Keeping Software Users on Board - Increasing Continuance Intention Through Incremental Feature Updates

Although feature updates are a ubiquitous phenomenon in both professional and private IT usage, they have to date received little attention in the IS post-adoption literature. Drawing on expectation-confirmation theory and the IS continuance literature, we investigate whether, when and how incremental feature updates affect users’ continuance intentions (CI). Based on a controlled laboratory experiment, we find a positive effect of feature updates on users’ CI. According to this effect, software vendors can increase their users’ CI by delivering updates incrementally rather than providing the entire feature set right with the first release. However, we also find that CI diminishes when the number of updates exceeds a tipping point in a given timeframe, disclosing update frequency as crucial boundary condition. Furthermore, we unveil that the beneficial effect of feature updates on CI operates through positive disconfirmation of expectations, resulting in increased user satisfaction. Implications for research and practice as well as directions for future research are discussed

Extending the Expectation-Confirmation Theory: How do Software Updates Change Continuance Intention?

Software updates have enabled developers the possibilities to fix bugs or add features after the initial software release. The phenomenon of using such updates to enhance software, is a relatively new trend that has not received much attention in the Information Systems (IS) literature. However, because software updates influence the interaction between users and developers, they are directly connected to sales and revenue. Based on a conducted literature review, this research idea consists of two parts and proposes an approach to measure and analysis the effects of software updates on users. First, a longitudinal, panel study is conducted to gain qualitative knowledge and extend the expectation-confirmation framework proposed by the existing literature. Second, a self-developed Android app will be used in an experimental setting to test and validate the research model and gain knowledge on how developers can keep users happy and increase continuance intention through functional software updates

Influence of Software Updates on Hedonic Software Users

Lately, a more and more frequently used method to enhance and maintain software is through software updates. These updates are distributed over the Internet in order to fix bugs, improve base-software, or add new functionalities. This research paper extends theory in the IS topic of post-adoption and examines the effect of software updates on the individual hedonic software user. We develop a digital game and use it in a web-based experiment with 225 participants who are randomly assigned to three distinct groups. We adapt the IS continuance model and assess the effects of a functional software update and a placebo update notification through inter group comparisons. Our study unveils that while a functional software update leads to an increase in perceived enjoyment, satisfaction, continuance intention, and disconfirmation, albeit the placebo update notification does not. Finally, implications for research and practice are discussed

Gains and Losses in Functionality – An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Software Updates on Users’ Continuance Intentions

Although software updates are ubiquitous in professional and private IS usage, their impact on user behaviors has received little attention in post-adoption research. Based on expectation-confirmation-theory and the IS continuance model, we investigate the effects of gaining and loosing features through updates on expert and novice users’ continuance intentions (CI). In a vignette based experiment, we find that updates which add features to software after its release increase novices’ CI above and beyond a level generated by a monolithic software package that contains the entire feature set from the beginning. With diminished CI, experts show a contrary reaction to the same update. Losing features through an update, on the other hand, severely diminishes CI for experts and novices alike. Mediation analysis reveals positive disconfirmation of previous expectations as psychological mechanism behind novices’ counter-intuitive and somewhat non-rational responses to gaining features through an update. Implications for research and practice are derived

User Expectations of Hedonic Software Updates

Software updates have recently become a common phenomenon in software development and maintenance. This is due to the rise of ubiquitous and interconnected IT that enables developers to frequently fix bugs, enhance features, or even add new functionalities. This paper contributes to the post-adoption topic of IS research by investigating the understanding of how users perceive software updates of hedonic software. The focus is to understand how and what users perceive and expect from upcoming updates. Pokémon GO is the IT artifact that will be examined with the paper as it is a prime example of an innovative and trending game that was released relatively unfinished, but is constantly improved via updates. We use the IS continuance model to evaluates the players perception on: expectations before the initial use, confirmation or disconfirmation, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, expectations for upcoming software updates, and continuance intention

The Influence of Design Updates on Users: the Case of Snapchat

Today’s smartphone apps are regularly updated and enhanced through software updates. The case at hand is the popular social multimedia messaging app Snapchat that released a design overhaul in February 2018. While the update neither changed any features nor caused any relevant bugs or crashes, it led to an uproar of Snapchat’s users and significantly decreased its app store ratings and consequently revenue. As a result, Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat, was forced to reverse design changes to appease their users. The initial adverse effects of the update were surprising; however, after using difference-in-difference tests in combination with sentiment analysis, our results indicate that design updates can be perceived negatively by users. We contribute to IS literature by evaluating the effect of design changes and the role of perceived ease of use in the post-adoption stage

