The role of communication values in swift starting action teams: IT insights from flight crew experience

We define a new subset of action teams termed swift starting action teams. These high technology groups of professional, well trained strangers perform from the moment they start working and face high stakes from the beginning. For these teams, we present evidence that the expression of communication values precedes effective task communication and team performance. IT professionals increasingly team with other professionals in high technology environments, such as swift starting action teams. Communication and communication values are important to the success of action team interactions common to IT professionals, such as requirements analysis, knowledge discovery interviews, and end user service engagements.     

The role of self-determination theory in explaining teachers’ motivation to continue to use e-learning technology

Based on self-determination theory, this study proposes an extended information systems continuance theory in the context of teachers’ utilization of e-learning technology in connection with on-site courses. In the proposed model teachers’ extrinsic motivation (i.e. perceived usefulness), confirmation of pre-acceptance expectations and intrinsic motivation are predicted to be influenced by perceived autonomy, perceived competence and perceived relatedness. Even though information systems continuance theory has received quite extensive attention in prior research, this study is among the first to examine the effects of self-determination theory constructs in the context of teachers’ utilization of e-learning technology. The results show that extension of IS-continuance theory with constructs that represent users’ basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation can be useful for predicting their e-learning continuance intentions.     

The role of task-technology fit as users’ motivation to continue information system use

In this study, we extend and combine the post-acceptance model (PAM), proposed by Bhattacherjee [Bhattacherjee, A. (2001). Understanding information systems continuance: An expectation–confirmation model. MIS Quarterly, 25(3), 351–370], with aspects of Goodhue and Thomson’s theory of task-technology fit (TTF). The original PAM emphasizes cognitive beliefs and user feelings as factors that may influence a person’s intention to continue to use an information system (IS). The variables added from TTF are task-technology fit and utilization. The sample consists of data that measure use and use-related aspects of an e-learning tool among university college teachers. Using structural equation modeling, results indicate that variables from TTF as well as variables from PAM explain users’ IS continuance intention. As a result of these findings, we propose the existence of two different and autonomous paths from the independent variables to the dependent variable of IS continuance intention. These two paths are: a work system-centric path through utilization of the information system, and an IT-centric path through user satisfaction.     

Why men and women continue to use social networking sites: The role of gender differences

Organizations increasingly use social media and especially social networking sites (SNS) to support their marketing agenda, enhance collaboration, and develop new capabilities. However, the success of SNS initiatives is largely dependent on sustainable user participation. In this study, we argue that the continuance intentions of users may be gender-sensitive. To theorize and investigate gender differences in the determinants of continuance intentions, this study draws on the expectation-confirmation model, the uses and gratification theory, as well as the self-construal theory and its extensions. Our survey of 488 users shows that while both men and women are motivated by the ability to self-enhance, there are some gender differences. Specifically, while women are mainly driven by relational uses, such as maintaining close ties and getting access to social information on close and distant networks, men base their continuance intentions on their ability to gain information of a general nature. Our research makes several contributions to the discourse in strategic information systems literature concerning the use of social media by individuals and organizations. Theoretically, it expands the understanding of the phenomenon of continuance intentions and specifically the role of the gender differences in its determinants. On a practical level, it delivers insights for SNS providers and marketers into how satisfaction and continuance intentions of male and female SNS users can be differentially promoted. Furthermore, as organizations increasingly rely on corporate social networks to foster collaboration and innovation, our insights deliver initial recommendations on how organizational social media initiatives can be supported with regard to gender-based differences.     

An experimental study of pilots' control characteristics for flight of an STOL aircraft in backside of drag curve at approach and landing

Abstract

In general, most vehicles can be modelled by a multi-variable system which has interactive variables. It can be clearly shown that there is an interactive response in an aircraft's velocity and altitude obtained by stick control and/or throttle control. In particular, if the flight conditions fall to backside of drag curve in the flight of an STOL aircraft at approach and landing then the ratio of drag variation to velocity change has a negative value (ΔD/Δu<0) and the system of motion presents a non-minimum phase. Therefore, the interaction between velocity and altitude response becomes so complicated that it affects to pilot's control actions and it may be difficult to control the STOL aircraft at approach and landing.

