Managing One’s Availability to Telephone Communication Through Mobile Phones: A French Case Study of the Development Dynamics of Mobile Phone Use

This paper provides empirical results concerning the negotiation of access and joinability by mobile phone users. It shows how access is embedded in a gift-giving economy (giving one’s number for example). It also shows that the more users make themselves available on the mobile phone, the more their mobile phone traffic increases (both incoming and outgoing). This remarkable result is discussed in terms of the reciprocity involved in the management of mobile phone relationships.     

Use or Abuse of Improvisation in Organizations?

This paper studies the uses and abuses of improvisation in craft breweries in Brazil and Germany. Using semi‐structured interviews, it shows theory‐based empirical evidence of improvisation and learning in organizations. Given the well‐known use of improvisation in the arts, the paper makes a parallel between the role of improvisation in organizations and in arts' activities in order to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of improvisation, although this study goes beyond the use of metaphors and carries out a direct analysis of improvisation in organizations. The empirical analysis was conducted with 24 managers, head brewers and employees from craft breweries in Brazil and Germany. Using a multiple case study approach, with interviews, direct observation and storytelling, this research shows evidence of improvisation in breweries. The analysis uncovers and evaluates the uses and abuses of improvisation in organizations.     

Hybrid Social Media Use and Guanxi Types: How Do Employees Use Social Media in the Chinese Workplace?

We investigate how work-related and personal-related social media (SM) use contributes to Chinese employees’ guanxi identification and extra-role behaviors (ERB). Our findings indicate that work-related SM use is positively associated with team member guanxi identification, which further contributes to employees’ ERB targeting the team. Personal-related SM use is positively related to insider guanxi identification and further contributes to ERB targeting the individual. When team communication is highly dependent on SM, the positive effect of personal-related SM use on guanxi identification is weakened. The results contribute to a nuanced understanding of the crucial role of SM use in the Chinese workplace.     

Does Context Matter? The Impact of Use Context on Mobile Internet Adoption

Consumers' perceived value plays a dominant role in determining the adoption of mobile technologies. However, behavior literature suggests that consumer value is context dependent. The current study attempts to understand the effects of use context on consumers' perceived value and adoption of mobile Internet. An adoption model that reflects the unique use context and the utilitarian values (perceived usefulness and perceived mobility) and hedonic values (perceived enjoyment and concentration) of mobile Internet was developed and empirically tested against data collected from 507 mobile Internet users in China. Structural equation analysis results indicate that consumers' values perceptions and adoption decisions are context dependent. The use context fully mediates the effects of utilitarian values and partially mediates the relationship between hedonic values and intention to use mobile Internet. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Does Social Welfare Preference Always Promote Cooperation on Barabási and Albert Networks?

Existing models of evolutionary prisoner’s dilemma game always assume that agents are self-interest only. But more and more evidences show that agents may have other-regarding preference. The present article extents the model of prisoner’s dilemma on Barabási and Albert networks to include heterogeneous social welfare preference agents and studies its effects on the cooperation emergence on networks. The simulation results show that social welfare preference may promote cooperation in many cases, especially in the situation where the defection attraction is high. However, there are some situations where social welfare preference does not favor cooperation on complex networks. Simulations also display that it is not always true that the higher weight on social welfare preference corresponds with the higher cooperation frequency. Neighborhood size and initial cooperation also have important effects on the cooperation frequency as well, the features which are not observed in the situations without social welfare preference agents. These results are all related to the locality of social welfare preference. This article reveals the complex relationship between social preference and cooperation frequency in complex networks, which may help researchers reconsider the role of pro-social preference in the evolution of cooperation on complex networks.     

Is internet the cherry on top or a crutch? Offline social support as moderator of the outcomes of online social support on Problematic Internet Use

The study is part of a research whose goal is identifying what predictors determine either a positive or a dysfunctional use of Internet. The factor at stake is here social support. Specifically our study, carried out through an online questionnaire, hypothesized a moderation of Offline Social Support in the relationship between Online Social Support, Problematic Internet Use, and Life Satisfaction. The study found that while Offline Social Support reduces the chances of developing a Problematic Internet Use, Online Social Support increases them. Furthermore the data supported the moderation of Offline Social Support in the outcomes of Online Social Support: when the first is low, as the latter increases the Problematic Internet Use gets higher; when Offline Social Support is high, an increase in Online Social Support determines a decrease in Problematic Internet Use. By contrast the moderation of Offline Social Support on the relationship between Online Social Support and Life Satisfaction was not confirmed. Our research show that when investigating psychological constructs related to Internet activity these must be considered in their offline and online variations to provide an answer to the debate on psychological outcomes of undertaking social interactions in Internet land. Our results suggest that the usage of the Web may become dysfunctional when it is meant to compensate for lacks of the “offline life”.     

