Examining the use of status quo bias perspective in IS research: need for re‐conceptualizing and incorporating biases

Kim & Kankanhalli introduced status quo bias perspective (SQBP) to help understand information systems (hereinafter IS) users' resistance behaviour. Since then, scholars have widely referred to the theoretical perspective to understand user resistance to and adoption of new IS and information and communication technologies (hereinafter ICT). However, our analysis found that while adopting SQBP, researchers focused primarily on rational cost‐and‐benefit analysis, rather than on the fundamental tenet of SQBP that highlights ‘bias’ in users' decision‐making on account of their cognitive limitations that lead to bounded rationality. In addition, some of the key constructs used in SQBP were not properly interpreted or were oversimplified in their operationalization. This research note aims to provide guidance for utilizing and analysing SQBP and its constructs for future IS user resistance/adoption research. Because SQBP provides unique insights into ‘bias’ in human decision‐making in its presentation of bounded rationality, accurate interpretation of its concepts and their investigation can help better understand the different sources of user resistance derived from the status quo bias during new IS and ICT implementation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Understanding information proactiveness and the content management system adoption in pre-implementation stage

The overall technology acceptance literature does not pay sufficient attention to the issue of the mandated use of systems as the traditional acceptance models (e.g. TAM) were originally built, tested, and validated by being applied to technologies that were mainly voluntary in nature, that is, the users had the choice of whether to use or not use the technology. Few have studied end users' proactive motivation to use information and attitude toward newly implemented technologies within organizational contexts, before end-users start using the technology or pre-implementation stage. This research proposes that information proactiveness has influences on the content management systems adoption beliefs such as perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The proposed model was empirically tested using the data collected from content management systems end-users. As theorized, information proactiveness was found to be a significant determinant of system users' perceived ease of use but not perceived usefulness in pre-implementation stage. Furthermore, perceived behavioral control was found to be a strong determinant of systems users' attitude. The study findings provide important insights on enhancing system users' adoption behavior in pre-implementation stage.     

The decision making basis for information systems: the contribution of Vickers' concept of appreciation to a soft systems perspective

This paper considers the models of decision making which are used within the field of information systems. It argues that although decision making is of great relevance to the study of information systems insufficient attention has been given to the models by which IS professionals understand the process. Hard systems thinking has made a great contribution to IS in providing rational models of decision making, the work of H. A. Simon having been particularly influential; but the simplistic way in which such work is presented in IS texts ignores the role of social and political factors in decision making and imposes constraints in the complex social situations in which real world decision making occurs. An important contribution which the soft strand of systems thinking may make to IS is to provide a richer understanding of the nature of decision making through Vickers' concept of appreciation. The resultant ‘appreciative model’ of decision making emphasises the importance of the decision makers' perception of the organization and its situation in the interpretation of data, provides the basis for making a clear distinction between ‘data’ and ‘information’, and has implications for the ways in which computerized information systems are developed.     

Implications of dominant technological frames over a longitudinal period

Successful adoption and use of information systems is an area of continued research in the field of information systems. This prior research has shown that how we adopt and use an information system depends on how we make sense of it. The sense‐making activity is carried out through our cognitive structures of knowledge that relate to technology (our technological frames). The sense‐making activity changes over time, as use and exposure to differing technologies occur. Most research into information systems in organisations has focused on a specific information system; this preoccupation with studying discrete projects at one point in time may be limiting. In an attempt to fill this research gap, we use the socio‐cognitive perspective of Orlikowski & Gash to analyse technological frames in one organisation over a longitudinal period to evaluate sensemaking in relation to multiple systems. The interpretive case study looks at the technological frames of senior management, faculty teaching staff, information technology (IT) mediating staff and IT groups over a 10‐year period in a university and finds that there were incongruent frames between senior management and other groups within the organisation with senior management holding a dominant frame. The consequences of these frames were demonstrated when they were linked to the use of the four major information systems in the organisation, showing repeated historical patterns of use that caused inefficiencies due to the incongruent frames of the various groups. The unchanging dominant technological frame contributed to this pattern.     

