Showing papers on "Computer user satisfaction published in 2003"

User involvement: A review of the benefits and challenges

Abstract: User involvement is a widely accepted principle in development of usable systems. However, it is a vague concept covering many approaches. This study first clarifies the nature of user involvement and its expected benefits, and secondly reviews three streams of research, to evaluate the benefits and problems of varied user involvement approaches in practice. The particular focus of this study is on the early activities in the development process. An analysis of the literature suggests that user involvement has generally positive effects, especially on user satisfaction, and some evidence exists to suggest that taking users as a primary information source is an effective means of requirements capture. However, the role of users must be carefully considered and more cost-efficient practices are needed for gathering users' implicit needs and requirements in real product development contexts.

User needs for location-aware mobile services

Abstract: Mobile contexts of use vary a lot, and may even be continuously changing during use. The context is much more than location, but its other elements are still difficult to identify or measure. Location information is becoming an integral part of different mobile devices. Current mobile services can be enhanced with location-aware features, thus providing the user with a smooth transition towards context-aware services. Potential application fields can be found in areas such as travel information, shopping, entertainment, event information and different mobile professions. This paper studies location-aware mobile services from the user's point of view. The paper draws conclusions about key issues related to user needs, based on user interviews, laboratory and field evaluations with users, and expert evaluations of location-aware services. The user needs are presented under five main themes: topical and comprehensive contents, smooth user interaction, personal and user-generated contents, seamless service entities and privacy issues.

The elements of user experience: user-centered design for the Web

Abstract: The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the WebJesse James GarrettNew Riders, 2003 ISBN 0735712026 $29.99

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research

Abstract: Part I: Why Research is Good and How It Fits Into Product Development 1. Typhoon: A Fable 2. Do a Usability Test Now! 3. Balancing Needs Through Iterative Development 4. The User Experience Part II: User Experience Research Techniques 5. The Research Plan 6. Universal tools: Recruiting and Interviewing 7. User Profiles 8. Contextual Inquiry, Task Analysis, Card Sorting 9. Focus Groups 10. Usability Tests 11. Surveys 12. Ongoing Relationship 13. Log Files and Customer Support 14. Competitive Research 15. Others' Hard Work: Published Information and Consultants 16. Emerging Techniques Part III: Communicating Results 17. Reports and Presentations 18. Creating a User-Centered Corporate Culture Appendices A. The Budget Research Lab B. Common Survey Questions C. Observer Instructions Bibliography Index About the Author

Harnessing information about the timing of a user's client-server interactions to enhance messaging and collaboration services

Abstract: A system and method is provided to facilitate communication and collaboration by considering the timing of a user's activities on one or more clients via accessing, from a centralized server, information about the user's client-server interactions. The systems and methods can harness existing protocols and data exchange used in legacy client-server applications for email, making available to one or more client-side message routing applications, information about a user's interactions with email across multiple clients. Applications include considering the time since the last client-server interaction to guide decisions about if, when, and how to route messages so as to limit the mobile relay of information a user has already seen, providing information to colleagues about a user's current or past “inbox presence,” and forecasting the time until a user will have access to a device or communication channel.

User Developed Applications and Information Systems Success: A Test of DeLone and McLean's Model

Abstract: DeLone and McLean's 1992 model of information systems success has received much attention amongst researchers This study provides the first empirical test of an adaptation of DeLone and McLean's model in the user-developed application domain The model tested was only partially supported by the data Of the nine hypothesized relationships tested, four were found to be significant and the remainder not significant The model provided strong support for the relationships between perceived system quality and user satisfaction, perceived information quality and user satisfaction, user satisfaction and intended use, and user satisfaction and perceived individual impact This study indicates that user perceptions of information systems success play a significant role in the user-developed application domain There was, however, no relationship between user developers' perceptions of system quality and independent experts' evaluations, and user ratings of individual impact were not associated with organizational impact measured as company performance in a business simulation Further research is required to understand the relationship between user perceptions of IS success and objective measures of success, and to provide a model of IS success appropriate to end user development

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the End‐User Computing Satisfaction Instrument: Replication within an ERP Domain

Abstract: Over the past decade, organizations have made significant investments in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The realization of benefits from these investments depends on supporting effective use of information technology (IT) and satisfying IT users. User satisfaction with information systems is one of the most important determinants of the success of those systems. Drawing upon a sample of 407 end users of ERP systems and working within the framework of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study examines the structure and dimensionality, and reliability and validity of the end-user computing satisfaction (EUCS) instrument posited by Doll and Torkzadeh (1988). In response to Klenke's (1992) motion to cross-validate management information system (MIS) instruments and to retest the end user computing satisfaction instrument using new data, this study's results, consistent with previous findings, confirm that the EUCS instrument maintains its psychometric stability when applied to users of enterprise resource planning application software. Implications of these results for practice and research are provided.

