Contextual influences on user satisfaction with mobile computing: findings from two healthcare organizations

Mobile information technologies (IT) are transforming individual work practices and organizations. These devices are extending not only the boundaries of the ‘office’ in space and time, but also the social context within which use occurs. In this paper, we investigate how extra-organizational influences can impact user satisfaction with mobile systems. The findings from our longitudinal study highlight the interrelatedness of different use contexts and their importance in perceptions of user satisfaction. The data indicate that varying social contexts of individual use (individual as employee, as professional, as private user, and as member of society) result in different social influences that affect the individual's perceptions of user satisfaction with the mobile technology. While existing theories explain user satisfaction with IT within the organizational context, our findings suggest that future studies of mobile IT in organizations should accommodate such extra-organizational contextual influences.     

Internet adoption by the elderly: employing IS technology acceptance theories for understanding the age-related digital divide

Information technology (IT) allows members of the growing elderly population to remain independent longer. However, while technology becomes more and more pervasive, an age-related underutilisation of IT remains observable. For instance, elderly people (65 years of age and older) are significantly less likely to use the Internet than the average population (see, for instance, European Commission, 2011). This age-related digital divide prevents many elderly people from using IT to enhance their quality of life through tools, such as Internet-based service delivery. Despite the significance of this phenomenon, the information systems (IS) literature lacks a comprehensive consideration and explanation of technology acceptance in general and more specifically, Internet adoption by the elderly. This paper thus studies the intentions of the elderly with regard to Internet use and identifies important influencing factors. Four alternative models based on technology acceptance theory are tested in the context of comprehensive survey data. As a result, a model that explains as much as 84% of the variance in technology adoption among the elderly is developed. We discuss the contribution of our analyses to the research on Internet adoption (and IT adoption in general) by the elderly, on the digital divide, and on technology acceptance and identify potentially effective paths for future research and theoretical development.     

E-learning and the third age

As a result of the general improvement in living conditions in industrialised Western countries, people aged over 60 years usually reach the ‘third age’ in good mental and physical condition. Contemporary society has thus had to endeavour to offer the ‘new old’ not only social services but also pastimes, leisure, social, cultural and educational activities. Among the range of opportunities being made available is that of acquiring skills in the use of information and communication technology (ICT), an area of ever‐increasing prominence. This can be seen not only as an opportunity for individual cultural growth but also the basic condition for conceiving a range of practical network‐based services and applications of great social significance for the elderly population. This article refers to one of these initiatives, developed in Liguria (one of the Italian regions with the oldest population), whose purpose was to train about 600 over‐60s in the use of ICT. What we will analyse here in particular are the results of e‐learning activities offered to a sample of participants and with reference to a segment of the entire training process envisaged by the regional initiative. The specific objectives of the activity were to verify the real possibility of proposing short, online learning modules on the use of Internet for older users; to survey users' attitudes/reactions to e‐learning; and to analyse the follow‐up of distance training activities.     

The less you know,the better you’ll sleep – Perceived job insecurity in the Internet age

By applying theories from different fields of study in the labor market context, we investigated the effect of Internet use and digital uses on perceived job insecurity during the years 2003–2012. Our study is based on data from nationwide Annual Social Surveys of the CBS in Israel, drawing on a representative sample of 45,988 employed respondents. Our findings show that Internet use negatively correlated with job insecurity, but the effect of Internet use on the dependent variable decreased over this period. Internet use was found to be more effective for decreasing job insecurity among weaker social groups: Arabs and people from low socio-economic strata. In other words, Internet use promotes weaker social groups and can serve as a channel for decreasing job insecurity. However, our findings also show that seeking information and social media use were positively correlated with perceived job insecurity, attributable to the negative-positive asymmetry forming the individual’s sense of economic pessimism.     

Changes in Older Europeans’ Health Across Two Waves of SHARE: Life-Course and Societal Determinants

Building on recent research investigating the role of life-course factors (including childhood conditions) and societal context in older Europeans health status, this study investigates the determinants of changes in elders’ health across two waves of the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Controlling for individuals’ current living conditions at baseline, our analysis provides evidence for long-term associations between childhood conditions (SES, health, cognition) and health dynamics in older age. Moreover, our findings suggest that income inequality tends to increase elders’ risk of experiencing negative health changes (decreases their chance to recover from poor health, respectively). Our study underlines the importance of accounting for both life-course and societal determinants of later life health dynamics.     