The potential for social contextual and group biases in team decision-making: biases,conditions and psychological mechanisms

Abstract

Users' mental models of systems are frequently asserted to be important in their interactions with those systems. Although there are few explicit definitions of mental models in the literature, mental models are assumed to be important and researchers have seemed to accept and understand the concept intuitively. In our research, we have extracted three themes from the definitions of mental models including: (1) the relations among features or components of a system; (2) the capability of the mental model to aid in the control of the system; and (3) the capability of the mental model to enhance the user's understanding of the system. The relationships among the components of users' mental models, including procedural and declarative knowledge, perceptions of the use of system features, and the relations among the similarity of use of system features, were investigated in a field study. Trained and untrained novice users of a new business phone system rated the similarity of use of nine standard features on the phone. These ratings were used to derive cognitive representations of the relations among the system features. Users' ratings of features on univariate scales about the use of the features and scores obtained on a test of procedural knowledge were related to these representations. The two novice groups' mental models were similar except for the perception of one feature; it was more accurately depicted in the trained users' representation than those who did not attend a training programme. Two types of experts' similarity of use ratings were evaluated to determine an ‘appropriate’ representation of the use of the system features; this was then compared to the novices'. This comparison suggested that there were deficiencies in the mental models of novices. Designing training programmes and instructional aids for systems using the discrepancies between novices' and experts' mental models are discussed.     

Who are the users? Who are the developers? Webs of users and developers in the development process of a technical standard

The paper presents an empirical study of user involvement in developing a technical standard for a scientific community's information system project. The case illustrates how multiple perspectives are involved when considering the user role in practice. The case presents a situation where both developers and users were pre‐defined in the design and development phases of the standard as homogeneous groups of actors. Groups of actors changed to become more heterogeneous and ‘fluid’ in the deployment and implementation phases, thus forming ‘webs of developers’ and ‘webs of users’. Detailed analysis of the process in its entirety shows the blurredness of boundaries between ‘developer’ and ‘user’ categories and roles, and reveals challenges at social and organizational levels. Three models pertaining to the system development process are presented in order to illuminate differing perspectives on the user and on the development process itself. The paper draws theoretically from information systems, social informatics, and science and technology studies. The research contributes to a deeper, interdisciplinary understanding of ‘the’ user, of multiple roles in systems development, and of dynamic sets of user–developer relations.     

My choice,your problem? Mandating IT use in large organisational networks

On the basis of a four‐year exploratory study of a mandatory information systems implementation by an Italian, multibillion‐dollar dairy cooperative with 2200 members, this paper describes how key stakeholders engage in dynamic transformation processes that shape the technology, the users' practices and the organisation itself. In doing so, this study responds to calls for process‐oriented longitudinal explorations and suggests an alternative path of adoption in which the technology becomes the reification of a bi‐directional discourse about the transformation of practices for the entire network of organisations. In presenting this alternative path, this study unveils a five‐phase change process that both altered perceptions of the technology and its possibilities at the same time resolving tensions among the drivers and users of the mandated system. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

An empirical investigation of a modified technology acceptance model of IPTV

This study explores the factors influencing the adoption of IPTV, and tests the applicability of the technology acceptance model (TAM) in a new convergent technology. The behavioural constructs from TAM were tested for predicting user acceptance of IPTV. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse data and to design a theoretical model predicting the individual's intention to adopt IPTV. A modified TAM for IPTV proposes that new constructs determine user-perceived usefulness and enjoyment of using IPTV. Although this study confirms the impact of information quality and system quality on consumers' technology experience, it specifically shows that the perceived quality of content and system were found to have a significant effect on users' perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment. In addition, social influences had a positive effect on the intention to use IPTV. These findings suggest an extension of the TAM model for convergence technologies. This research advances theory and contributes to the foundation for future research aimed at improving the understanding of users' adoption behaviour of convergence technologies. Implications of these findings for practice and research are examined.     