Identifying and using identities deemed to be known to a user

Abstract: The people a user is presumed to know or be associated with may be determined using a number of techniques. This information about people that the user knows is used in relation to the user's communications. For example access to a user's online presence may be restricted based on the known people such that access to presence is provided only to those people that the user knows.

The user–developer communication process: a critical case study

Abstract: .Although user participation in systems development is widely believed to have positive impacts on user acceptance, it does not guarantee success and there is still much that we do not know about how and why user participation sometimes delivers positive benefits, but not always. Much of the prior research on user participation assumes that user–developer communication will ensure that the resulting system will be designed to meet users’ needs and will be accepted by them. The nature and quality of the communication between users and developers, however, remains an understudied aspect of user participation. In this paper, we focus on the user–developer communication process. We propose a process model that delineates four stages of communication between users and software developers, and we argue that these stages must occur for user participation to lead to effective outcomes. To illustrate our model, we apply it to analyse a ‘critical case study’ of a software project that failed despite high levels of user involvement. We show that when ‘communication lapses’ occurred in several of the user–developer communication stages, developers failed to be informed regarding the underlying reasons that users avoided the system. Based on the insights from this case study, we advise researchers and practitioners how to leverage the potential benefits of user participation, rather than take them for granted.

Extending the New Technology Acceptance Model to Measure the End User Information Systems Satisfaction in a Mandatory Environment: A Bank's Treasury

Abstract: On having implemented a new dealing rooms platform in a Bank's Treasury, the management identified a number of areas for further investigations of the end user acceptance of the new technology. Answers were sought to what extent dissatisfaction, if any, was influenced by the end users' perception of the system quality, subjective norms and computer self-efficacy. New technology acceptance models assume perceived 'usefulness', rather than 'ease of use', as a strong indicator of usage. The end user satisfaction model was developed to measure the end user satisfaction in a mandatory environment, and to test the 'usefulness' versus 'ease of use' assumption. The findings suggest that in a mandatory environment such as a Bank's Treasury, the perceived 'ease of use' was a marginal{y stronger influencer of the end user satisfaction. Demographic variables such as age, position in a company and the length of employment were other significant contributors to satisfaction. The implications of the findings for the Ban...

Measuring IS User Satisfaction: Review and Implications

Abstract: Demand for a means of measuring the success of information systems (IS) grew with the accelerated use of these systems. Defining success in this context is difficult. This paper reviews the literature on measuring IS user satisfaction, the most prevalent measure of IS success, and its implications. We present the problematic aspects of the IS user satisfaction tools, and discuss the need to develop up-to-date tools suitable for the sophisticated and complex systems developed today.

Determinants of Satisfaction at Different Adoption Stages of Internet-Based Services

Abstract: Early IS research on satisfaction investigated system characteristics affecting end-user satisfaction, relying mostly on the IS success model. More recent research, on the other hand, studied satisfaction formation in the context of web-based products and services, using the disconfirmation theory. The IS context, however, is different from the marketing context where the theory was originally developed. One important difference is the novelty effect associated with the constant and rapid advancement of information technology. Previous satisfaction studies did not account for the dynamic nature of satisfaction and the changeability of its determinants. Such variability may be more salient in the IS context due to the novelty effect. In this paper, we develop, operationalize and empirically test a model for explaining/predicting satisfaction with Internet-based services at adoption and post-adoption stages. We argue and empirically demonstrate the need to consider the evolutionary nature of satisfaction and the variability of its determinants. Our results show that desires and expectations are both important factors that need to be considered simultaneously in explaining satisfaction at adoption. The role of desires, however, diminishes significantly in the post-adoption stage. The results also show no significant relationship between post-adoption satisfaction and satisfaction at adoption. The augmented disconfirmation model resulting from this study constitutes an important step towards the development of an IS satisfaction theory that accounts for the evolution of satisfaction over adoption stages.

Privacy through pseudonymity in user-adaptive systems

Abstract: User-adaptive applications cater to the needs of each individual computer user, taking for example users' interests, level of expertise, preferences, perceptual and motoric abilities, and the usage environment into account. Central user modeling servers collect and process the information about users that different user-adaptive systems require to personalize their user interaction.Adaptive systems are generally better able to cater to users the more data their user modeling systems collect and process about them. They therefore gather as much data as possible and "lay them in stock" for possible future usage. Moreover, data collection usually takes place without users' initiative and sometimes even without their awareness, in order not to cause distraction. Both is in conflict with users' privacy concerns that became manifest in numerous recent consumer polls, and with data protection laws and guidelines that call for parsimony, purpose-orientation, and user notification or user consent when personal data are collected and processed.This article discusses security requirements to guarantee privacy in user-adaptive systems and explores ways to keep users anonymous while fully preserving personalized interaction with them. User anonymization in personalized systems goes beyond current models in that not only users must remain anonymous, but also the user modeling system that maintains their personal data. Moreover, users' trust in anonymity can be expected to lead to more extensive and frank interaction, hence to more and better data about the user, and thus to better personalization. A reference model for pseudonymous and secure user modeling is presented that meets many of the proposed requirements.

