J. Michael Pearson

Electronic commerce adoption: an empirical study of small and medium US businesses

By combining two independent research streams, we examined the determinant factors of strategic value and adoption of electronic commerce as perceived by top managers in small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in the midwest region of the US. We proposed a research model that suggested three factors that have been found to be influential in previous research in the perception of strategic value of other information technologies: operational support, managerial productivity, and strategic decision aids. Inspired by the technology acceptance model and other relevant research in the area, we also identified four factors that influence electronic commerce adoption: organizational readiness, external pressure, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness. We hypothesized a causal link between the perceived strategic value of electronic commerce and electronic commerce adoption. To validate the research model, we collected data from top managers/owners of SME by using an Internet survey.

An exploratory study into factors of service quality for application service providers

An examination of the services offered by application service providers (ASPs) indicates that their current service quality needs to be improved to satisfy current and future clients. This study attempted to fulfill this need by identifying the dimensions of service quality for the ASP industry through both qualitative and quantitative approaches. As a result, seven dimensions were identified (features, availability, reliability, assurance, empathy, conformance, and security). In addition, an initial checklist was developed to help ASPs assess and diagnose their service quality performance. Some insights and implications to the ASP practitioners were also discussed.

An Exploratory Study Into The Adoption of Internet Banking in a Developing Country: Malaysia

ABSTRACT In this study, we extend the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) by incorporating trust and examining its impact on an individuals intention to adopt Internet banking. A majority of the technology adoption research has been completed in developed countries such as the U.S. Overall, the results indicate that the proposed model provides a good understanding of factors that influence the intention to use Internet banking. From a theoretical perspective, the findings help further our understanding of the constructs that impact technology adoption in an under researched area: developing countries. It also confirms the multidimensionality of trust and its role in the adoption of Internet banking. From a practical perspective, the findings can help banks who wish to offer Internet banking services make informed decisions about what actions they can take to increase their chances of success.

Integrating website usability with the electronic commerce acceptance model

This paper analyses the role of website usability in a B2C electronic commerce environment. The authors identify dimensions of website usability that have been examined in the literature and integrate those usability dimensions within an electronic commerce acceptance model using an e-commerce simulation. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationship between several website usability and e-commerce variables (design credibility, content, interactivity, navigability, responsiveness, download delay, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and satisfaction with design) as well as trust, perceived risk, and intention to transact. The results demonstrate that website usability does influence several outcomes that are important for businesses to attract and retain customers.

Information security management objectives and practices: a parsimonious framework

Purpose – As part of their continuing efforts to establish effective information security management (ISM) practices, information security researchers and practitioners have proposed and developed many different information security standards and guidelines. Building on these previous efforts, the purpose of this study is to put forth a framework for ISM.Design/methodology/approach – This framework is derived from the development of an a priori set of objectives and practices as suggested by literature, standards, and reports found in academia and practice; the refinement of these objectives and practices based on survey data obtained from 354 certified information security professionals; and the examination of interrelationships between the objectives and practices.Findings – The empirical analysis suggests: four factors (information integrity, confidentiality, accountability, and availability) serve as critical information security objectives; most of the security areas and items covered under ISO 17799...

Determining the importance of key criteria in web usability

Purpose – This research aims to investigate the relative importance of five key criteria in assessing web usability. These criteria are navigation, download speed, personalization, ease of use, and accessibility. It is believed that these factors play a significant role in assessing web usability.Design/methodology/approach – This study utilized a scenario‐based, multi‐criteria decision‐making approach. The method (policy capturing) utilizes multiple scenarios to determine the relative importance of the criteria of interest. Based on the responses to these scenarios (assessing web usability), linear regressions, and Tukeys honestly significant differences were utilized to determine the relative importance of the five web usability criteria.Findings – The research indicated that, as expected, ease of use was the criteria that the respondents considered most important in assessing web usability. Interestingly, personalization and customization was consistently reported as the least important criteria. It w...

The effects of sanctions and stigmas on cyberloafing

Cyberloafing has become a pervasive problem for many organizations and some researchers have suggested that a deterrence approach utilizing acceptable use policies for Internet-based applications coupled with mechanisms designed to monitor employee Internet usage and detect unauthorized usage can be an effective way to reduce it. However, the results of studies that have examined the effects of acceptable use policies and detection mechanisms on reducing cyberloafing are mixed. This study attempts to reconcile those inconsistencies by using an experiment to show that the deterrence model affects various types of cyberloafing differently. The results reveal that individually, threats termination and detection mechanisms are effective deterrents against activities like viewing pornography, managing personal finances, and personal shopping, but must be coupled together and actively enforced to dissuade activities like personal emailing and social networking.

Taken on Faith? The Impact of Uncertainty, Knowledge Relatedness, and Richness of Information on Entrepreneurial Opportunity Exploitation

This article develops a theoretical model that suggests that differential levels of uncertainty, knowledge relatedness, and richness of information will have a substantial impact on the decision to engage in entrepreneurship. Effects of the individual differences fear of failure and general self-efficacy are also considered. Using a metric conjoint methodology, respondents are asked to evaluate a series of profiles with different levels of each attribute and then indicate their willingness to invest in an entrepreneurial opportunity. This approach allows for the calculation of main and interaction effects as well as the importance of each factor in the investment decision. Results indicated that all three factors and their interactions play a significant role in the decision to engage in entrepreneurial action. The degree of opportunity-related uncertainty was found to be the most important factor in the decision-making process.

Gender-Based Communication Styles, Trust, and Satisfaction in Virtual Teams

Previous studies have identified the difficulty of communicating in virtual teams. The lack of media richness, or opportunity for using non-verbal cues, leads to misunderstood communications and may limit the development of trust. Studies have also shown that males and females are socialized to communicate differently. Males use communication in teams to establish dominance and position while females use it to establish relationships and gain trust. In this study, we analyzed whether the gender of individual team members or the gender composition of the team impacted trust and satisfaction in short-duration virtual teams. Expectedly, females reported higher trust than males. However, team gender composition did not impact trust or satisfaction. The findings also indicate that males had less ability to dominate team interaction and that asynchronous computer mediated communication could equalize interactions among male and female team members.

Profiling Cyber-Slackers in the Workplace: Demographic, Cultural, and Workplace Factors

ABSTRACT Internet abuse in the workplace (a.k.a. cyber-slacking) has become a pervasive problem for employers. When employees abuse the Internet through activities like online gaming, online shopping, personal investment managing, personal emailing, chatting, media watching and viewing pornography, they waste work time and reduce available bandwidth. Existing research has failed to build consensus about who is most likely to cyber-slack. This study examines individuals from the United States, Asia, and India and develops clusters of typical patterns of cyber-slacking and examines the impact of demographic and work related factors on predicting individual cluster membership. The results reveal that young executives are the most likely to cyber-slack and a further qualitative analysis reveals that the pressure of their jobs are compelling them to look for stress relievers and the Internet is an easy resource. In addition, young executives high degree of autonomy also appears to perpetuate their propensity to cyber-slack.