Understanding Involvement in Technology Adoption

Adoption research often draws on frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour to explain an individual\u27s intention to use information technology (IT). Collectively these models suggest that intention to use an information technology (IT) is determined by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. However, prior research on the attitude-behaviour link often returns inconsistent results. To address this inconsistency, this study looks at the role of involvement (i.e. an individual\u27s level of interest in a technology) in explaining intention to use IT, in this case, intention to use a mobile Internet phone. The survey results showed involvement was a stronger predictor of intention to use when compared with other determinants (e.g. perceived enjoyment, perceived behavioural control) while attitude was not significant. The findings therefore suggest the usefulness of involvement in explaining intention to use where attitude may fail to do so

THE FUTURE OF IDENTITY MANAGEMENT: UNDERSTANDING CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION

The explosive growth of consumer-facing biometric technology is providing opportunities for organizations to change the way in which they identify and authenticate consumers, and replace traditional forms of identification such as usernames and passwords. For consumers, the benefits include increased account security and convenient access to services. However, these positives can be countered by issues such as concerns about privacy and security. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and prior research, this study uses data collected from 132 online banking consumers to assess the relative impacts of benefits and concerns on their attitude towards using biometric identification for their banking. Implications for practice and future research are discussed

Trust in Digital Humans

With technology advances, the interaction between organisations and consumers is evolving gradually from ‘human-to-human’ to ‘human-to-machine’, due, in part, to improvements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). One such technology, the AI-enabled digital human is unique in its combining of technology and humanness and is being adopted by firms to support customer services and other business processes. However, a number of questions arise with this new way of interacting, among which is whether people will trust a digital human in the same way that they trust people. To address this question, this study draws on technology trust theory, and examines the roles of social presence, anthropomorphism, and privacy to understand trust and people’s readiness to engage with digital humans. The results aim to benefit organisations wanting to implement AI-enabled digital-humans in the workplace

Understanding the Impact of Perceived Negative Consequences on Personal Health Information Disclosure: The Case of Ghana

In developing countries increased investments in electronic health record (EHR) systems are fueling efforts to digitize personal health information (PHI). However, in countries where widespread diseases such as HIV/AIDS are heavily stigmatized, people may not want to disclose their health information fearing that digitization may lead to privacy loss and negative consequences should unintended others know about their infection. Drawing on the privacy calculus, this study will use a scenario-based survey approach to examine the impacts of particular negative consequences (i.e. emotional, economic, social consequences) alongside trust and privacy concerns on individuals’ PHI disclosure decisions in digitized settings. The results are expected to provide insights into the impact of negative consequences and yield recommendations to practice on addressing such concerns about the privacy management of people’s PH

Changes in Post-Adoption Use of Information Systems

As organizations continue to invest heavily in Information Systems (IS) to support business processes, the under-utilization of such IS is a key concern that challenges efforts to exploit its benefits. What is most desirable is for users to engage in forms of deep use that effectively leverage the features of the IS for work tasks. But, too often users minimize their interactions with the IS. Yet for users how they use an IS often changes over time to become progressively deeper as the IS is embedded more in the performance of various tasks. To understand how IS use changes over time, this research-in-progress paper draws on principles of evolutionary change, that is, Generalized Darwinism, and reports the findings from a series of case studies

An Analysis of Personal Information Privacy Concerns using Q-Methodology

Information privacy has gained increased attention in recent years. This paper focuses on a particular aspect of privacy, i.e., personal information privacy. In this paper a conceptual framework is developed based Westin’s theory of Personal Information Privacy (PIP). Concourse theory and Q-methodology was used alongside the literature and the New Zealand Privacy Act 1993 to develop a Q-sort questionnaire. The resulting 29 statements were then sorted by 12 students (majoring in IS Security). The results indicate that for some, privacy priorities may be stable across contexts, and for others this differs, suggesting that current views of privacy (e.g. Westin’s theory) may need revising for the modern digital age. The Q-sort methodology also identified three types, each representing distinct collective perspectives on personal information privacy. These types are discussed along with implications and suggestions for future research

Information Transparency and Citizens’ Continuous Use Intention of e-Government Services