Internet Technology and Social Capital:How the Internet Affects Seniors’ Social Capital and Wellbeing

Although it is increasingly obvious that the Internet is changing human life; the details of this change are not yet clear. A major debate in current literature involves the capacity of the Internet to enhance social capital and wellbeing in old age. In this regard, the present study attempts to investigate the relationships between Internet use and older people’s social capital and wellbeing. An online survey was conducted at the University of Sydney. 222 seniors responded to the survey. The measures used included a wide range of instruments related to the Internet use, social capital and wellbeing. Respondents used the Internet for various purposes, including seeking information, entertainment, commerce, communication, and finding new people. The main findings of the study were that the relationships between Internet use, social capital and wellbeing is a complex construct and the Internet has different effects on social capital and wellbeing resulting from different use of this technology. The study results revealed that the Internet is a 2‐edged sword with the ability to both harm and help. According to the findings of this study, using the Internet can be helpful for older adults if they are aware how they use it.     

Linking Quality of Work in Midlife to Volunteering During Retirement: a European Study

There is increasing recognition that disadvantaged work and employment conditions over the life course, including psychosocial stress at work, have negative long-term effects on health at older ages. Yet, the question whether stress at work additionally influences the likelihood of participating in voluntary work during retirement still needs to be explored. This paper studies long-term influences of stressful work during adulthood (as defined by low control and low reward at work) on participation in voluntary work in older ages. Analyses are based on the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), with detailed retrospective information on individual life courses collected among 11,751 retired men and women in 13 European countries. Results of multivariable analyses demonstrate that people who experienced stressful work are also less likely to participate in voluntary work during retirement. Importantly, these associations remain significant after controlling for important factors, including disability in older ages and disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances. In conclusion, findings suggest that promoting good working conditions may not only increase health and well-being, but also encourage participation in productive activities after labour market exit.     

Internet use intention and adoption among Chinese older adults: From the expanded technology acceptance model perspective

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how various factors intertwine to affect Chinese older adults’ decisions to adopt the Internet by applying the expanded technology acceptance model (TAM). Perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), subjective norm (SN), and facilitating conditions (FC) were four key predictors. Gender and age were included in the proposed model as factors to moderate the effect of two key TAM components (PU and PEU) on adoption behaviors. The results indicate that PU, PEU, and SN were significant predictors of Internet adoption among Chinese older adults, while PU, SN, and FC were significant predictors of Internet use intention. The effect of PEU on Internet use intention was also found to be stronger for older seniors than younger seniors. Implications for future research and practices are discussed.     

Measurement development for cultural characteristics of mobile Internet users at the individual level

Culture plays an important role in how an information technology is developed and used. However, few studies attempt to identify the cultural traits most relevant to the specific technology being examined. The main purpose of this study is to develop measures for cultural characteristics of individual users with a specific information technology, the mobile Internet. We propose measures for four cultural characteristics important in the context of the mobile Internet, which are expected to be widely used in the future. The proposed measures were verified empirically through online surveys conducted in seven countries. The results indicate that the measures have high validity and reliability, as well as comparability among the seven countries. The paper ends with a discussion of the study’s limitations and implications.     

Internet use and depression among older adults

The findings regarding the impact of Internet use on well-being are mixed and studies are often criticized due to small samples and lack of consistency in measurement. Fewer studies have examined this issue among older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Internet use and depression among retired Americans age 50 years or older. Using data from the Health and Retirement Survey, the study estimates the relationship between Internet use and depression through combined use of regression and propensity score methodologies. All empirical methods indicate a positive contribution of Internet use to mental well-being of retired older adults (?50 years), reducing depression categorization by approximately 20–28%.     

Computer use among older adults in a naturally occurring retirement community

Though computers and the Internet offer an opportunity to enhance the lives of older adults, rates of computer use among older adults are low relative to other age groups. This study examined patterns of computer use and barriers to use among 324 residents living in a suburban naturally occurring retirement community (NORC). One-third (36%) of the residents were actively using computers. Residents currently using computers were more likely to be younger, with more education, fewer functional impairments, and greater social resources. Results from a multidimensional scaling analysis suggested that common uses fell along two dimensions: a solitary–social dimension and an obligatory–discretionary dimension. Barriers to more frequent use included cost, complexity, ergonomic impediments, and a lack of interest. Results from this study could inform the development of services by taking into account how older adults prefer to use computers and their perceptions of the technology. We include practical recommendations for program developers.     

