Jonathan Frank

Web Accessibility for the Blind: Corporate Social Responsibility or Litigation Avoidance?

On September 5, 2006, a legal precedent was set for web accessibility. Federal judge Marilyn Patel sustained discrimination claims by the National Federation for the Blind against Target Corporation. She established that retailers must make their websites accessible to the blind under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Past research has indicated that eCommerce retailers have largely ignored W3C guidelines for making their sites accessible. This study examines web accessibility motivation under the lens of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A model is developed linking accessibility behavior to a retailers propensity to engage in CSR activities, the types of products and services sold, complexity of visual web content, and perceived threat of litigation resulting from an inaccessible site. Based on the model recommendations are suggested for future research. Thirty-two websites of the largest online retailers with a physical presence were analyzed using IBMs aDesigner accessibility tool for the three years before and one year since the commencement of the Target litigation. Results suggest that accessibility of sites has showed significant improvement since the Target case began.

Does Culture Matter? Collectivism, Long-Term Orientation, and Supply Chain Management in Korea

The existence of a high degree of inter-organisational Long-Term Orientation (LTO) is an important factor for developing a successful relationship among the supply chain members. Within a supply chain, a LTO fosters a better understanding by each exchange party, which in turn leads to a more cooperative relationship. This study introduces one aspect of culture: collectivism, and proposes that a collectivist culture can facilitate the development of a LTO among the members of a supply chain. Collectivism contributes directly by nurturing LTO. It also contributes indirectly by moderating the influence of inter-organisational conflict on LTO.

Advice sharing between paired users in online travel planning

There have been few studies investigating the effects of collaboration on online shopping. In this paper, we consider an online shopping scenario where the user and a partner, who are not collocated, plan the travel collaboratively. We develop a research model based on Website Trust to explain the users Website Intentions. To test the model, we conducted a field experiment with 605 individuals and a partner using LiveLook, an online co-browsing platform. A PLS analysis of the influence of advice sharing showed the following variance explained: Website Trust 20.6 percent, Website Enjoyment 55.2 percent, Perceived Control 59.4 percent, and Website Intentions 55.3 percent. We also show separate models for two different user interfaces: one for packaged travel and one for customizable travel. The resulting models show the packaged travel interface to have greater website intentions while the customizable travel interface has greater variance explained. Overall, the results shed light on the network of influences that advice sharing has in online travel planning.

An Explanatory Model of Collaborative Online Travel Planning by Millennials

This paper investigates how online travel can benefit from serving Millennials with collaboration support. We test whether the decision support of online shopping in pairs, connected by screen sharing technology, contributes to a greater intent to purchase vacation travel. We conducted a field experiment with 150 subjects. A Partial Least Squares analysis of Collaboration, Ease of Use, Trust, and Perceived Effectiveness combined to explain Intent to Purchase with 42.5% variance explained. The results shed light on the value proposition for offering collaboration support to Millennials. Future research will extend the results to other populations, task domains and devices.

On the valuation of non-transferable employee share option plans

This paper derives a model for the valuation of non-transferable employee share option plans as an extension of Mayers’ model of capital market equilibrium in the presence of non-marketable assets.

A study of Cook Islands nurses' attitudes towards electronic medical records technology

The Polynesian nurse prided herself on her ability to describe her patients pain in a one‐page hand written note to her doctor. Now, the electronic medical records system was asking her to choose 1 to 10 on a drop down menu scale. This paper analyzed through a series of interviews what it is like for nurses in the remote Cook Islands to use Western‐designed medical information systems. Their experiences were examined through the lens of social construction of learning and cultural diffusion. Analysis of qualitative interview data suggested cultural as well as infrastructural barriers to engaged learning. Future researchers are advised to consider Facilitating Factors and Cultural Embeddedness constructs when considering technology adoption attitudes of medical practitioners in remote archipelago.