Executive information systems : an identification of factors likely to affect user acceptance, usage and adoption of the unilever EIS.

Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.Executive Information Systems (EIS) are information systems designed for the direct use of the Executive to access business relevant information, including information about customers, competitors, key performance indicators, internal operations, stock prices and news. Classified as high-risk projects, just like any other IS projects, organizations have been cautious and critical in ensuring EIS successful implementation and continuous usage by their intended users, the Executives. Unilever South Africa is no exception, and would thus like to ensure a successful implementation and acceptance of its EIS. An EIS system that once implemented will be used, accepted and adopted by executives to drive the achievement of its strategic objectives. This research is intended to investigate and identify potential factors that are likely to affect user acceptance, usage and adoption of an EIS implemented by Unilever South Africa. The research investigation was based on a proposed model derived from Davis (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that explores the phenomena of 'perceived usefulness' and 'perceived ease of use', as drivers of user acceptance and illustrates the dynamics of the factors that affect the users' acceptance of the system. The research data was obtained via questionnaires and semi-structured interviews of users from the Unilever EIS user group. The feedback obtained was then analysed and tested against three hypotheses. All three hypotheses were accepted leading to the conclusions that: (a) Users' attitudes towards usage of the Unilever EIS are positively influenced by both their 'perceived usefulness' and 'perceived ease of use' of the system. (b) The Unilever EIS users' 'perceived usefulness' of the system positively influences their 'perceived ease of use' of the system. (c) The Unilever EIS users' 'perceived ease of use' of the system has a greater influence on their attitude towards the system usage than their 'perceived usefulness' of the system

User Satisfaction with Personalised Internet Applications

The study focuses on user satisfaction with websites and personalised internet applications in particular. The abundance of information on the web is increasing more and more. Therefore, the significance of websites targeting the users’ preferences, like personalised Internet applications, is rising. The aim of this study was to find out which factors determine user satisfaction with personalised internet applications. Factors like the usefulness of the information or trust towards how personal information is handled were considered. A large-scale user survey evaluating three internet applications (from the travel, e-learning and real estate domains) was conducted. Expert opinions were collected to complement the results and provide insights from users’ and experts’ points of views

User Satisfaction with Personalised Internet Applications

The study focuses on user satisfaction with websites and personalised internet applications in particular. The abundance of information on the web is increasing more and more. Therefore, the significance of websites targeting the users’ preferences, like personalised Internet applications, is rising. The aim of this study was to find out which factors determine user satisfaction with personalised internet applications. Factors like the usefulness of the information or trust towards how personal information is handled were considered. A large-scale user survey evaluating three internet applications (from the travel, e-learning and real estate domains) was conducted. Expert opinions were collected to complement the results and provide insights from users’ and experts’ points of views

Relationships Among Dimensions of Information System Success and Benefits of Cloud

Despite the many benefits offered by cloud computing’s design architecture, there are many fundamental performance challenges for IT managers to manage cloud infrastructures to meet business expectations effectively. Grounded in the information systems success model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to evaluate the relationships among the perception of information quality, perception of system quality, perception of service quality, perception of system use, perception of user satisfaction, and net benefits of cloud computing services. The participants (n = 137) were IT cloud services managers in the United States, who completed the DeLone and McLean ISS authors’ validated survey instrument. The multiple regression finding were signification, F(5, 131) = 85.16, p \u3c .001, R2 = 0.76. In the final model, perception of information quality (β = .188, t = 2.844, p \u3c .05), perception of service quality (β = .178, t = 2.102, p \u3c .05), and perception of user satisfaction (β = .379, t = 5.024, p \u3c .001) were statistically significant; perception of system quality and perception of system use were not statistically significant. A recommendation is for IT managers to implement comprehensive customer evaluation of the cloud service(s) to meet customer expectations and afford satisfaction. The implications for positive social change include decision-makers in healthcare, human services, social services, and other critical service organizations better understand the vital predictors of attitude toward system use and user satisfaction of customer-facing cloud-based applications

An Integrated Theoretical Model of Information Systems Success/Technology Adoption for Systems Used by Employees in the 4 And 5-Star Full-Service Hotel Sector in the UK

This study aspires to combine several components of extant theoretical frameworks of Information Systems (IS) evaluation and develop a new mechanism/model, the Integrated IS Success/Technology Adoption Model, which can be applied in the context of the 4 and 5-star UK hotel industry. It is hoped that this new model can reliably measure the IS Success and technology adoption of the technological innovations used by hotel employees. Current research tends to concentrate on general emerging IS trends such as Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), including mobile and virtual reality applications. Even though there is abundant research on Information Systems used by hotel customers, the numbers of available published material seem to diminish when it comes to IS evaluation from the viewpoint of hotel employees. To complicate matters even further, most hotel employee-related studies originate from the USA or Southeast Asia. Aiming to combat this distinct shortage in academic papers, the present thesis recognises the evident research gap and seeks to fill it by presenting a study that is pertinent to the realities of hotel employees working in 4 and 5-star fullservice hotels in the UK. A major difference between a customer/guest use of IS and an employee use is that the former does not have to use a hotel’s systems; however, this is not the same with employees, for whom daily system use is compulsory as part of their jobs. Therefore, different metrics apply for each subset. iii The secondary research makes every effort to showcase a comprehensive account of IS evaluation approaches, starting from general strategies and frameworks to the breakdown of specialised IS success and technology adoption models and their dimensions. The primary research incorporates 28 (two sets of 14) interviews with hotel department managers in order to corroborate existing or identify new IS evaluation dimensions and subthemes. The interview analysis produces two previously unexploited by the literature themes that have a major impact on System Quality, one of the central dimensions of IS Success. The key contribution of the current study is the Integrated IS Success/Technology Adoption Model, developed through corroborating the interview findings with the literature review outcomes. The Model is based on two prominent IS evaluation models, the IS Success Model (DeLone and McLean, 1992) and the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989). The originality of the Model springs from the fusion of these two frameworks, but also from the modifications added. For example, the proposed model features Social Norms, a dimension that permeates the Theory of Actioned Reason (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Other additions include the use of IT training, senior management support, and facilitating conditions as external variables. Future research efforts could perhaps concentrate on testing and validating the proposed research model by use of quantitative methods in the form of a research questionnaire that would obtain the opinions of hotel line employees about the systems they work with on a daily basis

