Brian E. Mennecke

The Effects of Media and Task on User Performance: A Test of the Task-Media Fit Hypothesis

This research was designed to examine the task-media fit hypothesis, an extension to media richness theory that predicts the objective performance of various media for a number of task types. To examine this model, dyads communicating through face-to-face, videophone, telephone (i.e., audio-only communication), or synchronous computer-mediated communication worked in a laboratory experiment to address an intellective or negotiation task. The intellective task required that each dyad member effectively share factual information that each individual independently held. The negotiation task required that each dyad member effectively share preferences based on personal values and reach an agreement. The results of the study provide mixed support for the task-media fit hypothesis. In general, the results for the negotiation task largely supported the theory while the results for the intellective task did not support the theory. These results help to clarify limitations and provide extensions to the theory by demonstrating how variations in task processes and communication media act to mediate task performance. The implications of these results for future research and practice are discussed.

Second Life and Other Virtual Worlds: A Roadmap for Research

Virtual worlds like Second Life are becoming important tools for, among other activities, socialization, social networking, entertainment, collaboration, and business development. These environments offer information systems researchers a unique opportunity to study how these environments are built and managed by operators, how they are used and misused by users, and the impact that they have on users, communities, organizations, and societies at large. This paper summarizes the discussion of this topic that was presented at the ICIS 2007 panel entitled “Second Life and other Virtual Worlds: A Roadmap for Research.” The paper provides an introduction to this topic and offers a roadmap for research on virtual worlds based on insights offered by several academics and practitioners who are actively involved in building, managing, and using virtual worlds.

Mobile commerce: technology, theory, and applications

A Framework for the Study of Mobile Commerce NTT DoCoMos i-Mode Wireless Devices for Mobile Commerce Locating the Money Towards a Classification Framework for Mobile Location Based Services Wireless Personal and Local Area Networks The Impact of Technology Advances on Strategy Formulation in Mobile Communications Networks The Ecology of Mobile Commerce The Wireless Application Protocol Mobile Business Services Mobile Portal Factors Influencing the Adoption of Mobile Gaming Services Mobile Data Technologies and Small Business Adoption and Diffusion We Know Where You Are M-Commerce and Coca Cola M-Commerce in the Automotive Industry Location-Based Services - Criteria for Adoption and Solution Deployment The Role of Mobile Advertising in Building a Brand Wireless in the Classroom and Beyond.

The Implications of Group Development and History for Group Support System Theory and Practice

The psychology, sociology, and management literature is rich with theory on the topic of group development. Three general categories of developmental models have been proposed: progressive models, cyclical models, and nonsequential models. These models predict that group performance, member behavior, and task focus change as the group matures and develops. Groups are integral components of organizations. Group support systems (GSSs) have been created to assist groups in performing their tasks and activities. Numerous research studies have been conducted to identify key variables that influence group performance in GSS environments. Many of these studies have produced mixed and, in some cases, conflicting results. This may be due partially to a lack of attention to the issue of group development. Few studies have looked at the influence that group development and group history have on group behavior and performance. Only two GSS studies have been conducted on the effects of group development and group history on group process, performance, and efficiency. To facilitate additional research into this area, a research framework that incorporates a mechanism for representing this development process is proposed In addition, a number of propositions implied by the relationships represented in this framework are presented and discussed

An Examination of a Theory of Embodied Social Presence in Virtual Worlds

ufeffIn this article, we discuss and empirically examine the importance of embodiment, context, and spatial proximity as they pertain to collaborative interaction and task completion in virtual environments. Specifically, we introduce the embodied social presence (ESP) theory as a framework to account for a higher level of perceptual engagement that users experience as they engage in activity-based social interaction in virtual environments. The ESP theory builds on the analysis of reflection data from Second Life users to explain the process by which perceptions of ESP are realized. We proceed to describe implications of ESP for collaboration and other organizational functions.

Is a map more than a picture? the role of SDSS technology, subject characteristics, and problem complexity on map reading and problem solving 1

This research investigated how the use of a spatial decision support system (SDSS)-a type of n ngeographic information system (GIS)-influenced the accuracy and efficiency of different types of problem solvers (i.e., professionals versus students) completing problems of varied complexity. This research-first to simultaneously study these variables-examined subjects who completed a problem involving spatially-referenced information. The experiment was guided by a research model synthesized from various perspectives, including the theory of cognitive fit, prior research on map reading and interpretation, and research examining subject expertise and experience. The results are largely supportive of the research model and demonstrate that SDSS, an increasingly important class of management decision-making technology, increased the efficiency of users working on more complex problems. Professionals were found to be more accurate but less efficient than students; however, professionals who used the SDSS were no more accurate than professionals using paper maps. Need for cognition, a construct that focuses on an individuals willingness to engage in problem solving tasks, was found to be marginally related to accuracy. The implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners are presented and discussed.

Teams And Tasks. A Temporal Framework for the Effects of Interpersonal Interventions on Team Performance.

Researchers have studied interpersonal interventions as a means of increasing the performance of work teams. However, for short-term teams working on contrived tasks of short duration—a combination common in research studies—interpersonal interventions do not seem to affect team performance as much as task interventions. Yet, for short-term teams working on real tasks of longer duration and for ongoing teams, the effects of interpersonal interventions on team performance are more positive. This article presents a temporal framework of teams and tasks that predicts the expectation of benefit, which in turn mediates the effectiveness of interpersonal interventions on team performance.

Embodied Social Presence Theory

We discuss and reflect on the importance of embodiment, context, and spatial proximity as they pertain to the sense of presence obtained by individuals in virtual environments. We propose Embodied Social Presence (ESP) Theory, a theoretical framework that focuses on the embodied virtual representation (i.e., the avatar) as the nexus of activity in social interaction within virtual worlds. We review the literature on place and space, presence and embodiment and draw on theories of embodiment, feminism, and Activity Theory to frame our model. We propose that a social actor in a virtual environment derives meaning during interactions with his or her environment through actions, context, and tools and that the virtual body is a tool for mediating communication.

U.S. Consumers’ Valuation of Quality Attributes in Beef Products

A sample of U.S. consumers were surveyed in a choice based experiment in the Fall of 2005 and Spring 2006 to elicit consumers’ preferences for quality attributes in beef products. Based on the resulting data, a random coefficients logit model is estimated, and consumers’ willingness to pay for these quality attributes in beef products is obtained. The results indicate that consumers have strong valuation for traceability, grass-fed, and U.S. origin attributes in a standard rib-eye steak and are willing to pay a premium for these attributes.

Restrictive Group Support Systems as a Source of Process Structure for High and Low Procedural Order Groups

Most Group Support Systems (GSSs) have been designed to provide structure and process support for decision-making groups, but individuals and groups may have preferences for structuring group work that are not always compatible with the assumptions of GSS designers. This research reports a laboratory experiment which manipulated the degree of restrictive structure in a GSS and the preference for procedural order of the group. Performance was generally better when groups used the nonrestrictive GSS, although they were more satisfied with the restrictive environment. The results of this research suggest that preference for procedural order and restrictiveness moderates the manner in which technology-supported decision processes are used and perceived. These results have implications for the organizational implementation of current GSS configurations and for future GSS design.