Showing papers on "Computer user satisfaction published in 1991"

Test‐Retest Reliability of the End‐User Computing Satisfaction Instrument

Abstract: The development of reliable and valid measures of user-information satisfaction is becoming increasingly important to both practitioners and researchers. Measures of reliability include internal consistency and stability. Recent research has raised concerns about the stability of user information satisfaction measures. Using the test-retest correlation method, this article assesses short- and long-range stability of a 12-item scale for measuring end-user computing satisfaction. It examines the stability of individual items and subscales as well as the 12-item instrument. The results suggest that the instrument is internally consistent and stable.

The respective roles of user participation and user involvement in information system implementation success

Abstract: Consistent with the conceptualizations of participation and involvement in psychology, organizational behavior, consumer behavior, and other disciplines, this paper redefines the participation construct to distinguish its. behavioral and psychological dimensions. "User participation" is defined as the observable behavior of information system users in the information system development process; "user involvement" as a need-based attitude orpsychological state of users with regard to that process and to the resultant information system; and "user engagement" as the set of user behaviors and attitudes toward information systems and their development. A field study was conducted in a $40 billion interstate bank during the installation and conversion of an information system. A questionnaire was developed, pre-tested, and validated for internal consistency, temporal stabfity, factorial validity, and multicollinearity. Path analysis was used for theory testing (i.e., model comparison). There was strong empirical evidence to support: (1) that user involvement is something distinct from, although associated wit4 user participation; (2) that this psychological state of user involvement may be more important than user participation in understanding information system success; (3) that the behavioral-attitudinal theory of information system success @e., that participation "causes" involvement which mediates the participation-success relationship) is superior to the behavioral theory (i.e., participation "causes" success); and (4) that user engagement during the installation phase is strongly associated with user satisfaction.

Building a user model implicitly from a cooperative advisory dialog

Abstract: This paper reviews existing methods for building user models to support adaptive, interactive systems, identifies sigificant problems with these approaches, and describes a new method for implicitly acquiring user models from an ongoing user-system dialog. Existing explicit user model acquisition methods, such as user edited models or model building dialogs put additional burden on the user and introduce artificial model acquisition dialogs. Hand coding stereotypes, another explicit acquisition method, is a tedious and error-prone process. On the other hand, implicit acquisition techniques such as computing presuppositions or entailments either draw too few inferences to be generally useful, or too many to be trusted. In contrast, this paper describes GUMAC, a General User Model Acquisition Component that uses heuristic rules to make default inferences about users' beliefs from their interaction with an advisory expert system. These rules are based on features of human action and conversation that constrain people's behavior and establish expectations about their knowledge. The application of these rules is illustrated with two examples of extended dialogs between users and an investment advisory system. During the course of these conversations, GUMAC is able to acquire an extensive model of the users' beliefs about the aspects of the domain considered in the dialog. These models, in turn, provide the sort of information needed by an explanation generator to tailor explanations the advisory system gives to its users.

Management issue recognition and resolution knowledge processor

Abstract: A knowledge processing system and a method for operating same for interacting with a user of the system. The system includes a user interface for prompting the user to enter information and for receiving entered information from the user. The user interface is coupled during use to a knowledge model processor (10) that includes a Dialogue Control Interpreter (16) that provides structured messages to a user so as to elicit responses from the user concerning Imperatives of the user, Situations of the user, Knowledge known to the user, and Executive Agents known to the user. This information is stored in a User Awarenesses database (18). The Dialogue Control Interpreter operates in accordance with predetermined dialoguing Imperatives (20) to elicit, record, and access user responses in sequences that guide and motivate the user to follow predetermined sequences of thought, based on the recorded User Awarenesses database of Imperatives, Situations, Knowledge, and Executive Agents. The system further includes dialoguing knowledge templates (22) which are designed to enable the user to make an appropriate response to inquiries by the system so as to motivate and guide the user along predetermined sequences of thought.

User participation and user involvement in information system development

Abstract: Defining user participation as the activities performed by users during system development and user involvement as the importance and personal relevance of a system to its user, the authors examine the empirical relationship of participation and involvement with system usage. Based on a field survey of 74 users of management support systems and 31 users of transaction systems the following conclusions are drawn: user participation and user involvement represent two distinct constructs; the role of user participation in achieving system success may be less than has been generally believed; user involvement, as defined and measured, is a key variable for system success; and as a distinct construct, user involvement is related to more variables than user participation alone. >

Successful system development: the effect of situational factors on alternative user roles

Abstract: The authors report on the results of a field study that sought to determine the impact of two forms of user involvement, namely, user participation and user leadership, during systems development. This study sought to determine the impact of two situational factors on the effects of user participation and user leadership. Neither user participation nor user leadership was found to be related to user information satisfaction (UIS). Both forms of user involvement, however, were found to have a more positive relationship with UIS under certain circumstances. User participation was more positively related to UIS when use of the system was for decision support and when users were at higher levels in the organization. User leadership was more positively related to UIS when users were at higher levels in the organization. >

The effects of user participation on system success: toward a contingency theory of user satisfaction

Abstract: User participation is an important construct in IS research. It is also a frequently employed practical implementation strategy. However, research findings concerning the effects of user participation on system success are mixed and inconclusive. This study reviews a contingency theory of attitude change, proposes competing models and empirically tests the models in end-user computing involving multiple end-user user groups. Results lend support to the Cognition Fit Model. This suggests that managing the fit of user's desired participation and the actual amount of participation contributed more consistently toward user satisfaction than simply controlling the actual amount of participation. Other models receive only partial support.