House Price Appreciation in Old Age: Analysis and Issues for the Use of Reverse Mortgages as a Retirement Funding Strategy in Australia

This paper investigates whether the houses of Australian elderly home owners appreciate at below the market rate and examines the issues this may raise for the use of reverse mortgages as a retirement funding strategy in Australia. The viability of reverse mortgages where elderly home owners effectively borrow against their housing equity depends strongly on house prices appreciating enough to offset the outstanding loan balance at the end of the loan tenure. This paper’s findings indicate that after controlling for other influences, being aged 75 years or over lowers annual house price appreciation rate by almost 1.4 percentage points. Being aged 75 years or over also lowers home improvement expenditure by over AUD3,000 per year and this is found to be attributable to a decline in income during old age. The majority of elderly home owners want to protect at least half of their housing equity when considering participating in reverse mortgage programs, but given below-average house price appreciation rates during old age, the propensity of a 50% equity protection declines sharply with age. In particular, single females aged 75 years or over are least able to protect at least half of their housing equity, with only around 15% able to do so by the end of a reverse mortgage loan tenure. The paper also finds that, worryingly, elderly home owners with characteristics associated with slower house price appreciation rates are over-represented among reverse mortgage borrowers in Australia, namely, those aged 75 years or over, single, living in apartments or residing in states with relatively slow house price growth.     

Expert decision support system use,disuse, and misuse: a study using the theory of planned behavior

Researchers in the past decade have been actively investigating technology use and disuse among conventional and communications technologies. However, recent advancements in expert systems technology has led to new questions about technology use. Where communications technology, such as e-mail or group collaboration software, facilitates co-evolution of problem solving and decision making among people, expert systems create a transaction between user and computer where ultimately, the computer generates the recommended courses of action. This also differs from conventional decision support tools that merely gather information to inform a human decision maker.This empirical study used theory of planned behavior to formulate hypotheses about the use, disuse, and misuse of an expert system decision support (EDSS) technology. It was found that EDSS use was negatively related to errors, whereas misuse of EDSS was positively related to errors. More positive attitudes and social influences led to increased EDSS use, while perceptions of control had no apparent effect. The interaction of social influences and attitudes had a significant non-linear relationship with EDSS misuse.     

Age differences in the perception of social presence in the use of 3D virtual world for social interaction

3D virtual worlds are becoming increasingly popular as tool for social interaction, with the potential of augmenting the user’s perception of physical and social presence. Thus, this technology could be of great benefit to older people, providing home-bound older users with access to social, educational and recreational resources. However, so far there have been few studies looking into how older people engage with virtual worlds, as most research in this area focuses on younger users. In this study, an online experiment was conducted with 30 older and 30 younger users to investigate age differences in the perception of presence in the use of virtual worlds for social interaction. Overall, we found that factors such as navigation and prior experience with text messaging tools played a key role in older people’s perception of presence. Both physical and social presence was found to be linked to the quality of social interaction for users of both age groups. In addition, older people displayed proxemic behavior which was more similar to proxemic behavior in the physical world when compared to younger users.     

A survey of technology accessibility problems faced by older users in China

Internet accessibility for older users has become an important issue to promote inclusion and participation in the Information Society. This paper proposes an investigation into the technology accessibility problems faced by older users in China. The research reported here was conducted by means of an exploratory survey with a Web-based questionnaire and discussions with older users at meetings. The study had 180 valid answers and involved representatives from each of the 25 provinces of China. The results show that 39% of the participants cannot or can only partially access information, because of various kinds of accessibility problems. Many participants indicated that the main problems in accessing the Internet were health barriers, circumstances barriers, and Internet design barrier. The possible reason for these difficulties could be that the government doesn’t foster a social environment conducive to helping the elderly to get online and that it does not provide services for the elderly designed to help them access information electronically. The poor rate of accessibility industry for the elderly, as well as the lack of Chinese accessibility laws, is an important issue that must be dealt with to promote greater Internet accessibility for the elderly.     

