Learning and Open Source Software License Choice

Licensing is the defining characteristic of open source software (OSS) and often has tremendous impact on the success of OSS projects. However, OSS licenses are very different from those for proprietary software, and our understanding of the choice of OSS licenses is very limited. In this study, we explore this important decision from a learning perspective. We build collaboration networks and trace paths through which potential learning and knowledge flow across projects using a dataset derived from SourceForge. We identify that both experiential learning and vicarious learning have significant influence on OSS license choice. We provide reasons why experiential learning and vicarious learning affect decision‐making regarding OSS license choice, and explore important contingencies under which the two modes of learning are more effective. We find that leadership roles on prior projects and similarities between projects significantly moderate these two modes of learning, respectively. More importantly, we argue and empirically illustrate that experiential learning is more effective than vicarious learning in influencing OSS license choice. Our research sheds new light on our understanding of license choice for OSS projects and provides practical guidelines for future OSS development.     

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the End‐User Computing Satisfaction Instrument: Replication within an ERP Domain*

Over the past decade, organizations have made significant investments in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The realization of benefits from these investments depends on supporting effective use of information technology (IT) and satisfying IT users. User satisfaction with information systems is one of the most important determinants of the success of those systems. Drawing upon a sample of 407 end users of ERP systems and working within the framework of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study examines the structure and dimensionality, and reliability and validity of the end‐user computing satisfaction (EUCS) instrument posited by Doll and Torkzadeh (1988) . In response to Klenke's (1992) motion to cross‐validate management information system (MIS) instruments and to retest the end user computing satisfaction instrument using new data, this study's results, consistent with previous findings, confirm that the EUCS instrument maintains its psychometric stability when applied to users of enterprise resource planning application software. Implications of these results for practice and research are provided.     

The Determinants of DSS Success: An Integrated Model*

The results of a field study investigating the determinants of decision support systems (DSS) success are presented. A multivariate model was developed and tested using multiple regression hierarchical analysis on responses from 118 DSS users. Several specific hypotheses are also proposed and tested. Data analyses indicate that DSS success, as measured by DSS satisfaction and perceived benefits, depends on several factors: previous user experience with DSS, user involvement, user training, top management support, information sources, the level of managerial activity, and task structure, difficulty and interdependence. Based on the research results, several suggestions are made to improve the likelihood of successful DSS implementation.     

Executive Information Systems: Recent Developments and Research Imperatives

SUMMARY The reluctance of top managers to use computers themselves has become almost legendary, although there are good reasons for their apparent preference for traditional information sources and access routes. Isolated cases have shown how computer-based executive support systems can be used by top managers when great care is taken by the system developers over data presentation and the user interface. Now, the advent of high quality commercial software means that Executive Information Systems (EIS) may become far more widespread. This paper describes the principal features of the new EIS from the executive users' point of view and indicates those characteristics which appear to be most conducive to success. Research directions which will identify the extent and impact of EIS software on top management are identified.     

服务质量决定要因顾客满足和行动意图的影响--在中国服务产业的应用

为维持现有顾客和创造新顾客,服务企业必须知道怎样实施服务质量战略来增加顾客满足和行动意图,因为服务质量、顾客满足和顾客行动意图之间存在着因果关系.本研究把整体服务质量分解为相互作用质量、物理环境质量、结果质量三个决定要因,并对服务质量决定要因对顾客满足和行动意图的影响进行了研究,实证检验在中国服务产业中进行.对研究模型的验证结果支持本研究提出的所有因果假设,即构成整体服务质量的三个决定要因对顾客满足具有显著的正向影响,顾客满足对行动意图具有显著的正向影响.而且,对于中国顾客来说,服务质量决定要因对顾客满足的相对影响力依次为"结果质量"＞"相互作用质量"＞"物理环境质量".     

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).     

