Journal of Information Systems and Digital Technologies

A CONCEPTUAL THRIFT-TEE BUSINESS MODEL: FOSTERING A SUSTAINABLE AND AFFORDABLE ONLINE BAZAAR FOR B40 COMMUNITY WHILE NURTURING B40 THRIFT-PRENEURS

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Thrift-Tee is a conceptual business model developed specifically for the group that represents the lowest-income earners in Malaysia categorized as B40, for a safer and convenient platform to buy, sell and donate preloved and thrift items. This paper outlines a conceptual business model that utilizes digital platforms and apps to address the challenges faced by various customer segments – both buyers and sellers - in finding suitable individuals and marketplaces for exchanging unused, yet quality items. The platform caters to individuals seeking extra income from their unused belongings, as well as those seeking affordable second-hand options, sourced primarily from the local residents around Malaysia. This initiative aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, by promoting waste reduction through reuse and enhancing resource efficiency; SDG 4: Quality Education by upskilling the B40s as Thrift-preneurs, providing them with necessary knowledge; and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, for the B40s and community in general. Employing the Design Thinking (DT) methodology, this paper identifies and addresses the challenges faced by customer segments, buyers and sellers, through effective problem-solving and sustainable business model. Literature reviews and surveys within the buyer’s customer segment, as well as the seller’s preloved and thrift items industry players, were conducted in gathering insights and understand the key challenges, pains, gains, and jobs-to-be-done faced by buyers/sellers; and gaps and current business models of sellers/providers of the preloved items industry. Various business modeling tools such as Environment Map (EM), Business Model Canvas (BMC), Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) and Strategy Canvas were employed. Finally, a low-fidelity prototype of the Thrift-Tee app was designed and tested together with the initial business model, in assessing its relevance and sustainability for the targeted customer segments. Hence, this paper offers a conceptual validated business model for Thrift-Tee embedded with a digital platform aimed at empowering the B40 community through the exchange of preloved and thrift items.

‘SADAQAHNOW’ PROJECT BUSINESS MODEL: TRUSTED FUNDRAISING MOBILE APPLICATION FOR ENHANCING THE WELL-BEING OF LOCAL & GLOBAL COMMUNITIES

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This paper is to offer a conceptual business model (BM) for an IT project titled, ‘SadaqahNow.’ The project business model is developed to help addressing the challenges, extreme pains, essential gains, and important job-to-do of various customer segments, namely fundraisers and donors, when garned enough club donation funds. Adopting the design thinking (DT) methodology including conducting literature review (LR) and interviews to understand the key challenges, extreme pains, essential gains, and important job-to-do of the fundraisers and donors. Business modelling tools namely Business Environmental Map (EM), Business Model Canvas (BMC), and Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) are used to formulate, design, test, and establish the project business model. This is to ideate the initial project BM embedded with digital platform/apps, designed, and tested, The initial project business model, using the Business Model Canvas (BMC) framework, was validated by the customer segments via surveys – to validate the relevancy of the job-to-do, gain creators and pain relievers offering of the SadaqahNow project. Finally, the validated conceptual SadaqahNow project business model was established – offering potential solution in addressing the important job-to-do, as well as gain creators and pain relievers for fundraisers and donors. Future works include developing a detailed Project Implementation Plan for the development of SadaqahNow project.

A CONCEPTUAL ECOTHRIFT SECONDHAND BUSINESS MODEL: PROMOTES CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND WEALTH CREATION, AND NURTURING B40 THRIFT-PRENEURS

HAFSA MAHBUB, LAZEENA TARNIM RANAK, MUNTAHA ISLAM, ABDUL RAHMAN AHMAD DAHLAN — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0800