Communication media choice by workers in distributed environment

Information technology (IT) is the facilitator for successful implementation of distributed-work. However, research on the implication of different types of IT in distributed-work in an organization is limited. The aim of our research was to study the distributed-worker’s media use empirically, and determine the influential factors that affect the media selection and its effect on distributed-work. To achieve the objectives of the research, a hypothetical model that shows the relationships between media use and contextual factors, individual characteristics, media richness, and social influence was developed and validated. Distributed-workers’ day-to-day, job related, communication information was collected through log-sheets. Data analysis showed that simple communication media, such as telephone and e-mail, is effective enough for carrying out job related activities from remote sites. Contextual, individual, and social level factors were found to influence the media selection of distributed-workers. Though, e-mail is thought to be a lean medium in media richness theory, this study shows that e-mail oriented workers use it effectively even for complex communication tasks, such as discussion.     

The impact of self-selected identity on productive or perverse social capital in social network sites

Social network sites can provide a person with the freedom to represent themselves in various ways, thus exhibiting multiple variations of their identity. Research states that an individual’s identity is self-monitored depending on the contextual situation that they are in. The type of social capital that one derives from social network sites can be impacted by this self-monitoring ability. Current research has addressed how productive social capital can be gained in social network sites. However, limited research has addressed the issue of perverse social capital, especially in social network sites. We argue that social network sites are a particularly unique environment that can affect an individual’s representation of their identity, thus increasing the likelihood of producing perverse social capital. We examine how technology affects an individual’s selected self-identity, as measured through their self-monitoring ability, and how this altered behavior leads to productive or perverse social capital in social network sites.     

Beyond peer contagion: Unique and interactive effects of multiple peer influences on Internet addiction among Chinese adolescents

This study examined the roles of different aspects of peer context in the peer contagion of Internet addiction among 956 Chinese adolescents (11–19 years, 473 boys and 419 girls). Framed by peer socialization perspectives, the present study examined the unique effects of close peers’ social acceptance and normativeness of Internet addiction on adolescents’ Internet addiction beyond the putative effects of close peers’ Internet addiction. The interactive effects of close peers’ social status and friendship quality with close peers’ Internet addiction on adolescents’ Internet addiction as well as gender differences also were examined. Results showed that male adolescents who were affiliated with peers having lower levels of social acceptance were more likely to develop heightened levels of Internet addiction. Adolescents who were situated in a class with higher levels of Internet addiction also tended to have higher levels of Internet addiction. In addition, male adolescents who perceived their peers possessing higher social status were more vulnerable to peer contagion of Internet addiction. In general, findings suggest the importance of considering multiple facets of peer influences beyond the peer contagion of Internet addiction. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.     

Higher Education,Technology, and Equity in Africa

A healthy and skilled workforce is at the heart of Africa’s economic and social transformation agenda and countries with leading institutions of higher learning are among the most diversified economies in Africa. This paper examines the gaps in the performance of Africa’s higher learning institutions, identifies structural barriers to transformation and proposes better utilization of information technology to meet the emerging needs for equity and access. Based on best practices from the use of ICTs in South Africa and the rollout of digital libraries in 20 countries three key recommendations are provided to overcome gaps related to investment, digital literacy, and policy coherence.     

Exploring influencing factors of technology use for active and healthy ageing support in older adults

ABSTRACT

Aim of this study is to investigate the influence of technological and social cognitive factors for the use of sensor-based technologies for active and healthy ageing (AHA) support by older adults. In a mixed methods approach, data was initially obtained from an online questionnaire completed by older health technology users and used in a regression analysis, where factors from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) served as predictors for health technology use (HTU). Further, in-depth interviews were conducted with older adults to gain insights into technology use and physical activity behaviour of older adults. The regression analysis showed that the TAM and SCT factors accounted for a significant proportion of variance (39.5%) in HTU. Significant predictors of HTU were physical activity (.399**), social support (.287*), and expectations regarding individual health (.440*) and physical appearance (?.470**), indicating physical activity as mediator for HTU. The qualitative analysis indicated the conflation of technology support with social environments as key for physical activity behaviour in older adults. The findings indicate physical activity as a mediator in HTU by older adults and suggest that the consideration of social factors in health technology design may facilitate the uptake of AHA technologies.