Building a Model of Technology Preference: The Case of Channel Choices

Intention theories, such as the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), have been widely adopted to explain information system usage. These theories, however, do not explicitly consider the availability of alternative systems that users may have access to and may have a preference for. Recent calls for advancing knowledge in technology acceptance have included the examination of selection among competing channels and extending the investigation beyond adoption of a single technology. In this study, we provide a theoretical extension to the TAM by integrating preferential decision knowledge to its constructs. The concept of Attitude‐Based Preference and Attribute‐Based Preference are introduced to produce a new intention model, namely the Model of Technology Preference (MTP). MTP was validated in the context of alternative behaviors in adopting two service channels: one a technology‐based online store and the other a traditional brick‐and‐mortar store. A sample of 320 responses was used to run a structural equation model. Empirical results show that MTP is a powerful predictor of alternative behaviors. Furthermore, in the context of service channel selection, incorporating preferential decision knowledge into intention models can be used to develop successful business strategies.     

基于计划行为理论的信用卡使用意向分析及其营销策略研究

在计划行为理论的基础上,使用结构方程模型等数理统计方法,探析了消费者信用卡使用意向的影响因素,建构了消费者信用卡使用意向模型。研究表明,计划行为理论中信用卡态度和知觉行为控制变量对消费者信用卡使用意向有重要影响。此外,研究还进一步将消费者信用卡态度区分为便利性态度、金钱与信用态度,实证研究显示便利性态度对信用卡使用意向有重要影响,并且这种区分是合理的和必要的。     

Continued usage of technology versus situational factors: An empirical analysis

Mainstream technology management literature suggests that research on continued usage of technology is largely based on two perspectives, namely (i) a forward-looking perspective that underpins the technology acceptance model (TAM), and (ii) a retrospective perspective that is based on the expectation disconfirmation theory (EDT). We propose an extended framework to re-examine continued usage of technology by combining these two perspectives and incorporating individual, social and environmental factors as additional variables. Our study, in the context of users’ continued usage of e-learning tools, reveals that in addition to user satisfaction and perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, system service support and social pressure are significant factors that affect continued usage of technology. Our findings enrich the theoretical framework of continued usage of technology, and provide e-learning developers with managerial insights on how to entice learners to continue using their e-learning tools.     

Predicting System Usage from Intention and Past Use: Scale Issues in the Predictors

The objective of this study is to provide insights into how the predictive power for computer‐recorded system usage can be improved. Based on 386 responses from actual users of an information system, we examine the predictive power for system usage according to the scales of the predictors used, namely, intention and past use. First, we show that the predictive power of intention can be significantly improved with the choice of an appropriate measure. However, even the desirable intention measure failed to explain two‐thirds of the variance in system usage. Second, the results show that past use as measured by computer‐recorded log data can significantly enhance our ability to predict system usage. Finally, when both intention and past use are controlled for, the explained variance in system usage is shown to vary widely from 20% to 73%, depending on the predictors' scales. Overall, our findings suggest that an accurate prediction of system usage requires a more rigorous approach than that often applied in information systems research.     

基于TAM的移动内容服务采纳分析

3G时代,提供能被消费者接受的移动内容服务是移动运营商和内容提供商实现利润的重要前提,其关键是明晰影响用户采纳移动内容服务的主要因素和影响途径。本文以技术接受模型为理论基础,在移动商务的环境下对其进行扩展,建立了整合用户创新性、外部影响和感知财务费用的移动内容服务采纳模型,并在此基础上提出了相应的假设,并通过结构方程模型的方法对假设模型进行了验证。实证研究发现,技术接受模型在移动商务环境下依然有效,而且用户自身的创新性、外部的影响和使用成本也影响消费者的采纳意图。     