Measurement of stress to gauge user satisfaction with features of the computer interface

Abstract: Human stress in a computer-related job situation can result from a variety of causes. A comprehensive cause-and-effect model is developed, using extensive confirmation from the literature. Then, the components of user satisfaction are defined and a conceptual measure of user satisfaction is constructed. These definitions use the same cause-and-effect relationships that were identified for user stress. Based on the conjecture that stress, or lack thereof, is an appropriate indicator of the user's level of (dis)satisfaction with a system, a measurement methodology is proposed. It is intended to determine both how satisfied a user is with an interface and what the causes of (dis)satisfaction might be. Techniques for obtaining objective indicators of the user's stress levels are surveyed. A general experimental procedure is outlined and its verification is described. The methodology is considered to be particularly important for application to critical, high-pressure jobs, such as those in air traffi...

User interface design principles for team support systems

Abstract: Companies are increasingly streamlining their business units with the apparent shifting towards team-based organizations, where a team is a basic structural unit having self-managing nature. Team members are responsible for managing both the administrative and project tasks. Consequently, there is a need to develop various team support systems that make use of computer technology to enhance the performance of teams in organizations. Because various types of interactions are required both among the members of the team and with the team support system (TSS), the user interface is one of the most critical factors influencing acceptance and successful use of TSSs. The authors identify major issues that need to be addressed in the design of TSS user interfaces and propose design principles that help in satisfying the requirements in practice. They are derived from the consideration of user interface design issues for interactive single user systems plus characteristics and development criteria for TSSs. The authors are emphasizing, in particular, the notions of user-tailorability and extendibility in the context of developing team support systems. >

Human-computer interfaces: Modelling and evaluation

Abstract: The human-computer interface is the area of contact between people and computers. Within this area, the interface component of interest is the computer software that determines the conceptual and perceptual interactions that users of the computer perform. It is generally accepted that poor interface design can lead users to experience stress, lower work rates, decreased job satisfaction and even absenteeism (Booth, 1989). Designers are not trained in human factors concepts. They may not understand or consider the user's needs or working environment. A poor interface design can lead to misuse or lack of use of the computer system. The system may include many capabilities without including the functionality needed by the user. Many times a user in this situation will discover a way to perform the needed task, even though it may be clumsy and undesirable from the user's point of view. Research in the area of human computer interface is needed. In the past, when the primary objective of software design was compilers, operating systems, and other development tools, designers of computer systems were the users or were typical of the computer users. Resultant computer systems were more likely to meet the designers' personal needs since their needs and style were used to model user requirements. Today computer users no longer are the computer professionals but are mostly discretionary users. The software designers are no longer typical of the ultimate user but are rather unique and are unrepresentative of the user (Shackel, 1985). Tools, techniques, design practices, and methodologies are required in order to build a model of how users will behave at an interface and of what users require from a system. This paper discusses two topics in this area: user modelling and task analysis, and the evaluation of user interfaces.

A user modelling approach for computer-based critiquing

Abstract: Theoretical studies and implementations of computer-based critiquing systems indicate that it is desirable to enhance that approach to better support human-computer collaborative effort. A user model will enable these systems to individualize explanations of their advice to provide better support for cooperative problem solving and enhance user learning. User modelling research in advice-giving dialog and intelligent educational systems was studied together with theoretical analyses of the limitations of human-computer interaction, and empirical observations of human-to-human collaborative effort. A framework for a user modelling component for a critiquing system was developed and implemented in a critic for LISP programs. The user models developed by the system were compared to self-assessment questionnaires completed by subjects learning the LISP language. The analyses indicated a favorable correlation and potential improvements to the framework. The user model is based on the conceptual domain model required for explanations; its semantic structure allows the system to implicitly enrich the user model contents. The significance of this work is a framework for a user modelling component that can be used for a more general class of cooperative knowledge-based systems. Additionally, using the structure of the conceptual domain model as the basis for the indirect implicit inference techniques is unique. The theoretical foundations for the work, the framework developed, and an analysis of the implementation are presented.

The impact of guidance and online help features on user interface usability

Abstract: Research is given on two specific design features of a user interface implementation in an attempt to isolate their impact on user performance. A 3*2*2 full factorial between subjects design was employed in a laboratory experiment, systematically varying the existence of nonexistence of a user interface shell and the media of help documentation (either online or written), while blocking for varying levels of user experience. Subjects completed a set of tasks using one of four user interface implementations, so the experimenters could collect and evaluate various performance and attitudinal measures. >

Ergonomy in computer aided production management

Abstract: In order to be really accepted and efficiently used in industrial environment, the computer systems must simply be understandable by the user who is not at all concerned by information technology, and therefore the dialogue between the user and the computer must be as naturel as possible, respecting the user's way of thinking and of acting. This article presents a method to design such user oriented computer interfaces.

USER PABTICIPATION AND USER INVOLVRNENT IN INlWBHATION SYSTW DEVEID

Abstract: Defining user participation as the activities performed by users during system development, and user involvement as the importance and personal relevance of a system to its user, we examine the empirical relationship of participation and involvement with system usage. Based on a field survey of 74 users of management support systems and 31 users of transaction systems, the following conclusions are drawn: 1. User participation and user involvement represent two distinct constructs. 2. The role of user participation in achieving system success may be less than has been generally believed. 3. User involvement, as we have defined and measured the construct, is a key variable for system success. 4. As a distinct construct, user involvement is related to more variables than user participation alone.