In this paper, a conceptual thrift haven named EcoThrift is introduced, which is a secondhand business model designed to promote a circular economy and nurturing the B40 Thrift-preneurs. A centralized digital platform, as part of the conceptual business model is introduced where individuals and organizations can list, donate and sell items virtually. The platform will contain a wide variety of products such as kitchenware, electronics, clothing, etc. On top of that, with large donations, EcoThrift also aims to open pop up non-profit storefronts and employ B40 students as employees. This paper will adapt a Design Thinking (DT) approach, including a rigorous literature review (LR) and a survey to gain a profound understanding of the secondhand market's intricacies. This business model includes the creation of an initial business model (BM) employing business modelling tools i.e. the Business Model Canvas (BMC), and Value Proposition Canvas (VPC), which is then rigorously validated through further interviews and surveys. It also aims to follow the principles of the SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production) as well as SDG 13 (Climate Control). This innovative approach seeks to tackle crucial challenges, mitigate pains, deliver essential gains, and fulfill the unique jobs-to-be-done of various customer segments. The paper's notable contribution lies in its potential to not only promote thrift and sustainability but also offer up- and re-skilling and income opportunities for the B40 Thrift-preneurs, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and circular economy. Its practical applicability and capacity to meet the evolving needs of the secondhand market and marginalised populations make it a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners alike.

A CONCEPTUAL BUSINESS MODEL FOR HOUSECLEANING MASTER DEBU: ECO-FRIENDLY ENHANCEMENT, SERTU SERVICES, B40 CLEAN-PRENUER NURTURING AND COMMUNITY PLACES CARE

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This paper aims to showcase an eco-friendly housecleaning service conceptual model with an innovative digital platform, closely tied to the Sustainable Development Goals which are specifically aligns with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The primary challenge is addressing the pressing need for individuals who lack the time to clean their homes due to their demanding work schedules in the pursuit of a paycheck. In addition to the commitment in lessening the struggle, eco-friendly housekeeping services extend a specialized offering known as the sertu service to our Muslim customers. This unique service ensures a meticulous cleansing of areas and items that may come into contact with najis mughallazah, providing Muslim clientele with a heightened sense of cleanliness and confidence for their daily activities, especially prayers. Within this business, the customer base comprises two distinct categories: the service seekers and the service providers. Service seekers encompass residents, B40 individuals, offices, donors, and mosque beneficiaries. On the other hand, the service providers include individuals from the B40 group undergoing skill empowerment and collaborators from the cleaning supply sector. This paper also delves into a comprehensive understanding of customers' extreme pain points and how the business can alleviate them, ultimately strengthening the business model. The methodology adopted is Design Thinking (DT), which involves extensive literature review, interviews to understand customers’ pain, benchmarking, ideation and testing using business modelling tools such as the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and Value Proposition Canvas (VPC), and thus, allowing identification and addressing the unique needs and challenges within the house cleaning services ecosystem. This conceptual housecleaning multi-sided business model, paired with a digital platform and apps, provides numerous paths to alleviate customer pain and overcome challenges especially for the gain creators such as enhancing health, eco-friendly, and sertu services while nurturing B40 clean-preneurs.

SMART CTZEN: A DIGITAL STORYTELLING APP TO EMPOWER YOUTH’S AWARENESS IN CYBER SAFETY AND SECURITY

NURUL NUHA ABDUL MOLOK , NURIDAH SAPEE, ANIS ASILA OTHMAN — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0800

The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on Malaysian educational institutions highlights the rise in cybercrime cases among students. Studies indicate that university students are the top users of the Internet with high daily internet usage, yet, this group of users are not only the victims but also the perpetrators of cyber threats and crimes. Despite being the top Internet users, youth aged 18-25 have been found to have limited understanding of cyber threats, making them more susceptible to such threats, or to become an accidental outlaw. Therefore, this study aims to uncover the types of threats that are prevalent among university students and ways to address these threats. This study found that majority of undergraduate students experienced cyberbullying, gaming addiction, depression and anxiety due to cyber threats, online sexual harassment and online financial scams. In order to address this contemporary phenomenon, this study proposes a digital storytelling application which aims to educate youth about strategies to recognize cyber threats, respond to these threats appropriately, and make informed decisions about their cyber behaviour. It also proposes that being vigilant about these strategies are in line with Islamic teachings and principles. This will equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to protect themselves, their finances, and their safety, security and privacy in the cyber space, so that they are able to contribute to a safer digital community.

