cooperative in Dutch book retailing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Sijde, P.C.; van Reekum, R.; Jeurissen, W; Rosendaal, B.W.

    2015-01-01

    Our focus is on the agenda-setting of a purchasing cooperative aiming to have their members consider the adoption of a new logistics information system based on RFID. Adding "technology trust", we used the UTAUT model to determine the adoption intention of associated book retailers. Using structural

  20. Predicting Parents’ School Engagement Among Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents of Kindergarteners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E.; Smith, JuliAnna Z.

    2014-01-01

    Little research has explored parental engagement in schools in the context of adoptive parent families or same-sex parent families. The current cross-sectional study explored predictors of parents’ self-reported school involvement, relationships with teachers, and school satisfaction, in a sample of 103 female same-sex, male same-sex, and heterosexual adoptive parent couples (196 parents) of kindergarten-age children. Parents who reported more contact by teachers about positive or neutral topics (e.g., their child’s good grades) reported more involvement and greater satisfaction with schools, regardless of family type. Parents who reported more contact by teachers about negative topics (e.g., their child’s behavior problems) reported better relationships with teachers but lower school satisfaction, regardless of family type. Regarding the broader school context, across all family types, parents who felt more accepted by other parents reported more involvement and better parent–teacher relationships; socializing with other parents was related to greater involvement. Regarding the adoption-specific variables, parents who perceived their children’s schools as more culturally sensitive were more involved and satisfied with the school, regardless of family type. Perceived cultural sensitivity mattered more for heterosexual adoptive parents’ relationships with their teachers than it did for same-sex adoptive parents. Finally, heterosexual adoptive parents who perceived high levels of adoption stigma in their children’s schools were less involved than those who perceived low levels of stigma, whereas same-sex adoptive parents who perceived high levels of stigma were more involved than those who perceived low levels of stigma. Our findings have implications for school professionals, such as school psychologists, who work with diverse families. PMID:25267169

  1. 40 CFR 1506.3 - Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...) An agency may adopt a Federal draft or final environmental impact statement or portion thereof... are substantially the same, the agency adopting another agency's statement is not required to recirculate it except as a final statement. Otherwise the adopting agency shall treat the statement as a draft...

  2. Predictors of Parenting Stress in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents During Early Parenthood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E.; Smith, JuliAnna Z.

    2014-01-01

    Little work has examined parenting stress in adoptive parents, particularly lesbian and gay adoptive parents. The current longitudinal study examined parent-reported child characteristics (measured post-placement) and parent and family characteristics (measured pre-placement) as predictors of post-placement parenting stress and change in parenting stress across three time points during the first 2 years of adoptive parenthood, among 148 couples (50 lesbian, 40 gay, and 58 heterosexual) who were first-time parents. Children in the sample were, on average, 5.61 months (SD = 10.26) when placed, and 2.49 years (SD = .85) at the 2 year post-placement follow-up. Findings revealed that parents who had been placed with older children, and parents who perceived severe emotional/behavioral problems in their children, reported more post-placement stress. In addition, parents who reported fewer depressive symptoms, more love for their partners, and more family and friend support during the pre-placement period, had less post-placement stress. Parenting stress decreased for parents who perceived severe emotional/behavioral problems in their children, while it increased somewhat for those who reported developmental problems in their children. Findings highlight vulnerabilities and resources that may shape adoptive parents’ experiences of stress in early parenthood, and have implications for both researchers and professionals who wish to support adoptive family adjustment. PMID:24611690

  3. Modification of the Feline-Ality™ Assessment and the Ability to Predict Adopted Cats’ Behaviors in Their New Homes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Emily; Gramann, Shannon; Drain, Natasha; Dolan, Emily; Slater, Margaret

    2015-01-01

    Simple Summary While millions of cats enter animal shelters every year, only 11.5% of pet cats are obtained from a shelter in the United States. Previous research has indicated that unrealistic expectations set by adopters can increase the chances of an adopted cat returning to the shelter. The ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™ adoption program was designed to provide adopters with accurate information about an adult cat’s future behavior in the home. This research explored the ability of the modified Feline-ality™ assessment when done one day after the cat entered the shelter. Our modified version was predictive of feline behavior post adoption. Abstract It is estimated that 2.5 million cats enter animal shelters in the United States every year and as few as 20% leave the shelter alive. Of those adopted, the greatest risk to post-adoption human animal bond is unrealistic expectations set by the adopter. The ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™ adoption program was developed to provide adopters with an accurate assessment of an adult cat’s future behavior in the home. However, the original Feline-ality™ required a three-day hold time to collect cat behaviors on a data card, which was challenging for some shelters. This research involved creating a survey to determine in-home feline behavior post adoption and explored the predictive ability of the in-shelter assessment without the data card. Our results show that the original Feline-ality™ assessment and our modified version were predictive of feline behavior post adoption. Our modified version also decreased hold time for cats to one day. Shelters interested in increasing cat adoptions, decreasing length of stay and improving the adoption experience can now implement the modified version for future feline adoption success. PMID:26479138

  4. Banking on the equator. Are banks that adopted the equator principles different from non-adopters?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholtens, B.; Dam, L.

    We analyze the performance of banks that adopted the Equator Principles. The Equator Principles are designed to assure sustainable development in project finance. The social, ethical, and environmental policies of the adopters differ significantly from those of banks that did not adopt the Equator

  5. Modification of the Feline-Ality™ Assessment and the Ability to Predict Adopted Cats’ Behaviors in Their New Homes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emily Weiss

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available It is estimated that 2.5 million cats enter animal shelters in the United States every year and as few as 20% leave the shelter alive. Of those adopted, the greatest risk to post-adoption human animal bond is unrealistic expectations set by the adopter. The ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™ adoption program was developed to provide adopters with an accurate assessment of an adult cat’s future behavior in the home. However, the original Feline-ality™ required a three-day hold time to collect cat behaviors on a data card, which was challenging for some shelters. This research involved creating a survey to determine in-home feline behavior post adoption and explored the predictive ability of the in-shelter assessment without the data card. Our results show that the original Feline-ality™ assessment and our modified version were predictive of feline behavior post adoption. Our modified version also decreased hold time for cats to one day. Shelters interested in increasing cat adoptions, decreasing length of stay and improving the adoption experience can now implement the modified version for future feline adoption success.

  6. The role of post-adoption phase trust in B2C e-service loyalty: towards a more comprehensive picture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mäntymäki, Matti

    Despite the extensive interest in trust within information systems (IS) and e-commerce disciplines, only few studies examine trust in the post-adoption phase of the customer relationship. Not only gaining new customers by increasing adoption, but also keeping the existing ones loyal, is largely considered important for e-business success. This paper scrutinizes the role of trust in customer loyalty, focusing on B2C e-services by conducting a three-sectional literature review stemming from IS, e-commerce and marketing. The key findings of this study are: 1. Literature discussing the role of trust after the adoption phase is relatively scarce and fragmented 2. In the empirical testing trust is mostly viewed as a monolith 3. Quantitative research methods dominate the field 4. Since trust may play a role during the whole relationship, also dynamic ways to scrutinize trust would be appropriate. Implications of these findings are discussed and ideas for further research suggested.

  7. An experimental study of homophily in the adoption of health behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Centola, Damon

    2011-12-02

    How does the composition of a population affect the adoption of health behaviors and innovations? Homophily--similarity of social contacts--can increase dyadic-level influence, but it can also force less healthy individuals to interact primarily with one another, thereby excluding them from interactions with healthier, more influential, early adopters. As a result, an important network-level effect of homophily is that the people who are most in need of a health innovation may be among the least likely to adopt it. Despite the importance of this thesis, confounding factors in observational data have made it difficult to test empirically. We report results from a controlled experimental study on the spread of a health innovation through fixed social networks in which the level of homophily was independently varied. We found that homophily significantly increased overall adoption of a new health behavior, especially among those most in need of it.

  8. Predictors of school engagement among same-sex and heterosexual adoptive parents of Kindergarteners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E; Smith, JuliAnna Z

    2014-10-01

    Little research has explored parental engagement in schools in the context of adoptive parent families or same-sex parent families. The current cross-sectional study explored predictors of parents' self-reported school involvement, relationships with teachers, and school satisfaction, in a sample of 103 female same-sex, male same-sex, and heterosexual adoptive parent couples (196 parents) of kindergarten-age children. Parents who reported more contact by teachers about positive or neutral topics (e.g., their child's good grades) reported more involvement and greater satisfaction with schools, regardless of family type. Parents who reported more contact by teachers about negative topics (e.g., their child's behavior problems) reported better relationships with teachers but lower school satisfaction, regardless of family type. Regarding the broader school context, across all family types, parents who felt more accepted by other parents reported more involvement and better parent-teacher relationships; socializing with other parents was related to greater involvement. Regarding the adoption-specific variables, parents who perceived their children's schools as more culturally sensitive were more involved and satisfied with the school, regardless of family type. Perceived cultural sensitivity mattered more for heterosexual adoptive parents' relationships with their teachers than it did for same-sex adoptive parents. Finally, heterosexual adoptive parents who perceived high levels of adoption stigma in their children's schools were less involved than those who perceived low levels of stigma, whereas same-sex adoptive parents who perceived high levels of stigma were more involved than those who perceived low levels of stigma. Our findings have implications for school professionals, such as school psychologists, who work with diverse families. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The Danish Adoption Register

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Liselotte; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

    2011-01-01

    The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia.......The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia....

  10. An empirical analysis of ERP adoption by oil and gas firms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Jorge

    2005-07-01

    Despite the growing popularity of enterprise-resource-planning (ERP) systems for the information technology infrastructure of large and medium-sized businesses, there is limited empirical evidence on the competitive benefits of ERP implementations. Case studies of individual firms provide insights but do not provide sufficient evidence to draw reliable inferences and cross-sectional studies of firms in multiple industries provide a broad-brush perspective of the performance effects associated with ERP installations. To narrow the focus to a specific competitive arena, I analyze the impact of ERP adoption on various dimensions of performance for firms in the Oil and Gas Industry. I selected the Oil and Gas Industry because several companies installed a specific type of ERP system, SAP R/3, during the period from 1990 to 2002. In fact, SAP was the dominant provider of enterprise software to oil and gas companies during this period. I evaluate performance of firms that implemented SAP R/3 relative to firms that did not adopt ERP systems in the pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation periods. My analysis takes two different approaches, the first from a financial perspective and the second from a strategic perspective. Using the Sloan (General Motors) model commonly applied in financial statement analysis, I examine changes in performance for ERP-adopting firms versus non-adopting firms along the dimensions of asset utilization and return on sales. Asset utilization is more closely aligned with changes in leanness of operations, and return on sales is more closely aligned with customer-value-added. I test hypotheses related to the timing and magnitude of the impact of ERP implementation with respect to leanness of operations and customer value added. I find that SAP-adopting companies performed relatively better in terms of asset turnover than non-SAP-adopting companies during both the implementation and post-implementation periods and that SAP-adopting

  11. Characterisation of adopters and non-adopters of dairy technologies in Ethiopia and Kenya

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kebebe, E.G.; Oosting, S.J.; Baltenweck, I.; Duncan, A.J.

    2017-01-01

    While there is a general consensus that using dairy technologies, such as improved breeds of dairy cows, can substantially increase farm productivity and income, adoption of such technologies has been generally low in developing countries. The underlying reasons for non-adoption of beneficial

  12. Internationally Adopted Children from Non-European Countries: General Development during the First Two Years in the Adoptive Family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica Dalen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Internationally adopted children are often delayed in their development and demonstrate more behaviour problems than nonadopted children due to adverse preadoption circumstances. This is especially true for children adopted from Eastern European countries. Few studies have focused on children adopted from non-European countries. This paper presents results from an ongoing longitudinal study of 119 internationally adopted children from non-European countries during their first two years in Norway. Several scales measuring different aspects of the children’s development are included in the study: communication and gross motor development, temperamental characteristics, and behaviour problems. The results show that internationally adopted children are delayed in their general development when they first arrive in their adoptive families. After two years the children have made significant progress in development. However, they still lag behind in communication and motor skills compared to non-adopted children. The temperamental characteristics seem very stable from time of adoption until two years after adoption. The children demonstrate a low frequency of behaviour problems. However, the behaviour problems have changed during the two years. At time of adoption they show more nonphysically challenging behaviour while after two years their physically challenging behaviour has increased.

  13. Internationally adopted children from non-European countries: general development during the first two years in the adoptive family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalen, Monica; Theie, Steinar

    2012-01-01

    Internationally adopted children are often delayed in their development and demonstrate more behaviour problems than nonadopted children due to adverse preadoption circumstances. This is especially true for children adopted from Eastern European countries. Few studies have focused on children adopted from non-European countries. This paper presents results from an ongoing longitudinal study of 119 internationally adopted children from non-European countries during their first two years in Norway. Several scales measuring different aspects of the children's development are included in the study: communication and gross motor development, temperamental characteristics, and behaviour problems. The results show that internationally adopted children are delayed in their general development when they first arrive in their adoptive families. After two years the children have made significant progress in development. However, they still lag behind in communication and motor skills compared to non-adopted children. The temperamental characteristics seem very stable from time of adoption until two years after adoption. The children demonstrate a low frequency of behaviour problems. However, the behaviour problems have changed during the two years. At time of adoption they show more nonphysically challenging behaviour while after two years their physically challenging behaviour has increased.

  14. Inducing Lactation: Breastfeeding for Adoptive Moms

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Dynamics > Adoption & Foster Care > Inducing Lactation: Breastfeeding for Adoptive Moms Family Life Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Inducing Lactation: Breastfeeding for Adoptive Moms Page Content Article Body A growing number ...

  15. Adoption, nation, migration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Anders Riel

    2013-01-01

    Som transnationalt adopteret vokser man ofte op med en fortælling om, at man er født i et fattigt land. Og at ens første forældre var fattige eller oplevede så store problemer, at de ikke så andre muligheder end at afgive en til adoption. Det er en historie, man bliver fortalt igen og igen. Og som...... man ender med at fortælle sig selv. Fattigdom er problemet. Adoption er løsningen. Eller er det?...

  16. Maintaining Sibling Relationships for Children in Foster and Adoptive Placements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Sigrid; Monn, Amy R; Palinkas, Lawrence A; Leslie, Laurel K

    2008-01-01

    To better understand the nature of sibling relationships among children in foster or adoptive placement and the challenges and processes involved in maintaining these relationships, we conducted an exploratory analysis of data collected from semi-structured interviews with caregivers of 14 foster and adopted children in San Diego County. We identified three patterns of placement histories and living situations which appeared to impact the degree of contact maintained with siblings: (1) children who had never lived together and were not currently placed together; (2) children who at some point lived with or were placed together with their siblings, but were now separated from them; and (3) children who had lived with their siblings all their life and were placed together with at least some of their siblings at the time of the interview. Children's current living situations and placement histories, caregivers' experiences and perceptions of feasibility and desirability of sibling contact, and the sibling relationship itself are primary determinants in the development and maintenance of contact between siblings. Implications for child welfare policy and practice are discussed.

  17. The pediatrician's role in supporting adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Veronnie F; Schulte, Elaine E

    2012-10-01

    Each year, more children join families through adoption. Pediatricians have an important role in assisting adoptive families in the various challenges they may face with respect to adoption. The acceptance of the differences between families formed through birth and those formed through adoption is essential in promoting positive emotional growth within the family. It is important for pediatricians to be aware of the adoptive parents' need to be supported in their communication with their adopted children.

  18. East Meets West: Adopted Chinese Girls' Nighttime Sleep Problems and Adoptive Parents' Self-Judgment About Parenting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Tony; Mahoney, Emily; Jackson, Andrea; Rice, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the association between adopted Chinese girls' nighttime sleep problems and adoptive parents' self-judgment about their parenting. The girls were 1.7-6.9 years old (M = 4.6 years, SD = 1.0) and were adopted at 7-56 months (M = 13.9 months, SD = 6.6) by families in North America. At Wave 2 of a longitudinal study on adopted Chinese children's development, the adoptive parents provided survey data on bedtime resistance or anxiety and parasomnias in their daughters and their own parental sense of entitlement and parenting competence. Results showed that controlling for child and family demographics, parasomnias, but not bedtime resistance or anxiety, negatively predicted parental sense of entitlement (B = -.13, p parenting competence (B = -.14, p < .01).

  19. Impact of Inuit customary adoption on behavioral problems in school-age Inuit children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decaluwe, Béatrice; Jacobson, Sandra W; Poirier, Marie-Andrée; Forget-Dubois, Nadine; Jacobson, Joseph L; Muckle, Gina

    2015-05-01

    A large proportion of Inuit children in Arctic Quebec are adopted in accordance with traditional Inuit customs. In contrast to adoptions in Southern Canada and the United States, the child is adopted at birth and by a close family member; he or she knows who his or her biological parents are, and will typically have contact with them. Studies of other populations have reported an increased incidence of behavior problems in adopted compared with nonadopted children. This study examined the actual extent of the increase in the number of behavior problems seen in Inuit children adopted in accordance with traditional customs. In a prospective longitudinal study conducted in the Canadian Arctic (n = 46 adopted and 231 nonadopted children), prenatal and familial variables were documented at birth and at school age (M = 11.3 years). Behavior problems were assessed on the Teacher Report Form of the Child Behavior Checklist. Adopted children lived in more economically disadvantaged families, but their caregivers were less prone to depression, domestic violence, or alcohol abuse compared with those of the nonadopted children. The adoption status was not related to the teacher's report of attention problems, externalizing or internalizing behaviors, after controlling for confounders. Despite less favorable socioeconomic circumstances, a higher extent of behavioral problems was not seen at school age in Inuit children adopted at birth by a family member. Psychosocial stressors associated with adoption are more likely to be responsible for an association with higher levels of childhood behavior problems rather than adoption per se. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. The Role of Birth/Previously Adopted Children in Families Choosing to Adopt Children with Special Needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullin, Ellen Steele; Johnson, LeAnne

    1999-01-01

    Notes that successful child placement depends on engaging birth or previously adopted children during the adoption process, yet other children are often overlooked when parents are adopting a special-needs child. Presents a model which recognizes dynamics of strength and vulnerability and applies that model to preparing and supporting the adoptive…

  1. Special Needs Adoption and Foster Exigencies (SAFE: A Model for Case Managers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristen Linton

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Children with special needs disproportionately receive child welfare services in out-of-home placements, such as foster and adoptive homes. This theoretical model has been developed to describe or explain exigencies of adoptive and foster families of children with special needs (n = 82. A web content analysis, including theme, feature, link, exchange, and language analyses, of online discussion forums of adoptive and foster parents of children with special needs using a phenomenological framework was conducted. Inductive and quantitative web content analyses were conducted on themes. Parenting concerns were clustered into two main themes, disability and placement issues, and focused on children’s pre and post placement needs. A phenomenological analysis resulted in the development of the Special Needs Adoption and Foster Exigencies (SAFE, which outlines exigencies of adoptive and foster parents of children with special needs during engagement, assessment, and intervention phases of case management.

  2. Adoption of Kerala Agricultural University Recommended Practices of Amaranthus and Vegetable Cowpea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K.K Anju

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The study was conducted in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. Ninety farmers engaged in commercial cultivation of amaranthus and vegetable cowpea were selected through three stage random sampling procedure. Ten independent variables were selected based on judges’ relevancy rating. Majority of the respondents belonged to medium category with respect to adoption. In the case of amaranthus growers, four variables, namely, contact with extension agency, scientific orientation, innovativeness and mass media exposure were found to be significantly and positively related to adoption. Education, scientific orientation and innovativeness were found to be significantly and positively related to adoption in the case of vegetable cowpea growers.

  3. Infectious Diseases and Immunizations in International Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obringer, Emily; Walsh, Linda

    2017-02-01

    Children who are adopted internationally have an increased risk of infectious diseases due to endemic conditions and variable access to preventive health care, such as vaccines, in their country of origin. Pediatricians and other providers who care for children should be familiar with the recommended screening for newly arrived international adoptees. Testing for gastrointestinal pathogens, tuberculosis, hepatitis, syphilis, and HIV should be routinely performed. Other endemic diseases and common skin infections may need to be assessed. Evaluation of the child's immunization record is also important, as nearly all international adoptees will require catch-up vaccines. The provider may also be asked to review medical records prior to adoption, provide travel advice, and ensure that parents and other close contacts are up-to-date on immunizations prior to the arrival of the newest family member. The pediatrician serves a unique role in facilitating the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases in international adoptees. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(2):e56-e60.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  4. Emotional and behavioral problems associated with attachment security and parenting style in adopted and non-adopted children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altınoğlu Dikmeer, Ilkiz; Erol, Neşe; Gençöz, Tülin

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate and compare emotional and behavioral problems in Turkish adoptees and non-adopted peers raised by their biological parents. The study included 61 adopted children (34 female and 27 male) aged 6-18 years and 62 age- and gender-matched non-adopted children (35 female and 27 male). Parents rated their children's problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18, temperament characteristics using the School Age Temperament Inventory, their own personality traits using the Basic Personality Traits Inventory, and their parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Children rated their parents' availability and reliability as attachment figures using the Kerns Security Scale and parenting styles using the Measure of Child Rearing Styles. Adolescents aged 11-18 years self-rated their problem behaviors using the Youth Self Report. Group differences and correlations were analyzed. There were non-significant differences in all scale scores between the adopted and non-adopted groups. In contrast to the literature, age of the children at the time of adoption was not associated with problem behaviors or attachment relationships. On the other hand, the findings indicate that as the age at which the children learned that they had been adopted increased emotional and behavioral problems increased. Adoption alone could not explain the problem behaviors observed in the adopted children; the observed problem behaviors should be considered within the context of the developmental process.

  5. Why farmers adopt best management practice in the United States: A meta-analysis of the adoption literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgart-Getz, Adam; Stalker Prokopy, Linda; Floress, Kristin

    2012-01-01

    This meta-analysis of both published and unpublished studies assesses factors believed to influence adoption of agricultural Best Management Practices in the United States. Using an established statistical technique to summarize the adoption literature in the United States, we identified the following variables as having the largest impact on adoption: access to and quality of information, financial capacity, and being connected to agency or local networks of farmers or watershed groups. This study shows that various approaches to data collection affect the results and comparability of adoption studies. In particular, environmental awareness and farmer attitudes have been inconsistently used and measured across the literature. This meta-analysis concludes with suggestions regarding the future direction of adoption studies, along with guidelines for how data should be presented to enhance the adoption of conservation practices and guide research.

  6. Factors affecting the adoption of quality assurance technologies in healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storey, John

    2013-01-01

    In the light of public concern and of strong policy emphasis on quality and safety in the nursing care of patients in hospital settings, this paper aims to focus on the factors affecting the adoption of innovative quality assurance technologies. Two sets of complementary literature were mined for key themes. Next, new empirical insights were sought. Data gathering was conducted in three phases. The first involved contact with NHS Technology Hubs and other institutions which had insights into leading centres in quality assurance technologies. The second phase was a series of telephone interviews with lead nurses in those hospitals which were identified in the first phase as comprising the leading centres. The third phase comprised a series of face to face interviews with innovators and adopters of healthcare quality assurance technologies in five hospital trusts. There were three main sets of findings. First, despite the strong policy push and the templates established at national level, there were significant variations in the nature and robustness of the quality assurance toolkits that were developed, adapted and adopted. Second, in most of the adopting cases there were important obstacles to the full adoption of the toolkits that were designed. Third, the extent and nature of the ambition of the developers varied dramatically - some wished to see their work impacting widely across the health service; others had a number of different reasons for wanting to restrict the impact of their work. The general concerns about front-line care and the various inquiries into care quality failures emphasise the need for improved and consistent care quality assurance methodologies and practice. The technology adoption literature gives only partial insight into the nature of the challenges; this paper offers specific insights into the factors inhibiting the full adoption of quality assurance technologies in ward-based care.

  7. Macro influencers of electronic health records adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghavan, Vijay V; Chinta, Ravi; Zhirkin, Nikita

    2015-01-01

    While adoption rates for electronic health records (EHRs) have improved, the reasons for significant geographical differences in EHR adoption within the USA have remained unclear. To understand the reasons for these variations across states, we have compiled from secondary sources a profile of different states within the USA, based on macroeconomic and macro health-environment factors. Regression analyses were performed using these indicator factors on EHR adoption. The results showed that internet usage and literacy are significantly associated with certain measures of EHR adoption. Income level was not significantly associated with EHR adoption. Per capita patient days (a proxy for healthcare need intensity within a state) is negatively correlated with EHR adoption rate. Health insurance coverage is positively correlated with EHR adoption rate. Older physicians (>60 years) tend to adopt EHR systems less than their younger counterparts. These findings have policy implications on formulating regionally focused incentive programs.

  8. Healthy Travel for International Adoptions

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    The number of international adoptions, many from developing countries, has doubled in the last 10 years. This podcast discusses ways adoptive families can protect their own health and the health of their new children.

  9. The transition into adoptive parenthood: Adoption as a process of continued unsafe uncertainty when family scripts collide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasker, Fiona; Wood, Sally

    2016-10-01

    Our prospective study investigated couples' expectations of adoptive parenthood and explored how these changed with their actual experience of parenthood. Six heterosexual couples were interviewed just before placement began and 6 months after the children had arrived. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse both sets of interview data. Expectations of adoptive parenthood mostly transformed smoothly into adoption experience for couples, but challenges were experienced when family scripts collided and a continued feeling of unsafe uncertainty then prevailed within these newly formed family systems. Family script collision seemed a particular problem for couples adopting sibling pairs. To further professional practice in working with families over the transition to adoptive parenting, we suggest that professionals keep in mind a framework that includes the following: Internal and external world influences on family members, Intergenerational issues, Family scripts and the Structural challenges of adoption (IIFS). © The Author(s) 2016.

  10. Improvisation during Process-Technology Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tjørnehøj, Gitte; Mathiassen, Lars

    2010-01-01

    SPI technology adoption and events that causes the process to drift in unpredictable directions. To further understand how management's attempt to control the process is complemented by drifting, this article investigates the role of improvisation in adoption of SPI technology in a Danish software......Most software firms struggle to take advantage of the potential benefits of software process improvement (SPI) as they adopt this technology into the complex and dynamic realities of their day-to-day operation. Such efforts are therefore typically fluctuating between management's attempt to control...... firm, SmallSoft, over a 10-year period (1996–2005). We found that micro-level and macro-level improvisations interacted, often in uncoordinated ways, to shape SPI technology adoption at SmallSoft. The improvisations enhanced employee creativity, motivation and empowerment, created momentum...

  11. Machine Replacement, Technology Adoption and Convergence.

    OpenAIRE

    Boucekkine, Raouf; Martinez, Blanca

    1999-01-01

    In this paper, we introduce adoption costs in a canonical vintage capital model. Adoption costs take the form of a direct loss in production during a fixed period of time. We explicitly characterize the optimal machine replacement policy as a function of the adoption period. Using an explicit numerical method, we study the dynamics of the model. In particular, we find that while an increase in the adoption costs lowers the long run level of output, it also rises the magnitude of short run flu...

  12. Running continuous academic adoption programmes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Tobias Alsted

    Running successful academic adoption programmes requires executive support, clear strategies, tactical resources and organisational agility. These two presentations will discuss the implementation of strategic academic adoption programs down to very concrete tool customisations to meet specific...

  13. 75 FR 68166 - National Adoption Month, 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-04

    ... potential, and spread their wings when given the loving and firm foundation of family. Adoptive families... to ensure that all qualified caregivers have the ability to serve as adoptive families. This year, on... care adoptions as part of my Administration's support for this important day. Adoptive families are...

  14. Family interactions in adoptive compared to nonadoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueter, Martha A; Keyes, Margaret A; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

    2009-02-01

    Despite the large and growing numbers of adoptive families, little research describes interactions in families with adopted adolescents. Yet, adopted adolescents' increased risk for adjustment problems, combined with the association between family interactions and adolescent adjustment in nonadoptive families, raises questions about differences in adoptive and nonadoptive family interactions. We compared observed and self-reported family interactions between 284 adoptive and 208 nonadoptive families and within 123 families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent. Adolescents averaged 14.9 years of age. Comparisons were made using analysis of variance incorporating hierarchical linear methods in SAS PROC MIXED to control family-related correlations in the data. Parents and children reported more conflict in adoptive families when compared with nonadoptive families. Families with 1 adopted and 1 nonadopted adolescent reported more conflict between parents and adopted adolescents. Observed parental behavior was similar across adoptive and nonadoptive children although adopted adolescents were less warm and, in families with 2 adopted children, more conflictual than nonadopted adolescents. These findings suggest a need for further investigation of the association between family interactions and adopted adolescent problem behavior. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  15. Representative Incidents in the Adoption Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrington, Jay A.; And Others

    This paper presents three case studies of innovation, based on interviews with six adoption agents. Key episodes and incidents which illustrate important principles are drawn from the experiences of these adoption agents. The case studies offer examples of both success and failure--by both internal and external adoption agents. They also emphasize…

  16. Policy Issues in Gay and Lesbian Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Ann

    1995-01-01

    Notes that adoption agencies have developed few specific policies on the issue of lesbian and gay adoption. Provides an overview of key considerations about homosexual adopters, including beliefs and values of agency professionals, the legal and social ramifications of adoption into a relationship not based on marriage, and possible consequences…

  17. Organizational adoption of preemployment drug testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spell, C S; Blum, T C

    2001-04-01

    This study explored the adoption of preemployment drug testing by 360 organizations. Survival models were developed that included internal organizational and labor market factors hypothesized to affect the likelihood of adoption of drug testing. Also considered was another set of variables that included social and political variables based on institutional theory. An event history analysis using Cox regressions indicated that both internal organizational and environmental variables predicted adoption of drug testing. Results indicate that the higher the proportion of drug testers in the worksite's industry, the more likely it would be to adopt drug testing. Also, the extent to which an organization uses an internal labor market, voluntary turnover rate, and the extent to which management perceives drugs to be a problem were related to likelihood of adoption of drug testing.

  18. Logistic Regression Analysis on Factors Affecting Adoption of Rice-Fish Farming in North Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyyed Ali NOORHOSSEINI-NIYAKI

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available We evaluated the factors influencing the adoption of rice-fish farming in the Tavalesh region near the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. We conducted a survey with open-ended questions. Data were collected from 184 respondents (61 adopters and 123 non-adopters randomly sampled from selected villages and analyzed using logistic regression and multi-response analysis. Family size, number of contacts with an extension agent, participation in extension-education activities, membership in social institutions and the presence of farm workers were the most important socio-economic factors for the adoption of rice-fish farming system. In addition, economic problems were the most common issue reported by adopters. Other issues such as lack of access to appropriate fish food, losses of fish, lack of access to high quality fish fingerlings and dehydration and poor water quality were also important to a number of farmers.

  19. Predicting Portuguese Psychology Students' Attitudes Toward the Psychological Development of Children Adopted by Lesbians and Gay Men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gato, Jorge; Fontaine, Anne Marie

    2016-11-01

    The present study seeks to ascertain the attitudes of Portuguese psychology students (future psychologists) toward the development of children adopted by lesbian and gay parents. Each participant (N = 182) read a vignette describing an adoption of a child by lesbian and gay persons. After reading the vignette, participants rated four different aspects of the future development of the adopted child (psychosocial adjustment, victimization, psychological disturbance, and normative sexuality). Furthermore, participants were asked about their gender, interpersonal contact with lesbians and gay men, gender role attitudes, and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Future psychologists' attitudes toward the developmental outcomes of children adopted by lesbians and gay men were associated with negative attitudes toward non-heterosexuals, which in turn correlated to interpersonal contact with lesbians and gay men and adherence to gender conservative values. These results clearly highlight the central role of social attitudes and the need for cultural competence training of future psychologists that encourages interpersonal contact with non-heterosexuals and discourages traditional gender roles and negative attitudes toward lesbian and gay men.

  20. 32 CFR 584.4 - Adoption proceedings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... CUSTODY, AND PATERNITY § 584.4 Adoption proceedings. (a) General. This chapter does not apply to those... soldier for leave to attend an adoption hearing on (date) has been granted. (ii) A request by the soldier for leave to attend an adoption hearing on (date), if made, would be approved. (iii) Due to military...

  1. Predictors of Adoption and Reach Following Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intensive Training™.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro-Haro, Maria V; Harned, Melanie S; Korslund, Kathryn E; DuBose, Anthony; Chen, Tianying; Ivanoff, André; Linehan, Marsha M

    2018-03-05

    Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder. The DBT Intensive Training™ is widely used to train community clinicians to deliver DBT, but little is known about its effectiveness. This study prospectively evaluated predictors of adoption and reach of DBT among 52 community teams (212 clinicians) after DBT Intensive Training™. Pre-post training questionnaires were completed by trainees and a follow-up survey by team leaders approximately 8 months later. Overall, 75% of teams adopted all DBT modes and delivered DBT to an average of 118 clients. Lower training and program needs, fewer bachelor's-level clinicians, and greater prior DBT experience predicted adoption of more DBT modes. More prior DBT experience, smaller team size, more negative team functioning, and staff with lower job satisfaction, growth, efficacy, and influence predicted greater DBT reach. DBT Intensive Training™ appears effective in promoting DBT adoption and reach in routine clinical practice settings.

  2. Inter-Organizational Information Systems Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyytinen, Kalle; Damsgaard, Jan

    2011-01-01

    consisting of dyadic, hub and spoke, industry and community configurations. Specific forms or adoption analysis are suggested for each type of configuration. Overall, configuration analysis redirects IOIS adoption studies both at the theoretical and the methodological level, and a corresponding research...

  3. (SAGE): Adopt, adapt, or contextualise?

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    and time-consuming and requires CPG knowledge ... Step 4. Consider whether to adopt, adapt or contextualise. Step 4.1 Adopt. Decide to .... review. PLoS One 2013;8:e82915. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082915. 14. AGREE ...

  4. Economics of household technology adoption in developing countries: evidence from solar technology adoption in rural India

    OpenAIRE

    Aklin, M.; Bayer, P.; Harish, S.P.; Urpelainen, J.

    2018-01-01

    Innovation is one of the most important drivers of economic development. Even in developing countries, households have access to a wide array of new technologies. However, factors affecting households’ technology adoption decisions remain poorly understood. Using data on solar microgrid adoption from rural India, we investigate the determinants of household technology adoption. We offer all households identical solar products to avoid bias from product differentiation. Households pay a monthl...

  5. Renewable energy adoption in an ageing population: Heterogeneity in preferences for micro-generation technology adoption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willis, Ken, E-mail: Ken.Willis@ncl.ac.uk [School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Scarpa, Riccardo [Department of Economics, Waikato School of Management, University of Waikato, Hamilton (New Zealand); Gilroy, Rose; Hamza, Neveen [School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

    2011-10-15

    Many countries are endeavouring to supply more of their energy from renewable resources. Such countries are also experiencing an aging population with a greater proportion of people aged {>=}65 years. This demographic shift may reduce the uptake of renewable energy, if older person households are less inclined to accept change and adopt new technologies. This paper assesses whether such households have different behavioural responses to energy efficiency compared to the rest of society and investigates whether micro-generation renewable energy technologies are less likely to be adopted by these households. It uses conditional logit and mixed logit models to investigate the impact of age of household on primary heating adoption, and also to assess the impact of older households on the installation of discretionary micro-generation technologies (solar thermal, solar voltaic, and wind power) to supplement existing heating and lighting systems. Results indicate that primary heating choice is not affected but that older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. - Highlights: > Heterogeneity exists in decisions on micro-generation technology installation. > Older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. > Micro-generation technologies fail a social cost-benefit analysis test.

  6. Renewable energy adoption in an ageing population: Heterogeneity in preferences for micro-generation technology adoption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willis, Ken; Scarpa, Riccardo; Gilroy, Rose; Hamza, Neveen

    2011-01-01

    Many countries are endeavouring to supply more of their energy from renewable resources. Such countries are also experiencing an aging population with a greater proportion of people aged ≥65 years. This demographic shift may reduce the uptake of renewable energy, if older person households are less inclined to accept change and adopt new technologies. This paper assesses whether such households have different behavioural responses to energy efficiency compared to the rest of society and investigates whether micro-generation renewable energy technologies are less likely to be adopted by these households. It uses conditional logit and mixed logit models to investigate the impact of age of household on primary heating adoption, and also to assess the impact of older households on the installation of discretionary micro-generation technologies (solar thermal, solar voltaic, and wind power) to supplement existing heating and lighting systems. Results indicate that primary heating choice is not affected but that older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. - Highlights: → Heterogeneity exists in decisions on micro-generation technology installation. → Older person households are less inclined to adopt micro-generation technologies. → Micro-generation technologies fail a social cost-benefit analysis test.

  7. Associations between Discussions of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Internationally Adoptive Families and Delinquent Behavior among Korean Adopted Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kayla N; Lee, Richard M; Rueter, Martha A; Kim, Oh Myo

    2015-04-01

    Internationally adopted adolescents may have more delinquent behavior than non-adopted adolescents. One explanation is these adolescents experience discrimination and loss of culture, and adoptive parents are not adequately addressing these experiences. However, studies have not examined the effects of family discussions of racial and ethnic differences within adoptive families on adopted adolescents' delinquent behavior. To test this relationship, this study utilized data from 111 U.S. internationally adoptive families with 185 South Korean adopted adolescents (55% female, M age = 17.75). During an observational assessment, families discussed the importance of their racial and ethnic differences, and adolescents completed a delinquent behavior questionnaire. Analysis of covariance showed differences in adolescent delinquent behavior across three ways adoptive families discussed racial and ethnic differences; adolescents whose families acknowledged differences had the fewest mean delinquent behaviors. There were no significant differences in delinquent behavior between adolescents whose families acknowledged or rejected the importance of racial and ethnic differences. However, adopted adolescents whose families held discrepant views of differences had significantly more problem behavior than adolescents whose families either acknowledged or rejected the importance of racial and ethnic differences. Clinicians, adoption professionals, and other parenting specialists should focus on building cohesive family identities about racial and ethnic differences, as discrepant views of differences are associated with the most adoptee delinquent behavior.

