bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Attribute Space for Organizational Communication Channels
Authors: Zmud Robert W. , Lind Mary R. , Young Forrest W.
Published: October 2008

The primary objective of this study was to identify the perceptual dimensions used by 158 managers and their professional staff at a single large manufacturing firm in differentiating fourteen distinct communication channels available in the firm. Six candidate criteria for differentiating these channels were examined (channel accessibility, information quality, immediate feedback, cue variety, personalization, and receiver accessibility) using multidimensional scaling. A secondary objective involved assessing whether communication direction influenced perceptions. Responses were obtained for two intraorganizational communication directions: lateral and downward. Results indicated that these individuals applied a perceptual framework involving three dimensions: information feedback, accessibility, and quality. Further, a perspective shift from the “message sender” to the “message receiver” was observed in moving from lateral to downward communication. The observations of directional differences demonstrate the inappropriateness of either ignoring communication direction in research designs and of directly transferring research models and instruments that pertain to one communication direction to another direction. Taken together, these results may prove helpful in developing a richer theoretical basis for exploring task/media relationships, which in turn may lead to future research findings providing recommendations for improving individual and organizational performance.
Depicting the Use and Purpose of Documents to Improve Information Retrieval
Authors: Gordon Michael D. , Moore Scott A.
Published: October 2008

In this paper we discuss a new kind of information system that helps people be ready for information work and locate documents. This system differs from a traditional information retrieval system by relying extensively on descriptions of both how a document is used and the purposes it is used for. These descriptions are gathered as the document is electronically used and manipulated (e.g., by a word processor or e-mail system). A formal language represents this information.
Electronic Brainstorming: The Illusion of Productivity
Authors: Pinsonneault Alain , Barki Henri , Gallupe R. Brent , Hoppen Norberto
Published: October 2008

Electronic brainstorming (EBS) has been proposed as a superior approach to both nominal brainstorming (working alone) and face-to-face brainstorming (verbal). However, existing empirical evidence regarding EBS's superiority over nominal brainstorming is weak. Through a comprehensive examination of the process gains and process losses inherent to different brainstorming approaches, this paper explains past results. The paper also suggests that the process gain versus process loss advantages of EBS technologies may not be large enough to enable EBS groups to outperform nominal groups. In an effort to find alternate ways of using EBS more productively, three conditions thought to increase EBS's process gains and decrease its process losses (thus improving its productivity) are identified. A laboratory experiment designed to compare the productivity of ad hoc and established groups using four brainstorming technologies (nominal, EBS-anonymous, EBS-nonanonymous, verbal), generating ideas on socially sensitive and less sensitive topics, in the presence and absence of contextual cues, is then described. The results of the experiment showed that overall, groups using nominal brainstorming significantly outperformed groups using the other three brainstorming approaches. Further, even under conditions thought to be favorable to EBS, nominal brainstorming groups were at least as productive as EBS groups. The paper explains these results by suggesting that the process gains of EBS may not be as large as expected and that the presence of four additional process losses inherent to EBS technologies impair its productivity. It is also argued that the prevailing popularity of group brainstorming (verbal or electronic) in organizations may be explained by the perceived productivity of those approaches. These perceptions, which are at odds with reality, create the illusion of productivity. A similar misperception may also cause an illusion of EBS productivity in the research community, especially when perceptual measures of group performance are used.
Straight Talk: Delivering Bad News through Electronic Communication
Authors: Sussman Stephanie Watts , Sproull Lee
Published: October 2008

Delivering bad news can be an unpleasant task, therefore people often either postpone it or mitigate its effect through positive distortion. However, delivering (and receiving) timely and accurate negative information can be critical for performance improvement and organizational learning. This paper investigates the possibility that computer-mediated communication can increase honesty and accuracy in delivering negative information that has personal consequences for the recipient. In a laboratory experiment, 117 participants delivered positive or negative personally-consequential information to a “student” (confederate) using one of three types of media: computer-mediated communication, telephone, or face-to-face conversation. Participants distorted negative information less, i.e., were more accurate and honest, when they used computer-mediated communication than face-to-face or telephone communication. There was no difference in distortion of positive information across media conditions. Participants also reported higher levels of satisfaction and comfort in the computer-mediated communication situation. The perceived quality of the relationship mediated the impact of medium on satisfaction, but not on distortion.
Research Note. The Illusion of Electronic Brainstorming Productivity: Theoretical and Empirical Issues
Authors: Pinsonneault Alain , Barki Henri , Gallupe R. Brent , Hoppen Norberto
Published: October 2008