In this paper, experimental results of a pilot's ability to control the STOL aircraft are presented for a multi-variable manual control system using a fixed ground base simulator and the pilot's control ability is discussed for the flight of an STOL aircraft at backside of drag curve at approach and landing.     

The effect of working memory training on situation awareness in a flight simulator

Cognition, Technology & Work - The close relationship between working memory and situation awareness (SA) has been confirmed and further empirical investigations are lacking. The main aim of...     

The role of fixation in visual motion analysis

How does the ability of humans and primates to fixate at environmental points in the presence of relative motion help their visual systems in solving various tasks? To state the question in a more formal setting, we investigate in this article the following problem: Suppose that we have an active vision system, that is, a camera resting on a platform and being controlled through motors by a computer that has access to the images sensed by the camera in real time. The platform can move freely in the environment. If this machine can fixate on targets being in relative motion with it, can it solve visual tasks in an efficient and robust manner? By restricting our attention to a set of navigational tasks, we find that such an active observer can solve the problems of 3-D motion estimation, egomotion recovery, and estimation of time-to-contact in a very efficient manner, using as input the spatiotemporal derivatives of the image-intensity function (or normal flow). Fixation over time changes the input (motion field) in a controlled way and from this change additional information is derived making the previously mentioned tasks easier to solve.     

An experimental study of pilots' control characteristics for flight of an STOL aircraft in backside of drag curve at approach and landing.

In general, most vehicles can be modelled by a multi-variable system which has interactive variables. It can be clearly shown that there is an interactive response in an aircraft's velocity and altitude obtained by stick control and/or throttle control. In particular, if the flight conditions fall to backside of drag curve in the flight of an STOL aircraft at approach and landing then the ratio of drag variation to velocity change has a negative value (delta D/delta u less than 0) and the system of motion presents a non-minimum phase. Therefore, the interaction between velocity and altitude response becomes so complicated that it affects to pilot's control actions and it may be difficult to control the STOL aircraft at approach and landing. In this paper, experimental results of a pilot's ability to control the STOL aircraft are presented for a multi-variable manual control system using a fixed ground base simulator and the pilot's control ability is discussed for the flight of an STOL aircraft at backside of drag curve at approach and landing.     

Differences in situation assessments and prospective diagnoses of simulated weather radar returns amongst experienced pilots

Weather radar systems are an important tool in commercial aviation to safeguard the safety and security of aircraft. However, the utility of weather radar systems lies in the accuracy and the reliability of the interpretations of the displays. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether experienced pilots could be clustered based on their assessments of the turbulence associated with simulated weather radar displays and whether these groups corresponded to differences in experience-related metrics. Sixty one participants completed a series of on-line scenarios in which they were asked to rate the level of turbulence associated with 11 simulated weather radar displays. They were also asked to indicate their confidence in being able to continue the flight for 80 nautical miles in the absence of an alteration in track or altitude. A cluster analysis reliably differentiated two groups of participants and these groups corresponded to differences in the capacity to discriminate between weather radar scenarios. The results also reveal both a lack of reliability in experienced pilots' interpretations of weather radar displays and difficulties associated with classifications of expertise on the basis of experienced-related metrics. At an empirical level, the outcomes have implications for assessments of expertise in domains in which ideal performance is difficult to establish. From an industry perspective, the results reveal important differences in the interpretation of weather radar displays amongst experienced, qualified pilots. This suggests a need for both more effective weather radar design, complemented by more reliable and comprehensive training that focuses on the accurate interpretation of different types of weather radar returns.     

The role of personal dexterity and incentive gamification to enhance employee learning experience and performance

Cognition, Technology & Work - This paper aims to develop a concept of incentive gamification for organizations in the digital era. Incentive gamification is an incentive-based policy using the...     