Information technology in support of individual decision-making

Abstract. The use of computers in organizations has often been justified by reference to the ‘improved decision-making’ which will result from the use of new technology. Rarely, if ever, is any precise measurement given as to how such improvements will be judged. Phrases such as ‘better information leads to better decisions’ and ‘what managers require is more information’ dominate the literature on management information systems (MIS). Alistair Preston argues that this alignment with top management allowed MIS to legitimize and elevate itself as both a serious practice and an academic discipline. The two dominant themes in the relationship between information technology (IT) and managerial decision-making have been the use of Herbert Simon's work on decision-making and Anthony's pyramidal structure of types of application system, the latter model leading to a powerful categorization of types of computer-based information systems (i.e. transaction processing, management information systems, decision support systems, executive information systems). The models of decision-making employed at each level of this hierarchy are those characterized by Simon as ‘objective rationality’ and ‘bounded rationality’ and these models encourage a view of information as representing some objective reality which can be captured, stored and processed within some form of technology. Dick Boland has argued forcibly that Simon's work has been crucial to the current level of understanding of information and technology within organizations. Less concern has been given, however, to the role which IT itself plays in reinforcing this rationalistic view of information and decision-making. As Mitroff has pointed out, to represent (or model) a problem is to conduct an inquiry into its nature. Likewise, Dick Boland suggests that information technologies are themselves social inventions that are malleable and shaped during use but that such sets limits and opens possibilities that shape the users as well. Hence, information technologies both incorporate and give rise to changes in our vocabularies for knowing ourselves and our institutions. It will not be enough, therefore, for us merely to change our existing models of managerial decision-making, it will also be necessary to design new technologies which will reflect and encourage the use of such models. In this paper we shall use the framework provided by Mitroff to try to consider a number of different paradigms of inquiring system and to see what technological forms would need to be developed in order that we may provide technological support for individual decision-making based on each paradigm.     

Deriving requirements from process models via the problem frames approach

Jackson's problem frames is an approach to describing a recurring software problem. It is presumed that some knowledge of the application domain and context has been gathered so that an appropriate problem frame can be determined. However, the identification of aspects of the problem, and its appropriate ‘framing’ is recognised as a difficult task. One way to describe a software problem context is through process modelling. Once contextual information has been elicited, and explicitly described, an understanding of what problems need to be solved should emerge. However, this use of process models to inform requirements is often rather ad hoc; the traceability from business process to software requirement is not always as straightforward as it ought to be. Hence, this paper proposes an approach for deriving and contextualising software requirements through use of the problem frames approach from business process models. We apply the approach on a live industrial e-business project in which we assess the relevance and usefulness of problem frames as a means of describing the requirements context. We found that the software problem did not always match easily with Jackson's five existing frames. Where no frame was identified, however, we found that Jackson's problem diagrams did couch the requirements in their right context, and thus application of the problem frames approach was useful. This implies a need for further work in adapting a problem frames approach to the context of e-business systems.     

“I like them,but won't ‘like’ them”: An examination of impression management associated with visible political party affiliation on Facebook

Unlike traditional media, our interactions with political parties via social media are generally public, subject to scrutiny by others and, consequently, a self-presentation concern. This paper contributes to theory on impression management within social network sites (SNSs) by providing an understanding of the effect of visible affiliation on page ‘Liking’ behavior in the context of political parties; specifically, the possible association with social anxiety and the use of protective impression management. We predict that while users may be motivated to ‘Like’ a political party, some may feel socially anxious about the impressions their friends may derive from this action, and so ultimately choose to refrain from ‘Liking’ the party. Furthermore, we propose a new function of ‘Secret Likes’ (i.e. ‘Likes’ that others cannot see) as a means to increase gateway interactions. A survey of eligible voters (n = 225) was conducted in the month prior to the 2015 UK general election, examining behavior associated with the Facebook pages of the two largest political parties. Results support that conspicuous affiliation with political parties indeed hinders intention to ‘Like’ political pages and is associated with social anxiety. ‘Secret Likes’ were found to be a successful method to increase gateway interactions. In addition to the theoretical contribution, implications for political party communications and site designers are considered.     

Integrating switching costs to information systems adoption: An empirical study on learning management systems

When evaluating a new information system, users’ experiences with the prior system, as well as characteristics of the new system, may influence their adoption behavior. However, most existing research either focuses solely on assessment of the new system using information systems adoption theories, or focuses only on the extent and types of switching costs associated with the transition from the prior system to the new one. In addition, little research has examined system switching and adoption of new learning management systems. To address these gaps, this study develops a research model that integrates the theoretical perspectives of switching costs and information systems adoption. The model is developed and tested in the context of the adoption of learning management systems. The results indicate that emotional costs and reduced performance costs can significantly influence perceived switching value. Perceived switching value, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence have significant impacts on users’ intention to use the new learning management system.     