Is There Social Capital in a Social Network Site?: Facebook Use and College Students' Life Satisfaction,Trust, and Participation1

This study examines if Facebook, one of the most popular social network sites among college students in the U.S., is related to attitudes and behaviors that enhance individuals' social capital. Using data from a random web survey of college students across Texas (n = 2,603), we find positive relationships between intensity of Facebook use and students' life satisfaction, social trust, civic engagement, and political participation. While these findings should ease the concerns of those who fear that Facebook has mostly negative effects on young adults, the positive and significant associations between Facebook variables and social capital were small, suggesting that online social networks are not the most effective solution for youth disengagement from civic duty and democracy.     

Why Would I Use This in My Home? A Model of Domestic Social Robot Acceptance

Many independent studies in social robotics and human–robot interaction have gained knowledge on various factors that affect people’s perceptions of and behaviors toward robots. However, only a few of those studies aimed to develop models of social robot acceptance integrating a wider range of such factors. With the rise of robotic technologies for everyday environments, such comprehensive research on relevant acceptance factors is increasingly necessary. This article presents a conceptual model of social robot acceptance with a strong theoretical base, which has been tested among the general Dutch population (n = 1,168) using structural equation modeling. The results show a strong role of normative believes that both directly and indirectly affect the anticipated acceptance of social robots for domestic purposes. Moreover, the data show that, at least at this stage of diffusion within society, people seem somewhat reluctant to accept social behaviors from robots. The current findings of our study and their implications serve to push the field of acceptable social robotics forward. For the societal acceptance of social robots, it is vital to include the opinions of future users at an early stage of development. This way future designs can be better adapted to the preferences of potential users.     

Appropriate or Remix? The Effects of Social Recognition and Psychological Ownership on Intention to Share in Online Communities

Even though negative aspects of making use of others’ work, such as illegal appropriation, have been found in online communities, remixing is considered a type of constructive creation for generating and recreating creative works. To make constructive creation via remixing sustainable, it is critical for users to share their own creations and allow others to use them in these online communities. We propose psychological ownership and social recognition as key antecedents for original creators to increase their intention to share their works in an online remix context. In this study, we aim to examine the relationships between intention to share, psychological ownership, and social recognition.

To investigate the effects of psychological ownership and social recognition on intention to share, we proposed research hypotheses based on the theories of social recognition and psychological ownership. Prior to testing the hypotheses, we conducted a preliminary study including user interviews and community log analysis within an online remix community. Specific patterns of psychological ownership and social recognition in the online remix context were found in accordance with the theoretical background. The results from the preliminary study were applied to forms of apparatus and stimuli in the following experiment. A quasi-experiment was designed to test hypotheses of causal relationships between the key factors. A prototype of an online remix community for smartphone themes was developed based on the detailed findings of the preliminary study and utilized as an experimental apparatus. Sixty-nine participants carried out our experimental procedure of creating, sharing their own work, checking responses from others, and reporting their intention to share their future creations.

The results of the quasi-experiment supported all our research hypotheses. Social recognition was found to increase the intention to share. Moreover, psychological ownership was found to increase the intention to share, an observation that may seem at odds with the exclusive aspects of ownership found in prior studies. More interesting, the positive effect of social recognition on intention to share becomes stronger with a higher perception of psychological ownership. This article ends with theoretical and practical implications of the study results.     

Benefits and Risks of Social Business: Are Companies Considering E-Discovery?

Using social media in business, referred to as social business, is exploding. In reviewing past research according to brand-driving efforts for products, customers, employees, and business partners, we find a focus on benefits, with little attention to risks. Seemingly disregarded in the IS literature is the risk of electronic discovery resulting from legal actions. We categorize and exemplify risks, while analyzing the legal risk. We conclude by providing recommendations for practice and directions for future research.     

RU mad @ me? Social anxiety and interpretation of ambiguous text messages

Increasingly, young adults' social interactions are taking place via computer-mediated communication (CMC). Recent research suggests that socially anxious youth, in particular, may prefer interacting via CMC and show less inhibition and greater self-disclosure in such contexts. However, cognitive features of social anxiety, such as interpretation bias, have not been studied in this context. The goal of this research was to examine the phenomenon of interpretation bias (tendency to ascribe threatening interpretations to ambiguous social situations) in response to text messages. In Study 1, a new vignette measure of interpretation bias in the context of text messaging (IB-CMC) was developed and piloted with a sample of N = 215 undergraduates. This new measure displayed good psychometric properties and evidence of construct validity. For example, negative interpretation bias in CMC was associated with two established measures of interpretation bias in face-to-face situations and symptoms of social anxiety. In Study 2, the effects of sender characteristics (specifically, gender of sender) were examined in a sample of N = 353 undergraduates. Overall, participants interpreted ambiguous text messages from female senders as more negative and less benign than messages from male senders, and this effect was particularly pronounced among male participants.     

