Jonathan W. Palmer

Web Site Usability, Design, and Performance Metrics

Web sites provide the key interface for consumer use of the Internet. This research reports on a series of three studies that developand validate Web site usability, design and performance metrics, including download delay, navigability, site content, interactivity, and responsiveness. The performance metric that was developed includes the subconstructs user satisfaction, the likelihood of return, and the frequency of use.Data was collected in 1997, 1999, and 2000 from corporate Web sites via three methods, namely, a jury, third-party ratings, and a software agent. Significant associations between Web site design elements and Web site performance indicate that the constructs demonstrate good nomological validity. Together, the three studies provide a set of measures with acceptable validity and reliability. The findings also suggest lack of significant common methods biases across the jury-collected data, third-party data, and agent-collected data.Results suggest that Web site success is a first-order construct. Moreover, Web site success is significantly associated with Web site download delay (speed of access and display rate within the Web site), navigation (organization, arrangement, layout, and sequencing), content (amount and variety of product information), interactivity (customization and interactivity), and responsiveness (feedback options and FAQs).

A theoretical model of differential social attributions toward computing technology

This paper explores the use of metaphorical personification (anthropomorphism) as an aid to describing and understanding the complexities of computing technologies. This common and seemingly intuitive practice (it “reads”, “writes”, “thinks”, “is friendly”, “catches and transmits viruses”, etc.) has become the standard by which we formulate our daily communications, and often our formal training mechanisms, with regard to the technology. Both anecdotal and empirical sources have reported numerous scenarios in which computers have played a noticeably social role, thus being positioned more as a social actor than as a machine or “neutral tool.” In these accounts, human behavior has ranged from making social reference to the device (“Its really much smarter than me,”), to more overt social interactions including conversational interplay and display of common human emotions in response to an interaction. Drawing from behavioral psychology and attribution theory, a theoretical model of the phenomenon is offered from which several propositions are advanced regarding the nature of the behavior, positive and negative implications associated with extended use of this metaphor, and recommendations for research into this ubiquitous social phenomena.� I have encountered these situations before, and in every case they were the result of human error.-HAL 9000 from Arthur C. Clarkes 2001: A Space Odyssey

The Role of Interface in Electronic Commerce: Consumer Involvement with Print Versus On-Line Catalogs

The theory of interface involvement is used to analyze the influence of physical-medium and content-presentation interfaces on consumer response. Consumer responses to print and Web-based catalog stimuli are examined. The results support interface-involvement theory, which holds that a print physical-medium interface is more effective than a Web-based physical-medium interface in stimulating consumer involvement with retailer offerings and a positive consumer response. They also indicate that media vividness and other elements of the content-presentation interface employable on a Web site stimulate higher levels of consumer involvement with retailer offerings and a more positive consumer response than a content-presentation interface of direct on-line replication of printed material. The implications for academics and practitioners are discussed.

Information Intensity: A Paradigm for Understanding Web Site Design

Information intensity (cf., McFarlan 1984; Porter and Millar 1985), regarding an organization’s products and value chain, is suggested as a paradigm that can be used to understand the marketing activities of organizations on the World Wide Web. An organization’s infonnation intensity of product offering and value chain may detennine their Web site design. Web site design characteristics, such as media richness, promotional activities, online sales, etc., may be more effective when matched with the infonnation intensity aspects of the firm.

Faculty perceptions of electronic journals as scholarly communication: a question of prestige and legitimacy

Recent years have seen a proliferation of electronic journals across academic disciplines. Electronic journals offer many advantages to multiple constituencies, however, their acceptance by faculty and university promotion and tenure committees is unclear. This research examines perceptions of faculty and promotion and tenure committee members regarding the perceived prestige and legitimacy of electronic journals as an outlet for scholarly communication.

Implementing intra-organizational learning:: A phased-model approach supported by intranet technology

The learning organization has been heralded as a proactive structure to address the amount and rate of change facing businesses today. A learning culture provides managers with the information and analyses necessary to modify their organizations to satisfy both internal and external stakeholders. Information technology has been identified as an enabler of organizational learning, yet it is insufficient in and of itself. Furthermore, the specific mechanisms to bring about learning in an organizational context have not yet been well articulated. This paper explores a phased-model implementation of learning in an organization and an intranet as the supporting information technology infrastructure that is most effective in creating and maintaining such a learning environment.

Electronic commerce in retailing: Convenience, search costs, delivery and price across retail formats

The research explores the impact of electronic commerce in retailing. Four retail formats are examined: in‐store, catalog, cable TV, and the World Wide Web. 112 products were “shopped” in the fall of 1995 and again in the fall of 1997 across the four formats.The results show a significant difference in shopping availability, time taken to shop, and speed of delivery across the four formats. Total cost of the product was not significantly different across the four formats and cost showed less variability across the formats in 1997. WWW was lowest price in 1995 and in‐store lowest in 1997. Time spent shopping dropped from 1995 to 1997 with catalog the fastest followed by in‐store, WWW, and cable TV. Delivery time also changed from 1995 to 1997, with the WWW exhibiting faster delivery times than cable TV, but still lagging catalogs. The study also suggests that there is strong potential for the merging of the three non‐store formats, given their similar structures for channel support, including telemarketing and fulfillment.

Intranets and organizational learning

The learning organization has been heralded as a proactive strategy to address the amount and rate of change facing businesses today. A learning culture provides managers with the information and analysis necessary to modify their organizations to satisfy internal as well as external stakeholders. The specific mechanism to bring about learning in an organizational context has not yet been well articulated. The intranet, however, provides organizations an infrastructure upon which information acquisition, dissemination, and sharing can be supported. This paper explores the ways in which an intranet can support all phases of organizational learning.

Emerging Technologies, IT Infrastructure, and Economic Development in Mexico

AbstractWell-articulated IT infrastructures generate a direct impact on domestic and global economic growth opportunities and have been shown to be an essential factor in reducing disparities between developed and developing economies. This paper examines the role new and emerging technologies play in supporting an IT infrastructure that may enhance economic development in Mexico.A political economy framework (PEF) is used as a conceptual foundation for understanding the impact emerging technologies have upon the utilization and transfer of technical knowledge. The use of new and emerging information technology to enhance economic development in Mexico will require applications at both macro and micro levels. At the macro level, MNC alliances for the transfer of technology, Mexican telecommunication joint ventures, and satellites for long distance educational programs are discussed as illustrations of new IT applications. At the micro-level, the Internet for connectivity, personal computers as an a comput...

Digital News - Paper, Broadcast and More Converge on the Internet

News provision in digital media is a new field in which news organizations spanning the spectre from radio, TV and print media are currently trying to establish market segments, in competition with emerged Internet-only organizations, these organizations are experimenting and utilizing the digital media. As digital media, universally accessible networked computers, are penetrating the work and leisure activities of everyday life, news providing organizations face challenges in understanding how to use the new media. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question: How is digital media shaping news provision?