Anthony R. Hendrickson

Research Commentary. Academic Rewards for Teaching, Research, and Service: Data and Discourse

In most institutions faculty members are expected to teach, research, and perform community service. The emphasis placed on each activity is expected to vary considerably between institutions and departments. To examine this expectation, a nationwide survey was made of both American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) institutions and nonAACSB institutions. participants rated 80 publications for their value in reviews of research performance, and responded to a series of questions pertaining to the importance of publication types on the merit compensation, promotion, and tenure processes. These results were made available to the IS community, and approximately 150 comments were obtained. The survey results and the comments suggest that there might be some convergence in expectations of academic performance a cross institutions, as research-oriented institutions require better performance on teaching, teaching-oriented institutions require better performance in research, and all institutions impose greater service demands on IS faculty.

An assessment of structure and causation of IS usage

Factors contributing to information system (IS) usage are of interest to both academicians and practitioners alike. Previous research has shown that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are two dominant factors affecting an individuals intention to use a system. Different models of the causal relationships between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and system usage have been investigated in the literature (Adams, Nelson, and Todd, 1992). Contributing to this body of knowledge, this paper reports on the analysis of three competing models of Daviss constructs: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention to use. The results indicate Davis is correct in proposing that the indirect relationship between perceived ease of use and intention to use, mediated by perceived usefulness, is an important one. In addition, the direct relationship between perceived ease of use and intention to use, is also significant. The studys findings indicate the full Davis model with all causal paths is superior to alternative nested models tested.

A multi-group analysis of structural invariance: an illustration using the technology acceptance model

Selecting the appropriate mix of functional and/or interface characteristics to achieve user acceptance has proven to be a more challenging and difficult decision than expected. While numerous studies have shown that the technology acceptance model (TAM) is useful for predicting acceptance, estimates of its structural weights are not consistent across studies. Using initial exposure data from 742 users of office suite applications (i.e., spreadsheet, database, word processing, and graphics), our research illustrated the use of multi-group analysis of structural invariance (MASI) to test differences in structural weights across population subgroups for latent variables in TAM. We argue that, for large sample studies containing latent variables, MASI may be a more appropriate test of differences for structural weights/regression coefficients than analysis of covariance. The managerial implications of the results in setting functionality and interface goals and allocating resources to continued development efforts are discussed.

Meeting the virtual work imperative

How collaborative technologies can facilitate face-to-face meetings without the need to even be in the same room.

From silicon valley to silicon prairie: a long distance telecommuting case study

The issues faced by firms in todays telecommunications environment are outlined and are discussed in juxtaposition with an actual telecommuting case study of Trade Reporting and Data Exchange, Inc. (T.R.A.D.E.), a software engineering company located in San Mateo, CA. Telecommuting was successful for T.R.A.D.E in the short term because a) required technology was widely available, b)the candidate initiated the idea and had the necessary industry and company experience, c)the organization could provide the flexible work arrangement while retaining a valuable employee, d)the employee was able to live in a geographic area of their choice, e)overall costs could be shared by the company and the employee, f)the job category was an ideal fit, and g)existing procedures were in place for communicating and managing the geographically detached worker. In the long run the employee left the company to take a job with a local software company because he missed the everyday interaction with co-workers.