After discussing how group size might affect the effectiveness of electronic brainstorming (EBS) as an idea generating tool, Dennis and Valacich (1999) conclude that EBS is not likely to surpass nominal brainstorming for small groups, but that for large groups (i.e., nine or more members), “EBS offers clear performance benefits over nominal group brainstorming, as well as verbal brainstorming.” However, in our view, the existing theoretical and empirical evidence does not provide sufficient justification to clearly establish EBS' superiority over nominal brainstorming for large groups.
Symbolism and Information Systems Development: Myth, Metaphor and Magic
Authors: Hirschheim Rudy , Newman Mike
Published: October 2008

It is our intention to challenge the commonly held assumption that information systems development (ISD) can be conceived of as a normative process reflecting conventional economic rationality. We ask: is systems development the rational process so eloquently described in the “classic” works of DeMarco (1978), Gane and Sarson (1979), Weinberg (1980), Yourdon (1982), Jackson (1983), and Martin (1985)? Or does this orthodox view fail to explain the actual practice of systems development? It is our view that even the basic assumptions about the rationality of the actors and the social processes they engage in need to be critically appraised. We suggest that if the assumptions about economic rationality are closely analyzed, it can be seen that they do not reflect the reality of systems development. ISD tends to defy rational explanations. As an alternative to basing our understanding of systems development on economic rationality, we contend that symbolism holds more promise. Instead of focusing on data flow diagrams, structured walkthroughs, requirements specifications, and the like, we concentrate on the role of myth, metaphor, and magic. These concepts offer considerable scope in interpreting the social actions that are embodied within ISD. We feel they facilitate a much richer understanding of systems development.
The Impact of Computerized Performance Monitoring on Service Work: Testing a Causal Model
Authors: Grant Rebecca A. , Higgins Chris A.
Published: October 2008

This research examined the impact of Computerized Performance Monitoring and Control Systems (CPMCSs) on service workers and their perceptions of work. Drawing on a thermostat model of control systems, the work built a causal model of CPMCS impact. The model demonstrated how four monitor design dimensions (tasks measured, frequency of measurement, object of monitoring, and recipient of the monitor data) affected the importance employees placed on production and service. Other constructs in the model included employees' acceptance of quantitative measures, computer appropriateness, computer accuracy, and employer's production and service messages. Using a holdback sample, an initial and revised model were tested on responses from 1,498 workers in 51 Canadian service sector organizations. Both versions of the model exhibited good explanatory power. The research led to three important conclusions. First, monitoring may not increase production. Even if it does, it need not reduce the importance of service. Second, studying monitors as multidimensional systems demonstrates that various monitor features can be altered to change the impact. Third, the credibility of the computer is a factor in the monitor's impact.
MCDM Approach for Generating and Evaluating Alternatives in Requirement Analysis
Authors: Jain Hemant K. , Tanniru Mohan R. , Fazlollahi Bijan
Published: October 2008

Determining user requirements and generating alternative system solutions to meet these requirements are two critical steps in the requirement analysis phase of the system development life cycle. Much of the MIS research in the requirement analysis phase has been devoted to the topic of requirement determination and its verification. Alternative generation and evaluation is left, to a significant degree, to the judgment and expertise of an analyst. This paper proposes a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) approach for generating and evaluating alternatives when the user requirements are expressed in terms of certain operational criteria such as time, cost, risk, etc. These alternatives form the basis for the user to make the necessary trade-offs.
Information Issues in Model Specification
Authors: Balakrishnan Anantaram , Whinston Andrew B.
Published: October 2008

This paper explores the tradeoffs and information issues in model specification, i.e., choosing the appropriate level of detail and precision of decision support models. For many real-time and distributed decision problems, decision-makers face a wide spectrum of information gathering choices that vary in the amount and quality of information as well as their associated costs and delays. Modeling these problems raises several operational and strategic questions including:

• how much and what type of information to acquire before making a decision.

• what protocol to use for exchanging information among multiple decision-makers.

• what organization and information structure (e.g., centralized, coordinated, distributed) to use for effective information sharing and decision-making.