中国情景下消费者的伦理购买意向研究——基于TPB视角

本文运用大样本问卷调研法,基于TPB视角重点分析消费者的伦理购买决策机制,旨在考察中国情景下影响消费者伦理购买意向的深层次因素。研究结果发现,行为态度、主观规范与感知行为控制会显著影响消费者的伦理购买行为意向,其中主观规范是购买意向最有影响的预测变量,表明中国情景下消费者在进行伦理购买决策时更倾向于遵从社会规范的影响;进一步感知行为控制不仅直接显著作用于伦理购买意向,还通过行为态度对伦理购买意向产生间接的重要影响,表明在中国情景下如何真正提高消费者伦理购物时的感知行为控制程度是企业实施伦理营销时面临的关键性问题。总体而言,本文结果表明,修正后的计划行为理论对中国情景下消费者的伦理购买意向能够进行有效地解释与预测,说明计划行为理论具有良好的跨文化适应性。最后,本文为中国企业伦理营销战略的实施提供重要建议。     

Explaining information technology usage: A test of competing models

While much of the prior information technology (IT) research has attempted to explain users’ acceptance of new IT, recent research has focused on IT continuance or continued usage. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and the expectation–disconfirmation theory (EDT) are currently the dominant referent theoretical frameworks explaining user acceptance and continuance of IT, respectively. However, no study to date has yet empirically compared the relative ability of the two competing theories in explaining IT continuance intention. This paper fills this gap in the literature by comparing the explanatory ability of the two models via a longitudinal study of computer-based tutorial usage. Our findings confirm that both models have good explanatory power with the TAM providing a better prediction of intention. An integrated model, combining TAM and EDT, provided a marginally better explanatory power.     

Discretionary Use of Computers: An Empirically Derived Explanatory Model*

This study identifies variables that explain variations in computer use. Factor analysis of data gathered from 422 business administration faculty reveal eight themes among the independent variables. Seven of these factors significantly discriminate among non, minimal, and high users. These results suggest an empirical model for future studies and provide policy insights for decision makers seeking to stimulate computer usage. Additionally, the study shows that there is much commonality between the previously separate organizational innovation and information systems implementation streams. It also demonstrates that motivation theory may be a valid framework within which to study computer use.     

An Application of Expectancy Theory to Explain a Manager's Intention to Use a Decision Support System

A continuing gap exists between the capabilities of sophisticated computer-based information systems and the extent to which these systems are used by individuals. Studies which have examined the relationship between system utilization and various user, system, implementation, and organizational variables have provided few consistent findings. A new approach to this topic is suggested by a recent study by Davis, Bagozzi, and Warshaw [11], which indicates that individuals' intentions to use a system determine subsequent use. A large body of psychology-based research also supports this relationship between behavioral intentions and subsequent behavior. This study employs expectancy theory, which has often been used to examine behavioral intentions, to explain managers' intentions to use a decision support system (DSS). The results imply that the variables of the expectancy force model are determinants of a manager's behavioral intentions to use a DSS, and the variables of the expectancy valence model are determinants of the attractiveness of using a DSS to a manager.     

隐私偏好设置与隐私反馈对移动商务用户行为意愿影响及交互作用的实证研究

随着互联网产业的快速发展，移动服务商能够更便捷地获取用户个人隐私信息，而对隐私信息保护又相对薄弱，从而导致用户越来越感知到个人隐私信息缺乏控制，也进一步影响着用户披露个人信息与使用移动商务的意愿，因而有必要探索新的隐私保护方法，并通过实证研究对其有效性进行验证。基于此，本文以公平理论、计划行为理论为基础，提出了面向移动商务环境的隐私偏好设置及隐私反馈，探究了其对移动商务用户披露个人信息与使用移动商务意愿（下简称行为意愿）的影响作用与机理，并采用PLS-SEM方法进行了实证研究。实证结果表明：所提出的隐私保护方法对用户感知的隐私控制（下简称感知控制）和行为意愿产生显著的直接正向影响，并通过感知控制间接正向影响用户的行为意愿，而隐私偏好设置和隐私反馈对用户行为意愿具有显著的负向交互作用，且隐私反馈对隐私偏好设置具有替代作用。     