  8. Adoption and Cognitive Development: A Meta-Analytic Comparison of Adopted and Nonadopted Children's IQ and School Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H.; Juffer, Femmie; Poelhuis, Caroline W. Klein

    2005-01-01

    This meta-analysis of 62 studies (N=17,767 adopted children) examined whether the cognitive development of adopted children differed from that of (a) children who remained in institutional care or in the birth family and (b) their current (environmental) nonadopted siblings or peers. Adopted children scored higher on IQ tests than their nonadopted…

  9. The adoption of sustainable innovations: The role of instrumental, environmental, and symbolic attributes for earlier and later adopters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    H. Noppers, E.; Keizer, K.; Bockarjova, M.; Steg, L.

    2015-01-01

    We investigated motivations of potential earlier and later adopters for adopting sustainable innovations. A large questionnaire study revealed that potential earlier adopters of innovative cars evaluated the symbolic attributes of electric cars, but not the instrumental and environmental attributes,

  10. Depression and anxiety among postpartum and adoptive mothers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiller, Crystal Edler; Richards, Jenny Gringer; O’Hara, Michael W.; Stuart, Scott

    2012-01-01

    Similar to biological mothers during the postpartum period, women who adopt children experience increased stress and life changes that may put them at risk for developing depression and anxiety. The purpose of the current study was to compare levels of depression and anxiety symptoms between postpartum and adoptive women and, among adoptive women, to examine associations between specific stressors and depressive symptoms. Data from adoptive mothers (n=147), recruited from Holt International, were compared to existing data from postpartum women (n=147). Differences in the level of depression and anxiety symptoms as measured by the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms among postpartum and adoptive women were examined. Associations between specific stressors and depressive symptoms were examined among adoptive mothers. Postpartum and adoptive women had comparable levels of depressive symptoms, but adoptive women reported greater well-being and less anxiety than postpartum women. Stressors (e.g., sleep deprivation, history of infertility, past psychological disorder, and less marital satisfaction) were all significantly associated with depressive symptoms among adoptive women. The level of depressive symptoms was not significantly different between the two groups. In contrast, adoptive women experienced significantly fewer symptoms of anxiety and experienced greater well-being. Additionally, adoptive mothers experienced more depressive symptoms during the year following adoption when the stressors were present. Thus, women with these characteristics should be routinely screened for depression and anxiety. PMID:21725836

  11. Mandatory IFRS adoption and accounting comparability

    OpenAIRE

    Cascino, Stefano; Gassen, Joachim

    2010-01-01

    The adoption of IFRS by many countries worldwide fuels the expectation that financial accounting might become more comparable across countries. This expectation is opposed to an alternative view that stresses the importance of incentives in shaping accounting information. We provide early evidence on this debate by investigating the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption on the comparability of financial accounting information around the world. Our results suggest that while mandatory adoption of...

  12. Statewide dissemination of a rural, non-chain restaurant intervention: adoption, implementation and maintenance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nothwehr, F.; Haines, H.; Chrisman, M.; Schultz, U.

    2014-01-01

    The obesity epidemic calls for greater dissemination of nutrition-related programs, yet there remain few studies of the dissemination process. This study, guided by elements of the RE-AIM model, describes the statewide dissemination of a simple, point-of-purchase restaurant intervention. Conducted in rural counties of the Midwest, United States, the study targeted randomly selected, non-chain, family-style restaurants. Owners were recruited through mail, then telephone follow-up. Data were collected through telephone at baseline, and 3, 6, 12 and 18 months post-adoption. Using mixed methods, measures captured the program adoption rate, characteristics of adopters and non-adopters, program implementation and maintenance issues, and owner and customer satisfaction. Analyses involved descriptive statistics and summaries of qualitative data. The program adoption rate was 28%. Adopters were similar to responding non-adopters demographically, but varied in attitudes. The majority of restaurants maintained the program for at least 12 months. Adopters and their customers expressed satisfaction with the program. With some adjustments, the RE-AIM model was helpful in guiding evaluation of this process. Results provide implications for future dissemination of this and other programs with regard to research procedures and potential barriers that may be encountered. Research on alternative strategies for widespread dissemination of such programs is needed in this and other settings. PMID:24650944

  13. 20 CFR 222.53 - When a legally adopted child is dependent-child adopted after entitlement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When a legally adopted child is dependent-child adopted after entitlement. 222.53 Section 222.53 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS Child Support and Dependency § 222.53 When...

  14. Measures for Predictors of Innovation Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Wisdom, Jennifer P.; Olin, Su-Chin Serene; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

    2014-01-01

    Building on a narrative synthesis of adoption theories by Wisdom et al. (2013), this review identifies 118 measures associated with the 27 adoption predictors in the synthesis. The distribution of measures is uneven across the predictors and predictors vary in modifiability. Multiple dimensions and definitions of predictors further complicate measurement efforts. For state policymakers and researchers, more effective and integrated measurement can advance the adoption of complex innovations such as evidence-based practices. PMID:24740175

  15. KNOWLEDGE, TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND FINANCIAL INNOVATION

    OpenAIRE

    Ana Fernandes

    2004-01-01

    Why are new financial instruments created? This paper proposes the view that financial development arises as a response to the contractual needs of emerging technologies. Exogenous technological progress generates a demand for new financial instruments in order to share risk or overcome private information, for example. A model of the dynamics of technology adoption and the evolution of financial instruments that support such adoption is presented. Early adoption may be required for financial...

  16. Foster and Adoptive Parent Perspectives on Needs and Services: a Mixed Methods Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, Erin R; Jankowski, Mary K; Butcher, Rebecca L; Meister, Catherine; Parton, Rebecca R; Drake, Robert E

    2018-01-01

    Caring for children with complex needs severely stresses foster and adoptive parents, but few studies have examined their perspectives on needs and services. To examine parental views, the authors analyzed four focus groups (n = 27 participants) and one state-wide survey (n = 512 respondents, 42% of 1206 contacted) of foster and adoptive parents in one state. Results highlighted inadequate communication between providers and families, cultural and legal barriers, needs for parent training and preparation, the importance of several types of parent supports, and needs for specialized mental health treatment for the children. Surveyed parents identified children's behavior problems as their top challenge, and over half rated the availability of mental health providers who treat attachment and family as insufficient. The findings suggest specific areas in which state leaders could enhance training and supports for child welfare staff and foster and adoptive parents and improve mental health services for children in foster and adoptive care.

  17. Adoption of innovations with contrarian agents and repentance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Mirta B.; Laguna, M. F.; Gonçalves, S.; Iglesias, J. R.

    2017-11-01

    The dynamics of adoption of innovations is an important subject in many fields and areas, like technological development, industrial processes, social behavior, fashion or marketing. The number of adopters of a new technology generally increases following a kind of logistic function. However, empirical data provide evidences that this behavior may be more complex, as many factors influence the decision to adopt an innovation. On the one hand, although some individuals are inclined to adopt an innovation if many people do the same, there are others who act in the opposite direction, trying to differentiate from the ;herd;. People who prefer to behave like the others are called mimetic, whereas individuals who resist adopting new products, the stronger the greater the number of adopters, are named contrarians. Besides, in the real world new adopters may have second thoughts and change their decisions accordingly. In this contribution we include this possibility by means of repentance, a feature which was absent in previous models. The model of adoption of an innovation has all the ingredients of a previous version, in which the agents decision to adopt depends on the appeal of the novelty, the inertia or resistance to adopt it, and the social interactions with other agents, but now agents can repent and turn back to the old technology. We present analytic calculations and numerical simulations to determine the conditions for the establishment of the new technology. The inclusion of repentance can modify the balance between the global incentive to adopt and the number of contrarians who prevent full adoption, generating a rich landscape of temporal evolution that includes cycles of adoption.

  18. Systematic immunosuppression induced by photodynamic therapy (PDT) is adoptively transferred by macrophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lynch, D.H.; Haddad, S; King, V.J.; Ott, M.J.; Jolles, C.J.; Straight, R. C.

    1989-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether photodynamic therapy induced suppression of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) responses was an active phenomenon that could be adoptively transferred by viable splenocytes from PDT-treated mice. Although induction of adoptively transferable suppressor cells in PDT-treated mice required exposure to antigen, the suppressor cells were found to be antigen nonspecific in their function. Furthermore, splenocytes from PDT-treated mice were capable of generating levels of allospecific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity which were comparable to those generated by normal control mice, but the ability of irradiated spleen cells from PDT-treated mice to stimulate a mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) was dramatically impaired. Finally, chromatographic separation of T cells, B cells and macrophages showed that the cell type which mediates adoptively transferable suppression of CHS responsiveness is in the macrophage lineage. (author)

  19. Adopt Your Watershed

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Adopt Your Watershed is a Website that encourages stewardship of the nation's water resources and serves as a national inventory of local watershed groups and...

  20. Adopting Sustainability in the Organization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frandsen, Sanne; Morsing, Mette; Vallentin, Steen

    2013-01-01

    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between sustainability adoption and internal legitimacy construction. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is designed as a critical inquiry into existing research and practice on sustainability adoption, illustrated by two...... corporate vignettes. Findings – Prior studies tend to assume that awareness raising is a sufficient means to create employee commitment and support for corporate sustainability programs, while empirical observations indicate that managerial disregard of conflicting interpretations of sustainability may...... result in the illegitimacy of such programs. Originality/value – The authors suggest that a loosely coupled approach to sustainability adoption is a productive way to understand internal legitimacy construction, as it appreciates complexity and polyphony....

  1. Multi-level analysis of electronic health record adoption by health care professionals: A study protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Labrecque Michel

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The electronic health record (EHR is an important application of information and communication technologies to the healthcare sector. EHR implementation is expected to produce benefits for patients, professionals, organisations, and the population as a whole. These benefits cannot be achieved without the adoption of EHR by healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, the influence of individual and organisational factors in determining EHR adoption is still unclear. This study aims to assess the unique contribution of individual and organisational factors on EHR adoption in healthcare settings, as well as possible interrelations between these factors. Methods A prospective study will be conducted. A stratified random sampling method will be used to select 50 healthcare organisations in the Quebec City Health Region (Canada. At the individual level, a sample of 15 to 30 health professionals will be chosen within each organisation depending on its size. A semi-structured questionnaire will be administered to two key informants in each organisation to collect organisational data. A composite adoption score of EHR adoption will be developed based on a Delphi process and will be used as the outcome variable. Twelve to eighteen months after the first contact, depending on the pace of EHR implementation, key informants and clinicians will be contacted once again to monitor the evolution of EHR adoption. A multilevel regression model will be applied to identify the organisational and individual determinants of EHR adoption in clinical settings. Alternative analytical models would be applied if necessary. Results The study will assess the contribution of organisational and individual factors, as well as their interactions, to the implementation of EHR in clinical settings. Conclusions These results will be very relevant for decision makers and managers who are facing the challenge of implementing EHR in the healthcare system. In addition

  2. Motives to adopt renewable electricity technologies: Evidence from Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergek, Anna; Mignon, Ingrid

    2017-01-01

    The diffusion of renewable electricity technologies (RETs) has to speed up for countries to reach their, often ambitious, targets for renewable energy generation. This requires a large number of actors – including individuals, companies and other organizations – to adopt RETs. Policies will most likely be needed to induce adoption, but there is limited knowledge about what motivates RET adoption. The purpose of this paper is to complement and expand the available empirical evidence regarding motives to adopt RETs through a survey to over 600 RET adopters in Sweden. The main finding of the study is that there are many different motives to adopt RETs and that RET adopters are a heterogeneous group with regard to motives. Although environmental concerns, interest in the technology, access to an RE resource and prospects to generate economic revenues are important motives in general, adopters differ with regard to how large importance they attach to the same motive and each adopter can also have several different motives to adopt. There are also differences in motives between adopter categories (especially independent power producers vs. individuals and diversified companies) and between RETs (especially wind power vs. solar power). This implies that a variety of policy instruments might be needed to induce further adoption of a variety of RETs by a variety of adopter categories. - Highlights: • There are many different motives to adopt renewable electricity technologies (RETs). • Adopters attach different levels of importance to the same motive. • Adopters can have several different motives to adopt a particular RET. • Motives to adopt RETs differ between wind power, solar PV and small-scale hydro. • Motives to adopt RETs differ between IPPs, individuals and diversified companies.

  3. A quiet migration: cultural influences impacting children adopted from the former Soviet Union.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGuinness, T

    2000-01-01

    When children immigrate to another culture, a variety of salient variables influence their adaptation. Among internationally adopted children, these variables include early history, changes in socioeconomic status, awareness of multiple issues impacting the child post-adoption, availability of social networks, and anti-immigration sentiments in the host culture. The change in socioeconomic status of children adopted from the former Soviet Union is a positive influence with the concomitant improvement in the child's nutrition and health care. Many internationally adopted children have spent time in institutional environments that constitute a culture in and of itself. The orphanages are microenvironments which may be closed to the influences of the larger culture. The environmental components of the orphanage transmit a collection of traits and values which, taken as a whole, constitute the orphanage culture. Adoptive parents must facilitate the children's adjustment to a new cultural milieu with different language, food, and customs. Further, children must adapt to the culture of the family, a culture that may have been previously unknown. Nurses can promote the adaptation of these families by increasing awareness of the multitude of issues that impact internationally adoptive families.

  4. CERTS customer adoption model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rubio, F. Javier; Siddiqui, Afzal S.; Marnay, Chris; Hamachi,Kristina S.

    2000-03-01

    This effort represents a contribution to the wider distributed energy resources (DER) research of the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS, http://certs.lbl.gov) that is intended to attack and, hopefully, resolve the technical barriers to DER adoption, particularly those that are unlikely to be of high priority to individual equipment vendors. The longer term goal of the Berkeley Lab effort is to guide the wider technical research towards the key technical problems by forecasting some likely patterns of DER adoption. In sharp contrast to traditional electricity utility planning, this work takes a customer-centric approach and focuses on DER adoption decision making at, what we currently think of as, the customer level. This study reports on Berkeley Lab's second year effort (completed in Federal fiscal year 2000, FY00) of a project aimed to anticipate patterns of customer adoption of distributed energy resources (DER). Marnay, et al., 2000 describes the earlier FY99 Berkeley Lab work. The results presented herein are not intended to represent definitive economic analyses of possible DER projects by any means. The paucity of data available and the importance of excluded factors, such as environmental implications, are simply too important to make such an analysis possible at this time. Rather, the work presented represents a demonstration of the current model and an indicator of the potential to conduct more relevant studies in the future.

  5. Redefining family relationships following adoption : adoptive parents' perspectives on the changing nature of kinship between adoptees and birth relatives.

    OpenAIRE

    Jones, C.; Hackett, S.

    2012-01-01

    Contemporary child adoption in the UK and USA has been conceptualised as an extended kinship network of adopted children, birth relatives and adopters (Reitz and Watson, 1992; Grotevant and McRoy, 1998). This contrasts sharply with the traditional model of adoption as a form of family substitution. Yet, such a reconceptualisation raises many questions about the meaning of kinship for those involved. This paper draws on data from a series of biographical interviews with twenty-two parents who ...

  6. Determinants of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety among farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. O. Ologunde

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The success of any agricultural innovation depends on its adoption by farmers. The study evaluates the determinants of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety among farmers by investigating the level of adoption and determinants of adoption among farmers. Three stages of random sampling procedure were used to select 240 cassava farmers. The data obtained were analyzed with descriptive statistics and a logit regression model. The study revealed that the level of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety is low (38.72%. The study also revealed that access to media, contact with extension agents, access to vitamin A bio-fortified cassava stem, amongst others, are the determinants of adoption of vitamin A bio-fortified cassava variety in the study area. It is therefore recommended that awareness about the new cassava technology should be prioritized to sensitize the farmers, and stems of these cassava varieties should be readily made available to farmers to take advantage of the benefit of the innovation.

  7. The intrapersonal conflict particularities of potential adopters.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inga Russu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses a contemporary issue for the Republic of Moldova concerning psychological implications of the adoption process for prospective adopters. This demand is due to the fact that the majority of couples or people passing through the decision making adoption process are facing a number of conlicting emotions and spiritual states. Thereby, is signiicant to understand the adoption multidimensionality of social and intrapersonal components. Adoptive parents can feel themselves as victims of „the process”. For them, the assessment of living conditions, the assessment of moral and social guarantees, inclusion or exclusion as eligible adoptive parents, represent a procedure part, which generates frustrations and anxieties. Some of them, often suffer from lack of supporting and understanding, as family members point of view, friends and known people. Also, in this context, parents may face some frustrations related to the matching procedure harmonisation with long cogitation process of the child.

  8. THE INTRAPERSONAL CONFLICT PARTICULARITIES OF POTENTIAL ADOPTERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inga RUSSU

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This article addresses a contemporary issue for the Republic of Moldova concerning psychological implications of the adoption process for prospective adopters. This demand is due to the fact that the majority of couples or people passing through the decision making adoption process are facing a number of conflicting emotions and spiritual states. Thereby, is significant to understand the adoption multidimensionality of social and intrapersonal components. Adoptive parents can feel themselves as victims of „the process”. For them, the assessment of living conditions, the assessment of moral and social guarantees, inclusion or exclusion as eligible adoptive parents, represent a procedure part, which generates frustrations and anxieties. Some of them, often suffer from lack of supporting and understanding, as family members point of view, friends and known people. Also, in this context, parents may face some frustrations related to the matching procedure harmonisation with long cogitation process of the child.

  9. Same-Sex Adoption as a Welfare Alternative? Conservatism, Neoliberal Values, and Support for Adoption by Same-Sex Couples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Samuel L; Whitehead, Andrew L

    2015-01-01

    Despite conservatives' long-term opposition to gay and lesbian parenting, scholars theorize that a strong commitment to neoliberalism may influence conservative Americans to become more tolerant of same-sex adoption as a way to relieve the government from subsidizing poor families. Drawing on national survey data (2010 Baylor Religion Survey), we test whether holding neoliberal values is associated with greater support for same-sex adoption in general and across political or religious conservatives. We find no support for either theory-emphatically the opposite, in fact. Neoliberal values are negatively associated with support for same-sex adoption for Americans in general and among political and religious conservatives. We find little evidence of a tension among conservatives regarding same-sex adoption as both their neoliberal values and moral beliefs incline them to oppose same-sex adoption along with other same-sex family relationships.

  10. Parental alcohol dependence and the transmission of adolescent behavioral disinhibition: a study of adoptive and non-adoptive families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Serena M; Keyes, Margaret; Malone, Stephen M; Elkins, Irene; Legrand, Lisa N; Iacono, William G; McGue, Matt

    2009-04-01

    To examine the genetic and environmental influences of parental alcoholism on offspring disinhibited behavior. We compared the effect of parental alcoholism history on offspring in adoptive and non-adoptive families. In families with a history of parental alcohol dependence, we examined the effect of exposure to parental alcoholism symptoms during the life-time of the adolescent. Setting Assessments occurred at the University of Minnesota from 1998 to 2004. Adolescents adopted in infancy were ascertained systematically from records of three private Minnesota adoption agencies; non-adopted adolescents were ascertained from Minnesota birth records. Adolescents and their rearing parents participated in in-person assessments. For adolescents, measures included self- reports of delinquency, deviant peers, substance use, antisocial attitudes and personality. For parents, we conducted DSM-IV clinical assessments of alcohol abuse and dependence. A history of parental alcohol dependence was associated with higher levels of disinhibition only when adolescents were related biologically to their rearing parents. Within families with a history of parental alcoholism, exposure to parental alcohol misuse during the life-time of the adolescent was associated with increased odds of using alcohol in adopted adolescents only. These findings suggest that the association between a history of parental alcohol dependence and adolescent offspring behavioral disinhibition is attributable largely to genetic rather than environmental transmission. We also obtained some evidence for parental alcohol misuse as a shared environmental risk factor in adoptive families.

  11. 'Adoption' by maternal siblings in wild chimpanzees

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hobaiter, Catherine; Schel, Anne Marijke; Langergraber, Kevin; Zuberbühler, Klaus

    2014-01-01

    The adoption of unrelated orphaned infants is something chimpanzees and humans have in common. Providing parental care has fitness implications for both the adopter and orphan, and cases of adoption have thus been cited as evidence for a shared origin of an altruistic behaviour. We provide new data

  12. Innovation adoption: a review of theories and constructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wisdom, Jennifer P; Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E; Horwitz, Sarah M

    2014-07-01

    Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations.

  13. Healthy Travel for International Adoptions

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2007-10-22

    The number of international adoptions, many from developing countries, has doubled in the last 10 years. This podcast discusses ways adoptive families can protect their own health and the health of their new children.  Created: 10/22/2007 by National Center for the Prevention, Detection and Control of Infectious Diseases (NCPDCID).   Date Released: 10/24/2007.

  14. Maternal secure-base scripts and children's attachment security in an adopted sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veríssimo, Manuela; Salvaterra, Fernanda

    2006-09-01

    Studies of families with adopted children are of special interest to attachment theorists because they afford opportunities to probe assumptions of attachment theory with regard to the developmental timing of interactions necessary to form primary attachments and also with regard to effects of shared genes on child attachment quality. In Bowlby's model, attachment-relevant behaviors and interactions are observable from the moment of birth, but for adoptive families, these interactions cannot begin until the child enters the family, sometimes several months or even years post-partum. Furthermore, because adoptive parents and adopted children do not usually share genes by common descent, any correspondence between attachment representations of the parent and secure base behavior of the child must arise as a consequence of dyadic interaction histories. The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether the child's age at the time of adoption or at the time of attachment assessment predicted child attachment security in adoptive families and also whether the adoptive mother's internal attachment representation predicted the child's attachment security. The participants were 106 mother - child dyads selected from the 406 adoptions carried out through the Lisbon Department of Adoption Services over a period of 3 years. The Attachment Behavior Q-Set (AQS; Waters, 1995) was used to assess secure base behavior and an attachment script representation task was used to assess the maternal attachment representations. Neither child's age at the time of adoption, nor age of the child at assessment significantly predicted the AQS security score; however, scores reflecting the presence and quality of maternal secure base scripts did predict AQS security. These findings support the notion that the transmission of attachment security across generations involves mutual exchanges and learning by the child and that the exchanges leading to secure attachment need not begin at birth

  15. Stimulating a Sustainable Construction through Holistic BIM Adoption: The Root Causes of Recurring Low BIM Adoption in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamter, S.; Abdul-Aziz, AR; Mamat, ME

    2017-06-01

    Fostering the Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation is one of Malaysia sustainable strategies towards greener construction. Hence, the Eleventh Malaysia plan focuses on transforming construction industry through the increase of technology adoption in order to enhance construction productivity. Therefore, there is a growing and urgent demand to provide BIM competent. However, a significant number of parties are reluctant to develop and invest in BIM due to unsolved root causes. Scholars have identified barriers relating to the infancy stage of BIM adoption in Malaysia. Unfortunately, there is a lack of study to explore deeper the root causes of recurring for the barriers anticipate the low BIM adoption. This paper attempts to delve into the initiatives of BIM stake players in fostering BIM adoption and to determine the root causes of recurring barriers due to low BIM adoption. The study adopted the semi-structured interviews which involved BIM stake players as a sample population. From the findings, authors revealed four root causes of recurring barriers; absence of BIM policy and BIM compulsion, poor holistic readiness, software integration competition strategy, and reluctant in sharing knowledge. The findings espoused here are preliminary and more results are expected to emerge as the research progresses.

  16. Clinical information system post-adoption evaluation at the georges pompidou university hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palm, Jean-Marc; Dart, Thierry; Dupuis, Isabelle; Leneveut, Laurence; Degoulet, Patrice

    2010-11-13

    The evaluation of a clinical information system (CIS) at different stages of deployment and routine use is a key factor to improve acceptability and use by health professionals. This paper examines on an expectation-confirmation model (ITPAM) the relationships between the determinants of success of a CIS in a cross-sectional survey performed at the Georges Pompidou University Hospital (HEGP). Results for the groups of physicians and nurses that replied to the survey (n=312) suggest that health professional satisfaction (overall R(2)=0.60) is determined by the quality of user support (r=.21, p=<0001), ease of use (r=.19, p=<0001), confirmation of expectations (r=.15, p=.0037), usefulness (r=.12, p=.0068), and compatibility (r=.10, p=.0206). The best predictor of physician satisfaction (R(2)=0.71) was compatibility (r=.21, p=.0072) whereas for nurses (R(2)=0.52) it was user support (r=.22, p=<0001) and ease of use (r=.22, p=.0001). Confirmation of expectations had an impact on post-adoption expectation and user's satisfaction, and confirms its importance for CIS evaluation studies.

  17. Highly Adoptable Improvement: A Practical Model and Toolkit to Address Adoptability and Sustainability of Quality Improvement Initiatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Christopher William; Goldmann, Don

    2018-03-01

    Failure to consider the impact of change on health care providers is a barrier to success. Initiatives that increase workload and have low perceived value are less likely to be adopted. A practical model and supporting tools were developed on the basis of existing theories to help quality improvement (QI) programs design more adoptable approaches. Models and theories from the diffusion of innovation and work stress literature were reviewed, and key-informant interviews and site visits were conducted to develop a draft Highly Adoptable Improvement (HAI) Model. A list of candidate factors considered for inclusion in the draft model was presented to an expert panel. A modified Delphi process was used to narrow the list of factors into main themes and refine the model. The resulting model and supporting tools were pilot tested by 16 improvement advisors for face validity and usability. The HAI Model depicts how workload and perceived value influence adoptability of QI initiatives. The supporting tools include an assessment guide and suggested actions that QI programs can use to help design interventions that are likely to be adopted. Improvement advisors reported good face validity and usability and found that the model and the supporting tools helped address key issues related to adoption and reported that they would continue to use them. The HAI Model addresses important issues regarding workload and perceived value of improvement initiatives. Pilot testing suggests that the model and supporting tools are helpful and practical in guiding design and implementation of adoptable and sustainable QI interventions. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Exploring the underlying factors influencing e-learning adoption in nurse education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petit dit Dariel, Odessa; Wharrad, Heather; Windle, Richard

    2013-06-01

    To report a study undertaken to explore the underlying factors influencing e-learning adoption in nurse education. Despite e-learning's high profile it has not been readily integrated into teaching practice in nurse education. Previous research has identified generic, cross-disciplinary factors but has left out 'soft' factors. The study adopted an exploratory descriptive design. Q-methodology was used to explore e-learning adoption in a Division of Nursing located in an institution of Higher Education in the UK. Between September-December 2009, 38 participants were recruited to participate in Q-sorts and post-sort interviews. The Q-sort data were factor analysed and the interviews were coded to their respective factors to develop in-depth narratives. Four factors were identified: 'E-learning advocates' saw e-learning's potential to improve nurse education and prepare future nurses for their evolving role; the 'Humanists' had avoided e-learning because they valued human interaction; the 'Sceptics' doubted that technology could improve learning outcomes; and the 'Pragmatics,' only used e-learning as a tool to post lecture notes online to supplement what they covered in class. The findings point to the variety of responses existing among nurse academics faced with integrating e-learning into their teaching. Moving beyond the binary labels commonly attributed to those considered either 'early adopters' or 'laggards,' the findings contribute to the literature by revealing a wider breadth of views and responses towards technology. Acknowledging these views can inform future e-learning strategies and lead to improvement in e-learning use in nurse education. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Responding to the Needs of the Adopted Child

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gajda, Rebecca

    2004-01-01

    In today's societal landscape, "adoption," the legal process by which a child becomes a full and permanent member of a new family, is becoming commonplace. Even though most people have had a personal experience with adoption in some capacity, those most closely associated with adoption (birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parents) continue to be…

  20. Awareness of BIM adoption in Brunei

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Md Motiar

    2017-09-01

    Building Information Modelling (BIM) is getting increased attention day-by-day due to its many benefits, including clash detection, collaboration between contract parties, visualization future structure, optimized schedule and project control, waste control, design documentation, and harmonized facilities management. As such, many countries have already adopted BIM, and many other countries are exploring the potential of adopting it. However, it is still relatively new and unknown to some other countries like Brunei. This study was therefore undertaken to generate and/or gauge the awareness of Brunei construction industry participants, targeting adoption of BIM, through a structured questionnaire survey. Responses from 90 industry participants reveal that Brunei Construction industry is not well aware of BIM, lack the required technical knowledge and application in construction, and cost involvement. They are unsure about the potential benefits and barriers to implementing BIM. However, respondents are hopeful that BIM can bring the required changes in construction, willing to adopt BIM, expects cliental support with initial investment for its adoption, and believe that BIM is the future of construction project information management. On the whole, private sector was seen to be more aware on BIM than public sector. The study outcomes are expected to provide the policy makers a first-hand information on the industry awareness on BIM, which in turn help them for further exploration / examination and to design any action plan and guidelines for BIM adoption.

  1. 'Adoption' by maternal siblings in wild chimpanzees.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Hobaiter

    Full Text Available The adoption of unrelated orphaned infants is something chimpanzees and humans have in common. Providing parental care has fitness implications for both the adopter and orphan, and cases of adoption have thus been cited as evidence for a shared origin of an altruistic behaviour. We provide new data on adoptions in the free-living Sonso chimpanzee community in Uganda, together with an analysis of published data from other long-term field sites. As a default pattern, we find that orphan chimpanzees do not become adopted by adult group members but wherever possible associate with each other, usually as maternal sibling pairs. This occurs even if both partners are still immature, with older individuals effectively becoming 'child household heads'. Adoption of orphans by unrelated individuals does occur but usually only if no maternal siblings or other relatives are present and only after significant delays. In conclusion, following the loss of their mother, orphaned chimpanzees preferentially associate along pre-existing social bonds, which are typically strongest amongst maternal siblings.

  2. Innovation Adoption: A Review of Theories and Constructs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

    2013-01-01

    Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations. PMID:23549911

  3. Adopting a child with cleft lip and palate: a study of parents' experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansson, Emma; Ostman, Jenny; Becker, Magnus

    2013-02-01

    Adoption of Chinese children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) has become increasingly more common in Sweden. The aim of this study was to examine parents' experience when adopting a child with CLP. Since 2008, 34 adopted children with CLP have been treated in our department. A questionnaire was sent to 33 of the families and 30 of them answered (91%). The parents had queued from 1 month to 8 years before they were offered a child. Eighteen families reported that they received information on CLP from the adoption agency and 87% contacted the department of plastic surgery for additional information. In 15 cases (45%) previously unknown medical conditions or birth defects other than CLP were discovered in Sweden. Most parents (67%) had been informed before the adoption that their child could be a carrier of resistant bacteria, but not all had received enough information to grasp what it implies to be a carrier. The great majority of the families did not feel that the early hospitalisation for the first operation had a negative impact on the attachment between them and their adopted child. They thought that the aesthetic and functional results of the operations were "better than expected". Seventeen families stated that people react to the cleft and four of them think that the reactions are a problem. Presumptive adoptive parents should be informed that the child might have unsuspected medical conditions, resistant bacteria, what carriage implies, and that needed treatment and long-term results are not predictable.

  4. Books on Adoption for Young Children: Looking at Language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schimmel, Nancy; Love, Susan

    1997-01-01

    Books can inform, reassure, and give young children the vocabulary to talk about adoption. This article presents and examines the language used to talk about adoption in eleven current children's books. Discusses surrogacy, adoption, "natural" parents, grief, "chosen-baby" stories, age at adoption, international adoption,…

  5. Who wants to adopt and who wants to be adopted: a sample of American families and sub-Saharan African orphans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balding, Christopher; Feng, Yan; Atashband, Armita

    2015-12-01

    The debate between pro- and anti-international adoption advocates relies heavily on rhetoric and little on data analysis. To better understand the state of orphans and potential adopters in this debate, we utilize the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to study who adopts internationally and the status of orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa. According to NSFG data adopters are church going, highly educated, stable families aware of the challenges faced by international adoption, with high rates of infertility and rates of child abuse half the population average. According to the DHS data, orphans in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from significantly higher deprivation, reduced schooling and increased levels of stunting and underweight reported than their cohort. Using this data, we estimate conservatively that that 1 50 000 orphans from our sample of sub-Saharan African countries died from their 5-year birth cohort. Given the large number of families seeking to adopt and the high number of orphan deaths, it seems counterproductive to restrict international adoptions given the significantly lower risks faced by children in adopted families compared with remaining orphaned. © The Author 2015; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

  6. TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY AND IMPACT EVALUATION DIFFERENTIALS BETWEEN THE ADOPTERS AND NON-ADOPTERS OF NERICA IN THE SIX BASELINE STATES IN NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abiodun Elijah OBAYELU

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The study examined the adoption rate of New Rice for Africa (NERICA, technical efficiency differentials of production of these varieties between adopters and non-adopters and the determinants. It further analysed the impact of adoption of NERICA on area cultivated, output, yield, expenditure and total income of rice farmers in the NERICA baseline states in Nigeria. To achieve the objectives, it employed the descriptive statistics, stochastic production frontier and counterfactual outcomes framework of modern evaluation technique (the Local Average Treatment Effect to analyse 621 rice farmers across the six NERICA baseline states in Nigeria in 2012. The findings show that NERICA adopters were more technically efficient than the non-adopters. In addition, adoption of NERICA was found to significantly increase the areas of land cultivated, output, yield, household expenditure, per capita household expenditure and total income among NERICA adopters by 1.2ha (p < 0.01, 1998.2kg (p< 0.01, 191.2kg/ha (p < 0.1, N13,222.63≈$66.4 (p < 0.05, N2,015.6≈$10.1 (p < 0.05 and N145,098.7 ≈$728.0 (p < 0.01 respectively despite their high level of inefficiency (39 percent by the adopters. The positive impact of NERICA adoption on rice yields, poverty status measured by the per capita household expenditure and total farm income of farmers is a clear indication that NERICA has the potential to increase rice productivity, reduce poverty and food insecurity. NERICA adoption rate will rise if more farmers are aware of the varieties in the study. Farmers who had adopted, and government at all levels should therefore intensify their efforts to encourage others rice farmers possibly through the extension agents on the need to grow NERICA varieties so as to increase rice production level, reduce rice importation and ensure a sustainable rice production.

  7. Awareness, persuasion, and adoption: Enriching the Bass model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colapinto, Cinzia; Sartori, Elena; Tolotti, Marco

    2014-02-01

    In the context of diffusion of innovations, we propose a probabilistic model based on interacting populations connected through new communication channels. The potential adopters are heterogeneous in the connectivity levels and in their taste for innovation. The proposed framework can model the different stages of the adoption dynamics. In particular, the adoption curve is the result of a micro-founded decision process following the awareness phase. Eventually, we recover stylized facts pointed out by the extant literature in the field, such as delayed adoptions and non-monotonic adoption curves.

  8. Post-hoc simulation study to adopt a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) for a Korean Medical License Examination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Dong Gi; Choi, Jeongwook

    2018-05-17

    Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) has been adopted in license examinations due to a test efficiency and accuracy. Many research about CAT have been published to prove the efficiency and accuracy of measurement. This simulation study investigated scoring method and item selection methods to implement CAT in Korean medical license examination (KMLE). This study used post-hoc (real data) simulation design. The item bank used in this study was designed with all items in a 2017 KMLE. All CAT algorithms for this study were implemented by a 'catR' package in R program. In terms of accuracy, Rasch and 2parametric logistic (PL) model performed better than 3PL model. Modal a Posteriori (MAP) or Expected a Posterior (EAP) provided more accurate estimates than MLE and WLE. Furthermore Maximum posterior weighted information (MPWI) or Minimum expected posterior variance (MEPV) performed better than other item selection methods. In terms of efficiency, Rasch model was recommended to reduce test length. Simulation study should be performed under varied test conditions before adopting a live CAT. Based on a simulation study, specific scoring and item selection methods should be predetermined before implementing a live CAT.

  9. Adopt a Bacterium - an active and collaborative learning experience in microbiology based on social media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piantola, Marco Aurélio Floriano; Moreno, Ana Carolina Ramos; Matielo, Heloísa Alonso; Taschner, Natalia Pasternak; Cavalcante, Rafael Ciro Marques; Khan, Samia; Ferreira, Rita de Cássia Café

    2018-04-24

    The "Adopt a Bacterium" project is based on the use of social network as a tool in Microbiology undergraduate education, improving student learning and encouraging students to participate in collaborative learning. The approach involves active participation of both students and teachers, emphasizing knowledge exchange, based on widely used social media. Students were organized in groups and asked to adopt a specific bacterial genus and, subsequently, submit posts about "adopted genus". The formative assessment is based on posting information on Facebook®, and the summative assessment involves presentation of seminars about the adopted theme. To evaluate the project, students filled out three anonymous and voluntary surveys. Most of the students enjoyed the activities and positively evaluated the experience. A large amount of students declared a change in their attitude towards the way they processed information, especially regarding the use of scientific sources. Finally, we evaluated knowledge retention six months after the end of the course and students were able to recall relevant Microbiology concepts. Our results suggest that the "Adopt a Bacterium" project represents a useful strategy in Microbiology learning and may be applied to other academic fields. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  10. SOME REMARKS ON THE NEW AMENDMENTS IN THE ADOPTION PROCEDURE REGARDING THE ADOPTION DEFINING TERMS AND SUBSTANTIVE CONDITIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Cetean-Voiculescu

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Adoption is one of the most important measures to protect children in need, namely that category of children who are deprived of parental care, loss due to various reasons. If a child in need can not be maintained or reinstated in his natural family, state authorities must have an alternative measure of protection: guardianship, special protective measures provided by Law no. 272/2004 on the protection and promotion of children's rights (placement, emergency placement or specialized supervision or adoption, regulated by Law no. 273/2004. This paper aims to critically analyze the Adoption of the new rules, with special regard to the definition, principles and conditions for the adoption procedure.

  11. Re an Adoption Application (Surrogacy), 11 March 1987.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-01-01

    The Court was asked to make an adoption order in favor of a couple who had paid another woman to bear a child for them using the husband's sperm. The Court made the order, noting that the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985, which bans commercial surrogacy agencies, negotiations, and advertisements had not been enacted at the time of this arrangement. It also held that the arrangement did not violate the Adoption Act 1958, which prohibits payments or rewards for or in consideration of adoption, because the payment to the surrogate was not made in contemplation of adoption. Moreover, it concluded that even if the payment had been made in contemplation of adoption, the Adoption Act gave the Court the power to authorize the payment retrospectively. full text

  12. Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Nepal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samaya Gairhe

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Nepal is one of the top twenty countries where potato contributes substantially for the human diet. Enhancing adoption of improved potato varieties could impact on farmer’s income, household food and nutritional security. As such, using a multistage sampling procedure, a study was conducted to assess the determinants of improved potato varieties adoption in Nepal covering 180 samples in four districts, two in hills and two in Tarai region. The study revealed that; Kavre and Bardiya districts in the hills and Tarai, respectively, were dominated by improved potato varieties adoption. On the other hand, Dhankuta and Jhapa in the hills and Tarai, respectively, were dominated by local potato varieties adoption. The informal seed sources followed by agro-vet and market were the major sources for improved varietal adoption. Farmers’ accesses to training and formal seed sources were important factor determining improved potato varietal adoption. However, households with larger farm size were less likely to allocate more area for improved potato varieties as many of farmers were reluctant to take potato cultivation as agri-business and still follow subsistence farming. Potato R&D programs, therefore, need to strengthen formal seed system to enhance access to quality potato seeds and build producer’s capacity through regular training and exposer visits in order to improve adoption of improved potato varieties in Nepal.