We highlight the modeling issues and tradeoffs using examples from production planning, distributed processing, and network routing, and draw upon research in diverse fields, including information economics and game theory, knowledge logic in computer science, and distributed computation, to obtain model specification insights. Our discussions emphasize and illustrate two main model specification themes. First, acquiring additional information often has diminishing returns (in terms of the quality of decisions suggested by the model); therefore, an imprecise model based on partial information might be more appropriate than using a detailed and accurate model that identifies ‘optimal’ decisions. Concepts from information economics and team theory provide a framework for analyzing this tradeoff. We also briefly discuss some heuristic methods to identify effective information gathering strategies. Our second theme applies to systems consisting of several decision-makers who make interdependent decisions. In this context, the decision model for each agent must be based on an understanding of what information to exchange, how frequently, and what protocol to use for exchanging information. We illustrate how complete information sharing among distributed decision-makers might even be impossible because of a possible dead-lock in decision-making. This game-theoretic phenomenon has implications for designing the organization structure, information systems, and communication protocols to support multi-agent decision-making.
Form and Substance in Physical Database Design: An Empirical Study
Authors: Prietula Michael J. , March Salvatore T.
Published: October 2008

As with many complex design problems, physical database design is difficult, ill-structured, and highly human intensive. In order to effectively construct support systems or improve the practice of database design, it is important to understand how human designers reason about the task. We report an empirical study of physical database design problem solving. Thirteen subjects each solved two physical database design problems: five subjects were experienced designers; eight were graduate students with little or no actual design experience, though they were exposed to the principles of design through course-work. For each problem, subjects were presented with a list of available problem information (hardware, content, and activity data) and were directed to generate a physical design (record structures and access paths) that would minimize retrieval time and storage space. All sessions were audiotaped. Three types of data were incorporated for the analysis: information acquisition patterns, solution generation patterns, and verbal protocol. It was hypothesized that database design reasoning embodies forms of deliberation to reduce problem-solving complexity and that these forms resemble those found in other design problem-solving studies—commonality of task environmental demands will result in commonality in problem-solving methods in response to those demands. In particular, we expected to find specific control strategies, the use of hierarchical abstraction, the use of problem-specific heuristics, and the use of qualtitative reasoning with mental models of dynamic components of the task. Our results indicate that these forms are indeed present and of significant value in physical database design problem solving. Experience played a significant role in determining both the form and substance of reasoning used in physical database design. Both experienced and inexperienced database designers exhibited at least some of these forms of reasoning. Experienced designers, however, effectively applied these forms, demonstrating a substance of reasoning, although their methods of application varied considerably. The least experienced designers did not effectively apply these forms and, lost in the detail of the design problems, were unable to generate reasonable designs. It is concluded that recognition of appropriate reasoning forms and the effective application of these forms are critical to developing efficient physical database designs. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Integrating Mathematical and Symbolic Models Through AESOP: An Expert for Stock Options Pricing
Authors: Clifford James , Lucas Henry C. , Srikanth Rajan
Published: October 2008

This paper reports on an effort to integrate symbolic and mathematical models to tailor the output of a mathematical model to the particular domain of a decision maker. AESOP combines the Black-Scholes model of stock options pricing with an expert system; the integrated model is designed for use by an options specialist on the American Stock Exchange. The specialist makes a number of adjustments to the output of the mathematical model; the purpose of the symbolic model is to make as many of these modifications as possible automatically. The paper reports on the development and structure of AESOP and presents data on its use.
Performance Evaluation Metrics for Information Systems Development: A Principal-Agent Model
Authors: Banker Rajiv D. , Kemerer Chris F.
Published: October 2008

The information systems (IS) development activity in large organizations is a source of increasing cost and concern to management. IS development projects are often over-budget, late, costly to maintain, and not done to the satisfaction of the requesting user. These problems exist, in part, due to the organization of the IS development process, where information systems development is typically assigned by the user (principal) to a systems developer (agent). These two parties do not have perfectly congruent goals, and therefore a contract is developed to specify their relationship. An inability to directly monitor the agent requires the use of performance measures, or metrics, to represent the agent's actions to the principal. The use of multiple measures is necessary given the multi-dimensional nature of successful systems development. In practice such contracts are difficult to develop satisfactorily, due in part to an inability to specify appropriate metrics. This paper develops a principal-agent model that provides a set of decision criteria for the principal to use to develop an incentive compatible contract for the agent. These criteria include the precision and the sensitivity of the performance metric. After presenting the formal model, some current software development metrics are discussed to illustrate how the model can be used to provide a theoretical foundation and a formal vocabulary for performance metric analysis. The model is also used in a positive (descriptive) manner to explain why current practice emphasizes metrics that possess relatively high levels of sensitivity and precision. Finally, some suggestions are made for the improvement of current metrics based upon these criteria.
Reframing Decision Problems: A Graph-Grammar Approach
Authors: Schocken Shimon , Jones Christopher
Published: October 2008

