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Most IS studies take the position that the effect of critical success factors (CSFs) of IT services on user satisfaction/usage is one-dimensional or linear: the higher the influence of a CSF, the higher the level of measured performance (e.g., service satisfaction, adoption, and/or usage). Most theories and research models adopted by IS researchers, such as the theory of reasoned action and the technology acceptance model, are grounded on this paradigm in which unidimensionality is presumed implicitly or explicitly. However, sporadic arguments have been made that adequate prediction of user perceptions and behaviors is difficult when research is grounded on such a one-dimensional premise (Ahuja and Thatcher, 2005; Cenfetelli, 2004; Mittal et al., 1998). The motivators and de-motivators to use a service/product could represent two divergent concepts rather than flip sides of a coin. For instance, motivators to use a service improve user satisfaction if they are fulfilled, but their absence may not necessarily result in a proportional degree of user dissatisfaction. Likewise, de- motivators to use a service may increase user dissatisfaction, but their alleviation may not necessarily enhance satisfaction with the service proportionally. However, empirical studies that examine the dichotomy or directional discrepancy of influencing forces on the success of an IT service are scarce, making it difficult to judge the theoretical integrity of what may be called the ‘dichotomy’ view. In this article, I would like to introduce a recent research result, co-produced with Bongsik Shin from San Diego State University, to test the dual nature of CSFs. In adopting the duality perspective, we have taken the position that the influence of a CSF as an antecedent variable on the consequence variable(s) of an IT service can be asymmetric (i.e., non- linear). From the symmetric viewpoint, the association between a given CSF and outcomes remains proportionately uniform: a higher-level CSF results in a higher level of performance, and vice versa. However, if the influence of a CSF is asymmetric, its effect on the consequence variable(s) must be stronger in one direction than in the other direction. To test the validity of our theoretical position, data were gathered on post-adoption usage of digital data services offered by carriers of mobile devices (mobile data service or MDS), currently the most prevalent form of IT-enabled service. The inundation of web-based advanced data services for smart phones (e.g., iPhone), tablets (e.g., iPad), laptops, and other personal digital devices is well known. With the launch of high-speed mobile networks running 4G technologies, there has been a surge of various mobile data services such as social networking, video conferencing, streaming of movies and user-created content, and online gaming. This explosive growth trend should continue with the meteoric rise of smart phones. Two sets of empirical data (a purely self-report-based, cross-sectional dataset and an actual usage-based, longitudinal dataset) were gathered to verify the duality of the CSFs. The different types of datasets complemented each other’s weaknesses, allowing for a more generalized view of the empirical findings.

It is not too much to say that smartphones have become an essential part of our lives due to their versatility. Nevertheless, they still have less overall capabilities than their desktop counterparts. Specifically, they have small screens and low resolutions, which make their applications difficult to have a usable interface. To account for these limitations, the interface of smartphone applications should be designed carefully and properly. Good interface design to any application is critical. However, a comprehensive information systems (IS) literature review found that there has been little research on the user interface design of smartphone applications. More specifically, there has been little empirical evidence and understanding about how metaphors, an imaginative way of describing objects and concepts, in the user interface of smartphone applications affect users' intention to use the applications. Thereby, the research goals of this study are to examine 1) the effects of the metaphors in the user interface of smartphone applications on the interaction between users and applications and 2) the effects of mediating variables including the interaction between users and applications, users' beliefs and attitudes, on users' intention to use the applications. A survey was conducted to collect data. University students and practitioners participated in the survey. A 24-item questionnaire was developed on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The measurement items were mostly adapted from the previous studies in the IS literature and modified to fit the context of this study. First, a principal component factor analysis was performed to explore the inter-relationships among a set of variables. The analysis showed that most of the items loaded quite strongly on the six components. The analysis also revealed the six components with eigenvalues exceeding 1, explaining a total of 70.7 per cent of the variance. The reliabilities of the items were also checked. Most Cronbach alpha values were above 0.8, so the scales were considered reliable. In sum, the results of the analysis support the decision to retain the six factors for further investigation. Next, the structural model was analyzed with AMOS structural equation modeling. The values of GFI, AGFI, NFI, TLI, CFI, and RMSEA were checked. The values showed that the research model considerably have a good fit in general. Next, the convergent and discriminant validities of all constructs were examined. The values for the standardized regression weights and critical ration (CR) indicated sufficient convergent validity for all constructs. In addition, the square root of the average variance extracted (AVE) of each construct was compared with its correlations with all other constructs. The results supported discriminant validity for all constructs. In sum, the results of analysis demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant validities for all constructs. Finally, path coefficients between the variables were examined. Methphor was found to have an impact on interaction (β = .457, p = .000). There were also significant effects of the interaction on perceived usefulness (β = .273, p = .000) and ease of use (β = .405, p = .000). User attitude was significantly influenced by these two beliefs, perceived usefulness (β = .386, p = .000) and ease of use (β = .347, p = .000) respectively. Further, the results of analysis found that users' intention to use smartphone applications was significantly influenced by user attitude (β = .567, p = .000). Based upon the analyses, all hypotheses were supported. This study found that the metaphors used in the interface of smartphone applications affect not only the interaction between users and applications, but also users' intention to use the applications through the mediating variables, perceived usefulness and ease of use. These findings imply that if the metaphors used in the user interface of application are easy enough to understand for smartphone users, then the application can be perceived useful and easy to use, which in turn make users to have an intention to use the application. In conclusion, this study contributed not only to validate and extend Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) partially, but also to develop the construct of metaphor in smartphone settings. However, since a single empirical study cannot be enough to validate the findings, some limitations should be considered.