Dynamic identification of other users to an online user

Abstract: Informing a user of a large scale network dynamically of other network users includes determining dynamically an online context of the user. Other users presently within the online context of the user are identified and trait information is stored that is related essentially only to the user or to the other users in a users store associated with the online context. The user is informed dynamically of the other users based on the stored trait information, such as, for example, an age or other demographic identifier, or information indicative of an expertise, interest, preference, user type and/or other quality of the user or of the other individual.

New perspectives of satisfaction research in tourism destinations

Abstract: The paper presents important measurement approaches in the field of costumer satisfaction with services and applies those empirically for service bundles at the level of the tourism destination. After working out the most prominent characteristics of existing satisfaction concepts according to the American and the Scandinavian school of thought, the latter will be critically evaluated for its potential practical use in measuring guest satisfaction. Based on this preparatory work, the Importance‐Performance Analysis, the Implicit Importance Analysis and the Penalty‐Reward‐Contrast Analysis are implemented and show that differing satisfaction models will lead to varying results and hence, ambiguous implications for destination management. However, due to its model parsimony and methodical stringency the Penalty‐Reward‐Contrast Analysis will be retained as the most valuable instrument for measuring tourist satisfaction. The paper concludes with implications for the management of destinations and a brief outlook for further research.

Learning from Games: HCI Design Innovations in Entertainment Software.

Abstract: Computer games are one of the most successful application domains in the history of interactive systems. This success has come despite the fact that games were ‘separated at birth’ from most of the accepted paradigms for designing usable interactive software. It is now apparent that this separate and less-constrained environment has allowed for much design creativity and many innovations that make game interfaces highly usable. We analyzed several current game interfaces looking for ideas that could be applied more widely to general UIs. In this paper we present four of these: effortless community, learning by watching, deep customizability, and fluid system-human interaction. These ideas have arisen in games because of their focus on user performance and user satisfaction, and we believe that they can help to improve the usability of other types of applications.

Observing and probing

Abstract: In this paper, we discuss and compare two user centred methods applied in concept design: observation and probes. The comparison is based on findings from two case studies. In these studies, user data was first inquired and then interpreted by a multidisciplinary design team, in order to support early user centered concept creation phase. The gathered user data and the current understanding of user experience served as a base for this reflection. In order to compare the findings, a framework of user experience qualities was generated from the point of view of concept design.

The Relationship between Self-Esteem and Job Satisfaction of Personnel in Government Organizations:

Abstract: In this article, the relationship between self-esteem and job satisfaction (satisfaction from the kind and the nature of work, satisfaction from the manager or supervisor, satisfaction from co-work...

Recognizing and Predicting Context by Learning from User Behavior 1

Abstract: Summary Current mobile devices like mobile phones or personal digital assistants have become more and more powerful; they already offer features that only few users are able to exploit to their whole extent. With a number of upcoming mobile multimedia applications, ease of use becomes one of the most important aspects. One way to improve usability is to make devices aware of the user’s context, allowing them to adapt to the user instead of forcing the user to adapt to the device. Our work is taking this approach one step further by not only reacting to the current context, but also predicting future context, hence making the devices proactive. Mobile devices are generally suited well for this task because they are typically close to the user even when not actively in use. This allows such devices to monitor the user context and act accordingly, like automatically muting ring or signal tones when the user is in a meeting or selecting audio, video or text communication depending on the user’s current occupation. This article presents an architecture that allows mobile devices to continuously recognize current and anticipate future user context. The major challenges are that context recognition and prediction should be embedded in mobile devices with limited resources, that learning and adaptation should happen on-line without explicit training phases and that user intervention should be kept to a minimum with non-obtrusive user interaction. To accomplish this, the presented architecture consists of four major parts: feature extraction, classification, labeling and prediction. The available sensors provide a multi -dimensional, highly heterogeneous input vector as input to the classification step, realized by data clustering. Labeling associates recognized context classes with meaningful names specified by the user, and prediction allows

Providing software application help based on heuristics

Abstract: Help information for a software application is provided based on a user help knowledge base. The user help knowledge base includes a user help profile indicating help information previously selected by the user. Examples of data tracked for the previously selected help information include the application context in which it selected, a presentation mode in which it was presented, at least one associated help topic, and a help content format. The user help knowledge base can further comprise a user profile maintained by the software application. Based on the information in the user help knowledge base, as well as the current context of the application and/or user data entered, the help module selects help information pertinent to the user and the current context of the application. A presentation mode, for example a video mode, an audio mode or a display mode, is selected for the help information as well based on the user help knowledge base.