The complex role of perceptual organization in visual display design theory

Two experiments were performed to test and extend the current ‘emergent features’ approach to display design for dynamic failure detection tasks. It was predicted that a display whose emergent features were well-mapped to goal-relevant task invariants would lead to better failure detection performance than either of two alternative displays. Contrary to prediction, Experiment 1 showed no differences in failure detection speed or accuracy across displays. The reason for this may have been that subjects did not discover the mapping between the mathematical properties of the task and the emergent feature, so in Experiment 2 subjects were explicitly instructed about the mapping and were advised on how to use the display geometry to help their performance. A significant difference in failure detection speed emerged, but the display supporting fastest performance was not the one with the well-mapped emergent feature. These results suggest that alternative perceptual organizational factors were at work which overpowered the intended effect. The results also underscore the difficulty of developing a theory of display design, and their impact on current theories is outlined.     

The role of visual search in the design of effective soft keyboards

As portable, handheld computing devices become more common, alternatives to traditional keyboards must be explored. These alternatives must be compact, lightweight and sufficiently efficient to support the users' tasks. One alternative is the use of small physical keyboards or soft keyboards presented on touch-sensitive surfaces. Many alternative layouts have been explored, including the QWERTY, Dvorak, telephone and various alphabetic organizations. Soukoreff and MacKenzie proposed a model to predict typing times for alternative layouts, but have experienced limited success matching their predictions to observed performance. This paper proposes a revision of the visual search component of their model that considers the familiarity of the organization and the number of letters represented by each key. Results are reported of an experiment that supports the claim that both familiarity and the number of letters per key must be considered when predicting visual search times for alternative keyboard layouts.     

The role of visual search in the design of effective soft keyboards

As portable, handheld computing devices become more common, alternatives to traditional keyboards must be explored. These alternatives must be compact, lightweight and sufficiently efficient to support the users' tasks. One alternative is the use of small physical keyboards or soft keyboards presented on touch-sensitive surfaces. Many alternative layouts have been explored, including the QWERTY, Dvorak, telephone and various alphabetic organizations. Soukoreff and MacKenzie proposed a model to predict typing times for alternative layouts, but have experienced limited success matching their predictions to observed performance. This paper proposes a revision of the visual search component of their model that considers the familiarity of the organization and the number of letters represented by each key. Results are reported of an experiment that supports the claim that both familiarity and the number of letters per key must be considered when predicting visual search times for alternative keyboard layouts.     

The complex role of perceptual organization in visual display design theory.

Two experiments were performed to test and extend the current 'emergent features' approach to display design for dynamic failure detection tasks. It was predicted that a display whose emergent features were well-mapped to goal-relevant task invariants would lead to better failure detection performance than either of two alternative displays. Contrary to prediction. Experiment 1 showed no differences in failure detection speed or accuracy across displays. The reason for this may have been that subjects did not discover the mapping between the mathematical properties of the task and the emergent feature, so in Experiment 2 subjects were explicitly instructed about the mapping and were advised on how to use the display geometry to help their performance. A significant difference in failure detection speed emerged, but the display supporting fastest performance was not the one with the well-mapped emergent feature. These results suggest that alternative perceptual organizational factors were at work which overpowered the intended effect. The results also underscore the difficulty of developing a theory of display design, and their impact on current theories is outlined.     

Effects of experience and processing demands on visual information acquisition in drivers

This study investigated the differences between novices and experienced drivers in their distribution of visual attention under different levels of cognitive load imposed by different types of road, and as reflected in their visual search strategies. The task involved a 20-min drive on various roads while the drivers' eye movements were recorded. The measures taken included fixation durations, as an indicator of the time taken to assimilate fixated objects, and the variance of fixation co-ordinates to describe the spread of search in both the horizontal and vertical axes. Differences were found between novices and experienced drivers according to the type of road being driven. The results suggested that experienced drivers select visual strategies according to the complexity of the roadway, and that the strategies of novices are too inflexible to meet changing demands.     