Users’ Loyalty to Agile Information Systems

Over the past few years, across many industrial sectors, Information Systems (IS) developed with the help of agile methods have become the rule rather than the exception. Because of their high flexibility, such Agile IS development methodologies help firms to keep pace with emerging market requirements. At the same time, customers are also gaining increasing market power due to an expanding digitalization of services and products, which decreases switching barriers and increases transparency. As a result, it has become crucial for firms to develop IS that continuously provide sufficient value to customers. This is one of the main reasons why firms regularly deliver increments of Agile IS for users to update outdated software versions. By doing so, firms try to bind and engage customers lastingly to capture current and future revenue streams and stay competitive. Agile IS and software updates (that deliver increments of Agile IS to users) have been researched thoroughly, however mostly from a technical point of view. Nevertheless, because updates change a system while it is already in use, they have the potential to impact users’ beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and in particular, loyalty to a software in the post-adoption phase. However, despite the importance of better understanding user responses to Agile IS to provide an adequate theoretical framework, research from a user’s perspective on Agile IS, and especially software updates, is still scarce. Against this backdrop, this thesis presents four empirical studies that were conducted to investigate whether and how Agile IS affect users’ loyalty to IS, to identify potential moderators, and to understand how Agile IS should be designed to facilitate potential positive effects. In these studies, increments of Agile IS are operationalized as software updates and customer loyalty as a user’s continuance intention with a system. By drawing on the IS Continuance Model in a scenario-based online experiment, the first two studies reveal empirically how Agile IS have the potential to increase user continuance intentions. Users of Agile IS show greater IS continuance intentions, despite that some functionality is provided only later on, as compared to a consistently feature-complete traditional IS. This effect is diminished somewhat when the software is introduced with an extensive feature set right from the beginning. Nevertheless, the size of an update does not seem to play a significant role. The second study reveals that this positive effect of updates only emerges if the user is not very knowledgeable regarding the software, because experts in contrast to novices seem to devalue Agile IS (their continuance intentions decrease with Agile IS in comparison to traditional IS). Additionally, the second study shows that the removal of features through updates reduces continuance intentions even more than the equivalent addition of features when considering the absolute magnitude of change. With empirical data from a laboratory experiment, the third study identifies update frequency and update type as further moderators of the effect, and confirms the hypothesized mediation mechanism presumed by the IS Continuance Model. The fourth study examines the role of update delivery strategies, i.e., the timing and presence of a notification and an installation choice. In this study, feature and security updates are distinguished, as both seem to have different characteristics with respect to the delivery strategy (i.e., users ‘need’ security but ‘want’ to add functionality). The findings show that both update types should be announced to users, in the case of a security update, only after successful installation, while presenting an installation choice to users prevents any positive effect for all types of updates. Overall, this thesis highlights the importance of understanding Agile IS and software updates from the user’s perspective. First, the results show that Agile IS have the potential to affect user’s continuance intentions, thereby contributing to a comprehensive theoretical foundation on Agile IS. Also the findings put the user more at the center of investigations in IS. Second, the empirical findings provide evidence in support of a necessary fine-grained understanding of IT Artifacts as malleable compositions of specific features and characteristics. This answers the call of several researchers to put the IT Artifact more at the focus of IS research (Benbasat and Zmud 2003). Third, the results reveal that changes in IS might change users’ attitudes and behaviors over time, which extends the predominant view of IS in post-adoption literature from a mostly static to a more dynamic perspective. With this finding, we answer the call of several IS scholars to consider the evolution of IS more thoroughly (e.g., Jasperson et al. 2005; Benbasat and Barki 2007). For practitioners, the findings of this thesis provide empirically backed rationales to inform management decisions concerning the deployment of Agile IS and offer guidance on strategic or design considerations. Overall, the results show how and when the value provided by IS from a user’s perspective may be increased by the deployment of Agile IS and software updates

Knowledge Management Determinants Of Continuance Behavior: Evaluating The Air Force Knowledge Now Knowledge Management System