Effective eProcurement implementation process

As eProcurement is gaining popularity in business practice, researchers as well as practitioners have addressed the need of defining a proper eProcurement implementation strategy. This article aims to build an eProcurement implementation framework, which considers the main variables that have an impact on the eProcurement success and the links among them. The goal is to identify the main decisions that companies should take during the three principal phases of the eProcurement adoption (pre-implementation; implementation and post-implementation). Six case studies at different levels of eProcurement adoption have been used to identify the peculiarities of each phase of the process and to provide contingent guidelines.     

The Effectiveness of Decisional Guidance: An Empirical Evaluation

Decisional guidance is defined as how a decision support system (DSS) influences its users as they structure and execute the decision‐making process. It is assumed that decisional guidance has profound effects on decision making, but these effects are understudied and empirically unproven. This paper describes an empirical, laboratory‐experiment‐based evaluation of the effectiveness of deliberate decisional guidance and its four types. We developed and used a comprehensive model consisting of four evaluation criteria: decision quality, user satisfaction, user learning, and decision‐making efficiency. On these criteria, we compared decisional guidance versus no guidance, informative versus suggestive decisional guidance, and predefined versus dynamic decisional guidance. We found that deliberate decisional guidance was more effective on all four criteria; suggestive guidance was more effective in improving decision quality and user satisfaction, and informative guidance was more effective in user learning about the problem domain, whereas dynamic guidance was more effective than predefined guidance in improving decision quality and user learning; and both suggestive guidance and dynamic guidance reduced the decision time.     

移动商务网站关键成功因素研究

基于DeLone和McLean的信息系统成功模型、TAM(技术采纳模型)及信任理论,分析了移动商务网站关键成功因素(CSF)及其作用机理。模型假设作为关键成功因素的网站质量(包括系统质量、信息质量、服务质量)通过有用性、易用性和信任影响用户满意度。通过对收集的数据采用SEM进行分析,发现系统质量是影响网站易用性的主要因素,而信息质量是影响网站有用性的主要因素,服务质量显著影响用户信任和网站易用性,但对网站有用性没有显著作用。网站有用性、易用性、用户信任三者共同决定满意度。     

A Note on SERVQUAL Reliability and Validity in Information System Service Quality Measurement

Today's information system function includes a large service component. Recent research has examined the SERVQUAL instrument as a possible measure to assist managers and researchers in evaluating service quality. To further examine the appropriateness of the SERVQUAL measure, a large industry sample serves to verify the anticipated structure of the instrument. In addition, a high correlation with a common measure of user satisfaction indicates that the SERVQUAL metric may indeed represent accurate views of user perception. As such, the SERVQUAL instrument can serve as a useful indicator for information system managers attempting to identify areas of needed service improvement and to researchers seeking a success measure of information system services.     

期望不一致、顾客情绪和顾客满意的关系研究述评

期望不一致、顾客情绪与顾客满意的关系研究一直是消费者行为研究中备受关注的课题。本文介绍了期望不一致、顾客情绪与顾客满意的概念内涵,评述了三者关系研究的主要模型及观点,并介绍了国外有代表性的实证研究成果,指出了当前研究的不足、造成差异性结论的原因及进一步研究方向。     

DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR ILL-STRUCTURED PROBLEMS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Decision support systems (DSSs) are more complex than most other traditional decision-aid systems. For what types of problems are they more effective, and what design characteristics make them more effective? The laboratory experiment reported here examined the effect of three design characteristics of these systems in the context of decision makers faced with ill-structured problems. The characteristics were presence or absence of decision-aid heuristics, degree of interaction between the user and the system, and whether or not the system was computerized. The dependent variables were (1) quality of user performance, (2) user productivity of ideas, (3) user confidence in the quality of his/her performance, (4) user satisfaction with the decision aid or support system, (5) changes in user attitude toward the problem addressed, and (6) changes in user attitude toward computers. Use of heuristics and increased interaction had positive effects on decision quality, user productivity, and attitude toward computers; they had negative effects on user confidence, satisfaction, and attitude toward the problem addressed. Whether or not the system was computerized did not have a significant effect on any dependent variable. The findings concerning negative effects, in particular, suggest the need for research on the design of heuristics for addressing ill-structured problems—heuristics that will deliver the positive but not the negative effects observed in this study. The findings also suggest the need for research on how to benefit from computers in the context of solving ill-structured problems.     

