Brandis Phillips

Which reduces IT turnover intention the most: Workplace characteristics or job characteristics?

Studies have shown that positive perceived job characteristics, such as job significance and task autonomy, tend to decrease IT personnel turnover intention. In addition, employee perception of their workplace characteristics may affect turnover. Few studies have examined this. We tested whether workplace characteristics - structural fairness, trust in senior management, employee information sharing, and job security - affected turnover intention as much as did job characteristics. We found that workplace characteristics out-predicted job characteristics. However, this was true only for programmer/analysts. The reverse was true for technical support personnel. Practical implications are discussed.

Citizen Adoption of E-Government Services: Exploring Citizen Perceptions of Online Services in the United States and United Kingdom

ABSTRACT This study presents a cross-national examination of e-government adoption in the United Kingdom and the United States. The results of partial least squares analysis indicate that disposition to trust is positively related to internet trust and government trust. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have a significant impact on intention to use. Internet trust has a positive effect on intention to use. We conclude by highlighting cultural differences in e-government adoption.

Social networks, interactivity and satisfaction: assessing socio-technical behavioral factors as an extension to technology acceptance

As the use and value of social networks continues to expand and creatively grow, the question of how to attract people to the various sites becomes an important question. This research focuses on interactivity and its role in user satisfaction with a social network site. A model is put forth that focuses on factors that help answer these questions. A survey was conducted with 164 users of social networking websites (i.e. Facebook, Linkedin & Twitter) regarding technology acceptance, marketing related factors and user satisfaction. We find that perceived interactivity (in terms of control) and level of focus/concentration do affect an end users satisfaction with a social network along with antecedents from the technology acceptance model (TAM). These findings suggest both TAM related factors and marketing related factors both impact the user experience on a social networking site.

The Impact of Information Technology Internal Controls on Firm Performance

Since the introduction of the Sarbanes-Oxley SOX Act in 2002, companies have begun to place more emphasis on information technology IT internal controls. IT internal controls are policies that provide assurance that technical systems operate as intended, provide reliable data, and comply with regulations. Research suggests that firms with strong internal controls perform better than those with internal control weaknesses. In this study, the authors evaluate the impact of IT internal controls on firm performance. The sample includes 72 publicly traded firms, 36 that reported IT internal control weaknesses and 36 that did not. The results of ordinary least squares OLS regression indicate that substantive IT internal control weaknesses negatively impact firm performance. Results and implications for research and practice are discussed.

Information Technology Management Practice: Impacts upon Effectiveness

The purpose of this research is to put forth a model that examines the impact of information technology IT related management practices upon IT effectiveness. Given the nature and use of these practices as a management activity, control theory is used as a framework to determine if IT management practices serving as controls can achieve positive outcomes. A portion of the Control Objectives for IT COBIT framework is used as a proxy for management practices due to the ability to ground the COBIT practices in previous literature and serve as IT controls. The results of a survey of IT and audit professionals suggest that the model put forth with IT related management practices as an independent second order factor, does indeed explain variance in perceptions of IT effectiveness as mediated through perceptions of IT value and perceptions of IT risk however only IT value is a significant predictor of IT effectiveness.

On search cost and the long tail: the moderating role of search cost

Abstract E-commerce researchers and managers have argued that long tail effects on pricing and product purchase are an important way in which Internet retail differs from traditional “brick & mortar” businesses. These effects have been attributed to several factors including increase assortment size and the reduction of search costs amongst others. While the Internet by its nature lowers search costs, its effect is not uniform. This study looks at that heterogeneity. Specifically, we investigate whether the role of reduced search costs in the long tail phenomenon is better conceptualized as a direct effect, or as a moderating effect. We contribute to the literature by combining the rationale from variety seeking behavior and need for uniqueness found in marketing with information systems research on search costs. Using consumer purchase information for over 16,000 purchases in a single product category, from over 4000 households, we perform a direct test of the impact of search costs on the Internet by comparing the product dispersion of purchases within homes with broadband service to those in homes with dial-up service. This study provides evidence that the conventional view that search costs directly impact consumer propensity to purchase a niche good can be improved by looking at search costs as an environmental condition which alters purchase behavior. Specifically, we find that search costs act primarily as a moderating factor for socio-economic status independent variables, altering the impact of classic consumer purchase factors.

Frequency of Usage: The Impact of Technology Acceptance Factors Versus Social Factors

The social networking population continues to expand at a phenomenal pace. Nevertheless, the question of how an organization gets people to spend long periods on a particular social networking website as well as return to the website is becoming increasingly important. Is the technological sophistication of the website or the social aspect most important? This study addresses technological and social factors. The authors examine social network use by employing a survey instrument to gather data about technological factors based on the technology acceptance model and social factors collecting data on constructs representing social involvement and the sheer enjoyment of using the social networking website. Results of the study suggest that users of social networks are more apt to frequently use a site based upon social/enjoyment factors as opposed to technology-related factors.

A Multilevel Model of Information Technology Value

ABSTRACT Traditionally, firms that dominate their industries perform better when their markets are growing. This is because their large size makes it easier for them to achieve economies of scale. We present empirical evidence that the impact of information technology (IT) on the firm performance is the opposite: firms with less market power enjoy greater benefits in a growing market. This study draws on the IT value literature to examine how industry and firm attributes jointly affect firms’ returns on their IT investments. To that end, we develop cross-level hypotheses to examine how the economic value of IT to firms is influenced by industry growth and firm size. By using a hierarchical linear model to test the industry–firm interactions, we are able to control for violations of statistical assumptions that are likely to bias cross-level estimates obtained using conventional statistical methods. The implications of these findings for research and practice are examined.