John W. Cheng

The underlying factors of the perceived usefulness of using smart wearable devices for disaster applications

Abstract Smart wearable devices offer much potential to assist citizens in disasters. To the general public, however, using these devices for disaster applications is still a novel concept. In disasters, most people are reluctant to rely on unfamiliar technologies. Thus, for these devices to become truly useful in disasters, it is important to understand factors that affect their acceptance by the public. Previous studies show that perceived usefulness is a clear antecedent of people’s acceptance of smart wearable devices. However, the underlying factors that affect perceived usefulness itself are not clearly known. Thus, the aim of this study is to fill this gap, and by doing so, to derive some practical implications for solution developers and governments. This study used structural equation modelling to analyse survey data collected from 647 respondents in Japan. We found that the respondents’ perceived usefulness of the current applications of smart wearable devices was a strong predictor of their perceived usefulness of using these devices for disaster applications. Although indirect factors such as the ownership of ICT gadgets and the usage of social media also had some influences, most of their effects were mediated through increasing the respondents’ perceived usefulness of the current applications. In other words, through appreciating the functions of the current applications of smart wearable devices, people can visualise the usefulness of these devices in disaster situations. That being said, we found that in parallel, people also had concerns on the privacy issues of these devices. These findings shed light on the promotion and development of this fast growing technology for disaster applications.

Cultivation effects of mass and social media on perceptions and behavioural intentions in post-disaster recovery - The case of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Mass and social media have different effects on peoples perceptions of the disaster.Effects of mass media are much stronger than effects of social media.Mass media is especially influential on those who were not affected by the disaster.Social media resonates more with those who were directly affected by the disaster.The perception of bonds is the most influential on peoples behavioural intentions. Prior research has found that both mass and social media can play an influential role in post-disaster recovery. In particular, media information has been found to encourage people to support the recovery efforts. However, the mechanisms underlying this process have not been thoroughly investigated. Such knowledge is essential for both governments and non-governmental organisations so that they may apply these findings in post-disaster recovery. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to conduct an in-depth investigation on how mass and social media can influence peoples perceptions of a disaster and their behavioural intentions with respect to post-disaster recovery activities.This study uses the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake as a case study, and employs structural equation modelling with a data set of 2047 samples collected from an original Internet survey. Through the lens of cultivation theory, we find that mass and social media can play different roles and exert different influences on peoples perceptions of the disaster. Mass media, specifically television is found to be the most influential, especially on those not directly affected by the disaster. Social media, on the other hand, although with a much weaker effect, can resonate more with those who were directly affected. Further, a positive perception of strong bonds in families and society as a result of media exposure is found to be the most effective in increasing the intention to participate in activities related to recovery such as boosting civic communications, taking altruistic actions and preparing for future disasters. The findings have implications for post-disaster recovery, in that they can provide a roadmap on how information via mass and social media can be used to motivate and connect the general public and the disaster victims.

Effects of Media Information on Collective Resilience in a Disaster-A Case Study of the Crisis of Stranded Commuters in Tokyo During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

This article examines the relations between media information and collective resilience—collective solidarity behaviours that emerge from a crowd—in a disaster. It uses the crisis of stranded commuters in Tokyo during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake as a case study with data collected from an original survey. Using a cluster analysis and a multinomial logistic regression, it is found that media information is positively related to the characteristics of collective resilience, such as shared identity and mutual help. Specifically, among those who felt threatened by the disaster, people who had received more information from media, particularly from social media and mobile telephones, were more likely to display higher levels of these characteristics. It is contended that this is because media information can help people to feel more empowered and, thus, more willing to interact with and help others.