Some Cautions on the Measurement of User Information Satisfaction*

User information satisfaction (UIS) is important because of its potential effects on MIS department goals, quality of user work life, and extent of voluntary usage of systems. Reliable measurement of UIS is important for providing evaluative information for both researchers and practitioners. This study used 92 managers and executives as subjects to compare the test/retest reliability of a widely used, 13-scale UIS instrument together with four summary questions under experimental and control conditions. The summary questions behaved more reliably than the detailed questions for all groups, perhaps because of problems with scale units and origins and with item heterogeneity. This suggests that researchers need more reliable measures of UIS and that practitioners need to exercise caution when collecting and interpreting UIS scores.     

在线用户点赞与评论行为的产生机理差异研究———以医疗健康类企业微信公众号为例

很多企业或组织利用移动社交媒体服务平台(如微信公众号)发布内容来吸引用户参与互动(点赞、评论等)以达到宣传和营销目的,而用户不同互动行为的影响机制及其差异尚无明确结论.基于精细加工可能性模型和用户互动参与的相关理论文献,本文以医疗健康类企业微信公众号为研究情景,从中心路径(信息质量)和边缘路径(来源可信度和情绪因素)出发,探究用户对健康信息点赞和评论互动行为意向的影响机制及其差异.为了验证所提模型和假设,本文采用大规模在线情景问卷调研方法收集数据并进行实证检验,结果显示:1)信息质量、来源可信度对用户点赞意向的影响显著强于评论意向;2)信息负情绪性对评论意向影响不显著而对点赞意向的影响负向显著;3)信息正情绪性与来源可信度对两种用户互动行为意向的影响均显著强于信息质量.研究结论丰富了在线信息互动行为的相关理论,为移动社交媒体运营商在发布信息方面提供实践指导.     

Project‐Level Reuse Factors: Drivers for Variation within Software Development Environments*

Systematic reuse can dramatically improve software development productivity and quality even though a software reuse methodology may require substantial investments. Some projects may fail to achieve the targeted amounts of reuse within organizations that are overall successful in employing reuse. To explain such variation, this research explores the effects of project‐level factors in the success of software reuse. A model that relates project factors to project reuse success is developed using an information‐rich case study approach. The results are based on the insights obtained in a nominal group technique session, triangulated with structured interviews and comparative case studies. Success factors identified by the study relate to client influence, project culture, project attributes, and developer reuse experience. An organization that can successfully identify the factors affecting potential software reuse will be able to better target investments for the improvement of its reuse methodology and thus positively affect its software development productivity and quality.     

软件保护对软件平台商双边定价策略的影响研究

为刻画软件平台商的软件知识产权保护行为对软件平台商双边价格策略的影响,本文在综合考虑消费者和应用软件开发者不同平台接入行为以及软件平台商寡头竞争市场结构的基础上,构建了软件平台商寡头竞争的Hotelling模型,比较分析了在消费者与应用软件开发者不同平台接入行为下,软件平台商的软件保护行为对其双边用户的定价策略的影响关系。研究结果发现,在双边用户单平台接入下,消费者接入费和应用软件开发者授权费都取决于自身的交叉网络效应强度;而软件平台商软件保护力度越大,消费者接入费将越低,应用软件开发者授权费将越高。在消费者单平台接入、应用软件开发者多平台接入条件下,消费者的接入费与双边用户的交叉网络效应强度都呈负相关关系,而应用软件开发者的授权费与消费者的交叉网络效应强度呈正相关关系,而与自身的交叉网络效应强度呈负相关关系;软件平台商软件保护力度越大,应用软件开发者授权费也将越高,而对消费者接入费的影响取决于两边用户所产生的交叉网络边际效应的对比。这些结论对软件平台商的软件保护、平台定价等行为有着重要的指导借鉴意义。     

