Kwok Kee Wei

Understanding customer satisfaction and loyalty: An empirical study of mobile instant messages in China

With the rapid development of mobile technology and large usage rates of mobile phones, mobile instant message (MIM) services have been widely adopted in China. Although previous studies on the adoption of mobile services are quite extensive, few focus on customer satisfaction and loyalty to MIM in China. In this study, we examine the determinants of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The findings confirm that trust, perceived service quality, perceived customer value, including functional value and emotional value, contribute to generating customer satisfaction with MIM. The results also show that trust, customer satisfaction and switching cost directly enhance customer loyalty. Additionally, this study finds that age, gender, and usage time have moderating effects. Finally, implications for the marketing of MIM are discussed.

The impact of IT capabilities on firm performance: The mediating roles of absorptive capacity and supply chain agility

Researchers and practitioners regard information technology (IT) as a competitive tool. However, current knowledge on IT capability mechanisms that affect firm performance remains unclear. Based on the dynamic capabilities perspective and the view of a hierarchy of capabilities, this article proposes a model to examine how IT capabilities (i.e., flexible IT infrastructure and IT assimilation) affect firm performance through absorptive capacity and supply chain agility in the supply chain context. Survey data show that absorptive capacity and supply chain agility fully mediate the influences of IT capabilities on firm performance. In addition to the direct effects, absorptive capacity also has indirect effects on firm performance by shaping supply chain agility. We conclude with implications and suggestions for future research.

Repurchase intention in B2C e-commerce-A relationship quality perspective

Information systems professionals must pay attention to online customer retention. Drawing on the relationship marketing literature, we formulated and tested a model to explain B2C user repurchase intention from the perspective of relationship quality. The model was empirically tested through a survey conducted in Northern Ireland. Results showed that online relationship quality and perceived website usability positively impacted customer repurchase intention. Moreover, online relationship quality was positively influenced by perceived vendor expertise in order fulfillment, perceived vendor reputation, and perceived website usability, whereas distrust in vendor behavior negatively influenced online relationship quality. Implications of these findings are discussed.

How do mediated and non-mediated power affect electronic supply chain management system adoption? The mediating effects of trust and institutional pressures

Electronic Supply Chain Management systems (eSCMS), as instances of information technologies spanning organizational boundaries, have the potential to provide operational and strategic benefits. However, the high uncertainty of adoption consequences impedes firms from adopting eSCMS. Research on how to facilitate eSCMS adoption is of significance. This study investigates how institutional and socio-political factors in a dyadic trading partner relationship affect the dependent firms eSCMS adoption intention. In contrast to prior research, we examine the confluence of institutional pressures, the focal firms trust and the dominant firms power. In particular, we differentiate power of different sources, and examine the mediating effects of the focal firms trust and perceived institutional pressures on the relationship between different types of power exercised by the dominant firm and the focal firms eSCMS adoption. Data collected from executives in China largely support our research hypotheses. Theoretical contribution and managerial implications of this research are discussed.

Conceptualizing and Testing a Social Cognitive Model of the Digital Divide

The digital divide has loomed as a public policy issue for over a decade. Yet, a theoretical account for the effects of the digital divide is currently lacking. This study examines three levels of the digital divide. The digital access divide (the first-level digital divide) is the inequality of access to information technology (IT) in homes and schools. The digital capability divide (the second-level digital divide) is the inequality of the capability to exploit IT arising from the first-level digital divide and other contextual factors. The digital outcome divide (the third-level digital divide) is the inequality of outcomes (e.g., learning and productivity) of exploiting IT arising from the second-level digital divide and other contextual factors. Drawing on social cognitive theory and computer self-efficacy literature, we developed a model to show how the digital access divide affects the digital capability divide and the digital outcome divide among students. The digital access divide focuses on computer ownership and usage in homes and schools. The digital capability divide and the digital outcome divide focus on computer self-efficacy and learning outcomes, respectively. This model was tested using data collected from over 4,000 students in Singapore. The results generate insights into the relationships among the three levels of the digital divide and provide a theoretical account for the effects of the digital divide. While school computing environments help to increase computer self-efficacy for all students, these factors do not eliminate knowledge the gap between students with and without home computers. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Social relationship and its role in knowledge management systems usage

The KMS has been widely implemented in organizations. However, its availability does not guarantee that employees have been willing to spend time and effort using it. We explored the use of KMS with emphasis on social relationship. Specifically, social capital theory was employed to establish the social relationship construct and its three dimensions: tie strength, shared norms, and trust. By studying a company that had implemented a KMS, we explored the dimensions of social relationship and its importance in the use of a KMS by employees. A theoretical framework was used to depict the antecedents of employees usage behavior. Implications for both researchers and practitioners are discussed, especially for companies expecting to exploit knowledge sharing in the Chinese business environment.

Effects of supply chain integration and market orientation on firm performance: Evidence from China

Purpose – The present paper aims to investigate the impact of two different dimensions of supply chain integration on two aspects of firm performance in the emerging economy of China. In addition, the moderating effects of market orientation on the relationship between supply chain integration and firm performance are explored.Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from a survey administered to 246 firms in the manufacturing and services industry in China. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – Operational coordination is positively associated with operational performance and business performance. Information sharing affects only operational performance; it has no impact on business performance. Furthermore, the results provide empirical support for the moderating effects of market orientation on the association of supply chain integration and firm performance.Originality/value – The current paper contributes knowledge on the value‐realizing mechanism of supp...

The effect of data model, system and task characteristics on user query performance: an empirical study

With the proliferation of end-user computing and empowerment of end users in the organizations, the user-database interface is increasingly being recognized as an important research area. A user-database interface consists of two key components: the data model and the query language. Database management system designers can manipulate these two components to produce an effective database interface to maximize user task performance. However, in order to do this, the designers first need to know the effect of the two components on end users and the interaction effect of the two components. Despite the acknowledgment of user-database interface as a cornerstone in database utilization, there is still a paucity of research in this area.In this paper, we report on an empirical study that investigates the effect of entity-relationship versus relational models, and textual versus visual query languages for user-database interfaces. A good understanding of how the data models and query languages affect the user performance will enable the database developer to choose and design interfaces that can provide effective and efficient support for end users.

How Does IT Ambidexterity Impact Organizational Agility

Organizational agility is a significant business capability. Though there have been numerous studies about the effects of information technology IT capabilities on organizational agility, there has been limited attention on the enabling effects of IT ambidexterity, namely, the dual capacity to explore and exploit IT resources and practices. We propose that IT ambidexterity enhances organizational agility by facilitating operational ambidexterity, and that the magnitude of facilitation depends on the level of environmental dynamism. We test these relationships utilizing data from a large-scale, matched-pair field survey of business and IT executives. The results confirm that a firms IT ambidexterity does enhance its organizational agility through the mediated effects of operational ambidexterity, and that the dynamism of a firms environment affects these relationships.

Promoting the intention of students to continue their participation in e-learning systems: The role of the communication environment

Purpose – Online forums are increasingly deployed as important e‐learning tools for facilitating student learning in classrooms. However, building an online forum does not guarantee participation by students. The purpose of this paper is to advance our knowledge of facilitating student participation in this context by studying the role of communication environment.Design/methodology/approach – The model was tested using data collected from a survey administered in a university in Hong Kong.Findings – Results revealed that psychological safety communication climate influenced the intention of students to continue their participation both directly and indirectly through perceived responsiveness and self‐efficacy.Originality/value – This study builds on social cognitive theory and extends the existing understanding of participation in e‐learning by highlighting the roles of psychological safety communication climate and perceived responsiveness, two communication environment factors critical to student learn...