One fundamental requirement in the expected utility model is that the preferences of rational persons should be independent of problem description. Yet an extensive body of research in descriptive decision theory indicates precisely the opposite: when the same problem is cast in two different but normatively equivalent “frames,” people tend to change their preferences in a systematic and predictable way. In particular, alternative frames of the same decision-tree are likely to invoke different sets of heuristics, biases and risk-attitudes in the user's mind. The paper presents a modeling environment in which decision-trees are cast as attributed-graphs, and reframing operations on trees are implemented as graph-grammar productions. In addition to the basic functions of creating and analyzing decision-trees, the environment offers a natural way to define a host of “debiasing mechanisms” using graphical programming techniques. Some of these mechanisms have appeared in the decision theory literature, whereas others were directly inspired by the novel use of graph-grammars in modeling decision problems. The modeling environment was constructed using NETWORKS, a new model management system based on a graph-grammar formalism. Thus, a second objective of the paper is to illustrate how a general-purpose modeling environment can be used to produce, with relatively little effort, a specialized decision support system for problems that have a strong graphical orientation.
The Effects of Information Technology and the Perceived Mood of the Feedback Giver on Feedback Seeking
Authors: Ang Soon , Cummings Larry L. , Straub Detmar W. , Earley P. Christopher
Published: October 2008

A major tenet in organizational behavior literature is that feedback improves performance. If feedback is thought to improve performance, then individuals should actively seek feedback in their work. Yet, surprisingly, individuals seldom seek feedback perhaps because of face-loss costs of obtaining feedback face-to-face. Furthermore, in cases where the giver is perceived to be in a bad mood, individuals may be even more reluctant to seek feedback if they believe seeking feedback risks the giver's wrath and a negative evaluation. In this paper, we explain how information technology can be designed to mediate feedback communication and deliver feedback that promotes feedback seeking. In a laboratory experiment, the effects of information technology and the perceived mood of the feedback giver on the behavior of feedback seekers are examined. The results showed that individuals in both the computer-mediated feedback environment and the computer-generated feedback environment sought feedback more frequently than individuals in the face-to-face feedback environment. In addition, individuals sought feedback more frequently from a giver who was perceived to be in a good mood than from a giver who was perceived to be in a bad mood.
MODFORM: A Knowledge-Based Tool to Support the Modeling Process
Authors: Raghunathan Srinivasan , Krishnan Ramayya , May Jerrold H.
Published: October 2008

The value of mathematical modeling and analysis in the decision support context is well recognized. However, the complex and evolutionary nature of the modeling process has limited its widespread use. In this paper, we describe our work on knowledge-based tools which support the formulation and revision of mathematical programming models. In contrast to previous work on this topic, we base our work on an indepth empirical investigation of experienced modelers and present three results: (a) a model of the modeling process of experienced modelers derived using concurrent verbal protocol analysis. Our analysis indicates that modeling is a synthetic process that relates specific features found in the problem to its mathematical model. These relationships, which are seldom articulated by modelers, are also used to revise models. (b) an implementation of a modeling support system called MODFORM based on this observationally derived model, and (c) the results of a preliminary experiment which indicates that users of MODFORM build models comparable to those formulated by experts. We use the formulation of mathematical programming models of production planning problems illustratively throughout the paper.
A Comparative Analysis of the Empirical Validity of Two Rule-Based Belief Languages
Authors: Schocken Shimon , Wang Yu-Ming
Published: October 2008

Rule-based expert systems deal with inexact reasoning through a variety of quasi-probabilistic methods, including the widely used subjective Bayesian (SB) and certainty factors (CF) models, versions of which are implemented in many commercial expert system shells. Previous research established that under certain independence assumptions, SB and CF are ordinally compatible: when used to compute the beliefs in several hypotheses of interest under the same set of circumstances, the hypothesis that will attain the highest posterior probability will also attain the highest certainty factor, etc. This monotonicity is important in the context of expert systems, where most inference-engines and explanation facilities are designed to utilize relative scales of posterior beliefs, making little or no use of their absolute magnitudes. This research extends the comparative analysis of SB and CF to the field, where subjective degrees of belief and different elicitation procedures are likely to complicate their analytic similarity and impact their actual validity. In particular, we describe an experiment in which CF was shown to dominate SB in terms of several validity criteria, a finding which we attribute to parsimony and robustness considerations. The paper is relevant to (i) practitioners who use belief languages in rule-based systems, and (ii) researchers who seek a methodology to investigate the validity of other belief languages in controlled experiments.
Research Report—Modeling vs. Forecasting: The Case of Information Systems Spending
Authors: Gurbaxani Vijay , Mendelson Haim
Published: October 2008

