Meng Hsiang Hsu

Knowledge sharing behavior in virtual communities: The relationship between trust, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations

There has been a growing interest in examining the factors that support or hinder ones knowledge sharing behavior in the virtual communities. However, still very few studies examined them from both personal and environmental perspectives. In order to explore the knowledge sharing behaviors within the virtual communities of professional societies, this study proposed a social cognitive theory (SCT)-based model that includes knowledge sharing self-efficacy and outcome expectations for personal influences, and multi-dimensional trusts for environmental influences. The proposed research model was then evaluated with structural equation modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis was also applied to test if the empirical data conform to the proposed model.

Determinants of continued use of the WWW: an integration of two theoretical models

This study examines motivational factors influencing ones intention to continue using WWW applications. Social cognitive theory is adapted and integrated with expectancy disconfirmation theory and empirical findings from prior studies about continued use of information systems. Research hypotheses derived from this model are empirically validated using the responses to a survey on WWW usage, collected from 235 users. Results suggest that users’ continuance intention is determined by their satisfaction with prior use, internet self‐efficacy, and outcome expectations. Outcome expectation, in turn, is influenced by their satisfaction with prior use and prior perceived confirmation. This study draws attention to the substantial differences between acceptance and continuance. Implications for practice and further research are considered.

Re-examining the influence of trust on online repeat purchase intention: The moderating role of habit and its antecedents

Customer loyalty or repeat purchasing is critical for the survival and success of any store. By focusing on online stores, this study investigates the moderating role of habit on the relationship between trust and repeat purchase intention. Prior research on online behavior continuance models perceives usefulness, trust, satisfaction, and perceived value as the major determinants of continued usage or loyalty, overlooking the important role of habit. We define habit in the context of online shopping as the extent to which buyers tend to shop online automatically without thinking. Building on recent research on the continued usage of IS and repeat purchasing, we develop a model suggesting that habit acts as a moderator between trust and repeat purchase intention, while familiarity, value and satisfaction are the three antecedents of habit. Data collected from 454 customers of the Yahoo!Kimo shopping mall provide strong support for the research model. The results indicate that a higher level of habit reduces the effect of trust on repeat purchase intention. The data also show that value, satisfaction, and familiarity are important to habit formation and thus relevant within the context of online repeat purchasing. The implications for theory and practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

The impact of alignment between supply chain strategy and environmental uncertainty on SCM performance

Purpose – The right supply chain (SC) strategy is widely believed to be able to improve supply chain management (SCM) performance. Ignoring the important concept of alignment means that failures in SCM resulting from a mismatch between two or more crucial factors remain common. Accordingly, Lee proposed an environmental uncertainty framework to devise the right SC strategy. However, the proposed framework has thus far remained conceptual. Therefore, this study seeks to empirically investigate Lees uncertainty framework and examine how alignment between SC strategy and environmental uncertainty impacts perceived SCM performance.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was designed and used to collect 243 usable responses from manufacturers. A profile deviation approach was applied to compute the alignment between SC strategy and environmental uncertainty.Findings – The results of the study verify that the alignment between SC strategy and environmental uncertainty is positively associated with SCM performan...

Development and Validation of Ethical Computer Self-Efficacy Measure: The Case of Softlifting

The concept of self-efficacy is concerned with peoples beliefs in their ability to produce given attainment. It has been widely applied to study human conduct in various settings. This study, based on Albert Banduras social cognitive theory, proposes the employment of self-efficacy for investigating peoples ethical conduct related to computer use. Specifically, an ethical computer self-efficacy (ECSE) construct concerning software piracy is developed and validated. The measurement model of the construct was rigorously tested and validated through confirmatory factor analysis. The results suggest that ECSE can be operationalized as a second-order factor model. The first order constructs are termed use&keep (do not use), distribution (do not distribute), and persuasion (persuade others not to commit piracy). These factors are governed by a second-order construct of ECSE. This construct could be useful to research a wide range of information ethics in the future.

