Zhiping Walter

Physician acceptance of information technologies: Role of perceived threat to professional autonomy

Physician acceptance of clinical information technology (IT) is important for its successful implementation. We propose that perceived threat to professional autonomy is a salient outcome belief affecting physician acceptance of an IT. In addition, level of knowledge codification of an IT is an important technological context affecting physician acceptance. Data from a sample of U.S. physicians were collected to test the hypotheses using partial least squares analysis. Results show that perceived threat to professional autonomy has a significant, negative direct influence on perceived usefulness of an IT and on intention to use that IT. Level of knowledge codification is also an important variable. The effect of perceived threat to professional autonomy is larger for clinical decision support systems than for electronic medical records systems. Awareness of these results would help managers better manage IT implementation in health care settings.

Risk profile and consumer shopping behavior in electronic and traditional channels

This paper develops an economic model that captures consumer shopping channel choices based on shopping channel characteristics and consumer risk profiles--risk-neutral or risk-averse. Analyses of results show that after making purchases through one channel, electronic or traditional, risk-averse consumers tend to be more loyal customers than risk-neutral consumers. Further, the two types of consumers may exhibit split channel behavior--risk-neutral consumers prefer one channel and risk-averse consumers prefer the other. However, risk-neutral consumers are not always more likely to prefer electronic channel than risk-averse consumers. Implications for retailer pricing strategies are discussed.

The Sources of On-Line Price Dispersion Across Product Types: An Integrative View of On-Line Search Costs and Price Premiums

This article analyzes the price dispersion for products observed on the Internet and reaffirms the existence of substantial price dispersion across e-tailers. Comparison of advertised vs. unadvertised products reveals that predictions of search theory on advertising effect are generally not confirmed in the Internet market. Comparison of multi-channel vs. pure-play e-tailers reveals that multi-channel retailers with established brands in physical stores command price premiums in most on-line markets but not in very competitive markets like books, CDs, and flight tickets. A model is developed that uses cross-site and in-site search as search cost variables, and range of product options, product description, and product demonstration as Web site service feature variables. It is used to test when search cost variables are more salient than service feature variables, and vice versa. The results show that whether a variable accounts for variance in prices differs from product to product. Some service features enable e-retailers to charge higher prices without losing competitiveness; others do not offer price advantage because they represent lower cost structures that allow e-tailers to charge lower prices to become more competitive.

Workflow optimization through task redesign in business information processes

The academic and professional literature addressing business process reengineering points at inter-task information flow delays (handoffs) as a major source of processing errors and excessive delays in job completion times. Many of the success stories cited in the literature call for employee-empowerment and task consolidation. It means that many benefits are accrued by consolidating tasks, rather than processing the existing task structure at a faster rate. However, there has not been any systematic methodology available to determine the optimal re-bundling of information intensive tasks. Our paper presents a new powerful methodology designed to optimally consolidate tasks in order to reduce the overall cycle time. This methodology takes into account the following parameters: precedence of information flows, loss of specialization, alignment of decision rights, reduction in handoffs and technology support costs. Several application examples presented here highlight the viability of our approach and illustrate the key organizational and technological tradeoffs associated with the redesign of transaction processing activities.

A framework for data warehouse refresh policies

In a field study to explore influences on data warehouse refresh policies, we interviewed data warehouse administrators from 13 organizations about data warehouse details and organizational background. The dominant refresh strategy reported was daily refresh during nonbusiness hours with some deviations due to operational decision making and data source availability. As a result of the study, we developed a framework consisting of short-term and long-term influences of refresh policies along with traditional information system success variables influenced by refresh policies. The framework suggests the need for research about process design, data timeliness valuation, and optimal refresh policy design.

Activity consolidation to improve responsiveness

There is a long history of modeling projects to meet time and cost objectives. Most of these models look at adjusting the level of resources available to the project in order to crash the time required to complete certain activities. These models usually take the activities and the graph structure of the project as given and fixed, but in practice there is often significant discretion in how activities are defined. This is especially important when there are information flows and time delays associated with the hand-off between an activity and its successor. This paper models the choice of how to meet the time and cost objectives through combining multiple activities into one while maintaining the original activity precedence relationships. A mixed-integer linear programming model is developed for the problem, and an implicit enumeration and a tabu search heuristic are tested with a suite of problem examples.

Admediation: New Horizons in Effective Email Advertising

Using incentive-based approaches to match interested buyers and sellers.

Management issues of internet/web systems

Both rapid development and the ways they are used make managing Internet/Web systems different from managing traditional computer systems. Understanding the differences is important for developing and managing these systems.

Web Credibility and Stickiness of Content Web Sites

This research-in-progress paper investigates what makes users of content Web sites stick to these sites. Realizing that information on the content Web site is the product being offered, we integrate the view that Web is a medium with customer royalty and customer retention literature. Drawing from social presence theory, social response theory, customer retention literature, and information systems success literature, we propose that usability, information quality, Web credibility, and emotional satisfaction are antecedents to Web stickiness. We further investigate the relationship between social presence and emotional satisfaction and propose that online features such as Q&A, discussion forums, message boards, self-test, personalization, and image improve emotional satisfaction through improved social presence perception. We plan to test our results using health information Web sites.

Determinants of Service Innovation in Academic Libraries through the Lens of Disruptive Innovation

With the development of digital technologies, various disruptive innovations have emerged that are gradually replacing academic libraries in the information-seeking process. As academic libraries become less relevant to their users, it is imperative that they develop strategies to respond to disruption. We highlight the fact that the service mission of academic libraries is in alignment with service innovation and propose that academic libraries respond to disruption by accelerating service innovation. Applying the Resources-Processes-Values framework, we recommend that, to facilitate service innovation, high-level administrators become innovation leaders, foster an innovation-supportive culture, tie performance evaluations and rewards to innovation outcomes, and create dedicated innovation teams with high levels of decision-making autonomy. We also recommend that academic libraries involve their users and build partnerships with other libraries and with commercial communities to bring about service innovation necessary to respond to disruption.