Critical Success Factors for Positive User Experience in Hotel Websites: Applying Herzberg's Two Factor Theory for User Experience Modeling

This research presents the development of a critical success factor matrix for increasing positive user experience of hotel websites based upon user ratings. Firstly, a number of critical success factors for web usability have been identified through the initial literature review. Secondly, hotel websites were surveyed in terms of critical success factors identified through the literature review. Thirdly, Herzberg's motivation theory has been applied to the user rating and the critical success factors were categorized into two areas. Finally, the critical success factor matrix has been developed using the two main sets of data.Comment: Journal articl

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a conceptual framework for the design, development and evaluation of AAL Services for older adults

Abstract. The paper presents the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a comprehensive model for a holistic approach for the design, development and evaluation of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) services for older adults. ICF can be used to systemize the information that influence individual's performance and to characterize users, theirs contexts, activities and participation. Furthermore, ICF can be used to structure a semantic characterization of AAL services and as a basis to develop methodological instruments for the services evaluation

Adhering to International and Culture-related Usability Guidelines: A Basis for Developing Localized User-friendly Websites

Modern websites provide multiple forms of information such as images, text, audio, video, and different ways of accessing them. As the use of website becomes a global phenomenon, international usability guidelines are provided in order to enhance user experience. A major challenge lies in the lack of research data on the preferences of localized users. Without such data, many websites will be created that may not serve the needs of an intended user group, especially in a multi-cultural society. This will amount to a waste of time and resources. This paper describes web-design and usability guidelines and explains their importance to practice. It discusses why, when, and how these guidelines are applied in designing a responsive and easy-to-use website for any setting of choice. It emphasizes that, in addition to applying international usability standards and guidelines, website designers and owners should pay attention to culture-related usability preferences in order to develop localized and user-friendly websites. The paper highlights important features of websites that must be given priority in the design process. It draws attention to the need for an iterating process for usability testing of websites in order to improve their functions as information systems that serve the purpose of the owner and the needs of the users. The paper suggests more studies to be carried out with local website users, especially in Africa and the developing nations of the world, in order to develop usability guidelines that include the cultural preferences of the users. Keywords: Usability testing, heuristics, websites, interactivity, culture-related usability, localized websites, user-friendly website

Does User-Centred Design (UCD) matter? perspective of Malaysian IT organizations

In the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), user needs are recognized to be the most crucial component in designing towards usability, hence user experience (UX). This paper explores the most valued component at the earliest phases of design and appreciation of end users among information technology (IT) personnel with different roles at organisations in Malaysia. The organisations are divided into three (3) categories; government agencies, government-link company (GLC), private company. Eighty four (84) personnel are surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study investigates the gap of awareness in User-Centered Design (UCD) and most important values during IT development process in the organisations. The result points that little evidence is available on the level of user involvement during the design process even thou many respondents believe that user should be the centre of the design process. There is a gap in the International usability standards currently embedded at the national and organisational level at all organisations

Deciding between information security and usability : Developing value based objectives

Deciding between security and usability of systems remains an important topic among managers and academics. One of the fundamental problems is to balance the conflicting requirements of security and usability. We argue that definition of objectives for security and usability allows for deciding about the right balance between security and usability. To this effect we propose two instruments for assessing security and usability of systems, and develop them in three phases. In Phase 1 we identified 16 clusters of means and 8 clusters of fundamental objectives using the value-focused thinking approach and interviews with 35 experts. Based on phase 1, in the second phase we collected a sample of 201 users to purify, and ensure reliability and unidimensionality of the two instruments. In the third phase, based on a sample of 418 users we confirmed and validated the two instruments found in Phase 2. This resulted in 14 means objectives organized into four categories (minimize system interruptions and licensing restrictions, maximize information retrieval, maximize system aesthetics, and maximize data quality), and 10 fundamental objectives grouped into four categories (maximize standardization and integration, maximize ease of use, enhance system related communication, and maximize system capability). The objectives offer a useful basis for assessing the extent to which security and usability has been achieved in systems. The objectives also provide a decision basis for balancing security and usability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The application of usability principles to create web-based applications that achieve increased system usage

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM)This research work investigates and reports on the contribution of usability and perceptual frameworks towards understanding and ultimately increasing usage of a sales website and a corporate marketing website for a major insurance company in South Africa. It investigates whether the application of usability principles to the sales web positively influences the usage of the sales web system as a tool by intermediaries, and in so doing help the organisation recoup their investment and lower operational costs. This financial services (traditionally insurance) company, like many organisations, is in the process of migrating key operational systems onto web platforms to take advantage of benefits such as the ubiquity of web access and services orientated architecture among others. The research reviewed key frameworks in the area of technology acceptance or usage namely Nielsen‟s usability attributes (Nielsen, 2003). The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), (Davis, 1989). The Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985); and derived a theoretical summative model (the Conceptual Research Model) that combined both usability and perceptual dimensions. The applicability of this summative model was empirically tested using quantitative data relating to system usage and user perception. Empirical evidence was gathered to prove and refine the Conceptual Research Model (CRM), and the data substantiated the inclusion of the constructs in the CRM, as well as the efficacy of the model in a financial services organisation. Through testing of the CRM, this research has also confirmed which specific attributes of usability can be focussed on to bring about positive change in users' usage behaviour and adoption of a website or web application.South Afric