PROPOSED MODEL OF HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN PAKISTAN

IMRAN ANWAR UJAN, ASADULLAH SHAH, MOHD. ADAM SUHAIMI — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This research is conducted for acceptance of Health Information Systems by healthcare Professionals of Pakistan. For the last few decades, the introduction of Information Technology (IT) has been a source of excitement. TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) is a type of technology acceptance model that is used to predict user behaviour. Few research has been performed on the capability to predict community's acceptance of health information systems (HIS). The initial step is to assess the level of adoption, followed by stakeholders' commitment to upgrading the HIS for the improvement of healthcare facilities in Pakistan. As a result, this study employed a model to imply that five main dimensions influence HIS acceptance: behavioural intention, attitude, perceived utility, perceived ease of use, and technology self-efficacy.

DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTUAL MODEL- EFFECTIVE TEACHING QUALITY OF ACADEMICIANS TOWARDS MOOCS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0800

Introduction - IT experts and academicians adopted e-learning to expedite quality education. quality education has a necessity; therefore, higher education is getting a good job to partner with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). MOOC is the virtual learning platform to reform education by adopting information and communication technology infrastructure that aimed to increase the opportunities for quality education. MOOCs can be used by skilled and professional academicians who deliver their knowledge and expertise for acquiring learners’ ability to read, write, technical skills, and critical thinking through digital transformation. Academicians who are teaching in MOOCs should have good skills in digital literacy, online pedagogy, and willingness to accept MOOCs initiatives in HEIs in Pakistan.

Purpose/Problem - This research aims to examine the impact of the teaching quality of academicians towards the teaching quality design of MOOCs in higher education institutions, and also determine their behavioral intention towards the acceptance of MOOCs initiatives. This research study is focused on MOOCs platform usage and acceptance in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.

Methodology – Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model will be utilized to examine the hypothesis that influences academician intention towards accepting MOOCs. This study will be used a mixed-method approach to gather information. The Quantitative approach will be used to obtain the data collection for identifying the effects of independent and moderating variables on the dependent variable. SPSS and PLS-SEM 3 statistical tools will be used for data interpretation and analysis. The qualitative semi-structured approach will be used to gather more information about the area of the research survey by conducting interviews with MOOC administrators/developers, explanatory-sequencing approach should be used for more confirmation to validate and reliable the survey data collected. NVivo 12 will be used to analyze the unstructured text, audio, and video data; for interviews, focus groups, and journal articles.

Outcome – In this research, MOOC platform has been intended to study and identify the effect of teaching quality of academicians towards MOOCs and their acceptance. The application of HEIs and MOOCs will prove to be the most promising integration for quality education in the year to come under one umbrella. Therefore, a unified MOOC can be recommended in the reflection of research investigations for successfully implementing MOOCs in Pakistan's higher education institutions.

CRYPTOCURRENCY AS A SOLUTION FOR CROSS-BORDER FUND TRANSFER ISSUES IN AFGHANISTAN: A STUDY OF PUBLIC AWARENESS, ATTITUDES AND ADOPTION

QANDAGHA SAFI, RIZAL MOHD NOR — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Cryptocurrency is a digital exchange system that uses cryptography to create and distribute tokens in a peer-to-peer network. Cryptocurrency is a form of digital currency based on blockchain technology, making it fully decentralized. This decentralization feature enables easy money transfers, leading many researchers to study the success factors of cryptocurrency-based fund transfer services in different countries and regions. On the other hand, Afghanistan has faced constant problems with cross-border money transfers, which have been exacerbated by the Taliban takeover and subsequent international sanctions. Therefore, an alternative solution to the country's international remittance problems must be found. This study examines the willingness of the Afghan public to adopt cryptocurrency-based remittance services. It focuses on important factors that may have a significant impact on the success of this new transfer method. The study uses a quantitative research methodology and an online questionnaire survey to collect data from 200 Afghans in Afghanistan and abroad. The findings reveal significant problems with current remittance methods, particularly with banks and hawala. The study found great concerns among Afghans regarding hawala and banking transfer rates as well as their availability in different regions. In addition, awareness of cryptocurrencies among the Afghan public is basic as there are only a few people who have traded or owned cryptocurrency coins. However, the attitudes toward cryptocurrencies are considered good and positive as the majority of the participants are happy with the cryptocurrency security, privacy, and transfer fee mechanisms. The results of the regression analysis show that the difficulties associated with current remittance methods and the attitude towards cryptocurrencies significantly influence the adoption of cryptocurrency-based money transfer services in Afghanistan. However, the impact of cryptocurrency awareness on adoption is relatively low. This will benefit government policymakers to look into the matter and as well as attract investors to invest in cryptocurrency-based transfer services and exchanges. Overall, this study sheds light on the potential of cryptocurrency-based money transfer services in Afghanistan and provides insights into the factors that influence their adoption.

