El valor percibido en webs de social commerce: Efectos sobre la lealtad del consumidor.

El estudio del comportamiento del consumidor en webs de social commerce está en auge, debido al gran crecimiento del sector en los últimos años. A pesar de ello, su comprensión se encuentra en su infancia, debido a la multitud de factores influyentes. Esta investigación, a través de la metodología del estímulo-organismo-respuesta, estudia qué papel tiene el valor percibido (O) por el consumidor, mediante el análisis de dos de sus principales antecedentes (calidad del sistema y del servicio) (S), así como de sus efectos sobre la lealtad (R). Los resultados obtenidos a partir de la aplicación de la técnica PLS a una muestra de 272 consumidores habituales de estas webs ponen de manifiesto la gran importancia que la calidad de la web tiene en la generación de valor en el consumidor, así como el rol clave de éste sobre las intenciones del consumidor tanto para volver a comprar como para recomendar.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Secure webs and buying intention: the moderating role of usability

El presente trabajo ha planteado un modelo conceptual a fin de mostrar como los antecedentes de la intención de compra se ven reforzados en contextos de Webs altamente usables. Específicamente, el trabajo analiza en profundidad el rol moderador de la usabilidad en la explicación de la conexión entre seguridad de una Web e intención de compra. Entre ambos extremos (seguridad e intención de compra), se han incluido diversas variables para explicar mejor su conexión. Para ello, ha sido diseñada una Web ficticia de ropa dirigida al segmento joven de clase media. A fin de alterar la usabilidad de la Web se han realizado dos tipos de manipulaciones: la velocidad y la facilidad de uso de la Web. Las dos Webs creadas (alta usabilidad y baja usabilidad) fueron visitadas por un total de 170 encuestados que fueron compensados con un USB valorado en 15 euros. Los resultados muestran que la seguridad percibida en la Web acarrea tres interesantes efectos (especialmente para la Web altamente usable): (i) mejora las actitudes agrado, (ii) reduce el nivel de riesgo percibido; (iii) aumenta la confianza. Los dos últimos efectos, a su vez, acaban aumentando la intención de compra.. Por último, se ha demostrado que la usabilidad, efectivamente, refuerza las relaciones consideradas en el modelo propuesto para explicar la intención de compra.A conceptual model has been proposed to show how buying intention antecedents are reinforced in highly usable contexts. Specifically, this paper deeply analyses the moderator role of system variables (usability) on explaining the relationship between Web security and buying intention. Between both extremes (security and buying intention), several relationships have also been stated to better explain this effect. An “ideal” fictitious Website was designed for a non existent clothing company directed at the segment of middle class consumers. In order to alter Web usability, two blocks of changes were made, one concerning Website speed and the other related to ease of use. Our experiment sample consisted of 170 respondents who participated in exchange for a pen-drive (USB) valued at 15 euros. The results show that improving website security has three interesting effects (especially in high usable contexts): (i) it improves pleasure attitudes, (ii) reduces the level of perceived risk and (iii) increases trust. Secondly, it has been found that to increase buying intention, two actions must be taken: (i) to diminish perceived risk and (ii) to improve users’ pleasure attitudes towards the Website. Finally, usability has been found to have a moderating role in all the relationships considered (reinforcing them)

Towards Information Systems Design for Value Webs

In this paper we discuss the alignment between a business model of a value web and the information systems of the participating companies needed to implement the business model. Traditional business-IT alignment approaches\ud focus on one single company, but in a value web we are dealing with various independent businesses. Since a value web is actually a web of services, delivered by IT systems owned by different companies, to ensure alignment we need to\ud specify the services and their properties and then map them on the available IT support in the different companies. Such mappings have to be evaluated in terms of their impact on the profitability of participating in the value web of the different companies. We propose techniques to map services to IT support and show how to do commercial trade-offs

Análisis de la intención de realizar comercio social en webs con herramientas sociales

El comercio social, o comercio a través de los medios sociales (también conocido como social commerce) es una de las modalidades de comercio electrónico con mayor potencial de crecimiento. Sin embargo, su estudio aún es limitado, por lo que las dinámicas y elementos que afectan a la intención de realizar comercio social requieren de una mayor investigación. La bibliografía existente principalmente analiza la intención de los usuarios de practicar comercio social en una red social, pero no en una web de comercio electrónico que tenga sus propias herramientas sociales (p. ej. foros, valoraciones de productos, etc.). Por lo tanto, la presente investigación tiene como objetivo identificar los antecedentes de la intención de comercio social en webs de comercio electrónico en las que se emplean herramientas sociales. A partir de la revisión de la literatura, se desarrolla un modelo para analizar la influencia de cinco posibles antecedentes de la intención de comercio social: calidad de la web, apoyo social emocional, apoyo social informativo, presencia social e inmersión o flow. Para ello, se realizó un estudio empírico entre los usuarios de una web de comercio electrónico que cuenta con un sistema de valoración, comentarios de productos y foros. Los datos se obtuvieron a partir de una encuesta realizada a 200 compradores, y fueron analizados mediante la técnica PLS. Los resultados indican que los elementos más racionales y emocionales de la experiencia del usuario, como son la calidad del sitio web, flow y el apoyo social emocional, son los que motivan la compra; mientras que la presencia social y el apoyo social informativo, no son significativos. Este estudio contribuye a la teoría del comportamiento del consumidor al aplicar variables predictivas de la intención de comercio social a webs con herramientas sociales. Además, los resultados ayudan a los profesionales del comercio electrónico a mejorar el uso que hacen de las herramientas sociales.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Tourists behavior during their trip: How they use and offer recommendations?