Requisitos para a qualidade de um executive information system

Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão.OS EIS pretendem ser a solução para o acesso dos gestores às bases de dados, por intermédio de um interface especializado. Este estudo pretende testar a veracidade dessa relação. Assim, foram seleccionados 107 gestores, com idades compreendidas entre os 20 e os 63 anos, repartidos em 3 grupos: 2 grupos de 37 elementos com experiência prévia nestes sistemas (grupo I e II) e outro com 33 elementos, sem contacto com EIS. A experiência foi conduzida em 2 fases, uma com relatórios em conformidade com as orientações da literatura (Modo OK) e outra com relatórios contrários às mesmas (Modo NOK). Assim, ao grupo I foi proposta a sequência Problema-OK-NOK, ao grupo II e III a sequência Problema-NOK-OK. Ao grupo III foi ainda dada formação específica para a utilização do sistema, que consistiu em aceder via web ao modo NOK e ao modo OK através de uma aplicação, também via web, que reunia as condições para a experiência. Em sintonia com a literatura, foram consideradas como variáveis dependentes a satisfação, quer com a compreensão do problema, quer com a solução obtida. Como variáveis independentes, as características próprias de um EIS e a atitude face aos sistemas informáticos. Foram feitos testes de diferença de médias de satisfação entre os dois modos (teste t para amostras emparelhadas), bem como regressões lineares múltiplas, No final, foi possível sustentar que o modo OK produziu maior satisfação, mas não se encontraram provas convincentes da sua relação com as características EIS. A análise dos dados, bem como das correlações entre as respostas, sugere aliás que é a concepção gráfica, mais até do que a possibilidade da manipulação OLAP, a responsável pela diferença de satisfação encontrada.The EIS intend to be the solution for managers to access large databases, by means of a specific type of interface. This study wishes to find if we can in fact relate one to the other. Therefore, 107 managers were selected, aging from 20 to 63 years old, divided in 3 groups: 2 of this groups with 37 elements with previous experience with EIS (group I and II), and another with 33 with no experience in this field (group III). The test was conducted in 2 phases, one with reports taylored to the EIS features (mode OK), and another with reports made to be exactly the opposite (mode NOK). The group I was confronted with the sequence Problem-OK-NOK, the groups II and III with the sequence Problem-NOK-OK. Group III also took specific trainning for this purpose. This was mainly the access through the web to a set of reports in mode NOK and to mode OK through an web-based application specially selected to support the test. In accordance with the literature, satisfaction was considered the dependent variable, in what concerns the understanding of the problem and the solution adopted. As independent variables, the features of an EIS and the altitude towards computerized systems. A t-test for paired samples was applied to the satisfaction of both modes, as well as multiple linear regressions. In the end, proof was given that satisfaction improves with the mode OK (ElS-like), but the relationship between the EIS features and this improved satisfaction fell short. The analyses of the data suggests, however, that it is the graphic design, more so than the OLAP capabilities, that it is responsible for the increased satisfaction.N/

O anglicismo na internet como fator de exclusão digital

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção.Este trabalho apresenta uma pesquisa sobre uso de anglicismos nas páginas WEB e seu potencial de contribuir para dificultar a inclusão digital no âmbito da Internet. São analisados temas como fatores da exclusão digital, a ergonomia de sistemas computacionais e o processo de interação com páginas WEB. Para validar a pesquisa, um teste de usabilidade é aplicado a uma interface WEB contendo hiperlinks em inglês, extraindo-se indicações qualitativas sobre a dificuldade adicional que o inglês apresenta para usuários inexperientes e que não são proficientes nesta língua. Este trabalho contempla ainda uma revisão que ressalta a importância do "código" nos sistemas de comunicação, sua relação com a interface WEB e a falta de critérios para a construção de sistemas de informação para serem utilizados em nosso país que tenham como base o contexto lingüístico. Ressalta-se a falta de metodologias que abordem este tema sob a perspectiva da cultura local, pois as metodologias de construção/avaliação de sistemas de informação são importadas e não incorporam, com a necessária profundidade, as necessidades locais. Como metodologia emprega-se uma avaliação de usabilidade baseada na facilidade de aprendizado, onde são utilizadas tarefas acionadas por um menu com palavras em inglês e português. O público alvo contém uma amostra de uma população de um bairro pobre mal servido de acesso à Internet. Os resultados apontam para um aumento de dificuldade de interação quando, para realizar uma tarefa, é necessário escolher opções de um menu contendo termos em inglês