Beyond IT Acceptance

Organizations invest in information technology expecting positive outcomes, but to produce the intended results employees must use the technology. This study applies Adaptive Structuration Theory and Social Construction of Technology frameworks to expand research on the relationship among organizational users and mandatory IT artifacts beyond the initial process of acceptance, which currently constitutes the main paradigm in the IS field. A case study analyzes the mandatory use of an academic portal by lecturers and all the changes that users promote to the artifact and the tasks they perform while using it. Our findings show that if the environment provides flexibility for it, participants refute, adapt replace and complement the artifact that was adopted by the organization, while they appropriate it, in order to improve their efficiency in achieving organizational goals or their own

An Information System in Use: Beyond IT Acceptance

Organizations invest in information technology expecting positive outcomes, but to produce the intended results employees must use the technology. This study applies Adaptive Structuration Theory and Social Construction of Technology frameworks to expand research on the relationship among organizational users and mandatory IT artifacts beyond the initial process of acceptance, which currently constitutes the main paradigm in the IS field. A case study analyzes the mandatory use of an academic portal by lecturers and all the changes that users promote to the artifact and the tasks they perform while using it. Our findings show that, if the environment provides flexibility for it, participants refute, adapt, replace and complement the artifact that was adopted by the organization, while they appropriate it, in order to improve their efficiency in achieving organizational goals or their own. Although this study was carried out in a single university in Brazil, we believe that its findings can help expand the discussion of adoption and acceptance of IT in any other context in Latin America and elsewhere far beyond what was possible based on the models we have been using so far. Las empresas invierten en sistemas de información con la expectativa de obtener un resultado positivo, pero para que eso suceda, los empleados deben utilizar la tecnología. Este estudio aplica la Teoría de la Estructuración Adaptativa y la Construcción Social de la Tecnología para ampliar la comprensión de la relación entre los usuarios organizacionales y los artefactos de TI de uso obligatorio, además del proceso de aceptación inicial, que constituye el paradigma actual en SI. Un estudio de caso analiza el uso obligatorio de un portal académico por parte de los profesores y todos los cambios que los usuarios realizan en el artefacto y las tareas que realizan en él. Nuestros resultados muestran que el entorno brinda flexibilidad para que los usuarios refuten, adapten, reemplacen y / o complementen el artefacto que fue adoptado por la organización, apropiándose de él, con el fin de incrementar su eficiencia en el logro de las metas organizacionales o las propias. Aunque este estudio se realizó en una sola universidad en Brasil, creemos que sus hallazgos pueden expandir la discusión sobre la adopción y aceptación de TI en cualquier contexto latinoamericano y en otros lugares mucho más allá de lo que fue posible según los modelos que tenemos utilizado en el área de SI a lo largo del tiempo. Empresas investem em sistemas de informação na expectativa de obterem resultado positivo, mas para que isso ocorra, os funcionários precisam utilizar a tecnologia. Este estudo aplica a Teoria da Estruturação Adaptativa e Construção Social da Tecnologia para ampliar o entendimento sobre o relacionamento entre usuários organizacionais e artefatos de TI de uso obrigatório, para além do processo inicial de aceitação, que constitui o paradigma vigente em SI. Um caso de estudo analisa o uso obrigatório de um portal acadêmico por professores e todas as mudanças que os usuários promovem ao artefato e às tarefas que realizam nele. Nossos resultados mostram que o ambiente proporciona flexibilidade para que os usuários refutem, adaptem, substituam e/ou complementem o artefato que foi adotado pela organização, ao se apropriarem dele, de modo a aumentar a sua eficiência em atingir os objetivos organizacionais ou os seus próprios. Embora este estudo tenha sido realizado em uma única universidade do Brasil, acreditamos que os seus achados possam expandir a discussão da adoção e aceitação de TI em qualquer contexto latino americano e em outras partes para muito além do que era possível com base nos modelos que temos utilizado na área de SI

Should Environmental Ethicists Fear Moral Anti-Realism?

Environmental ethicists have been arguing for decades that swift action to protect our natural environment is morally paramount, and that our concern for the environment should go beyond its importance for human welfare. It might be thought that the widespread acceptance of moral anti-realism would undermine the aims of environmental ethicists. One reason is that recent empirical studies purport to show that moral realists are more likely to act on the basis of their ethical convictions than anti-realists. In addition, it is sometimes argued that only moral realists can countenance the claim that nature is intrinsically valuable. Against this, we argue that the acceptance of moral anti-realism is no threat to the environmentalist cause. We argue, further, that the acceptance of moral realism is potentially an obstacle to delivering on a third core environmental ethicist demand: namely, that successful action on climate change and environmental destruction requires us to change some of our commonly-held ethical views and to achieve a workable consensus

Can Extended Exposure to New Technology Undermine Its Acceptance? Evidence from System Trials of an Enterprise Implementation

Despite significant attention given to effects of early exposure on acceptance and adoption of new systems, there continues to be ambiguity regarding its effectiveness beyond a threshold. For organizations concerned with optimal utilization of IT resources, a deeper understanding of ideal levels of early system exposure can result in greater realization of benefits through enhanced design of system training and mitigation of adverse effects of exposure on adoption. In this article, we propose that the relationship between system exposure and acceptance can demonstrate diminishing gains—as early exposure to a system increases beyond a reasonable level, its acceptance declines. Preliminary findings from an enterprise-wide system implementation suggest that exposure through pre-launch system trials results in diminishing system acceptance beyond an optimal point. We draw on learning and response-stimuli literature to interpret this early evidence. The article concludes with research propositions, recommendations, and implications for practice

