Scholarly Works, Business Information Technology

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/24337

Research articles, presentations, and other scholarship

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Topic Maps For Improving Services In Disaster Operations Management
Zobel, Christopher W.; Wang, Gang Alan (Clute Institute, 2008)
Disaster operations management is an increasingly important application area for the developing techniques of service science. This paper examines the use of topic maps, a semantic technology, within this environment, and provides a preliminary discussion of the benefits that its implementation can provide in the capture and exchange of contextual information. The discussion is motivated by a look at the different phases of disaster operations management in a services context, and focuses on the need for effective and relevant information exchange as an important part of the services process. As the amount and complexity of information increases within such processes, semantic technologies are becoming increasingly important as a means representing and managing contextual information. This paper seeks to help further the understanding of the relevance of such tools as part of the study of service science.
Simulating Protein Conformations through Global Optimization
Mucherino, Antonio; Seref, Onur; Pardalos, Panos M. (2008-11-19)
Many researches have been working on the protein folding problem from more than half century. Protein folding is indeed one of the major unsolved problems in science. In this work, we discuss a model for the simulation of protein conformations. This simple model is based on the idea of imposing few geometric requirements on chains of atoms representing the backbone of a protein conformation. The model leads to the formulation of a global optimization problem, whose solutions correspond to conformations satisfying the desired requirements. The global optimization problem is solved by the recently proposed Monkey Search algorithm. The simplicity of the optimization problem and the effectiveness of the used meta-heuristic search allowed the simulation of a large set of high-quality conformations. We show that, even though only few geometric requirements are imposed, some of the simulated conformation results to be similar (in terms of RMSD) to conformations real proteins actually have in nature.
Enterprise System Implementation and Employee Job Performance: Understanding the Role of Advice Networks
Sykes, Tracy Ann; Venkatesh, Viswanath; Johnson, Jonathan L. (Society for Information Management, 2014-03-01)
The implementation of enterprise systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, alters business processes and associated workflows, and introduces new software applications that employees must use. Employees frequently find such technology-enabled organizational change to be a major challenge. Although many challenges related to such changes have been discussed in prior work, little research has focused on postimplementation job outcomes of employees affected by such change. We draw from social network theoryspecifically advice networks- to understand a key post-implementation job outcome (i.e., job performance). We conducted a study among 87 employees, with data gathered before and after the implementation of an ERP system module in a business unit of a large organization. We found support for our hypotheses that workflow advice and software advice are associated with job performance. Further, as predicted, we found that the interactions of workflow and software get-advice, workflow and software give-advice, and software get- and give-advice were associated with job performance. This nuanced treatment of advice networks advances our understanding of post-implementation success of enterprise systems.
Understanding e-Government portal use in rural India: role of demographic and personality characteristics
Venkatesh, Viswanath; Sykes, Tracy Ann; Venkatraman, Srinivasan (Wiley, 2014-05-01)
Electronic government (e-Government) is one of the most important ways to bridge the digital divide in developing countries. We develop a model of e-Government portal use. We use various individual characteristics, namely demographics and personality, as predictors of e-Government portal use. Specifically, our predictors were (1) gender, age, income and education; (2) the Big Five personality characteristics, i.e. extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experience; and (3) personal innovativeness with information technology. We conducted a field study in a village in India. We collected data from over 300 heads of household. We found support for our model, with most variables being significant and explaining 40% of the variance in e-Government portal use.
Expectation Confirmation in Information Systems Research: A Test of Six Competing Models
Brown, Susan A.; Venkatesh, Viswanath; Goyal, Sandeep (Society for Information Management, 2014-09-01)
Expectation confirmation research in general, and in information systems (IS) in particular, has produced conflicting results. In this paper, we discuss six different models of expectation confirmation: assimilation, contrast, generalized negativity, assimilation-contrast, experiences only, and expectations only. Relying on key constructs from the technology acceptance model (TAM), we test each of these six models that suggests different roles for expectations and experiences of the key predictor-here, perceived usefulness- and their impacts on key outcomes-here, behavioral intention, use, and satisfaction. Data were collected in a field study from 1,113 participants at two points in time. Using polynomial modeling and response surface analysis, we provide the analytical representations for each of the six models and empirically test them to demonstrate that the assimilation-contrast is the best existing model in terms of its ability to explain the relationships between expectations and experiences of perceived usefulness and important dependent variables-namely, behavioral intention, use, and satisfaction-in individual-level research on IS implementations.
