Not That Button but the Other: Misunderstanding and Non-understanding in Helpdesk Encounters Involving Nonnative English Speakers

Purpose: The internationalization of “technical help over the phone“ is tied to the increasing usage of a lingua franca facilitating the interaction between a call center agent and a caller who are both linguistically different. Researchers have noted that interactions between two parties who are nonnative users of the language employed for the encounter are peppered with understanding problems. This study looks into the causes of understanding problems in helpdesk encounters between nonnative speakers of English and the techniques those interacting parties used to resolve or prevent flaws in the conversation. Method: Conversation analysis was used to analyze 25 recorded phone calls, amounting to 750 minutes of data, made in a commercial call center and in the helpdesk of an international academic institute in Enschede, the Netherlands. Results: Analysis of the phone calls reveals that causes of understanding problems between an agent and a caller who are nonnative users of English go beyond asymmetries in their proficiency with the language. Factors such as incomplete information or erroneous inference from the utterance of the partner in the interaction are important triggers for the occurrence of understanding problems. Consequently, call center agents and callers use varied repair and preventative techniques to ensure that understanding problems will not impede the attainment of the primary goal of the encounter -to resolve the product-related problem of the caller. Conclusion: While understanding problems are inevitable in helpdesk encounters, especially those that involved nonnative users of the language employed for the interaction, such problems are hardly attributable to the linguistic differences characterizing interacting parties. It is apparent that helpdesk agents and callers are equipped with varied techniques to resolve understanding problems or to prevent their inceptio

It was nice with the brick so now I'll click: The effects of offline and online experience, perceived benefits, and trust on Dutch consumers' online repeat purchase intention

The present study investigated the factors influencing Dutch consumers’ intention to continue purchasing from a brick-and-click clothes shop’s online channel after an initial commercial exchange. Results on the online survey with 513 respondents reveal that their repeat online purchase intention is influenced by the quality of their previous online purchase experience with the retailer, their perception of the benefits associated with online purchasing, and their trust in the retailer. Analysis also shows that respondents’ previous offline purchase experience and online purchase experience contribute to their trust in the retailer. Additionally, respondents’ previous online purchase experience positively influences their perception of the benefits associated with purchasing online. The modified model also shows that respondents’ trust in the retailer positively influences their perceptions of online shopping benefits

When the bureaucrat promises to safeguard your online privacy: Dissecting the contents of privacy statements on Dutch municipal websites

Various studies show that the display of a privacy statement on an organization's website can be a potent, but simple way of acquiring clients' and users' trust, which results in the completion of transactions with the organization through its website. Empirical studies that analyze the contents of privacy statements on commercial websites are profuse, while privacy statements posted on the websites of non-commercial organizations have been largely ignored by researchers. In this study, the contents of privacy statements on Dutch municipal websites are analyzed. Using the important provisions of the Wet Bescherming Persoonsgegevens (WBP) or the Dutch Personal Data Protection Act, the study also looked into the conformity of the contents of privacy statements with the existing law on privacy protection in the Netherlands. We also looked into the availability and findability of privacy statements on Dutch municipal websites. Three important findings resulted from this study: first, not all municipal websites bother to post privacy statements on their websites; second, most municipalities do not ensure that their online privacy statements are findable; and third, privacy statements on Dutch municipal websites emphasize diverging assurances and promises—with some privacy policies containing all the important provisions of the WBP, and others offering only general, and sometimes rather vague, guarantees

Sharing to be sociable, posting to be popular: factors influencing non-static personal information disclosure on Facebook among young Dutch users

Facebook use is closely tied to the need to disclose various types of personal information for users to experience the full benefits of using the platform (e.g., relationship maintenance, impression management). However, despite the benefits that can be derived from using the site, risk perception and privacy valuation could also deter disclosure. Results of a survey with 295 students of a vocational school in the eastern region of The Netherlands reveal that the benefits of sharing information primarily influence young Facebook users' decision to post non-static personal information (e.g., photos, statements of current activities, and thoughts on issues or things) on the site. Furthermore, such a decision is also predicated on the size of respondents' Facebook networks and the length of their Facebook membership. Surprisingly, however, the perceived risks attributed to the actions of Facebook and members of the Facebook users' network and users' privacy valuation do not affect the decision to share information on the site

More Photos From Me to Thee: Factors Influencing the Intention to Continue Sharing Personal Photos on an Online Social Networking (OSN) Site among Young Adults in the Netherlands

The current study investigated the factors influencing photo sharing continuance intention of Dutch Facebook users aged 18 to 25 years old. The focus was specifically on personal photos (those that include the person sharing), as their disclosure is expected to result in privacy-related issues for the individual sharing. An online survey with 473 respondents was implemented to test the various research hypotheses and to address the question on whether or not the impact of several disclosure predictors differs between men and women. Results of structural modeling analysis (multigroup analysis) reveal that for both male and female users, self-presentation-related and communication-related benefits and habit positively influence their photo sharing continuance intention. Furthermore, descriptive social norms and competence-based trust in Facebook significantly contribute to female users’ repeat photo sharing intention

Expanding the Technology Acceptance Model with the Inclusion of Trust, Social Influence, and Health Valuation to Determine the Predictors of German Users’ Willingness to Continue using a Fitness App: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

According to one market research, fitness or running apps are hugely popular in Germany. Such a trend prompts the question concerning the factors influencing German users’ intention to continue using a specific fitness app. To address the research question, the expanded Technology Acceptance Model (with the addition of trust, social influence, and health valuation) was tested with 476 German users of fitness apps. Structural equation modeling results reveal that respondents’ intention to continue using a specific fitness app is predicated on three factors, namely perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and injunctive social norm. Trust in the app developer and descriptive social norm do not have statistically significant effects on repeat usage intention, but they (alongside perceived ease of use and descriptive social norm) both influence users’ perception of a fitness app’s usefulness. Furthermore, ease of use and both injunctive and descriptive social norms significantly contribute to users’ trust in a fitness app develope

It was nice with the brick so now I'll click: The effects of offline and online experience, perceived benefits, and trust on Dutch consumers' online repeat purchase intention

The present study investigated the factors influencing Dutch consumers’ intention to continue purchasing from a brick-and-click clothes shop’s online channel after an initial commercial exchange. Results on the online survey with 513 respondents reveal that their repeat online purchase intention is influenced by the quality of their previous online purchase experience with the retailer, their perception of the benefits associated with online purchasing, and their trust in the retailer. Analysis also shows that respondents’ previous offline purchase experience and online purchase experience contribute to their trust in the retailer. Additionally, respondents’ previous online purchase experience positively influences their perception of the benefits associated with purchasing online. The modified model also shows that respondents’ trust in the retailer positively influences their perceptions of online shopping benefits

It’s Not About the Risks, I’m just Used to Doing It: Disclosure of Personal Information on Facebook Among Adolescent Dutch Users

A paper-based survey was conducted with 560 students of a high school in the eastern part of the Netherlands to determine the factors influencing their personal information disclosure behavior on Facebook. Results of the path analysis reveal that habits and perceived control strongly predict information disclosure of research respondents. Furthermore, information-related benefits also contribute to disclosure among adolescent Dutch Facebook users. Moreover, perceived control positively influences respondents’ trust (in Facebook and in their network members)