Thinking Outside of the Ballot Box

Electronic voting, or e-voting, is a relatively closed process that contains inherent risks associated with the potential for voting irregularities, translation errors, and inappropriate manipulation (Oravec, 2005). To develop a greater understanding of trust issues surrounding the use of e-voting, an investigation into the public trust and the relationship between trust and electronic voting technology were assessed. Men and women of various ethnicities, ages, educational backgrounds, technological experiences, political affiliations, and prior experience with e-voting participated in this study. Rogers’ (1995) taxonomy of adopters—innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards—was used to classify individuals based on their willingness to participate in e-voting. A principle-components factor analysis (PCFA) with separate tests for discriminant validity and multiple-regression analyses were used to confirm the hypotheses. The findings suggest that innovators and early adopters are more likely to trust technology and express an intention to use an e-voting system.

Social and Usage-Process Motivations for Consumer Internet Access

Differences between light and heavy users of America Online are investigated using theoretical expectations derived from recent research on uses and gratifications theory. Measures of Internet-usage-process gratifications and Internet socialization gratifications were utilized to test for differences between light and heavy Internet users in the consumer market, and it was expected that heavy users would be more socially motivated in their Internet use while light users would be more motivated by gratifications related to usage processes. However, results indicate that both heavy and light users are more motivated by usage factors, although the difference between usage and social motivation was more pronounced for heavy users. Heavy users are more socially motivated than light users, but both heavy and light users show a significant preference for process uses and gratifications as compared to social uses and gratifications for Internet use.

The Role of Expertise in the Evaluation of Computing Architectures

Recently, there has been considerable interest in evaluating newer computer architectures such as the Web services architecture and the network computer architecture. In this work we investigate the decision models of expert and novice IS managers when evaluating computing architectures for use in an organization. This task is important because several consumer choice models in the literature indicate that the evaluation of alternative products is a critical phase that consumers undergo prior to forming an attitude toward the product. Previous work on evaluating the performance of experts vs. novices has focused either on the process differences between them, or on the performance outcome differences, with work in MIS focusing primarily on process differences. In this work, we utilize a methodology that examines both aspects, by constructing individual decision models for each expert and novice in the study. There is a growing consensus in the management literature that while experts may follow different processes, very often their performance does not differ significantly from novices in the business domain.

Validating the End-User Computing Satisfaction Instrument for Online Shopping Systems

End-user satisfaction has always been an important component of Information Systems (IS) success. This is also true for online applications, including online shopping systems, where in addition to being a customer, the shoppers play the role of end-users. Shoppers may not come back to or make a purchase on a Web site if they have an unsatisfactory experience. In this research, we focus on this aspect of online shopping by examining shoppers’ experiences as end-users.

Exploring System Use as a Measure of Knowledge Management Success

This article discusses system use as a measure of knowledge management success. It is proposed that for knowledge management systems (KMS) it is not the amount of use that is important, but rather the quality of that use and the intention to use the KMS when appropriate. Evidence is provided to support this proposition and a knowledge management system success model incorporating this proposition is discussed. Additionally, findings are provided that show that new users to an organization use the KMS differently than experienced users and implications of this difference are discussed.

Knowledge Appraisal and Knowledge Management Systems

Knowledge management (KM) is a critical practice by which a firm’s intellectual capital is created, stored and shared. This has lead to a rich research agenda within which knowledge management systems (KMS) have been a key focus. Our research reveals that an important element of KM practice— knowledge appraisal—is considered in only a fragmentary and incomplete way in research. Knowledge appraisal reflects the multi-level process by which a firm’s knowledge is evaluated by the organization or individual for its value. The processes are highly intertwined with the use of the KMS. It therefore requires consideration of KA across multiple levels and types of knowledge across the entire KM cycle. To achieve this goal, we develop and present a taxonomy of knowledge appraisal practices and discuss their role in the KM lifecycle emphasizing implications for research and practice.

End Users' Acceptance of Information Technology

While there has been research on the diffusion of a particular type of innovation, few if any studies have examined the acceptance of a set of innovations (behavioral innovativeness) over time. This study using the Rasch methodology found evidence that computer hardware innovations are adopted in a particular order. The same could not be said for computer software, whose acceptance may be application based. This study applied a theoretical framework based on the diffusion of innovation literature (See Rodgers 1995). Data was collected via a telephone survey of 302 computer users. Scores obtained from Rasch analysis were used as the dependent variable (that of behavioral innovativeness) in a regression analysis, against factors such as overall innovativeness, use innovativeness, opinion leadership/acceptance, product class knowledge and use of sources of information. Determinates of the level of behavioral innovativeness were found to be personality traits of innovateness, (a willingness to trial new technology) and use innovateness (how innovatively existing information technology was used). The level of recent purchases in the last month of information technology items, a measure of leading edge use was also positively associated with acceptance of new technology. The research findings suggest that computer hardware manufacturers can assume that there is an order of acceptance of new technology and so can predict from the knowledge of existing hardware the acceptance of innovations in the future. Computer manufacturers can also effectively target early adopters of their technology given the results of this study. Rasch modeling can also be beneficial for organizations wishing to market diverse computer packages to users, as it allows a numerical scoring of a users acquisition profile or use of information technologies.

Design of the PromoPad

Augmented-reality technologies as a new way of human-computer interaction make possible real-time modification of our perception of reality without active user interference. This article introduces the prototype of an augmented-reality shopping-assistant device, the PromoPad, based on a handheld tablet PC allowing see-through vision with augmentations. While this new interaction utilizing augmented reality that places products into contextual settings can enhance shopping experience and suggest complementary products, it also has challenges and issues when used in a public environment such as a store setting. This article discusses the design and implementation of the PromoPad, and addresses the issues and possible solutions. The concept of dynamic contextualization is further investigated in this setting with a list of possible context modifications and their relation to advertising and the psychology of consumer purchasing.

End User Types

Contemporary end users are more knowledgeable about computing technologies than the end users of the early ’80s. However, many researchers still use the end user classification scheme proposed by Rockart and Flannery (1983) more than two decades ago. This scheme is inadequate to classify contemporary end users since it is based mainly on their knowledge and ignores other crucial dimensions such as control. Cotterman and Kumar (1989) proposed a user cube to classify end users based on the development, operation, and control dimensions of end user computing (EUC). Using this cube, users can be classified into eight distinct groups. In this research, a 10-item instrument is proposed to operationalize the user cube. Such an instrument would help managers to identify the status of EUC in their firms and to take appropriate action. Based on the data collected from 292 end users, the instrument was tested for construct, convergent, and discriminant validities. Researchers can use this instrument to study the interaction between constructs such as development and control with end user computing satisfaction (EUCS).

Rewarding End-Users for Participating in Organizational KM

Organizations position their formal knowledge management (KM) initiatives as a continuous process of deriving strategic benefits from the knowledge resources dispersed in the various internal constituencies. While most organizations implement a rewards program attached to their KM initiative, the influence exerted by such programs on employees’ responses to organizational KM is less well understood. In this context, this article focuses on the KM initiative of Rexon,1 a leading Indian software services and products company recognised globally as a successful KM exponent. Adopting the case study methodology, we conducted intensive fieldwork for 6 months over a 2 year period at Rexon. Evidence from the case highlights how a KM-related rewards program was used to build awareness about organizational KMS and how employees responded to the rewards program. The theoretical and managerial contributions of the study are discussed.