A usability evaluation of the Obamacare website
Venkatesh, Viswanath; Hoehle, Hartmut; Aljafari, Ruba (Elsevier, 2014-10-01)
The healthcare.gov website, popularly called the Obamacare website, was off to a rough start. Although infrastructure issues received a great deal of media attention, the site has had its fair share of interface design problems. Drawing on the usability guidelines on the government site of usability.gov, we developed a survey instrument that comprised 16 dimensions to form overall usability. Based on a survey of 374 citizens, we found that usability strongly predicted citizen satisfaction with the website and intention to use the website. Six out of the 16 dimensions of usability emerged as significant in driving overall usability perceptions. In addition to key theoretical implications for e-government and usability research, our work offers practical implications for the healthcare.gov website and e-government web applications in general.
Applying Best Supply Chain Practices to Humanitarian Relief
Russell, Roberta S.; Hiller, Janine S. (Penn State, 2015-05)
With the growth in length and breadth of extended supply chains, more companies are employing risk management techniques and resilience planning to deal with burgeoning and costly supply chain disruptions. As companies can learn from humanitarian groups, so can humanitarian groups learn from industry how to respond, recover, and prepare for these disruptive events. This paper looks at industry leaders in supply chain risk management and explores how humanitarian supply chains can learn from industry best practices.
An espoused cultural perspective to understand continued intention to use mobile applications: a four-country study of mobile social media application usability
Hoehle, Hartmut; Zhang, Xiaojun; Venkatesh, Viswanath (Taylor & Francis, 2015-05-01)
As most mobile applications are tailored for worldwide consumption, it is a significant challenge to develop applications that satisfy individuals with various cultural backgrounds. To address this issue, we drew on a recently developed conceptualization and associated instrument of mobile application usability to develop a model examining the impact of mobile social media application usability on continued intention to use. Drawing on Hofstede's five cultural values, we incorporated espoused cultural values of masculinity/femininity, individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation into our model as moderators. To test the model, we collected data from 1,844 consumers in four countries - the U.S., Germany, China, and India - who use mobile social media applications on their smartphones. The results provided support for the role of espoused national cultural values in moderating the impact of mobile social media application usability on continued intention to use and the model, with espoused cultural values explaining significantly more variance in continued intention to use (i.e., 38%) than the main effects-only model (i.e., 19%). Interestingly, our results demonstrated that culture at the national level did not play a significant role in affecting the relationship between usability constructs and continued intention to use, thus underscoring the importance of espoused culture.
Mobile Application Usability: Conceptualization and Instrument Development
Hoehle, Hartmut; Venkatesh, Viswanath (Society for Information Management, 2015-06-01)
This paper presents a mobile application usability conceptualization and survey instrument following the 10- step procedure recommended by MacKenzie et al. (2011). Specifically, we adapted Apple's user experience guidelines to develop our conceptualization of mobile application usability that we then developed into 19 firstorder constructs that formed 6 second-order constructs. To achieve our objective, we collected four datasets: content validity (n = 318), pretest (n = 440), validation (n = 408), and cross-validation (n = 412). The nomological validity of this instrument was established by examining its impact on two outcomes: continued intention to use and mobile application loyalty. We found that the constructs that represented our mobile application usability conceptualization were good predictors of both outcomes and compared favorably to an existing instrument based on Microsoft's usability guidelines. In addition to being an exemplar of the recent procedure of MacKenzie et al. to validate an instrument, this work provides a rich conceptualization of an instrument for mobile application usability that can serve as a springboard for future work to understand the impacts of mobile application usability and can be used as a guide to design effective mobile applications.
