Influence of political leaders on sustainable development goals – insights from twitter

Exploring the factors that affect user experience in mobile-health applications: A text-mining and machine-learning approach

Recent years have witnessed an increased demand for mobile health (mHealth) platforms owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and preference for doorstep delivery. However, factors impacting user experiences and satisfaction levels across these platforms, using customer reviews, are still largely unexplored in academic research. The empirical framework we proposed in this paper addressed this research gap by analysing unmonitored user comments for some popular mHealth platforms. Using topic-modelling techniques, we identified the impacting factors (predictors) and categorised them into two major dimensions based on strategic adoption and motivational association. Findings from our study suggest that time and money, convenience, responsiveness, and availability emerge as significant predictors for delivering a positive user experience on m-health platforms. Next, we identified substantial moderating effects of review polarity on the predictors related to brand association and hedonic motivation, such as online booking and video consultation. Further, we also identified the top predictors for successful user experience across these platforms. Recommendations from our study will benefit business managers by offering an improved service design leading to higher user satisfaction across these m-health platforms.

An analytics approach to health and healthcare in citizen science communications on Twitter

Background

Citizen science is a growing practice in which volunteers, including non-scientists, conduct or contribute to research by collecting and analyzing data. The increasing importance of citizen science in the last years has led to an increased interest in detecting how citizen science can contribute to scientific advancements in different areas. Recent research shows that citizen science has become a means of engagement between scientist and the public, encouraging scientific curiosity and promoting scientific knowledge.

Methods

In this article, we report on how to apply computational analysis techniques to Twitter messages to reveal the impact of citizen science in health-related areas. The main objectives are (1) to characterize central topics of these discussions, and (2) to identify particularly important actors in these social media networks.

Results

For the topics, our findings suggest that sustainable development goals, technologies and health, and COVID-19 are those most addressed by the users. Other topics represented in the data are cancer, public health, mental health, and health and well being of sea and earth living creatures related to sustainable development goals.

Conclusion

Based on our results, those entities or actors who are most cited and retweeted are Twitter accounts of projects and not primarily individual professionals or citizen scientists.

Is #SDG13 Trending Online? Insights from Climate Change Discussions on Twitter

Anthropogenic activities over the past few decades have led to increased vulnerability of environmental and ecological stability on this planet. Accelerated climate change is one such subset of the environmental problems that threatens the very existence of humankind in twenty first century. Governments, United Nations (UN) and other humanitarian agencies across the globe have developed and devised strategies for climate action that requires grater public awareness and actions. Social media has played a vital role in information dissemination and raising public awareness of climate change in the digital era. To this aid, an upsurge has been documented in recent times regarding discussions over climate change with #SDG13 (Sustainable Development Goals) at its epicenter. Following the principles of Actor Network Theory (ANT) we analyzed a large volume of Twitter data to understand general citizens' perception and attitude towards climate change. Our findings unveil people's opinion on causes and concerns related to barriers of adopting a more sustainable consumption and lifestyle practice. There is also a growing apathy towards sluggish government actions that makes little difference. People were also found to exchange innovative concepts and measures towards mitigating the effects of climate change.

Factor structure and interpretation on the Thai-Social Media Engagement Scale (T-SMES)

Due to the fact that social media has become an integral part of daily life, particularly in the new normal society, there are few instruments for measuring social media usage with a cut-off score. As a reason, the objective of this study was to develop a Thai-Social Media Engagement Scale (T-SMES) that has been verified for validity and reliability as well as a cut-off score for interpretation. Data was collected from 403 participants through an online questionnaire. The findings of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed that the T-SMES was extracted into three components; accounted for 66.44% of the total variance, including (1) feeling at ease and not missing out, (2) making it a habit, and (3) a sense of being attracted to and connected to others. The test items were satisfactory in terms of validity and reliability. For identifying high social media engagement, a cut-off score of 24 was found to be optimal (sensitivity = 80.9%, specificity = 72.2%, positive predictive rate (PPR) = 92.3%, negative predictive rate (NPR) = 47.9%, and accuracy rate = 79.2%). Overall, the findings suggest that the T-SMES is an empirically valid and reliable instrument for measuring social media engagement, with optimal cut-off scores that can be used in practice.

Innovational duality and sustainable development: finding optima amidst socio-ecological policy trade-off in post-COVID-19 era

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the socio-ecological policy trade-off caused by technological innovations in the post-COVID-19 era. The study outcomes are utilized to design a comprehensive policy framework for attaining sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Design/methodology/approach

Study is done for 100 countries over 1991–2019. Second-generation estimation method is used. Innovation is measured by total factor productivity, environmental quality is measured by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and social dimension is captured by unemployment.

Findings

Innovation–CO2 emissions association is found to be inverted U-shaped and innovation–unemployment association is found to be U-shaped.

Research limitations/implications

The study outcomes show the conflicting impact of technological innovation leading to policy trade-off. This dual impact of innovation is considered during policy recommendation.

Practical implications

The policy framework recommended in the study shows a way to address the objectives of SDG 8, 9 and 13 during post-COVID-19 period.

Social implications

Policy recommendations in the study show a way to internalize the negative social externality exerted by innovation.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by considering the policy trade-off caused by innovation and recommending an SDG-oriented policy framework for the post-COVID-19 era.

How does entrepreneurial orientation and SDG orientation of CEOs evolve before and during a pandemic

Purpose

Aligning business innovation with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) creates immense opportunities to solve societal challenges along with business growth and productivity. This study aims to understand the evolution of Fortune firms' strategic addressing of SDG on social media as a step towards post-pandemic recovery. Using attribution theory as a theoretical lens, the authors try to investigate how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and SDG orientation evolve with the crisis and affect the appreciation and advocacy of the SDG-related posts.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methodology of machine learning and Social media analytics such as content analysis, sentiment analysis and space–time analysis have been used, followed by multivariate analysis to validate the findings.

Findings

An evolution in CEOs’ strategic focus surrounding SDG dimensions was found, from economic in pre-pandemic phase to social and environment during the pandemic. The SDG disclosure on social media by the Fortune CEOs seems to have an influence on their social media reputation, whereas EO has no impact on social media reputation.

Research limitations/implications

Wise practice of EO in information diffusion by CEOs on social media may lead to a healthy relationship with the stakeholders and better firm performance. The SDG adoption at organisation level contributes towards a sustainable society and helps tackling the challenges faced during the pandemic.

Originality/value

This study analyses the contribution of the Fortune firms to achieve a sustainable society in a pandemic environment by strategic adoption of SDGs and effective use of digital platforms.