Using information technology: engagement modes,flow experience,and personality orientations

The engagement mode (EM) model describes how an IT user (subject) engages in an activity with an object in a certain mode. The model specifies five engagement modes (Enjoying/Acceptance, Ambition/Curiosity, Avoidance/Hesitation, Frustration/Anxiety, and Efficiency/Productivity), which are characterized on three dimensions (evaluation of object, locus of control between subject and object, and intrinsic or extrinsic focus of motivation). Using questionnaire data from 290 participants, we extended previous empirical support for the model as well as described the model’s relationship to flow experience. In addition, it was found that autonomy, controlled and impersonal orientation in conjunction with socio-demographic variables differentiated among specific engagement modes and flow experience. We conclude that the EM-model, flow experience, and causality orientation theories provide a uniform framework for understanding how people adapt to information technology.     

The consequences of information technology acceptance on subsequent individual performance

As more information technology (IT) is deployed in organizations, it is important to understand its impact on individual performance and organizational productivity. Most past research has concentrated on identifying determinants of computer acceptance. This may be inadequate in determining the value and return on investment due to IT. Organizations are able to deploy IT more effectively if the consequences of its acceptance are obviously valuable. This study seeks to investigate the implications and consequences of IT acceptance by examining the relationships between IT acceptance and its impact on the individual user. The research model involves three components: user satisfaction, system usage, and individual impact. It is hypothesized that user satisfaction and system usage affect individual impact and that usage partially mediates the effect of satisfaction on individual impact.A comprehensive questionnaire on computer acceptance was used to collect data from 625 employees of a large organization in Singapore. The results suggest that user satisfaction is an important factor affecting system usage and that user satisfaction has the strongest direct effect on individual impact. The results also demonstrate the importance of system usage in mediating the relationship of user satisfaction on individual impact.     

User adoption and purchasing intention after free trial: an empirical study of mobile newspapers

Marketing stimuli such as free trial has been widely used to increase user acceptance and intention to purchase information services. Information technology (IT) acceptance theories, such as the technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, have been widely used to explain information system (IS) usage. These theories, however, do not explicitly consider the effect of marketing stimuli that would influence and shape user beliefs, attitude and behavior towards the use and purchase of new IS/IT. Echoing calls for advancing knowledge in technology acceptance, we propose a theoretical model based on expectation conformation theory to investigate the effect of marketing stimuli in the form of free trial and price of using IS on consumers’ acceptance decision process. In this study, free trial of mobile newspaper is used as the research context. A survey sample of 192 responses is used to test the model. Results suggest that the trial experience has an impact on post-trial beliefs and attitude. Perceived fee also has an effect on the acceptance of the information service when the users need to pay for the service.     

User experience,satisfaction, and continual usage intention of IT

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a research model that investigates the effects of user experience with information technology (IT) on user satisfaction with and continual usage intention of the technology. The research model uses the concept of cognitive absorption (CA) to conceptualize the optimal holistic experience that users feel when using IT. A set of hypotheses are proposed regarding the direct and indirect effects of CA on user satisfaction through the perceived utilitarian and hedonic performance and expectation disconfirmation of IT. An online survey was conducted to test the model and its associated hypotheses. The results provided support for the hypothesized effects of CA and indicated its importance for the formation of post-adoption satisfaction and continuance intention with IT.     

Information technology (IT) in Saudi Arabia: Culture and the acceptance and use of IT

The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), a model of the user acceptance of IT, synthesizes elements from several prevailing user acceptance models. It has been credited with explaining a larger proportion of the variance of ‘intention to use’ and ‘usage behavior’ than do preceding models. However, it has not been validated in non-Western cultures. Using a survey sample collected from 722 knowledge workers using desktop computer applications on a voluntary basis in Saudi Arabia, we examined the relative power of a modified version of UTAUT in determining ‘intention to use’ and ‘usage behavior’. We found that the model explained 39.1% of intention to use variance, and 42.1% of usage variance. In addition, drawing on the theory of cultural dimensions, we hypothesized and tested the similarities and differences between the North American and Saudi validations of UTAUT in terms of cultural differences that affected the organizational acceptance of IT in the two societies.     

Early use of Internet-based educational resources: effects on students' engagement modes and flow experience

This case study explores how educational training and clinical practice that uses personal computers (PCs) and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to access Internet-based medical information, affects the engagement modes of students, flow experience components, and IT-competence. A questionnaire assessing these variables was administered before and after a training course. A follow-up interview investigated the contextual factors related to the use of PDAs. There were significant increases in IT-competence and in the positive and negative modes of engagement except for the Ambition/Curiosity mode. The overall flow experience did not change significantly over time. The PDA users showed an increase in negative modes across time larger than PC users due to technical, emotional, and motivational factors. This study concludes that a student's interaction with PCs and, in particular, PDAs produces positive and negative engagement modes and flow experiences that can be better understood by using the Engagement Modes model (EM-model).     