This study aims at empirically analyzing the relation between employees’ personality and their knowledge sharing intentions, on which enough light has not yet been shed in spite of its importance. By integrating the big five model of personality with social capital theory and social cognitive theory, this study develops six hypotheses concerning the relation and empirically tests them by using 724 samples collected from employees in practice. The empirical analysis results from this study reveal that employees’ extroversion and agreeableness are positively associated with their social relations and that their openness to experience and conscientiousness are positively associated with their knowledge self-efficacy, which are positively related to their knowledge sharing intentions. Based on the new findings, theoretical and practical implications are provided for knowledge management researchers and managers in practice.

The reason location based service is drawing attention recently is because smart phones are being supplied increasingly. Smart phone, basically equipped with GPS that can identify location information, has the advantage that it can provide contents and services suitable for the user by identifying user location accurately. Offering such diverse advantages, location based services are increasingly used. In addition, for use of location based services, release of user's personal information and location data is essentially required. Regarding personal information and location data, in addition to IT companies, general companies also are conducting various profitable businesses and sales activities based on personal information, and in particular, personal location data, comprehending high value of use among personal information, are drawing high attentions. Increase in demand of personal information is raising the risk of personal information infringement, and infringements of personal location data also are increasing in frequency and degree. Therefore, infringements of personal information should be minimized through user's action and efforts to reinforce security along with Act on the Protection of Personal Information and Act on the Protection of Location Information. This study aimed to improve the importance of personal information privacy by empirically analyzing the effect of perceived values on the intention to strengthen location information security and continuously use location information for users who received location-based services (LBS) in mobile environments with the privacy calculation model of benefits and risks as a theoretical background. This study regarded situation-based provision, the benefit which users perceived while using location- based services, and the risk related to personal location information, a risk which occurs while using services, as independent variables and investigated the perceived values of the two variables. It also examined whether there were efforts to reduce risks related to personal location information according to the values of location- based services, which consumers perceived through the intention to strengthen security. Furthermore, it presented a study model which intended to investigate the effect of perceived values and intention of strengthening security on the continuous use of location-based services. A survey was conducted for three hundred ten users who had received location-based services via their smartphones to verify study hypotheses. Three hundred four questionnaires except problematic ones were collected. The hypotheses were verified, using a statistical method and a logical basis was presented. An empirical analysis was made on the data collected through the survey with SPSS 12.0 and SmartPLS 2.0 to verify respondents' demographic characteristics, an exploratory factor analysis and the appropriateness of the study model. As a result, it was shown that the users who had received location-based services were significantly influenced by the perceived value of their benefits, but risk related to location information did not have an effect on consumers' perceived values. Even though users perceived the risk related to personal location information while using services, it was viewed that users' perceived value had nothing to do with the use of location-based services. However, it was shown that users significantly responded to the intention of strengthening security in relation to location information risks and tended to use services continuously, strengthening positive efforts for security when their perceived values were high.