A Congruence Construct of User Involvement

The MIS literature has devoted considerable attention to the relationship between user involvement and MIS success; unfortunately, this research has produced conflicting results. Recent research on a discrepancy model of user involvement has provided a framework for reconciling studies showing positive, negative, or no impact of involvement on user satisfaction. In this discrepancy model, individual differences between perceived and desired levels of involvement define three conditional states or frames of reference that govern the relationship between involvement and end-user satisfaction. The discrepancy model indicates that studies of user involvement need to control for individual differences by dividing respondents into three groups corresponding to these conditional states. Building upon the discrepancy concept, this paper presents a congruence construct of user involvement (i.e., a measure of involvement “relative” to an individual's desire to get involved) as an alternative way of modeling this contingency relationship. The reliability and validity of the involvement congruence construct are assessed. Perceived and congruence constructs of involvement are compared as predictors of end-user computing satisfaction. The results suggest that involvement congruence is a better predictor than perceived involvement and may offer theoretical as well as empirical advantages over the use of component measures. Furthermore, the congruence method of modeling the discrepancy effect has research design advantages (i.e., it does not require dividing respondents by frame of reference).     

Individual adoption of convergent mobile phone in Italy

The present study integrates the technology acceptance and convergence streams of research to develop and test a model of individual adoption of convergent mobile technologies. Adopting structural equation modelling, we hypothesize that relative advantage, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions affect directly individual attitude and, indirectly the intention to use convergent mobile technologies. The model explains a highly significant 53.2% of the variance for individual attitude, while individual attitude accounts for 33.9% of the variance in behavioral intention. Authors are listed alphabetically.     

The Representation and Impact of Information System Reliability on Cost Variance Decisions*

Management does not directly observe cost variance processes from the production system; instead, management depends on a report from the cost variance information system as to whether a process is in control or out of control. Unfortunately, cost variance information systems are not always perfectly reliable. Accordingly, this paper extends the cost variance analysis model to include reliability of the cost variance information system. Reliability is introduced by distinguishing between the report from the information system and the actual cost variance. Although previous cost variance models do not include reliability, management is still likely to be aware of the lack of reliability in cost variance systems. To account for this lack of reliability, management is likely to use any of a number of heuristics. This paper demonstrates that ad hoc heuristics are unlikely to result in the same solutions suggested by the analytic model. In addition, it is shown analytically that not including reliability in cost variance models can lead to examining variances that do not require investigation and not examining variances that do require investigation.     

A Resource‐Based View of Strategic IT Alignment: How Knowledge Sharing Creates Competitive Advantage

A critical decision problem for top management, and the focus of this study, is whether the CEO (chief executive officer) and CIO (chief information officer) should commit their time to formal planning with the expectation of producing an information technology (IT)‐based competitive advantage. Using the perspective of the resource‐based view, a model is presented that examines how strategic IT alignment can produce enhanced organizational strategies that yield competitive advantage. One hundred sixty‐one CIOs provided data using a postal survey. Results supported seven of the eight hypotheses. They showed that information intensity is an important antecedent to strategic IT alignment, that strategic IT alignment is best explained by multiple constructs which operationalize both process and content measures, and that alignment between the IT plan and the business plan is significantly related to the use of IT for competitive advantage. Study results raise questions about the effect of CEO participation, which appears to be the weak link in the process, and also about the perception of the CIO on the importance of CEO involvement. The paper contributes to our understanding of how knowledge sharing in the alignment process contributes to the creation of superior organizational strategies, provides a framework of the alignment‐performance relationship, and furnishes several new constructs.     

Behavioural aspects of marketing information systems

A survey of 84 users of marketing information systems in 33 companies was conducted to determine the relationship between usage of their systems and (i) attitude factors, (ii) perceived organizational factors, (iii) personality dimensions. Principal components analysis was used to derive underlying attitude and organizational factors as measured by responses to a series of statements derived from exploratory research. Personality was measured by means of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Usage of the system was measured by seven usage variables constructed to capture the various dimensions of usage identified at the exploratory stage of the research. A series of multiple regressions were used to relate the criterion variables (usage dimensions) to each of the predictor variables (attitude factors, perceived organizational factors, and personality). A number of attitude factors, and perceived organizational factors was found to be significantly related to usage. In the main, personality was not related to usage. The results support earlier research in the USA which indicate association between attitudes and usage, and point to the importance of researching organizational aspects which may affect usage. A number of specific features of marketing information systems design is supported by the results of this study. The paper, therefore, provides an analysis of a wider number of factors which may be related to use than earlier studies, provides statistical support for a number of design issues, relates American findings to British experience and is based upon a larger and more comprehensive sample than previous research.     

