[AISWorld] Journal of Organizational and End User Computing. 22, 3, 2010 Abstracts

[Mahmood, M. Adam]

The contents of the latest issue of:
Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC)
Official Publication of the Information Resources Management Association
Volume 22, Issue 3, July-September 2010
Published: Quarterly in Print and Electronically
ISSN: 1546-2234 EISSN: 1546-5012
Published by IGI Publishing, Hershey-New York, USA
www.igi-global.com/joeuc

Editor-in-Chief: M. Adam Mahmood, University of Texas at El Paso, USA

EDITORIAL NOTE

An extended version of the abstracts for the following JOEUC issue is provided below for your information and perusal.  If you would like to submit a manuscript to the journal for publication consideration, please consult the manuscript submission guidelines provided at http://www.igi-pub.com/. After reviewing the guidelines, please send an electronic version of your manuscript to us.

PAPER ONE

The Influence of Perceived Source Credibility on End User Attitudes and Intentions to Comply with Recommended IT Actions

Allen Johnston (University of Alabama, USA) 
Merrill Warkentin (Mississippi State University, USA)

Through persuasive communications, information technology (IT) executives hope to align the actions of end users with the expectations of senior management and of the firm regarding technology usage. One highly influential factor of persuasive effectiveness is the source of the persuasive message. This study presents a conceptual model for explaining the influence of source credibility on end user attitudes and behavioral intentions to comply with organizationally motivated, recommended IT actions within a decentralized, autonomous environment. The results of this study suggest that the elements of source competency, trustworthiness, and dynamism are significant determinants of attitudes and behavioral intentions to engage in recommended IT actions. These findings reveal the importance of these elements of effective communication in persuading end users to follow recommended IT activities and advance IT acceptance and adoption research through the application of persuasive communication theory to the domain.


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http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=43749 

PAPER TWO

Enterprise Systems Training Strategies: Knowledge Levels and User Understanding

Tony Coulson (California State University, San Bernardino, USA) 
Lorne Olfman (Claremont Graduate University, USA) 
Terry Ryan (Claremont Graduate University, USA) 
Conrad Shayo (California State University, San Bernardino, USA)

Enterprise systems (ESs) are customizable, integrated software applications designed to support core business processes. This paper reports research contrasting the relative effectiveness of two strategies for ES end-user training that differentially reflect the Sein, Bostrom, and Olfman (1999) hierarchical knowledge-level model. One strategy- procedural-involves training that targets the three lowest knowledge levels of the model (command-based, tool-procedural, and business-procedural); the other-tool-conceptual-involves training that also includes a higher knowledge level (tool-conceptual). A non-equivalent quasi-experimental design was used for groups of senior business students being trained to use an authentic ES. Performance measures were administered during training and ten days after training concluded. Both experiments demonstrated that training involving the tool-conceptual knowledge level leads to superior mental models, compared with training oriented toward lower knowledge levels, as expressed in the recollection and communication of ES concepts. Tool-conceptual knowledge-level training can be used to promote understanding and communication, and should be incorporated into training strategies for ES.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=43750 

PAPER THREE

Culturally Compatible Usability Work: An Interpretive Case Study on the Relationship between Usability Work and Its Cultural Context in Software Product Development Organizations

Netta Iivari (University of Oulu, Finland)

This paper analyzes how organizational culture is intertwined with usability work in software (SW) development organizations. Usability is an important quality characteristic of software products and systems. However, the development of usability is challenging in SW development. Organizational culture has been argued to affect usability work in SW development organizations, thus, this paper takes a culture-oriented approach in the analysis of usability work in two SW development organizations operating in the product development context. First, based on a literature review, a definition of usability work is offered. An interpretive view of organizational culture, acknowledging its recent critique, is then introduced and utilized in the empirical analysis. The empirical results suggest that differences exists in how usability work is modified and interpreted in the organizations with divergent cultural contexts, those advocating different motives and practices for usability work. Finally, the importance of understanding the cultural context into which usability work is introduced is emphasized, and it is argued that culturally compatible strategies to usability work should be adopted.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=43751 

PAPER FOUR

A Model of System Re-Configurability and Pedagogical Usability in an E-Learning Context: A Faculty Perspective

Jianfeng Wang (Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, USA) 
William Doll (The University of Toledo, USA) 
Xiaodong Deng (Oakland University, USA)

Course management systems (CMSs) enable institutions to engage users efficiently, increase enrollment without major facilities investments, and serve geographically dispersed student markets on an ongoing basis. The full benefits of technology cannot be realized if faculty do not adopt the new technology and use it to achieve their instructional design objectives. From a faculty perspective, pedagogical usability of the software is an important factor affecting technology adoption and effective implementation. Pedagogical usability is measured using Chickering and Gamson's seven principles of good educational practice. In a distance learning context, this paper provides an initial exploratory study of how faculty perceptions of CMS software characteristics like content re-configurability, interaction re-configurability, and modularity design help faculty implement good pedagogical principles. Additionally, a model is presented that links CMS software design characteristics like content re-configurability, interaction re-configurability, and modularity design with the pedagogical usability assessments of faculty. This model is tested using a sample of 56 faculty members using WebCT at a mid-western university.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=43752 

PAPER FIVE

A Path Analysis of the Impact of Application-Specific Perceptions of Computer Self-Efficacy and Anxiety on Technology Acceptance

Bassam Hasan (The University of Toledo, USA)
Mesbah Ahmed (The University of Toledo, USA)

Perceptions of computer self-efficacy (CSE) and computer anxiety are valuable predictors of various computer-related behaviors, including acceptance and utilization of information systems (IS). Although both factors are purported to have general and application-specific components, little research has focused on the application or system-specific component, especially in IS acceptance contexts. Thus, little is known about the effects of application-specific beliefs on IS acceptance or how such effects compare with the effects of more general CSE and computer anxiety beliefs. Accordingly, a research model comprising application CSE, application anxiety, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, and intention was proposed and tested via path analysis. The results demonstrated that the direct impacts of application CSE and application anxiety on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were almost equal, but in opposite directions. However, the indirect effect of application CSE on attitude and intention was stronger than that of application anxiety.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below.
http://www.igi-global.com/Bookstore/Article.aspx?TitleId=43753 

Sincerely,

M. Adam Mahmood