Early use of Internet-based educational resources: effects on students' engagement modes and flow experience

This case study explores how educational training and clinical practice that uses personal computers (PCs) and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to access Internet-based medical information, affects the engagement modes of students, flow experience components, and IT-competence. A questionnaire assessing these variables was administered before and after a training course. A follow-up interview investigated the contextual factors related to the use of PDAs. There were significant increases in IT-competence and in the positive and negative modes of engagement except for the Ambition/Curiosity mode. The overall flow experience did not change significantly over time. The PDA users showed an increase in negative modes across time larger than PC users due to technical, emotional, and motivational factors. This study concludes that a student's interaction with PCs and, in particular, PDAs produces positive and negative engagement modes and flow experiences that can be better understood by using the Engagement Modes model (EM-model).     

The effect of positive mood on intention to use computerized decision aids

While psychology research has indicated that positive mood enhances cognition and behavior, MIS researchers have largely ignored such potential effects on user acceptance of new IT. Using two cognitive theories on mood and memory, positive mood theory and the affect infusion model (AIM), we developed hypotheses about the contribution of these mood conditions on user acceptance of new IT with two levels of uncertainty. These hypotheses were investigated via an experiment using a computerized decision making aid. We found that positive mood increased acceptance, under both levels of uncertainty. These results held for both induced and naturally occurring positive mood. The results were consistent with positive mood theory but not with the AIM.     

Effects of Travel Modes on Performances and User Comfort: A Comparison between ArmSwinger and Teleporting

The commercialization of Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) aimed at the general public has led several videogame and virtual reality companies to offer new modes for continuous travel, in addition to commonly implemented instantaneous travel modes such as the Teleporting metaphor. These new modes include the ArmSwinger metaphor, seen as “more natural.” Yet unlike Teleporting mode, ArmSwinger mode has so far not been studied. Our study was designed to fill this gap, by comparing the effects of these two travel modes implemented on an HTC Vive in terms of performance and user comfort. We collected two measures of performance (effectiveness and efficiency) and three measures of user comfort (cybersickness, user experience, and cognitive load). Results showed that (1) no significant difference was found in completion time between ArmSwinger mode and Teleporting mode, even if ArmSwinger mode seems more effective; (2) ArmSwinger mode caused more cybersickness than Teleporting mode in terms of nausea; (3) ArmSwinger mode produced a more negative user experience than the Teleporting mode in relation to appealingness qualities; and (4) ArmSwinger mode created a higher cognitive load than Teleporting mode in relation to the physical demand, effort, and frustration dimensions.     

An Object Model for Multimedia Programming

The development of multimedia applications is a complex task. Much of this complexity stems from requirements associated with programming multiple media objects and the control of dependences and inter-relationships between these media objects and the user(s). It is clearly necessary to have a basic framework on which to build multimedia applications in the face of such complexities. Such a conceptual model is what we have called an object model and it is the main subject of this paper. The MADE object model represents a novel approach to multimedia application programming that is founded on the two principal concepts of active objects and delegation. Although these concepts are not novel in themselves, we believe that their combined use in a multimedia development environment represents a substantial enhancement to more traditional approaches to programming in this area.     

Investigating healthcare professionals’ decisions to accept telemedicine technology: an empirical test of competing theories

The proliferation of information technology (IT) in supporting highly specialized tasks and services has made it increasingly important to understand the factors essential to technology acceptance by individuals. In a typical professional setting, the essential characteristics of user, technology, and context may differ considerably from those in ordinary business settings. This study examined physicians’ acceptance of telemedicine technology. Following a theory comparison approach, it evaluated the extent to which prevailing intention-based models, including the technology acceptance model (TAM), the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and an integrated model, could explain individual physicians’ technology acceptance decisions. Based on responses from more than 400 physicians, both models were evaluated in terms of overall fit, explanatory power, and their causal links. Overall, findings suggest that TAM may be more appropriate than TPB for examining technology acceptance by individual professionals and that the integrated model, although more fully depicting physicians’ technology acceptance, may not provide significant additional explanatory power. Also, instruments developed and repeatedly tested in prior studies involving conventional end-users and business managers may not be valid in professional settings. Several interesting implications are also discussed.     

User switching of information technology: A theoretical synthesis and empirical test

As competing technological choices emerge in the marketplace, an inevitable consequence is user switching from one IT product or service to another. However, we know very little of this phenomenon or the key drivers of user switching. We examined the reasons for IT switching by proposing a model that synthesized and extended current theories of IT acceptance and customer satisfaction. We believed that IT switching was driven by user dissatisfaction with an incumbent product or service and the fact that the customer was aware of the availability of a potentially superior product or service. Further, to explain differential switching patterns across an adopter population, we posited personal innovativeness as an individual difference variable that moderated the effect of user dissatisfaction and relative advantage of a new IT on users’ switching intention. Our model was empirically validated using a longitudinal survey of web browser switching among student subjects. We hope that our study will generate researchers’ interest in an understudied area of research and that the model will serve as a starting point for furthering our understanding of IT switching.     

