To buy or not to buy experience goods online: Perspective of innovation adoption barriers

The purpose of this study attempts to understand why consumers rarely shop online. Innovation resistance theory is employed in this study. Results of the survey utilizing a questionnaire among the members of study case indicated that value and tradition are major barriers toward use intention. Significant differences in usage barrier and image barrier exist between different non-adopted groups. On average, rejecters group have the highest barriers, followed by opponents, and postponers. Finally, there exist significant differences in usage, value, tradition, and image barriers between adopters and non-adopters toward buying experience goods online. These findings provide a better understanding of consumer’s attitude toward buying experience goods online.     

To buy or not to buy online: adopters and non-adopters of online shopping in Singapore

The Internet, as a dynamic virtual medium for selling and buying information, services and products, is gaining increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. In this study, we examine the perceptions of adopters and non-adopters of online shopping in terms of demographic profile, consumer expectations of online stores, advantages and problems of online shopping and transaction cost. In addition, we also examine the types of products purchased, frequency of online purchase and the extent of communication with e-commerce vendors. The findings are useful in explaining consumers' buying behaviour in the electronic marketplace. Implications of the results are discussed.     

To buy or not to buy online: adopters and non-adopters of online shopping in Singapore

The Internet, as a dynamic virtual medium for selling and buying information, services and products, is gaining increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. In this study, we examine the perceptions of adopters and non-adopters of online shopping in terms of demographic profile, consumer expectations of online stores, advantages and problems of online shopping and transaction cost. In addition, we also examine the types of products purchased, frequency of online purchase and the extent of communication with e-commerce vendors. The findings are useful in explaining consumers' buying behaviour in the electronic marketplace. Implications of the results are discussed.     

To sell or not to sell: Exploring sellers' trust and risk of chargeback fraud in cross‐border electronic commerce

Over the past few decades, chargeback fraud from buyers has been identified as a major risk faced by online sellers, particularly small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises, in cross‐border electronic commerce. However, most previous studies have focused on trust and perceived risk from the buyers' perspective and in domestic online marketplaces, while neglecting the importance of sellers' trust and perceived risk in the success of online transactions and the significance of cross‐border transactions. To fill this gap in the literature, this study examines both the antecedents and the impacts of sellers' trust in buyers and their perceived risk of chargeback fraud on sellers' intention to trade with buyers in the context of cross‐border e‐commerce. To this end, we develop a conceptual model that identifies a set of institutional mechanisms to enhance sellers' trust and reduce their perceived risk. Hypotheses are tested via a survey of 443 sellers on DHgate.com , one of the major cross‐border e‐commerce websites connecting the small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises of mainland China with overseas buyers. Our research makes concrete contributions to e‐commerce research and generates useful insights for third‐party online transaction platforms and online trade policy makers.     

一种基于风险和推荐的用户信任计算方法

结合客观的风险评估和主观的推荐信任共同计算用户可信度,并利用推荐可信度和域可信度来识别和惩罚提供虚假反馈的服务方,提出了基于风险和推荐的用户信任计算方法。仿真实验表明,该模型具有较好的动态适应性,能够准确反映用户行为,为信任决策提供安全、可靠的依据。     

对等网络信任和信誉机制研究综述

介绍了对等网中的信任和信誉机制所涉及的概念与研究内容，对其近年来的研究进展进行了归纳分析，提出了对等网络的中信任和信誉机制研究中涉及的问题,并针对该系统设计中涉及的关键问题提出了相应的思路和研究方法。     

Online train disposition: To wait or not to wait?

We deal with an online problem arising from bus/tram/train disposition problems. In particular, we look at the case in which the delay is unknown and the vehicle can only wait in a station so as to minimize the passengers waiting time.     

To lock, or not to lock: That is the question

Mechanisms to control concurrent access over project artefacts are needed to execute the software development process in an organized way. These mechanisms are implemented by concurrency control policies in version control systems that may inhibit (i.e. ‘to lock’) or allow (i.e., ‘not to lock’) parallel development. This work presents a novel approach named Orion that analyzes the project's historical changes and suggests the most appropriate concurrency control policy for each software element. This suggestion aims at minimizing conflict situations and thus improving the productivity of the development team. In addition, it identifies critical elements that do not work well with any of these policies and are candidates to refactoring. We evaluated Orion through two experimental studies and the results, which indicated it was effective, led us to a prototype implementation. Apart from the Orion approach this paper also presents the planning, execution, and analysis stages of the evaluation, and details of prototype internals.     