  13. Adoption experiences of women and men and demand for children to adopt by women 18-44 years of age in the United States, 2002.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Jo

    2008-08-01

    This report presents national estimates of the prevalence of adoption for men and women 18-44 years of age, the demand for children to adopt by women, and women's preferences for characteristics of the adopted child. Analysis is based on data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. This survey interviewed a nationally representative sample of women and men 15-44 years of age in their households. Results are weighted to produce national estimates of the characteristics of men and women who have adopted children, lifetime and current demand for adoption by women, and the characteristics of children preferred by women when they are considering adoption. Adoption remains rare in the United States. Among all women aged 18-44 in 2002, only 1.1% had adopted a child and 1.6% were currently seeking to adopt. Women were more likely to be currently seeking to adopt, to have ever sought to adopt, and to have actually adopted a child if they had used infertility services or had impaired fecundity. Older women and women who were in their second or later marriage were also more likely to have adopted a child. Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women were more likely to be currently seeking to adopt compared with non-Hispanic white women. More men than women have adopted children in their lifetimes. Among adopters, 17% of women and 6% of men were never married. Adopting a child has been and remains a relatively rare event in the United States. Adoption is a mechanism by which adults legalize their parental relationship to nonbiological children as well as a means to bring children into families. Studies examining adoption should include men as well as women and persons of all marital statuses.

  14. Åben Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeldtoft, Nadia

    2007-01-01

    Denne rapport er en systematisk forskningsoversigt over udenlandske erfaringer med adoption i forhold til anbringelse uden for hjemmet, fx familiepleje, institutionsanbringelse og hjemgivelse til de biologiske forældre. Konklusionerne i rapporten er overraskende entydige: Adopterede børn klarer sig...

  15. Adoption som indsats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christoffersen, Mogens; Hammen, Ida; Raft Andersen, Karen

    Denne rapport er en systematisk forskningsoversigt over udenlandske erfaringer med adoption i forhold til anbringelse uden for hjemmet, fx familiepleje, institutionsanbringelse og hjemgivelse til de biologiske forældre. Konklusionerne i rapporten er overraskende entydige: Adopterede børn klarer sig...

  16. Evaluating change in virtual reality adoption for brain injury rehabilitation following knowledge translation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glegg, Stephanie M N; Holsti, Liisa; Stanton, Sue; Hanna, Steven; Velikonja, Diana; Ansley, Barbara; Sartor, Denise; Brum, Christine

    2017-04-01

    To evaluate the impact of knowledge translation (KT) on factors influencing virtual reality (VR) adoption and to identify support needs of therapists. Intervention will be associated with improvements in therapists' perceived ease of use and self-efficacy, and an associated increase in intentions to use VR. Single group mixed-methods pre-test-post-test evaluation of convenience sample of physical, occupational and rehabilitation therapists (n=37) from two brain injury rehabilitation centres. ADOPT-VR administered pre/post KT intervention, consisting of interactive education, clinical manual, technical and clinical support. Increases in perceived ease of use (p=0.000) and self-efficacy (p=0.001), but not behavioural intention to use VR (p=0.158) were found following KT, along with decreases in the frequency of perceived barriers. Post-test changes in the frequency and nature of perceived facilitators and barriers were evident, with increased emphasis on peer influence, organisational-level supports and client factors. Additional support needs were related to clinical reasoning, treatment programme development, technology selection and troubleshooting. KT strategies hold potential for targeting therapists' perceptions of low self-efficacy and ease of use of this technology. Changes in perceived barriers, facilitators and support needs at post-test demonstrated support for repeated evaluation and multi-phased training initiatives to address therapists' needs over time. Implications for Rehabilitation Therapists' learning and support needs in integrating virtual reality extend beyond technical proficiency to include clinical decision-making and application competencies spanning the entire rehabilitation process. Phased, multi-faceted strategies may be valuable in addressing therapists' changing needs as they progress from novice to experienced virtual reality users. The ADOPT-VR is a sensitive measure to re-evaluate the personal, social, environmental, technology

  17. Holistic BIM Adoption and Diffusion in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mamter Shahela

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Building Information Modeling is modeling technology and associated set of processes to produce, communicate and analyze digital information models for construction life cycle. Although many benefits can gain by the implementation of BIM, the pace adoption of BIM in Malaysia is still slow. There is an abundance of theories and models purporting to describe the drivers and mechanisms of how new technologies are adopted or diffused into a particular section of society or by individuals or stake players. In addition, many acceptance theories, which imply the adoption of new technologies and can be applied in every sector. This paper aims to present a review of the existing literature of BIM adoption and diffusion theory/model/framework in Malaysia. Researcher revealed the list of driven factors of Holistic BIM Adoption. In addition, it will deal with how to work effectively with groups that initially are relatively

  18. Racial and Ethnic Socialization as Moderators of Racial Discrimination and School Adjustment of Adopted and Non-adopted Korean American Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seol, Kyoung Ok; Yoo, Hyung Chol; Lee, Richard M.; Park, Ji Eun; Kyeong, Yena

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated roles of racial and ethnic socialization in the link between racial discrimination and school adjustment among a sample of 233 adopted Korean American adolescents from White adoptive families and 155 non-adopted Korean American adolescents from immigrant Korean families. Adopted Korean American adolescents reported lower levels of racial discrimination, racial socialization, and ethnic socialization than non-adopted Korean American adolescents. However, racial discrimination was negatively related to school belonging and school engagement, and ethnic socialization was positively related to school engagement for both groups. Racial socialization also had a curvilinear relationship with school engagement for both groups. Moderate level of racial socialization predicted positive school engagement, whereas low and high levels of racial socialization predicted negative school engagement. Finally, ethnic socialization moderated the link between racial discrimination and school belonging, which differed between groups. In particular, ethnic socialization exacerbated the relations between racial discrimination and school belonging for adopted Korean American adolescents, whereas, ethnic socialization buffered this link for non-adopted Korean American adolescents. Findings illustrate the complex relationship between racial and ethnic socialization, racial discrimination, and school adjustment. PMID:26479418

  19. Adopting to Agile Software Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linkevics Gusts

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Agile software development can be made successful, but there is no well-defined way how to achieve this. The problem is that the successful adoption of agile methods and practices is a complex process and this process should be customizable for a particular organization or a team. This research focuses on identification of agile methods and practices. Result of the research is the ranking of agile methods, practices and their usage trends. As some terms of agile software development are interpreted differently in different organizations and teams, terminology used is analyzed. Results of the research can be used as a reference material for those who are planning to adopt agile methods or are looking for the next agile practice to implement. Results will be used for the development of an expert system to support agile adoption.

  20. Adoptees and adoptive families :an exploration of the formation of the legal family, the stigma of adoption, and the decision to search

    OpenAIRE

    Kressierer, Dana Katherine

    1994-01-01

    In this thesis I utilize sociological theories on deviance, published research on adoption, and surveys of 41 adoptees and 15 adoptive parents in order to address four primary questions: 1.What factors have influenced adoption historically, and continue to influence current practices? 2.In what ways does the legal system treat the adoptive family differently than the consanguine family? 3.Is there a stigma associated with adoption? 4.What factors are associat...

  1. ICT Adoption in Facilities Management Supply Chain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada

    2012-01-01

    This article involves a qualitative study of factors impacting the adoption of ICT solutions in the Danish facility management supply chain. The results show that there are a number of drivers and barriers that influence the adoption of ICT solutions in this service sector. These have been grouped...... concerned with ICT adoption, operations and service management (especially facilities management) as well as operation managers and ICT managers....

  2. Risk of Suicide Attempt in Adopted and Nonadopted Offspring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keyes, M. A.; Malone, S. M.; Sharma, A.

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: We asked whether adoption status represented a risk of suicide attempt for adopted and nonadopted offspring living in the United States. We also examined whether factors known to be associated with suicidal behavior would mediate the relationship between adoption status and suicide att...... of the risk of suicide attempt in adopted offspring may inform the larger investigation of suicidality in all adolescents and young adults.......OBJECTIVE: We asked whether adoption status represented a risk of suicide attempt for adopted and nonadopted offspring living in the United States. We also examined whether factors known to be associated with suicidal behavior would mediate the relationship between adoption status and suicide...... attempt. METHODS: Participants were drawn from the Sibling Interaction and Behavior Study, which included 692 adopted and 540 nonadopted offspring and was conducted at the University of Minnesota from 1998 to 2008. Adoptees were systematically ascertained from records of 3 large Minnesota adoption...

  3. Innovation Adoption: A Review of Theories and Constructs

    OpenAIRE

    Wisdom, Jennifer P.; Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

    2014-01-01

    Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations....

  4. Birth parents who relinquished babies for adoption revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pannor, R; Baran, A; Sorosky, A D

    1978-09-01

    The fact that adoption records may be opened by court decree to enable adoptees to have access to identifying information about their birth parents makes it incumbent upon those concerned with adoption practices to study the impact of this on adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, and professional practice. This paper reports on research addressed to the attitudes and feelings of birth parents years after they relinquished babies for adoption.

  5. Evolution of adoption from Roman law to modern law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kitanović Tanja

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The work is dedicated to the evolution of adoption practice from ancient Roman law to modern law. Adoption represents ancient social and legal practice which has during time changed manifestations and the causes it served. Adoption in ancient Rome served the interests of pater familias without biological posterity. Adoption practice benefited the continuance of families and the family cult of adopters, whose family lines, with no natural posterity, were threatened to become extinct. After the stagnation in the feudal epoch, adoption was reaffirmed in the bourgeois law. Civil codes in European countries, whose legal systems were built on the foundations of the ancient Roman legal tradition, originally favoured the interests of individuals with no biological children, who were granted to extend their families by adopting, and hence transfer their assets on the obtained heirs. After the wars in the 20th century, which led to a rapid increase in the number of parentless children, the concept of adoption was radically changed, so that since that time the adoption has primarily served the interests of the adopted children and the care for them in the adoptive families. Adoption becomes a form of a social, legal family protection of children without adequate parental care, and that is the most desirable form to provide for children, for the adoptee completely integrates with the adoptive family and takes the right of the born child, where the family environment provides and encourages the optimal mental and physical development of the child.

  6. Adopt, Adapt, Enact or Use?

    OpenAIRE

    Lauterbach , Jens; Mueller , Benjamin

    2014-01-01

    Part 1: IS/IT Implementation and Appropriation; International audience; Information Systems (IS) are omnipresent in today’s organizations. While much research has been performed on adoption, implementation, and use of IS, still many practitioners are faced with IS change endeavors in organizations that equal “death march” projects and fail before or directly after go-live. Research with a positivist stance has thoroughly studied factors that describe individuals’ intentions to adopt or use te...

  7. Factors in Agile Methods Adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samia Abdalhamid

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available There are many factors that can affect the process of adopting Agile methods during software developing. This paper illustrates the critical factors in Agile methods adoption in software organizations. To present the success and failure factors, an exploratory study is carried out among the critical factors of success and failure from existing studies. Dimensions and Factors are introduced utilizing success and failure dimensions. The mind map was used to clarify these factors.

  8. Intercountry Adoption Agencies and the HCIA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P. Selman (Peter); K.E. Cheney (Kristen)

    2014-01-01

    textabstractThis report discusses concerns raised by participants of Thematic Area 3 (Intercountry Adoption Agencies and the HCIA) of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy held in August 2014. The aim is to report the views of those participating in this area on the

  9. Barriers and Strategies on Adoption of E-Learning in Tanzanian Higher Learning Institutions: Lessons for Adopters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kisanga, Dalton; Ireson, Gren

    2015-01-01

    Tanzanian Higher learning institutions (HLIs) are faced with challenges of adopting e-learning in education. This study involved experts in e-learning to examine barriers of adopting e-learning and the best strategies to address them. Data were gathered from a series of semi-structured interviews with e-learning experts from two HLIs in Tanzania.…

  10. Autonomous motivation is associated with hearing aid adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgway, Jason; Hickson, Louise; Lind, Christopher

    2015-07-01

    To use the self-determination theory of motivation to investigate whether different forms of motivation were associated with adults' decisions whether or not to adopt hearing aids. A quantitative approach was used in this cohort study. Participants completed the treatment self-regulation questionnaire (TSRQ), which measured autonomous and controlled motivation for hearing aid adoption. Sociodemographic data and audiometric information were also obtained. Participants were 253 adults who had sought information about their hearing but had not consulted with a hearing professional. Participants were categorized as hearing aid adopters if they had been fitted with hearing aids 4-6 months after completing the TSRQ, and as non-adopters if they had not. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between autonomous and controlled motivation, sociodemographic and audiometric variables, and hearing aid adoption (n = 160). Three factors were significantly associated with increased hearing aid adoption when the influence of other variables was accounted for: autonomous motivation, perceived hearing difficulty, and poorer hearing. Controlled motivation was not found to influence hearing aid adoption. These empirical findings that link autonomous motivation to decisions of hearing help-seekers have implications for the ways practitioners may evaluate motivation and could inform discussions with clients about hearing aid adoption.

  11. Assessing personal disposition of individuals towards technology adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irbha Magotra

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The present study has attempted to explore personal disposition of individuals towards technology adoption through the development of an index named as Technology Adoption Index. For developing the index, exploratory factor analysis approach has been employed on the sample of 1201 responses collected from the residents of 12 different cities in India. Accordingly, the results of the index have indicated significant role of seven personal traits, namely, optimism, innovativeness, self-efficacy, risk taking propensity, habit, social influence and psychological resilience while manifesting personal disposition of individuals towards technology adoption, i.e., the technology adoption propensity of the individuals. Further, an attempt has also been made to explore the socio-economic characteristics of the individuals possessing distinct level of personal disposition towards technology adoption. Accordingly, the results have unveiled that the personal disposition of the individuals towards technology adoption increases with enhancement in their income and qualification but decreases with enhancement in their age. As a measurement tool, Technology Adoption Index can be used as ready-recknor by practitioners for the identification of technology adoption propensity of the individuals. This will facilitate organizations in developing and designing new products and services which can be readily accepted by the individuals.

  12. 20 CFR 222.54 - When a legally adopted child is dependent-grandchild or stepgrandchild adopted after entitlement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When a legally adopted child is dependent-grandchild or stepgrandchild adopted after entitlement. 222.54 Section 222.54 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS Child Support and...

  13. Implications of IFRS Adoption on Balance-Sheet vs Income Statement Figures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentin BURCA

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available On the last two decades, financial reporting area has suffered lot of changes in order to respond properly to the dynamics of the economic system characterized by continuous process of globalization, international capitalization, and multinational corporations increasing economic impact. Implementation of IFRSs has been positively perceived by both preparers and users from quality of financial information improvement point of view and economic effects perspective as well. Romanian regulators have decided to align to the EU accounting legislation by adopting IFRS for the consolidated accounts preparation. Furthermore, they have chosen to extend IFRS use to individual financial statements in case of all listed companies. In this study we will provide evidence using an index of conservatism that there are small changes on the financial accounts pre IFRS adoption versus post IFRS adoption at the statutory financial statements level. This evidence is actually reflecting the continuous efforts of Romanian regulator to harmonize the local accounting regulation with IFRS.

  14. Moses and Superman Come Home: Counseling Adoptees and Adoptive Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saiz, Stephen G.

    This paper looks at three parties impacted by adoption: the adoptive parents, the adopted child, and the adoptive family. When working with adoptive parents, counselors should respect the strength of the couple, their commitment to parenthood, and the closeness that may develop from weathering the issue of childlessness. Adoptive parents are…

  15. "Homoaffectivity" in the adoption scene: An anthropological debate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Andrade Coitinho Filho

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the legal treatment given to adoption in the courts of Rio de Janeiro in the context when the adoption requests are done by homosexual couples. The main purpose is to understand, through the analysis of eight legal adoption documents required by homosexuals, in which way the conceptions about family, parenthood and sexualities are produced by the legal practitioners responsible for conducting adoption applications in the period between 2000 untill 2013.

  16. Competitive Advantages Through it Innovation Adoption by Smes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Moghavvemi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose—This paper seeks to explain the impact of IT innovation on competitive advantage; the barriers and the benefits companies gain from adopting and using these innovations and propose a model with which it is possible to measure determinants of IT innovation adoption among SMEs. Design/methodology/approach—This paper presents conceptual consideration on the role of SMEs in the Malaysian economy and the effect of government policy in encouraging companies to adopt IT innovation. The proposed research framework will be empirically validated using survey data. This study is an ongoing research, in the existing stage a theoretical argument is developed and methodology is in the process of being tested through regression analysis. Findings—Conclusions are drawn on the status of Malaysian SMEs to adopt IT innovation. We added attitude and self-efficacy to the Innovation Diffusion Theory to suit it to the individual situation. Therefore a novel approach is needed in order to study and understand it. Research limitations/implications—The paper represents work in progress. Practical implications – This paper present the theoretical framework for further study of IT innovation adoption among Malaysia SMEs. Originality/Value—The Information Technology concept is considered a powerful competitive weapon in the modern economy. This study used Innovation Diffusion Theory as the base theory, and added attitude and self efficacy as determinants to measure the individual’s perception toward innovation adoption. Individual self-efficacy and attitude toward innovation adoption shape beliefs and perceptions toward innovation, leading them to adopt or reject an innovation. Adding these factors to Innovation Diffusion Theory will narrow the breadth of the theory and possibilities to frame a single study which allows examination of the individual and technological dimension toward technology adoption. Keywords: IT innovation adoption, competitive

  17. Competitive Advantages Through it Innovation Adoption by Smes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Moghavvemi

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose—This paper seeks to explain the impact of IT innovation on competitive advantage; the barriers and the benefits companies gain from adopting and using these innovations and propose a model with which it is possible to measure determinants of IT innovation adoption among SMEs.Design/methodology/approach—This paper presents conceptual consideration on the role of SMEs in the Malaysian economy and the effect of government policy in encouraging companies to adopt IT innovation. The proposed research framework will be empirically validated using survey data. This study is an ongoing research, in the existing stage a theoretical argument is developed and methodology is in the process of being tested through regression analysis.Findings—Conclusions are drawn on the status of Malaysian SMEs to adopt IT innovation. We added attitude and self-efficacy to the Innovation Diffusion Theory to suit it to the individual situation. Therefore a novel approach is needed in order to study and understand it.Research limitations/implications—The paper represents work in progress.Practical implications – This paper present the theoretical framework for further study of IT innovation adoption among Malaysia SMEs.Originality/Value—The Information Technology concept is considered a powerful competitive weapon in the modern economy. This study used Innovation Diffusion Theory as the base theory, and added attitude and self efficacy as determinants to measure the individual’s perception toward innovation adoption. Individual self-efficacy and attitude toward innovation adoption shape beliefs and perceptions toward innovation, leading them to adopt or reject an innovation. Adding these factors to Innovation Diffusion Theory will narrow the breadth of the theory and possibilities to frame a single study which allows examination of the individual and technological dimension toward technology adoption.Keywords: IT innovation adoption, competitive

  18. Adoption of telemedicine: from pilot stage to routine delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zanaboni Paolo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Today there is much debate about why telemedicine has stalled. Teleradiology is the only widespread telemedicine application. Other telemedicine applications appear to be promising candidates for widespread use, but they remain in the early adoption stage. The objective of this debate paper is to achieve a better understanding of the adoption of telemedicine, to assist those trying to move applications from pilot stage to routine delivery. Discussion We have investigated the reasons why telemedicine has stalled by focusing on two, high-level topics: 1 the process of adoption of telemedicine in comparison with other technologies; and 2 the factors involved in the widespread adoption of telemedicine. For each topic, we have formulated hypotheses. First, the advantages for users are the crucial determinant of the speed of adoption of technology in healthcare. Second, the adoption of telemedicine is similar to that of other health technologies and follows an S-shaped logistic growth curve. Third, evidence of cost-effectiveness is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the widespread adoption of telemedicine. Fourth, personal incentives for the health professionals involved in service provision are needed before the widespread adoption of telemedicine will occur. Summary The widespread adoption of telemedicine is a major -- and still underdeveloped -- challenge that needs to be strengthened through new research directions. We have formulated four hypotheses, which are all susceptible to experimental verification. In particular, we believe that data about the adoption of telemedicine should be collected from applications implemented on a large-scale, to test the assumption that the adoption of telemedicine follows an S-shaped growth curve. This will lead to a better understanding of the process, which will in turn accelerate the adoption of new telemedicine applications in future. Research is also required to identify

  19. Adoption of telemedicine: from pilot stage to routine delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Today there is much debate about why telemedicine has stalled. Teleradiology is the only widespread telemedicine application. Other telemedicine applications appear to be promising candidates for widespread use, but they remain in the early adoption stage. The objective of this debate paper is to achieve a better understanding of the adoption of telemedicine, to assist those trying to move applications from pilot stage to routine delivery. Discussion We have investigated the reasons why telemedicine has stalled by focusing on two, high-level topics: 1) the process of adoption of telemedicine in comparison with other technologies; and 2) the factors involved in the widespread adoption of telemedicine. For each topic, we have formulated hypotheses. First, the advantages for users are the crucial determinant of the speed of adoption of technology in healthcare. Second, the adoption of telemedicine is similar to that of other health technologies and follows an S-shaped logistic growth curve. Third, evidence of cost-effectiveness is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the widespread adoption of telemedicine. Fourth, personal incentives for the health professionals involved in service provision are needed before the widespread adoption of telemedicine will occur. Summary The widespread adoption of telemedicine is a major -- and still underdeveloped -- challenge that needs to be strengthened through new research directions. We have formulated four hypotheses, which are all susceptible to experimental verification. In particular, we believe that data about the adoption of telemedicine should be collected from applications implemented on a large-scale, to test the assumption that the adoption of telemedicine follows an S-shaped growth curve. This will lead to a better understanding of the process, which will in turn accelerate the adoption of new telemedicine applications in future. Research is also required to identify suitable financial and

  20. Wrongful Adoption: Law, Policy and Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freundlich, Madelyn; Peterson, Lisa

    The past decade has seen an increase in cases where adoptive parents fail to receive accurate or complete information about a child's physical, emotional, or developmental problems or about the child's birth family and history. In these cases adoptive parents are confronted with extremely expensive medical care or mental health care. This…

  1. Adopting Internet Banking in Ghana

    OpenAIRE

    G.O. Ofori-Dwumfuo; Betty A. Dankwah

    2013-01-01

    This study looks at the benefits, challenges and barriers in adopting Internet banking at a major bank in Ghana. The development of the Internet is changing the way financial services are provided in Ghana. The Internet banking facility has resulted in new ways of delivering banking services. The research is a case study based on the staffs that has worked with the bank for more than three years. In evaluating benefits, challenges and barriers to the bank in adopting Internet banking, intervi...

  2. Language development of internationally adopted children: Adverse early experiences outweigh the age of acquisition effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakhlin, Natalia; Hein, Sascha; Doyle, Niamh; Hart, Lesley; Macomber, Donna; Ruchkin, Vladislav; Tan, Mei; Grigorenko, Elena L

    2015-01-01

    We compared English language and cognitive skills between internationally adopted children (IA; mean age at adoption=2.24, SD=1.8) and their non-adopted peers from the US reared in biological families (BF) at two time points. We also examined the relationships between outcome measures and age at initial institutionalization, length of institutionalization, and age at adoption. On measures of general language, early literacy, and non-verbal IQ, the IA group performed significantly below their age-peers reared in biological families at both time points, but the group differences disappeared on receptive vocabulary and kindergarten concept knowledge at the second time point. Furthermore, the majority of children reached normative age expectations between 1 and 2 years post-adoption on all standardized measures. Although the age at adoption, age of institutionalization, length of institutionalization, and time in the adoptive family all demonstrated significant correlations with one or more outcome measures, the negative relationship between length of institutionalization and child outcomes remained most robust after controlling for the other variables. Results point to much flexibility and resilience in children's capacity for language acquisition as well as the potential primacy of length of institutionalization in explaining individual variation in IA children's outcomes. (1) Readers will be able to understand the importance of pre-adoption environment on language and early literacy development in internationally adopted children. (2) Readers will be able to compare the strength of the association between the length of institutionalization and language outcomes with the strength of the association between the latter and the age at adoption. (3) Readers will be able to understand that internationally adopted children are able to reach age expectations on expressive and receptive language measures despite adverse early experiences and a replacement of their first

  3. 25 CFR 18.301 - May a tribe create and adopt a single heir rule without adopting a tribal probate code?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false May a tribe create and adopt a single heir rule without adopting a tribal probate code? 18.301 Section 18.301 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROBATE TRIBAL PROBATE CODES Approval of Single Heir Rule § 18.301 May a tribe create and adopt a...

  4. Why sub-Saharan Africa lags in electronic health record adoption and possible strategies to increase its adoption in this region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odekunle, Florence Femi; Odekunle, Raphael Oluseun; Shankar, Srinivasan

    2017-01-01

    Poor health information system has been identified as a major challenge in the health-care system in many developing countries including sub-Saharan African countries. Electronic health record (EHR) has been shown as an important tool to improve access to patient information with attendance improved quality of care. However, EHR has not been widely implemented/adopted in sub-Saharan Africa. This study sought to identify factors that affect the adoption of an EHR in sub-Saharan Africa and strategies to improve its adoption in this region. A comprehensive literature search was conducted on three electronic databases: PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar. Articles of interest were those published in English that contained information on factors that limit the adoption of an EHR as well as strategies that improve its adoption in sub-Saharan African countries. The available evidence indicated that there were many factors that hindered the widespread adoption of an EHR in sub-Saharan Africa. These were high costs of procurement and maintenance of the EHR system, lack of financial incentives and priorities, poor electricity supply and internet connectivity, and primary user's limited computer skills. However, strategies such as implementation planning, financial supports, appropriate EHR system selection, training of primary users, and the adoption of the phased implementation process have been identified to facilitate the use of an EHR. Wide adoption of an EHR in sub-Saharan Africa region requires a lot more effort than what is assumed because of the current poor level of technological development, lack of required computer skills, and limited resources.

  5. Investigating personal characteristics on e-banking adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Arfaeian

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available During the past few years, there have been increasing interests on doing banking transactions using online services through internet. In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to study the role of personal and social characteristics on acceptance of e-banking adoption. The proposed study designs two questionnaires and distributes them among 384 randomly selected people who use online banking in province of Alborz, Iran. The proposed study examines the effects of five factors including Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness on e-banking adoption. Using regression techniques, the study has confirmed that Neuroticism and Agreeableness have negative and meaningful impact on e-banking adoption while Conscientiousness has positive and meaningful relationship with e-banking adoption.

  6. IFRS Adoption and Accounting Quality: A Review

    OpenAIRE

    Duarte, Ana; Saur- Amaral, Irina; Azevedo, Graça

    2015-01-01

    Literature on IFRS adoption by countries concerning high quality, understandable and applicable IFRS in order to be worldwide accepted has generated a pertinent discussion, since the results presented in the literature are not unanimous on the adoption of IFRS and accounting quality. Soderstrom and Sun (2007) analyzed a research published in leading accounting journals selected from 1990’s on the consequences of IFRS adoption and found that the determinants of accounting quality after the ado...

  7. Re an Adoption Application (Surrogacy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-03-02

    In England, it is illegal under the Adoption Act 1958 to pay or reward anyone in an effort to adopt a child. A family court was asked in this case whether a surrogacy arrangement involving the payment of 5,000 pounds violated the Act. The applicants, a husband and wife, were unable to have children and had entered into an informal arrangement with a woman who agreed to engage in sexual intercourse with the husband and bear a child for the couple in exchange for 10,000 pounds. Because the surrogate wrote a book about her experience from which she made money, and sincerely wanted to help out the childless couple, she accepted only half of her fee. Convinced that the surrogate arrangement was not commercial in nature, the court found no violation of English law, authorized the payment to the mother, and authorized adoption of the child by the father and his wife.

  8. The Value of Successful MBSE Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parrott, Edith

    2016-01-01

    The value of successful adoption of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) practices is hard to quantify. Most engineers and project managers look at the success in terms of cost. But there are other ways to quantify the value of MBSE and the steps necessary to achieve adoption. The Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been doing Model-Based Engineering (design, structural, etc.) for years, but the system engineering side has not. Since 2010, GRC has been moving from documents centric to MBSE/SysML. Project adoption of MBSE has been slow, but is steadily increasing in both MBSE usage and complexity of generated products. Sharing of knowledge of lessons learned in the implementation of MBSE/SysML is key for others who want to be successful. Along with GRC's implementation, NASA is working hard to increase the successful implementation of MBSE across all the other centers by developing guidelines, templates and libraries for projects to utilize. This presentation will provide insight into recent GRC and NASA adoption efforts, lessons learned and best practices.

  9. Identifying PEV early adopters and their needs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, A.

    2009-01-01

    This presentation discussed drivers and incentives for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) as well as the potential impacts on electric utility customers. For many drivers, the adoption of EVs will result in fuel cost savings of $1200 per year. Approximately 73 per cent of Canada's population is concentrated in urban areas. Ninety-five per cent of car trips are less than 30 km in distance. Canada's federal and provincial governments support the adoption of EVs. British Columbia (BC) currently has the most attractive combination of low electricity prices and high fuel costs in North America. Provincial sales tax rebates of up to $2000 are available for EV adopters, while carbon taxes are now being applied to fossil fuel users. New homes in Vancouver are required to provide dedicated charging circuits for EVs. The use of EVs will create new demands for customer service from fuel retailers, developers, fleets and consumer services. BC is expected to have one of the highest EV adoption rates in North America. Unconstrained EV charging is expected to impact the electricity grid by 2015. tabs., figs.

  10. Resource implications of adopting a restrictive neonatal blood ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Resource implications of adopting a restrictive neonatal blood transfusion policy. ... Objective. To determine whether adopting a restrictive BTF policy results in fewer transfusions. Methods. Data were retrospectively collected on all infants who received BTFs in the GSH nursery over a 6-month period following adoption of a ...

  11. Implications of Transnational Adoption Status for Adult Korean Adoptees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langrehr, Kimberly J.; Yoon, Eunju; Hacker, Jason; Caudill, Kathy

    2015-01-01

    This study used a consensual qualitative research method to explore the implications of transnational adoption in the lives of 12 adult Korean adoptees. From the analysis, 6 domains emerged: (a) adoption history and preadoptive memories, (b) meaning of adoption, (c) adoptive family dynamics, (d) racism, (e) identity formation, and (f) counseling…

  12. Factors Influencing Adoption of Cocoa Technologies Disseminated ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Factors Influencing Adoption of Cocoa Technologies Disseminated by Olam Organisation in ... Journal of Agricultural Research and Development ... level, household size, no of farm family assisting on the farm, management system adopted, ...

  13. Cost effectiveness of adopted quality requirements in hospital laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamza, Alneil; Ahmed-Abakur, Eltayib; Abugroun, Elsir; Bakhit, Siham; Holi, Mohamed

    2013-01-01

    The present study was designed in quasi-experiment to assess adoption of the essential clauses of particular clinical laboratory quality management requirements based on international organization for standardization (ISO 15189) in hospital laboratories and to evaluate the cost effectiveness of compliance to ISO 15189. The quality management intervention based on ISO 15189 was conceded through three phases; pre - intervention phase, Intervention phase and Post-intervention phase. In pre-intervention phase the compliance to ISO 15189 was 49% for study group vs. 47% for control group with P value 0.48, while the post intervention results displayed 54% vs. 79% for study group and control group respectively in compliance to ISO 15189 and statistically significant difference (P value 0.00) with effect size (Cohen's d) of (0.00) in pre-intervention phase and (0.99) in post - intervention phase. The annual average cost per-test for the study group and control group was 1.80 ± 0.25 vs. 1.97 ± 0.39, respectively with P value 0.39 whereas the post-intervention results showed that the annual average total costs per-test for study group and control group was 1.57 ± 0.23 vs 2.08 ± 0.38, P value 0.019 respectively, with cost-effectiveness ratio of (0.88) in pre -intervention phase and (0.52) in post-intervention phase. The planned adoption of quality management requirements (QMS) in clinical laboratories had great effect to increase the compliance percent with quality management system requirement, raise the average total cost effectiveness, and improve the analytical process capability of the testing procedure.

  14. Progress in electronic medical record adoption in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    To determine the rate of adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) by physicians across Canada, provincial incentives, and perceived benefits of and barriers to EMR adoption. Data on EMR adoption in Canada were collected from CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the Health Council of Canada, Canada Health Infoway, government websites, regional EMR associations, and health professional association websites. After removal of duplicate articles, 236 documents were found matching the original search. After using the filter Canada, 12 documents remained. Additional documents were obtained from each province's EMR website and from the Canada Health Infoway website. Since 2006, Canadian EMR adoption rates have increased from about 20% of practitioners to an estimated 62% of practitioners in 2013, with substantial regional disparities ranging from roughly 40% of physicians in New Brunswick and Quebec to more than 75% of physicians in Alberta. Provincial incentives vary widely but appear to have only a weak relationship with the rate of adoption. Many adopters use only a fraction of their software's available functions. User-cited benefits to adoption include time savings, improved record keeping, heightened patient safety, and confidence in retrieved data when EMRs are used efficiently. Barriers to adoption include financial and time constraints, lack of knowledgeable support personnel, and lack of interoperability with hospital and pharmacy systems. Canadian physicians remain at the stage of EMR adoption. Progression in EMR use requires experienced, knowledgeable technical support during implementation, and financial support for the transcription of patient data from paper to electronic media. The interoperability of EMR offerings for hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics is the rate-limiting factor in achieving a unified EMR solution for Canada.

  15. The Challenges of Adopting International Financial Reporting ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Challenges of Adopting International Financial Reporting System in Nigeria. ... Nigeria is going to adopt International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) ... its challenges and to proffer solutions that would ensure seamless transition in ...

  16. Smallholder adoption and economic impacts of tissue culture ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study was conducted with an objective of determining the correlates of adoption of tissue culture banana technology and its impacts on household incomes in Kenya. The results show that while some households have opted not to adopt tissue culture banana biotechnology, almost all the adopters are growing tissue ...

  17. EHR adoption among doctors who treat the elderly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeager, Valerie A; Menachemi, Nir; Brooks, Robert G

    2010-12-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption among Florida doctors who treat the elderly. This analysis contributes to the EHR adoption literature by determining if doctors who disproportionately treat the elderly differ from their counterparts with respect to the utilization of an important quality-enhancing health information technology application. This study is based on a primary survey of a large, statewide sample of doctors practising in outpatient settings in Florida. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether doctors who treat a high volume of elderly (HVE) patients were different with respect to EHR adoption. Our analyses included responses from 1724 doctors. In multivariate analyses controlling for doctor age, training, computer sophistication, practice size and practice setting, HVE doctors were significantly less likely to adopt EHR. Specifically, compared with their counterparts, HVE doctors were observed to be 26.7% less likely to be utilizing an EHR system (OR=0.733, 95% CI 0.547-0.982). We also found that doctor age is negatively related to EHR adoption, and practice size and doctor computer savvy-ness is positively associated. Despite the fact that EHR adoption has improved in recent years, doctors in Florida who serve the elderly are less likely to adopt EHRs. As long as HVE doctors are adopting EHR systems at slower rates, the elderly patients treated by these doctors will be at a disadvantage with respect to potential benefits offered by this technology. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. A Conceptual Model of eLearning Adoption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muneer Abbad

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Internet-based learning systems are being used in many universities and firms but their adoption requires a solid understanding of the user acceptance processes. The technology acceptance model (TAM has been used to test the acceptance of various technologies and software within an e-learning context. This research aims to discuss the main factors of a successful e-learning adoption by students. A conceptual research framework of e-learning adoption is proposed based on the TAM model.

  19. farmer's characteristics and adoption of recommended practices ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Prof. Ekwueme

    80 respondents reveals that fadama farming was dominated by females ... determinants of respondents' adoption of fadama-related technologies, accounting for about 39% of .... of male adoption of improved practices could be related to the.

  20. Role of value compatibility in IT adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bunker, Deborah; Kautz, Karlheinz; Nguyen, Anne Luu Thanh

    2007-01-01

    Compatibility has been recognised as an important element in the adoption of IT innovations in organisations but as a concept it has been generally limited to technical or functional factors. Compatibility is also significant, however, with regard to value compatibility between the organisation......, and the adopted IT innovation. We propose a framework to determine value compatibility analysing the organisation's and information system's structure, practices and culture, and explore the value compatibility of an organisation with its adopted self-service computer-based information system. A case study......-service acceptance and training issues experienced by the case organisation. These findings add insight into the problems experienced with value compatibility and the adoption of the information systems, and show the potential use of the proposed framework in the detection of such problems.Journal of Information...

  1. Organizational Green IT Adoption: Concept and Evidence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qi Deng

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Green IT has emerged as an important research topic in information systems and in other areas, such as business sustainability management. Some progress has been made in our understandings of green IT in a wide area of research topics, ranging from the green IT definition to the motivation for adopting green IT by organizations. This paper provides a holistic review and explanation of why organizations adopt green IT. Based on an extensive review of extant studies and a broad theoretical foundation, the paper presents a theoretical framework on organizational green IT adoption (OGITA. For researchers, the study provides a comprehensive review of previous green IT adoption studies and a roadmap for future research. For practitioners, the study provides managers and policy makers a systematic analytical framework in guiding their business decisions.

