Instant Messaging privacy in the clouds

Instant messaging are applications that allow spontaneous communication between two or more people, enabling the relationship between them regardless of the distance that separates them. Also, social network like Facebook used to maintain contact current or old friends, to publish and view photos, to allow a closer relationship between the contacts and private instant messaging is including in its structure. Instant messaging applications are placed in the cloud to facilitate the access to users from any workstation resulting in better cooperation and exchange of information between users. Since the instant messenger needs an internet connection, there are disadvantages of privacy and security, given the risk that messages are sent to be read by strangers. This paper proposes the inclusion of a privacy mechanism to protect information sent or received and allow the personalization according to the user preferences in instant messaging in the cloud

Exploring the relationship between multiple team membership and team performance: the role of social networks and collaborative technology

Firms devoted to research and development and innovative activities intensively use teams to carry out knowledge intensive work and increasingly ask their employees to be engaged in multiple teams (e.g. R&D project teams) simultaneously. The literature has extensively investigated the antecedents of single teams performance, but has largely overlooked the effects of multiple team membership (MTM), i.e., the participation of a focal team\u2019s members in multiple teams simultaneously, on the focal team outcomes. In this paper we examine the relationships between team performance, MTM, the use of collaborative technologies (instant messaging), and work-place social networks (external advice receiving). The data collected in the R&D unit of an Italian company support the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between MTM and team performance such that teams whose members are engaged simultaneously in few or many teams experience lower performance. We found that receiving advice from external sources moderated this relationship. When MTM is low or high, external advice receiving has a positive effect, while at intermediate levels of MTM it has a negative effect. Finally, the average use of instant messaging in the team also moderated the relationship such that at low levels of MTM, R&D teams whose members use instant messaging intensively attain higher performance while at high levels of MTM an intense use of instant messaging is associated with lower team performance. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and practical implications for innovative firms engaged in multitasking work scenarios

Antecedents of changing Facebook content for employment: an application of the theory of reasoned action, The

Department Head: Greg Luft.2010 Summer.Includes bibliographical references (pages 64-70).Facebook has become a focus of academic research. To date, though, little is known about Facebook behavior and how it relates to finding and securing a job based on the content individuals reveal on their profile. Thus, this exploratory study examined whether or not university seniors who are about to graduate and university alumni who have recently graduated are changing, or have changed, their Facebook profile content for the specific purpose of being perceived as employable due to concerns over monitoring by potential employers. Guided under the framework of the theory of reasoned action, one of the main goals of this study was to investigate how attitudes and subjective norms predict behavioral intention and actual behavior to change Facebook profile information. Through an online questionnaire, the study surveyed 57 undergraduate seniors and 38 undergraduate alumni from the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication at Colorado State University during the spring semester of 2010. Analysis revealed that for seniors, there were strong, significant relationships among attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral intent with respect to changing their Facebook profile content. Furthermore, it was found that attitude was the most significant predictor of seniors changing their profile information. On the other hand, for alumni, analysis did not reveal significant relationships among attitude, subjective norms, and actual behavior. Analysis also indicated that there were no significant variables to predict actual behavior. Finally, through this study it was concluded that the theory of reasoned action does a better job of predicting intent than actual behavior

EXTENDING THE TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL IN E-LEARNING DISCUSSION FORUM ADOPTION: UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES

Published ThesisThe advancement of Information and Communication Technology and the Internet for educational purposes has been a staple discourse among researchers in recent years. However, preliminary investigations indicate that e-learning systems are underutilised due to the fact that some of their major features, like electronic discussion forums, remain inactive. Despite several scholars reporting on high levels of e-learning system implementation at Universities of Technology, it is unnerving that discussion forums within these platforms remain poorly utilised. The purpose of this study is to establish constructs that may promote the adoption and use of discussion forums. The Technology Acceptance Model forms the theoretical framework for this study and is extended by including digital inclusion, attention and perceived enjoyment. The research design adopted in this study was a mixed-method approach, focusing on both quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The target population for qualitative data collection was 210, however, only 182 agreed to participate in the study. Qualitative data was collected from thirty participants who were purposefully selected from a third year Information Technology class and interviewed with regards to the different constructs which make up the Technology Acceptance Model. Findings of this study suggest that perceived usefulness and ease, along with digital inclusion, may positively influence adoption and use of discussion forums at Universities of Technology. Both attention and perceived enjoyment were found to have a positive relationship on perceived usefulness and attitude. Furthermore, digital inclusion could be implemented to improve the perceived ease-of-use of the system, which ultimately leads to improved behavioural intention and usage. Improved usage of components within the Learning Management System leads to a healthy, functioning system used to its full potential, which benefits the learning experience for both student and academic. The study contributes to the board of knowledge by providing useful insights into the application of the Technology Acceptance Model. This is done by establishing additional constructs that may promote discussion forum usage

Examining Instant Messaging Impact On Learning Using An Integrated Worked-example Format

Instant messaging with Internet-based software is a ubiquitous form of communication in industrialized nations. In fact, many educators are observing that students engage with instant messaging while simultaneously engaged in academic activity. Though this type of multitasking is pervasive, educational researchers have not examined how the practice of instant messaging impacts learning outcomes. This dissertation describes the background, empirical and theoretical foundations, methods and results of a study examining the impact of instant messaging activity on learning, where instant messaging and learning are simultaneous activities. The question posed is grounded in the related areas of instant messaging practices, the Generation M profile, Cognitive Load Theory, and integration of instant messaging in K-16 classrooms. This work presents empirical evidence pointing out the necessity of conducting empirical study regarding how instant messaging activity might impact learning. Quantitative methods used to conduct the study are presented including data collection instruments. The results of the study are discussed in broad terms related to Generation M and Cognitive Load Theory. Methodological limitations related to practice opportunities for the research sample as well as the performance measure used are detailed. In addition, implications of the results in relationship to those teaching members of Generation M in K-16 classrooms as well as those designing instruction for this population are discussed. The discussion concludes with recommendations for further research in this area

Factors that Influence the use of Mobile Banking in Lebanon: Integration of UTAUT2 and 3M Model

The current study proposed a conceptual model that explains what influence the use of mobile banking in Lebanon from customer perspective. The basis for this framework is the integration of the 3M model of motivation and personality and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology two (UTAUT2). Results obtained demonstrated a link between personality traits, motivational factors and behaviour as proposed by the 3M model. Empirically, use behaviour of mobile banking by Lebanese individuals was significantly influenced by effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, need for cognition, need for structure, need for affiliation, proactive personality, neuroticism, and agreeableness. However performance expectancy, social influence, general self-efficacy, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience did not have a significant influence over use behaviour. Thus this study extends the theoretical model of UTAUT2 by incorporating personality constructs. More in particular, it highlights the importance of psychological aspects in predicting technology acceptance behaviour