The effect of flow experience on player loyalty in mobile game application

Mobile gaming is an emerging with highly competitive industry. There are hundreds of games launched per day in the past two years. To understand whether factors influence the player loyalty (PL) of game users through flow experience, this study tested the proposed hypothesis by administering a questionnaire survey on the mobile game application “Tower of Saviors”. A structural equation modelling analysis and the FsQCA method were adopted to explore the survey responses of 394 players who were recruited for this study. According to the empirical study results, human–computer interaction (HI), social interaction (SI), skill (S), and challenge (C) independently positive influenced flow experience, and further positively influenced the PL of mobile game users. This study contributes to the literature on flow theory by elucidating the influence of player behavior on their PL. In particular, the higher the C and SI are, the more the game challenges experienced players and facilitates interactions with each other, thereby raising PL.     

Examining mobile banking user adoption from the perspectives of trust and flow experience

Due to the high perceived risk and poor experience associated with using mobile banking, it is critical for service providers to build users’ trust and improve their experience. Integrating both perspectives of trust and flow experience, this research examined the factors affecting mobile banking user adoption. The results indicate that structural assurance is the main factor affecting trust, whereas ubiquity and perceived ease of use are the main factors affecting flow experience. Trust has a significant effect on flow experience, and both factors determine usage intention, which in turn affects actual usage. Thus mobile service providers need to concern both trust and flow experience to facilitate user adoption and usage of mobile banking services.     

Investigating user switching intention for mobile instant messaging application: Taking WeChat as an example

Post adoptive IT use is an important research topic in information systems field, mainly including sustained behaviours and switching behaviours. While there are a great number of studies on users’ continuance intentions for diversified IT, users’ IT switching behaviours are less studied. This research attempts to identify the features of users IT switching behaviours. We introduce a migration theory from social network perspective to explore the intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing users’ switching intention in the context of mobile instant messaging (MIM) application. In particular, we develop a model that examines the role of networks, deprivations and trusts on MIM users’ switching intentions to WeChat in China. A survey research method is utilized to test this model and hypotheses. We found that functional deprivation, monetary deprivation and personal innovativeness could positively influence users’ switching intentions. Networks of obligation was found to have no significantly direct influence on switching intentions, but fully mediated by functional and monetary deprivations. However, trust transferred from MIMs provider has no significant effect on switching intentions. The findings are believed to theoretically contribute to further understand users’ IT switching behaviours and yield some practical implications for designers and managers in MIM providers and their products propaganda.     

复杂网络中即时通信蠕虫病毒传播的研究

即时通信网络是在实际的Internet网络拓扑之上构建一层虚拟的网络拓扑,它遵循幂率分布。针对复杂网络的特点,在对即时通信网络拓扑结构进行分析的基础上,提出了一种即时通信蠕虫病毒的群体生灭模型。该模型以分析蠕虫病毒群体的概率分布来演化即时通信网络上蠕虫病毒的传播规律。模型分析表明即时通信蠕虫病毒的群体生灭模型分析结果与无标度网络上病毒的传播特性具有较好的一致性。     

Consumer adoption of mobile TV: Examining psychological flow and media content

Mobile TV service, which provides television-like content through a mobile device, holds a limelight as the next killer application of wireless technologies and also as a prospective hedonic information technology. However, in a world where other potential wireless technologies and services speedily emerge, vendors and service providers interested in mobile TV hope that it will be diffused over the gulf between early users to general ones prior to competing sprouts. At this point, an investigation of early consumers’ adoption of mobile TV may offer precious information for its survival. Based on the theoretical assumptions of the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study examines influences of cognitive concentration (or flow experience) and media content on consumers’ acceptance of mobile TV. The results are threefold. First, results suggest that cognitive concentration (or flow experience) and content have a significant role in consumers’ intention to use hedonic information technology. Second, results show that content has a critical impact on cognitive concentration. Finally, results support the use of the extended TAM as an explainer in the context of hedonic information technology.     

Gen Y customer loyalty in online shopping: An integrated model of trust,user experience and branding

Generational theory posits that generational cohorts develop similar attitudes and beliefs. Gen Y, Millennials, will become the largest customer segment for hotels worldwide. This group likes to travel and prefers to spend money on experiences rather than materialistic items. Their responses to online marketing is expected to be different as they process website information five times faster than older generations and are the most emotional and least loyal customers compared to all other generations. The aim of this research is to develop and test a comprehensive model that explains how Gen Y develops loyalty to a hotel booking website. To test the research model, an online survey was distributed to a systematic random sample of 2500 Gen Yers. Findings highlight that trust is the most important antecedent of e-loyalty in online shopping for Gen Y customers. Brand equity is also a key precursor of e-loyalty. Finally, a positive online experience (flow), is also a significant precursor of e-loyalty for this cohort.     