  2. TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION OF QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE BETWEEN ADOPTERS AND NON-ADOPTERS, AND THE DETERMINANTS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abiodun Elijah OBAYELU

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This study determined the technical efficiency (TE of production of Quality Protein Maize (QPM and the effect on the adoption of QPM in Oyo State, Nigeria. QPM is an improved maize variety developed to reduce protein deficiency problems. A total of 100 maize farmers were sampled through a two-stage sampling procedure. Stochastic frontier approach using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE was used to analyse the TE in the production of QPM, while probit regression was used to determine the effect of TE and other socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents on the adoption of QPM. The results revealed a mean TE of 0.89 and 0.78 for adopters and non-adopters of QPM respectively. This implied that adopters of QPM are more technically efficient than the non-adopters. Quantity of seed planted and fertilizer directly and significantly affected the TE of QPM while gross margin of maize farmers and income from other sources (at P<0.05, the level of education of farmers and QPM farm size (P<0.01 have significant and a negative effects on technical inefficiency from the results of the Tobit regression. The age (P<0.05 of the farmer has direct effect on technical inefficiency. In conclusion, TE, level of output, information availability on QPM and early maturity were significant determinants of QPM rather than the gross margin of production. Farmers decide to adopt QPM technology because of the high level of technical efficiency in the production of this variety. Their output from QPM can be increased by 11 percent, while the non-adopters can increase their maize output by 22 percent using the available technology.

  3. The Optimal Timing of Adoption of a Green Technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunha-e-Sa, M.A.; Reis, A.B.

    2007-01-01

    We study the optimal timing of adoption of a cleaner technology and its effects on the rate of growth of an economy in the context of an AK endogenous growth model. We show that the results depend upon the behavior of the marginal utility of environmental quality with respect to consumption. When it is increasing, we derive the capital level at the optimal timing of adoption. We show that this capital threshold is independent of the initial conditions on the stock of capital, implying that capital-poor countries tend to take longer to adopt. Also, country-specific characteristics, as the existence of high barriers to adoption, may lead to different capital thresholds for different countries. If the marginal utility of environmental quality decreases with consumption, a country should never delay adoption; the optimal policy is either to adopt immediately or, if adoption costs are t oo high , to never adopt. The policy implications of these results are discussed in the context of the international debate surrounding the environmental political agenda

  4. 17 CFR 200.67 - Power to adopt rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Power to adopt rules. 200.67... AND ETHICS; AND INFORMATION AND REQUESTS Canons of Ethics § 200.67 Power to adopt rules. In exercising... by the Congress imposes the obligation upon the members to adopt rules necessary to effectuate the...

  5. Are You Pregnant and Thinking about Adoption?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... agreements can be useful tools in setting common expectations and should be filed before the adoption is ... allow, and some States require, adoptive parents to pay for the birth mother’s counseling (with various time ...

  6. SMEs' E-commerce Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada

    2009-01-01

    Purpose - Proposes providing an insight about factors affecting business-to-business e-commerce adoption and implementation in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), highlighting similarities and differences between Danish and Australian SMEs.    Design/methodology/approach - The research...... conducted in Danish and Australian companies. Findings - The findings both corroborate previous results about significant factors affecting SMEs' b-to-b e-commerce adoption and implementation and provide new, interesting insights. The study also finds many similarities and differences between Denmark...... and Australia.  Research limitations/implications - The main limitation relates to the difficulty of generalization of the findings to a larger population of SMEs.  To overcome this, a statistical survey is planned to be conducted in the future. Practical implications - The results of the empirical research...

  7. Competition of simple and complex adoption on interdependent networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czaplicka, Agnieszka; Toral, Raul; San Miguel, Maxi

    2016-12-01

    We consider the competition of two mechanisms for adoption processes: a so-called complex threshold dynamics and a simple susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model. Separately, these mechanisms lead, respectively, to first-order and continuous transitions between nonadoption and adoption phases. We consider two interconnected layers. While all nodes on the first layer follow the complex adoption process, all nodes on the second layer follow the simple adoption process. Coupling between the two adoption processes occurs as a result of the inclusion of some additional interconnections between layers. We find that the transition points and also the nature of the transitions are modified in the coupled dynamics. In the complex adoption layer, the critical threshold required for extension of adoption increases with interlayer connectivity whereas in the case of an isolated single network it would decrease with average connectivity. In addition, the transition can become continuous depending on the detailed interlayer and intralayer connectivities. In the SIS layer, any interlayer connectivity leads to the extension of the adopter phase. Besides, a new transition appears as a sudden drop of the fraction of adopters in the SIS layer. The main numerical findings are described by a mean-field type analytical approach appropriately developed for the threshold-SIS coupled system.

  8. Influence of Marketing on Consumer's Adoption of E-Banking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MSc. Ganimete Podvorica

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The financial system plays an extraordinary role in developing and enriching the domestic economy. E-banking service as an innovative software product and service for customers was introduced few years ago in the country from variety of national and international banks: ProCredit Bank, Raiffeissen Bank, Teb Bank, NLB Bank etc., enabling consumers to have access to their bank accounts over the internet. Since internet usage grows rapidly in the country even adoption of e-banking is expected to flourish. Behavior of customers toward adoption is explained using different behavioral model. The objective of this study is to analyze the consumer-adoption process toward e-banking. The survey is used in this respect, to find out the way they learn, try, and adopt or reject e-banking service. Furthermore, the hypothesis those females are significantly different from males on adoption of e-banking services, it prevails the null hypothesis that gender doesn’t affect adoption of e-banking services. The study reveals the characteristics of the consumers toward ebanking adoption process, such as differences in individual readiness to try new product; the information searching; advertisement and direct marketing influence; and speed rates of adoption and non adoption among genders.

  9. Mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards Adoption and Cost of Equity Capital in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uwuigbe Uwalomwa

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This study examined the effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS adoption on the cost of equity capital on Nigerian firms and whether the cost of equity capital effect after adoption of IFRS can be moderated by Return on Equity. The study covered a sample of 11 listed companies in the industrial goods sector for the period 2011 and 2013. The data for the study was secondary data generated from the annual reports and stock market report websites. The cost of equity capital was shown as the expected return on the basic value of a share and computed based on pre and post-adoption data. Findings from the study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between the cost of equity capital and IFRS adoption indicating that the cost of equity capital increased. The market-based performance measure failed to have significant effect on the cost of equity capital after mandatory adoption. The study recommends that policies that improve domestic savings, as a principal source of equity capital, be enacted as an increase should lead to a reduction in the cost of equity capital, interest rates and increase the appeal of equity and foreign investments.

  10. FinTech Adoption Across Generations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlin, Bruce; Olafsson, Arna; Pagel, Michaela

    financial fee payments and penalties, but differs cross-sectionally in the population. After adopting the new technology, Millennials and members of Generation X incur fewer financial fees and penalties, whereas Baby Boomers do not benefit from the technological advance. Millennials and Gen Xers save fees...... by using their credit cards rather than overdrafts to manage short-term liabilities. Moreover, Millennials shift some of their spending to discretionary entertainment, whereas members of Generation X remain more austere. Finally, while men tend to adopt new technology and access information at a higher...

  11. A study of adopted children, their environment, and development:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christoffersen, Mogens

    2012-01-01

    The study explores the developmental consequences for children who have been adopted. The comparison group is comprised of their non- adopted siblings or children in foster homes or group care. A search in scientific databases resulted in more than 3,300 hits about adoption. Among these, 56...... fulfilled the selection criteria from 17 studies across more than 2,000 adoptees and controls. Adopted children scored higher on IQ, school-performance, and lack of behavioral problems than their non-adopted siblings or peers who stayed behind in orphanages or foster homes. The results from OECD countries...

  12. Creating grander families: older adults adopting younger kin and nonkin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinterlong, James; Ryan, Scott

    2008-08-01

    There is a dearth of research on older adoptive parents caring for minor children, despite a growing number of such adoptions finalized each year. This study offers a large-scale investigation of adoptive families headed by older parents. We describe these families and explore how preadoptive kinship between the adoptive parent and the child impacts adoption outcomes. We analyze data from kin (n = 98) and nonkin (n = 310) adoptive families headed by adults aged 60 years and older. We find that older kin adoptive families are smaller, report lower income, and include adoptive mothers with less formal education. Children in these families had less severe needs for special care at the time of placement. Although kin and nonkin older parents offer similar assessments of their parent-child relationships, kin adopters indicate a greater willingness to adopt the same child again and yet report less positive current family functioning. Multivariate regression analyses reveal that preadoptive kinship predicts more negative parental assessment of the adoption's impact on the family and less positive family functioning net of other parent, family, and child characteristics. Externalizing behavior by the child (e.g., delinquency or aggression) is the strongest predictor of deleterious outcomes for both groups. Kin adoption by older adults creates new families under strain but does not reduce parental commitment to the child. We conclude that older adults serve as effective adoptive parents but would benefit from preadoption and postadoption services to assist them in preparing for and positively addressing the challenging behaviors exhibited by adopted children.

  13. Mandatory IFRS adoption and executive compensation: Evidence from China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingchuan Hou

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates how the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS affects the contractual benefits of using accounting information to determine executive compensation in China. After controlling for firm and corporate governance characteristics, we find strong evidence supporting the positive role of mandatory IFRS adoption on the accounting-based performance sensitivity of executive compensation. Subsample analysis suggests that improvements in accounting-based performance sensitivity after IFRS adoption differ across regions with various levels of institutional quality and across firms that are affected to a different extent by the adoption. Additional analysis supports the argument that the positive effects of IFRS adoption on the use of accounting performance in executive compensation are driven by the reduction in accounting conservatism associated with IFRS adoption.

  14. Business model elements impacting cloud computing adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bogataj, Kristina; Pucihar, Andreja; Sudzina, Frantisek

    The paper presents a proposed research framework for identification of business model elements impacting Cloud Computing Adoption. We provide a definition of main Cloud Computing characteristics, discuss previous findings on factors impacting Cloud Computing Adoption, and investigate technology a...

  15. Asthma and allergic rhinitis in adoptees and their adoptive parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J M; Cadoret, R J; Burns, T L; Troughton, E P

    1998-08-01

    Since the highest risk for the development of atopic disease is in early life, environmental risk factors need to be separated from the genetic component in this high risk period. Adoptees removed at birth and placed in adoptive families present a way to separate environmental and genetic factors at this early susceptible age. An opportunity for a pilot study of asthma and allergic rhinitis in adoptive families was presented when a psychiatrist (RC) was planning a behavioral study of young adult adoptees and their adoptive parents. A detailed questionnaire about allergic rhinitis and asthma was added after the psychiatrists' interview. Placement was not influenced by a history of allergy in adoptive or natural parents. The adoptee and at least one adoptive parent completed questionnaires in 367 families. The adoptees had been removed at birth and placed in the adoptive family within 3 months (83% within 1 month). Compared with adoptive families without asthma or allergic rhinitis, an adoptive mother with asthma or rhinitis, when the adoptive father was not affected, increased the risk for asthma in the adoptee (OR = 3.2, P adoptive mother alone (OR = 3.2, P Adoptive father asthma or allergic rhinitis showed a trend toward increased asthma in the adoptee (OR = 1.9, P adoption by parents with asthma or allergic rhinitis suggests that further well planned adoptee studies should be made.

  16. The rearing environment and risk for drug abuse: a Swedish national high-risk adopted and not adopted co-sibling control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendler, K S; Ohlsson, H; Sundquist, K; Sundquist, J

    2016-05-01

    Although drug abuse (DA) is strongly familial, with important genetic influences, we need to know more about the role of rearing environment in the risk for DA. To address this question, we utilized a high-risk adopted and non-adopted co-sibling control design. High-risk offspring had one or more biological parents registered for DA, alcohol use disorders or criminal behavior. Using Swedish registries, we identified 1161 high-risk full-sibships and 3085 high-risk half-sibships containing at least one member who was adopted-away and one member who was not. Registration for DA was via national criminal, medical and pharmacy registers. In Sweden, adoptive families are screened to provide high-quality rearing environment for adoptees. Controlling for parental age at birth and gender (and, in half-siblings, high-risk status of the other parent), risk for DA was substantially lower in the full- and half-siblings who were adopted v. not adopted [hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals: 0.55 (0.45-0·69) and 0.55 (95% CI 0.48-0.63), respectively]. The protective effect of adoption on risk for DA was significantly stronger in the full- and half-sibling pairs with very high familial liability (two high-risk parents) and significantly weaker when the adoptive family was broken by death or divorce, or contained a high-risk parent. In both full- and half-sibling pairs, we found replicated evidence that rearing environment strongly impacts on risk for DA. High-quality rearing environments can substantively reduce risk for DA in those at high genetic risk.

  17. Adoption of new drugs by physicians: a survival analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garjón Francisco

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background New drugs often substitute others cheaper and with a risk-benefit balance better established. Our aim was to analyse the diffusion of new drugs during the first months of use, examining the differences between family physicians and specialists. Methods Prescription data were obtained of cefditoren, duloxetine, etoricoxib, ezetimibe, levocetirizine, olmesartan, pregabalin and tiotropium 36 months after their launching. We obtained the monthly number of prescriptions per doctor and the number prescribers of each drug by specialty. After discarding those with less than 10 prescriptions during this period, physicians were defined as adopters if the number of prescriptions was over the 25th percentile for each drug and level (primary or secondary care. The diffusion of each drug was studied by determining the number of adopter family physicians throughout the study period. Among the group of adopters, we compared the month of the first prescription by family physicians to that of other specialists using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results The adoption of the drugs in primary care follows an exponential diffusion curve that reaches a plateau at month 6 to 23. Tiotropium was the most rapidly and widely adopted drug. Cefditoren spread at a slower rate and was the least adopted. The diffusion of etoricoxib was initially slowed down due to administrative requirements for its prescription. The median time of adoption in the case of family physicians was 4-6 months. For each of the drugs, physicians of a specialty other than family physicians adopted it first. Conclusions The number of adopters of a new drug increases quickly in the first months and reaches a plateau. The number of adopter family physicians varies considerably for different drugs. The adoption of new drugs is faster in specialists. The time of adoption should be considered to promote rational prescribing by providing timely information about new drugs and independent

  18. Measuring the post-adoption customer perception of mobile banking services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Tai-Kuei; Fang, Kwoting

    2009-02-01

    With liberalization and internalization in the financial market and progress in information technology, banks face dual competitive pressures to provide service quality and administrative efficiency. That these recent developments are fueled by technology might misleadingly suggest that the adoption of mobile banking is largely based on technological criteria. The purpose of this study is to establish a better measurement model for postadoption user perception of mobile banking services. Based on 458 valid responses of mobile banking users, the results show that the instrument, consisting of 21 items and 6 factors, is a reliable, valid, and useful measurement for assessing the postadoption perception of mobile banking.

  19. Adoption and Sibling Rivalry

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Life Medical Home Family Dynamics Adoption & Foster Care Communication & Discipline Types of Families Media Work & Play Getting ... as deep, loving, and long-lasting as any parent-child relationship. Last Updated 11/21/2015 Source Caring ...

  20. Government Intervention in SMEs E-Commerce Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hugger, Ada Scupola

    2005-01-01

    Institutional involvement, and especially the role of government, has historically been determinant in the adoption and diffusion of technological innovations. This study investigates the role of government in the adoption and diffusion of e-commerce in small and medium size enterprises. King et ...

  1. Farmers' Characteristics and Adoption' of Recommended Practices ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Gender, educational and household characteristics of respondents were significant determinants of respondents' adoption of Fadama-related technologies, accounting for about 39% of variability in adoption. High costs of water pumps, lack of agro-chemicals (fertilizers) and inadequate funds were major constraint to ...

  2. Adoption of communication technologies and national culture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofstede, G.J.

    2001-01-01

    This paper investigates the question what attributes of countries influence the differential speed at which they adopt new communication technologies. On the basis of empirical data, it concludes that besides GNP per capita, cultural variables predict the speed of technology adoption. In particular,

  3. "We don't know her history, her background": adoptive parents' perspectives on whole genome sequencing results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crouch, Julia; Yu, Joon-Ho; Shankar, Aditi G; Tabor, Holly K

    2015-02-01

    Exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing (ES/WGS) can provide parents with a wide range of genetic information about their children, and adoptive parents may have unique issues to consider regarding possible access to this information. The few papers published on adoption and genetics have focused on targeted genetic testing of children in the pre-adoption context. There are no data on adoptive parents' perspectives about pediatric ES/WGS, including their preferences about different kinds of results, and the potential benefits and risks of receiving results. To explore these issues, we conducted four exploratory focus groups with adoptive parents (N = 26). The majority lacked information about their children's biological family health history and ancestry, and many viewed WGS results as a way to fill in these gaps in knowledge. Some expressed concerns about protecting their children's future privacy and autonomy, but at the same time stated that WGS results could possibly help them be proactive about their children's health. A few parents expressed concerns about the risks of WGS in a pre-adoption context, specifically about decreasing a child's chance of adoption. These results suggest that issues surrounding genetic information in the post-adoption and ES/WGS contexts need to be considered, as well as concerns about risks in the pre-adoption context. A critical challenge for ES/WGS in the context of adoption will be balancing the right to know different kinds of genetic information with the right not to know. Specific guidance for geneticists and genetic counselors may be needed to maximize benefits of WGS while minimizing harms and prohibiting misuse of the information in the adoption process.

  4. Adoption of Innovative Information Systems by SMEs: Comparing The Role of Firm’s Enacted Capabilities of Active Adopters and Non-Active Adopters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noor Akma Mohd Salleh

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available The adoption of innovative information systems (IS by small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs across heterogeneous culture, locales, and markets are a critical and an ongoing challenge. Such challenge requires more than just good ideas and extensive resources. It requires organisational capabilities that can be labelled as “enacted capabilities”. This study defines enacted capabilities as the firm’s ability to mobilise and deploy IS-based resources in combination or co-present with other capabilities within SMEs. Consequently, the aim of this study is to make a contribution by empirically examining the enacted capabilities of SMEs in developing countries that may influence the success of innovative IS adoption. In line with this objective, an innovative IS adoption behaviour investigation is conducted particularly as to why some SMEs are able to be enabled for use and utilise innovative IS, while others fail to do so. A survey of 206 of the CEOs/owners from Malaysian SMEs was con-ducted. The innovative IS examined was the government’s electronic procure-ment systems. The findings are consistent with the notion that all SMEs have enacted capabilities. Some SMEs integrate and coordinate them in a different way, depending on the context of each organisation. The findings also indicate that strong enacted capabilities and perceived net benefits affect the SMEs’ ability to perform or assimilate IS related strategic change.

  5. Adoption of Technology and the Socio-Economic Status of Rural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    economic status of rural women. A comparison of adopters and non-adopters reveals that the adopters are generally more privileged and occupy a higher status because of adoption. In addition, education and awareness are crucial variables in the ...

  6. Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Families: An Exploratory Study of Family Functioning, Adoptive Child's Behavior, and Familial Support Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erich, Stephen; Leung, Patrick; Kindle, Peter; Carter, Sharon

    2005-01-01

    Traditional legal and social forces have hindered the adoption of children by gay and lesbian individuals and couples. Using a convenience sample drawn from gay and lesbian support groups and Internet sites, this exploratory study examines adoptive families with gay and lesbian parents in terms of family functioning capabilities, child's behavior,…

  7. Influences of Biological and Adoptive Mothers’ Depression and Antisocial Behavior on Adoptees’ Early Behavior Trajectories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, David C. R.; Leve, Leslie D.; Harold, Gordon T.; Natsuaki, Misaki; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Reiss, David

    2013-01-01

    Research clearly demonstrates that parents pass risk for depression and antisocial behavior on to their children. However, most research confounds genetic and environmental mechanisms by studying genetically related individuals. Furthermore, most studies focus on either depression or antisocial behavior in parents or children, despite evidence of co-occurrence and shared etiology, and few consider the early origins of these problems in childhood. We estimated the influence of biological and adoptive mothers’ depression and antisocial behavior on growth in child externalizing and internalizing behaviors across early childhood using data from a prospective adoption study. Participants were 346 matched triads of physically healthy children (196 boys; 150 girls), biological mothers (BM), and adoptive mothers (AM). Latent growth curve models were estimated using AM reports of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors at ages 18, 27, and 54 months. Predictors of intercept (18 months) but not slope were identified. BM lifetime histories of major depressive disorder predicted child externalizing behaviors and BM antisocial behavior predicted child internalizing behavior. AM depressive symptoms and antisocial behavior were associated with both child outcomes. AM paths, but not BM paths were partially replicated using adopted fathers’ reports of child outcomes. BM obstetric complications, prenatal depressive symptoms, and postnatal adoptive family contact with BM did not account for BM paths. This adoption study distinguished risks conferred by biological mothers’ depression and antisocial behavior to children’s behaviors from those associated with adoptive mothers’ related symptoms. Future studies should examine gene-environment interplay to explain the emergence of serious problem trajectories in later childhood. PMID:23408036

  8. Influences of biological and adoptive mothers' depression and antisocial behavior on adoptees' early behavior trajectories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, David C R; Leve, Leslie D; Harold, Gordon T; Natsuaki, Misaki N; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Shaw, Daniel S; Reiss, David

    2013-07-01

    Research clearly demonstrates that parents pass risk for depression and antisocial behavior on to their children. However, most research confounds genetic and environmental mechanisms by studying genetically related individuals. Furthermore, most studies focus on either depression or antisocial behavior in parents or children, despite evidence of co-occurrence and shared etiology, and few consider the early origins of these problems in childhood. We estimated the influence of biological and adoptive mothers' depression and antisocial behavior on growth in child externalizing and internalizing behaviors across early childhood using data from a prospective adoption study. Participants were 346 matched triads of physically healthy children (196 boys; 150 girls), biological mothers (BM), and adoptive mothers (AM). Latent growth curve models were estimated using AM reports of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors at ages 18, 27, and 54 months. Predictors of intercept (18 months) but not slope were identified. BM lifetime histories of major depressive disorder predicted child externalizing behaviors and BM antisocial behavior predicted child internalizing behavior. AM depressive symptoms and antisocial behavior were associated with both child outcomes. AM paths, but not BM paths were partially replicated using adopted fathers' reports of child outcomes. BM obstetric complications, prenatal depressive symptoms, and postnatal adoptive family contact with BM did not account for BM paths. This adoption study distinguished risks conferred by biological mothers' depression and antisocial behavior to children's behaviors from those associated with adoptive mothers' related symptoms. Future studies should examine gene-environment interplay to explain the emergence of serious problem trajectories in later childhood.

  9. Comparability Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Stefano Cascino; Joachim Gassen

    2012-01-01

    The mandatory adoption of IFRS by many countries worldwide fuels the expectation that financial accounting information might become more comparable across countries. This expectation is opposed to an alternative view that stresses the importance of incentives in shaping accounting information. We provide early evidence on this debate by investigating the effects of mandatory IFRS adoption on the comparability of financial accounting information around the world. Using two comparability proxie...

  10. Influences on physicians' adoption of electronic detailing (e-detailing).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkhateeb, Fadi M; Doucette, William R

    2009-01-01

    E-detailing means using digital technology: internet, video conferencing and interactive voice response. There are two types of e-detailing: interactive (virtual) and video. Currently, little is known about what factors influence physicians' adoption of e-detailing. The objectives of this study were to test a model of physicians' adoption of e-detailing and to describe physicians using e-detailing. A mail survey was sent to a random sample of 2000 physicians practicing in Iowa. Binomial logistic regression was used to test the model of influences on physician adoption of e-detailing. On the basis of Rogers' model of adoption, the independent variables included relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, peer influence, attitudes, years in practice, presence of restrictive access to traditional detailing, type of specialty, academic affiliation, type of practice setting and control variables. A total of 671 responses were received giving a response rate of 34.7%. A total of 141 physicians (21.0%) reported using of e-detailing. The overall adoption model for using either type of e-detailing was found to be significant. Relative advantage, peer influence, attitudes, type of specialty, presence of restrictive access and years of practice had significant influences on physician adoption of e-detailing. The model of adoption of innovation is useful to explain physicians' adoption of e-detailing.

  11. Understanding producers' motives for adopting sustainable practices

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trujillo-Barrera, Andres; Pennings, Joost M.E.; Hofenk, Dianne

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the motives and risk attitudes of producers to engage in sustainable practices is important for policy-makers who wish to increase the likelihood of adoption and improve the design of incentives. This article examines the underlying motives of producers to adopt sustainable

  12. Determinants of rainwater harvesting technology (RWHT) adoption ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2014-11-26

    Nov 26, 2014 ... study evaluated the determinants of farmers' decisions to adopt rainwater harvesting technology ... adoption of RWHT in the study area. ... In South Africa, agriculture involves large numbers of ... Study area and data collection ..... study in rainwater harvesting: A 2011 perspective. ... Kluwer Academic.

  13. Timing of adoption of clean technologies by regulated monopolies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youssef Slim Ben

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We consider a monopoly firm producing a good and, at the same time, polluting and using fossil energy. By incurring an investment cost, this firm can adopt a lower production cost clean technology using renewable energy. We determine the optimal adoption date for the firm in the case where it is not regulated at all and in the case where it is regulated at each period. Interestingly, the regulated firm adopts the clean technology earlier than what is socially optimal, as opposed to the nonregulated firm. The regulator can induce the firm to adopt the clean technology at the socially optimal date by a postpone adoption subsidy. Nevertheless, the regulator may be interested in the earlier adoption of the firm to encourage the diffusion of the use of clean technologies in other industries.

  14. The adoption of children from out-of-home care: The understandings of key decision makers in Victoria, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butlinski, Anna; Rowe, Heather; Goddard, Christopher; Freezer, Nicholas

    2017-10-01

    Adoption is one of a range of options that can provide children in out-of-home care with permanency when they are unable to be reunified with their birth parents. This paper reports on how the adoption of children from out-of-home care is understood by professionals involved in making decisions about the permanent placement of children in out-of-home care in Victoria, Australia, where adoption is rarely used. Data were collected through a single, face-to-face semi-structured interview with 21 professionals; eight child welfare specialists, eight adoption and permanent care specialists and five judicial officers. The adoption of children from out-of-home care was primarily understood as a child-centered practice that can afford children stability and a sense of belonging. Adoption was largely viewed as a voluntary process dependent upon the consent of a child's birth parents. Adoption and permanent care specialists were the only group to refer to the dispensation of parental consent as a means of obtaining an adoption order. Most decision makers understood that contact between children and their birth parents is possible following adoption, but this was not understood by all judicial officers or all child welfare specialists. Children's connection to their cultural heritage was viewed as important to the consideration of adoption for children in out-of-home care. This research provides insight into the foundations upon which decision makers may appraise adoption, within a hierarchy of options, as a potential outcome for children in need of permanency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of IFRS adoption on tax avoidance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Nogueira Braga

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study investigates the association between mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS adoption and corporate tax avoidance. In this study, tax avoidance is defined as a reduction in the effective corporate income tax rate through tax planning activities, whether these are legal, questionable, or even illegal. Three measures of tax avoidance are used and factors at the country and firm level (that have already been associated with tax avoidance in prior research are controlled. Using samples that range from 9,389 to 15,423 publicly-traded companies from 35 countries, covering 1999 to 2014, it is found that IFRS adoption is associated with higher levels of corporate tax avoidance, even when the level of book-tax conformity required in the countries and the volume of accruals are controlled, both of which are considered potential determinants of this relationship. Furthermore, the results suggest that after IFRS adoption, firms in higher book-tax conformity environments engage more in tax avoidance than firms in lower book-tax conformity environments. It is also identified that engagement in tax avoidance after IFRS adoption derives not only from accruals management, but also from practices that do not involve accruals. The main conclusion is that companies engage more in tax avoidance after mandatory IFRS adoption.

  16. The role of energy advisors on adoption of energy efficiency measures in detached houses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Nair, Gireesh; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden Univ., Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-07-01

    External actors can influence potential adopters to adopt energy efficiency measures. In Sweden energy advisers are one such actor group who provides energy advice and information to the end users. Currently, all municipalities offer energy advisers' service. The success of such service for improvement of energy efficiency of detached houses depends on homeowners' perception towards it. In this context we conducted a national survey of about 3000 owners of detached houses through stratified random sampling method in 2008 summer. We found that majority of owners' of detached houses consider energy advisers as an important source of information. Furthermore, many homeowners who contacted energy advisers for advice had implemented the suggestions. However, only a few homeowners had actually contacted energy advisers. Our findings suggest that it is beneficial to continue the energy adviser service, but more efforts are needed to increase homeowners' awareness of and satisfaction with such services.

  17. Drivers for precision livestock technology adoption: A study of factors associated with adoption of electronic identification technology by commercial sheep farmers in England and Wales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, Eliana; Hopkins, Thomas; Gurney, Emma; Shortall, Orla; Lovatt, Fiona; Davies, Peers; Williamson, George; Kaler, Jasmeet

    2018-01-01

    The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer's beliefs-external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer's beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that 'government pressurise farmers to adopt technology'. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer's capability in use of technology are likely

  18. Imminent adopters of electronic health records in ambulatory care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rainu Kaushal

    2009-03-01

    Conclusions Imminent adopters of EHRs differed from users and non-users. Financial considerations appear to play a major role in adoption decisions. Knowledge of these differences may assist policymakers and healthcare leaders as they work to increase EHR adoption rates.

  19. Facilitators & Barriers to the Adoption of Ergonomic Solutions in Construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dale, Ann Marie; Jaegers, Lisa; Welch, Laura; Barnidge, Ellen; Weaver, Nancy; Evanoff, Bradley A.

    2017-01-01

    Background Rates of musculoskeletal disorders in construction remain high. Few studies have described barriers and facilitators to the use of available ergonomic solutions. This paper describes these barriers and facilitators and their relationship to the level of adoption. Methods Three analysts rated 16 proposed ergonomic solutions from a participatory ergonomics study and assessed the level of adoption, six adoption characteristics, and identified the category of adoption from a theoretical model. Results Twelve solutions were always or intermittently used and were rated positively for characteristics of relative advantage, compatibility with existing work processes, and trialability. Locus of control (worker vs. contractor) was not related to adoption. Simple solutions faced fewer barriers to adoption than those rated as complex. Conclusions Specific adoption characteristics can help predict the use of new ergonomic solutions in construction. Adoption of complex solutions must involve multiple stakeholders, more time, and shifts in culture or work systems. PMID:28195660

  20. Information Technology Adoption, Corporate Governance and Bank Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umi Muawanah

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Many academicians and practitioners have been acknowledging that information technology (IT adoption could improve company performance. However, previous research indicates contradictory evidence. These inconsistencies can be attributed to variations among the studies in choosing proxy for IT adoption and due to contingent on other factors. This research aims at analyzing the influence of a contingent factor that is corporate governance (CG concerning the effectiveness of IT adoption in influencing company performance measured by change in return on assets. Two proxies are used for IT adoption: company expenses on IT and the level of the organization managing IT. Data is collected and analyzed from annual reports of all banks listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2011 to 2013. Multiple linear regression models are employed. This research shows that corporate governance practice could improve the effectiveness of IT adoption in improving company performance. This research implies that better CG practices in providing direction and monitoring on IT can lead to better company performance.

  1. Trendy solutions: Why do states adopt Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandler, Jess [Georgia Institute of Technology, 685 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0345 (United States)], E-mail: jess.chandler@gatech.edu

    2009-08-15

    Thirty-four states had adopted Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards (SEPS) or similar goals by the end of 2008, with 14 adoptions since 2006. There appears to be something trendy about SEPS and states may adopt SEPS when internal variables would indicate otherwise. This analysis extends the current discussion of SEPS adoption beyond internal variables, relying on innovation and diffusion theory. Logistic regression with SEPS adoption as the dependent variable is used to test internal determinants and diffusion measures for the years 1997-2008. Of the internal determinants variables, affluence and government ideology were found to be positive and significant. The results show that regional and neighbor diffusion variables are significant in SEPS adoption decisions-even when accounting for ideological distance from previous adopters.

  2. Trendy solutions. Why do states adopt Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandler, Jess [Georgia Institute of Technology, 685 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0345 (United States)

    2009-08-15

    Thirty-four states had adopted Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards (SEPS) or similar goals by the end of 2008, with 14 adoptions since 2006. There appears to be something trendy about SEPS and states may adopt SEPS when internal variables would indicate otherwise. This analysis extends the current discussion of SEPS adoption beyond internal variables, relying on innovation and diffusion theory. Logistic regression with SEPS adoption as the dependent variable is used to test internal determinants and diffusion measures for the years 1997-2008. Of the internal determinants variables, affluence and government ideology were found to be positive and significant. The results show that regional and neighbor diffusion variables are significant in SEPS adoption decisions - even when accounting for ideological distance from previous adopters. (author)

  3. Trendy solutions: Why do states adopt Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandler, Jess

    2009-01-01

    Thirty-four states had adopted Sustainable Energy Portfolio Standards (SEPS) or similar goals by the end of 2008, with 14 adoptions since 2006. There appears to be something trendy about SEPS and states may adopt SEPS when internal variables would indicate otherwise. This analysis extends the current discussion of SEPS adoption beyond internal variables, relying on innovation and diffusion theory. Logistic regression with SEPS adoption as the dependent variable is used to test internal determinants and diffusion measures for the years 1997-2008. Of the internal determinants variables, affluence and government ideology were found to be positive and significant. The results show that regional and neighbor diffusion variables are significant in SEPS adoption decisions-even when accounting for ideological distance from previous adopters.

  4. Smartphone adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petrovcikova, Katarina; Sudzina, Frantisek

    2017-01-01

    Smartphones are used by majority of Western population, and they are mobile phones of choice also in the rest of the world. The Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) is a marketing theory that explains purchase behavior of consumer goods and services. The framework consists of functional, social......, epistemic, hedonic, and conditional values; the latter being functional and/or social values present only in a specific situation. TCV is used in mobile device adoption literature disproportionably more often than in other fields. But virtually all TCV studies focused on smartphones are qualitative. The aim...

  5. Adoptive Family Adjustment and Its Relation to Perceived Family Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Betty; Kelly, Mary Margaret; Towner-Thyrum, Elizabeth

    1999-01-01

    Interviewed adopted college students regarding perceptions of adoptive family life. Found that overall satisfaction with adoptive status and family life was the strongest predictor of perceived general family environment. Perception of adoptive parents' communication styles predicted different aspects of family environment. Acknowledgment of life…

  6. A maturity model for blockchain adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Huaiqing; Chen, Kun; Xu, Dongming

    2016-01-01

    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...

  7. FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION DECISIONS OF MAIZE FARMERS IN NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olusegun Ayodeji Fadare

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The needs to develop improved varieties of maize have been in the heart of various researchers and institutions in Nigeria because of its strategic role in tackling food insecurity and poverty. Despite substantial efforts to improve maize varieties, the level of adoption of improved maize varieties (IMV in Nigeria in still very low. Although previous adoption studies have indicated a number of socioeconomic and institutional/organizational variables as important factors influencing adoption of improved maize (crop varieties in the country, whether these factors are the main issues of concern, and whether the inclusion of regional/agro-ecological variables in adoption model are also important in explaining what could drive farmers’ adoption behaviour requires investigation. This study therefore examined factors influencing adoption of IMV among farmers in Nigeria using a selected portion of the Nigeria Living Standard Measurement Survey data collected by the National Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank for 2010/2011 cropping season with descriptive statistics and probit model as tools for data analysis. The results suggest, in line with some previous studies, that farm size, education level of farmers and access to extension services would significantly influence adoption of IMV. The results also indicate that farmers across the entire agro-ecological regions of country share some negative sentiments regarding adoption of IMV. Renewed emphasis on interventions that would enable farmers gain more access to farmland, and promote formal education and extension service are advocated. An attempt to incorporate variables that capture farmers’ perception/experience on agroclimatic/ ecologically related concerns in adoption study could aid better understand of what drives farmers’ adoption decisions across the country especially in the light of the emerging climate change issues and its implication on food production.

  8. Learning for supplying as a motive to be the early adopter of a new energy technology: A study on the adoption of stationary fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, A.Y.-J.; Liu, R.-H.

    2008-01-01

    By early adopting a new technology, firms may attempt to improve their production efficiency and become further involved in the supply chain of the technology. These two different advantages derived from learning a new technology are identified as motives for adopting the technology. When learning for supplying (LFS) (becoming involved in the supply chain of the new technology) highlighted in this paper is significant enough, potential adopters may still be willing to adopt the new technology, even though learning for using (LFU) (increasing current production efficiency) is not significant. This paper identifies LFS as a motive for early adopters of the new technology. Firms may adopt a new technology for the purpose of learning how to become the suppliers of the relevant parts, materials, or equipment for the new technology. By investigating the adoption decision of a new energy technology (namely, phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC)), our arguments are supported by both observation of early adopters' attributes and a survey of Taiwanese firms' willingness to adopt new technology

  9. Critical Factors for Personal Cloud Storage Adoption in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianya Wang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: In order to explain and predict the adoption of personal cloud storage, this study explores the critical factors involved in the adoption of personal cloud storage and empirically validates their relationships to a user's intentions. Design/methodology/approach: Based on technology acceptance model (TAM, network externality, trust, and an interview survey, this study proposes a personal cloud storage adoption model. We conducted an empirical analysis by structural equation modeling based on survey data obtained with a questionnaire. Findings: Among the adoption factors we identified, network externality has the salient influence on a user's adoption intention, followed by perceived usefulness, individual innovation, perceived trust, perceived ease of use, and subjective norms. Cloud storage characteristics are the most important indirect factors, followed by awareness to personal cloud storage and perceived risk. However, although perceived risk is regarded as an important factor by other cloud computing researchers, we found that it has no significant influence. Also, subjective norms have no significant influence on perceived usefulness. This indicates that users are rational when they choose whether to adopt personal cloud storage. Research limitations: This study ignores time and cost factors that might affect a user's intention to adopt personal cloud storage. Practical implications: Our findings might be helpful in designing and developing personal cloud storage products, and helpful to regulators crafting policies. Originality/value: This study is one of the first research efforts that discuss Chinese users' personal cloud storage adoption, which should help to further the understanding of personal cloud adoption behavior among Chinese users.

  10. ADOPTION OF IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY IN ETHIOPIA By

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Etsub [ ETSUB

    forms often used are the probit (the standard cumulative distribution function) and ... are techniques for estimating the probability of an event (such as adoption) that can .... credit, availability of labour, etc., are expected to influence the adoption behaviour ..... and have the opportunity to adjust productive resources over time.