Oscar Pistorius and the Future Nature of Olympic, Paralympic, and Other Sports

Oscar Pistorius is a Paralympic bionic leg runner and record holder in the 100, 200, and 400 meters who wants to compete in the Olympics. This paper provides an analysis of a) his case; b) the impact of his case on the Olympics, the Paralympics and other -lympics and the relationships between the -lympics; c) the impact on other international and national sports; d) the applicability of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It situates the evaluation of the Pistorius case within the broader doping discourse and the reality that new and emerging science and technology products increasingly generate internal and external human bodily enhancements that go beyond the species-typical, enabling more and more a culture of increasing demand for, and acceptance of modifications of the human body (structure, function, abilities) beyond its species-typical boundaries and the emergence of new social concepts such as transhumanism and the transhumanisation of ableism

Understanding customers' holistic perception of switches in automotive human–machine interfaces

For successful new product development, it is necessary to understand the customers' holistic experience of the product beyond traditional task completion, and acceptance measures. This paper describes research in which ninety-eight UK owners of luxury saloons assessed the feel of push-switches in five luxury saloon cars both in context (in-car) and out of context (on a bench). A combination of hedonic data (i.e. a measure of ‘liking’), qualitative data and semantic differential data was collected. It was found that customers are clearly able to differentiate between switches based on the degree of liking for the samples' perceived haptic qualities, and that the assessment environment had a statistically significant effect, but that it was not universal. A factor analysis has shown that perceived characteristics of switch haptics can be explained by three independent factors defined as ‘Image’, ‘Build Quality’, and ‘Clickiness’. Preliminary steps have also been taken towards identifying whether existing theoretical frameworks for user experience may be applicable to automotive human–machine interfaces

IT Desirability as a Means to Exploring IS Post-Acceptance Usage of Everyday Technologies: Conceptualization and Comparative Assessment

IT acceptance and post acceptance are central themes in IS research, and their related behaviors have been mostly investigated via reasoned and planned action theories, and are often portrayed as based on intentional and conscious decisions. This paper suggests an alternative, yet complementary perspective to the performance enhancing task-technology fit view of individual-IT interaction that has been predominant in IS research. To do so, we introduce the construct of IT Desirability to help better explain and predict individual post-adoption use beyond the influence of reasoned intentions, particularly in the context of hedonic every day IT, experiential computing, ICTs, social network sites and online communities. The paper first conceptualizes the construct of IT Desirability and assesses a theoretical model linking it to IS use. Next, a comparative study is presented where an affect-based model that integrates IT Desirability is compared to an established post acceptance model in the context of social network sites. The results of two online surveys of social network site users found that IT Desirability had a significant positive influence on IS use and helped increase the explained variance in the dependent variable beyond the influence of traditional models and constructs. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed

Yttrium-90 Selective Internal Radiation Therapy with Glass Microspheres for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current and Updated Literature Review.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer and it represents the majority of cancer-related deaths in the world. More than 70% of patients present at an advanced stage, beyond potentially curative options. Ytrrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy (Y90-SIRT) with glass microspheres is rapidly gaining acceptance as a potential therapy for intermediate and advanced stage primary hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases. The technique involves delivery of Y90 infused glass microspheres via the hepatic arterial blood flow to the appropriate tumor. The liver tumor receives a highly concentrated radiation dose while sparing the healthy liver parenchyma due to its preferential blood supply from portal venous blood. There are two commercially available devices: TheraSphere® and SIR-Spheres®. Although, Y90-SIRT with glass microspheres improves median survival in patients with intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and has the potential to downstage hepatocellular carcinoma so that the selected candidates meet the transplantable criteria, it has not gained widespread acceptance due to the lack of large randomized controlled trials. Currently, there are various clinical trials investigating the use of Y90-SIRT with glass microspheres for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and the outcomes of these trials may result in the incorporation of Y90-SIRT with glass microspheres into the treatment guidelines as a standard therapy option for patients with intermediate and advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma

Intrinsic work motivation and pension reform acceptance

Although demographic change leaves pay-as-you-go pension systems unsustainable, reforms, such as a higher pension age, are highly unpopular. This contribution looks into the role of intrinsic motivation as a driver for pension reform acceptance. Theoretical reasoning suggests that this driver should be relevant: The choice among different pension reform options (increasing pension age, increasing contributions, cutting pensions) can be analyzed within the framework of an optimal job separation decision. In this optimization, intrinsic job satisfaction matters as it decreases the subjective costs of a higher pension age. We test this key hypothesis on the basis of the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS). The results are unambiguous: In addition to factors such as age or education, the inclusion of intrinsic work motivation helps to improve our prediction of an individual's reform orientation. Our results are of importance for reform acceptance beyond the specific topic of pension reform. They point to the fact that the support for welfare state reform is also decided at the workplace. --Pension system,reforms,pension age,ALLBUS