The rise of new technologies has changed the way tourists trust in eWOM to choose a restaurant. There is a growing use of opinion and price comparison websites, where opinions and ratings can be shared with other users. In addition, the spreading of false or paid comments has made this type of webs seek the generation and maintenance of trust. However, there are few studies that analyse how to generate trust in these webs and its effect in the intention of the consumer to participate in WOM behaviours, once the tourist is already in its tourist destination. Therefore, this research analyses the influence of recommendations on the generation of tourists’ trust in the review websites of restaurant industry while they are in the destination. A regression analysis of data from 439 tourists has revealed that the perceived credibility, the quality of the information and the quality of the web affect trust in review websites. This fact encourages the contracting of restaurant services and communication among consumers, both in a traditional way (WOM) and through the review websites (eWOM), while the tourist is in the tourism destination.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

An e-Business Model Ontology for Modeling e-Business

After explaining why business executives and academics should consider thinking about a rigorous approach to e-business models, we introduce a new e-Business Model Ontology. Using the concept of business models can help companies understand, communicate and share, change, measure, simulate and learn more about the different aspects of e-business in their firm. The generic e-Business Model Ontology (a rigorous definition of the e-business issues and their interdependencies in a company’s business model), which we outline in this paper is the foundation for the development of various useful tools for e-business management and IS Requirements Engineering. The e-Business Model Ontology is based on an extensive literature review and describes the logic of a “business system” for creating value in the Internet era. It is composed of four main pillars, which are Product Innovation, Infrastructure Management, Customer Relationship and Financial Aspects. These elements are then further decomposed.e-business models, ontology, e-business, strategy

Less Trust Means More Trusts

The word “trust” has multiple meanings. In everyday speech, it refers to a feeling of confidence associated with integrity, such as trusting that a friend will keep a secret. In the financial context, some law students, lawyers and lucky individuals also understand that a trust is a near-magical device that splits legal and equitable title. A trustee holds formal legal title to property for the benefit of a beneficiary simply because the grantor declares it to be so. By turning the spotlight on “trust,” in both senses of the word, one can discern fault lines in contemporary U.S. political and legal structures. These are made even plainer when examined through the lens of ongoing litigation involving human embryos created by actress Sofia Vergara and her former fiancé. Just as termites can enter homes through foundational cracks or wood brought from the outside, interpersonal, community or structural confidence may erode in the face of hostility, indifference or inequality. Similarly, as termites can slowly damage a home over a period of years before the harm becomes visible, the beneficial form of ownership known as a trust gradually–and then suddenly–has morphed almost beyond recognition over the last twenty-five years. Eaten away are the traditional limitations on trust duration, trust modification and the type of property that can be held in trust. In some states, irrevocable trusts can last forever, be decanted to another trust with entirely different terms, or even hold legal “title” to human embryos. These changes to centuries of trust law reveal changing attitudes about wealth, property ownership, and personal autonomy. If society truly values equal opportunity for all people, then trust–and trusts–need attention

Governance puzzles

About the book: Developing hand in hand with e-Business in its use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), e-Government emerged in the 1990s with the promise of a more accessible, efficient, and transparent form for public institutions to perform and interact with citizens. The successes–and some critics say, general failures–of e-Government initiatives around the world have led to the development of e-Governance–a broader, more encompassing concept that involves not only public institutions but private ones as well. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this book explores e-Governance in theory and practice with an analytical narrative from heterodox perspectives. Covering such essential issues as global governance of the internet, the European Knowledge Economy, the transformative promise of mobile telephony, the rise of e-Universities, internet accessibility for the disabled, and e-Governance in transition economies, the book draws on contributions from experienced academics and practitioners with an expertise in an emerging field. In addition, each chapter includes such features as discussion of key issues that draw on case studies in order to facilitate significant discussion questions

Italian Diaspora and Foreign Direct Investment: A Cliometric Perspective

Recent economic literature highlights that migrant networks help to overcome the informal barriers that exist in the international markets and boost international investment. Empirical studies on different countries confirm this prediction. This paper estimates (OLS-IV) an econometric model to study the impact of both emigration and immigration on Italy’s bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI). The main result is that only the Italian diaspora has a significant positive effect on Italy’s both inward and outward FDI. A theoretical framework, a profile of the diaspora and of immigration in Italy and some exemplary entrepreneurial histories help to interpret the econometric evidence.International Investments, Migrant Networks, Entrepreneurial Histories

Position paper on realizing smart products: challenges for Semantic Web technologies

In the rapidly developing space of novel technologies that combine sensing and semantic technologies, research on smart products has the potential of establishing a research field in itself. In this paper, we synthesize existing work in this area in order to define and characterize smart products. We then reflect on a set of challenges that semantic technologies are likely to face in this domain. Finally, in order to initiate discussion in the workshop, we sketch an initial comparison of smart products and semantic sensor networks from the perspective of knowledge technologies