Selecting proper wireless network interfaces for user experience enhancement with guaranteed probability

With the increasing capabilities of mobile phones, mobile users access data via wireless interfaces pervasively. Although WiFi has limited coverage and resulted in a bigger delay of data access, it is not uncommon that mobile users are willing to use WiFi to transmit data to decrease communication costs instead of 3G. Hence it is reasonable to use delay tolerance strategies to balance execution time, energy consumption, and communication cost. In this paper, we model mobile user experience as a combination of three random variables (energy consumption, execution time and communication cost). We present a wireless interface scheduling algorithm to select proper wireless interfaces for a set of data-dependent sporadic tasks to enhance user experience under the constraints of execution time, energy consumption, and communication cost with a guaranteed confidence probability in a delay-tolerant environment. The experimental results show that our approach can effectively enhance the user experience.     

Experiencing flow with instant messaging and its facilitating role on creative behaviors

The goal of this study is to explore how experiencing flow with IM, an Internet-based communication technology, can facilitate an individual’s perception on creativity. We argue that certain capabilities in IM, telepresence and perceived control, provide users a means to experience flow. We further investigate whether flow and its outcomes, positive affect and exploratory behavior have any influence on the perception of creativity of the users. Using an online survey with 207 observations we found that user’s perceived control over the technology and its ability to transport the user to a virtual environment were shown to facilitate the experience of flow. We found that flow in itself does not influence perceived expected creativity in its users but does indirectly influence perceived expected creativity through exploratory behavior and positive affect. From these initial findings we believe that our study provides implications for both users and designers on IT. Furthermore, managers can apply the findings during implementation and use of interactive information technologies for communications in the workplace.     

基于XMPP的即时通信网关应用研究

XMPP最终要实现不同即时通信系统间的互通。主要介绍对XMPP与其他IM互连互通的网关原理及其应用进行的研究讨论,并以jabber系统与MSN Messenger进行互发信息作为实例进行详细阐述。     

无线网络测试系统的设计与实现

4G通信技术是是集3G与WLAN于一体并能够传输高质量视频图像以及图像传输质量与高清晰度电视不相上下的技术产品。LTE作为4G通信的标准技术,提供了极高的数据传输率,同时也极大地改进了核心网性能。同时,LTE小区具有极大的网络覆盖范围,网络结构简洁,并能与IP网很好地融合,具有广泛的应用前景。LTE对于未来高速铁路信息化建设极其重要。本文设计实现的无线网络测试系统将无线通信测量数据与地理信息数据相结合,为铁路无线通信网络的规划与部署提供参考。     

Exploring the impact of instant messaging on subjective task complexity and user satisfaction

Instant messaging (IM) technologies are being rapidly deployed in the workplace. Current studies largely focus on the adoption of IM and how IM is used. Little research has been conducted to understand the potential impact of using IM in the workplace. This paper theorizes and empirically tests how the frequency of IM interruptions and the position power of message sender could interact with an individual’s polychronic orientation, that is, multitasking preference, and jointly influence employee satisfaction and subjective task complexity. The present study illustrates that polychronic knowledge workers are more satisfied with the multitasking work process deploying IM technology than monochronic ones. In addition, the effect of interruptions is dependent upon an individual’s polychronic orientation. The increase in interruption frequency only reduces the process satisfaction of monochronic individuals but not polychronic individuals. Further, the polychronic orientation of message receivers also influences how they process information. When IM messages are sent from their supervisors, monochronic individuals tend to prioritize tasks and perceive a lower level of overall task complexity. The information processing of polychronic individuals seem to be less influenced by the position power of message sender.     

基于计算机网络的移动图书馆系统构建研究

随着移动互联网技术快速发展,图书馆事业迎来了前所未有的发展机遇。移动互联网涵盖面广、便捷性高、用户可以随时随地通过网络访问图书馆资源。普及移动图书馆服务,是我国目前图书馆事业的主要发展方向之一。本文简单介绍了互联网环境,从技术角度和系统建设两个方面阐述了这一主题。     

Why people use social networking sites: An empirical study integrating network externalities and motivation theory

Fast-developing social networking sites (SNS) have become the major media by which people develop their personal network online in recent years. To explore factors affecting user’s joining SNS, this study applies network externalities and motivation theory to explain why people continue to join SNS. This study used an online questionnaire to conduct empirical research, and collected and analyzed data of 402 samples by structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The findings show that enjoyment is the most influential factor in people’s continued use of SNS, followed by number of peers, and usefulness. The number of peers and perceived complementarity have stronger influence than the number of members on perceived benefits (usefulness and enjoyment). This work also ran clustering analysis by gender, which found notable difference in both number of peers and number of members between men and women. The number of peers is an important factor affecting the continued intention to use for women but not for men; the number of members has no significant effect on enjoyment for men. The findings suggest that gender difference also produces different influences. The implication of research and discussions provides reference for SNS operators in marketing and operation.     