NEW ARTIFACTS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY VIA DATA ANALYTICS (KDDA) PROCESS

Recently, the interest in the business application of analytics and data science has increased significantly. The popularity of data analytics and data science comes from the clear articulation of business problem solving as an end goal. To address limitations in existing literature, this dissertation provides four novel design artifacts for Knowledge Discovery via Data Analytics (KDDA). The first artifact is a Snail Shell KDDA process model that extends existing knowledge discovery process models, but addresses many existing limitations. At the top level, the KDDA Process model highlights the iterative nature of KDDA projects and adds two new phases, namely Problem Formulation and Maintenance. At the second level, generic tasks of the KDDA process model are presented in a comparative manner, highlighting the differences between the new KDDA process model and the traditional knowledge discovery process models. Two case studies are used to demonstrate how to use KDDA process model to guide real world KDDA projects. The second artifact, a methodology for theory building based on quantitative data is a novel application of KDDA process model. The methodology is evaluated using a theory building case from the public health domain. It is not only an instantiation of the Snail Shell KDDA process model, but also makes theoretical contributions to theory building. It demonstrates how analytical techniques can be used as quantitative gauges to assess important construct relationships during the formative phase of theory building. The third artifact is a data mining ontology, the DM3 ontology, to bridge the semantic gap between business users and KDDA expert and facilitate analytical model maintenance and reuse. The DM3 ontology is evaluated using both criteria-based approach and task-based approach. The fourth artifact is a decision support framework for MCDA software selection. The framework enables users choose relevant MCDA software based on a specific decision making situation (DMS). A DMS modeling framework is developed to structure the DMS based on the decision problem and the users\u27 decision preferences and. The framework is implemented into a decision support system and evaluated using application examples from the real-estate domain

The impact of electronic service quality dimension on customer satisfaction

Online purchasing is becoming increasingly common as a purchasing mode. At the onset of e-commerce it was thought that success was guaranteed merely by being present on the internet and offering low prices. Currently customer service has proved itself to be a key element for achieving good results in a website (Zeithaml, Parasuraman & Malhotra, 2002b). In this context, the study of commercial website quality has emerged as an area of strategic importance. As in traditional stores, service quality and customer satisfaction seem to play vital roles in the success and survival of Internet sites

The impact of electronic service quality dimension on customer satisfaction

Online purchasing is becoming increasingly common as a purchasing mode. At the onset of e-commerce it was thought that success was guaranteed merely by being present on the internet and offering low prices. Currently customer service has proved itself to be a key element for achieving good results in a website (Zeithaml, Parasuraman & Malhotra, 2002b). In this context, the study of commercial website quality has emerged as an area of strategic importance. As in traditional stores, service quality and customer satisfaction seem to play vital roles in the success and survival of Internet sites

The impact of semantic knowledge management system on firms' innovation and competitiveness

D.B.A ThesisIn the knowledge economy, knowledge is increasingly becoming the primary factor of production and foundational component of innovation. Firms must improve their capabilities of handling knowledge in line with its recent explosive growth to stay competitive. This research addresses the effects semantic technology-based knowledge management system (Semantic KMS) can have on firms’ performance. Based on existing literature, a conceptual model covering Semantic KMS, KM, innovation, and competitiveness was designed to test the validity of the hypotheses. A total of 640 survey questionnaires were sent to the companies that practice KM actively. 178 usable responses were received. Pearson’s correlation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that Semantic KMS is positively related to the KM effectiveness. Organizational KM is positively linked to innovation and competitiveness directly. In the context of KM, innovation's effect on competitiveness is not convincing. Moreover, the study could not identify that KM has any strong relationship with organizational competitiveness mediated through innovation. Being one of the first significant studies of Semantic KMS and its impact, the study adds to the growing literature on the use of semantic technology in various fields. It develops a new theoretical model which has never been tested before. The study used data collected from single respondent of each firm in a snapshot and did not consider feedback effects. It examined Semantic KMS as a holistic system, but in many cases, companies only deploy certain KM related tools supported by semantic technology. A different research approach could investigate the impacts of those tools on relevant business processes. This study demonstrates that deployment of semantic technology is beneficial for companies and allows them to take advantage of the use of advanced technologies in their KM quest. It brings significant benefits to the firm thanks to improved capabilities of the new KMS in knowledge discovery, aggregation, use, and sharing. The study also confirms that for a successful KM initiative, KM processes need to be optimized and supported by KMS. Semantic technology is a set of advanced tools used lately in many information systems. This study is one of the first in-depth research about their impacts on KMS. It will guide KM managers in their decision-making process when they consider developing or integrating newKMS tools. For academics, this research highlights the importance of investigating KM from the new technology perspective.