SERVICE QUALITY AND ONLINE GAMES: MODERATING EFFECT OF ZONE OF TOLERANCE

Attracting millions of users world-wide, online gaming is perceived as a profitable e-business with great research potentials. This study proposes a behavioral consequence research model linking service quality, service value, satisfaction and behavioral intentions with a central focus on the moderating effect of Zone of Tolerance (ZOT), which serves as a standard for service evaluation by forming a cognitive boundary of satisfactory service, in the context of massively multiplayer online role-playing games. The necessity of customizing conventional e-service quality measures is highlighted in order to reflect the distinctiveness of online game service attributes when undertaking empirical tests. On the basis of solid conceptualization, our research model is expected to explain the variability of online game players’ rating on satisfaction and their subsequent behavioral intentions. Lastly, several implications noted in this study are presented

Messaging Media Perceptions and Preferences: An Exploratory Study

Although a significant amount of research has focused on traditional media choice and use and even on some of the “new” media, these studies have neglected Instant Messaging (IM) and Short Messaging Service (SMS). This study offers a novel exploration of students’ perceptions of and preferences for two new messaging media (IM and SMS) in the context of the use of other traditional and new communication media (face-to-face, telephone, and email) in their university learning activities. The findings reveal media richness is rated in decreasing order of face-to-face, telephone, IM, email and SMS. Face-to-face is the most preferred medium in most communication activities. Students preferred email in a manner similar to the telephone. This study has identified the importance of media experience, familiarity and frequency of use, when selecting media. The overall findings of this study support media richness theory

Determining University Students’ Motivations for Using Computer- Mediated Communication Technologies

Motivated by the increasing popularity of computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies in university students learning, this study will explore students’ motivations for using CMC technologies in their learning. By employing uses and gratifications (U&G) perspective, this paper aims to identify dimensions of motivation in students’ CMC technology use. It also proposes that students’ technology self-efficacy and communication apprehension influence their motivations for using technologies. A three-stage research design procedure is proposed. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for both IS researchers and higher education

Understanding the Relationships between Multi-dimensional Trust and E-loyalty in E-commerce

As online shopping is becoming more and more popular in recent years, many studies have been conducted to explore the key issues involved in online shopping such as trust problems and strategies to retain customers. This study will explore the nature of trust and its relationship to consumer loyalty in E-commerce. It examines the importance of trust to consumers’ loyalty behaviour and how consumer behaviour is affected by different kinds of trust. The study also identifies the antecedents of each kind of trust. A research model is developed with several hypotheses which are proposed for empirical examination. Finally a research plan is presented and implications are provided

Normative Social Influence and Communication Media Perception and Choice: an exploration in an Individualistic and a collectivistic culture

This study is motivated by the need to examine normative social influence on media choice and by the greater concerns regarding the influence of national culture on management practices. This paper proposes that the strength of attraction to the group can influence group members’ similarity in media perception and choice. Further, this paper proposes that the degree of similarity may differ across cultures. One cultural dimension, individualism- collectivism, is used to account for the moderating impact of culture on normative social influence. Australia and People’s Republic of China (PRC) have been selected to represent two distinct cultures. Several propositions for empirical examination are proposed. Finally a research plan is presented

Understanding Technology Mediated Learning in Higher Education: A Repertory Grid Approach

Given the considerable opportunities that Web 2.0 technologies are seen to present for the enhancement of learning and teaching, understanding what motivates today’s students to use this technology in their learning is crucial. Drawing from technology mediated learning (TML) and Uses and Gratifications (U&G) perspectives, this study investigates university students’ motivations for using Web 2.0 technologies in learning. The Repertory Grid Interview technique (RGT) is used to interview 16 participants and capture their technology use motivations. A grounded approach was used to resolve eleven categories of motivations: Access and Content Control, Accessibility, Communication Efficiency, Communication Mode, Communication Quality, Course Management, Information Seeking, Interaction, Learning Capability, Managing Contents, and Self-Disclosure. The findings suggest that today’s students have different motivations for using technologies when it comes to learning

A Typology of Online Group Buyers: Using Means-end Structures for Benefit Segmentation

Given the enormous growth and significant impacts of group buying on Internet business marketplaces, this study aims to develop a typology of online group buyers based upon benefits pursued by them and develop the hierarchical decision making process model for different segments of consumers from a Means-end Chain (MEC) theory perspective. The laddering interview technique was used to interview 58 online group buying users and to capture their reasons behind the online shopping behaviour, with grounded theory used to determine categories, which were then classified into attributes, consequences/benefits, and values/goals. Cluster analysis were conducted based on benefits level factors and three segments of consumers were identified: economic shoppers, balanced shoppers, and destination shoppers. Three decision making process model were developed and compared. Both similarities and differences were identified. This study has the potential to make significant contributions to both IS research and e-business regarding consumer online group buying decisions

An Empirical Study of Multi-dimensional Trust and Eloyalty in E-commerce in China

As online shopping is becoming more and more popular in recent years, many studies have been conducted to explore the key issues involved in online shopping such as trust problems and strategies to retain customers. This study examined the importance of multi-dimensional trust to e-loyalty, the interrelationships among different dimensions of trust, and the antecedents of different dimensions of trust. A research model was developed with several hypotheses which were proposed for empirical examination. A total of 403 responses from the biggest E-marketplace in China were analysed to test the proposed model and its hypotheses using Partial Least Square (PLS). The empirical results showed that all trust dimensions had great impacts on e-loyalty and relationships existed in different dimensions of trust. This finding implied that practitioners should focus on developing an appropriate online strategy in terms of how to build up trust-based relationships with online customers