The role of experience in the interpretation of noun–noun combinations

Gagné and Shoben’s (J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 23:71–87, 1997) Competition Among Relations In Nominals (CARIN) theory maintains that the interpretation of modifier-noun combinations is influenced primarily by how the modifying noun has been used in the past. As support for this theory, they found that modifiers typically associated with the instantiated relation are interpreted reliably faster than those whose modifiers are less frequently associated with the relation. The CARIN theory explains this phenomenon by proposing that people store statistical distributions regarding the frequency with which modifying nouns have combined with each relation in the past. However, we maintain that an association between relation frequency and response time does not imply a causal influence. In this study we explore whether the effects observed by Gagné and Shoben were caused by the influence of relation frequency per se. Two experiments were conducted in which experiential knowledge about the modifier was controlled. The first experiment involved combinations whose modifiers were relatively rare and the second involved the presentation of nouns without a modifier-head syntax. In both of these experiments, knowledge about historical modifier usage was irrelevant. Our results show that correlations between modifier preference and response time persist even in situations where a knowledge of the modifier’s history is not available. These findings provide converging evidence that the relationship between relation frequency and response time is not a causal one. Instead, an understanding of the relationship between modifier properties and usage, as appropriate to the given context, may be the dominant influence on interpretation in many circumstances. In light of this, we propose an alternative account of the factors influencing ease of interpretation.     

The role of experience and innovation characteristics in the adoption and continued use of e-learning websites

With the advent of e-learning technologies in the past decade, the accessibility of training, teaching, and learning has drastically increased. The challenge for the education enterprise now is how to attract learners to their e-learning services. In this study, a technology adoption model is developed to predict the users’ intention of adoption and their continued use behavior. The results show significant evidence in support of the hypothesis. The findings indicate that perceptions of relative advantage and compatibility are significantly related to users’ intention to use e-learning. Also, the intention is significantly related to their actual use of e-learning. Furthermore, the technology adoption of learners with prior e-learning experience is different from those without prior e-learning experience. These findings may contribute to deeper understanding of e-learning users’ perceptions in terms of adoption and continued use behavior.     

Untangling the complex role of guilt in rational decisions to discontinue the use of a hedonic Information System

The discontinuance of the use of hedonic information systems (IS) has become somewhat prevalent. Nevertheless, little is known about why some individuals might decide to discontinue using a technology which they often use frequently and the use of which is typically intrinsically rewarding. Prior research has alluded to the ideas that (1) IS discontinuance merits its own theorizing, possibly separate from continuance and that (2) guilt feelings is a unique driver of IS discontinuance decisions. However, the literature still lacks cohesive models that explain discontinuance and especially the complex processes through which guilt influences such decisions, and perhaps that further illuminate differences between the processes underlying IS discontinuance and continuance. This study bridges these gaps and proposes and examines a model that explicates the complex effects of guilt and theory of planned behavior (TPB) predictors on the discontinuance of an instance of mostly hedonic IS, namely Social Networking Sites (SNS). In order to develop this model it is proposed that guilt, which is a self-reflective moral emotion that can influence cognition, is associated with attitudinal, normative, and control perceptions regarding the discontinuance act in a complex network of partial-mediation and moderation effects. The proposed model was tested and largely validated with structural equation modeling applied to data collected from 487 SNS users. It also pointed to possible unique features of the TPB as applied to IS discontinuance. Applicability checks further illuminated sources of guilt in this context. Decomposing the guilt effects on discontinuance and integrating them with the TPB is important since it not only extends theory both in IS and social sciences and hints at differences in planned behavior processes between IS continuance and discontinuance, but also because the findings point to mechanisms which can be used for attenuating guilt and planned behavior effects on IS discontinuance. Overall, this study validates a rationale-based theory of IS discontinuance, and can serve as a platform for further studying this notable, yet under-examined corrective behavior.     

The role of perceived social capital and flow experience in building users’ continuance intention to social networking sites in China

The long-term development of social networking sites (SNSs) relies on their users’ continuance of use. This paper tested the role of perceived social capital and flow experience in driving users to continue using SNSs based on the expectation–confirmation model of information systems continuance. Using data from online surveys of social networking sites users in China, the proposed model was tested by using the Partial Least Squares (PLSs) technique. The results show that perceived bridging and bonding social capital have different role in building users’ satisfaction and continuance intention: perceived bridging social capital has remarkable influence on users’ satisfaction and continuance intention, but perceived bonding social capital has none. Flow experience has influence on users’ satisfaction but none on continuance intention. In addition, gender has impact on users’ continuance intention.