Mediated Reality Through Glasses or Binoculars? Exploring Use Models of Wearable Computing in the Context of Aircraft Maintenance

Aircraft maintenance is often considered a typical application for specialized wearable computer systems, designed and used for a specific purpose only. From the findings of an interpretive case study conducted at Scandinavian Airlines Systems, the largest commercial airline in Scandinavia, there is evidence to question the potential usefulness of such a system.

Instead, in this article, aircraft maintenance is used to explore the potentialities of different use models of wearable computing (i.e., the way the system is designed, used, and understood, and which should also make sense in other environments). The use models are (a) a vertical model addressed by a binoculars-analogy, where the system is designed and used for a specific purpose; and (b) a horizontal model, approached by perceiving wearable computers as eyeglasses, where the system is used throughout the day for a number of activities. Problems with both models suggest an alternative use model, which is presented as the embodied use model, drawing on the notion of embodiment introduced by Ihde (1990).     

Egypt's Ongoing Uprising and the Role of Social Media: Is there Development?

In an age, where social media is seen to be a new driving force and a vehicle with a significant impact on political transformation and change, this paper highlights some of the paradoxes and challenges it poses. It has become an important platform for the mobilization, organization and implementation of social movements around the world. However, Egypt's uprising was a function of people, passion and not of any particular communication technology, social media tool or application. It was definitely not the Facebook, Twitter or social media revolution, it was the people uprising that capitalized on state-of-the-art technology to realize a dream of a nation in availing “bread, freedom and social justice.” Having said that, there is no doubt that social media boosted the people's desire for a better future, democracy and socioeconomic development that was for many decades put on hold by the consecutive regimes that ruled Egypt since 1952. The role of social media was more of a catalyst, a driver, a communication tool that helped as a platform for societal change. Yet, the country is still in a state of flux driven by the force unleased through social media manifested in speeding-up the process and in the dissemination of information across different segments of the society irrespective of their social or economic background, location or age. Expectations are high and aspirations reflect the desire of a nation to level up to its full potential; it is going to take some time but undoubtedly Egypt is on the right track. This paper demonstrates the clash of generations between older state power and younger citizens and the role social media played in the political transformation in the build-up to Egypt's uprising in January 2011 and beyond.     

“We Release Them Little by Little”: Maturation and Gender Identity as Seen in the Use of Mobile Telephony

This paper examines the social meaning behind the adoption of mobile telephones by teenagers in Norway. Through this adoption process one can see the way in which youths are developing their adult identity as well as their gendered identity. The primary database used in this analysis is from two telephone questionnaires of Norwegian youth aged 13–20 carried out in October and December 1998. A total of 2007 interviews are included. The survey instrument covered teenagers’ ownership of mobile telephones, payment forms and the use of mobile telephones to send and receive Short Message System (SMS) text messages. In addition, the analysis draws on a survey of 1001 Norwegian parents and ethnographic interviews of 12 families.     

Can Convenience and Effectiveness Converge in Mobile Web? A Critique of the State-of-the-Art Adaptation Techniques for Web Navigation on Mobile Handheld Devices

Proliferation of mobile handheld devices and the significant advancement of wireless technologies and infrastructures have become a strong driving force of many mobile applications, including ubiquitous web information access through those devices. Despite the tremendous flexibility, accessibility, and convenience, rendering and navigating Web content on handheld devices suffer from significant usability problems attributable to their physical constraints, especially the small screen size, restricted interaction mechanisms, and low memory. Therefore, improving the effectiveness of web content navigation on those devices is crucial and has attracted increasing attention from both academics and industry. One of the promising solutions is adaptation, which focuses on the content restructuring, rearranging, and visualization. This article attempts to provide a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art approaches to web adaptation for mobile handheld devices. The study not only categorizes, synthesizes, and compares the pros and cons of major adaptation methods but also discusses the observed problems in research methodology adopted in related studies and highlights future research directions. The article provides an important road map to the researchers and practitioners in this field.     

Social networking site or social surveillance site? Understanding the use of interpersonal electronic surveillance in romantic relationships

Social network sites (SNSs) are commonly used to maintain existing relationships and form connections with new contacts. Recently, concerns of have been expressed over the way these Web-based technologies are used. Estimates suggest that people are increasingly using SNSs for engaging in the surveillance of others. Given the relatively high rates of prevalence, it can be argued that SNSs have been reinvented into a tool for interpersonal surveillance along with their social networking capabilities. This article expands on the concept of interpersonal electronic surveillance and applies it in the specific context of romantic partners’ use of SNSs. The relationships between surveillance over SNSs and demographic, relational, and Internet use and efficacy variables are studied. The findings reveal that interpersonal surveillance over SNSs is influenced by age, the time individuals spend on their partners’ profiles, the integration of SNSs into daily routines, and Internet self-efficacy.     

