Kari Rönkkö’s research while affiliated with Kristianstad University and other places

This study explored factors influencing ChatGPT adoption among higher education students in five Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland) and the USA. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) framework was employed and extended to incorporate personal innovativeness. Data was collected from 586 students recruited through Prolific and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed varying patterns of relationships between different factors and behavioral intention in each region. In the Nordic countries, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, and habit demonstrated positive relationships with behavioral intention. In the USA, the results revealed positive relationships between behavioral intention and performance expectancy, social influence, habit, and personal innovativeness. Performance expectancy emerged as the strongest predictor of behavioral intention in both regions. In both the Nordic countries and the USA, habit and behavioral intention emerged as the only predictors of ChatGPT use behavior. Behavioral intention demonstrated a marginally stronger influence on use behavior in both regions. These findings offer insights for educators and policymakers regarding AI integration in academic settings by highlighting common drivers and differences in AI adoption patterns.

To face the challenges of sustainable urban development, city managers and decision makers involve citizens in place (re)making. However, not all citizens engage in participatory place (re)making because their attachment to the place varies. In addition, different opinions of how to enhance place attractiveness exist. This paper aims to explore the role of place attachment and attractiveness in participatory sustainable urban development. The research question is: how do city managers and decision makers incorporate place attachment and attractiveness while engaging citizens in sustainable city (re)making? By adopting a case study approach with empirical focus on the sustainable development of Näsby district, Kristianstad City (Sweden), this paper shows that a key element of participatory place (re)making is to address both attractiveness and attachment simultaneously and throughout the entire process. City managers and decision makers should be aware of the intertwined nature of place attractiveness and attachment, coined as “attra-chment”, by thinking about the multiple bonds that citizens have with their place, as well as what they find attractive, i.e. what they like and want. When citizens’ emotional attachment to the place is considered and valued in all phases of participatory sustainable urban development, their engagement in place (re)making can be a propulsive force for attractiveness.

Online travel booking has become increasingly popular; however, most travel websites do not yet offer voice interaction. This study introduces VoiceBack, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven voice-based feedback system conceptualized to support both customers and online travel agencies during the booking process. It proposes a theoretically and empirically underpinned design concept that involves a voice user interface (VUI) for customer feedback. This feedback, collected by an AI agent, is analyzed and converted into actionable statistics, which are then presented to online travel agencies through a visual interface. The interface is designed to highlight problem areas and usability issues during the booking process. This study contributes to the field of human-centered AI, by offering insight into the complex process of designing and integrating voice, emotion, and feedback within user interfaces. This integrated approach can enrich the user experience of customers when booking travel online, and pave the way for more intuitive and responsive interaction designs in the future.