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT,USER INVOLVEMENT,AND THE USEFULNESS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS*

This study investigates organizational factors related to user involvement in information system development and perceived system usefulness. Using a sample of 118 usermanagers in 34 companies, the results show that user involvement in design and implementation is related positively to users' perceptions of system usefulness. However, organizational factors were not found to be related significantly to user involvement, as had been originally hypothesized. Rather, organizational factors either had a direct relationship with perceived usefulness or moderated the relationship between involvement and usefulness. Two factors reflecting an MIS department's maturity (size and age) were found to reduce users' perceptions of system usefulness. Also, users at higher levels and those making more structured decisions found their systems more useful, although the user's level was found to moderate perceptions of system usefulness during the design stage. Three other organizational factors (level of MIS manager, MIS department scope, and decentralization of authority) also were found to have moderating effects.     

Acceptance of automation manufacturing technology in China: an examination of perceived norm and organizational efficacy

Abstract

With a shift to more automation technology, social acceptance of technology plays an important role in the manufacturing sector. To what extent this occurs, and affects the adoption of technology, has been less researched, but is important in deciding how such technology is introduced, and the nature of the shift from labour-intensive manufacturing to automation. This research applies the revised technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine the impact of social and individual antecedents on the acceptance of automation manufacturing technology. Survey data are collected from 258 Chinese manufacturers. Results suggest that perceived norms significantly affect organizational intention to use automation manufacturing technology both directly and via perceived usefulness; organizational efficacy explains the intention to use via mediating effect of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. This research is one of the first extending and applying TAM from individuals to organizations.     

消费者对SSTs的评价与使用——企业形象、自我效能的调节作用

以自助服务技术(Self-service Technologies,SSTs)为代表的基于技术的服务创新日益成为服务营销实践和理论研究的热点。本文以商业银行的网上服务为背景,创新性地拓展技术接受模型,探讨消费者差异(自我效能)和企业差异(企业形象)及其交互作用对消费者评价和使用SST意愿的影响。研究发现,自我效能决定了态度影响使用意愿的程度以及企业形象对态度与使用意愿的关系的调节作用。     

Are Individual Differences Germane to the Acceptance of New Information Technologies?

Persuading users to adopt new information technologies persists as an important problem confronting those responsible for implementing new information systems. In order to better understand and manage the process of new technology adoption, several theoretical models have been proposed, of which the technology acceptance model (TAM) has gained considerable support. Beliefs and attitudes represent significant constructs in TAM. A parallel research stream suggests that individual difference factors are important in information technology acceptance but does not explicate the process by which acceptance is influenced. The objective of this paper is to clarify this process by proposing a theoretical model wherein the relationship between individual differences and IT acceptance is hypothesized to be mediated by the constructs of the technology acceptance model. In essence then, these factors are viewed as influencing an individual's beliefs about an information technology innovation; this relationship is further supported by drawing upon extensive research in learning. The theoretical model was tested in an empirical study of 230 users of an information technology innovation. Results confirm the basic structure of the model, including the mediating role of beliefs. Results also identify several individual difference variables that have significant effects on TAM's beliefs. Theoretical contributions and practical implications that follow are discussed.     

PROJECT IPMA: APPLYING DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM DESIGN PRINCIPLES TO BUILDING EXPERT-BASED SYSTEMS*

There currently is no widely accepted design framework for building expert systems. Knowledge engineers describe the process in terms of a set of heuristics or as a series of phases. Most paradigms are based on post-development reflections. This paper explores an expert-based system constructed using decision support system design techniques. An actual system in experimental use at the Department of Entomology, Oregon State University, was designed using the approach presented. The system, Integrated Pest Management Assistant (IPMA), will be used by extension agents to help orchard owners make decisions regarding pear tree pest infestations and to offer remedial strategies for eradicating potentially destructive insects.