To Intervene or not to Intervene: The Dilemma of Management by Exception

Future air traffic management architectures propose to give aircraft more flight path autonomy and turn the air traffic controller into a manager of exceptions. This article reports on one experiment in a series of studies that empirically explored the cognitive work underlying management by exception in air traffic control. Active practitioners (controllers, pilots, dispatchers) were prepared on the rules of the envisioned system and presented with a series of future incidents, each of which they were required to jointly resolve. Management by exception turns out to trap human controllers in a double bind, where intervening early seems appealing but is difficult to justify (airspace throughput) and carry out (controller workload problems). Late interventions are just as difficult, since controllers will have to take over in the middle of a potentially challenging or deteriorating situation. Computerised decision support that flags exceptions migrates the decision criterion into a device, creating a threshold crossing that is typically set either too early or too late. This article lays out the intertwined trade-offs and dilemmas for the exception manager, and makes recommendations for cooperative human–machine architectures in future air traffic management.     

To share or not to share: a critical research perspective on knowledge management systems

This paper looks at Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) from the perspective of critical research. Using the concepts of ‘gaze’ and ‘face’, we examine the development and use of a web-based KMS in Taiwan. The findings indicate that, although a web-based KMS was developed to enable knowledge sharing, the capabilities for surveillance inherent in the KMS severely limited sharing. This study raises broader questions about the relationship between cultural values and the production of knowledge in KMS.     

To push or not to push: on the rearrangement of movable objects bya mobile robot

We formulate and address the problem of planning a pushing manipulation by a mobile robot which tries to rearrange several movable objects in its work space. We present an algorithm which, when given a set of goal configurations, plans a pushing path to the "cheapest" goal or announces that no such path exists. Our method provides detailed manipulation plans, including any intermediate motion of the pusher while changing contact configuration with the pushed movables. Given a pushing problem, a pushing path is found using a two-phase procedure: a context sensitive back propagation of a cost function which maps the configuration space, and a gradient descent phase which builds the pushing path. Both phases are based on a dynamic neighborhood filter which constrains each step to consider only admissible neighboring configurations. This admissibility mechanism provides a primary tool for expressing the special characteristics of the pushing manipulation. It also allows for a full integration of any geometrical constraints imposed by the pushing robot, the pushed movables and the environment. We prove optimality and completeness of our algorithm and give some experimental results in different scenarios.     

To outsource IT or not?: recent research on economics and evaluation practice

The paper reports findings from 26 longitudinal case studies of information technology (IT) outsourcing researched in the 1993–95 period. The primary focus is on evaluation practices in the lead up to making IT sourcing decisions. The pre-existing IT evaluation system was found to be a help or a major hindrance as a basis from which to assess outsourcing vendor bids. Difficulties experienced in evaluating in-house performance are highlighted. Issues include evaluating total IT contribution, identifying full costs, benchmarking and external comparisons, the role of charging systems, and the adoption of service level agreements by the in-house operation. Organizational experiences on assessing vendor bids against in-house options are then detailed. These are presented in distilled form as ‘a rich picture’ representative case study, together with additional lessons derived from the research. Finally we highlight the emerging evaluation approach shared by organizations that made effective sourcing decisions.     

To FLIP or not to FLIP: Comparative case study in higher education in Turkey

The purpose of this study was (1) to investigate the effectiveness of the flipped-classroom approach, when coupled with problem-based learning and cooperative learning, compared to that of a traditional classroom; (2) to investigate the effects of watching videos and of doing homework on achievement in a physics course; and (3) to evaluate students’ perception of the use of the flipped-classroom format in a physics course. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. A pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental method with a control group was used. The results showed that homework performance and the amount of video watched (preliminary work before class) were significantly more effective for student achievement in the flipped-classroom. Moreover, although students struggled to adapt to the new system at the beginning, students who know and feel responsible for their own learning can close the gap with more individual and group activities and can achieve higher grades.     