Collopy, Adya and Armstrong (1994) (CAA) advocate the use of atheoretical “black box” extrapolation techniques to forecast information systems spending. In this paper, we contrast this approach with the positive modeling approach of Gurbaxani and Mendelson (1990), where the primary focus is on explanation based on economics and innovation diffusion theory. We argue that the objectives and premises of extrapolation techniques are so fundamentally different from those of positive modeling that the evaluation of positive models using the criteria of “black box” forecasting approaches is inadequate. We further show that even if one were to accept CAA's premises, their results are still inferior. Our results refute CAA's claim that linear trend extrapolations are appropriate for forecasting future IS spending and demonstrate the risks of ignoring the guidance of theory.
Role of Control in the Model Formulation Process
Authors: Sen Arun , Vinze Ajay , Liou Shue Feng T.
Published: October 2008

Control is being increasingly recognized as having a critical role in the automation of the model formulation process. This paper describes an approach to understanding this role of control by observing experts' behavior and studying their verbalizations during the process of formulating models. Control concerns were noted at two levels: strategic and tactical. At the strategic level, control behavior was found to be opportunistic, i.e., the modelers did not follow a prespecified approach. This paper focuses on the tactical level, where the emphasis was on scheduling the tasks used to construct the model (referred to as formulation tasks). The tactical controls were demonstrated by our AEROBA system implementation.
Benchmarking Decision Models for Database Management Systems
Authors: Dey Debabrata , Seidmann Abraham
Published: October 2008

Benchmarking is the quantitative method most commonly used when managers contemplate procuring a large business information system. It consists of running a group of representative applications on the systems offered by vendors to validate their claims. The implementation of benchmarking can be very costly, as users need to convert, run, and test applications on several partially compatible computer systems. Benchmarking works well in modern database management systems (DBMS)-oriented applications because the system performance is more a function of the database structure and activities than of the complexity of the application code. Earlier research focused primarily on designing various benchmarks for database systems; the decision problem associated with finding an optimal mix of benchmarks has largely been overlooked. In this paper, we examine the problem of defining the most economical process for generating and evaluating the appropriate mix of benchmarks to be used across the contending information systems. Our analytical approach considers information-gathering priorities, acquisition and execution costs, resource consumption, and overall time requirements. We present a multiobjective decision-making approach for deriving the optimal mix of benchmarks; this approach reflects the major organizational objectives in more than simple one-dimensional numerical terms. A practical example illustrates the utility of this approach for evaluating a client-server relational database system.
Claims, Arguments, and Decisions: Formalisms for Representation, Gaming, and Coordination
Authors: Ramesh R. , Whinston Andrew B.
Published: October 2008

Decisions in large corporations continually evolve from several group processes, shaping the focus of business activities over time. These decisions arise out of a combination of formal analyses and less formal interactions among decision makers. We address the pragmatics of group decision processes from the perspective of argumentation and analysis. We develop formalisms for the representation of argumentative knowledge, gaming the argumentation process and the coordination of the games. The representation formalism provides a framework for organizing the logic underlying the claims and arguments in a group. The gaming formalism provides a framework for conducting and regulating the group interactions. The coordination formalism addresses the issues of scheduling the games and the resolution process. The three formalisms together constitute the basis for designing computer-assisted systems that support argumentation processes in groups. We introduce the term Argumentative Reasoning Facilitation Systems (ARFS), and develop a framework for their design. These systems would serve to record, organize, regulate and coordinate argumentative decision processes in organizations. The formalisms provide new windows for research on novel applications of decision support systems in organizations. Some of the systemic, organizational and behavioral research issues identified from this work are also presented.
Research Report—Adaptation of a Planning System Success Model to Information Systems Planning
Authors: Raghunathan Bhanu , Raghunathan T. S.
Published: October 2008