How political processes shaped the IT adopted by a small make-to-order company: a case study in the insulated wire and cable industry

This paper explores how political processes shape the information technology (IT) systems implemented by small-medium sized firms. Systems designers, consultants and users often interpret technology in different ways. This may result in the implementation of inappropriate systems. Small business managers work on short time scales and may be more concerned with operational matters rather than strategic considerations. A case study of CableCo, a small make-to-order company, is used to explore the political processes that shaped the selection and implementation of the Company’s IT system. The incongruence between the ‘technological frames’ of the stakeholders is examined. Researchers, consultants and managers will learn that the implementation of IT is determined by the dominant ‘frame’.     

The intention–behaviour gap in technology usage: the moderating role of attitude strength

Extant theories of information technology (IT) usage present users' behavioural intention as the primary predictor of their IT usage behaviour. However, empirical evidence reveals only a low-to-medium effect size for this association. We call this inconsistency the ‘intention–behaviour gap’, and argue that a clearer understanding of this gap requires a deeper theoretical examination of the conditions under which intentions may or may not influence behaviour. Drawing on recent attitude theoretic research in social psychology, we distinguish between two types of attitudes – strong versus weak – and suggest that the intention–behaviour association may hold for users with strong attitudes but is likely to be weaker for those with weak attitudes. Using the elaboration-likelihood model, we propose two dimensions of attitude strength relevant to the IT usage context – personal relevance and related expertise – and theorise them to moderate the intention–behaviour association in a positive manner. Results from a longitudinal field survey of document management system usage among governmental employees at L'viv City Hall, Ukraine support our theoretical hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.     

Embedded (Lead) Users as Catalysts to Product Diffusion

Firms can harness social user networks not only for ideation, but also to accelerate and facilitate diffusion of new product introductions. They select individuals whose own product adoptions and opinions influence adoption decisions of others. In this paper we transfer this rationale to firm employees. We focus on ‘embedded users’ who are employees of a firm, but at the same time users of the firm's products. We aim to find out if their access to user networks, use experience and lead userness impact their opinion leadership and domain‐specific innovativeness. We also show how cognitive empathy towards external users is a mechanism to explain these relationships. Drawing on the user innovation and consumer behaviour literature, we derive and test eight hypotheses on a sample of 54 firm employees in gaming hardware firms. We find that lead userness is positively related to domain‐specific innovativeness and opinion leadership, but use experience only to the former. Cognitive empathy mediates all relationships in our study. To facilitate embedded users' tendency to act as opinion leaders and to adopt new products, managers should encourage their employees to use the firm's products to build use experience and thus develop cognitive empathy towards external users.     

Extending technology usage models to interactive hedonic technologies: a theoretical model and empirical test

Abstract. Much of our prior knowledge of information systems (IS) usage is based on utilitarian systems such as personal productivity software and organizational applications. However, new generations of systems, such as online video games (OVGs), have since emerged that aim at enhancing users' hedonic outcomes like entertainment rather than utilitarian outcomes such as productivity. Prior models of utilitarian system usage provide a limited understanding of one's usage of hedonic systems, given the motivational differences between using these two types of systems. Theoretical modifications instead are required to extend the current models to hedonic systems. Expanding the research on attitude theories, we propose an initial model for usage of interactive hedonic systems, replacing perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use with perceived enjoyment and social image as the core cognitive drivers of usage, and further linking these beliefs to different technological attributes. The initial model is empirically validated using a survey of OVG usage among 485 student subjects. For IS usage research, this paper proposes and validates one of the earliest usage models of hedonic systems. For practitioners, this study provides some guidelines for manufacturers of hedonic systems on how to derive the most return on their system development efforts.     

A tale of two coalitions – marginalising the users while successfully implementing an enterprise resource planning system

Classic analyses of system implementations view user participation as a key element for successful implementation. However, under some conditions, avoiding user participation offers an alternative route to a successful implementation; this is advisable especially when the user network is weak and aligning user needs with the technological capabilities will take too much resource. To illustrate such situation, we analyse how a successful implementation outcome of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system emerged in a recently established conglomeration of two previously independent universities. The ERP was used to replace several legacy student administration systems for both political and functional reasons. It was deemed successful by both project consultants and the new university's management while the users were marginalised (‘black boxed’) and left to ‘pick up the pieces’ of an incomplete system using traditional methods such as shadow systems and work‐a‐rounds. Using a process approach and an actor–network theory ‘reading’ of related socio‐technical events, we demonstrate how three networks of actors – management, the project team and the administrative users – collided and influenced the implementation outcome and how the management and project network established the ERP as a reliable ally while at the same time the users – while being enrolled in the network – were betrayed through marginalisation. Our analysis also suggests a useful way to conduct a ‘follow the network’ analysis explaining and accounting for the observed implementation outcome. We illustrate the benefits of using a socio‐technical processual analysis and show how stable actor networks must be constructed during large‐scale information technology change and how different actor groups perceive and influence differently the implementation outcome.     