MINDFUL UX DESIGN IN INDUSTRY 4.0: MITIGATING ADDICTION AND ENHANCING USER WELL-BEING INSOCIAL MEDIA AND AI ENVIRONMENTS

NAHREEN ZANNAT, MURNI MAHMUD — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0800

The rapid advancements in technology under Industry 4.0 bring forth both opportunities and challenges, particularly in User Experience (UX) design in social media and Artificial Intelligence (AI) environments. This research paper explores these dichotomies, focusing primarily on the role of UX design in mitigating addiction and enhancing user well-being. In this paper, authors begin by exploring the historical evolution of UX design and its increasing importance in the context of technological progression. We then discuss the psychological impacts of UX design on users, drawing a parallel between addictive characteristics of social media platforms and AI-based systems, and the deterioration of user well-being. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, we delve into the concept of 'Responsible UX Design,' a design philosophy that focuses on developing interfaces and systems that foster positive user behaviour while minimizing the risk of digital addiction. Authors present a comprehensive analysis of current strategies, practices, and policies related to responsible UX design in Industry 4.0 and discuss how these could be evolved for future. Drawing on a wide range of case studies, user interviews, and psychological research, the paper provides actionable recommendations for businesses, policymakers, and UX designers. These recommendations promote responsible design practices, discourage addictive design patterns, and encourage user-centric design approaches that improve digital well-being. Additionally, this paper provides a critical review of the challenges and potential ethical considerations in implementing responsible UX design. It introduces the concept of 'Digital Ethics,' which requires organizations and designers to uphold user well-being as a primary consideration during the design process. In conclusion, this research emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift towards responsible UX design, both as a moral obligation and as a competitive advantage in Industries 4.0. It advocates for an approach that balances user engagement with user well-being, and ensures that technological innovations enhance, rather than compromise, human lives. Unprecedented technical developments, including the fusion of social media platforms and artificial intelligence (AI), have been made possible by industry 4.0. User experience (UX) design now faces ethical and societal repercussions as a result of these developments. This paper provides a thorough examination of responsible UX design in Industry 4.0, with a particular emphasis on the growing usage of social media and AI tools. The research emphasizes the significance of ethical issues while examining recent information, trends, and best practices in UX design. Unprecedented technical developments, including the fusion of social media platforms and artificial intelligence (AI), have been made possible by industry 4.0. User experience (UX) design now faces ethical and societal repercussions as a result of these developments. This article provides a thorough examination of responsible UX design in Industry 4.0, with a particular emphasis on the growing usage of social media and AI tools. The research emphasizes the significance of ethical issues while examining recent information, trends, and best practices in UX design.

A FRAMEWORK OF E-LEARNING CHALLENGES DURING COVID-19 IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSINUATIONS OF PAKISTAN

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0800

eLearning is a process of acquiring information with the help of computing devices. The eLearning facility will be available anytime, anywhere, when these computing devices are connected to a network. The real benefit of eLearning was observed during covid-19 when all education institutions suspended their physical classes as social distance was necessary due to the pandemic situation in the world. While having serval advantages of eLearning, the researchers observed several problems, not only in the covid-19 case but even before the pandemic for its adoption/acceptance. Some of the well-known issues faced by the students of higher education institutions enlightened from the literature review are Cost, System Quality, System Complexity, Infrastructure, Social influence, facilitating conditions, and student learning motivations. These problems are still researchable, especially in an underdevelopment country like Pakistan. In this study, a framework has been developed with the help of various models and theories used for Information system research, i.e. (TAM3, UTAUT, M&D, TRA, and IDT). Observing problems from the literature review, some constructs/variables (Perceived Cost, System Quality, Complexity, Social Influence, Facilitating Condition, student learning motivation, PEOU, PU, and BI). are selected to make hypotheses for the framework. The study aims to find the most critical factors affecting eLearning’s slow acceptance/adoption throughout the covid-19 in Pakistan.