  11. Adoptive Parents' Attitudes Toward Open Birth Records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geissinger, Shirley

    1984-01-01

    Investigated adoptive parents' (N=42) attitudes toward the open birth record issues using a mail survey. Analysis indicated that parental fear was the most important variable. Most supported a measure allowing adult adoptees access to birth records, provided such access was agreeable to birth and adoptive parents. (JAC)

  12. Covering Adoption: General Depictions in Broadcast News

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kline, Susan L.; Karel, Amanda I.; Chatterjee, Karishma

    2006-01-01

    Using theories of stigma (Goffman, 1963) and media frames (Iyengar, 1991), 292 news stories pertaining to adoption that appeared on major broadcast networks between 2001 and 2004 were analyzed. Media coverage of adoptees contained more problematic than positive depictions. Although birth parents were not always depicted, adoptive parent and…

  13. Social media adoption in local health departments nationwide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Jenine K; Mueller, Nancy L; Snider, Doneisha

    2013-09-01

    We examined whether characteristics of local health departments (LHD) and their geographic region were associated with using Facebook and Twitter. We also examined the number of tweets per month for Twitter accounts as an indicator of social media use by LHDs. In 2012, we searched for Facebook and Twitter accounts for 2565 LHDs nationwide, and collected adoption date and number of connections for each account. Number of tweets sent indicated LHD use of social media. LHDs were classified as innovators, early adopters, or nonadopters. Characteristics of LHDs were compared across adoption categories, and we examined geographic characteristics, connections, and use. Twenty-four percent of LHDs had Facebook, 8% had Twitter, and 7% had both. LHDs serving larger populations were more likely to be innovators, tweeted more often, and had more social media connections. Frequency of tweeting was not associated with adoption category. There were differences in adoption across geographic regions, with western states more likely to be innovators. Innovation was also higher in states where the state health department adopted social media. Social media has the potential to aid LHDs in disseminating information across the public health system. More evidence is needed to develop best practices for this emerging tool.

  14. Institutional Care and Iron Deficiency Increase ADHD Symptomology and Lower IQ 2.5-5 Years Post-Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doom, Jenalee R.; Georgieff, Michael K.; Gunnar, Megan R.

    2015-01-01

    Increased ADHD symptomology and lower IQ have been reported in internationally adopted (IA) children compared to non-adopted peers (Hostinar, Stellern, Schaefer, Carlson & Gunnar, 2012; Kreppner, O'Connor & Rutter, 2001). However, it is unclear whether these outcomes are due to institutional deprivation specifically or to co-occurring…

  15. The Effect of Family Communication Patterns on Adopted Adolescent Adjustment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueter, Martha A.; Koerner, Ascan F.

    2008-01-01

    Adoption and family communication both affect adolescent adjustment. We proposed that adoption status and family communication interact such that adopted adolescents in families with certain communication patterns are at greater risk for adjustment problems. We tested this hypothesis using a community-based sample of 384 adoptive and 208…

  16. The Quiet Migration Redux: International Adoption, Race, and Difference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leinaweaver, Jessaca B

    2014-01-01

    Demographers frame international adoption primarily as an unusual kind of migration. This insight offers anthropologists new ways to think about kinship. Drawing on demographic scholarship and anthropological kinship and migration studies, this article develops a new and hybrid approach to international adoption as a complex social process that is both migratory and productive of kinship. Viewing international adoption as a form of migration reveals how the stated "push factors" and actual "pull factors" of international adoption do not align perfectly. Using an anthropological life course perspective, the article then explores how the experiences of these "migrants" and those close to them, over time, are better understood as racialization than solely the product of migration. Looking at adoptees' lives through a migration lens reveals some of the persistent discomforts that prevent open conversations about racial difference and minority status in an adoptive context, that is, one where children have been caused to migrate, recruited into families. This article draws on data from ethnographic fieldwork with Spanish parents who have adopted Peruvian children to argue that international adoption is a unique form of immigration that produces a minority category within a majority population.

  17. Embryo donation parents' attitudes towards donors: comparison with adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacCallum, Fiona

    2009-03-01

    Embryo donation produces a family structure where neither rearing parent is genetically related to the child, as in adoption. It is not known how embryo donation parents view the donors compared with how adoptive parents view the birth parents. 21 couples with an embryo donation child aged 2-5 years were compared with 28 couples with an adopted child. Parents were administered a semi-structured interview, assessing knowledge of the donors/birth parents, frequency of thoughts and discussions about the donors/birth parents and disclosure of the donor conception/adoption to the child. Comparisons were made between mothers and fathers to examine gender differences. Embryo donation parents generally knew only the donors' physical characteristics, and thought about and talked about the donors less frequently than adoptive parents thought about and talked about the birth parents. Embryo donation fathers tended to think about the donors less often than did mothers. Disclosure of the child's origins in embryo donation families was far less common than in adoptive families (P parents' views on the donors differ from adoptive parents' views on the birth parents, with donors having little significance in family life once treatment is successful.

  18. Why, when, and how fast innovations are adopted

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves, S.; Laguna, M. F.; Iglesias, J. R.

    2012-06-01

    When the full stock of a new product is quickly sold in a few days or weeks, one has the impression that new technologies develop and conquer the market in a very easy way. This may be true for some new technologies, for example the cell phone, but not for others, like the blue-ray. Novelty, usefulness, advertising, price, and fashion are the driving forces behind the adoption of a new product. But, what are the key factors that lead to adopt a new technology? In this paper we propose and investigate a simple model for the adoption of an innovation which depends mainly on three elements: the appeal of the novelty, the inertia or resistance to adopt it, and the interaction with other agents. Social interactions are taken into account in two ways: by imitation and by differentiation, i.e., some agents will be inclined to adopt an innovation if many people do the same, but other will act in the opposite direction, trying to differentiate from the "herd". We determine the conditions for a successful implantation of the new technology, by considering the strength of advertising and the effect of social interactions. We find a balance between the advertising and the number of anti-herding agents that may block the adoption of a new product. We also compare the effect of social interactions, when agents take into account the behavior of the whole society or just a part of it. In a nutshell, the present model reproduces qualitatively the available data on adoption of innovation.

  19. Determinants of internet poker adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philander, Kahlil S; Abarbanel, B Lillian

    2014-09-01

    In nearly all jurisdictions, adoption of a new form of gambling has been a controversial and contentious subject. Online gambling has been no different, though there are many aspects that affect online gambling that do not appear in the brick and mortar environment. This study seeks to identify whether demographic, economic, political, technological, and/or sociological determinants contribute to online poker gambling adoption. A theoretical discussion of these categories' importance to online poker is provided and exploratory empirical analysis is used to examine their potential validity. The analysis revealed support for all of the proposed categories of variables thought to be predictive of online gambling legality.

  20. Model Adoption Exchange Payment System: Executive Summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosino, Robert J.

    This executive summary provides a brief description of the Model Adoption Exchange Payment System (MAEPS), a unique payment system aimed at improving the delivery of adoption exchange services throughout the United States. Following a brief introductory overview, MAEPS is described in terms of (1) its six components (registration, listing,…

  1. Explaining e-business adoption - Innovation & entrepreneurship in Dutch SMEs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, M.

    2005-01-01

    Explaining e-business adoptionThis dissertation deals with the explanation of e-business adoption in Dutch small and medium sized enterprises. The adoption of e-business plays an important part in making existing business more efficient and effective. Moreover, it is a tool for business development

  2. Determinants of adoption and productivity of improved rice varieties ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study employed adoption index, logit model and stochastic frontier model to assess the adoption status, its determinants and impact on farmers' productivity respectively. The results show that farmers have responded appreciably to intervention programme that promote the use of improved rice varieties with an adoption ...

  3. analysis of adoption of agro-biotechnological innovations in pig

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adinya photo

    farmers on adoption of new technologies in pig production has positive influence on output of improved ... number of factors among which include non-adoption of ... I. B. Adinya, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Cross River University of Technology ... Theoretical framework on adoption behaviour of pig.

  4. Factors leading to inflation targeting : The impact of adoption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Samarina, Anna; Sturm, Jan-Egbert

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines how the analysis of inflation targeting (IT) adoption is affected by allowing for a structural change after adoption, using panel probit models for 60 countries over the period 1985-2008. Our findings suggest that there is a structural change after IT adoption. Including the

  5. Drivers for precision livestock technology adoption: A study of factors associated with adoption of electronic identification technology by commercial sheep farmers in England and Wales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, Thomas; Gurney, Emma; Shortall, Orla; Lovatt, Fiona; Davies, Peers; Williamson, George; Kaler, Jasmeet

    2018-01-01

    The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer’s beliefs–external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer’s beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that ‘government pressurise farmers to adopt technology’. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer’s capability in use of

  6. Advancing Consumer Adoption of Blockchain Applications

    OpenAIRE

    Witherspoon, Zane

    2017-01-01

    Blockchain technology as a whole is experiencing a dramatic rise in adoption, in no small part due to the developer-friendly Ethereum network. While the number of smart-contract powered distributed applications (Dapps) continues to rise, they face many of the same challenges all new technologies face as they are introduced to a market. By modeling the consumer adoption of blockchain technology and analyzing scholarly literature on supply-side factors affecting the diffusion of technology, we ...

  7. Adoption, nation, migration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Anders Riel

    2013-01-01

    Som transnationalt adopteret vokser man ofte op med en fortælling om, at man er født i et fattigt land. Og at ens første forældre var fattige eller oplevede så store problemer, at de ikke så andre muligheder end at afgive en til adoption. Det er en historie, man bliver fortalt igen og igen. Og so...

  8. Stepwise innovation adoption : a neglected concept in innovation research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huizingh, K.R.E.; Brand, M.J.

    2009-01-01

    Most innovation researchers tend to consider innovation adoption as a binary process, implying that companies have either adopted an innovation or not. In this paper we focus on e-commerce as an innovation that can be adopted stepwise. We distinguish between two levels of e-commerce, basic and

  9. Adoption research, practice, and societal trends: Ten years of progress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiley, Mary O'Leary

    2017-12-01

    Adoption involves the legal transfer of parental rights and responsibilities from a child's birth parents to adults who will raise the child (Reitz & Watson, 1992). Research related to adoption has expanded over the past 10 years and has incorporated more focus on implications for practice and public policy. This expansion has reflected increased awareness of the lived experience of adopted individuals, in addition to that of adoptive families and birth or first parents and families, collectively known as the adoption kinship network (Grotevant & McRoy, 1998). Trends discussed included research and social trends or movements (2007-2017) since the publication of the final article in a series of articles in the psychological literature related to adoption in The Counseling Psychologist (Baden & Wiley, 2007; Lee, 2003; O'Brien & Zamostny, 2003; Wiley & Baden, 2005; Zamostny, O'Brien, Baden, & Wiley, 2003; Zamostny, Wiley, O'Brien, Lee, & Baden, 2003). This article summarizes the social trends and research related to adoption over the last 10 years, including longitudinal and meta-analytic studies, increased research and conceptualization of ethnic and racial identity development, research on microaggressions, and research on diverse adoptive families, including those with gay and lesbian parents. Social trends included increased knowledge related to Internet accessibility, genetic information, continued focus on openness, and viewing adoption through a more critical lens. Implications are discussed for the development of programs that enhance competence of mental health professionals and adoption professionals in adoption-competent practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Countering tobacco industry sponsorship of Hispanic/Latino organizations through policy adoption: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portugal, Cecilia; Cruz, Tess Boley; Espinoza, Lilia; Romero, Marisol; Baezconde-Garbanati, Lourdes

    2004-07-01

    Restricted by Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) provisions, the tobacco industry employs corporate sponsorship of communities of color (e.g., sponsoring community cultural events and/or chambers of commerce) to secure their stronghold. The Hispanic/Latino Tobacco Education Network (H/LaTEN) initiated efforts to counter these marketing forms within the Hispanic community. In 1998, 38 California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCCs) were contacted to assess the tobacco industry's marketing tactics and penetration. CHCCs reported receiving tobacco funding in the past, making them susceptible to future protobacco industry influence. Subsequently, an intervention was implemented to inoculate the CHCCs against industry influence by encouraging an antitobacco corporate sponsorship policy adoption. Six CHCCs representing approximately 400 businesses in the community adopted this policy. Targeting susceptible organizations including and beyond the Hispanic community and advocating for an antitobacco corporate sponsorship policy adoption are strategies that can be used in tandem with MSA enforcement to effectively build resistance.

  11. Forecasting the adoption of residential ductless heat pumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hlavinka, Alexander N.; Mjelde, James W.; Dharmasena, Senarath; Holland, Christine

    2016-01-01

    Energy-efficient technologies have the potential to provide savings to households and utilities, but consumers do not always adopt these innovations over traditional technologies. The ductless heat pump (DHP) is one such technology designed to increase energy efficiency and comfort in space conditioning. DHP adoption by single-family residences in the Pacific Northwest of the United States is investigated by quantifying the effects of utility-provided rebates and expenditures on activities such as advertising and installer training on the number of installations and forecasting installations through 2018. The number of installations is elastic with respect to net installation costs and inelastic with respect to expenditures. Given the proposed rebate budgets, doubling the current rebate is necessary to maximize installations through 2018. - Highlights: • The ductless heat pump (DHP) is an energy-efficient form of space conditioning. • Rebate and marketing programs designed to increase adoptions of DHPs are examined. • Residential adoption of DHPs is sensitive to rebates and tax credits. • Advertising and training have a smaller effect on adoption than rebates.

  12. Adopting small-scale production of electricity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tengvard, Maria; Palm, Jenny (Linkoeping Univ., Dept. of Technology and Social Change, Linkoeping (Sweden)). e-mail: maria.tengvard@liu.se

    2009-07-01

    In Sweden in 2008, a 'new' concept for small-scale electricity production attracted massive media attention. This was mainly due to the efforts of Swedish company Egen El, which is marketing small-scale photovoltaics (PVs) and wind turbines to households, both homeowners and tenants. Their main selling point is simplicity: their products are so easy to install that everyone can do it. Autumn 2008 also saw IKEA announce that within three years it would market solar panels. How, then, do households perceive these products? Why would households choose to buy them? How do households think about producing their own electricity? Analysis of material based on in-depth interviews with members of 20 households reveals that environmental concerns supply the main motive for adopting PVs or micro wind power generation. In some cases, the adopting households have an extensively ecological lifestyle and such adoption represents a way to take action in the energy area. For some, this investment is symbolic: a way of displaying environmental consciousness or setting an example to others. For still others, the adoption is a protest against 'the system' with its large dominant actors or is a way to become self-sufficient. These microgeneration installations are rejected mainly on economic grounds; other motives are respect for neighbours and difficulties finding a place to install a wind turbine.

  13. Emerging Trends in Fostering and Child Adoption Practices among ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The paper examines emerging trends in child fostering and adoption practices among the Igbo in time perspective. It discusses traditional practices that served as alternatives to child adoption in the pre-colonial period, child adoption practice which is one of the legacies of British colonial administration and the various ...

  14. Cloud Computing Adoption in Organisations: Review of Empirical Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Haslinda

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study reviews literature on cloud computing adoption in organisations to identify its influential factors and its operationalisation in prior literature. We classify the factors that influence the cloud computing adoption using the three contexts suggested by the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE framework, namely, technology, organisation, and environment. The finding suggests that the influences of these factors vary across studies and most of the studies have operationalised cloud computing adoption using intention to adopt cloud computing or binary variable, rather than the actual use of the technology.

  15. Adoption of rainwater harvesting technologies by farmers in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Adoption of rainwater harvesting technologies by farmers in Tanzania with particular reference to the Western, Pare Lowlands. ... in time) about adoption rather than depending on single season static data. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  16. Economic Motives for Adopting LGBT-Related Workplace Policies

    OpenAIRE

    Sears, Brad; Mallory, Christy; Hunter, Nan

    2011-01-01

    The past decade has seen a large increase in the number of corporations adopting LGBT-related workplace policies.  This study evaluates the economic impact of non-discrimination and benefits policies by analyzing the extent to which economic reasons motivate corporations to adopt such policies.  This study reviews statements issued when adopting such policies by the top 50 Fortune 500 companies and the top 50 federal government contractors.  Overall, we find that almost all of top 50 Fortune ...

  17. Adoption consideration and concerns among young adult female cancer survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorman, Jessica R; Whitcomb, Brian W; Standridge, Daniel; Malcarne, Vanessa L; Romero, Sally A D; Roberts, Samantha A; Su, H Irene

    2017-02-01

    We compared adoption consideration between female young adult cancer survivors and women of the same age in the general US population, hypothesizing that cancer survivors who desired children would report greater interest in adoption than an age-adjusted general population sample who desired children. After age-standardizing the cancer survivor cohort to match the age distribution of the 2006-2010 National Survey for Family Growth (NSFG), we estimated adoption consideration among women age 18-35 years who wanted a (another) child in the two cohorts overall and within age groups. We assessed characteristics and concerns related to adoption consideration among cancer survivors. Among cancer survivors, 81.6 % (95 % CI 75.7-87.6) reported that they would consider adoption compared to 40.3 % (95 % CI 40.3-40.3) of women in the general population. While over 80 % of the cancer survivor sample reported that they would consider adoption, only 15 % of cancer survivors reported no concerns about adoption. The most common concerns were desire for a biological child (48 %), expense (45 %), adoption agency candidacy (41 %), and needing more information (39 %). We observed a twofold higher interest in adoption when comparing the cancer survivor with the general population, suggesting that adoption is a consideration for many young women who have survived cancer. Adoption is an important family-building option for those who want to have a child but are unable to or choose not to have a biological child. However, young adult survivors may need more support to understand and navigate this process.

  18. Comparative Studies of Collaborative Team Depression Care Adoption in Safety Net Clinics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ell, Kathleen; Wu, Shinyi; Guterman, Jeffrey; Schulman, Sandra-Gross; Sklaroff, Laura; Lee, Pey-Jiuan

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate three approaches adopting collaborative depression care model in Los Angeles County safety net clinics with predominantly Latino type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: Pre-post differences in treatment rates and symptom reductions were compared between baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups for each approach: (a) Multifaceted…

  19. Observing relationships in Finnish adoptive families: Oulu Family Rating Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tienari, Pekka; Wynne, Lyman C; Sorri, Anneli; Lahti, Ilpo; Moring, Juha; Nieminen, Pentti; Joukamaa, Matti; Naarala, Mikko; Seitamaa, Markku; Wahlberg, Karl-Erik; Miettunen, Jouko

    2005-01-01

    Adoption studies were intended to separate genetic from environmental "causal" factors. In earlier adoption studies, psychiatric diagnostic labels for the adoptive parents were used as a proxy for the multiple dimensions of the family rearing environment. In the Finnish Adoption Study, research design provided the opportunity to study directly the adoptive family rearing environment. For this purpose 33 sub-scales were selected creating what we call Oulu Family Rating Scale (OPAS, Oulun PerheArviointiSkaala). In this paper, the manual for scoring of these sub-scales is presented.

  20. Essays in technology adoption and corporate finance

    OpenAIRE

    Patel, Pratish

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation consists of three chapters that concern technology adoption and corporate finance. The first chapter analyzes the optimal investment strategy of two firms confronted with the option to adopt a new technology. The second chapter analyzes the link between debt maturity and term spread. The third chapter analyzes the role of debt financing on skyscraper heights.

  1. Market effects on electronic health record adoption by physicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdolrasulnia, Maziar; Menachemi, Nir; Shewchuk, Richard M; Ginter, Peter M; Duncan, W Jack; Brooks, Robert G

    2008-01-01

    Despite the advantages of electronic health record (EHR) systems, the adoption of these systems has been slow among community-based physicians. Current studies have examined organizational and personal barriers to adoption; however, the influence of market characteristics has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of market characteristics on EHR adoption by physicians. Generalized hierarchal linear modeling was used to analyze EHR survey data from Florida which were combined with data from the Area Resource File and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. The main outcome variable was self-reported use of EHR by physicians. A total of 2,926 physicians from practice sizes of 20 or less were included in the sample. Twenty-one percent (n = 613) indicated that they personally and routinely use an EHR system in their practice. Physicians located in counties with higher physician concentration were found to be more likely to adopt EHRs. For every one-unit increase in nonfederal physicians per 10,000 in the county, there was a 2.0% increase in likelihood of EHR adoption by physicians (odds ratio = 1.02, confidence interval = 1.00-1.03). Health maintenance organization penetration rate and poverty level were not found to be significantly related to EHR adoption. However, practice size, years in practice, Medicare payer mix, and measures of technology readiness were found to independently influence physician adoption. Market factors play an important role in the diffusion of EHRs in small medical practices. Policy makers interested in furthering the adoption of EHRs must consider strategies that would enhance the confidence of users as well as provide financial support in areas with the highest concentration of small medical practices and Medicare beneficiaries. Health care leaders should be cognizant of the market forces that enable or constrain the adoption of EHR among their practices and those of their competitors.

  2. "Teaching Case": ComprehensiveCare and the Re-Adoption of an Electronic Health Records System: Preparing for a Successful Adoption after a Failed Attempt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomillion, David L.

    2017-01-01

    After a prior failed adoption, ComprehensiveCare plans for a second attempt in adopting Electronic Health Records. The owner-physicians on the board of directors have replaced the administrator due in part to the missteps of the prior adoption. William Shoemaker, the new administrator, must grapple with several important decisions to provide the…

  3. The early growth and development study: a prospective adoption design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leve, Leslie D; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Ge, Xiaojia; Scaramella, Laura V; Conger, Rand D; Reid, John B; Shaw, Daniel S; Reiss, David

    2007-02-01

    The Early Growth and Development Study is a prospective adoption study of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children (N=359 triads) that was initiated in 2003. The primary study aims are to examine how family processes mediate or moderate the expression of genetic influences in order to aid in the identification of specific family processes that could serve as malleable targets for intervention. Participants in the study are recruited through adoption agencies located throughout the United States, following the birth of a child. Assessments occur at 6-month intervals until the child reaches 3 years of age. Data collection includes the following primary constructs: infant and toddler temperament, social behavior, and health; birth and adoptive parent personality characteristics, psychopathology, competence, stress, and substance use; adoptive parenting and marital relations; and prenatal exposure to drugs and maternal stress. Preliminary analyses suggest the representativeness of the sample and minimal confounding effects of current trends in adoption practices, including openness and selective placement. Future plans are described.

  4. Evaluation of a novel dog adoption program in two US communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan-Gibbons, Heather; Weiss, Emily; Garrison, Laurie; Allison, Meg

    2014-01-01

    Millions of dogs enter animal welfare organizations every year and only a fraction of them are adopted. Despite the most recent American Pet Products Association (APPA) data that nearly half the US population owns a dog, only 20% acquired their dog from an animal welfare organization. Studies show that people consider adopting from an animal shelter more often than they actually do, which indicates a potential market increase if programs can make shelter dogs more visible to adopters. This research focused on a novel adoption program where shelter dogs were transferred into foster homes who were tasked with finding an adopter. Shelter dogs were placed in the path of potential adopters and bypassed the need for the adopter to go to the shelter. The results show that this novel program was effective in a variety of ways including getting dogs adopted. Although length of stay was significantly longer for dogs in the program, the dogs were in a home environment, not taking up kennel space in the shelter. The program also had a lower rate of returns than dogs adopted at the shelter. The foster program tapped adopters in different geographical segments of the community than the dogs adopted from the shelter. By bringing shelter dogs to where adopters spend their time (ex: restaurants, parks, hair salons), the program potentially captured a segment of the population who might have obtained their dog from other sources besides the shelter (such as breeders or pet stores). This novel approach can be an effective method for adoption, has many benefits for shelters, and can tap into a new adopter market by engaging their community in a new way.

  5. Evaluation of a Novel Dog Adoption Program in Two US Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan-Gibbons, Heather; Weiss, Emily; Garrison, Laurie; Allison, Meg

    2014-01-01

    Millions of dogs enter animal welfare organizations every year and only a fraction of them are adopted. Despite the most recent American Pet Products Association (APPA) data that nearly half the US population owns a dog, only 20% acquired their dog from an animal welfare organization. Studies show that people consider adopting from an animal shelter more often than they actually do, which indicates a potential market increase if programs can make shelter dogs more visible to adopters. This research focused on a novel adoption program where shelter dogs were transferred into foster homes who were tasked with finding an adopter. Shelter dogs were placed in the path of potential adopters and bypassed the need for the adopter to go to the shelter. The results show that this novel program was effective in a variety of ways including getting dogs adopted. Although length of stay was significantly longer for dogs in the program, the dogs were in a home environment, not taking up kennel space in the shelter. The program also had a lower rate of returns than dogs adopted at the shelter. The foster program tapped adopters in different geographical segments of the community than the dogs adopted from the shelter. By bringing shelter dogs to where adopters spend their time (ex: restaurants, parks, hair salons), the program potentially captured a segment of the population who might have obtained their dog from other sources besides the shelter (such as breeders or pet stores). This novel approach can be an effective method for adoption, has many benefits for shelters, and can tap into a new adopter market by engaging their community in a new way. PMID:24663804

  6. Evaluation of a novel dog adoption program in two US communities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heather Mohan-Gibbons

    Full Text Available Millions of dogs enter animal welfare organizations every year and only a fraction of them are adopted. Despite the most recent American Pet Products Association (APPA data that nearly half the US population owns a dog, only 20% acquired their dog from an animal welfare organization. Studies show that people consider adopting from an animal shelter more often than they actually do, which indicates a potential market increase if programs can make shelter dogs more visible to adopters. This research focused on a novel adoption program where shelter dogs were transferred into foster homes who were tasked with finding an adopter. Shelter dogs were placed in the path of potential adopters and bypassed the need for the adopter to go to the shelter. The results show that this novel program was effective in a variety of ways including getting dogs adopted. Although length of stay was significantly longer for dogs in the program, the dogs were in a home environment, not taking up kennel space in the shelter. The program also had a lower rate of returns than dogs adopted at the shelter. The foster program tapped adopters in different geographical segments of the community than the dogs adopted from the shelter. By bringing shelter dogs to where adopters spend their time (ex: restaurants, parks, hair salons, the program potentially captured a segment of the population who might have obtained their dog from other sources besides the shelter (such as breeders or pet stores. This novel approach can be an effective method for adoption, has many benefits for shelters, and can tap into a new adopter market by engaging their community in a new way.

  7. Gender differences in adoption of recommended improved cassava ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Gender differences in adoption of recommended improved cassava production ... (39%) are involved in full time farm employment and the incidence of single parenthood ... The females on the other hand recorded higher adoption rates of the ...

  8. Factors influencing the adoption of smartphones by undergraduate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Factors influencing the adoption of smartphones by undergraduate students at ... ha ve thus far c oncentrated on the adoption of mobile technologies especially ... who may also want to explore the implementation of mobile learning systems, ...

  9. Competing explanations for adopting energy innovations for new office buildings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vermeulen, Walter J.V.; Hovens, Jeroen

    2006-01-01

    An integrative model to explain potential adopters' decisions to adopt energy innovations was adapted and applied in the field of new office building construction. We tested the relative effects of competing theoretical explanations (derived from economics, innovation science and policy science) on the decision to adopt. The research covered 35 projects representing 9% of the total volume of new office construction in the Netherlands between 2000 and mid-2002. Two levels of explanations for adopting innovations were derived: (a) the potential adopter's weighed assessments of the innovations and his or her nature of decision making and (b) explanation of those first-level variables. Using multiple regression techniques, we determined the relative influence on innovation-adoption of variables covering economy and technology, government intervention, company characteristics, and influences from market and society. The decision to adopt 'mature' innovations, in contrast to 'young' innovations, is based more on routine procedures than project-specific considerations. Policies need to take this difference into consideration. We also show evidence that in promoting adoption of E-innovations for new office buildings the Dutch system of applying Energy Performance Standards and subsidies proofs to be effective

  10. Oxidative dissolution of ADOPT compared to standard UO2 fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilsson, Kristina; Roth, Olivia; Jonsson, Mats

    2017-01-01

    In this work we have studied oxidative dissolution of pure UO 2 and ADOPT (UO 2 doped with Al and Cr) pellets using H 2 O 2 and gammaradiolysis to induce the process. There is a small but significant difference in the oxidative dissolution rate of UO 2 and ADOPT pellets, respectively. However, the difference in oxidative dissolution yield is insignificant. Leaching experiments were also performed on in-reactor irradiated ADOPT and UO 2 pellets under oxidizing conditions. The results indicate that the U(VI) release is slightly slower from the ADOPT pellet compared to the UO 2. This could be attributed to differences in exposed surface area. However, fission products with low UO 2 solubility display a higher relative release from ADOPT fuel compared to standard UO 2 -fuel. This is attributed to a lower matrix solubility imposed by the dopants in ADOPT fuel. The release of Cs is higher from UO 2 which is attributed to the larger grain size of ADOPT. - Highlights: •Oxidative dissolution of ADOPT fuel is compared to standard UO 2 fuel. •Only marginal differences are observed. •The main difference observed is in the relative release rate of fission products. •Differences are claimed to be attributed to a lower matrix solubility imposed by the dopants in ADOPT fuel.

  11. Market factors and electronic medical record adoption in medical practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menachemi, Nir; Mazurenko, Olena; Kazley, Abby Swanson; Diana, Mark L; Ford, Eric W

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies identified individual or practice factors that influence practice-based physicians' electronic medical record (EMR) adoption. Less is known about the market factors that influence physicians' EMR adoption. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between environmental market characteristics and physicians' EMR adoption. The Health Tracking Physician Survey 2008 and Area Resource File (2008) were combined and analyzed. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between three dimensions of the market environment (munificence, dynamism, and complexity) and EMR adoption controlling for several physician and practice characteristics. In a nationally representative sample of 4,720 physicians, measures of market dynamism including increases in unemployment, odds ratio (OR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.91, 0.99], or poverty rates, OR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.89, 0.96], were negatively associated with EMR adoption. Health maintenance organization penetration, OR = 3.01, 95% CI [1.49, 6.05], another measure of dynamism, was positively associated with EMR adoption. Physicians practicing in areas with a malpractice crisis, OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.71, 0.94], representing environmental complexity, had lower EMR adoption rates. Understanding how market factors relate to practice-based physicians' EMR adoption can assist policymakers to better target limited resources as they work to realize the national goal of universal EMR adoption and meaningful use.

  12. Adaptive Behavior in Adopted Children: Predictors from Early Risk, Collaboration in Relationships within the Adoptive Kinship Network, and Openness Arrangements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grotevant, Harold D.; Ross, Nicole M.; Marchel, Mary Ann; McRoy, Ruth G.

    1999-01-01

    Examined links between early risk and problematic developmental outcomes in adopted children during middle childhood. Found no direct relation between prenatal, perinatal, or preplacement risk factors and problematic socioemotional adjustment. With 12 high-risk children, proactive cooperation among the child's adoptive and birth family members on…

  13. Differences in public and private sector adoption of telemedicine: Indian case study for sectoral adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sood, Sanjay P; Negash, Solomon; Mbarika, Victor W A; Kifle, Mengistu; Prakash, Nupur

    2007-01-01

    Telemedicine is the use of communication networks to exchange medical information for providing healthcare services and medical education from one site to another. The application of telemedicine is more promising in economically developing countries with agrarian societies. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) identifies three healthcare services: clinical medical services, health and medical education, and consumer health information. However, it is not clear how these services can be adopted by different sectors: public and private. This paper looks at four Indian case studies, two each in public and private sectors to understand two research questions: Are there differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private hospitals. If there are differences: What are the differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private sectors? Authors have used the extant literature in telemedicine and healthcare to frame theoretical background, describe the research setting, present the case studies, and provide discussion and conclusions about their findings. Authors believe that as India continues to develop its telemedicine infrastructures, especially with continued government support through subsidies to private telemedicine initiatives, its upward trend in healthcare will continue. This is expected to put India on the path to increase its life expectancy rates, especially for it rural community which constitute over 70% of its populace.

  14. Higher education technological knowledge and patterns of technology adoptions in undergraduate STEM courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Zarka Asghar

    Identifying, examining, and understanding faculty members' technological knowledge development and the process of technology adoption in higher education is a multifaceted process. Past studies have used Rogers (1995, 2003) diffusion of innovation theoretical framework to delineate the technology adoption process. These studies, however, have frequently reported the influencing factors based on the statistical analysis such as regression analysis-based approach, and have not focused on the emerging process of technology adoptions or the developing process of technological knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. A mixed method study was designed to see how faculty members acquire different technologies and develop technological knowledge that might help them adopt technologies in their classrooms and online using different pedagogies. A sample of STEM teaching faculty members with different ranks, tenure, teaching experience, and varied degree of experience in the use of educational technologies participated in the study. A survey was designed to identify internal and external factors affecting technology adoption and its effective use in different teaching activities. To elaborate survey results, the study also included class observations as well as pre- and post-observation interviews. Online classrooms used by the faculty via Blackboard learning management system, online flipped classrooms, or other websites such as Piazza were also examined for data triangulation. The findings of the study indicate that faculty members are influenced by their own professional motivations and student learning to improve their teaching methods and to enhance student interactions and learning through the use of different educational technologies. The adoption process was identified as spreading over a period of time and it looked at how faculty members' developed their technological knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. With the recognition of the social, organizational, and

  15. Technology adoption in nonrenewable resource management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunha-e-Sa, Maria A.; Balcao Reis, Ana; Roseta-Palma, Catarina

    2009-01-01

    Technological change has played an important role in models of nonrenewable resource management, since its presence mitigates the depletion effect on extraction costs over time. We formalize the problem of a competitive nonrenewable resource extracting firm faced with the possibility of technology adoption. Based on a quadratic extraction cost function, our results show that the expected net benefits from adoption increase both with the size of the resource stock and with prices. A boundary that separates the region where expected net benefits are positive from the one where they are negative is derived. (author)

  16. Green House Adoption and Nursing Home Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afendulis, Christopher C; Caudry, Daryl J; O'Malley, A James; Kemper, Peter; Grabowski, David C

    2016-02-01

    To evaluate the impact of the Green House (GH) model on nursing home resident-level quality of care measures. Resident-level minimum data set (MDS) assessments merged with Medicare inpatient claims for the period 2005 through 2010. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we compared changes in care quality and outcomes in 15 nursing homes that adopted the GH model relative to changes over the same time period in 223 matched nursing homes that had not adopted the GH model. For individuals residing in GH homes, adoption of the model lowered readmissions and several MDS measures of poor quality, including bedfast residents, catheter use, and pressure ulcers, but these results were not present across the entire GH organization, suggesting possible offsetting effects for residents of non-GH "legacy" units within the GH organization. GH adoption led to improvement in rehospitalizations and certain nursing home quality measures for individuals residing in a GH home. The absence of evidence of a decline in other clinical quality measures in GH nursing homes should reassure anyone concerned that GH might have sacrificed clinical quality for improved quality of life. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  17. Privacy Attitudes among Early Adopters of Emerging Health Technologies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia Cheung

    Full Text Available Advances in health technology such as genome sequencing and wearable sensors now allow for the collection of highly granular personal health data from individuals. It is unclear how people think about privacy in the context of these emerging health technologies. An open question is whether early adopters of these advances conceptualize privacy in different ways than non-early adopters.This study sought to understand privacy attitudes of early adopters of emerging health technologies.Transcripts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with early adopters of genome sequencing and health devices and apps were analyzed with a focus on participant attitudes and perceptions of privacy. Themes were extracted using inductive content analysis.Although interviewees were willing to share personal data to support scientific advancements, they still expressed concerns, as well as uncertainty about who has access to their data, and for what purpose. In short, they were not dismissive of privacy risks. Key privacy-related findings are organized into four themes as follows: first, personal data privacy; second, control over personal information; third, concerns about discrimination; and fourth, contributing personal data to science.Early adopters of emerging health technologies appear to have more complex and nuanced conceptions of privacy than might be expected based on their adoption of personal health technologies and participation in open science. Early adopters also voiced uncertainty about the privacy implications of their decisions to use new technologies and share their data for research. Though not representative of the general public, studies of early adopters can provide important insights into evolving attitudes toward privacy in the context of emerging health technologies and personal health data research.

  18. Privacy Attitudes among Early Adopters of Emerging Health Technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Cynthia; Bietz, Matthew J; Patrick, Kevin; Bloss, Cinnamon S

    2016-01-01

    Advances in health technology such as genome sequencing and wearable sensors now allow for the collection of highly granular personal health data from individuals. It is unclear how people think about privacy in the context of these emerging health technologies. An open question is whether early adopters of these advances conceptualize privacy in different ways than non-early adopters. This study sought to understand privacy attitudes of early adopters of emerging health technologies. Transcripts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with early adopters of genome sequencing and health devices and apps were analyzed with a focus on participant attitudes and perceptions of privacy. Themes were extracted using inductive content analysis. Although interviewees were willing to share personal data to support scientific advancements, they still expressed concerns, as well as uncertainty about who has access to their data, and for what purpose. In short, they were not dismissive of privacy risks. Key privacy-related findings are organized into four themes as follows: first, personal data privacy; second, control over personal information; third, concerns about discrimination; and fourth, contributing personal data to science. Early adopters of emerging health technologies appear to have more complex and nuanced conceptions of privacy than might be expected based on their adoption of personal health technologies and participation in open science. Early adopters also voiced uncertainty about the privacy implications of their decisions to use new technologies and share their data for research. Though not representative of the general public, studies of early adopters can provide important insights into evolving attitudes toward privacy in the context of emerging health technologies and personal health data research.

  19. The effect of policy incentives on electric vehicle adoption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langbroek, Joram H.M.; Franklin, Joel P.; Susilo, Yusak O.

    2016-01-01

    In order to increase the attractiveness of electric vehicles (EVs), packages of policy incentives are provided in many countries. However, it is still unclear how effective different policy incentives are. Also, it is questionable that they have the same impact on different groups of people. In this study, based on a stated-choice experiment, the effect of several potential policy incentives on EV-adoption, as well as the influence of socio-psychological determinants are investigated, using constructs of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The probability of stated EV-adoption increases if policy incentives are offered in the choice experiment, which is expected because of the decrease of the generalized cost of EV-use. The high stated valuation of free parking or access to bus lanes makes those incentives an efficient alternative to expensive subsidies. EV-adoption probability increases for people that are further in the process of behavioural change. However, the responsiveness to subsidies decreases for people in more advanced stages-of-change. People that believe EVs to be effective in decreasing the negative externalities of the current transport system and people whose travel patterns can cope with the use of EVs also have a higher probability to choose the EV. - Highlights: •Policy incentives have a positive influence on electric vehicle adoption. •Being in advanced stages-of-change to EV-adoption increases likelihood to adopt EVs. •People in more advanced stages-of-change to EV-adoption are less price-sensitive. •People with a high self-efficacy and response efficacy are more likely to adopt EVs.