数据传输模式对用户态通信的性能影响分析

用户态通信允许应用程序从应用层直接访问网络接口，主机与网络接口之间的数据传输模式对协议性能有重要影响．有效的数据传输模式可以减少数据拷贝次数，降低数据传输开销，尽可能将网络硬件的高性能反映到用户层．本文详细分析了通信系统开销来源，讨论了Myrinet网络环境下不同数据传输模式的实现与特点，测试并分析了不同数据传输模式对用户态通信性能的影响，并给出了相应的适用环境．     

项目管理在IT企业中的推广与应用

现阶段传统的管理模式还是一些中小型IT企业的主要管理方式。这种方式导致很多中小型IT企业发展的新旧项目成功率都很小。所以,在当前情况下,要大大加强项目管理的涉及度,使之进入中小IT企业。从而,提高中小企业的核心竞争力。那么什么IT企业,何为项目管理,项目管理在IT企业中的推广应用,以及二者之间的相互关系就是我们研究的重要课题。     

Examining the Effectiveness of Gamification in Human Computation

Within the human computation paradigm, gamification is increasingly gaining interest. This is because an enjoyable experience generated by game features can be a powerful approach to attract participants. Although potentially useful, little research has been conducted into understanding the effectiveness of gamification in human computation. In this experimental study, we operationalized effectiveness as perceived engagement and user acceptance and examined it by comparing the performance of a gamified human computation system against a non-gamified version. We also investigate the determinants of acceptance and how their effects differ between these two systems. Analysis of our data found that participants experienced more engagement and showed higher behavioral intentions toward the gamified system. Moreover, perceived output quality and perceived engagement were significant determinants of acceptance of the gamified system. In contrast, determinants for acceptance of the non-gamified system were perceived output quality and perceived usability.     

Extending the technology acceptance model with task–technology fit constructs

During the past decade, two significant models of information technology (IT) utilization behavior have emerged in the MIS literature. These two models, the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the task–technology fit model (TTF), provide a much needed theoretical basis for exploring the factors that explain software utilization and its link with user performance. These models offer different, though overlapping perspectives on utilization behavior. TAM focuses on attitudes toward using a particular IT which users develop based on perceived usefulness and ease of use of the IT. TTF focuses on the match between user task needs and the available functionality of the IT. While each of these models offers significant explanatory power, a model that integrates constructs from both may offer a significant improvement over either model alone. We discuss the theoretical foundation of both these models and present a theoretical rationale for an integrated model. The result is an extension of TAM to include TTF constructs. We test our integrated IT utilization model using path analysis. Our integrated model provides more explanatory power than either model alone. Research using the integrated model should lead to a better understanding of choices about using IT.     

Teallach: a model-based user interface development environment for object databases

Model-based user interface development environments show promise for improving the productivity of user interface developers, and possibly for improving the quality of developed interfaces. While model-based techniques have previously been applied to the area of database interfaces, they have not been specifically targeted at the important area of object database applications. Such applications make use of models that are semantically richer than their relational counterparts in terms of both data structures and application functionality. In general, model-based techniques have not addressed how the information referenced in such applications is manifested within the described models, and is utilised within the generated interface itself. This lack of experience with such systems has led to many model-based projects providing minimal support for certain features that are essential to such data intensive applications, and has prevented object database interface developers in particular from benefiting from model-based techniques. This paper presents the Teallach model-based user interface development environment for object databases, describing the models it supports, the relationships between these models, the tool used to construct interfaces using the models and the generation of Java programs from the declarative models. Distinctive features of Teallach include comprehensive facilities for linking models, a flexible development method, an open architecture, and the generation of running applications based on the models constructed by designers.     

Managing culture creep: Toward a strategic model of user IT culture

This article describes a framework of IT user culture that has implications for organizational IT strategy. The research was conducted in multiple settings with a grounded theory approach. The resulting framework is anchored to nine archetypal IT user profiles and encompasses their inter-group dynamics. By adopting a cultural perspective on IT usage, the framework can inform IT adoption and usage strategy with possible cultural antecedents and determinants of usage constructs common in IS research. The proposed framework suggests how management can influence the migration of IT user culture (culture creep). This framework can also enrich other acceptance models in order to more fully consider the human factor during IT implementation and adoption. The results underscore the importance of culture-customizing organizational IT socialization, training and evolution programs.     

基于自动化接受度模型的车外交互研究

摘 要：随着科技的不断进步,新技术不断进入人们的生活,自动驾驶驾驶技术也得到了 快速的发展。但单纯的技术提高并不能带来人们接受度的随之增加。为了提高人们对无人驾驶 技术的接受度,对自动化接受度模型进行研究,探究如何从认知接受度提升的角度改善自动驾 驶座舱的人机交互,并从接受度模型的核心影响因素的角度分析车外人机交互用户体验问题。 通过分析半封闭场景下车外交互的使用场景及行人与无人车交互时的用户行为,归纳出行人行 为特征模型,再结合自动化接受度模型的相关研究,从信任度、协作性的角度提升车外交互的 有效性和认知接受度。基于自动化接受度 AAM 模型提出了符合行人行为特征和认知的车外人 机交互策略,从而提高沟通效率和接受度。