一种空间上下文感知的提及目标推荐方法

作为一种新兴的社交媒体用户交互服务,提及机制(mention mechanism)正在用户在线交互和网络信息传播方面扮演着重要角色.对用户提及行为的研究能够揭示用户的隐式偏好与其显式行为之间的联系,为信息传播监控、商业智能、个性化推荐等应用提供新的数据支撑.当前,对用户提及机制的探索多集中在其信息传播属性上,缺少从普通用户角度对其用户交互属性的学习.通过对普通用户提及行为的分析和建模构建一个推荐系统,为给定的社交媒体消息生成目标用户推荐.通过对大型真实社交媒体数据集的分析发现,用户的提及行为受其提及活动的语义和空间上下文因素的联合影响.据此,提出一个联合概率生成模型JUMBM(joint user mention behavior model),模拟用户空间关联提及活动的生成过程.通过对用户语义和空间上下文感知的提及行为进行统一建模,JUMBM能够同时发掘用户的移动模式、地理区域依赖的语义兴趣及其对应目标用户的地理聚集模式.此外,提出一种混合剪枝算法,加快推荐系统对在线top-k查询的响应速度.在大型真实数据集上的实验结果表明,所提方法在推荐有效性和推荐效率方面均优于对比方法.     

Exploring the user experience of three-dimensional virtual learning environments

This study examines the users' experiences with three-dimensional (3D) virtual environments to investigate the areas of development as a learning application. For the investigation, the modified technology acceptance model (TAM) is used with constructs from expectation-confirmation theory (ECT). Users' responses to questions about cognitive perceptions and continuous use were collected and analysed with factors that were modified from TAM and ECT. Whilst the findings confirm the significant roles by users' cognitive perceptions, the findings also shed light on the possibility of 3D application serving as an enabler of learning tools. In the extended model, the moderating effects of confirmation/satisfaction and demographics of the relationships amongst the variables were found to be significant.     

面向用户偏好建模的个性化对话推荐算法

推荐系统的目标是从物品数据库中，选择出与用户兴趣偏好相匹配的子集，缓解用户面临的“信息过载”问题。因而近年来推荐系统越来越多地应用到电商、社交等领域，展现出巨大的商业潜力。传统推荐系统中，系统对用户的认知往往来源于历史交互记录，例如点击率或者购买记录，这是一种隐式用户反馈。对话推荐系统能够通过自然语言与用户进行多轮对话，逐步深入挖掘其兴趣偏好，从而向对方提供高质量的推荐结果。相比于传统推荐系统，对话推荐系统主要有两方面的不同。其一，对话推荐系统能够利用自然语言与用户进行语义上连贯的多轮对话，提升了人机交互中的用户体验；其二，系统能够询问特定的问题直接获取用户的显式反馈，从而更深入地理解用户兴趣偏好，提供更可靠的推荐结果。目前已经有不少工作在不同的问题设定下对该领域进行了探索，然而尽管如此，这些工作仍仅局限于关注当前正在进行的对话，忽视了过去交互记录中蕴涵的丰富信息，导致对用户偏好建模的不充分。为了解决这个问题，本文提出了一个面向用户偏好建模的个性化对话推荐算法框架，通过双线性模型注意力机制与自注意力层次化编码结构进行用户偏好建模，从而完成对候选物品的排序与推荐。本文设计的模型结构能够在充分利用用户历史对话信息的同时，权衡历史对话与当前对话两类数据的重要性。丰富的用户相关信息来源使得推荐结果在契合用户个性化偏好的同时，更具备多样性，从而缓解“信息茧房”等现象带来的不良影响。基于公开数据集的实验表明了本文方法在个性化对话推荐任务上的有效性。