Knowledge management (KM) encompasses the set of capabilities, processes, tools, and techniques for the most effective use of knowledge by an organization. The goal of KM is to improve the organization\u27s ability to create, transfer, retain, and apply knowledge. Knowledge management is a goal that many organizations seek to achieve. Organizations apply their strategies, plans, and implementation to achieve KM. Organizations use technology to implement their KM strategy. For some, this approach has worked well; however, for others, the results have fallen short. KM shortcomings revolve around employees\u27 infrequent use of the technology. This research seeks to understand what influences a user\u27s behavior to use a KM system and why a user becomes a routine user. This research provides a model of KM continuance behavior and post-acceptance usage behavior. Post-acceptance usage behavior is how an individual decides to use a system after its initial acceptance. The KM continuance model incorporates technology, community, individual, and organizational elements that influence a user\u27s intentions and actual use of a KM system. The specific context of this research is a KM system known as the Air Force Knowledge Now (AFKN) system. AFKN emphasizes KM through expertise-sharing activities in Communities of Practice (CoPs). The AFKN KM system facilitates and enhances the relationships in the community. The data for this study were obtained by using an online questionnaire. The results are analyzed using Partial Least Squares structural equation modeling with a two-step data analysis approach. The first step assessed the properties of the measurement model. The second step assessed the path model. Path coefficients and t-values are generated to evaluate the 14 proposed hypotheses. The results of the investigation show that community and technology KM both positively influence a user\u27s evaluation of the KM environment. The results produced a coefficient of determination of 60% for KM continued-use intention and 31% for KM continued-use behavior. The outcome of this research is a model that allows organizations to tailor their KM systems efforts to the organizational environment in order to maximize their resources. This investigation serves as a foundation for further research and development in areas of KM, KM systems, and post-acceptance usage

Social media adoption by microbusinesses

The social media implementation process (initiation, adoption, adaptation, acceptance, use and incorporation) is examined in correlation with the five factors (individual, organisational, technological, environmental and performance). Numerous existing theories from the innovation, technology adoption and performance measurement literature are used to derive probable relation between the implementation process and the five factors. Such expansive scope and comprehensive theory development has been articulated but never attempted. To manage the large scope, microbusinesses are selected purposefully due to their limited business processes. The research design reflects the need for relevance by using Lewin’s action research (traditional social change model) as the primary method augmented by participant observation (physical and online). Data collection uses a mix of unstructured, semi-structured and structured interviews assisted by structured observation. Data analysis uses a set of routines, such as tabulation, categorisation, abstraction and verification, involving prediction and testing. The research finds that a collaborative process to address concerns, along with quick start and self-training, helped to adopt social media. Participants needed to focus on concrete experience, work-place learning and personal knowledge for learning to use social media. Usefulness arising from improved communication, fitness and medium richness was the dominant indicator for acceptance and use. Continued use relied on satisfaction and habit of the user. Individual characteristics and personality factors both seemed to be a poor indicator of adoption with weak links towards extroversion. Microbusinesses suffered primarily from context and mental mode related challenges for social media use. Type of business, such as service shops, had a greater probability of success. Social media positively affected relationship marketing in terms of service quality. Business activity associated with specialisation seemed to perform poorly with social media. Finally, performance measurement techniques included finding the capability of social media to meet survival objectives, improve capacity utilisation and business resale value

The impact of enterprise social networking on knowledge sharing between academic staff in higher education

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonHigher education institutions have always considered knowledge sharing critical for research excellence and finding proper methods for sharing knowledge across academic staff has therefore been a major issue for universities and knowledge management research. Recent evidence shows that many universities have embraced enterprise social networking tools to improve communication, relationships, partnerships, and knowledge sharing. To date, there is little understanding of the critical factors for online knowledge sharing behaviour between academic staff, and the impact of these factors on work benefits for academic staff which differ between consumptive users and contributive users in higher education. This study employed the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to examine factors affecting knowledge sharing about the consumptive use and contributive use of enterprise social network (ESN) behaviour. The study adopts a critical realism philosophical approach and employed a grounded theory mixed methods. The conceptual model was validated through structural equation modelling based on an online survey of 254 academic staff using enterprise social networking as a part of their work in the United Kingdom. The findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for researchers and policy makers. The research has developed a cohesive ESN use model by extending and modifying the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The findings indicate significant differences around factors affecting consumptive and contributive usage patterns within ESNs. Due to advances in communication technologies, this research argues that a previous model suggested by Venkatesh et al. (2003) is no longer fit for purpose and the new communication tools can lead to improved knowledge in higher education. This research also makes valuable contributions to universities from a managerial viewpoint, suggesting that universities could help their scholars find a more comprehensive range of funding sources matching scholars' ideas