Technical support of Window XP ended in March, 8, 2014, and it makes OS(Operating System) users fall in a state of confusion. Sudden decision making of OS upgrade and replacement is not a simple problem. Firms need to change the long term capacity plan in enterprise IS management, but they are pressed for time and cost to complete it. Individuals can not help selecting the second best plan, because the following OSs of Window XP are below expectations in performances, new PC sales as the opportunities of OS upgrade decrease, and the potential risk of OS technical support ending had not announced to OS users at the point of purchase. Microsoft as the OS vendors had not presented precaution or remedy for this confusion. Rather, Microsoft announced that the technical support of the other following OSs of Wndow XP such as Window 7 would ended in two years. This conflict between OS vendor and OS users could not happen in one time, but could recur in recent future. Although studies on the ways of OS user protection policy would be needed to escape from this conflict, few prior studies had conducted this issue. This study had challenge to cautiously investigate in such OS user’s reactions as the confirmation with OS user’s expectation in the point of purchase, three types of justice perception on the treatment of OS vendor, psychological contract violation, satisfaction and the other betrayal behavioral intention in the case of Window XP technical support ending. By adopting the justice perception on this research, and by empirically validating the impact on OS user’s reactions, I could suggest the direction of establishing OS user protection policy of OS vendor. Based on the expectation-confirmation theory, the theory of justice, literatures about psychological contract violation, and studies about consumer betrayal behaviors in the perspective of Herzberg(1968)’s dual factor theory, I developed the research model and hypothesis. Expectation-confirmation theory explain that consumers had expectation on the performance of product in the point of sale, and they could satisfied with their purchase behaviors, when the expectation could have confirmed in the point of consumption. The theory of justice in social exchange argues that treatee could be willing to accept the treatment by treater when the three types of justice as distributive, procedural, and interactional justice could be established in treatment. Literatures about psychological contract violation in human behaviors explains that contracter in a side could have the implied contract (also called ‘psychological contract’) which the contracter in the other side would sincerely execute the contract, and that they are willing to do vengeance behaviors when their contract had unfairly been broken. When the psychological contract of consumers had been broken, consumers feel distrust with the vendors and are willing to decrease such beneficial attitude and behavior as satisfaction, loyalty and repurchase intention. At the same time, consumers feel betrayal and are willing to increase such retributive attitude and behavior as negative word-of-mouth, complain to the vendors, complain to the third parties for consumer protection. We conducted a scenario survey in order to validate our research model at March, 2013, when is the point of news released firstly and when is the point of one year before the acture Window XP technical support ending. We collected the valid data from 238 voluntary participants who are the OS users but had not yet exposed the news of Window OSs technical support ending schedule. The subject had been allocated into two groups and one of two groups had been exposed this news. The data had been analyzed by the MANOVA and PLS. MANOVA results indicate that the OSs technical support ending could significantly decrease all three types of justice perception. PLS results indicated that it could significantly increase psychological contract violation and that this increased psychological contract violation could significantly reduce the trust and increase the perceived betrayal. Then, it could significantly reduce satisfaction, loyalty, and repurchase intention, and it also could significantly increase negative word-of-month intention, complain to the vendor intention, and complain to the third party intention. All hypothesis had been significantly approved. Consequently, OS users feel that the OSs technical support ending is not natural value added service ending, but the violation of the core OS purchase contract, that it could be the posteriori prohibition of OS user’s OS usage right, and that it could induce the psychological contract violation of OS users. This study would contributions to introduce the psychological contract violation of the OS users from the OSs technical support ending in IS field, to introduce three types of justice as the antecedents of psychological contract violation, and to empirically validate the impact of psychological contract violation both on the beneficial and retributive behavioral intentions of OS users. For practice, the results of this study could contribute to make more comprehensive OS user protection policy and consumer relationship management practices of OS vendor.

The notion of technological adoption such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been examined in various domains such as supply chain management, inventory management and health care. However, there are several unanswered questions surrounding how this technology is adopted in disaster management. This study attempts to explore the potential of RFID in disaster management. The notion of Task- Technology Fit (TTF) is deemed suitable for this purpose and thus used as the theoretical framework that is further validated by employing multiple case studies. The empirical findings indicate that there are six key factors influencing the decision to adopt RFID in disaster management. Some relate to aspects of RFID when it is put into practice, namely cost, compatibility, standardisation, implementation and locatability; while the other key factor relates to privacy and security aspect of information. It is hoped that the findings of this research will inform disaster management organizations to better plan the adoption of RFID for their operations. The notion of technological adoption such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been examined

A long-drawn out debate in the field of technology is whether it is value-neutral or value-laden. While some have argued that this debate has been resolved given the increasingly accepted view that technology is socially constructed, this is still not reflected in mainstream research which still assumes that technology is neutral. What is clear is that both views tend to be linked to studies that primarily focus on explicit forms of technology such as technological designs and their usage. These studies, though significant, may be limited in terms of an underemphasis on the process by which these technologies emerge, a process that requires decision-making activities made by different stakeholders and thus involves value judgments. In order to understand the extent of value-neutrality or value-ladenness of technologies, therefore, it is important to examine not only the final outcomes but also the process involved in technological development (including the artifacts created and used). In this study, we explored how values may be embedded in a specific IT application, and in cases of conflict of values, how they are prioritized. We did this in the context of applications development through an examination of the stages ranging from requirements analysis to coding to testing and deployment.

This study examines the dynamics of trust and distrust at different price levels. We first note that trust and distrust are built with cognitive and affective foundations, and price is viewed as a financial burden or product quality information. Then, we relate price changes to trust and distrust, and hypothesize their interactions: price as a quality cue will positively moderate the cognitive dimension of trust, whereas price as financial burden will negatively moderate the affective dimensions of trust and distrust. We surveyed 263 online mall shoppers in Korea. Among our eight hypotheses, six are fully supported and two are partially supported. The result shows that price perception interacts with both the cognitive and affective dimensions of trust and distrust, but its specific impacts are distinguished by the price perceptions, whether it is financial burden or product quality information.