Leveraging Big Data Analytics to Improve Quality of Care in Healthcare Organizations: A Configurational Perspective

Big data analytics (BDA) is beneficial for organizations, yet implementing BDA to leverage profitability is fundamental challenge confronting practitioners. Although prior research has explored the impact that BDA has on business growth, there is a lack of research that explains the full complexity of BDA implementations. Examination of how and under what conditions BDA achieves organizational performance from a holistic perspective is absent from the existing literature. Extending the theoretical perspective from the traditional views (e.g. resource‐based theory) to configuration theory, the authors have developed a conceptual model of BDA success that aims to investigate how BDA capabilities interact with complementary organizational resources and organizational capabilities in multiple configuration solutions leading to higher quality of care in healthcare organizations. To test this model, the authors use fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis to analyse multi‐source data acquired from a survey and databases maintained by the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The findings suggest that BDA, when given alone, is not sufficient in achieving the outcome, but is a synergy effect in which BDA capabilities and analytical personnel's skills together with organizational resources and capabilities as supportive role can improve average excess readmission rates and patient satisfaction in healthcare organizations.     

INTERNATIONAL DIFFUSION OF ISO 14000 CERTIFICATION

The ISO 9000 series of quality management systems standards and the more recent ISO 14000 environmental management systems standards have generated much controversy among practitioners. Although ISO 9000 has become a de facto requirement for many firms, its effects are poorly understood, and similarly the value and domain of applicability of ISO 14000 have been questioned. This paper reports on an exploratory study into the global spread of ISO 14000. We interviewed practitioners worldwide to identify factors that they believe explain differences between national ISO 14000 certification counts. We then collected quantititive data for these factors and, using regression analysis, we found that exports, environmental attitudes (combined with economic development), and ISO 9000 certification count were significant. The fact that ISO 9000 appears as an important factor explaining diffusion of ISO 14000 certifications suggests that the drivers behind the two have significant overlap. This indicates that, although ISO 14000 is an environmental standard, many of the factors driving national certification patterns are not at all environmental in nature, and that ISO 14000 therefore needs to be studied from a broader perspective than from a purely environmental point of view.     

网上交易服务质量四维度对顾客满意及忠诚度影响的实证分析

一般研究认为,网上购物的忠诚度比传统行业低。究其原因,除了产品本身的质量因素外,网上交易的服务质量也是一个非常关键的因素。本文基于Parasuraman的E-S-QUAL量表将网上交易服务质量从有效性、履约性、系统可用性和私密性四个维度来进行分析。在此基础上,采用了基于PLS统计分析方法的结构方程模型,探索网上交易服务质量四维度对顾客满意及服务忠诚度的影响情况。本研究很好地揭示中国消费者特殊的网上交易心理与行为,研究成果对网络销售企业具有一定参考价值。     

A Comparative Analysis of Quality Practice in Manufacturing Firms in the U.S. and Taiwan*

The aim of this paper is to determine if there is a causal relationship between multivariate constructs for quality (i.e., customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and employee service quality) and organizational performance. The presence of such relationships, as well as the identification of key indicators within each quality construct for different types of firms, are explored in this empirical study on the perceptions of middle managers in Taiwan and the United States. The study found a significant causal relationship between the quality constructs and organizational performance. These relationships are different, however, for the four types of firms based on age and size. Also, within the same firm types, there are differences among countries. For example, for older firms, Taiwanese managers tend to perceive customer satisfaction as the most important quality construct in improving organizational performance, while U.S. managers tend to perceive employee satisfaction as the most important. For younger firms, U.S. managers perceive customer satisfaction as influencing organizational performance, while Taiwanese managers perceive both customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction as doing so. A further breakdown of the quality constructs identified the key indicators within each construct that separates “better performers'’from “lesser performers'’in both countries for the four types of firms. These indicators are dissimilar, thus suggesting that focus on quality constructs may lead to improvements in organizational performance by focusing on different indicators in different environments. These results have implications for the adoption and implementation of quality practices in different countries.