Qualitative meta-analysis of propensity to trust measurement

In a rapidly changing and dynamic world, individuals’ propensity to trust is likely to become an increasingly important facet for understanding human behaviour, yet its measurement has mostly been unexplored. We undertake the first systematic qualitative survey of propensity to trust scales using qualitative meta-analysis methodology to review the literature (1966–2018) and identify 26 measures and their applications in 179 studies. Using content analysis, we thematically organise these scales into six thematic areas and discuss the emerging implications. We find that while most of these scales reflect propensity to trust in terms of a positive belief in human nature, other themes include general trust, role expectations, institutional trust, cautiousness and other personality attributes. We reveal significant methodological concerns regarding several scales and argue for more considered selection of scales for use in research. We examine the case for multidimensionality in measures of propensity to trust used within organisational research. Rather than treating a lack of generalisability of findings in existing organisational studies as purely a problem of measurement design, we instead outline an agenda for further conceptual and empirical study

Contractual heterogeneity in strategic alliances.

We investigate firms' alliance design choices by examining alliances as multifaceted contractual forms. The analysis explores the contractual heterogeneity underlying alternative governance structures for alliances, the bundling of different contractual provisions, and the dimensionality of the contractual completeness construct. The empirical evidence indicates that the complexity of collaborative agreements ­in terms of the number and stringency of provisions­ is greater for alliances that are strategically important and that involve high levels of asset specificity. Factor analysis of tetrachoric correlations among eight contractual provisions reveals two distinct dimensions of contractual completeness. Partners with prior collaborative relationships tend to institute fewer contractual provisions for monitoring and control of an alliance. Relative to open-ended contractual agreements, time-bound alliances tend to rely less heavily on such provisions, but more so on safeguards concerning confidential and proprietary information, alliance termination, and the adjudication of disputes by third parties.alliance design; governance structures; collaborative agreements; alliance termination;

Effects of user experience on user resistance to change to the voice user interface of an in‑vehicle infotainment system: Implications for platform and standards competition

This study examines the effects of user experience on user resistance to change—particularly, on the relationship between user resistance to change and its antecedents (i.e. switching costs and perceived value) in the context of the voice user interface of an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system. This research offers several salient findings. First, it shows that user experience positively moderates the relationship between uncertainty costs (one type of switching cost) and user resistance. It also negatively moderates the association between perceived value and user resistance. Second, the research test results demonstrate that users with a high degree of prior experience with the voice user interface of other smart devices exhibit low user resistance to change to the voice user interface in an IVI system. Third, we show that three types of switching costs (transition costs, in particular) may directly influence users to resist a change to the voice user interface. Fourth, our test results empirically demonstrate that both switching costs and perceived value affect user resistance to change in the context of an IVI system, which differs from the traditional IS research setting (i.e. enterprise systems). These findings may guide not only platform leaders in designing user interfaces, user experiences, and marketing strategies, but also firms that want to defend themselves from platform envelopment while devising defensive strategies in platform and standards competition

Exchange Rate Uncertainty and Labour Market Adjustment under Fixed and Flexible Exchange Rates

The standard literature on working time has modelled the decisions of firms in a deterministic framework in which firms can choose between employment and overtime (given mandated standard hours). Contrary to this approach, we follow the real options approach, which allows us to investigate the value to a firm of waiting to adjust labour when the firm‘s revenues in domestic currency are stochastic and adjustment costs are sunk. The simulations reject the null hypothesis that all exchange rate regimes obey common employment adjustment thresholds.real option theory, uncertainty, working time, employment, labour demand, exchange rates.

The relationship between intra-cultural factors and feedback seeking behavior in supervision among counselors-in-training in counselor education programs

For this research study a cross-sectional correlational survey research design was utilized. Counselors in training both master and doctoral level currently receiving clinical supervision in counselor education programs (n=123) participated in this study. Participants were administered (a) tolerance of ambiguity scale (b) individual power distance scale (c) feedback-seeking frequency scale (d) feedback-seeking source scale and (e) feedback-seeking style scale. Six research questions were the subject of data analyses in this study. Analyses included conducting multivariate multiple regression and simple regression analyses to understand whether tolerance of ambiguity and status identity predict graduate counselors’ feedback-seeking (a) style (b) source and (c) frequency. The purpose of the study is to assess the influence of intra-cultural factors of tolerance of ambiguity and status identity on graduate counselors’ feedback-seeking (a) style (b) source and (c) frequency. The investigation of intra-cultural dimensions is expected to provide a salient beginning to research in the area of within cultural information seeking activity of counselors in training in the counselor education field. The information gained will help clinical supervisors provide information to supervisees that meet their needs and thus improve clinical outcomes. The results of the analyses indicated that tolerance of ambiguity as a cultural variable has a statistically significant difference on the (a) frequency (b) source and (c) type of feedback seeking than status identity. Findings from the current study indicate that counselors in training have a moderate tolerance for ambiguity. Additionally counselors in training prefer monitoring or observational strategies to seek feedback from supervisors and inquiry methods to seek feedback from peers. Further counselors in training have a moderate frequency of seeking feedback. These results indicate that the culture within the counselor education program is characterized as having a low to moderate tolerance for ambiguity. Implications for this study include the importance of developing effective feedback systems that address obstacles and promote effective information processing. Counselor educators should focus on developing strategies that assist their students to embrace and enhance their tolerance of ambiguity which will help them better implement the different counseling concepts and thus influence client outcomes