After more than two decades of development, e-Government services have become not only familiar to but also a significant part of citizens’ life. However, as the needs of citizens in using e-Government services changes, an improved understanding of citizen’s continuous use intention is warranted. This study therefore aims to explore the factors that influence citizens’ continuous use intention of e-Government services. Although, previous studies have identified several factors from a range of theories that explain the nature of continuous use intention of various technologies, they lack attention to factors that are specifically relevant to the e-Government context. In particular, the extant e-Government services literature highlights information transparency as an important factor for any governments but there is a lack of understanding about its impacts on citizen’s perceptions of e-Government services (i.e. trust, empowerment, and satisfaction). Thus, this study focuses on examining the role of information transparency in citizen’s continuous use intention of e-Government services by integrating DeLone and McLean’s IS Success Model with the concept of information transparency, and theories of continuous trust and empowerment

Identifying Key Software Development Practices in the English-Speaking Caribbean Using the Nominal Group Technique

This paper explains how a simplified process improvement framework was developed with practices from the capability maturity model integration (CMMI) model using the nominal group technique (NGT). The NGT was used to generate consensus on key software process improvement practices that are likely to lead to the improvement of the quality of information systems (IS) in the English-speaking Caribbean (ESC). We present the approach taken, the results derived, and the benefits of using this approach. NGT sessions, involving 30 IS professionals were conducted in four ESC territories to reduce and finalize a list of key software development practices that would be more suitable for ESC nations to focus on

The effect of a lifestyle intervention in obese pregnant women on gestational metabolic profiles: findings from the UK Pregnancies Better Eating and Activity Trial (UPBEAT) randomised controlled trial

Background: Pregnancy is associated with widespread change in metabolism, which may be more marked in obese women. Whether lifestyle interventions in obese pregnant women improve pregnancy metabolic profiles remains unknown. Our objectives were to determine the magnitude of change in metabolic measures during obese pregnancy, to indirectly compare these to similar profiles in a general pregnant population, and to determine the impact of a lifestyle intervention on change in metabolic measures in obese pregnant women. Methods: Data from a randomised controlled trial of 1158 obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) pregnant women recruited from six UK inner-city obstetric departments were used. Women were randomised to either the UPBEAT intervention, a tailored complex lifestyle intervention focused on improving diet and physical activity, or standard antenatal care (control group). UPBEAT has been shown to improve diet and physical activity during pregnancy and up to 6-months postnatally in obese women and to reduce offspring adiposity at 6-months; it did not affect risk of gestational diabetes (the primary outcome). Change in the concentrations of 158 metabolic measures (129 lipids, 9 glycerides and phospholipids, and 20 low-molecular weight metabolites), quantified three times during pregnancy, were compared using multilevel models. The role of chance was assessed with a false discovery rate of 5% adjusted p values. Results: All very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles increased by 1.5–3 standard deviation units (SD) whereas intermediate density lipoprotein and specific (large, medium and small) LDL particles increased by 1–2 SD, between 16 and 36 weeks’ gestation. Triglycerides increased by 2–3 SD, with more modest changes in other metabolites. Indirect comparisons suggest that the magnitudes of change across pregnancy in these obese women were 2- to 3-fold larger than in unselected women (n = 4260 in cross-sectional and 583 in longitudinal analyses) from an independent, previously published, study. The intervention reduced the rate of increase in extremely large, very large, large and medium VLDL particles, particularly those containing triglycerides. Conclusion: There are marked changes in lipids and lipoproteins and more modest changes in other metabolites across pregnancy in obese women, with some evidence that this is more marked than in unselected pregnant women. The UPBEAT lifestyle intervention may contribute to a healthier metabolic profile in obese pregnant women, but our results require replication. Trial Registration: UPBEAT was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN89971375, on July 23, 2008 (prior to recruitment)

From Big Society to Shared Society? Geographies of social cohesion and encounter in the UK’s National Citizen Service

This article explores and expands debates on the geographies of social cohesion and encounter, specifically in relation to young people and informal citizenship training. Three questions drive our agenda in this paper. First, how do certain youth spaces get enrolled into wider political discourses, functioning as geographical expressions of government visions to create a political legacy? Second, how are these spaces engineered and operate on-the-ground? Finally, how do young people understand their experiences of such spaces? To address these questions, we use the example of ‘National Citizen Service’ – a youth programme operating in England and Northern Ireland – to raise critical questions about the wider politics of spaces of informal education and attempts by the state to ‘make’ citizens and future neighbours. The article examines the rationale for this growing scheme, targeted at 15–17 year olds and designed to foster a ‘more cohesive, responsible and engaged society’. Drawing on original fieldwork with key architects, stakeholders and young people, we analyse the narratives that underlie NCS and its expansion – specifically around social cohesion and citizenship education. We explore the idea of ‘social mix’ as one of NCS’ guiding principles and its place as part of state narratives about the ‘Big Society’ and ‘Shared Society’