The research reported here is an adaptation of a model developed to measure Planning Systems Success, to the information systems (IS) context. This study is motivated by the increasing importance given to IS planning in recent years, the lack of an empirical model in the IS literature to measure a construct as important as IS planning system success, and the usefulness of developing such a model to help guide future research efforts addressing the issue of IS planning effectiveness. An operational model for measuring IS planning system success is developed in terms of two interrelated dimensions: IS planning system capabilities and extent of fulfillment of key IS planning objectives. Due regard is paid to the call for greater attention to methodological issues in developing such measures. The model meets the measurement criteria suggested in the literature.
User Participation, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution: The Mediating Roles of Influence
Authors: Barki Henri , Hartwick Jon
Published: October 2008

User participation has long been considered a key ingredient in information system development (ISD). However, research has generally failed to clearly demonstrate the benefits of user participation. A better description of interpersonal processes which occur during system development could be used to help explain the weak results. The present study builds upon the work of Robey and his colleagues (Robey and Farrow 1982, Robey et al. 1989, Robey et al. 1993), who examined user participation, influence, conflict, and conflict resolution during ISD. Results obtained in a field study of 74 IS projects suggest the following four conclusions: (i) conflict is best represented and measured as a multidimensional construct; (ii) the relationship between user participation and conflict is more complex than previously believed; (iii) influence has a dual role in the emergence of conflict; and (iv) influence plays a key role in the satisfactory resolution of conflict.
Research Report—Modeling Interpersonal Processes During System Development: Further Thoughts and Suggestions
Authors: Robey Daniel
Published: October 2008

This article offers commentary on the paper by Barki and Hartwick (1994), to replicate and extend the model of conflict during systems development reported in previous research by Robey and his colleagues (Robey and Farrow 1982, Robey et al. 1989, Robey et al. 1993). Because of differences in the approach to measurement and data analysis, Barki and Hartwick's contribution is more properly considered as an extension of the model rather than a replication. Barki and Hartwick's strategy of model fitting is appropriate for such an extension, but it is not clear what role their “hypothesized model” plays in this exploratory work. A more careful distinction between hypothesis testing and data exploration is suggested. Finally, all of the studies using the original model or its variants are limited in their ability to support theoretical reasoning about the process of system development. The direct use of process research strategies is encouraged as a means of overcoming this limitation.
Research Report—The Importance of Specification in Causal Modeling: The Case of End-User Computing Satisfaction
Authors: Chin Wynne W. , Newsted Peter R.
Published: October 2008

In a survey of IS instruments spanning the years 1973 to 1988 (Zmud and Boynton [Zmud, R. W., A. C. Boynton. 1991. Survey measures and instruments in MIS inventory and appraisal. K. I. Kraemer, ed. The Information Systems Research Challenge Survey Research Methods, Vol. 3. Harvard Business School, Boston, 149–180.]), Doll and Torkzadeh's (Doll, W. J., G. Torkzadeh. 1988. The measurement of end-user computing satisfaction. MIS Quart. (June) 259–274.) 12-item End-User Computing Satisfaction instrument was reported as one of three IS instruments that met conditions to qualify as “well developed.” Recently, Etezadi-Amoli and Farhoomand (Etezadi-Amoli, J., A. F. Farhoomand. 1991. Issues and opinions on end-user computing satisfaction. MIS Quart. (March) 1–5.) questioned the validity of these measures. Part of their critique centered on the poor model fit obtained in a re-analysis using LISREL. While other potentially valid points were raised by Etezadi-Amoli and Farhoomand's critique, this report focuses only on their use of confirmatory factor analysis. In our re-analyses of Doll and Torkzadeh's original covariance measures, we show how model fit is extremely dependent on model specification. While still maintaining the same number of constructs and respective measures, we demonstrate how two alternatives to the original model analyzed by Etezadi-Amoli and Farhoomand can result in models with acceptable fits.
Understanding Information Technology Usage: A Test of Competing Models
Authors: Taylor Shirley , Todd Peter A.
Published: October 2008

The Technology Acceptance Model and two variations of the Theory of Planned Behavior were compared to assess which model best helps to understand usage of information technology. The models were compared using student data collected from 786 potential users of a computer resource center. Behavior data was based on monitoring 3,780 visits to the resource center over a 12-week period. Weighted least squares estimation revealed that all three models performed well in terms of fit and were roughly equivalent in terms of their ability to explain behavior. Decomposing the belief structures in the Theory of Planned Behavior provided a moderate increase in the explanation of behavioral intention. Overall, the results indicate that the decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior provides a fuller understanding of behavioral intention by focusing on the factors that are likely to influence systems use through the application of both design and implementation strategies.
Research Report—A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the User Information Satisfaction Instrument
Authors: Doll William J. , Raghunathan T. S. , Lim Jeen-Su , Gupta Yash P.
Published: October 2008