Understanding adoption and continual usage behaviour towards internet banking services in Hong Kong

Banks and financial institutions in Hong Kong are increasingly finding themselves facing rapid increases in turbulence and complexity, leading to greater uncertainty and increased competition. Customers are also becoming more demanding. Apart from the traditional type of banking services, customers today require more personalized products and services, and access to such services at any time, and at any place. Although there is no panacea for banks to stay competitive, Internet Banking is one of the advanced information technologies they can employ to achieve a high level of customer services. Internet Banking is an emerging technology that permits conduct of banking transactions through the Internet. From the banks’ point of view, it requires the lowest transaction cost among various channels, just one percent of branch-based banking. It also can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of corporate business processes through elimination of paper work. One of the many benefits of Internet Banking is that customers can use bank services 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world. This study investigates university students\u27 adoption/continual usage behaviour within the context of Hong Kong Internet Banking services. A research framework based on the extension of Technology Acceptance Model and Social Cognitive Theory was developed to identify factors that would influence the adoption/continual usage of Internet Banking. The framework includes subjective norm, image, result demonstrability, perceived risk, computer self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and intention constructs. A diverse sample of undergraduate and postgraduate students of seven universities in Hong Kong was used to test the models. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the entire pattern of intercorrelations among the eight proposed constructs and to test related propositions empirically. The results reveal that both subjective norm and computer self-efficacy play significant roles in influencing the intention to adopt Internet Banking indirectly. Perceived usefulness has significant positive effect on intention to adopt, this result supports the extension of the Technology Acceptance Model. Perceived ease of use has significant indirect effect on intention to adopt/continual usage through perceived usefulness, while its direct effect on intention to adopt is not significant in this empirical study. Theoretical contributions and practical implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are presented

The construct of institutional distance through the lens of different institutional perspectives:Review, analysis, and recommendations

This paper presents a review and critique of the 20-year-old literature on institutional distance, which has greatly proliferated. We start with a discussion of the three institutional perspectives that have served as a theoretical foundation for this construct: organizational institutionalism, institutional economics, and comparative institutionalism. We use this as an organizing framework to describe the different ways in which institutional distance has been conceptualized and measured, and to analyze the most common organizational outcomes that have been linked to institutional distance, as well as the proposed explanatory mechanisms of those effects. We substantiate our qualitative review with a meta-analysis, which synthesizes the main findings in this area of research. Building on our review and previous critical work, we note key ambiguities in the institutional distance literature related to underlying theoretical perspectives and associated mechanisms, distance versus profile effects, and measurement. We conclude with actionable recommendations for improving institutional distance research

Person-Centered Outcome Metrology

This unique collection of chapters from world experts on person-centered outcome (PCO) measures addresses the following critical questions: Can individual experiences be represented in measurements that do not reduce unique differences to meaningless uniformity? How person-centric are PCO measures? Are PCO measurements capable of delivering the kind of quality assured quantification required for high-stakes decision making? Are PCO measures likely to support improved health care delivery? Have pivotal clinical studies failed to deliver treatments for diseases because of shortcomings in the PCO measures used? Are these shortcomings primarily matters of precision and meaningfulness? Or is the lack of common languages for communicating outcomes also debilitating to quality improvement, research, and the health care economy? Three key issues form an urgent basis for further investigation. First, the numbers generated by PCO measures are increasingly used as the central dependent variables upon which high stakes decisions are made. The rising profile of PCO measures places new demands for higher quality information from scale and test construction, evaluation, selection, and interpretation. Second, PCO measurement science has well-established lessons to be learned from those who have built and established the science over many decades. Finally, the goal in making a PCO measurement is to inform outcome management. As such, it is vitally important that key stakeholders understand that, over the last half century, developments in psychometrics have refocused measurement on illuminating clinically important individual differences in the context of widely reproduced patterns of variation in health and functioning, comparable scale values for quality improvement, and practical explanatory models. This book’s audience includes anyone interested in person-centered care, including healthcare researchers and practitioners, policy makers, pharmaceutical industry representatives, clinicians, patient advocates, and metrologists. This is an open access book