Followers or Fradulents? An Analysis and Classification of Twitter Followers Market Merchants

Online Social Networks act as a popular forum to promote and manage the reputation of aristocrats. Generally, big organizations, politicians, celebrities, and journalists require a huge number of followers/fans to promote and manage their reputation on Online Social Networks such as Twitter. This demand of more followers has originated Twitter Followers Market that deals with the sale and purchase of fake/compromised Twitter accounts. In this paper, an analysis of merchants of this marketing industry has been conducted using graph- and content-based features. The present study has been conducted by collecting 15,750 tweets related to the sale or purchase of Twitter followers posted by around 995 users. The analysis infers that the merchants of this marketing industry fulfill the characteristics of spammers as stated by the rules and policies of Twitter. Further, machine learning classification approach has been used to categorize these merchants from genuine users based on their behavioral features. To the best of our knowledge, this is the novel study to analyze and then categorize the behavior of such merchants involved in the sale of Twitter accounts as spammers.     

Social compensation or rich-get-richer? The role of social competence in college students’ use of the Internet to find a partner

Online dating continues to grow rapidly in popularity every day, yet the role of social competence in online dating behavior remains unclear. This study was designed to expand previous research and conduct a comprehensive investigation on how social competence is associated with college students’ online dating behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes. Two hypotheses were tested: The social compensation hypothesis (SCH)—socially incompetent individuals would engage in more online dating, and the rich-get-richer hypothesis (RGRH)—socially competent individuals would use online dating more than their incompetent counterparts. The results showed that incompetent individuals, despite their ability to see benefits in online dating, did not show a favorable attitude towards online dating. They indicated a more frequent use of and a stronger preference for face-to-face dating compared to online dating, which contradicted the SCH. There were weak associations between competence traits and online dating behavior. Socially competent individuals perceived less benefit and showed less interest in online dating, which disconfirmed the RGRH.     

Closing the gap between copyright and designs: an age of enlightenment or state of confusion?

The arena of intellectual property encompasses streams that often interrelate and overlap in protecting different aspects of intellectual property. Australian commentators suggest that ‘one of the most troublesome areas in the entire field of intellectual property has been the relationship between copyright protection for artistic works under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and protection for registered designs under the Designs Act 1906 (Cth).’ [McKeough, J., Stewart, A., & Griffith, P. (2004). Intellectual property in Australia (3rd ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Butterworths.] [Ricketson, S., Richardson, M., & Davison, M. (2009). Intellectual property: Cases, materials and commentary (4th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: LexisNexis Butterworths.] This overlap has caused much confusion for both creators of artistic works and industrial designs, as there is an uncertainty of whether protection against infringement is afforded under the Copyright Act 1988 (Cth) or whether the Designs Act 2003 (Cth) will apply. In Australia, there is limited precedent that examines the crossover between copyright and designs. Essentially, the cases that have tested this issue remain unclear as to whether a design applied industrially will invoke copyright protection. The cases demonstrate that there is an inconsistency in this area despite the aims of the new provisions of the Designs Act 2003 (Cth) to close the loopholes between copyright and designs. This paper will discuss and evaluate the relationship between copyright protection for artistic works and protection for registered designs with respect to the Designs Act 2003 (Cth).     

Uses and Gratifications of Pokémon Go: Why do People Play Mobile Location-Based Augmented Reality Games?

In recent years, augmented reality games (ARGs) such as Pokémon Go have become increasingly popular. These games not only afford a novel gaming experience but also have the potential to alter how players view their physical realities. In addition to the common experiences and gratifications people derive from games, (location-based) ARGs can afford, for example outdoor adventures, communal activities, and health benefits, but also create problems stemming from, for example privacy concerns and poor usability. This raises some important research questions as to what drives people to use these new applications, and why they may be willing to spend money on the content sold within them. In this study, we investigate the various gratifications people derive from ARGs (Pokémon Go) and the relationship of these gratifications with the players’ intentions to continue playing and spending money on them. We employ data drawn from players of Pokémon Go (N = 1190) gathered through an online survey. The results indicate that game enjoyment, outdoor activity, ease of use, challenge, and nostalgia are positively associated with intentions to reuse (ITR), meanwhile outdoor activity, challenge, competition, socializing, nostalgia and ITR are associated with in-app purchase intentions (IPI). In contrast with our expectations, privacy concerns or trendiness were not associated with reuse intentions or IPI.