The structure and dimensionality of the user information satisfaction (UIS) construct is an important theoretical issue that has received considerable attention. Building upon the work of Bailey and Pearson (Bailey, J. E., S. W. Pearson. 1983. Development of a tool for measuring and analyzing computer user satisfaction. Management Sci. 29(5, May) 530–545.), Ives et al. (Ives, B., M. Olson, J. J. Baroudi. 1983. The measure of user information satisfaction. Comm. ACM 26(10, October) 785–793.) conduct an exploratory factor analysis and recommend a 13-item instrument (two indicators per item) for measuring user information satisfaction. Ives et al. also contend that UIS is comprised of three component measures (information product, EDP staff and services, and user knowledge or involvement). In a replication using exploratory techniques, Baroudi and Orlikowski (Baroudi, J. J., W. J. Orlikowski. 1988. A short-form measure of user information satisfaction: A psychometric evaluation and notes on use. J. Management Inform. Systems 4(4, Spring) 44–59.) confirm the three factor structure and support the diagnostic utility of the three factor model. Other researchers have suggested a need for caution in using the UIS instrument as a single measure of user satisfaction; they contend that the instrument's three components measure quite different dimensions whose antecedents and consequences should be studied separately. The acceptance of UIS as a standardized instrument requires confirmation that it explains and measures the user information satisfaction construct and its components. Based on a sample of 224 respondents, this research uses confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL) to test alternative models of underlying factor structure and assess the reliability and validity of factors and items. The results provide support for a revised UIS model with four first-order factors and one second-order (higher-order) factor. To cross-validate these results, the authors reexamine two data sets, including the original Baroudi and Orlikowski data, to assess the revised UIS model. The results show that the revised model provides better model-data fit in all three data sets. Thus, the evidence supports the use of: (1) the 13-item instrument as a measure of an overall UIS; and (2) four component factors for explaining the UIS construct.
Modeling Team Processes: Issues and a Specific Example
Authors: Rao H. Raghav , Chaudhury Abhijit , Chakka M.
Published: October 2008

This paper develops a perspective to modeling team processes by drawing on concepts from team theory, and the informational processing and organizational paradigms. In such a perspective, humans and their interactions in a team are modeled as objects in a computerized environment. The behavior of the objects are specified in terms of the executable programs. A simulation testbed is described. Various information structures for team decision making in an example financial domain are examined. Questions regarding the relationship between information structure (who (knows) what, when, and how (the information is used)) and team performance are studied for the example. Thus this study can be seen as a step in the translation of behavioral and normative viewpoints of team decision making into a computational framework.

The results indicate that there are complex relationships between information structure and team performance. The conventional wisdom relating improved performance to more information is not always true. The experiments demonstrate several situations of team interaction where more information can lead to dysfunctional effects.
Using Treemaps to Visualize the Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Asahi Toshiyuki , Turo David , Shneiderman Ben
Published: October 2008

Treemaps, a visualization method for large hierarchical data spaces, are used to augment the capabilities of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for decision-making. Two direct manipulation tools, presented metaphorically as a “pump” and a “hook,” were developed and applied to the treemap to support AHP sensitivity analysis. Users can change the importance of criteria dynamically on the two-dimensional treemap and immediately see the impact on the outcome of the decision. This fluid process dramatically speeds up exploration and provides a better understanding of the relative impact of the component criteria. A usability study with six subjects using a prototype AHP application showed that treemap representation was acceptable from a visualization and data operation standpoint.
Information Technology in the Police Context: The “Sailor” Phone
Authors: Manning Peter K.
Published: October 2008

This paper examines the use of the cellular telephone in police agencies as an example of ‘low tech’ innovation in information technology. It draws on qualitative data, including interviews, focus group discussions, and first-hand observations in American police agencies to illustrate the impact of cellular phones on the social organization of police work in the early 1990s. Dramaturgical analysis—the study of the selective use of messages to communicate to an audience—frames the study (Goffman [Goffman, E. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday, New York.], Burke [Burke, K. 1962. A Grammer of Motives and a Rhetoric of Motives. Mendan Publishing, Cleveland, OH.). Dramaturgy reveals how the emergent meanings of information technology arising from changes in communication and symbolization shape work processes and authority. Significant differences in response to and use of the technology are discovered, and are best understood as consistent with the impressions members of the organization wish to convey to particular audiences. Technology both shapes and is shaped by organizational routines and structures. A natural history approach, which traces the changing impacts of technology, is needed to further specify studies of organizational adaptation to changes in information technology.
Are Attributes Entities? A Study of Database Designers' Memory Structures
Authors: Weber Ron
Published: October 2008