  20. Health information technology adoption in U.S. acute care hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ning Jackie; Seblega, Binyam; Wan, Thomas; Unruh, Lynn; Agiro, Abiy; Miao, Li

    2013-04-01

    Previous studies show that the healthcare industry lags behind many other economic sectors in the adoption of information technology. The purpose of this study is to understand differences in structural characteristics between providers that do and that do not adopt Health Information Technology (HIT) applications. Publicly available secondary data were used from three sources: American Hospital Association (AHA) annual survey, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) analytics annual survey, and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) databases. Fifty-two information technologies were grouped into three clusters: clinical, administrative, and strategic decision making ITs. Negative binomial regression was applied with adoption of technology as the dependent variables and eight organizational and contextual factors as the independent variables. Hospitals adopt a relatively larger proportion of administrative information technology as compared to clinical and strategic IT. Large size, urban location and HMO penetration were found to be the most influential hospital characteristics that positively affect information technology adoption. There are still considerable variations in the adoption of information technology across hospitals and in the type of technology adopted. Organizational factors appear to be more influential than market factors when it comes to information technology adoption. The future research may examine whether the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program in 2011 would increase the information technology uses in hospitals as it provides financial incentives for HER adoptions and uses among providers.

  1. Knowledge and adoption of solar home systems in rural Nicaragua

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rebane, Kaja L.; Barham, Bradford L.

    2011-01-01

    Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising electrification option for many households in the developing world. In most countries SHSs are at an early stage of dissemination, and thus face a hurdle common to many emerging alternative energy technologies: many people do not know enough about them to decide whether to adopt one or not. This study uses survey data collected in Nicaragua to investigate characteristics that predict the knowledge and adoption of SHSs among the rural population. First, a series of probit models is used to model the determinants of four measures of SHS knowledge. Next, a biprobit model with sample selection is employed to investigate the factors that predict SHS adoption, conditional on having sufficient knowledge to make an adoption decision. Comparison of the biprobit formulation to a standard probit model of adoption affirms its value. This study identifies multiple determinants of SHS knowledge and adoption, offers several practical recommendations to project planners, and provides an analytical framework for future work in this policy-relevant area. - Research highlights: → Solar home systems (SHSs) are a promising rural electrification option in the developing world. → As with many emerging renewable energy technologies, lack of knowledge may limit SHS adoption. → We use probit models to investigate the determinants of SHS knowledge in rural Nicaragua. → We also employ a biprobit model linking the determinants of knowledge and adoption. → We find that in analyzing SHS adoption, accounting for sample selection based on knowledge is key.

  2. Exploring private consumers’ willingness to adopt Smart Grid technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toft, Madeleine Broman; Thøgersen, John

    2015-01-01

    it involves behavioural changes. There is a need to get more insight into who are willing to adopt SGT and why. This study draws on innovation adoption theory as a framework for understanding consumer adoption of this new technology. We explore whether consumers who have already adopted other types of new......The goal of radically increasing the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources puts the current electrical grid under pressure and one of the solutions is to turn the grid into a ‘Smart Grid’. One of the key elements of the Smart Grid is that electricity consumers make some...... of their consumption available as flexible capacity to balance the grid. Consumers’ flexible capacity is only available to the grid if the consumers adopt Smart Grid technology (SGT) that establishes the link between the electric system and the consumer. This technology is new to private consumers and using...

  3. Problem behaviors of children adopted from the former Soviet Union.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGuinness, Teena M; Pallansch, Leona

    2007-01-01

    Although current meta-analyses of problem behavior of internationally adopted children exist, few children adopted from the former Soviet Union have been included in these reports. A significant concern is that 13 children adopted from the former Soviet Union have died at the hands of their American adoptive parents since 1996. A cohort of 105 children adopted from the former Soviet Union has been assessed at two points in time by telephone and postal surveys to measure the impact of risk and protective factors on problem behavior. Pre-adoptive risk factors have declined in importance (except for birth weight) and protective factors (operationalized as aspects of family environment) have increased in influence over time. Problem behavior scores declined slightly at Time 2, despite the children having entered adolescence. Families play a significant role in the behavior of children adopted from the former Soviet Union. Nurses should counsel families to shape the child's environment during the transition from orphanage to homes in the United States, especially for children who are low birth weight.

  4. Some Considerations on the Adoption Registration in the Civil Registry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela LUPŞAN

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Filiation is, in a broad sense, an identity element, dependent or not on the biological relationships, that represents, in some situations, either a condition for the existence of a right (e.g. the right to inheritance or for example to conclude a legal act (e.g. marriage. The proof of filiation is the birth certificate drawn up in civil registry or on the material basis of birth, or on the basis of the adoption judgment. In this paper, we aimed at analyzing the final part of the adoption procedure, the subsequent stage for becoming final the adoption judgment, which sets face to face the adopting person or family and the administrative authority, obliged to execute the judge's decision, i.e. to create a filiation relation between the adopted on the one hand and the adoptive parent or parents.

  5. Active Drivers of Adoption of Internet Banking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pankaj Yadav

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Application of internet by banking sector in India has changed the definition of banking completely. The management of different banks has been making concrete efforts to facilitate the acceptance of i-banking by bringing out its benefits to the customers. This paper identifies the active factors that influence customers intention regarding use of internet banking in Himachal Pradesh  Data was collected from a sample of 120 respondents through a well structured questionnaire. The data was collected from Government employees of Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh by asking close ended questions regarding their attitude towards i-banking and their future intention about its use . For analysing and interpreting data in the present study, basic statistical tools, chi-square test (test of independence and logistical regression analysis was used with the help of SPSS 16.0 version. Out of seven factors i.e., perceived risk, perceived usefulness,  perceived quality of service, Perceived cost, Perceived ease of use, trust and awareness, three significant factors i.e., perceived risk, perceived usefulness  and perceived quality of service have been identified that actively influence future adoption intention to adopt internet banking . Further the study exhibited that perceived usefulness and perceived quality of service positively influence the intention to adopt i-banking while perceived risk negatively affect the future adoption intention of i-banking. This  model has the overall predictability of classifying 76.7 % cases correctly and exhibited that 87.2 % customers are classified for adopting i-banking service whereas 57.1 % customers for not having intention to use it in future

  6. Readiness to adopt a performance measurement system for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Readiness to adopt a performance measurement system for substance abuse treatment: Findings from the Service Quality Measures initiative. ... system, findings show that the likelihood of adoption can be further increased through improved provider awareness and enhanced leadership support for this health innovation.

  7. The adoption of crowdsourcing platforms in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Chuene, D

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available that are sometimes too mundane for employees. A lot of organisations in different countries have adopted and embraced this phenomenon with gusto. South Africa being the African continent’s most developed economy is also embracing crowdsourcing. However, the adoption...

  8. Preventive Measures Adopted by Nigerian Farmers for the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study investigated the adoption of environmental hazards preventive measures among cocoa farmers in Nigeria. It specifically identified and evaluated the preventive measures adopted by the farmers against environmental hazards associated with cocoa farming. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting ...

  9. Intercountry Adoption: A Comparison between France and England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenfield, Joanna

    1995-01-01

    Examined the intercountry adoption experiences of 100 French and 100 English families, comparing policy in each country. Found a lack of effective and sensitive management of the introductory meetings between prospective parents and adoptive children, and of adequate birth records information. (HTH)

  10. THE ROLE OF PHILOSOPHICAL MINDSET IN EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION ADOPTION

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmad Talebian; Shahram Salavati

    2016-01-01

    The adoption of innovation is a cultural and managerial challenge for the modern educational systems. In the educational systems, managers/principals play significant roles to a successful innovation adoption. This paper evaluates the relation between philosophical mindset (comprehensiveness, introspection and flexibility) and motivation of educational innovation adoption. Through a survey, the data were gathered from 213 secondary school principals. Testing of hypotheses, using Spearman corr...

  11. What Constitutes Adoption of the Web: A Methodological Problem in Assessing Adoption of the World Wide Web for Electronic Commerce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Marilyn Domas; Abels, Eileen G.; Gordon-Murnane, Laura

    1998-01-01

    Reports on methodological developments in a project to assess the adoption of the Web by publishers of business information for electronic commerce. Describes the approach used on a sample of 20 business publishers to identify five clusters of publishers ranging from traditionalist to innovator. Distinguishes between adopters and nonadopters of…

  12. Crossing the Technology Adoption Chasm: Implications for DoD

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Coughlan, Peter; Dew, Nicholas; Gates, William

    2008-01-01

    .... To better understand DOD's technology adoption challenges, we review the technology diffusion literature to identify factors associated with successful and unsuccessful technology adoption processes...

  13. Technology adoption subsidies. An experiment with managers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aalbers, Rob; Van der Heijden, Eline; Potters, Jan; Van Soest, Daan; Vollebergh, Herman

    2009-01-01

    We evaluate the impact of technology adoption subsidies on investment behavior in an individual choice experiment. In a laboratory setting professional managers are confronted with an intertemporal decision problem in which they have to decide whether or not to search for, and possibly adopt, a new technology. Technologies differ in the per-period benefits they yield, and their purchase price increases with the per-period benefits provided. We introduce a subsidy on the more expensive technologies (that also yield larger per-period benefits), and find that the subsidy scheme induces agents to search for and adopt these more expensive technologies even though the subsidy itself is too small to render these technologies profitable. We speculate that the result is driven by the positive connotation (affect) that the concept 'subsidy' invokes. (author)

  14. Technology adoption subsidies. An experiment with managers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aalbers, Rob [Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, P.O. Box 80510, 2508 GM The Hague (Netherlands); Van der Heijden, Eline; Potters, Jan [CentER and Department of Economics, Tilburg University, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg (Netherlands); Van Soest, Daan [Department of Spatial Economics/IVM, VU University, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Vollebergh, Herman [Tinbergen Institute, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, P.O. Box 303, 3720 AH Bilthoven (Netherlands)

    2009-05-15

    We evaluate the impact of technology adoption subsidies on investment behavior in an individual choice experiment. In a laboratory setting professional managers are confronted with an intertemporal decision problem in which they have to decide whether or not to search for, and possibly adopt, a new technology. Technologies differ in the per-period benefits they yield, and their purchase price increases with the per-period benefits provided. We introduce a subsidy on the more expensive technologies (that also yield larger per-period benefits), and find that the subsidy scheme induces agents to search for and adopt these more expensive technologies even though the subsidy itself is too small to render these technologies profitable. We speculate that the result is driven by the positive connotation (affect) that the concept 'subsidy' invokes. (author)

  15. Enacting the family: the performance of kinship in adoptive parents’ weblogs

    OpenAIRE

    García González, Macarena

    2013-01-01

    Adoptive parents have turned out to be passionate bloggers. Couples adopting internationally are using the Internet intensely to share experiences and pieces of advice in the form of autobiographical accounts of their (troubled) adoption processes. These blogs not only connect a community facing multiple difficulties but, moreover, enact the family where the blood ties are missing. This study examines how the blogs of parents adopting girls in China perform parenthood by paralleling the adopt...

  16. Hitting the ground running: Healthgrid deployment and adoption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gwadry-Sridhar, Femida; Olabarriaga, Silvia D.; van Kampen, Antoine; Bauer, Michael; Solomonides, Tony

    2010-01-01

    We consider the issues of healthgrid development, deployment and adoption in health care and research environments. While healthgrid technology could be deployed to support advanced medical research, we are not seeing its wide adoption. Understanding why this technology is not being exploited is one

  17. Demand Heterogeneity and the Adoption of Platform Complements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    G.J. Rietveld (Joost); J.P. Eggers

    2016-01-01

    textabstractThis paper offers a demand-based theory of how platform maturity affects the adoption of platform complements. We argue that differences between early and late adopters of the platform include willingness to pay for the platform-and-complement bundle, risk preferences, preference for

  18. Adoption of Rainwater Harvesting Technologies 'by Farmers in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    and methodological problems in studying adoption of RWH technologies. A survey approach ... reduce the problem of availability of technical knowledge to farmers . Key words: . Adoption ... plete information about the technology and its potential. ..... of erosion and accessibility. .... difticult because of're!iance on memories of.

  19. Effective factors on adoption ofinnovation in organizational IT ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... organizational factors and human factors have a positive and significant effect on adoption of new technologies. The results of analysis of regression and simple linear regression revealed that organizational and innovation variables have highest coefficients with most effectiveness in adoption of new technologies in IT.

  20. A longitudinal investigation of children internationally adopted at school age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helder, Emily J; Mulder, Elizabeth; Gunnoe, Marjorie Linder

    2016-01-01

    Most existing research on children adopted internationally has focused on those adopted as infants and toddlers. The current study longitudinally tracked several outcomes, including cognitive, behavioral, emotional, attachment, and family functioning, in 25 children who had been internationally adopted at school age (M = 7.7 years old at adoption, SD = 3.4, range = 4–15 years). We examined the incidence of clinically significant impairments, significant change in outcomes over the three study points, and variables that predicted outcomes over time. Clinically significant impairments in sustained attention, full-scale intelligence, reading, language, executive functioning, externalizing problems, and parenting stress were common, with language and executive functioning impairments present at higher levels in the current study compared with past research focusing on children adopted as infants and toddlers. Over the three study points, significant improvements across most cognitive areas and attachment functioning were observed, though significant worsening in executive functioning and internalizing problems was present. Adoptive family-specific variables, such as greater maternal education, smaller family size, a parenting approach that encouraged age-expected behaviors, home schooling, and being the sole adopted child in the family were associated with greater improvement across several cognitive outcomes. In contrast, decreased parenting stress was predicted by having multiple adopted children and smaller family sizes were associated with greater difficulties with executive functioning. Child-specific variables were also linked to outcomes, with girls displaying worse attachment and poorer cognitive performance and with less time in orphanage care resulting in greater adoption success. Implications for future research and clinical applications are discussed.

  1. Adopting an Evidence-Based Lifestyle Physical Activity Program: Dissemination Study Design and Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunn, Andrea L; Buller, David B; Dearing, James W; Cutter, Gary; Guerra, Michele; Wilcox, Sara; Bettinghaus, Erwin P

    2012-06-01

    BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of research studies that have examined academic-commercial partnerships to disseminate evidence-based physical activity programs. Understanding this approach to dissemination is essential because academic-commercial partnerships are increasingly common. Private companies have used dissemination channels and strategies to a degree that academicians have not, and declining resources require academicians to explore these partnerships. PURPOSE: This paper describes a retrospective case-control study design including the methods, demographics, organizational decision-making, implementation rates, and marketing strategy for Active Living Every Day (ALED), an evidence-based lifestyle physical activity program that has been commercially available since 2001. Evidence-based public health promotion programs rely on organizations and targeted sectors to disseminate these programs although relatively little is known about organizational-level and sector-level influences that lead to their adoption and implementation. METHODS: Cases (n=154) were eligible if they had signed an ALED license agreement with Human Kinetics (HK), publisher of the program's textbooks and facilitator manuals, between 2001 and 2008. Two types of controls were matched (2:2:1) and stratified by sector and region. Active controls (Control 1; n=319) were organizations that contacted HK to consider adopting ALED. Passive controls (Control 2; n=328) were organizations that received unsolicited marketing materials and did not initiate contact with HK. We used Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT) constructs as the basis for developing the survey of cases and controls. RESULTS: Using the multi-method strategy recommended by Dillman, a total of n=801 cases and controls were surveyed. Most organizations were from the fitness sector followed by medical, nongovernmental, governmental, educational, worksite and other sectors with significantly higher response rates from government

  2. Introducing the Clean-Tech Adoption Model: A California Case Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bijlveld, P.C. (Paul); Riezebos, P. (Peter); Wierstra, E. (Erik)

    2012-01-01

    Abstract. The Clean-Tech Adoption Model (C-TAM) explains the adoption process of clean technology. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT) combined with qualitative research and empirical data gathering, the model predicts adoption based on the perceived quality,

  3. Development and Adjustment of Adopted Adolescents : Longitudinal and Concurrent Factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jaffari-Bimmel, Nicole

    2005-01-01

    The first study of this thesis (Chapter 2) showed that the majority of the internationally adopted children are well adjusted, although a relatively large minority of adopted children had behavior problems of clinical significance or were referred to mental health services compared with non-adopted

  4. Surrogacy, Compensation, and Legal Parentage: Against the Adoption Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Zyl, Liezl; Walker, Ruth

    2015-09-01

    Surrogate motherhood is treated as a form of adoption in many countries: the birth mother and her partner are presumed to be the parents of the child, while the intended parents have to adopt the baby once it is born. Other than compensation for expenses related to the pregnancy, payment to surrogates is not permitted. We believe that the failure to compensate surrogate mothers for their labour as well as the significant risks they undertake is both unfair and exploitative. We accept that introducing payment for surrogates would create a significant tension in the adoption model. However, we recommend rejecting the adoption model altogether rather than continuing to prohibit compensation to surrogates.

  5. ATM Technology Adoption in U.S. Campus Networking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Engui; Perry, John F.; Anderson, Larry S.; Brook, R. Dan; Hare, R. Dwight; Moore, Arnold J.; Xu, Xiaohe

    This study examined the relationships between ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) adoption in universities and four organizational variables: university size, type, finances, and information processing maturity. Another purpose of the study was to identify the current status of ATM adoption in campus networking. Subjects were university domain LAN…

  6. Towards adoptive cellular therapy of chronic autoimmune arthritis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Flierman, Roelof

    2008-01-01

    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a relatively common disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation of joints. The research as described in this thesis focused on the question of whether adoptive cellular therapy is effective in a mouse model of RA. The most generally known type of adoptive

  7. Contraceptive practices adopted by women attending an urban ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    To estimate proportion of couples using contraceptive methods, identify reasons for their adoption & non adoption and to assess unmet needs for contraception. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study of four months duration was conducted among married women in reproductive age group (15 – 49 years) attending ...

  8. 45 CFR 1151.43 - Adoption of grievance procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Enforcement § 1151.43 Adoption of grievance procedures. A recipient may adopt an internal grievance procedure... prohibited by this part. A responsible official should be designated to coordinate the recipient's efforts in connection with this section. Such procedures need not be established with respect to complaints from...

  9. Categories for Barriers to Adoption of Instructional Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Pat

    2014-01-01

    Although higher education has spent millions of dollars on instructional technologies, often higher education administration complains that instructors are not adopting them. Without a full understanding of possible barriers, higher education institutes are hard-pressed to develop either appropriate goals or sound strategies for the adoption of…

  10. Transfer of adoptive immunity to tuberculosis in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lefford, M.J.

    1975-01-01

    A system is described for studying adoptive immunity to tuberculosis in syngeneic mice. Donor mice were immunized with 10 4 BCG intravenously, and lymphoid cells were harvested 28 days later. Adoptive immunity was measured in recipient mice in terms of the inhibition of growth of BCG in the liver and spleen following intravenous injection. Adoptive immunity was expressed optimally when recipients were sublethally irradiated (500 R), challenged with 10 4 to 10 5 viable organisms, and given sensitized lymphoid cells intravenously. Adoptive immunity was not manifest until 14 days after challenge and was effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv as well as BCG. Immunity could be conferred by spleen, lymph node, peritoneal exudate, and resident peritoneal (washout) cells. The lymphoid cells conferring immunity were shown to be thymus-dependent lymphocytes by virtue of their nonadherence to glass wool and sensitivity to anti-theta serum plus complement. The sensitized cells were relatively susceptible to both in vitro and in vivo x irradiation

  11. Reasons for adopting technological innovations reducing physical workload in bricklaying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jong, A M; Vink, P; de Kroon, J C A

    2003-09-15

    In this paper the adoption of technological innovations to improve the work of bricklayers and bricklayers' assistants is evaluated. Two studies were performed among 323 subjects to determine the adoption of the working methods, the perceived workload, experiences with the working methods, and the reasons for adopting the working methods. Furthermore, a comparison of the results of the studies was made with those of two similar studies in the literature. The results show that more than half of the sector adopted the innovations. The perceived workload was reduced. The employees and employers are satisfied with the working methods and important reasons for adoption were cost/benefit advantages, improvement of work and health, and increase in productivity. Problems preventing the adoption were the use of the working methods at specific sites, for instance in renovation work. The adoption of the new working methods could perhaps have been higher or faster if more attention had been paid to the active participation of bricklayers and bricklayers' assistants during the development of the new working methods and to the use of modern media techniques, such as the Internet and CD/DVD.

  12. A Longitudinal Study of Family Structure and Size and Adoption Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barth, Richard P.; Brooks, Devon

    1997-01-01

    This follow-up study of international and domestic adoptions, involving participants first studied in 1981, investigated the role of family size and structure, particularly the presence of both biological and adopted children in a family, on adoption outcomes. Data suggested that families who adopt children and have birth children may have less…

  13. Adoption and perspectives of precision farming in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Søren Marcus; Fountas, Spyros; Blackmore, Simon

    2004-01-01

    Precision farming (PF) and site-specific input application based on GPS has been a management tool and option for arable farmers for about 10 years. About 400 Danish farmers have already adopted some PF-practices on their farms. This adoption and the technical and economic perspectives of PF have...

  14. Malnutrition and Adoption: Two Variables in Child Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cusminsky, Marcos; And Others

    1984-01-01

    Analyzes effects of differentiated stimulation over the indexes of growth and development on severely malnourished children during their hospitalization and after being adopted. The sample consisted of 26 children who presented second and third degrees of malnutrition and who were younger than two years of age when adopted. (RH)

  15. Research misconduct definitions adopted by U.S. research institutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resnik, David B; Neal, Talicia; Raymond, Austin; Kissling, Grace E

    2015-01-01

    In 2000, the U.S. federal government adopted a uniform definition of research misconduct as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism (FFP), which became effective in 2001. Institutions must apply this definition of misconduct to federally-funded research to receive funding. While institutions are free to adopt definitions of misconduct that go beyond the federal standard, it is not known how many do. We analyzed misconduct policies from 183 U.S. research institutions and coded them according to thirteen different types of behavior mentioned in the misconduct definition. We also obtained data on the institution's total research funding and public vs. private status, and the year it adopted the definition. We found that more than half (59%) of the institutions in our sample had misconduct policies that went beyond the federal standard. Other than FFP, the most common behaviors included in definitions were "other serious deviations" (45.4%), "significant or material violations of regulations" (23.0%), "misuse of confidential information" (15.8%), "misconduct related to misconduct" (14.8%), "unethical authorship other than plagiarism" (14.2%), "other deception involving data manipulation" (13.1%), and "misappropriation of property/theft" (10.4%). Significantly more definitions adopted in 2001 or later went beyond the federal standard than those adopted before 2001 (73.2% vs. 26.8%), and significantly more definitions adopted by institutions in the lower quartile of total research funding went beyond the federal standard than those adopted by institutions in the upper quartiles. Public vs. private status was not significantly associated with going beyond the federal standard.

  16. Information Sources Influencing Soil Testing Innovation Adoption by Grape Farmers in the Khorramdarreh Township

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyedeh Shirin Golbaz

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Testing soil  is recognized to be an important practice for sustainable use of nutrients, which has been introduced to Iranian grape farmers as an innovation for over a decade. Its adoption and utilization may be influenced by receiving information from different sources. This study is performed to introduce these information sources that may influence the adoption of soil testing innovation by grape farmers. Using a survey, a sample of 260 out of 3942 grape farmers of the Khorramdarreh Township was selected using a stratified sampling technique and data was collected by structured interviews using a questionnaire. The content and face validity of the questionnaire was discussed and reviewed by a panel of experts consisting of university staff and agricultural professionals. Its reliability was also assessed through a pilot study and its main constructs were approved to be reliable using the Cronbach’s alpha test (measures between 0.71 and 0.84. Less than half of the grape farmers conducted soil testing in their vineyards. A regression analysis showed that variables such as contact of the farmers with model grape producers, Poster Received, publications and listening to radio programs and farmers’ education have a significant positive impact on soil testing innovation adoption. Therefore, both interpersonal and mass media can have a positive effect on farmers to adopt this innovation.

  17. Information Technology Diffusion: A Comparative Case Study of Intranet Adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Zolla, George A., Jr.

    1999-01-01

    This exploratory study identifies factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of intranet technology. A comparative case study of bipolar organizations is used to identify crucial implementation factors and create an innovation adoption model. A strategic approach for the adoption and diffusion of intranet technology is then presented.

  18. Small Firm Internet Adoption: a market oriented approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colin Jones

    2002-11-01

    Full Text Available Fundamental to the development of new customer value offerings via web-based commerce is a small firm’s ability to strategically acquire and exploit knowledge. The focus of this paper is the empirical testing of a normative web-based commerce adoption model developed from a review of the extant literature related to electronic marketing, the Internet and the diffusion of new innovations. A preliminary test of the model’s theoretical contentions lent support to its overall focus, but found that the firm’s existing learning capabilities were diminished during the adoption of web-based commerce. Consequently, sub-optimal adoption outcomes were associated with insufficient knowledge development.

  19. 78 FR 18954 - Incentives To Adopt Improved Cybersecurity Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-28

    ... [Docket Number 130206115-3115-01] Incentives To Adopt Improved Cybersecurity Practices AGENCY: U.S... best practices and standards, once adopted, are updated in the light of changing threats and new...

  20. Determinants of social contagion during new product adoption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Langley, D.J.; Bijmolt, T.H.A.; Ortt, J.R.; Pals, N.

    2012-01-01

    Social contagion has been shown to play an important role during new product adoption by consumers. Social contagion is the process by which consumers influence each other to adopt and use a product in a specific way. Current literature makes a basic assumption that social contagion is caused by the

  1. Potential Ramifications of Common Core State Standards Adoption on Information Literacy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob Paul Eubanks

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In the United States, the decline in jobs for high school educated workers and the proliferation of jobs for post-secondary educated workers is driving the development of the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards theoretically shift K-12 pedagogy towards ability development of critical and extended thinking skills, preparing high school graduates for college and career readiness. This literature review explores the reasoning behind the shift to the Common Core State Standards and asks questions regarding the potential ramifications their adoption might have on post-secondary information literacy instruction.

  2. Toward a Process View in Adoption of Interorganizational Information Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brandt, Charlotte J.

    2014-01-01

    , and despite the apparent reason to come to terms with IOIS, the utilization rate is still low. Adoption of IOIS is an interesting process to study, because of the high complexity in successful adoption of IOIS created by the increased number of organizations involved in the adoption process, and because...

  3. Lost opportunities: Modeling commercial building energy code adoption in the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, Hal T.

    2012-01-01

    This paper models the adoption of commercial building energy codes in the US between 1977 and 2006. Energy code adoption typically results in an increase in aggregate social welfare by cost effectively reducing energy expenditures. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, I test if relative state funding, a new, objective, multivariate regression-derived measure of government capacity, as well as a vector of control variables commonly used in comparative state research, predict commercial building energy code adoption. The research shows little political influence over historical commercial building energy code adoption in the sample. Colder climates and higher electricity prices also do not predict more frequent code adoptions. I do find evidence of high government capacity states being 60 percent more likely than low capacity states to adopt commercial building energy codes in the following year. Wealthier states are also more likely to adopt commercial codes. Policy recommendations to increase building code adoption include increasing access to low cost capital for the private sector and providing noncompetitive block grants to the states from the federal government. - Highlights: ► Model the adoption of commercial building energy codes from 1977–2006 in the US. ► Little political influence over historical building energy code adoption. ► High capacity states are over 60 percent more likely than low capacity states to adopt codes. ► Wealthier states are more likely to adopt commercial codes. ► Access to capital and technical assistance is critical to increase code adoption.

  4. A Conceptual Model Of E-Government Adoption in Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Darmawan Napitupulu

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to determine various factors are related with the process of e-Government adoption. Many researchers have traced the success factors of e-Government but are still partial. This research contributes not only in terms of technological factors but also the attitudes and behaviors of its users (personality traits) which is also influential in the process of technology adoption. In this research, will be developed an adoption model of technology in the context of e-Government. This...

  5. Management Challenges for DevOps Adoption within UK SMEs

    OpenAIRE

    Jones, Stephen; Noppen, Joost; Lettice, Fiona

    2016-01-01

    The DevOps phenomenon is gathering pace as more UK organisations seek to leverage the benefits it can potentially bring to software engineering functions. However substantial organisational change is inherent to adopting DevOps, especially where there are prior and established methods. As part of a wider piece of doctoral research investigating the management challenges of DevOps adoption, we present early findings of a six month qualitative diary study following the adoption of DevOps within...

  6. Adopting the EURO in Romania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilie ŞIMON

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the adoption of the Euro currency in 2014, as estimated in the National Programme. Based on the convergence criteria analysis on the current national background, we can foresee an earlier monetary integration.

  7. Modelling the adoption of automatic milking systems in Noord-Holland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matteo Floridi

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Innovation and new technology adoption represent two central elements for the business and industry development process in agriculture. One of the most relevant innovations in dairy farms is the robotisation of the milking process through the adoption of Automatic Milking Systems (AMS. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of selected Common Agricultural Policy measures on the adoption of AMS in dairy farms. The model developed is a dynamic farm-household model that is able to simulate the adoption of AMS taking into account the allocation of productive factors between on-farm and off-farm activities. The model simulates the decision to replace a traditional milking system with AMS using a Real Options approach that allows farmers to choose the optimal timing of investments. Results show that the adoption of AMS, and the timing of such a decision, is strongly affected by policy uncertainty and market conditions. The effect of this uncertainty is to postpone the decision to adopt the new technology until farmers have gathered enough information to reduce the negative effects of the technological lock-in. AMS adoption results in an increase in farm size and herd size due to the reduction in the labour required for milking operations.

  8. Model Adoption Exchange Payment System: Technical Specifications and User Instructions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosino, Robert J.

    This user's manual, designed to meet the needs of adoption exchange administrators and program managers for a formal tool to assist them in the overall management and operation of their program, presents the Model Adoption Exchange Payment System (MAEPS), which was developed to improve the delivery of adoption exchange services throughout the…

  9. Parents' Perspectives on Adopting English Names in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chiu-Yen; Ke, I-Chung

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the adoption of English names in Taiwan through questionnaires and interviews with parents of junior high school students. In total, 564 parents filled out a questionnaire regarding their adoption of an English name, reasons for needing an English name, and their perspectives about their child's English name. We interviewed…

  10. 27 CFR 5.28 - Adoption of predecessor's formulas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Adoption of predecessor's formulas. 5.28 Section 5.28 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF DISTILLED SPIRITS Formulas § 5.28 Adoption of...

  11. Sharing Experiences of Intercountry Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raudaskoski, Pirkko; McIlvenny, Paul

    In recent years, fields such as discursive psychology have paid attention to the social, instead of solely individual, character of emotions, bringing to the fore the interactional organisation of affect displays. In the same vein, other ‘inner’ processes, such as memory, are studied from...... are interactionally occasioned. Our special concern is with how the past is built into the present through memory work that is actualised and performed not just through language but also through embodied attention such as body posture, gaze and gestures. In other words, we study how the past is folded into the now...... of this research is to better understand the relationships between multimodality, embodiment, interaction and affect. We present the results of our analysis of how the experiences of adoptive parents are (re)mediated in a Danish television documentary series following five prospective adoptive couples, not all...

  12. [Motivations for a consultation before adoption: A multicenter study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thieblemont, M; Francois, P; Poirier, V; Bosdure, E; Munck, M-R; Borsa-Dorion, A; Hazart, I; Moukagni-Pelzer, M; Brunel, D; Peyron, F; de Monleon, J-V

    2016-01-01

    While the number of international adoptions in France is decreasing, adopted children are older and in poorer health than they used to be. This phenomenon has resulted in an increase in the demand for preadoption consultations over the past several years. This study analyses the reasons for these consultations. Prospective multicenter study conducted from 1 January to 31 December 2013. Ten centers contributed to the study, i.e., 196 preadoption consultations. Seeking medical advice was the reason for 88% of the consultations, whether the advice was based on the study of an identified child's medical file (32%) or a country's healthcare characteristics, whether the country was identified (34%) or not (23%). In 6% of cases, the motive for preadoption consultations was social and familial, and in the last 5% it was to obtain general information about adoption and its procedures. In more than 40% of the cases, whether the child or the country identified, Russia is the subject of the consultation because of the complexity of the files and because of the dreaded but rarely mentioned fetal alcohol syndrome. The deterioration of adopted children's health is an additional worry for future adoption applicants. To provide them with the best information possible without making choices for them, specialists should have substantial experience in adoption before going into these preadoption consultations. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  13. The personal and professional: nurses' lived experiences of adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foli, Karen J; Schweitzer, Roberta; Wells, Courtenay

    2013-03-01

    Nurses provide healthcare services to members of the adoption triad (AT; birth parents, adoptive parents, and the child) in a number of settings. However, nurses' perceptions of and interactions with members of the AT have not been investigated. This study describes the lived experiences of nurses and the care rendered to the AT using a descriptive phenomenological approach. In response to an invitation published in a national electronic newsletter, nurses were asked to submit narratives about their experiences in caring for members of the AT. Researchers coded 17 narratives using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Four themes emerged from the texts: (1) Where the personal and professional selves meet ("I see so many issues from both sides"); (2) The paradox of adoption ("...an emotional rollercoaster"); (3) Unique contexts of adoptive families ("We all have a story"); and (4) Reframing nurses' perceptions surrounding adoption ("There are several areas we could improve"). Nurses often have a personal connection to adoption and this potentiates the care delivered to AT members. Serving as role models for their peers and advocates for a better understanding of the dynamics of relinquishment and placement, nurses can improve clinical practices for these patients. Themes reflected insights gained from both personal and professional roles and offer specific interventions that enhance care of the AT. Nursing education and practice guidelines should include care rendered to the AT.

  14. A Study of E-services Adoption Factors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada; Nicolajsen, Hanne Westh

    2011-01-01

    University Library (RUB). The conclusion of this research is that both external environmental factors and internal organizational factors are important factors in adoption of e-services at Roskilde University Library. However the study shows that external factors such as government intervention...... and technological development might have been having a more important role than other external factors and that top management might have more influence on radical e-services adoption than other factors in the organizational context....

  15. The Adoption and Diffusion of Service Products

    OpenAIRE

    Myung Joong Kwon

    2003-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to theoretically explore the innovation, adoption and diffusion of service product. A theoretical model of the diffusion of service product is developed that takes account of transportation, waiting and searching casts in the adoption of service product. The main results of the model are; (1) the diffusion of service product is slower than that of the manufacturing equivalent and (2) the delivery or retail distribution service speeds up the diffusion of the manu...

  16. Network Effects in Countries' Adoption of IFRS

    OpenAIRE

    Ramanna, Karthik; Sletten, Ewa

    2014-01-01

    If the differences in accounting standards across countries reflect relatively stable institutional differences (e.g., auditing technology, the rule of law, etc.), why did several countries rapidly, albeit in a staggered manner, adopt IFRS over local standards in the 2003–2008 period? We test the hypothesis that perceived network benefits from the extant worldwide adoption of IFRS can explain part of countries' shift away from local accounting standards. That is, as more jurisdictions with ec...

  17. A Theoretical Framework Mapping Barriers of Integrating and Adopting Educational Techonology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khalid, Md. Saifuddin; Buus, Lillian

    2018-01-01

    In the field of educational technology, a decades-long research question is: what barriers exist in integration and adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) in education educational technology? The intensity of integration and the rate of adoption are significantly low and the i......In the field of educational technology, a decades-long research question is: what barriers exist in integration and adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) in education educational technology? The intensity of integration and the rate of adoption are significantly low......) adoption decision. Instead of “system blame” or “individual blame”, an integration and adoption approach should consider national holistic view for careful strategic changes in policies, procedures, and practices at each decision level of the educational system and related external systems....

  18. Adoption of routine telemedicine in Norway: the current picture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanaboni, Paolo; Knarvik, Undine; Wootton, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Background Telemedicine appears to be ready for wider adoption. Although existing research evidence is useful, the adoption of routine telemedicine in healthcare systems has been slow. Objective We conducted a study to explore the current use of routine telemedicine in Norway, at national, regional, and local levels, to provide objective and up-to-date information and to estimate the potential for wider adoption of telemedicine. Design A top-down approach was used to collect official data on the national use of telemedicine from the Norwegian Patient Register. A bottom-up approach was used to collect complementary information on the routine use of telemedicine through a survey conducted at the five largest publicly funded hospitals. Results Results show that routine telemedicine has been adopted in all health regions in Norway and in 68% of hospitals. Despite being widely adopted, the current level of use of telemedicine is low compared to the number of face-to-face visits. Examples of routine telemedicine can be found in several clinical specialties. Most services connect different hospitals in secondary care, and they are mostly delivered as teleconsultations via videoconference. Conclusions Routine telemedicine in Norway has been widely adopted, probably for geographical reasons, as in other settings. However, the level of use of telemedicine in Norway is rather low, and it has significant potential for further development as an alternative to face-to-face outpatient visits. This study is a first attempt to map routine telemedicine at regional, institutional, and clinical levels, and it provides useful information to understand the adoption of telemedicine in routine healthcare and to measure change in future updates. PMID:24433942

  19. IFRS Mandatory Adoption Effect on the Information Asymmetry: Immediate or Delayed?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hela Turki

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the mandatory adoption of IFRS/IAS and the information content of earnings in the European Union. More accurately, this study aims to determine if the effect of IFRS adoption on the level of information asymmetry, apprehended by the cost of capital and the financial analysts’ forecasts, is immediate or delayed. Based on a longitudinal study, we find evidence that for the two first years of adoption, international standards reduces significantly the cost of capital and the dispersion of the financial analysts’ forecasts. Furthermore, the magnitude of this effect increases with increasing the number of years after IFRS adoption. The findings further show that the effect of IFRS adoption on financial analysts’ errors is not immediate and that the errors decrease from the third year following the date of the first adoption. Overall, the findings of this study highlight the importance of adopting IFRS in the reduction of information asymmetry.

  20. Depression in adoptive parents: a model of understanding through grounded theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foli, Karen J

    2010-04-01

    A limited number of studies have explored parental depression in the postadoption time periods and these studies frequently lack a social context of the adoptive parent experience. The objective of this study is to form a midrange theoretical interpretation of parental postadoption depression as shared by adoptive parents and experts through a grounded theory approach. Semistructured interviews of adoptive parents, who acknowledge being depressed after the child is placed in the home, and adoption experts are audiotaped, transcribed, and coded to reveal themes. In total, 30 interviews are conducted. Researchers are also participant-observers during an adoptive parent support group meeting. Data reveal recurrent themes in relation to postadoption depression. These themes take into account the various contexts of adoption (international and domestic, public and private, etc.). Parents express unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations in the domains of self, child, family or friends, and society or others. A theoretical model is presented to facilitate the understanding of depression reported by adoptive parents.

