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Robots, Cyborgs and Humans: a Futuristic Model of Consumer Behavior in Services ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed ADVERTIMENT. L'accés als continguts d'aquesta tesi doctoral i la seva utilització ha de respectar els drets de la persona autora. Pot ser utilitzada per a consulta o estudi personal, així com en activitats o materials d'investigació i docència en els termes establerts a l'art. 32 del Text Refós de la Llei de Propietat Intel·lectual (RDL 1/1996). Per altres utilitzacions es requereix l'autorització prèvia i expressa de la persona autora. En qualsevol cas, en la utilització dels seus continguts caldrà indicar de forma clara el nom i cognoms de la persona autora i el títol de la tesi doctoral. 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Presentation of its content in a window or frame external to TDX (framing) is not authorized either. These rights affect both the content of the thesis and its abstracts and indexes. UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed Robots, Cyborgs, and Humans. A Model of Consumer Behavior in Services: A Study in the Healthcare Services Sector ALA’ ALI ALMAHAMEED TESI DOCTORAL – TESIS DOCTORAL- DOCTORAL THESIS 2020 0 | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed i | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed ALA’ ALI ALMAHAMEED Robots, Cyborgs, and Humans. A Model of Consumer Behavior in Services: A Study in the Healthcare Services Sector PH.D. DISSERTATION Supervised by Dr. Mario Arias-Oliva Dr. Jorge Pelegrín-Borondo Humanistic Studies Department of Business Tarragona, Spain 2020 ii | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed iii | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed iv | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed v | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed Acknowledgment I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regard to my guide Professors Mario Arias-Oliva and Jorge Pelegrín-Borondo for their exemplary guidance, monitoring, and constant encouragement throughout the course of this thesis. I would like to thank my university Rovira i Virgili University for giving me the opportunity and providing myself with online library facilities to carry out this research that was needed for successfully completing this thesis and the administration staff who supported me and provided me with the required administrative help during my study. Words cannot express my gratitude to those who provided an extended arm in supporting and participating in this research in every little way that they have. Last but never the least, my sincere appreciation and love for my parents, my wife, and my children who have spared me from playtime and countless hours of family life. vi | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed vii | P a g e UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI ROBOTS, CYBORGS AND HUMANS: A FUTURISTIC MODEL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SERVICES. AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY IN MEDICAL SERVICES SECTOR Ala' Ali Mohammad Almahameed Table of Contents Chapter1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Background and Rationale .................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Impact of Technology on Business and Society ................................................................................... 8 1.3 Research Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 11 PART I: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .............................................................................................. 16 Chapter 2: Cyborg Technologies .............................................................................................................. 17 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Examples of Cyborg Technologies ..................................................................................................... 18 2.2.1 Cochlear Implant (CI) ......................................................................................................... 18 2.2.2 Neuromotor Prostheses (NMPs) ......................................................................................... 18 2.2.3 Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) ........................................................................................... 18 2.2.4 Neurofeedback .................................................................................................................... 20 2.2.5 Biological Electrical Power Generation .............................................................................. 21 2.2.6 All-Chain-Wireless Brain-to-Brain System ........................................................................ 21 2.2.7 Retinal Stimulation ............................................................................................................. 21 2.2.8 Rat Cyborg .......................................................................................................................... 22 2.2.9 3D-Printed Prosthetic .......................................................................................................... 23 2.2.10 BodyNET ............................................................................................................................ 23 2.2.11 Microprocessor Knee .......................................................................................................... 24 2.3 Literature Review of Cyborg Technologies ........................................................................................ 25 2.4 Studies about Cyborg Technologies .................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 3: Robot Technologies ................................................................................................................. 35 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Examples of Robot Technologies ......................................................................................................
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