A longstanding debate in the data modeling literature pertains to whether the grammars used to generate conceptual schemas should sustain a distinction between entities and attributes. The grammars used to generate entity-relationship diagrams and object-oriented conceptual models, for example, provide separate constructs for representing entities and attributes. The grammars used to generate binary data models, however, provide only a single construct for representing both entities and attributes.

To sharpen the focus of the debate, a multi-trial free-recall experiment was conducted with database designers who had been trained primarily in a binary conceptual schema design methodology. In the experiment, the designers were first shown conceptual schema diagrams based on a binary model. The designers were then asked to recall the diagrams. Throughout their training as designers, they had been admonished to eschew any distinction between entities and attributes. Moreover, the diagrams they were shown in the experiment did not make a distinction between entities and attributes. Their recall protocols seemed to show, however, that they were considering some elements of the diagrams to be entities and others to be attributes. Their memory structures appear to reflect, therefore, that they perceive entities and attributes to be two distinct constructs.
Information Acquisition and Mental Models: An Investigation into the Relationship Between Behaviour and Learning
Authors: Vandenbosch Betty , Higgins Chris
Published: October 2008

A cognitive learning perspective is used to develop and test a model of the relationship between information acquisition and learning in the executive support systems (ESS) context. The model proposes two types of learning: mental model maintenance in which new information fits into existing mental models and confirms them; and mental model building in which mental models are changed to accommodate new information. It also proposes that information acquisition objectives determine the type of learning that is possible. When ESS are used to answer specific questions or solve well-defined problems, they help to fine-tune operations and verify assumptions—in other words, they help to maintain current mental models. However, ESS may be able to challenge fundamental assumptions and help to build new mental models if executives scan through them to help formulate problems and foster creativity.

Thirty-six interviews with executive ESS users at seven organizations and a survey of 361 users at 18 additional organizations are used to develop scales to measure the model's constructs and provide support for its relationships. These results support the model's prediction that mental model building is more likely with scanning than with focused search. ESS also appear to contribute to mental model maintenance much more often than they do to mental model building. Without a clear focus on mental model building, it seems that business as usual is the more likely outcome.
Top Management Support, External Expertise and Information Systems Implementation in Small Businesses
Authors: Thong James Y. L. , Yap Chee-Sing , Raman K. S.
Published: October 2008

Top management support is a key recurrent factor critical for effective information systems (IS) implementation. However, the role of top management support may not be as critical as external IS expertise, in the form of consultants and vendors, in small business IS implementation due to the unique characteristics of small businesses. This paper describes an empirical study of the relative importance of top management support and external IS expertise on IS effectiveness in 114 small businesses. Partial least squares (PLS) was used for statistical testing. The results show that top management support is not as important as effective external IS expertise in small business IS implementation. While top management support is essential for IS effectiveness, high quality external IS expertise is even more critical for small businesses operating in an environment of resource poverty. These findings call for more research efforts to be directed at selecting and engaging high quality external IS expertise for IS implementation in small businesses.
Inductive Model Analysis Systems: Enhancing Model Analysis in Decision Support Systems
Authors: Sharda Ramesh , Steiger David M.
Published: October 2008

After building and validating a decision support model, the decision maker frequently solves (often many times) different instances of the model. That is, by changing various input parameters and rerunning different model instances, the decision maker develops insight(s) into the workings and tradeoffs of the complex system represented by the model.

The purpose of this paper is to explore inductive model analysis as a means of enhancing the decision maker's capabilities to develop insight(s) into the business environment represented by the model. The justification and foundation for inductive model analysis is based on three distinct literatures: 1) the cognitive science (theory of learning) literature, 2) the decision support system literature, and 3) the model management system literature. We also propose the integration of several technologies that might help the modeler gain insight(s) from the analysis of multiple model instances. Then we report on preliminary tests of a prototype built using the architecture proposed in this paper. The paper concludes with a discussion of several research questions.

Much of the previous MIS/DSS and management science research has focused on model formulation and solution. This paper posits that it is time to give more attention to enhancing model analysis.