Technology Adoption Decisions in the Household: A Seven-Model Comparison
Brown, Susan A.; Venkatesh, Viswanath; Hoehle, Hartmut (Wiley, 2015-09-01)
We identified 7 theoretical models that have been used to explain technology adoption and use. We then examined the boundary conditions of these models of technology adoption when applied to the household context using longitudinal empirical data from households regarding their purchase and use decisions related to household technologies. We conducted 2 studies and collected 1,247 responses from U.S. households for the first study and 2,064 responses from U.S. households for the second study. Those households that had adopted household technologies were surveyed regarding their use behavior. Potential adopters (i.e., those who had currently not adopted) were surveyed regarding their purchase intentions. This allowed us to identify the most influential factors affecting a household's decision to adopt and use technologies. The results show that the model of adoption of technology in the household provided the richest explanation and explained best why households purchase and use technologies.
Folding Under Pressure or Rising to the Occasion? Perceived Time Pressure and the Moderating Role of Team Temporal Leadership
Maruping, Likoebe M.; Venkatesh, Viswanath; Thatcher, Sherry M. B.; Patel, Pankaj C. (Academy of Management, 2015-10-01)
"Team temporal leadership" orients teams toward managing the time-related aspects of their work. We examine how perceived time pressure affects team processes and subsequent performance under weak versus strong team temporal leadership. The results of our field study of 111 project teams show that the mediated relationship between perceived time pressure and team performance is non-linear. Moreover, this non-linear mediated relationship is moderated by team temporal leadership such that, under strong team temporal leadership, the indirect effect of perceived time pressure on team performance is mostly positive, while, under conditions of weak team temporal leadership, the indirect effect is positive at low levels of perceived time pressure and negative at intermediate to high levels. Implications for current and future time pressure research are also discussed.
Adaptation to Information Technology: A Holistic Nomological Network from Implementation to Job Outcomes
Bala, Hillol; Venkatesh, Viswanath (INFORMS, 2016-01-01)
Information technology (IT) implementation is a major organizational change event that substantially disrupts an employee's work environment. We develop a model of technology adaptation behaviors that employees perform to cope with a new IT that causes such disruptions. Our model posits technology adaptation behaviors as a key linking mechanism between IT implementation and employee job outcomes, thus offering a holistic nomological network of technology adaptation behaviors. Two field studies conducted over a period of six months, with four waves of data collection each, in two organizations (N D211 and N D181) implementing two different ITs, supported the model. We found that employees performed four different technology adaptation behaviors-exploration-to-innovate, exploitation, exploration-to-revert, and avoidance-based on whether they appraised an IT as an opportunity or a threat and whether they had perceptions of control over an IT. Employees' experiential engagements (i.e., user participation and training effectiveness) and psychological engagements (i.e., user involvement and management support) during the implementation jointly determined their appraisal of an IT. Finally, we found that technology adaptation behaviors influenced changes in two key job outcomes, job performance and job satisfaction.
Exploiting big data for customer and retailer benefits: A study of emerging mobile checkout scenarios
Aloysius, John A.; Hoehle, Hartmut; Venkatesh, Viswanath (Emerald, 2016-01-01)
Purpose – Mobile checkout in the retail store has the promise to be a rich source of big data. It is also a means to increase the rate at which big data flows into an organization as well as the potential to integrate product recommendations and promotions in real time. However, despite efforts by retailers to implement this retail innovation, adoption by customers has been slow. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Based on interviews and focus groups with leading retailers, technology providers, and service providers, the authors identified several emerging in-store mobile scenarios; and based on customer focus groups, the authors identified potential drivers and inhibitors of use. Findings – A first departure from the traditional customer checkout process flow is that a mobile checkout involves two processes: scanning and payment, and that checkout scenarios with respect to each of these processes varied across two dimensions: first, location – whether they were fixed by location or mobile; and second, autonomy – whether they were assisted by store employees or unassisted. The authors found no evidence that individuals found mobile scanning to be either enjoyable or to have utilitarian benefit. The authors also did not find greater privacy concerns with mobile payments scenarios. The authors did, however, in the post hoc analysis find that mobile unassisted scanning was preferred to mobile assisted scanning. The authors also found that mobile unassisted scanning with fixed unassisted checkout was a preferred service mode, while there was evidence that mobile assisted scanning with mobile assisted payment was the least preferred checkout mode. Finally, the authors found that individual differences including computer self-efficacy, personal innovativeness, and technology anxiety were strong predictors of adoption of mobile scanning and payment scenarios. Originality/value – The work helps the authors understand the emerging mobile checkout scenarios in the retail environment and customer reactions to these scenarios.