Exploring the antecedents of trust in virtual communities

Although previous research has established that interpersonal trust and system trust are critical in shaping individual behaviour in virtual settings, the two perspectives have not been examined by IS researchers in virtual communities (VCs) simultaneously. Drawing from prior literature on trust and VCs, a research model for understanding the importance of trust in members and trust in system and their antecedents in VCs is presented. Six trust-building factors were identified using three trust-building bases (calculative base, relationship base and technology base). Data were collected from 324 members of a technical VC to test the model. The study shows that trust in members and trust in system have significant influences on knowledge sharing intention. The study also indicates that knowledge growth, perceived responsiveness and shared vision affect trust in members positively, while knowledge quality influences trust in system significantly. The study discusses the theoretical and managerial implications of this study and proposes several future research directions.

An intention model-based study of software piracy

The illegal copying of software is commonly referred to as software piracy, which is considered to be one of the ethical issues of cyberspace. To this end, several measures have been tried to prevent and deter losses. One is to identify the factors that influence the piracy act. In this research, a theoretical model is developed to test the factors that would significantly affect piracy intention of information system (IS) professionals. The model is based on the Ajzens (1985; 1989) theory of planned behavior (TPB), ethical decision making theory, self-efficacy theory, and M-O-P (Motivation-Object-Protect) criminal theory. Our study shows that that IS professionals piracy acts are directly influenced by their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived deindividuation. It also shows that the attitude and subjective norms are, in turn, influenced by their ethical perception of piracy issues and organizational ethical climates.

Exploring the antecedents of team performance in collaborative learning of computer software

As teamwork becomes common in computer software learning, there is an increasing need to study factors contributing to team performance. To this pursuit, the concept of collective efficacy offers great potential to researchers of information systems (IS). Drawing upon social cognitive theory (SCT), this study examines the relationships among computer collective efficacy (CCE), outcome expectations and team performance in the context of collaborative learning. Computer collective efficacy is further divided into two constructs, general CCE and specific CCE. Their causal relationships with two other constructs, performance and outcome expectations, are then investigated using longitudinal data collected from 188 groups of students of an 18-week computer software course. The results indicate that a teams software learning performance is strongly influenced by specific CCE and outcome expectations, which in turn are influenced by prior performance and general CCE. Finally, prior performance of a group has no direct impact on its subsequent performance.

AN INVESTIGATION OF VOLITIONAL CONTROL IN INFORMATION ETHICS

The main motivation of our research is how the issue of volitional control might affect the application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to research decisions related to information ethics. Specifically, a TPB-based model provides the best fit to the sample collected for the present study. In this model, the contribution of both the attitude and perceived behavioural control to the intention is shown to fluctuate depending upon the degree of volitional control concerning the targeted behaviour. As the behaviours degree of volitional control lessens, the weighted influence of perceived behavioural control increases and that of the attitude decreases. Thus, it is confirmed that degree of volitional control concerning an ethical act indeed plays a central role in applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour to information ethics research.

Examining the role of perceived value in virtual communities continuance: its antecedents and the influence of experience

Although perceived value has long been recognised as an influential means of affecting continuance intention in information systems (IS), little attention has been devoted to explore its antecedents, which constitutes an important research issue. This study, building on prior literature on continued usage in IS as well as the resource-based view, proposed a model to address this gap. Our model suggests that perceived value, a major driving force for members’ satisfaction and continuance intention, is affected by four kinds of resources embedded in virtual communities, which are relationship resources, technology infrastructure, knowledge resources and human resources. To provide additional insights on the pivotal role of perceived value, we also postulate that experience moderates the link between perceived value and its antecedents. Data collected from 235 members of a professional virtual community provide strong support for the research model. It was found that perceived value exerts a great effect on both satisfaction and continuance intention. In addition, when different levels of experience are taken into consideration, relationship resources, knowledge resources and human resources were found to be more salient to high-experience members, whereas technology infrastructure was found to be more salient to low-experience members. Finally, this study discusses the implications of these findings and offers direction for future research.