Impact of antecedent factors on collaborative technologies usage among academic researchers in Malaysian research universities / Halimi Zakaria

Research collaboration through the use of collaborative technologies has the huge potential to improve research publication performance. In order to ascertain optimal usage of collaborative technologies in Malaysian research universities, the main objective of this study is therefore to investigate significant antecedents or drivers to usage of collaborative technologies. The research objectives addressed by this study include (a) the investigation of the relationships between each of these antecedent factors of personal innovativeness in IT, task-technology fit, perceived management support, subjective norm and perceived peer usage with perceived usefulness and individual usage; and (b) the investigation of the relationship between perceived usefulness and individual usage of collaborative technologies for research collaborations. Renowned technology acceptance theories and models, namely the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, Bagozzi & Warshaw, 1989), the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985; Ajzen, 1991), the Task-Technology-Fit model (TTF) (Goodhue & Thompson, 1995) and the Technology- Organization-Environment (TOE) model (Tornatzky & Fleischer, 1990; Zhu & Kraemer, 2005) were used to form the broad hybridized research model of this study. The research model assessed the antecedents of collaborative technologies usage by looking at three critical contexts of technological, organizational, and social perspectives. The model also investigates the mediating effect of perceived usefulness on individual usage. The study used questionnaire survey method as its main data assessment instrument. Data analysis was conducted on data collected from 156 academic researchers from the five Malaysia research universities namely; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), University of Malaya (UM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The study employed the extensive quantitative approach of the structural equation modeling (SEM) method to evaluate the research model and to test the hypotheses. The main findings of this study are that (a) personal innovativeness, task-technology fit and perceived peer usage are significant predictors of individual usage of collaborative technologies; (b) perceived managerial support and subjective norm were found not to be significant predictors to perceived usefulness and individual usage; and (c) perceived usefulness is a significant mediator to individual usage in that perceived usefulness had fully mediated personal innovativeness while partially mediated peer usage. This study is perhaps one of the first to address the collaborative technologies usage in these five research universities in Malaysia using a broad extensive hybrid model to investigate influences of antecedent factors on collaborative technologies usage. The results provide practical insights on how the Malaysian higher education sector and other research organizations of not-for-profit structure could enhance on their collaborative technologies usage

Personal, social and organizational factors in usage of collaboration systems for research

This paper attempts to investigate the relationship between personal, social and organizational factors with the usage of collaborative systems for research.The target population for this study is the academic staffs of Malaysia research universities. The personal related factors are personal innovativeness and task-technology-fitwhereas the social factors are subjective norm and peer acceptance.The organizational factors are training and management support.The relationship of these three perspectives (i.e. personal, social and organizational) in relation with usage of collaborative systems is studied using a model adapted from Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) model and incorporating it with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).Data analysis presents the descriptive statistics of the respondents, the reliability and validity of the instruments used and correlational analysis of the factors.In conclusion, this paper proposes a framework incorporating these factors that are important in influencing usage of collaboration systems for academic research

The reliability and factor analysis validity of a new instrument to measure Illusion of Control bias in What-If DSS production scheduling simulation

There are several methods of accessing illusion of control that have been used by researchers.Many researchers have measured Illusion of Control (IOC)through questionnaire in experimental situations where subjects need to self report their confidence levels.The instrument developed in this paper is a 7-point Likert-styled questionnaire used together with a Decision Support System (DSS) in a production scheduling simulation has been reliability tested and factor analyzed for validity as a new instrument to measure illusion of control

Transformation in goat farming community at Mukim Batu Talam, Raub, Pahang through KTP program

A two-year Knowledge Transfer Program (KTP) implemented at Mukim Batu Talam, Raub, Pahang in 2011 had propelled the transformation of not only the efficiency in goat farming, but also the income and living standard of goat farmers and family. From an initial of ten families keeping goats as a part-time venture without any government assistance, the multi-faceted activities conducted through the KTP program attracted another twenty families to rear goats. Three of the initial ten families came out as goat farmers with high animal numbers and with highest standard of management of animals. They benefited through additional income from considerable increase in sale of goats. Well-designed hands-on field training on technical aspects of goat rearing increased their confidence level in independent execution of farming tasks such as feeding approach and quick action on animals that need special attention. The visible improvement are goats with better body condition, high twinning rates among does receiving feed supplementation, and early selling age of goats which received better feeding regime. The most glaring change is the less dependence on grass or oil palm fronds as fresh green feed. The naturally grown green biomass around Batu Talam are optimally utilised as new forms of green feeds. These plants included Macaranga species, Acacia species, Glyricidia species, and Leucaena species. This KTP program also focus on housewifes by providing trainings on sewing and cookies making. Housewifes got supplementary income from sales of home-made items. The success of this program indicated that the same approach can be duplicated elsewhere to increase the livelihood of goat farmers and family