Leveraging Microsoft's mobile usability guidelines: Conceptualizing and developing scales for mobile application usability
Hoehle, Hartmut; Aljafari, Ruba; Venkatesh, Viswanath (Academic Press-Elsevier, 2016-05-01)
This research conceptualizes mobile application usability and develops and validates an instrument to measure the same. Mobile application usability has attracted widespread attention in the field of human-computer interaction because well-designed applications can enhance user experiences. To conceptualize mobile application usability, we analyzed Microsoft's mobile usability guidelines and defined 10 constructs representing mobile application usability. Next, we conducted a pilot study followed by a quantitative assessment of the content validity of the scales. We then sequentially applied exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to two samples (n=404; n=501) consisting of German consumers using mobile social media applications on their smartphones. To evaluate the confirmatory factor model, we followed a step-by-step process assessing unidimensionality, discriminant validity and reliability. To assess the nomological validity of our instrument, we examined the impact of mobile application usability on two outcomes: continued intention to use and brand loyalty. The results confirmed that mobile application usability was a good predictor of both outcomes. The constructs and scales associated with mobile application usability validated in this paper can be used to guide future research in human-computer interaction and aid in the effective design of mobile applications.
Combating Infant Mortality in Rural India: Evidence From a Field Study of eHealth Kiosk Implementations
Venkatesh, Viswanath; Rai, Arun; Sykes, Tracy Ann; Aljafari, Ruba (Society for Information Management, 2016-06-01)
The United Nations' Millennium Development Goals listed high infant mortality rates as a major problem in developing countries, especially in rural areas. Given the powerful information dissemination capabilities, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been suggested as interventions to build infant care awareness and to modify healthcare behaviors. We examine how the use of one ICT intervention-specifically, eHealth kiosks disseminating authenticated and accessible medical information-can alleviate the problem of high infant mortality in rural India. We investigate how mothers' social networks affect their use of eHealth kiosks, seeking professional medical care for their infants and, ultimately, infant mortality. Drawing on the social epidemiology and social networks literatures, we focus on advice and hindrance from both strong and weak ties as the conduit of social influence on mothers' health-related behaviors for the care of their infants. Over a period of 7 years, we studied 4,620 infants across 10 villages where the eHealth kiosks were implemented along with support resources for proxy use. The results revealed that (1) eHealth kiosk use promotes seeking professional medical care and reduces infant mortality, (2) mothers are especially vulnerable to hindrance from both strong and weak ties as they choose to maintain the status quo of traditional infant healthcare practices (e.g., reliance on untrained personnel, superstitions, fatalism) in villages, and (3) advice from both strong and weak ties offers the potential to break down misplaced beliefs about infant healthcare practices and to develop literacy on seeking professional medical care. In contrast, in a comparative group of 10 neighboring villages, the reduction in infant mortality was not as pronounced and the effect of professional medical care in reducing infant mortality was lower. Our findings suggest that an ICT intervention can effectively address one of society's most important problems (i.e., infant mortality) even in parts of the world with limited resources and deep suspicion of technology and change. Overall, we believe such an ICT intervention will complement other investments being made, including the facilitation of use (proxy use) and provision of professional medical facilities to reduce infant mortality.
