The Role Of Contextual Factors In Online Privacy Decision

Innovation in information and communication technologies has enabled firms to collect information about individual customers and to use the information to understand their preferences at substantially low costs. Based on this understanding, firms can provide the customers with improved value such as products that fit best with individual customer needs. This ability is further enhanced by the rapid penetration of mobile devices, which are personal in nature. However, the collection and use of private information have caused widespread apprehension by consumers that their privacy is invaded. It has been well established that privacy risk is greater for more sensitive personal information and thus people are likely to refuse to provide sensitive information correctly. The main objective of this study is to explore moderating factors that influence the negative effect of information sensitivity on personal information disclosure. Specifically, this study focuses on two contextual factors in privacy decision, including the relevance of information and the intrinsic value of transaction, and investigates how the factors can change the impacts that information sensitivity has on the disclosure of personal information. A central finding of an online experiment employing two scenarios of personal information disclosure is that disclosure of sensitive information is responsive to the contextual factors in such a way that the negative impact of information sensitivity can be attenuated by the contextual factors. This study contributes to understanding of online users’ privacy decision by suggesting the interplay between an inherent attribute of information (i.e., information sensitivity) and contextual factors in formulating users’ privacy decision

An Empirical Investigation of Smart Product Adoption

The advance of information technologies and the Internet have been enabling the transformation of physical products into smart products by embedding information technologies into the products and thereby making them intelligent. The movement to the ‘Internet of Things’ is accelerating connection of the products to the net. While those changes could enhance value propositions of products, they might also cause consumer privacy concerns, which might hinder smart product adoption, because the smartness of the product mainly takes advantage of personal information about the users. This study aims to investigate consumers’ intention to adopt smart products. Building on previous studies on smart products and privacy literature, we propose a research model that explains factors influencing consumers’ intention to adopt smart products. The proposed research model is empirically tested using data from an online survey of consumers. The overall results validate the proposed research model of smart product adoption. Specifically, perceived personalization is found to positively affect consumers’ intention to adopt smart products, whereas information privacy risk decreases the intention. We also find that the attributes of personal information are critical antecedents of consumers’ risk-benefit assessment. The sensitivity of information increases information privacy risk while the congruency of information enhances perceived personalization. Based on the results, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed

Search Constraint Of Mobile Technology And Channel Choice In E-Commerce

This study aims to investigate empirical evidence of search constraints of the mobile technology from the theoretical lens of technology affordance. Using a large archival panel dataset encompassing transactions in the PC and mobile channels, we find that information-intensity of products is negatively associated with the choice probability of the mobile channel over the PC channel. However, the negative association is weakened as the user experience in the mobile channel accumulates, suggesting a dynamic relationship between user and technology (i.e., users’ learning or adaptation to technology)

A Framework for Analysis on the Process of Information System Evaluation and Investment Decision

Information System (IS) investment evaluation has long been issue in the IS research. Traditional positivistic research dealt with cost-benefit rationale regarding why and how evaluate. Afterwards social and political view added issue to this stream by embedding the organizational context that makes evaluation more fraught with difficulties. The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical foundation and justification of the various organizational aspects of IS evaluation and decision process. By reviewing recent research that adopts institutional theory perspective on this issue and we develop two-staged evaluation process model constructed by the interaction among stakeholders and their roles. Participants of the process are two groups: IS evaluator group who evaluate the benefit of investment, and decision makers who examine suggestion of evaluator group and finally determine to invest or not. We argue that, during this interaction process, the organization’s institutional context influences the extent of the formality of evaluation criteria and the procedural rationality. From this dynamic process perspective, we propose a multidimensional analysis framework that constitutes four types of evaluation orientation: Mixed, Positive, Negative, and Control Evaluation Orientation. With this framework we discuss how stakeholders behave and affect investment decision under each evaluation orientation. Likewise, we also discuss how financially justified IS investments can be sometimes rejected or otherwise accepted in the politically situated evaluation process. We believe that this framework expands our understanding of IS evaluation and decision process and therefore contribute to IS research in this field. Also to practitioners, this study provides several implications regarding how to maintain the formal/rational evaluation procedure and how to acquire organizational consensus under socially complex organizational environment

Addition of Garlic or Onion before Irradiation on Lipid Oxidation, Volatiles and Sensory Characteristics of Cooked Ground Beef

Addition of 0.5% onion was effective in reducing lipid oxidation in irradiated cooked ground beef after 7 d storage. Addition of garlic or onion greatly increased the amounts of sulfur volatiles from cooked ground beef. Irradiation and storage both changed the amounts and compositions of sulfur compounds in both garlic- and onion-added cooked ground beef significantly. Although, addition of garlic and onion produced large amounts of sulfur compounds, the intensity of irradiation odor and irradiation flavor in irradiated cooked ground beef was similar to that of the nonirradiated control. Addition of garlic (0.1%) or onion (0.5%) to ground beef produced garlic/onion aroma and flavor after cooking, and the intensity was stronger with 0.1% garlic than 0.5% onion treatment. Considering the sensory results and the amounts of sulfur compounds produced in cooked ground beef with added garlic or onion, 0.5% of onion or less than 0.1% of garlic is recommended to mask or change irradiation off-odor and off-flavor

Effects of Increasing Concentrations of Corn Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles on Chemical Composition and Nutrients Content of Egg

Four diets were formulated to contain 0, 17, 35 or 50% corn DDGS. A total of 240 54-week-old single-comb White Leghorn laying hens were assigned to one of four dietary treatments and fed for a 24-week experimental period. Two sets of the experimental diets were formulated and each diet was fed for 12 weeks. Chemical composition and nutritional components in egg yolk were measured. Egg yolk from hens fed DDGS-containing diet tended to have higher fat content and lower protein content. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids were significantly increased by DDGS diet. The contents of choline and cholesterol were initially higher in 50% DDGS treatment group, but were not different in the later period, especially during last 4 weeks. Lutein content increased linearly as DDGS level increased. The results indicated that feeding high level of DDGS can increase the content of lutein and polyunsaturated fatty acids in egg yolk, but may not affect the content of cholesterol or choline

Dose-Dependent Changes of Chemical Attributes in Irradiated Sausages

To determine the effects of irradiation on the chemical attributes of sausages, TBARS values, volatile compounds, gas compounds, and hydrocarbons of vacuum-packaged sausages were analyzed during 60 d of refrigerated storage. A sulfur-containing volatile compound (dimethyl disulfide), a gas compound (methane), and radiation-induced hydrocarbons (1-tetradecene, pentadecane, heptadecane, 8-heptadecene, eicosane, 1, 7-hexadecadiene, hexadecane) were mainly detected in irradiated sausages, and the concentrations of the compounds were irradiation dosedependent. Especially methane and a few hydrocarbons were detected only in irradiated sausages and their amounts were dose-dependent. On the other hand, TBARS values, other off-odor volatiles (carbon disulfide, hexanal), and gas compounds (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide) were found both in irradiated and nonirradiated sausages. Therefore, it is suggested that irradiation-induced hydrocarbons (1-tetradecene, pentadecane, heptadecane, 8-heptadecene, eicosane, 1, 7-hexadecadiene, hexadecane), dimethyl disulfide, and methane can be used as markers for irradiated sausages