John D'Ambra

Emerging factors in user evaluation of the World Wide Web

This study develops an integrative model and conceptually-based scales for evaluating the extent to which Web services satisfy information needs that arise outside the traditional organizational/work domain. Three streams of literature are considered: usage of the Web, user satisfaction with the Web, and individual performance and the impact of information technology. Based on this literature, as well as focus groups and pilot surveys, questionnaire items were developed and analyzed across three surveys. Predictors of performance included greater weekly usage, finding information on hobbies and interests, ability to find information on the Web that is current, reduced shopping cost and travel, finding otherwise difficult-to-locate information, and fun/entertainment.

Trustworthiness in mHealth information services: An assessment of a hierarchical model with mediating and moderating effects using partial least squares (PLS)

The aim of this research is to advance both the theoretical conceptualization and the empirical validation of trustworthiness in mHealth (mobile health) information services research. Conceptually, it extends this line of research by reframing trustworthiness as a hierarchical, reflective construct, incorporating ability, benevolence, integrity, and predictability. Empirically, it confirms that partial least squares path modeling can be used to estimate the parameters of a hierarchical, reflective model with moderating and mediating effects in a nomological network. The model shows that trustworthiness is a second‐order, reflective construct that has a significant direct and indirect impact on continuance intentions in the context of mHealth information services. It also confirms that consumer trust plays the key, mediating role between trustworthiness and continuance intentions, while trustworthiness does not have any moderating influence in the relationship between consumer trust and continuance intentions. Overall, the authors conclude by discussing conceptual contributions, methodological implications, limitations, and future research directions of the study.

Computer-mediated communication and media preference: An investigation of the dimensionality of perceived task equivocality and media richness

Computer-mediated communication is the foundation of networking and electronic communities. As the use of new communication technologies continues to proliferate throughout organizations, new modes of interaction between individuals and groups emerge, presenting alternative media choices. How individuals choose between these modes has stimulated much research into theoretical perspectives of media choice within networked and electronic communities. Media Richness Theory is one of these theoretical perspectives. The research presented in this paper investigates the underlying factors of Media Richness Theory, task equivocality and media richness. The results obtained provide evidence to suggest that equivocality may not be unidimensional, and that the richness of media is perceived multidimensionally in terms of the information carrying capacity of media. The findings on dimensionality of equivocality raise doubts as to the basic assumptions of this concept and media richness theory.

Development and validation of an instrument to measure user perceived service quality of mHealth

The role of service quality in fostering the growth of mHealth services has gained much attention in the academic and practitioner communities. However, empirical research in this area has been beset by inadequate conceptualization and the lack of a validated scale. This study addresses these limitations by theoretically conceptualizing and empirically validating a multidimensional service quality scale in the mHealth context. The findings show that mHealth service quality is a hierarchical, multidimensional, and reflective construct, which consists of three primary dimensions and eight subdimensions. The results also confirm that the mHealth service quality scale is more effective at predicting satisfaction and continuance in a nomological network.

Service quality of mHealth platforms: development and validation of a hierarchical model using PLS

Advancing research on service quality requires clarifying the theoretical conceptualizations and validating an integrated service quality model. The purpose of this study is to facilitate and elucidate practical issues and decisions related to the development of a hierarchical service quality model in mobile health (mHealth) services research. Conceptually, it extends theory by reframing service quality as a reflective, hierarchical construct and modeling its impact on satisfaction, intention to continue using and quality of life. Empirically, it confirms that PLS path modeling can be used to estimate the parameters of a higher order construct and its association with subsequent consequential latent variables in a nomological network. The findings of the study show that service quality is the third-order, reflective construct model with strong positive effects on satisfaction, continuance intentions and quality of life in the context of mHealth services. Finally, the study discusses the implications of hierarchical service quality modeling in electronic markets and highlights future research directions.