Decision support for long-range, community-based planning to mitigate against and recover from potential multiple disasters
Chacko, Josey; Rees, Loren P.; Zobel, Christopher W.; Rakes, Terry R.; Russell, Roberta S.; Ragsdale, Cliff T. (Elsevier, 2016-07-01)
This paper discusses a new mathematical model for community-driven disaster planning that is intended to help decision makers exploit the synergies resulting from simultaneously considering actions focusing on mitigation and efforts geared toward long-term recovery. The model is keyed on enabling long-term community resilience in the face of potential disasters of varying types, frequencies, and severities, and the approach’s highly iterative nature is facilitated by the model’s implementation in the context of a Decision Support System. Three examples from Mombasa, Kenya, East Africa, are discussed and compared in order to demonstrate the advantages of the new mathematical model over the current ad hoc mitigation and long-term recovery planning approaches that are typically used.
Guidelines for Conducting Mixed-methods Research: An Extension and Illustration
Venkatesh, Viswanath; Brown, Susan A.; Sullivan, Yulia W. (Association for Information Systems, 2016-07-01)
In this paper, we extend the guidelines of Venkatesh et al. (2013) for mixed-methods research by identifying and integrating variations in mixed-methods research. By considering 14 properties of mixed-methods research (e.g., purposes, research questions, epistemological assumptions), our guidelines demonstrate how researchers can flexibly identify the existing variations in mixed-methods research and proceed accordingly with a study design that suits their needs. To make the guidelines actionable for various situations and issues that researchers could encounter, we develop a decision tree to map the flow and relationship among the design strategies. We also illustrate one possible type of mixed-methods research in information systems in depth and discuss how to develop and validate meta-inferences as the outcomes of such a study.
If the Worst Happens: Five Strategies for Developing and Leveraging Information Technology-Enabled Disaster Response in Healthcare
Bala, Hillol; Venkatesh, Viswanath; Venkatraman, Srinivasan; Bates, Jack (IEEE, 2016-11-01)
Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and floods, have a profound impact on healthcare by limiting healthcare providers' ability to effectively provide patient care in the affected areas and respond to myriad healthcare needs of the affected population. The situation can potentially be exacerbated if healthcare providers do not have effective mechanisms in place for disaster response. The response to Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane that made landfall in August 2005 and affected several states in the southwestern U.S., was a vivid example of how the lack of effective planning and responsiveness can affect healthcare services. In this paper, based on an extensive case study, which included a rigorous examination of the Veterans Health Administration's information technology (IT) infrastructure and its response to Hurricane Katrina, we present five strategies that healthcare organizations can undertake to develop and leverage IT-enabled disaster response. These include the development of: 1) an integrated IT architecture; 2) a universal data repository; 3) web-based disaster communication and coordination; 4) an IT-enabled disaster support system; and 5) standardized and integrated IT-enabled disaster response processes. We discuss how these strategies can help healthcare providers manage continuity and offer quality healthcare during natural disasters.
A Surrogate-based Generic Classifier for Chinese TV Series Reviews
Ma, Yufeng; Xia, Long; Shen, Wenqi; Zhou, Mi; Fan, Weiguo (2016-11-21)
With the emerging of various online video platforms like Youtube, Youku and LeTV, online TV series' reviews become more and more important both for viewers and producers. Customers rely heavily on these reviews before selecting TV series, while producers use them to improve the quality. As a result, automatically classifying reviews according to different requirements evolves as a popular research topic and is essential in our daily life. In this paper, we focused on reviews of hot TV series in China and successfully trained generic classifiers based on eight predefined categories. The experimental results showed promising performance and effectiveness of its generalization to different TV series.
System and method for heterogenous spectrum sharing between commercial cellular operators and legacy incumbent users in wireless networks
(United States Patent and Trademark Office, 2016-12-06)
Described herein are systems and methods for telecommunications spectrum sharing between multiple heterogeneous users, which leverage a hybrid approach that includes both distributed spectrum sharing, spectrum-sensing, and use of geo-reference databases.

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