  1. Non-infant adoption from care: lessons for safeguarding children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, C A; Selwyn, J

    2009-07-01

    To explore use of adoption in remedying abuse and neglect, to inform child protection practice and to identify professional responsibilities to adoptive families. A cohort of 130 children was identified for whom adoption was recommended in 1991-1996 at a mean age of 5.7 years (range 3-11). All were in local authority care for child protection reasons. information was gathered from social work records. The children were traced between 6 and 11 years later and their adopters interviewed. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Parent-Child Communication Scale were completed. All but three birth parents had traumatic childhoods involving abuse, neglect and/or time in care. Eighty-six per cent had violent adult relationships. Mental illness, learning difficulties and substance abuse were prominent. Sixty-seven per cent of families were known to social services when children were born, but 98% experienced abuse or neglect. Most adopters found the first year challenging, though rewarding. Depression, anxiety and marital problems were common. Children's learning difficulties, conduct problems, emotional 'phoniness' and rejection affected closeness. At follow-up 28% described rewarding, happy placements, and 62% described continuing difficulties tempered by rewards. However, 10% reported no rewards. Hyperactivity and inattention frequently persisted despite stable adoption and were associated with conduct and attachment difficulties. Use of professional services was substantial. Thirty-eight per cent of children failed to achieve stable adoption. Later entry to care correlated with poorer outcome. This study highlights the importance in safeguarding children of considering the implications of parental childhood experiences, and indicates the risk of delay. The high prevalence of domestic violence in birth families indicates the need for better resources for managing emotional dysregulation. Adoption is a valuable therapeutic tool, but professional

  2. Relationship between Social Networks Adoption and Social Intelligence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunduz, Semseddin

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to set forth the relationship between the individuals' states to adopt social networks and social intelligence and analyze both concepts according to various variables. Research data were collected from 1145 social network users in the online media by using the Adoption of Social Network Scale and Social Intelligence…

  3. Higher Education Sub-Cultures and Open Source Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Rooij, Shahron Williams

    2011-01-01

    Successful adoption of new teaching and learning technologies in higher education requires the consensus of two sub-cultures, namely the technologist sub-culture and the academic sub-culture. This paper examines trends in adoption of open source software (OSS) for teaching and learning by comparing the results of a 2009 survey of 285 Chief…

  4. Transfer And Adoption Of Labour Saving Technologies | Idu ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study was carried out to assess the transfer and adoption of labour saving technologies in Apa Local Government area of BenueState. A total sample size One Hundred and Twenty was used in the study. Interview schedule was used to collect the data from respondents. The results revealed that herbicide was adopted ...

  5. Is Early Experience Destiny? Review of Research on Long-Term Outcomes following International Adoption with Special Reference to the British Chinese Adoption Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Margaret; Rushton, Alan; Simmonds, John

    2016-01-01

    The pathway from adverse early experience to adulthood for internationally adopted children is complex in identifying key influences, impacts, and outcomes. This review arose from the authors' involvement in the British Chinese Adoption Study, a recent outcomes study that explored the links between early orphanage care, adoptive experiences, and midadulthood. It differs from previous reviews in focusing on a greater length of time since adoption. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included to allow for examination of a fuller range of adult-related outcomes rather than mental health scores alone. The sampling, methods, and results of reviewed articles are summarised and a critical commentary is provided. Despite methodological differences and identified strengths and weaknesses, conclusions are drawn on the basis of the evidence available. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of negative outcomes. Findings identify areas that should be explored further in order to gain a fuller understanding of midlife outcomes of people who experienced a poor start in life followed by international adoption. Such studies help in refining lifespan developmental theories.

  6. Adoption status and family relationships during the transition to young adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walkner, Amy J; Rueter, Martha A

    2014-12-01

    Although adoptive family research has increased, most has focused on childhood and adolescence. Despite the known importance of parent-adolescent relationships drawn from the general population, we know little about how adoptive family relationships change or remain the same as adopted adolescents enter young adulthood. Using the Sibling Interaction and Behavior Study, the purpose of this study was to build on previous research to explore differences in conflict, closeness, and relationship quality between adoptive and nonadoptive families during the transition from late adolescence into young adulthood. Self-report and independent observations were collected from children, mothers, and fathers at late adolescence (range: 14.50-18.49 years) and young adulthood (range:18.50-22.49 years), and analyzed using within-subjects repeated measures. Although adoptive family dyads had lower relationship indicators than nonadoptive family dyads, similar trends over time occurred for both family types. Using individuation theory, we suggest individuation occurs for both types of families, with adoptees facing unique additional challenges during this process, including integration of adoption status, adoption communicativeness, adoption information seeking, and relationship with birth parents as possible influences in this process.

  7. Random or predictable?: Adoption patterns of chronic care management practices in physician organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miake-Lye, Isomi M; Chuang, Emmeline; Rodriguez, Hector P; Kominski, Gerald F; Yano, Elizabeth M; Shortell, Stephen M

    2017-08-24

    Theories, models, and frameworks used by implementation science, including Diffusion of Innovations, tend to focus on the adoption of one innovation, when often organizations may be facing multiple simultaneous adoption decisions. For instance, despite evidence that care management practices (CMPs) are helpful in managing chronic illness, there is still uneven adoption by physician organizations. This exploratory paper leverages this natural variation in uptake to describe inter-organizational patterns in adoption of CMPs and to better understand how adoption choices may be related to one another. We assessed a cross section of national survey data from physician organizations reporting on the use of 20 CMPs (5 each for asthma, congestive heart failure, depression, and diabetes). Item response theory was used to explore patterns in adoption, first considering all 20 CMPs together and then by subsets according to disease focus or CMP type (e.g., registries, patient reminders). Mokken scale analysis explored whether adoption choices were linked by disease focus or CMP type and whether a consistent ordering of adoption choices was present. The Mokken scale for all 20 CMPs demonstrated medium scalability (H = 0.43), but no consistent ordering. Scales for subsets of CMPs sharing a disease focus had medium scalability (0.4  0.5). Scales for CMP type consistently ranked diabetes CMPs as most adoptable and depression CMPs as least adoptable. Within disease focus scales, patient reminders were ranked as the most adoptable CMP, while clinician feedback and patient education were ranked the least adoptable. Patterns of adoption indicate that innovation characteristics may influence adoption. CMP dissemination efforts may be strengthened by encouraging traditionally non-adopting organizations to focus on more adoptable practices first and then describing a pathway for the adoption of subsequent CMPs. Clarifying why certain CMPs are "less adoptable" may also provide

  8. 'She didn't have a word of English; we didn't have a word of Vietnamese': Exploring parent experiences of communication with toddlers who were adopted internationally.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAndrew, Brid; Malley-Keighran, Mary-Pat O

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore in detail parents' experiences of communicating with toddlers who were adopted internationally. Often, there is a mismatch between parents and children in terms of language, particularly in the early post-adoption period. There is a gap in the literature regarding parent experiences of this phase of their lives. Changing patterns in international adoption have led to an increase in adoptions of toddlers and older children. Due to institutional care, these toddlers and older children often lack exposure to their native language which may lead to language delay. When they are brought home, they are immersed in English. As well beginning to acquire English, these children are also forming an attachment with their parents. While research has investigated speech and language skills in this population, there is a lack of literature exploring the experiences of parents regarding communicating with toddlers who are adopted internationally in the early months following adoption. This is a qualitative study where interviews and thematic analysis were used to explore the experiences of 12 parents of 12 toddlers who were adopted internationally. Three main themes: 'Getting ready', 'Support', and 'Challenges' emerged from the data. The results highlight the ways in which adoptive parents facilitated communication with their toddlers, supporting their acquisition of English. The results also reveal gaps in service provision for this population. Results also illustrate the proactive way in which parents dealt with challenges, even in the presence of limited support services. Gaps in service provision where intense focus pre-adoption was followed by a lack of support post-adoption were identified by parents. The dual needs of developing attachment and common language development strategies were also described by parents. The study demonstrates the need for pre- and post-adoptive speech and language services for this client group. It

  9. Oxidative dissolution of ADOPT compared to standard UO{sub 2} fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nilsson, Kristina [School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Applied Physical Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm (Sweden); Roth, Olivia [Studsvik Nuclear AB, SE-611 82 Nyköping (Sweden); Jonsson, Mats, E-mail: matsj@kth.se [School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Applied Physical Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm (Sweden)

    2017-05-15

    In this work we have studied oxidative dissolution of pure UO{sub 2} and ADOPT (UO{sub 2} doped with Al and Cr) pellets using H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and gammaradiolysis to induce the process. There is a small but significant difference in the oxidative dissolution rate of UO{sub 2} and ADOPT pellets, respectively. However, the difference in oxidative dissolution yield is insignificant. Leaching experiments were also performed on in-reactor irradiated ADOPT and UO{sub 2} pellets under oxidizing conditions. The results indicate that the U(VI) release is slightly slower from the ADOPT pellet compared to the UO{sub 2.} This could be attributed to differences in exposed surface area. However, fission products with low UO{sub 2} solubility display a higher relative release from ADOPT fuel compared to standard UO{sub 2}-fuel. This is attributed to a lower matrix solubility imposed by the dopants in ADOPT fuel. The release of Cs is higher from UO{sub 2} which is attributed to the larger grain size of ADOPT. - Highlights: •Oxidative dissolution of ADOPT fuel is compared to standard UO{sub 2} fuel. •Only marginal differences are observed. •The main difference observed is in the relative release rate of fission products. •Differences are claimed to be attributed to a lower matrix solubility imposed by the dopants in ADOPT fuel.

  10. Multimodal Resources in Transnational Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

    The paper discusses an empirical analysis which highlights the multimodal nature of identity construction. A documentary on transnational adoption provides real life incidents as research material. The incidents involve (or from them emerge) various kinds of multimodal resources and participants...

  11. The Influence of Independent and Intervening Variables on Adoption ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    =80. Table 2: Distribution of respondents according to sex and adoption of maize varieties. Sex. Adoption. Replanted hybrid Local varieties Recommended hybrid. Total n. % n. % n. % n ... other sources of technology. Better-educated farmers ...

  12. The influence of socio-economic variables on adoption behaviour ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The influence of socio-economic variables on adoption behaviour towards Tadco improved rice parboiling technique among rice parboilers in Kura processing Areas ... Age and educational level were found to be associated with non adoption ...

  13. The Secrets of Adoption and the Imperative of the Bioparental Matrix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Silva Teixeira Filho

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to interrogate the relation between the secrets of adoption and what we propose as a bioparental matrix. In according with our experience at the Project Ties of Love: Adoption, Gender, Citizenship and Rights developed at the Department of Clinical Psychology (UNESP, Assis, SP, Brazil, this arbitrary ties reinforce the suffering, the stigma and the segregation that lay on adopted people or those that will supposedly be. In that sense, we point out the culture of adoption as an important reference in the construction of the inter-subjective relationship between biological, and/or adoptive parents and adopted children in the sense that, based upon a heteronormative matrix, which presupposes a continuum among sex/gender/desire, establishes a binary distinction among legal and non-legal children based on their blood ties.

  14. Retail industry adopting change : adaptation: automation: benefits

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmed, Nabeel

    2013-01-01

    This thesis contains the research on the key change adoptive agents/forces and the solu-tions to the world‟s rapidly growing and one of the most consumer facing industry. The trillions worth retail industries are undergoing the period of important restructuring inter-nally and externally. The author highlights the key factors that force the retail industry to adopt modern technologies for their daily business processes in order to be more competi-tive. The factors have been viewed in two pers...

  15. Reunions between adoptees and birth parents: the adoptive parents' view.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silverman, P R; Campbell, L; Patti, P

    1994-09-01

    This article looks at the reactions of adoptive parents to reunions between their adopted children and the children's birth parents. The focus is on how adoptive parents feel the reunion affects the family's integrity. Three types of family responses are identified: (1) closed, (2) divided, and (3) open. Acceptance of the differences between families created by adoption of children and those created by childbirth was a factor in the families' openness. Closed families saw no difference, and reunion suggested to the adults that they had failed as parents. Parents in open families understood the difference in families, saw the children as separate, and felt no threat to their competence as parents. Families' need for boundaries is examined, and the way the concept of family is constructed is discussed. Implications for the practice of adoption are considered.

  16. High School Teachers' Openness to Adopting New Practices: The Role of Personal Resources and Organizational Climate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Stacy R; Pas, Elise T; Loh, Deanna; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P

    2017-03-01

    Although evidence-based practices for students' social, emotional, and behavioral health are readily available, their adoption and quality implementation in schools are of increasing concern. Teachers are vital to implementation; yet, there is limited research on teachers' openness to adopting new practices, which may be essential to successful program adoption and implementation. The current study explored how perceptions of principal support, teacher affiliation, teacher efficacy, and burnout relate to teachers' openness to new practices. Data came from 2,133 teachers across 51 high schools. Structural equation modeling assessed how organizational climate (i.e., principal support and teacher affiliation) related to teachers' openness directly and indirectly via teacher resources (i.e., efficacy and burnout). Teachers with more favorable perceptions of both principal support and teacher affiliation reported greater efficacy, and, in turn, more openness; however, burnout was not significantly associated with openness. Post hoc analyses indicated that among teachers with high levels of burnout, only principal support related to greater efficacy, and in turn, higher openness. Implications for promoting teachers' openness to new program adoption are discussed.

  17. ADOPTION OF SMOKING CHOKOR FOR FISH PROCESSING IN KWARA STATE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.A. Akangbe

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available This research investigated the adoption of smoking chokor among fish processors in Kwara state, Nigeria. The study made use of structured questionnaire along with interview schedule to a sample size of one hundred and seventy (170 processors randomly selected through a two-stage random sampling technique. The data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics and the Regression Analysis. The results obtained through the analysis revealed that 43.7% of the respondents adopted the improved technology (smoking chokor. A higher percentage of respondents preferred the improved technology for the golden brown colour, fine texture, good smell and delicacy in the taste. The significant determinants of adoption include sex (female, income from fish processing activities (p<0.05 and the trust worthiness of the source of the technology (p<0.1. Perceived benefits associated with technology adoption include wastage reduction, employment generation and the reduction of smoke, while the technicalities associated with the use constitute a major constraint limiting its adoption. The study concludes that fish processors prefer the smoking chokor but its adoption is marred with various constraints. It therefore recommends the need for creating more awareness of the smoking chokor as well as reducing the perceived constraints limiting its adoption by training extension agents and other verifiable sources to educate farmers as they disseminate the technology.

  18. Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Akademigatan 1, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-02-15

    Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Oestersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey. (author)

  19. Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif

    2009-01-01

    Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Ostersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey

  20. Influencing Swedish homeowners to adopt district heating system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahapatra, Krushna; Gustavsson, Leif [Ecotechnology, Mid Sweden University, Akademigatan 1, 831 25 Oestersund (Sweden)

    2009-02-15

    Improved energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation could be achieved by replacing resistance heaters with district heating system. In 2005, only about 8% of the Swedish detached houses had district heating system. The expansion of such systems largely depends on homeowners' adoption decisions. And, to motivate homeowners to adopt district heating, it is essential to understand their decision-making process. In this context, in June 2005 we carried out a questionnaire survey of about 700 homeowners who lived in the city of Oestersund in houses with resistance heaters (baseline survey). About 84% of the respondents did not intend to install a new heating system. Since then these homeowners were influenced by (a) an investment subsidy by the Swedish government to replace resistance heaters with district heating, a brine/water-based heat pump, or a biomass-based heating system and (b) a marketing campaign by the municipality-owned district heating company. This paper analyses how these two measures influenced about 78% of the homeowners to adopt the district heating system. For this purpose we carried out a follow-up survey of the same homeowners in December 2006 (resurvey). Results showed that the investment subsidy and the marketing campaign created a need among the homeowners to adopt a new heating system. The marketing campaign was successful in motivating them to adopt the district heating system. The marketing strategy by the district heating company corresponds to the results obtained in the baseline survey. (author)

  1. Technology adoption analysis of improved maize technology in western hills of Nepal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeevan Lamichhane

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The survey was carried out in two districts namely Palpa and Baglung to determine the current level of adoption of improved maize production practices. This study identifies the technology adoption extent and pattern of improved maize technologies in Western Hills of Nepal. In each of these districts, two village development committees (V.D.Cs were surveyed. Deurali and Khasyouli V.D.C from Palpa and Kudule and Malika V.D.C from Baglung Districts were selected. Structured Questionnaire were administered to 30 randomly selected households in each VDC. Altogether 120 Households were surveyed. The degree of adoption was measured on the seed rate, adoption of improved varieties, application of Nitrogenous, Phosphatic and Potassium fertilizer, Weeding and method of planting. The adoption index was used to determine the adoption level of the respondents. There seems to be a gap between the recommended practice and current level of practice at the farmers level in some of the factors like Nitrogenous, Phosphorus and Potassium fertilizers, method of planting .The study revealed that majority farmers belonged to high adoption category (57% followed by medium adoption category (54% and low adoption category (9%. The Technology Adoption Index (TAI was found 63%. In nutshell there is still large scope for yield improvement of the maize in the study area by adopting improved maize varieties.

  2. Moving from Evaluation to Trial: How do SMEs Start Adopting Cloud ERP?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siti Aisyah Salim

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The advent of cloud technology involving low subscription overheads cost has provided small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs with the opportunity to adopt new cloud-based corporate-wide systems (i.e., cloud ERP. This technology, operating through subscription-based services, has now provided SMEs with a complete range of IT applications that were once restricted to larger organisations. As anecdotal evidences suggest, SMEs are increasingly adopting cloud-based ERP software. The selection of an ERP is a complex process involving multiple stages and stakeholders, suggesting the importance of closer examination of cloud ERP adoption in SMEs. Yet, prior studies have predominantly treated technology adoption as a single activity and largely ignored the issue of ERP adoption in SMEs. Understanding of the process nature of the adoption and the factors that are important in each stage of the adoption potentially may result in guiding SMEs to make well-informed decisions throughout the ERP selection process. Thus, our study proposes that the adoption of cloud ERP should be examined as a multi-stage process. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB and Ettlie’s adoption stages, as well as employing data gathered from 162 owners of SMEs, our findings show that the factors that influence the intention to adopt cloud ERP vary significantly across adoptive stages.

  3. Understanding the adoption of TELEs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christiansen, Ellen; Nyvang, Tom

    2006-01-01

    a systemic, Bateson-inspired, understanding of learning and based on data from observation, qualitative interviews, and surveys, a number of barriers to adoption at the organisational level are identified, all requiring management initiatives if the application is to fully unfold its potential....

  4. Į Italiją įvaikintų vaikų kalba įtėvių žvilgsniu. Language of the children adopted to Italy in the adoptive parents’ perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jogilė Teresa Ramonaitė

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the results of a sociolinguistic survey for Italian adoptive parents who have adopted Lithuanian children. The survey is part of an ongoing longitudinal psycholinguistic research on language development in internationally adopted children and it has been conducted in order to gather information about the speed, the level of language acquisition of the adopted children, the attitudes of the adoptive parents towards foreign languages, the assistance for the children learning Italian. The survey results reveal that the majority of the adopted children start to communicate in the new language in a couple of months after arriving in Italy and they reach a perfect or a very good level of Italian. About half of the surveyed children have received assistance when learning Italian from parents or teachers. A vast majority of the adoptive parents consider knowing foreign languages very important and would like their children not to forget Lithuanian (if acquired. Nevertheless, despite the efforts of the adoptive parents or the presence of siblings adopted together, nearly all children maintain no knowledge of Lithuanian after a year in Italy. The most important reasons for that are the desire to adapt to the new environment and the family. In a few cases adoptive parents have understood a clear refusal of the children of anything that had to do with their past, including the language.

  5. eHealth adoption factors in medical hospitals: A focus on the Netherlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faber, Sander; van Geenhuizen, Marina; de Reuver, Mark

    2017-04-01

    Despite strong policy interest in eHealth, actual adoption in many European hospitals is low. This study develops and tests in a preliminary way an organisational eHealth adoption model rooted in several adoption frameworks to improve understanding of this phenomenon. The model is explored through a survey among hospitals in the Netherlands using a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach. Specific attention is paid to measurement of organisational readiness and to adoption as a process including different stages. Our results suggest a sharp decrease in the adoption process by hospitals after the stage of interest/commitment. Adoption tends to be significantly affected by size of the hospital, organisational readiness including technical aspects, and top management support. eHealth adoption tends to be not a linear process nor a linear function of contextual antecedents. Organisational readiness is an important antecedent for eHealth adoption. The paper concludes with organisational strategies and policies to foster eHealth adoption in hospitals and suggestions for future study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Predicting Public Bicycle Adoption Using the Technology Acceptance Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin T. Hazen

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Bicycle sharing programs provide a sustainable mode of urban transportation. Although cities across the globe have developed these systems for their citizens and visitors, usage rates are not as high as anticipated. This research uses the technology acceptance model as the basis to understand one’s intention to adopt bicycle sharing programs. Using survey data derived from 421 participants in Beijing, China, the proposed covariance-based structural equation model consisting of perceived quality, perceived convenience, and perceived value is found to predict 50.5% of the variance in adoption intention. The findings of this research contribute to theory and practice in the burgeoning literature on public bicycle systems and sustainable urban transportation by offering a theoretical lens through which to consider system adoption, and providing information to practitioners as to what factors might contribute most to adoption.

  7. Financial position and adoption of electronic health records: a retrospective longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jay J; Ginn, Gregory O

    2012-01-01

    Financial barriers are a major factor of slow electronic health record (EHR) adoption among US hospitals. All existing literature focuses on relationships between current or short-term financial position and EHR adoption. This study examines relationship between financial position in previous years and the current level of EHR adoption. Retrospective longitudinal data were extracted from (1) the 2009 American Hospital Association (AHA) EHR implementation survey; (2) the 2002 and 2006 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Cost Reports; and (3) the 2002 and 2006 AHA Annual Survey containing organizational and operational data. The final sample was 2,701 acute care hospitals in the United States. General ordinal logistic regression was used for data analysis with a three-level dependent variable to measure adoption, five independent variables to measure financial position, and 11 control variables to measure structure and environment. For 2006, higher total margin was significantly and positively associated with EHR adoption, but higher asset turnover was significantly and negatively associated with EHR adoption. For 2002, higher total margin was significantly and positively associated with EHR adoption, but higher asset turnover and higher equity multiplier were both significantly and negatively associated with EHR adoption. In addition, lower net days revenue in accounts receivable was significantly and positively associated with EHR adoption. For both the 2002 and 2006 control variables, human resource intensity and bed size were significant and positively related to adoption, and percentage Medicare patients and investor ownership were significant and negatively related to adoption. Financial position does relate to EHR adoption in mid-term and long-term planning.

  8. Adoption barriers for electric vehicles: Experiences from early adopters in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vassileva, Iana; Campillo, Javier

    2017-01-01

    Electric vehicles are considered as one of the most effective technologies for reducing current greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. Although in many countries, local and national governments have introduced incentives and subsidies to facilitate the electric vehicle market penetration, in Sweden, such benefits have been limited. Results from a survey carried out among private owners of electric vehicles are presented in this paper, including the analysis of the respondents socio-demographic characteristics, reasons for choosing an electric vehicle, charging locations and driving preferences, among others. The main results characterize current electric vehicle drivers as male, well-educated, with medium-high income; electric vehicles are used mainly for private purposes and charged at home during night time. Furthermore, the paper presents an analysis of the impact of large-scale penetration of electric vehicles on existing power distribution systems. The findings presented in this paper provide important insights for assuring a sustainable large-scale penetration of electric vehicles by learning from the experiences of early adopters of the technology and by analyzing the impact of different EV penetration scenarios on the power distribution grid. - Highlights: • A survey was conducted on EV owners' experience and characteristics. • Impact on the power system of large-scale EV adoption was analyzed. • Feedback from EV owners should be used to engage potential users. • Coordinated smart charging is needed to reduce power grid impact. • Coordinated smart charging is required to minimize disturbances on the power grid.

  9. Exploring Leadership in E-commerce Adoption in Australian SMEs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Scupola, Ada

    2010-01-01

    This chapter presents the results of a study investigating leadership and leadership styles in e-commerce adoption in small and medium size enterprises in Australia. The results show that top management and CEO' leadership have a key role in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in developing...... a vision for e-commerce adoption and that the dominant leadership style is directive with some signs of consultative. Furthermore the study shows that e-commerce adoption is becoming a strategic process and in this process top management is taking into consideration both the organizational knowledge...

  10. The Challenges of Open Source Software in IT Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm Larsen, Michael; Holck, Jesper; Pedersen, Mogens Kuhn

    2004-01-01

    Abstract: The paper presents an explorative study of Open Source Software (OSS) focusing on the managerial decisions for acquisition of OSS. Based on three case studies we argue that whereas small organizations often may chose adoption of OSS expecting significant cost savings, a major barrier...... for larger organizations' adoption of OSS lies in the organizations' consolidation of the enterprise architectures, in addition to that OSS will not be adopted before satisfactory delivery and procurement models for OSS are established. Keywords: Open Source Software, OSS, Enterprise Architecture, Total Cost...

  11. Barriers to the Adoption and Use of an Electronic Medication Record

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Granlien, Maren Sander; Hertzum, Morten

    2012-01-01

    Clinicians’ adoption of the information systems deployed at hospitals is crucial to achieving the intended effects of the systems, yet many systems face substantial adoption barriers. In this study we analyse the adoption and use of an electronic medication record (EMR) 2-4 years after its...... deployment. We investigate mid-and-lower-level managers’ perception of (a) the extent to which clinicians have adopted the EMR and the work procedures associated with its use and (b) possible barriers toward adopting the EMR and work procedures, including the managers’ perception of the usefulness and ease...... obtained. Eleven categories of barrier are identified with uncertainty about what the barriers concretely are as the prime barrier. This prime barrier is particularly noteworthy because the respondents are formally responsible for the adoption of the EMR. It is apparent that time alone has not led...

  12. assessment of the potential adoption of infield rainwater harvesting ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    p2333147

    practice, a decrease in the runoff could be expected, with consequences on down- stream water .... This curve is very typical of adoption trends in a community; at first the adoption .... some unexpected results as discussed below: • Relative ...

  13. Adoption and failure of the "Boyer model" at the University of Louisville.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schweitzer, L

    2000-09-01

    In the 1990s two factors had a major impact on the promotion and tenure process at the University of Louisville (UL) School of Medicine. Clinical reimbursements declined, and as they did, faculty hired as income-generating clinicians continued to be evaluated as researchers. In addition, with legislation ending mandatory retirement, accountability and the requirement for demonstrations of continued competency increased. In part because of the need to recognize service and the need to evaluate post-tenure faculty, the Board of Trustees launched several ambitious initiatives that were collectively entitled "Redefinition of Faculty." The eventual acceptance of the policies under this umbrella included the adoption of the four kinds of scholarship defined by Ernest Boyer. However, because of faculty unrest regarding other facets of this initiative, compromises in the way that the Boyer model was adopted rendered the governance documents untenable. The difficulties with how the UL School of Medicine adopted the Boyer model are detailed, as are some of the lessons learned. Despite the difficulties, the concepts in Boyer's treatise have not been abandoned; the UL School of Medicine has embraced the need for a broadened view of scholarship in its newly emerging governance documents in which, for example, clinical service, formerly unrecognized as a promotable activity, is now recognized as such.

  14. Accounting quality and the adoption of IASB standards: portuguese evidence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Isabel Morais

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Through rule 1606/2002 by the European Commission, Portuguese listed firms were required to adopt IASB standards in the preparation and presentation of consolidated accounts for the periods beginning on or after 2005. IASB standards are developed in environments where accounting practices are especially directed at the private sector, reporting rules are largely unaffected by taxation requirements and capital is traditionally raised in public markets. However, in Portugal, financial reporting is closely related to tax reporting and banks play a key role in providing finance and inside access to information. We investigate whether adopting IASB standards is associated with higher earnings quality and higher value relevance. We compare the earnings quality and value relevance of accounting data of 34 Portuguese listed firms before (1995-2004 and after (2004-2005 the adoption of IASB standards. We find that firms, during the period when they adopt IASB standards, report less smooth earnings than those firms in periods when they adopted national accounting standards, which seems to suggest an improvement in earnings quality. However, we also find that the value relevance of accounting information decreases with the adoption of IASB standards.

  15. EXPLORING THE FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEES’ ADOPTION AND USE OF INNOVATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majharul Talukder

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the factors affecting innovation adoption by individual employees within an organization in Australia. Following a qualitative research approach, this paper uses a series of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions involving academic and administrative employees at a tertiary educational institution in Australia. The qualitative approach is adopted to have a deeper insight into the complexities and dynamism associated with the factors influencing innovation adoption process in organizational settings. The findings of this research highlight the need for broadening an understanding of the key factors affecting employee’s decisions to uptake the adoption of innovation. The results provide important clues for comprehending the factors influencing and determining the employee’s adoption and continued use of innovation in the work environment. In the face of the current trend towards end-user applications of technological innovation, the results suggest some guidelines for management toward effective and efficient adoption and use of innovation in organizational settings. This paper has highlighted the above findings and their implications for management practices related to innovation management in an Australian organizational setting. This paper also identifies possible limitations and future research potential in the relevant field.

  16. Service-Oriented Factors Affecting the Adoption of Smartphones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youngmo Kang

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This research investigates the adoption factors of smartphones focusing on the differences of smartphone and feature phone users. We used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM which incorporates service-oriented and device-oriented functional attributes as exogenous variables for a product-service system such as smartphones. In addition, Decision Tree (DT and customer surveys were conducted. As a study results, we found that the service-oriented functional attributes - ‘wireless internet’ and ‘mobile applications’ - affect the adoption of smartphones regardless of users. However, the DT results revealed that the more important factor is 'mobile applications' to smartphone users but 'wireless internet' for feature phone users. In conclusion, we discovered that a strategy emphasis on the service-oriented attributes is needed for the adoption of smartphones.

  17. Intergenerational bargaining in technology adoption

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Jeong, Byeongju

    -, č. 414 (2010), s. 1-61 ISSN 1211-3298 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC542 Institutional research plan: CEZ:MSM0021620846 Keywords : technology adoption * stagnation * economic integration * political fragmentation Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp414.pdf

  18. Improvisation during Process-Technology Adoption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tjørnehøj, Gitte; Mathiassen, Lars

    2010-01-01

    Most software firms struggle to take advantage of the potential benefits of software process improvement (SPI) as they adopt this technology into the complex and dynamic realities of their day-to-day operation. Such efforts are therefore typically fluctuating between management's attempt to contr...

  19. The adoption of sustainable innovations : Driven by symbolic and environmental motives

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noppers, Ernst H.; Keizer, Kees; Bolderdijk, Jan Willem; Steg, Linda

    Critical to the environmental success of sustainable innovations is the adoption by consumers. The consensus is that instrumental shortcomings of sustainable innovations inhibit their adoption. However, we argue that the adoption of sustainable innovations does not exclusively depend on their

  20. Organisational change and the productivity effects of green technology adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Hottenrott, Hanna; Rexhäuser, Sascha; Veugelers, Reinhilde

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates induced productivity effects of firms introducing new environmental technologies. The literature on within-firm organisational change and productivity suggests that firms can achieve higher productivity gains from adopting new technologies if they adapt their organisational structures. Such complementarity effects may be of particular importance for the adoption of greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement technologies. The adoption of these technologies is often induced by publi...

  1. The effect of electronic medical record adoption on outcomes in US hospitals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Jinhyung

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The electronic medical record (EMR is one of the most promising components of health information technology. However, the overall impact of EMR adoption on outcomes at US hospitals remains unknown. This study examined the relationship between basic EMR adoption and 30-day rehospitalization, 30-day mortality, inpatient mortality and length of stay. Methods Our overall approach was to compare outcomes for the two years before and two years after the year of EMR adoption, at 708 acute-care hospitals in the US from 2000 to 2007. We looked at the effect of EMR on outcomes using two methods. First, we compared the outcomes by quarter for the period before and after EMR adoption among hospitals that adopted EMR. Second, we compared hospitals that adopted EMR to those that did not, before and after EMR adoption, using a generalized linear model. Results Hospitals adopting EMR experienced 0.11 (95% CI: -0.218 to −0.002 days’ shorter length of stay and 0.182 percent lower 30-day mortality, but a 0.19 (95% CI: 0.0006 to 0.0033 percent increase in 30-day rehospitalization in the two years after EMR adoption. The association of EMR adoption with outcomes also varied by type of admission (medical vs. surgical. Conclusions Previous studies using observational data from large samples of hospitals have produced conflicting results. However, using different methods, we found a small but statistically significant association of EMR adoption with outcomes of hospitalization.

  2. Higher Education Students’ Behaviour to Adopt Mobile Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batmetan, J. R.; Palilingan, V. R.

    2018-02-01

    Mobile phone is an electronic device most often used by Y generation in Indonesia. This ages have become an important part in the growth of higher education in this country. The problem raised in this study is that very few students in higher education are adopting and accessing digital learning content using mobile phones. The objective of this study is to investigate the higher education students’ behaviour in using mobile learning. The research method used is Structural equation models (SEM) method to analyse the factors that influence higher education students’ behaviour in using mobile learning. The results of this study indicate tends of this student 85% to keep internet access in privacy. The majority of respondent is 78% having behaviour to keep adopting mobile learning and still use it in the future. Why? because this study shows that on the level of usability, easy to use, easy to learn, in various devices have a significant effect on the level of adoption of mobile learning. Implication of this study is higher education students’ behaviour of especially Y generation tends to prioritize the usability towards mobile learning and will continue to adopt mobile learning in the future.

  3. When do humans spontaneously adopt another's visuospatial perspective?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freundlieb, Martin; Kovács, Ágnes M; Sebanz, Natalie

    2016-03-01

    Perspective-taking is a key component of social interactions. However, there is an ongoing controversy about whether, when and how instances of spontaneous visuospatial perspective-taking occur. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying factors as well as boundary conditions that characterize the spontaneous adoption of another person's visuospatial perspective (VSP) during social interactions. We used a novel paradigm, in which a participant and a confederate performed a simple stimulus-response (SR) compatibility task sitting at a 90° angle to each other. In this set-up, participants would show a spatial compatibility effect only if they adopted the confederate's VSP. In a series of 5 experiments we found that participants reliably adopted the VSP of the confederate, as long as he was perceived as an intentionally acting agent. Our results therefore show that humans are able to spontaneously adopt the differing VSP of another agent and that there is a tight link between perspective-taking and performing actions together. The results suggest that spontaneous VSP-taking can effectively facilitate and speed up spatial alignment processes accruing from dynamic interactions in multiagent environments. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. "Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past," by Betsy Keefer and Jayne E. Schooler. Book Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Patricia Irwin

    2001-01-01

    Characterizes the focus of Keefer and Schooler's book as being on talking to children who do not have contact with birthparents, while neglecting the issue of helping birth and adoptive families overcome differences inherent in what brought each to adoption. Presents chapter contents of the work. Notes that book is the best available to parents on…

  5. Adopted Koreans and the development of identity in the "third space"

    OpenAIRE

    Hübinette, Tobias

    2004-01-01

    Since 1953, 150,000 Korean children have been adopted to 15 main host countries in the West. They constitute the largest international adoptee group worldwide. An adopted Korean movement has existed on an international level since the 1990s and is today trying to formulate an identity and community of its own beyond Western adoption ideology and Korean nationalism. Tobias Hübinette outlines the history of international adoption from Korea, Western and Korean perspectives on international adop...

  6. The good, the bad and the early adopters: providers' attitudes about a common, commercial EHR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makam, Anil N; Lanham, Holly J; Batchelor, Kim; Moran, Brett; Howell-Stampley, Temple; Kirk, Lynne; Cherukuri, Manjula; Samal, Lipika; Santini, Noel; Leykum, Luci K; Halm, Ethan A

    2014-02-01

    To describe primary care providers' (PCP) attitudes about the impact of a mature, commercial electronic health records (EHR) on clinical practice in settings with experience using the system and to evaluate whether a provider's propensity to adopt new technologies is associated with more favourable perceptions. We surveyed PCPs in 11 practices affiliated with three health systems in Texas. Most practices had greater than 5 years of experience with the Epic EHR. The effect of early adopter of technology status was evaluated using logistic regression. One hundred forty-six PCPs responded (70%). Most thought the EHR had a positive impact on routine tasks, such as prescription refills (94%), whereas fewer agreed for complex tasks, such as delivery of guideline-concordant care for chronic illnesses (51%). Two-thirds (62%) thought it interfered with eye contact with patients, and 40% reported that it interfered with in-visit communication. Early adopters of technology reported greater positive effects of the EHR, even after adjusting for age, ranging from 2% to 15% higher on satisfaction ratings. PCPs practicing in settings with considerable experience using a common commercial EHR identified many positive effects, as well as two key areas for improvement - patient centredness and intelligent decision support. Providers with a propensity to adopt new technologies have more favourable perceptions of the EHR. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Learning to Disclose: A Postcolonial Autoethnography of Transracial Adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Joni; Schwartz, Rebecca

    2018-01-01

    This autoethnographic research project examines the transformational learning of a transracial adoptive adult mother and daughter through the lens of postcolonialism. As collaborative researchers, adult adoptee and adoptive mother, examine this lifelong learning experience through critical self-reflection, qualitative meta-analysis, and…

  8. Effectiveness of online simulation training: Measuring faculty knowledge, perceptions, and intention to adopt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sujeong; Park, Chang; O'Rourke, Jennifer

    2017-04-01

    Best practice standards of simulation recommend standardized simulation training for nursing faculty. Online training may offer an effective and more widely available alternative to in-person training. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study evaluated the effectiveness of an online simulation training program, examining faculty's foundational knowledge of simulation as well as perceptions and intention to adopt. One-group pretest-posttest design. A large school of nursing with a main campus and five regional campuses in the Midwestern United States. Convenience sample of 52 faculty participants. Knowledge of foundational simulation principles was measured by pre/post-training module quizzes. Perceptions and the intention to adopt simulation were measured using the Faculty Attitudes and Intent to Use Related to the Human Patient Simulator questionnaire. There was a significant improvement in faculty knowledge after training and observable improvements in attitudes. Attitudes significantly influenced the intention to adopt simulation (B=2.54, p<0.001). Online simulation training provides an effective alternative for training large numbers of nursing faculty who seek to implement best practice of standards within their institutions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Risk Factors in Euro Adoption by Romania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roxana Maria BĂDÎRCEA

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The costs and benefits of adopting a unique currency have been studied and outlined by the optimum currency areas theory. This theory of Mundell has suffered modifications, a series of economists identifying and introducing a series of subsequent or additional criteria in the analysis. Starting from the costs indicated by the optimum currency areas theory and its further developments, I have identified a series of factors that I believe to represent future risks for the Romanian economy within the process of adopting the unique euro currency.

