Kyootai Lee

A Cross-National Comparison of the Determinants of Customer Satisfaction with Online Stores

Abstract Customer experiences with shopping have been found to vary across different national cultures. However, few empirical studies have examined the differences in the relationship of customer satisfaction in online shopping with its determinants across national cultures. This study employs Hofstedes cultural values to examine the relative influence of the determinants of customer satisfaction in online shopping across the US and South Korea. The results indicate that the levels of relationship of customer satisfaction with its determinants were influenced by national cultures. For example, time saved was found to be a more important factor for customer satisfaction for US customers, compared to Korean customers. Website aesthetic quality, risk, and customer support were found to be more critical factors for Korean customer satisfaction. The results of the study will be useful in understanding the role of culture in customer satisfaction and help provide guidelines for developing online stores with a global reach.

Empirical Investigation of Radiologists’ Priorities for PACS Selection: An Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) are being widely adopted in radiology practice. The objective of this study was to find radiologists’ perspective on the relative importance of the required features when selecting or developing a PACS. Important features for PACS were identified based on the literature and consultation/interviews with radiologists. These features were categorized and organized into a logical hierarchy consisting of the main dimensions and sub-dimensions. An online survey was conducted to obtain data from 58 radiologists about their relative preferences. Analytical hierarchy process methodology was used to determine the relative priority weights for different dimensions along with the consistency of responses. System continuity and functionality was found to be the most important dimension, followed by system performance and architecture, user interface for workflow management, user interface for image manipulation, and display quality. Among the sub-dimensions, the top two features were: security, backup, and downtime prevention; and voice recognition, transcription, and reporting. Structured reporting was also given very high priority. The results point to the dimensions that can be critical discriminators between different PACS and highlight the importance of faster integration of the emerging developments in radiology into PACS.

The role of absorptive capacity in partnership retention

This study investigates the moderating role of absorptive capacity in the relationship between the attributes of partner resources and the partnership retention intentions of focal firms. C-level executives from US software small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were surveyed to obtain data for the study. The results show that absorptive capacity of SMEs positively moderates the relationship between the uniqueness of partner resources and the intention of SMEs to retain the partnership. However, absorptive capacity of SMEs negatively moderates the relationship between the complementarity of partner resources and partnership retention intentions. The results of the study contribute to understanding the role of the absorptive capacity of a focal firm in partnership stability.

Editorial Preface: Globalization of Information Technology Products and Services

In todays connected realm it would be a cliche to say that information technology (IT) is transcending geography and flattening the world. Global community is connected by a worldwide web of internet and phone connections that permit communication via email, text messages, instant chat, and voice and video links. These technologies help share and diffuse knowledge, ideas, and news, and permit commerce across geographic boundaries. The development of enabling ITs has led to the emergence and widespread adoption of a few dominant IT products/services as de facto standards. If different groups use different products/services, they would not be able to easily communicate and collaborate, leading to a fragmentation of global connectivity. There are important forces of globalization such as economies of scale and network effects that favor the spread of standardized technologies, protocols, and applications across the globe. Such commonalities help accelerate the pace of global connectivity and promote the establishment of IT platforms.

An investigation on institutionalization of websites of firms

Websites as an IT artifact have been utilized by companies for over a decade. The structure of websites may show isomorphic patterns, explainable by the conformity of firms to institutional pressures. However, there is insufficient evidence in prior literature to confirm the existence of such patterns. Following institutional theory, we examined website structures of firms. We selected industry sectors and firm reputation levels as institutional forms. Based on a sample of 28 Fortune 500 firms, we conducted content analysis using a descriptive taxonomy provided by Piccoli et al. (2004). The results revealed 1) that websites of firms are isomorphic within an industry sector, but polymorphic across industry sectors, and 2) websites of firms do not differ across reputation levels. These results are discussed in depth, and managerial implications are suggested.