An empirical study on consumer first purchase intention in online shopping: integrating initial trust and TAM

To understand the first purchase mechanism in online shopping, this study established an integrated model of initial trust and TAM. According to the analysis results, initial trust beliefs were significantly influenced by initial trust bases such as company reputation, structural assurance, and trusting stance, and initial trust beliefs indirectly influenced the first purchase intention through consumer attitude. In TAM constructs, only perceived usefulness directly influenced the usage attitude of online shopping systems, then indirectly influenced the first purchase intention. These results imply that online consumers consider perceived ease of use as a basic requirement for system design. It was also found that there is a time cushion between the time of first purchase and the time of belief formation. On the whole, these results reinforced the theory that a relationship between belief (trust and perceived usefulness) and intention was better explained when it was mediated by attitude.     

To outsource or not: The impact of information leakage risk on information security strategy

Emerging studies advocate that firms shall completely outsource their information security for cost and technical advantages. However, the risk of information leakage in outsourcing to managed security service providers (MSSPs) is overlooked and poses a confidentiality threat. We develop analytical models to describe several strategies for firms to consider when they decide to outsource to MSSPs. Based on our results, we suggest partial outsourcing as an alternative strategy when the firm faces information leakage risk. Besides, we suggest that in-house information security strategy is the optimal solution when the risk of being attacked is low regardless of the risk of information leakage. We then extend scenarios to the competitive environment where firms that are in the same market are highly likely to choose the same strategy.     

Re-examining the influence of trust on online repeat purchase intention: The moderating role of habit and its antecedents

Customer loyalty or repeat purchasing is critical for the survival and success of any store. By focusing on online stores, this study investigates the moderating role of habit on the relationship between trust and repeat purchase intention. Prior research on online behavior continuance models perceives usefulness, trust, satisfaction, and perceived value as the major determinants of continued usage or loyalty, overlooking the important role of habit. We define habit in the context of online shopping as the extent to which buyers tend to shop online automatically without thinking. Building on recent research on the continued usage of IS and repeat purchasing, we develop a model suggesting that habit acts as a moderator between trust and repeat purchase intention, while familiarity, value and satisfaction are the three antecedents of habit. Data collected from 454 customers of the Yahoo!Kimo shopping mall provide strong support for the research model. The results indicate that a higher level of habit reduces the effect of trust on repeat purchase intention. The data also show that value, satisfaction, and familiarity are important to habit formation and thus relevant within the context of online repeat purchasing. The implications for theory and practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

To be or not to B2B: Evaluating managerial choices for e-procurement channel adoption

E-procurement systems are computer systems and communication networks through which firms buy and sell products. We identify two types of e-procurement systems: extranets and e-markets. Extranets connect the buyer and its suppliers with a closed network, while e-markets create open networks for buyer and supplier interactions. The differences between them lie in system implementation costs, marketplace benefits, and the extent of supplier competitive advantage that develops due to information sharing. In this article, we develop a new theoretical model to analyze the adoption of e-procurement systems from the buyer’s perspective, to explore the set of conditions under which the buyer will prefer to procure via an electronic market instead of using proprietary extranet connections. The primary finding is that a buyer will adopt an e-market approach when the supplier’s competitive advantage derived from access to strategic information is modest compared with the marketplace benefits less the channel costs. In addition, we find that the buyer is likely to have a bigger trading network with an e-market than with an extranet in order to capture the greatest available benefits. Overall, this study offers guidelines for managers to design and select e-procurement channels to fit different procurement needs.     

To email or not to email: The impact of media on psychophysiological responses and emotional content in utilitarian and romantic communication

Lean asynchronous computer mediated communication is often considered poor for communicating emotion, yet individuals continue to use it for business, personal, and even romantic communication. We used a lab experiment to investigate the influence of media (email and voicemail) and task type (romantic and utilitarian) on both the psychophysiological responses of senders and the content of the resulting messages. Message senders had more arousing physiological responses when sending emails than when leaving voicemails. An interaction exists between media and task such that the content of romantic email messages was more positive than romantic voicemails; while the opposite was true for utilitarian tasks. Thus the choice of media triggers different emotional responses in the sender and leads to different message content.