  10. Examining the Impact of Maternal Individual Features on Children's Behavioral Problems in Adoptive Families: The Role of Maternal Temperament and Neurobiological Markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozturk, Yagmur; Barone, Virginia; Barone, Lavinia

    2018-01-24

    The first year after adoption constitutes a sensitive period for both strengthening the new emotional bond in the family and checking its appropriate development by adoption services. A key variable for children's catch-up are adoptive parents' socioemotional and individual features. The aim of this study is to investigate links between adoptive mothers' individual features and behavioral problems in their children in the first year after adoption placement, by testing the moderating role of both age at adoption and maternal genetic polymorphisms. Seventy-eight adoptive mothers completed temperament and genetic measures. Mothers showed a specific pattern of interaction between basic temperament traits and genetic markers in their assessment of children's behavioral problems; dopamine D4 receptor gene and children's age at adoption are two moderators in the association in which mothers' temperament was affecting the evaluation of their children's behavioral problems. Findings highlight a still undervalued area of parenting resources in the process of post-institutionalized children's catch-up after adoption placement, by showing how individual features count in the commonly measured variable of children's behavioral and emotional problems. This could help in orienting identification and choice of key variables for family assessment after adoption placement, thus contributing in fostering children's healthy development.

  11. Farmers' Willingness to Adopt Conservation Agriculture: New Evidence from Lebanon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalak, Ali; Irani, Alexandra; Chaaban, Jad; Bashour, Issam; Seyfert, Karin; Smoot, Kaitlyn; Abebe, Gumataw Kifle

    2017-10-01

    With increasing food insecurity and climate change, conservation agriculture has emerged as a sustainable alternative to intensive conventional agriculture as a source of food supply. Yet the adoption rate of conservation agriculture is still low. Our paper analyses the factors affecting farmers' willingness to adopt conservation agriculture in Lebanon. The findings show that household characteristics-years of farming and farm size affect conservation agriculture adoption. However, household characteristics alone were insufficient to explain conservation agriculture adoption. We found that farming experience, information sources, frequency of irrigation, and severity of weed infestation in the past, participation in specific trainings, and farmers' perception about the long-term impact of conservation agriculture, were key determinants of conservation agriculture adoption. Our paper encourages policymakers to invest in conservation agriculture to overcome food insecurity and environmental changes affecting food systems in the Middle East. The paper also informs agribusiness firms to view conservation agriculture as a viable alternative to strengthen their business relationship with farmers in arid and semi-arid regions.

  12. Farmers' Willingness to Adopt Conservation Agriculture: New Evidence from Lebanon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalak, Ali; Irani, Alexandra; Chaaban, Jad; Bashour, Issam; Seyfert, Karin; Smoot, Kaitlyn; Abebe, Gumataw Kifle

    2017-10-01

    With increasing food insecurity and climate change, conservation agriculture has emerged as a sustainable alternative to intensive conventional agriculture as a source of food supply. Yet the adoption rate of conservation agriculture is still low. Our paper analyses the factors affecting farmers' willingness to adopt conservation agriculture in Lebanon. The findings show that household characteristics—years of farming and farm size affect conservation agriculture adoption. However, household characteristics alone were insufficient to explain conservation agriculture adoption. We found that farming experience, information sources, frequency of irrigation, and severity of weed infestation in the past, participation in specific trainings, and farmers' perception about the long-term impact of conservation agriculture, were key determinants of conservation agriculture adoption. Our paper encourages policymakers to invest in conservation agriculture to overcome food insecurity and environmental changes affecting food systems in the Middle East. The paper also informs agribusiness firms to view conservation agriculture as a viable alternative to strengthen their business relationship with farmers in arid and semi-arid regions.

  13. Determinants of the Adoption of Physical Soil Bund Conservation ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abstract: This study emphasizes the adoption of physical soil bund structures including the major factors influencing the adoption process. The study is based on the data collected from 120 households. Two analytical techniques, descriptive statistics and logistic regression function were employed in analyzing the data.

  14. 20 CFR 222.33 - Relationship resulting from legal adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Relationship resulting from legal adoption. 222.33 Section 222.33 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS Relationship as Child § 222.33 Relationship resulting from legal adoption...

  15. Understanding the role of social capital in adoption decisions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hunecke, Claudia; Engler, Alejandra; Jara-Rojas, Roberto; Poortvliet, Marijn

    2017-01-01

    Recently, social capital has gained importance in explaining technology adoption decisions by farmers. In this paper, we examine the impact of social capital on the adoption of irrigation technology and irrigation scheduling among wine producers in Central Chile. We propose three hypotheses: that

  16. Determinants of adoption of biosecurity principles by poultry farmers ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Determinants of adoption of biosecurity principles by poultry farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria. ... Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management ... with 100% adoption however, were provision of adequate ventilation, removal of dead birds, offering of good quality feed and water, vaccination and provision of ...

  17. E-commerce adoption by SMEs in developing countries: evidence from Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Rahayu, Rita; Day, John

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to provide an overview of e-commerce adoption by SMEs in developing countries and, in particular, the extent of the adoption of e-commerce by Indonesian SMEs. It identifies the e-commerce benefits realized by these SMEs and investigates the relationship between the levels of e-commerce adoption and the benefits thus realized. The study was motivated by the limited studies related to e-commerce adoption by SMEs, especially in developing countries. In addition, it seems that mos...

  18. Adoptive T cell therapy: Addressing challenges in cancer immunotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yee Cassian

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Adoptive T cell therapy involves the ex vivo selection and expansion of effector cells for the treatment of patients with cancer. In this review, the advantages and limitations of using antigen-specific T cells are discussed in counterpoint to vaccine strategies. Although vaccination strategies represent more readily available reagents, adoptive T cell therapy provides highly selected T cells of defined phenotype, specificity and function that may influence their biological behavior in vivo. Adoptive T cell therapy offers not only translational opportunities but also a means to address fundamental issues in the evolving field of cancer immunotherapy.

  19. An unexpected reversal: the "demise" of international adoption in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Fonseca

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available During the 90s, there was a dramatic fall in intercountry adoptions of Brazilian children - from over 2000 per annum at the beginning of the decade, to under 400 at decade's close. In this paper, on the basis of archival material, we will attempt to outline possible reasons for this drop, considering hypotheses linked to the international market of adoptable children, legal restrictions on intercountry adoption imposed by the Brazilian government, and, finally, scandals in the mass media which stigmatize local intermediaries and officials involved in this activity. We conclude that inflamed public opinion and scandals in the media, although highly influential, are not necessarily the most adequate ingredients for a sensible policy on adoption.

  20. Suppression of adoptive antituberculosis immunity by normal recipient animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lefford, M.J.

    1983-01-01

    Adoptive immunity is poorly expressed in normal syngeneic mice. This phenomenon was studied by using experimental antituberculosis immunity as a model system representing pure cell-mediated immunity. Expression of adoptive immunity was facilitated by pretreating recipients with sublethal ionizing radiation (500 rads) or high doses (200 mg/kg) of cyclophosphamide or by using adult thymectomized, lethally irradiated, bone-marrow-reconstituted (TXB) mice. Adult thymectomy was less effective, and a low dose of cyclophosphamide (20 mg/kg) was completely ineffective. The beneficial effect of sublethal irradiation was reduced over time; it persisted for 4 weeks and was absent after 8 weeks. Attempts to restore the suppressed state of normal mice to sublethally irradiated mice by using normal spleen or thymus cells did not succeed. Even in rats, which express adoptive antituberculosis immunity without immunosuppressive treatment, the use of sublethally irradiated or TXB recipients potentiated adoptive immunity. It was concluded that suppression of adoptive immunization in normal recipient mice is mediated predominantly, if not exclusively, by T lymphocytes that are sensitive to a number of immunosuppressive agents. The suppressor cells are long-lived and can be regenerated from precursors that are resistant to 500 but not to 900 rads of ionizing radiation

  1. The Role of Social Networks in Early Adoption of Mobile Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tscherning, Heidi; Mathiassen, Lars

    As mobile devices have become the personal information-processing interface of choice, many individuals seem to swiftly follow fashion. Yet, the literature is silent on how early adopters of mobile devices overcome uncertainties related to shifts in technology. Based on purposive sampling, this paper presents detailed insights into why and how five closely related individuals made the decision to adopt the iPhone before it was available through traditional supply chains. Focusing on the role played by social networks, we analyze how adoption threshold, opinion leaders, social contagion, and social learning shaped adoption behaviors and outcomes. The analyses confirm that network structures impact the early decision to accept the iPhone; they show that when facing uncertainty, adoption decisions emerged as a combined result of individual adoption reflections and major influences from the social network as well as behaviors observed within the network, and, they reveal interesting behaviors that differed from expectations. In conclusion, we discuss implications for both theory and practice.

  2. Emerging Food Processing Technologies and Factors Impacting their Industrial Adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priyadarshini, Anushree; Rajauria, Gaurav; O'Donnell, Colm P; Tiwari, Brijesh K

    2018-06-04

    Innovative food processing technologies have been widely investigated in food processing research in recent years. These technologies offer key advantages for advancing the preservation and quality of conventional foods, for combatting the growing challenges posed by globalization, increased competitive pressures and diverse consumer demands. However, there is a need to increase the level of adoption of novel technologies to ensure the potential benefits of these technologies are exploited more by the food industry. This review outlines emerging thermal and non-thermal food processing technologies with regard to their mechanisms, applications and commercial aspects. The level of adoption of novel food processing technologies by the food industry is outlined and the factors that impact their industrial adoption are discussed. At an industry level, the technological capabilities of individual companies, their size, market share as well as their absorptive capacity impact adoption of a novel technology. Characteristics of the technology itself such as costs involved in its development and commercialization, associated risks and relative advantage, its level of complexity and compatibility influence the technology's adoption. The review concludes that a deep understanding of the development and application of a technology along with the factors influencing its acceptance are critical for its commercial adoption.

  3. Delayed age at transfer of adoptees to adoptive parents is associated with increased mortality irrespective of social class of the adoptive parents: a cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Liselotte; Andersen, Per Kragh; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Mortensen, Erik Lykke

    2018-04-24

    Adverse early life experience and development may have long-term health consequences, but later environmental conditions may perhaps protect against the effects of such early life adversities. The aim was to investigate whether cause-specific and overall mortality rates among adoptees are associated with the age at which they were transferred to the adoptive family and whether the social class of the adoptive family modifies this association. A cohort of 10,592 non-familial adoptions (biologically unrelated adoptee and adoptive parents) of Danish-born children formally granted in 1924-47 and with follow-up of total and cause-specific mortality through ages up to 85 years. The rates of death after the age of 16 from all causes combined, all natural causes, all external causes, and suicide were compared according to the age at which adoptees were transferred to their adoptive family by estimating hazard ratios in Cox regression models. Death rates from all causes were significantly higher in adoptees transferred between age 1 month and 4 years compared to those transferred immediately after birth with the hazard ratio peaking at 1.19 (95% confidence limit: 1.08 to 1.32) for adoptees transferred between 6 and 11 months. This result was primarily driven by a similar pattern for natural causes of death. For death from external causes and for suicide the hazard ratios were increasing with increasing age at transfer, and tests for trend were statistically significant. The social class of the adoptive family did not significantly modify these associations. Transfer to an adoptive family later than at the time of birth may have adverse long-term consequences affecting overall and cause-specific mortality. These effects were not modified by the environment provided by the adoptive family as indicated by the social class of these families.

  4. Explaining the Variation in Adoption Rates of the Information Content of Environmental Disclosure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fallan, Even

    2015-01-01

    of content, and whether innovation adoption theory might represent important factors of this decision-making process. Design/methodology/approach: - Actual adoption rates of 13 information content categories are computed using content analysis of annual reports for 62 listed companies. Each content category......Purpose: - Corporate management decides what types of environmental information content to disclose/adopt. It is explored whether internal context - decision-makers’ perception of characteristics of the information content - might predict the variation in adoption rates of different types...... is seen as an innovation the company decides to adopt or not. Interviews with management in several companies illustrate the decision process of disclosure, and help predict adoption rates. Predicted and actual adoption rates are compared. Findings: - Adoption rates vary considerably among the 13 types...

  5. Adoption and use of electronic information resources by medical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study investigated the adoption and use of electronic information resources by medical science students of the University of Benin. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study and 390 students provided the data. Data collected were analysed with descriptive Statistics(Simple percentage and ...

  6. Factors leading to inflation targeting - the impact of adoption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Samarina, Anna; Sturm, Jan-Egbert

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines how the analysis of inflation targeting (IT) adoption is affected by the choice of the analyzed period. We test whether country characteristics influence the decision to apply IT differently before and after its adoption, using panel probit models for 60 countries over the period

  7. Coping styles adopted in stressful situations by self-harming adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karolina Jabłkowska

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The state of stress and styles of coping with stress constitute an important component of life of every human being, particularly during adolescence. Effective coping mechanisms enable reduction of severity of stress experienced, while inability to manage stressful situations results in alterations in emotional and physiological domains, disturbances of mental well-being, somatic health and social functioning. Since a few years, we are witnessing a significant aggravation of the phenomenon of auto-aggression among children and adolescents, particularly in populations already undergoing psychiatric treatment. Such behaviours fulfil several functions: they may represent a way to express emotions, a means of adaptation or a style of coping with difficulties encountered in everyday life and emotional tension associated therewith. The aim of this study was to analyse predominating styles of coping with stressful situations, adopted by adolescen patients performing self-harm. The study population encompassed 35 patients, aged 16.60±0.18 years, there of 27 girls and 8 boys, hospitalised at the Department of Adolescent Psychiatry of the Medical University in Łódź, who had a history of deliberate self-harm (DSH. Control group included 32 healthy volunteers aged 16.91±0.16 years, thereof 23 girls and 9 boys. In view of the size of study population, it was subdivided into subgroups depending on whether episodes of DSH were sporadic or repetitive. Data were collected using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS. This questionnaire was designed specifically to explore styles of coping with stress. Self-harming adolescents, both girls and boys, significantly more often adopted emotion-oriented style. Patients with repetitive DSH (over 4 episodes significantly more often adopted emotion-oriented style and/or avoidance-oriented style, particularly in the form of seeking social contacts – social diversion, as compared with those committing

  8. Why sub-Saharan Africa lags in electronic health record adoption and possible strategies to increase its adoption in this region

    OpenAIRE

    Odekunle, Florence Femi; Odekunle, Raphael Oluseun; Shankar, Srinivasan

    2017-01-01

    Poor health information system has been identified as a major challenge in the health-care system in many developing countries including sub-Saharan African countries. Electronic health record (EHR) has been shown as an important tool to improve access to patient information with attendance improved quality of care. However, EHR has not been widely implemented/adopted in sub-Saharan Africa. This study sought to identify factors that affect the adoption of an EHR in sub-Saharan Africa and stra...

  9. Focus on Adoptive T Cell Transfer Trials in Melanoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liat Hershkovitz

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Adoptive Cell Transfer (ACT of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL in combination with lymphodepletion has proven to be an effective treatment for metastatic melanoma patients, with an objective response rate in 50%–70% of the patients. It is based on the ex vivo expansion and activation of tumor-specific T lymphocytes extracted from the tumor and their administration back to the patient. Various TIL-ACT trials, which differ in their TIL generation procedures and patient preconditioning, have been reported. In the latest clinical studies, genetically engineered peripheral T cells were utilized instead of TIL. Further improvement of adoptive T cell transfer depends on new investigations which seek higher TIL quality, increased durable response rates, and aim to treat more patients. Simplifying this therapy may encourage cancer centers worldwide to adopt this promising technology. This paper focuses on the latest progress regarding adoptive T cell transfer, comparing the currently available protocols and discussing their advantages, disadvantages, and implication in the future.

  10. Factors affecting the adoption of cloud computing: an exploratory study

    OpenAIRE

    Morgan, Lorraine; Conboy, Kieran

    2013-01-01

    peer-reviewed While it is widely acknowledged that cloud computing has the potential to transform a large part of the IT industry, issues surrounding the adoption of cloud computing have received relatively little attention. Drawing on three case studies of service providers and their customers, this study will contribute to the existing cloud technologies literature that does not address the complex and multifaceted nature of adoption. The findings are analyzed using the adoption of innov...

  11. Adoption as a gosling strategy to obtain better parental care? Experimental evidence for gosling choice and age-dependency of adoption in greylag geese

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kalmbach, E; van der Aa, P; Komdeur, J

    2005-01-01

    Adoptions of unrelated young by successful breeders are a form of alloparental care which has been observed in many species of geese. Depending on costs and benefits to the parents, adoptions might represent an inter-generational conflict ora mutually beneficial strategy. Although most studies of

  12. [The adopted child and his problems. Pedo-psychiatric point of view].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schachter, M

    1980-12-01

    After a survey of the recent pedopsychiatric literature concerning the difficulties exhibited by young adoptees, we describe our own experience with 35 adopted children. The subjects were divided in two groups: a) the first group of 26 cases (74%) concerning clinical disturbances with no evident relation to the situation derived by the adoption; b) the second group of 9 cases (26%) concerning: 1. four cases ou rebellious behaviour against the adopters et 2. fives cases of camouflaged rejection of the adoptees by their adopters. These 9 cases are given with details; the characteristics of the other 26 cases are summarized. Our pedopsychiatric experience has shown that adoption was a failure in 26% of the cases related in the present study.

  13. Consumer Innovativeness Model of Indonesian Young People in Adopting Electronic Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Ashari Nasution

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available It is important for marketers to understand how innovators respond to the introduction of new products. This paper investigates consumer innovativeness (CI from meta-analysis study as suggested by Nasution and Garnida [2011] and examines the simultaneous impacts of CI on new product adoption. Nasution and Garnida [2010] proposed three different perspectives in conceptualizing the CI model. First, the generalist stream that represents a generalized personality trait that engenders consumers to adopt new product. Second, the particularist stream that focuses on product adoption behavior within a specific domain of interest. Third, the integrator perspective that proposes to integrate these two streams by putting domain-specific innovativeness as a mediating factor in relationship between general innovativeness trait and new product adoption.A structural equation model is used to test hypotheses using empirical data from 607 respondents in electronic products adoption. The result shows that the integrator perspective provides the best model in representing the empirical data. The finding of the integrator perspective reveals that domain specific CI mediates the relationship between general innovativeness trait and new product adoption. Specifically, subjective knowledge and hedonic idea shopping enhances the actuality of new products.The findings provide an explanation to the less than consistent relationship between consumer innovativeness and new product adoption. However, a single research context of electronic products and student sample may become one of the limitations and future studies needed to replicate the perspective of CI in different research contexts for greater generalizability and the use of non-student sample. The findings have implications for the innovation adoption theory, for managers involved in the introduction of new products, and for future research on innovation adoption.

  14. Adoption of a High-Impact Innovation in a Homogeneous Population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Curtis H.; Poncela-Casasnovas, Julia; Glaser, Joshua I.; Pah, Adam R.; Persell, Stephen D.; Baker, David W.; Wunderink, Richard G.; Nunes Amaral, Luís A.

    2014-10-01

    Adoption of innovations, whether new ideas, technologies, or products, is crucially important to knowledge societies. The landmark studies of adoption dealt with innovations having great societal impact (such as antibiotics or hybrid crops) but where determining the utility of the innovation was straightforward (such as fewer side effects or greater yield). Recent large-scale studies of adoption were conducted within heterogeneous populations and focused on products with little societal impact. Here, we focus on a case with great practical significance: adoption by small groups of highly trained individuals of innovations with large societal impact but for which it is impractical to determine the true utility of the innovation. Specifically, we study experimentally the adoption by critical care physicians of a diagnostic assay that complements current protocols for the diagnosis of life-threatening bacterial infections and for which a physician cannot estimate the true accuracy of the assay based on personal experience. We show through computational modeling of the experiment that infection-spreading models—which have been formalized as generalized contagion processes—are not consistent with the experimental data, while a model inspired by opinion models is able to reproduce the empirical data. Our modeling approach enables us to investigate the efficacy of different intervention schemes on the rate and robustness of innovation adoption in the real world. While our study is focused on critical care physicians, our findings have implications for other settings in education, research, and business, where small groups of highly qualified peers make decisions about the adoption of innovations whose utility is difficult if not impossible to gauge.

  15. Constraints in the adoption of Indigenous farming practices

    OpenAIRE

    K Kanagasabapathi; V Sakthivel

    2017-01-01

    Indigenous farming is a production system, based on renewal of ecological processes and strengthening of ecological functions of farm ecosystem to produce safe, healthy and sustainable food. Indigenous agriculture is being adopted by the farmers of Kolli Hills in centre Tamil Nadu for different reasons. However, a lot of constraints prevent the farmers in adopting indigenous farming practices, that include poor yield, poor marketing facilities, higher production cost and urbanization

  16. Value Added Services and Adoption of Mobile Payments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Augsburg, Christel; Hedman, Jonas

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the role of Value Added Services (VAS) in consumers’ adoption of mobile payments. VAS are supplementary digital services offered in connection with mobile payments; in this study exemplified by receipts, loyalty cards, and coupons. A research model is derived from...... that intention to adopt mobile payments increases as VAS are introduced and that this increase comes from a positive change in Perceived Usefulness, compatibility, and Convenience....

  17. Perceived benefits of adopting Standard – Based pricing mechanism for mechanical and electrical services installations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ganiyu Amuda Yusuf

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Cost is an important measure of project success and clients will expect a reliable forecast at the early stage of construction projects to inform their business decision. This study was undertaken to investigate the current practices in managing cost of mechanical and electrical (M&E services in buildings. The perceptions of practitioners on the benefits of adopting Standard – Based Pricing Mechanism for M&E services as used for building fabrics and finishes was ascertained. The methodology adopted for the study was semi – structure interview and questionnaire survey.  Inferential statistics technique was used to analyse the data collected. The results revealed that, M&E services tender documents are often based on lump sum contract. Practitioners are of the opinion that the adoption of Standard – Based Pricing Mechanism (SBPM could enhance the quality of M&E services price forecast; ensure active post contract cost monitoring and control; encourage collaborative working relationship; enhance efficient whole life cycle cost management; improve risk management and facilitate efficient tendering process. The study suggested the development of local Standard Method of Measurement for M&E services and proposed strategies to facilitate the adoption of SBPM as basis for forecasting contract price of mechanical and electrical services in buildings.

  18. 34 CFR 299.10 - What complaint procedures shall an SEA adopt?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What complaint procedures shall an SEA adopt? 299.10 Section 299.10 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY... complaint procedures shall an SEA adopt? (a) General. An SEA shall adopt written procedures, consistent with...

  19. Factors Influencing Cloud-Computing Technology Adoption in Developing Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hailu, Alemayehu

    2012-01-01

    Adoption of new technology has complicating components both from the selection, as well as decision-making criteria and process. Although new technology such as cloud computing provides great benefits especially to the developing countries, it has challenges that may complicate the selection decision and subsequent adoption process. This study…

  20. Economics of cassava farmers' adoption of improved varieties in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study investigated the economics of cassava farmers' adoption of improved varieties in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State. Studies on the economic analysis of farmers adoption of improved cassava varieties in the study area is lacking. This therefore constitutes a research gap which must be ...

  1. How Efficient is Green Revolution Technology Adoption in Ghana ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study seeks to find out the effects of Green Revolution technology adoption on output/efficiency of agricultural households in Ghana. The method of analysis involves Battese and Coelli's (1993; 1995) one-step estimation of a stochastic frontier model. Technology adoption was found to have positive effects on output.

  2. Social Networks and Technology Adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Hogset, Heidi

    2005-01-01

    This study analyzes social network effects on Kenyan smallholders' decision to adopt improved natural resource management techniques. These effects are decomposed into effects from social influence and learning through networks (strong ties), group effects, weak ties effects, informal finance, and conflicts arising from technological externalities, controlling for non-network effects.

  3. Adoption of information and communication technologies as source of information on agricultural innovations among farm households in Nigeria: evidence from Benue state”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iorliam, T.,

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The study analyzed adoption of ICTs as source of information on agricultural innovations in Nigeria. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to one hundred and twenty (120 Agricultural Development Programme (ADP farmers sampled in Benue State. Results show that Radio (46.7%, Newspapers (45.8%, contact farmers (42.5%, and extension agents (41.7% ranked first, second, third and fourth respectively in terms of adoption by farmers. Level of education, and incomes were the significant (P<0.05 determinants of ICT adoption. Enabling policy environment that would encourage utilization of ICTs through deliberate programmes that expose farming communities to ICTs and support incomes such as highly subsidized ICT trainings and increased credit facilities to rural farmers would enhance adoption of ICTs in Nigeria.

  4. Adopters and Non-Adopters of Low-Cost Household Latrines: A Study of Corbelled Pit Latrines in 15 Districts of Malawi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rochelle Holm

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The Sustainable Development Goals will challenge low- and middle-income settings to look at new approaches for rural sanitation. In 2013, Mzuzu University, in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF Malawi, started a low-cost latrine program in rural areas using the corbelled latrine design supported by locally owned sustainable businesses. The objective of this work was to trace customers (early household adopters and non-customers through field observations and interviews in 15 districts of Malawi. The research team spent 193 personnel work days in data collection and found 21 households as adopters in 7 districts. Most respondents had a preference with regard to the design of the sanitation facility they would like to use. Although sharing of sanitation facilities was common, the corbelled latrine is promoted as a single household pit latrine design. Unfortunately, 8% (23/304 of non-adopters responded they practiced open defecation. Households were satisfied with the corbelled latrine design, and no latrine was found to have collapsed during field visits. To promote the corbelled latrine in Malawi, the following are recommended: (1 education of frontline government extension workers towards non-subsidized household latrines; (2 identification of rural low-income households as the best target for potential adopters; and (3 linkage of low-cost sanitation technologies to community mobilization campaigns led by the government, such as Community Led Total Sanitation.

  5. How Incentives Affect the Adoption of Anaerobic Digesters in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anh Sam

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Various government incentives support the adoption of anaerobic digester systems to manage farm waste and serve as a source of renewable energy in the United States. We examine the effectiveness of US state-level incentives promoting the adoption of anaerobic digester systems. We find that performance-based incentives and adoption of renewable portfolio standards best promote anaerobic digester system adoption.

  6. The websites adoption in the Spanish agrifood firms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    López-Becerra, E.I.; Arcas-Lario, Francisco Alcon N.

    2016-01-01

    Currently, the use of websites in the firms of the Spanish agrifood sector has not become widespread despite the possible benefits to be derived from their adequate integration and management within the firms. Among these advantages, the increase in the quality of the services offered and the improvement in the relations with their stakeholders should be highlighted. In this context, the objective of the present work is to determine to what extent websites are used by firms in the agrifood sector of Spain, analysing the background which explains why they are adopted and the consequences of introducing them. To do so, a theoretical framework is posed which allows these factors to be identified, and an empirical study is carried out with Spanish agrifood firms. The results of the work indicate that the adoption of websites will be favoured when the directors of the firm are higher qualified, the firm is bigger in size, the firm’s function is distribution, and when the relative advantage and technology compatibility is perceived, among others. Technology adoption consequences analysis suggests that the benefits of adoption are related with improving the relationships with suppliers, customers, owning partners and, in general, the quality of the services offered by the firm.

  7. The websites adoption in the Spanish agrifood firms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    López-Becerra, E.I.; Arcas-Lario, Francisco Alcon N.

    2016-07-01

    Currently, the use of websites in the firms of the Spanish agrifood sector has not become widespread despite the possible benefits to be derived from their adequate integration and management within the firms. Among these advantages, the increase in the quality of the services offered and the improvement in the relations with their stakeholders should be highlighted. In this context, the objective of the present work is to determine to what extent websites are used by firms in the agrifood sector of Spain, analysing the background which explains why they are adopted and the consequences of introducing them. To do so, a theoretical framework is posed which allows these factors to be identified, and an empirical study is carried out with Spanish agrifood firms. The results of the work indicate that the adoption of websites will be favoured when the directors of the firm are higher qualified, the firm is bigger in size, the firm’s function is distribution, and when the relative advantage and technology compatibility is perceived, among others. Technology adoption consequences analysis suggests that the benefits of adoption are related with improving the relationships with suppliers, customers, owning partners and, in general, the quality of the services offered by the firm.

  8. Impact of Adoption on Birth Parents

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... landscape of privacy and confidentiality, including in adoption (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013b). With a simple Internet search or a review of social media sites, individuals may be able to quickly determine ...

  9. Review of Cloud Computing and existing Frameworks for Cloud adoption

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Victor; Walters, Robert John; Wills, Gary

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a selected review for Cloud Computing and explains the benefits and risks of adopting Cloud Computing in a business environment. Although all the risks identified may be associated with two major Cloud adoption challenges, a framework is required to support organisations as they begin to use Cloud and minimise risks of Cloud adoption. Eleven Cloud Computing frameworks are investigated and a comparison of their strengths and limitations is made; the result of the comparison...

  10. The drivers to adopt renewable energy among residential users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Zahari Abdul; Elinda, Esa

    2016-03-01

    This study aims to examine the drivers to adopt renewable energy (RE) among residential users in Malaysia. Based on the theoretical framework of a consumer’s decision making process, an empirical study of the adoption of RE was conducted. A total of 501 residential users were used in this study. This study proved that perceived utility of new technology, perceived utility of new service, and perceived benefit of new technology are the drivers to adopt RE among residential users. These factors are knowing crucial to RE suppliers and producers because it will generates more demand from the residential users and the percentage of energy mix from RE sources can be increase.

  11. The early adoption of green power by Dutch households An empirical exploration of factors influencing the early adoption of green electricity for domestic purposes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arkesteijn, Karlijn; Oerlemans, Leon

    2005-01-01

    The results of this study provide empirical insight into factors influencing the early adoption of green electricity by Dutch residential users. Earlier research revealed that early adoption is closely related to social visibility, which is lacking in the case of green power. This raises the question of which factors influence adoption in the absence of visibility. The contributions of this study are threefold. First, we used a theoretical perspective in which a cognitive approach was combined with an economic approach leading to a more comprehensive framework. Second, the empirical focus on residential users of renewable resources is relatively new. Third, the results of our analyses provide insights into factors influencing early (non-)adoption, knowledge which could be valuable to market actors and governments stimulating the adoption of sustainable consumer products. For our theoretical framework, we distinguished three sets of independent variables: factors related to (1) the technical system, (2) individuals, and (3) economic issues. Data collection took place among households just 1 month before the liberalisation of the Dutch green electricity market, creating a unique database of residential (non-)users. Our results show that the proposed extended model is more powerful than partial models. Moreover, our findings suggest that cognitive and economic intentional variables, as well as variables indicating basic knowledge and actual environmental behaviour in the past, are strong predictors of the probability of adoption. The paper closes with research-based recommendations for practitioners

  12. Strategies for Successful Information Technology Adoption in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Ghobakhloo

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Information Technology (IT adoption is an important field of study in a number of areas, which include small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs. Due to the numerous advantages of IT, SMEs are trying to adopt IT applications to support their businesses. IT adoption by SMEs differs from larger organizations because of their specific characteristics, such as resources constraints. Therefore, this research aims to provide a better and clearer understanding of IT adoption within SMEs by reviewing and analyzing current IT literature. In this research, the review of literature includes theories, perspectives, empirical research and case studies related to IT adoption, in particular within SMEs from various databases such as Business Premier, Science Direct, JStor, Emerald Insight and Springer Link. The proposed model of effective IT adoption is believed to provide managers, vendors, consultants and governments with a practical synopsis of the IT adoption process in SMEs, which will in turn assist them to be successful with IT institutionalization within these businesses.

  13. IFRS adoption in Pacific Island Economies: A political perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pran Boolaky

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a new paradigm on the adoption of IFRS in island economies specifically in the pacific region. The adapted Scott (2001 institutional pressure framework on IFRS adoption addresses the political independence and political dependence of pacific island economies at three levels namely high, second and low.

  14. A multivariate analysis of factors affecting adoption of improved ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper analyzes the synergies/tradeoffs involved in the adoption of improved varieties of multiple crops in the mixed crop-livestock production systems of the highlands of Ethiopia A multivariate probit (MVP) model involving a system of four equations for the adoption decision of improved varieties of barley, potatoes, ...

  15. A comparative study of behaviour problems between adopted and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We found that adopted children had more behaviour problems on the PSQ. On SAICA, adopted children showed less social competence. The parenting practices as revealed by the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire did not differ between the two groups. The IQ of the children in both groups was within the normal range.

  16. Towards a Model of Technology Adoption: A Conceptual Model Proposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costello, Pat; Moreton, Rob

    A conceptual model for Information Communication Technology (ICT) adoption by Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is proposed. The research uses several ICT adoption models as its basis with theoretical underpinning provided by the Diffusion of Innovation theory and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Taking an exploratory research approach the model was investigated amongst 200 SMEs whose core business is ICT. Evidence from this study demonstrates that these SMEs face the same issues as all other industry sectors. This work points out weaknesses in SMEs environments regarding ICT adoption and suggests what they may need to do to increase the success rate of any proposed adoption. The methodology for development of the framework is described and recommendations made for improved Government-led ICT adoption initiatives. Application of the general methodology has resulted in new opportunities to embed the ethos and culture surrounding the issues into the framework of new projects developed as a result of Government intervention. A conceptual model is proposed that may lead to a deeper understanding of the issues under consideration.

  17. The role of privacy protection in healthcare information systems adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Chien-Lung; Lee, Ming-Ren; Su, Chien-Hui

    2013-10-01

    Privacy protection is an important issue and challenge in healthcare information systems (HISs). Recently, some privacy-enhanced HISs are proposed. Users' privacy perception, intention, and attitude might affect the adoption of such systems. This paper aims to propose a privacy-enhanced HIS framework and investigate the role of privacy protection in HISs adoption. In the proposed framework, privacy protection, access control, and secure transmission modules are designed to enhance the privacy protection of a HIS. An experimental privacy-enhanced HIS is also implemented. Furthermore, we proposed a research model extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology by considering perceived security and information security literacy and then investigate user adoption of a privacy-enhanced HIS. The experimental results and analyses showed that user adoption of a privacy-enhanced HIS is directly affected by social influence, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, and perceived security. Perceived security has a mediating effect between information security literacy and user adoption. This study proposes several implications for research and practice to improve designing, development, and promotion of a good healthcare information system with privacy protection.

  18. Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents' Experiences in Preschool Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Abbie E

    2014-01-01

    Little research has examined the school experiences of lesbian/gay (LG) parent families or adoptive parent families. The current exploratory study examined the experiences of 79 lesbian, 75 gay male, and 112 heterosexual adoptive parents of preschool-age children with respect to their (a) level of disclosure regarding their LG parent and adoptive family status at their children's schools; (b) perceived challenges in navigating the preschool environment and advocating on behalf of their children and families; and (c) recommendations to teachers and schools about how to create affirming school environments with respect to family structure, adoption, and race/ethnicity. Findings revealed that the majority of parents were open about their LG and adoptive family status, and had not encountered challenges related to family diversity. Those parents who did experience challenges tended to describe implicit forms of marginalization, such as insensitive language and school assignments. Recommendations for teachers included discussing and reading books about diverse families, tailoring assignments to meet the needs of diverse families, and offering school community-building activities and events to help bridge differences across families.

  19. Community treatment adoption of contingency management: a conceptual profile of U.S. clinics based on innovativeness of executive staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartzler, Bryan; Rabun, Carl

    2013-07-01

    Community adoption of contingency management (CM) varies considerably, and executive innovativeness may help explain variance due to its presumed influence on clinic decision-making. Sixteen U.S. opioid treatment programs (OTPs) were visited, with ethnographic interviewing used in casual contacts with executives to inform their eventual classification by study investigators into one of Rogers' (2003) five adopter categories. Audio-recorded interviews were also conducted individually with the executive and three staff members (N = 64) wherein they reported reactions to clinic CM implementation during the prior year, from which study investigators later identified salient excerpts during interview transcript reviews. The executive sample was progressive, with 56% classified as innovators or early adopters. Implementation reports and corresponding staff reactions were generally consistent with what might be expected according to diffusion theory. Clinics led by innovators had durably implemented multiple CM applications, for which staff voiced support. Clinics led by early adopters reported CM exposure via research trial participation, with mixed reporting of sustained and discontinued applications and similarly mixed staff views. Clinics led by early majority adopters employed CM selectively for administrative purposes, with staff reticence about its expansion to therapeutic uses. Clinics led by late majority adopters had either deferred or discontinued CM adoption, with typically disenchanted staff views. Clinics led by a laggard executive evidenced no CM exposure and strongly dogmatic staff views against its use. Study findings are consistent with diffusion theory precepts, and illustrate pervasive influences of executive innovativeness on clinic practices and staff impressions of implementation experiences. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Evolution of consumer information preferences with market maturity in solar PV adoption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cale Reeves, D.; Rai, Varun; Margolis, Robert

    2017-07-01

    Residential adoption of solar photovoltaics (PV) is spreading rapidly, supported by policy initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels. Potential adopters navigate increasingly complex decision-making landscapes in their path to adoption. Much is known about the individual-level drivers of solar PV diffusion that steer adopters through this process, but relatively little is known about the evolution of these drivers as solar PV markets mature. By understanding the evolution of emerging solar PV markets over time, stakeholders in the diffusion of solar PV can increase policy effectiveness and reduce costs. This analysis uses survey data to compare two adjacent markets across a range of relevant characteristics, then models changes in the importance of local vs cosmopolitan information sources by combining theory relating market maturity to adopter behavior with event-history techniques. In younger markets, earlier, innovative adoptions that are tied to a preference for cosmopolitan information sources are more prevalent than expected, suggesting a frustrated demand for solar PV that segues into adoptions fueled by local information preferences contemporary with similar adoptions in older markets. The analysis concludes with policy recommendations to leverage changing consumer information preferences as markets mature.