Analysis of mobile agents in network fault management

Network domains have become more and more advanced in terms of their size, complexity and the level of heterogeneity. Comprehensive fault management is the most significant challenge in network management. Fault management can help increase the availability of the network by quickly identifying the faults and then, proactively, start the recovery process. Current centralized configured network management systems suffer from problems such as insufficient scalability, availability and flexibility as networks become more distributed. Mobile agents (MAs), with integral intelligence, can present a reasonable new technology that will help to achieve distributed management, several researchers have embraced these approaches. In this paper, we introduce a general analytical model for network management client/server (CS) and MA paradigms. We express how to build up an analytical framework, which can be used to quantitatively assess the performances of the MA and CS paradigms under different scenarios. We present some numerical and experimental results that demonstrate the applicability of our proposed framework, which will be based on a combination of MA and CS schemes called Adaptive Intelligent Mobile Agent.     

Studying the effect of perceived hedonic mobile device quality on user experience evaluations of mobile applications

When people interact with digital artefacts they perceive their pragmatic and hedonic qualities. In the case of interacting with mobile devices and applications, users seek utility as they try to satisfy certain needs, but at the same time they have certain feelings and emotions when, for example, they feel attached to their personal phone and/or trust its brand. Due to this strong relation between users and mobile devices a significant problem occurs when researchers want to evaluate the user experience of a mobile application in laboratory settings: the selection of an appropriate mobile device. Towards this end, this paper aims to unveil the effect of perceived hedonic quality of a mobile device on the user experience evaluation results of an application. Our results show that the perceived hedonic quality of a mobile device significantly affected the perceived pragmatic quality of the application, but not the hedonic one.     

Evaluating the impact of proactivity in the user experience of a context-aware restaurant recommender for Android smartphones

Proactivity has recently gained much attention in the area of cyber physical systems as sensing the users’ real world environment is needed to achieve it. Proactive recommenders are a good example because they push recommendations to the user when the current situation seems appropriate, without explicit user request. Evaluating whether users would accept proactive recommendations, how to properly notify them and how to present recommended items are important research questions. In this article, we present the scenario related to a context-aware restaurant recommender for Android smartphones. Two options to achieve proactivity have been designed: a widget- and a notification-based solution. In addition, our mobile user interface includes a visualization of recommended items and allows for user feedback. The approach was evaluated in a survey among users with good results regarding usefulness and effectiveness. The results also showed that test users preferred the widget-based solution in terms of user experience.     

Exploring Chinese users’ acceptance of instant messaging using the theory of planned behavior,the technology acceptance model,and the flow theory

Instant messaging (IM) is a popular Internet application around the world. In China, the competition in the IM market is very intense and there are over 10 IM products available. We examine the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that affect Chinese users’ acceptance of IM based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the technology acceptance model (TAM), and the flow theory. Results demonstrate that users’ perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment significantly influence their attitude towards using IM, which in turn impacts their behavioral intention. Furthermore, perceived usefulness, users’ concentration, and two components of the theory of planned behavior (TPB): subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, also have significant impact on the behavioral intention. Users’ intention determines their actual usage behavior.     

A mobile agent platform for distributed network and systems management

The mobile agent (MA) technology has been proposed for the management of networks and distributed systems as an answer to the scalability problems of the centralized paradigm. Management tasks may be assigned to an agent, which delegates and executes management logic in a distributed and autonomous fashion. MA-based management has been a subject of intense research in the past few years, reflected on the proliferation of MA platforms (MAPs) expressly oriented to distributed management. However, most of these platforms impose considerable burden on network and system resources and also lack of essential functionality, such as security mechanisms, fault tolerance, strategies for building network-aware MA itineraries and support for user-friendly customization of MA-based management tasks. In this paper, we discuss the design considerations and implementation details of a complete MAP research prototype that sufficiently addresses all the aforementioned issues. Our MAP has been implemented in Java and optimized for network and systems management applications. The paper also presents the evaluation results of our prototype in real and simulated networking environments.     

User requirements of mobile technology: results from a content analysis of user reviews

Advanced mobile technology continues to shape professional environments. Smart cell phones, pocket computers and laptop computers reduce the need of users to remain close to a wired information system infrastructure and allow for task performance in many different contexts. Among the consequences are changes in technology requirements, such as the need to limit weight and size of the devices. In the current paper, we focus on the factors that users find important in mobile devices. Based on a content analysis of online user reviews that was followed by structural equation modeling, we found four factors to be significantly related with overall user evaluation, namely functionality, portability, performance, and usability. Besides the practical relevance for technology developers and managers, our research results contribute to the discussion about the extent to which previously established theories of technology adoption and use are applicable to mobile technology. We also discuss the methodological suitability of online user reviews for the assessment of user requirements, and the complementarity of automated and non-automated forms of content analysis.