INTERNET PRIVACY CONCERNS IN THE CONTEXT OF WEB PERSONALISATION (38)

The convergence of multiple technologies such as cloud computing, mobile, the Internet of Things (IoT), social media and big data analytics are driving the creation of huge data sets and organisations are increasingly using these individuals data trails to personalise products and services (Newell and Marabelli, 2015). For example, web personalisation enables companies to tailor content for each user, based on the data collected from their on-line behaviour being product recommendations the most widely used application of web personalisation (Ho and Bodoff, 2014). Although personalisation supports business goals such as increased advertising and/or sales revenue, for customers this personalisation may represent a violation of their online privacy (Hong and Thong, 2013; Ho and Bodoff, 2014). Data privacy is broadly defined as the control that an individual retains over the collection and use of his or her personal information (Toufaily et al, 2013). More specifically, there are six factors (collection, secondary usage, errors, improper access, control and awareness) of internet privacy concerns (IPC) that have been identified with emphasis on control and awareness as key dimensions (Hong and Thong, 2013). Concerns about data privacy arise when this sense of control which individuals feel is removed, or his or her understanding of the technologies involved is low (Regan et al. 2013; Schwaig et al. 2013). It has been found that individuals who feel they have control over how their personal information is both collected and used, perceive less of an invasion of privacy, for example through website mechanisms for consent (Vegheș et al. 2012; Schwaig et al. 2013). Perceived understanding of the technologies or awareness has also an impact on data privacy concerns, a study found that data privacy concerns peaked during the rise of email and online transactions, but subsided as consumers became familiar with the technology (Regan et al. 2013). A similar impact can be expected with the rise of web personalisation and it is important to better understand the impact of internet privacy concern in today’s context of personalisation as the privacy concerns may evolve as personalisation becomes more pervasive (Hong and Thong, 2013). Research suggests that individuals are more likely to click on a personalised ad if they feel they can easily understand the advertising agent used (Ho and Bodoff, 2014). Furthermore, users’ daily online practices do not mirror their privacy concerns with the majority of them willing to disclose information in order to get discounts and offers when purchasing online or forgetting their anonymity when browsing the Internet (Awad and Krishnan, 2006; Hsu, 2012). There is no doubt about the potential benefits of personalisation of services/ products based on data analytics, however, further research is required to better understand the business and ethical implications

Aplicación de la economía de la felicidad a la economía del desarrollo

Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Finanzas y Contabilida

EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF RISKS IN IS/IT PROJECTS: CHALLENGES FOR MANAGERS

Risks in IS/IT projects are considered to have decisive effects on the success of these projects. Several researchers have identified and categorised risks in IS/IT projects into six major risk dimensions. This paper assesses the validity of these risk dimensions in light of the current IS/IT developments. An additional risk dimension related to outsourcing and new technologies is investigated. The data was gathered via an online survey tool, which provided 113 valid responses. The validity and the reliability of the risk dimensions were tested using statistical methods. The results revealed that the risk factors within the seven risk dimensions are still valid and reliable. Despite the fact, that all risk dimensions are important, this paper identifies the most significant three risk dimensions using the factor analysis. These three risk dimensions are Management, External Influences and New Technology. Notwithstanding the IS/IT developments in the recent years, it appears that the so far identified risks in IS/IT projects have not been mitigated yet. The proposed simplified set of risk dimensions might be used as a guide to identify the key risk factors in IS/IT projects. Keywords: Project Management, Risks, Information Systems, Factor Analysis

IS Alignment Factors: Dynamic Relationships At Strategic, Tactical and Operational Level

The dynamic nature of IS alignment has been recognised in literature, nevertheless most empirical studies still focus on the relationships between business and IS at strategic level. Building on previously identified IS alignment factors (IT governance, IT value, communication, partnership, scope and architecture, human resources skills) this study incorporates an empirical investigation in a large insurance organisation that examines the relationships between business and IS across different organisational levels. By measuring the level of IS alignment of five strategic projects the impact of the factors affecting IS alignment is analysed. As previously reported IT governance was found to be the most relevant factor when high levels of IS alignment are obtained. However, by examining the variations of IS alignment for each project common areas of low IS alignment were identified: understanding of IT by business, balance metrics, budgetary control and share goals, risk and rewards. Findings reveal organisational structure and the business perception of IT value as the root causes behind low levels of IS alignment within those areas. Additionally, results exhibit a bigger IS alignment gap between the perceptions across strategic, tactical and operational levels than the traditional gap between business and IS

Business-IS Alignment: Assessment Process to Align IT Projects With Business Strategy

The value of information technology has been proved to be related to alignment between business and information systems (IS). However the constant report of failed IT projects suggests a misalignment between business and IS at the implementation stage. The majority of alignment assessment approaches focuses on the strategic level and overlooks the connections with IT projects. Although research has given little attention to this problem, it has been recognized that managers must focus on IT project planning as a mediator to improve business-IS alignment. This research proposes an assessment process across different organizational levels (strategic, tactical and operational). In doing so, the strategic alignment maturity (SAM) model is used and adapted to include the assessment of IT projects alignment maturity. IT projects are considered the unit of analysis that represents the operational implementation of strategies. The assessment process proposed has been tested in an SME in order to understand its practicability and limitations. The results show that is feasible to use the SAM model to assess the IT projects alignment maturity. Moreover, analyzing alignment across different organizational levels (strategic, tactic and operational) provides a more complete picture of the organization’s alignment maturity that could facilitate the design of specific actions to improve the project alignment with business objectives

Acceptance of mobile location-based advertising: a privacy calculus model

Location-based advertising is an innovative means for advertisers to reach consumers by sending messages directly to their mobile phones which have been tailored according to their real-time geographic location. Researchers and practitioners are currently looking to better understand the consumers’ acceptance intentions of location-based mobile advertising due to the drastic growth of mobile in recent years. Drawing upon the privacy calculus theory, this study builds a research model to examine the risks and benefits influencing acceptance intention towards mobile location-based advertising. A standardised survey was designed to test the conceptual model and 252 valid responses confirmed the significance of the constructs proposed: internet privacy concerns, intrusiveness, personalization and monetary rewards

Understanding the Determinants of Cloud Computing Adoption within the UK

The evolution of cloud computing services over the past few years is potentially one of the major advances in the history of computing. There are many reported advantages to cloud computing with particular reference to the cost saving benefits, however, many disadvantages have also been reported, among them the dependency on the cloud service provider and security issues leaving organisations without clear understanding of the factors affecting their adoption decision. The growing adoption of cloud computing within the UK is predicted to be strong and it is estimated that by the end of 2013, over 75% of UK organisations of all sizes will be using at least one cloud computing service formally. This research presents an adoption model that confirms this trend from a sample of 257 participants that include mid-to-senior level business and IT professionals from a range of industries and organisation sizes. Additionally, a factor analysis was conducted to validate and analyse the eight components of the adoption model proposed. The results showed as the most important determinants for adoption of cloud computing within the UK the aspects related to compatibility, relative advantage, technology readiness and top management support