BUILDING AND TESTING A CAUSAL MODEL OF AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY\u27S IMPACT

An increasing number of firms are adopting Computerized Performance Monitoring and Control Systems (CPMCS) in an effort to improve the productivity of employees in labor-intensive service industries. The service sector has not historically used volume of output or similar quantitative measures of performance when evaluating employees. Thus, monitoring often represents a new evaluation method and a new application of information technology. It is an application prone to controversy: Proponents claim it improves measurement accuracy, fairness and consistency, while opponents argue that it degrades the quality of work life, increases stress and undermines customer sernce. Despite the need to understand the impact of CPMCS, there have been few attempts to predict what effects can be anticipated and explain how these effects arise. The methodology described in this paper was used to integrate existing anecdotal work with literature from reference disciplines to build a conceptual model of CPMCS impact on role definition. The three-phased research then used an intensive case study to build a theory of impact and generate testable, causal research hypotheses. Subsequent to this theory-building stage, surveys from 1500 service workers provided data to test the causal model. The research produced three outcomes. First, it combined theory building and theory testing in a study of information technology impact to give structure and direction to a field characterized by anecdotal research. Second, it provided two, tested causal models of CPMCS impact with good explanatory and predictive power. These models explained the influence of monitor design on attitudes toward production and customer service. Third, it demonstrated the use of a holdout technique to increase the amount of knowledge gained in the hypothesis testing stage of empirical research

The role of the psychological contract in affecting employee behaviour under the influence of merger and acquisition: a study of local regional managers in Hong Kong

In past decades, the expectation of synergy has fueled many thousands of mergers and acquisitions. Meanwhile, economists and analysts have reported a large proportion of merger failures. This apparent contradiction has provided researchers with a rich source of studies. One of the likely causes of a merger failure is the “people factor”. Revolving around the axis of mergers and acquisitions, the peoples affected are, on the one side, the stockholders, top management, and economists who “talk the project” and tend to have a positive attitude and on the other side, the people who “walk the project” – the employees - who have a more hesitant attitude.This empirical study adopted the construct of Psychological Contracts to measure the expectations of employees who are influenced by mergers and acquisitions. Based on this construct, a model was developed to study employees’ behaviour after a merger, examining it from a multitude of dimensions. Using the PLS-Graph analysis tools, the model was tested with the aim of assessing the factors’ impact on employees’ behaviour. Apart from the direct causal relationship between two variables, the indirect effects caused by other variables are assessed as well.The first contribution made by this research is the fact that it examines the relevance of a psychological contract in a non-Western geographical region. Next, the study clearly confirms some of the existing conceptualizations regarding psychological contracts and reveals some additional insights, particularly in relation to the consideration of psychological contracts in a non-Western socio-cultural context.The research aspires to generalize the model for predicting the post-merger behaviour of employees anywhere, across any industry, business segment and profession

Developed Status and Gender Effects on Computerized ToEFL Acceptance

The primary purpose of this study was to address gender and country developed status differences in computerized ToEFL acceptance. Based on previous studies, this study developed and tested a model, which included four latent variables: (1) perceived playfulness; (2) perceived usefulness; (3) perceived ease of use, and (4) behavioral intention to use. The study sample consisted of 237 international students, ranging in age from 18 to 44 years. Multigroup Structural Equation Modeling and Multiple Indicator Multiple Cause methods were used to test differences between subgroups for computerized ToEFL acceptance. This study did not find evidence of gender differences on computerized ToEFL acceptance. Moreover, participants' native country's developed status did not have an impact on the behavioral intention to use computerized ToEFL exam for international students. The implications for future research were discussed.Master of Art