Understanding the use of an electronic process guide

Abstract This paper presents a case study of the installation and use of an electronic process guide within a small-to-medium software development company. The purpose of the study is to better understand how software engineers use this technology so that it can be improved and better used to support software process improvement. In the study the EPG was used to guide new processes in a software improvement programme. The use of the EPG was studied over a period of 8 months with data collected through access logs, by questionnaires and by interviews. The results show that the improvement programme was successful in improving project documentation, project management and the companys relationship with its customers. The EPG contributed to the improvement programme by providing support for the creation of templates for key project documentation, assisting with project planning and estimation and providing a forum for discussion of process and work practices. The biggest improvements that could be made to the EPG would be to provide better navigation tools including a graphical overview of the process, provide tailoring facilities, include examples and experience and link to a project management tool.

Knowledge sharing in cross‐functional teams: a coopetitive model

Purpose – This study aims to present a model that can be used for predicting effective knowledge sharing behaviors in cross‐functional project teams.Design/methodology/approach – Drawn from the extant literature, a coopetitive model of knowledge sharing is postulated. Data from 115 project managers are used to test the proposed model, using partial least squares (PLS).Findings – The findings confirm the applicability and predictive power of the proposed model. Three dimensions of cross‐functional cooperation (cooperative task orientation, cooperative communication, and cooperative interpersonal relationships) were proved to directly drive effective knowledge sharing behaviors. The results show that competition affects effective knowledge sharing behaviors through influencing cooperative behaviors. In addition, this study shows that different dimensions of competition generate mixed impacts. Competition for tangible resources was found to positively affect cooperative communication of individuals, whereas ...

Practical software process improvement - the IMPACT project

For many years now software process improvement (SPI) has been recognised as an effective way for companies to improve the quality of the software they produce and the productivity with which they work. Much work has gone into developing and selling improvement paradigms, assessment methods, modelling languages, tools and technologies. The challenge for -small-to-medium software development companies (SMEs) now is to find a way to apply these SPI technologies to realise their companys improvement goals. For SMEs the most pressing requirements for improvement paradigms are that they are not only effective but that they realise tangible results quickly, can be implemented incrementally and utilise the many existing process improvement technologies. The paper presents a framework for SPI that realises these needs. The framework is designed to utilise a range of improvement technologies and supports continuous and highly focused improvement over many projects, thus producing timely, cost-effective and tangible improvements for SMEs. The effectiveness of the framework is illustrated with its application in a small, Sydney-based, Web development company.

Improving the Effectiveness of Virtual Teams: A Comparison of Video-Conferencing and Face-to-Face Communication in China

As virtual teams become more and more important in organizations, understanding how to improve virtual team relational development and meeting outcomes is vital to project success. The objective of this study was to investigate how the dialogue technique that facilitated building of shared understanding in virtual teams can be used to enhance virtual team relational development and decision outcomes in a Chinese cultural context. The results from an experiment demonstrate that the adopted dialogue technique can indeed help team members develop their team relations and enhance their perceived team meeting outcomes. Video-conferencing virtual teams with shared mental models may be engaged as effectively as traditional face-to-face teams. Moreover, this study reveals that the dialogue technique can enhance face-to-face team outcomes. Therefore, the findings of this study have both theoretical and practical implications for helping teams develop shared understanding of effective communication and enhance decision-making outcomes in the Chinese cultural context.

Continuance of mHealth services at the bottom of the pyramid: the roles of service quality and trust

Continued usage of information systems (or, IS continuance) has proven to be a critical success parameter for ICT implementation at the top of the global economic pyramid. However, there are few studies which have explored continued IS usage at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BOP) though it represents the majority of the world’s population. To fill this knowledge gap, this study develops an mHealth continuance model at the BOP framing the impact of two post adoption expectation beliefs (i.e., perceived service quality and perceived trust). This study extends ECM (expectation confirmation model) perspective synthesizing the extant literature on continued IS usage, service quality and consumer trust. The proposed model was empirically tested within the context of mHealth (mobile health) services at the BOP, applying PLS (partial least squares) under a cross sectional study. The findings confirm that both perceived service quality and perceived trust have significant explanatory power under an integrated ECM providing superior prediction of continuance intentions. The study concludes by discussing conceptual contributions, practical implications, limitations and future research directions.