The Impact of Information System Personnel Skill Discrepancies on Stakeholder Satisfaction

Abstract: System development efforts depend to a large degree upon how well information systems (IS) managers, IS specialists, and IS users work together in a project team structure. Yet, these individuals frequently work under different perceptions about matters of importance to development, management, and success. This paper introduces a framework for examining IS specialists' skill requirements from a multiple-stakeholder perspective. Derived from discrepancy theory, the framework concedes that different stakeholders hold a variable set of expectations for IS personnel skill levels as well as a perception of skills held by IS personnel. We examine differences in expectation and performance expressed by each group and describe the impact of the discrepancy on user satisfaction, career satisfaction of IS specialists, and on job performance evaluations by IS managers. Results confirm that a discrepancy between an IS specialist's expectations of skill and their perceived skill self-proficiency impacts career satisfaction. Similar relations hold for IS managers and users. Since different stakeholders may hold different perceptions, satisfaction of all parties becomes problematic unless a common frame of reference can be determined.

A comprehensive and systematic model of user evaluation of web search engines: II. an evaluation by undergraduates

Abstract: This paper presents an application of the model described in Part I to the evaluation of Web search engines by undergraduates. The study observed how 36 undergraduate used four major search engines to find information for their own individual problems and how they evaluated these engines based on actual interaction with the search engines. User evaluation was based on 16 performance measures representing five evaluation criteria: relevance, efficiency, utility, user satisfaction, and connectivity. Non-performance (user-related) measures were also applied. Each participant searched his/ her own topic on all four engines and provided satisfaction ratings for system features and interaction and reasons for satisfaction. Each also made relevance judgements of retrieved items in relation to his/her own information need and participated in post-search interviews to provide reactions to the search results and overall performance. The study found significant differences in precision PR1, relative recall, user satisfaction with output display, time saving, value of search results, and overall performance among the four engines and also significant engine by discipline interactions on all these measures. In addition, the study found significant differences in user satisfaction with response time among four engines, and significant engine by discipline interaction in user satisfaction with search interface. None of the four search engines dominated in every aspect of the multidimensional evaluation. Content analysis of verbal data identified a number of user criteria and users evaluative comments based on these criteria. Results from both quantitative analysis and content analysis provide insight for system design and development, and useful feedback on strengths and weaknesses of search engines for system improvement.

Process for creating service action data structures

Abstract: A process for assisting a user to order the IT services the user wants even if the user is not familiar with the proper IT terminology or concepts. The process comprises: displaying an IT services catalog; determining if a user that wishes to order an IT service selects an option for computer assistance in selecting a service action; if a user requests assistance, displaying questions in an order dictated by a decision tree defined in advance by an IT professional, and traversing the decision tree based upon answers provided by the user via computer input devices until one or more recommendations for service actions have been encountered; gathering all recommended service actions and filling in fields in a data structure based upon answers given by said user; upon completion of step 3, or if said user does not request assistance in step 2, soliciting said user to fill in all unpopulated fields of a data structure defining one or more service actions which are either selected by the user or which have been recommended by processing the decision tree and validating all user data input.

Level 5: User refinement to aid the fusion process

Abstract: The revised JDL Fusion model Level 4 process refinement covers a broad spectrum of actions such as sensor management and control. A limitation of Level 4 is the purpose of control - whether it be for user needs or system operation. Level 5, User Refinement, is a modification to the Revised JDL model that distinguishes between machine process refinement and user refinement. User refinement can either be human control actions or refinement of the user's cognitive model. In many cases, fusion research concentrates on the machine and does not take full advantage of the human as not only a qualified expert to refine the fusion process, but also as customer for whom the fusion system is designed. Without user refinement, sensor fusion is incomplete, inadequate, and the user neglects its worthiness. To capture user capabilities, we explore the concept of user refinement through decision and action based on situational leadership models. We develop a Fuse-Act Situational User Refinement (FASUR) model that details four refinement behaviors: Neglect, Consult, Rely, and Interact and five refinement functions: Planning, Organizing, Coordinating, Directing, and Controlling. Process refinement varies for different systems and different user information needs. By designing a fusion system with a specific user in mind, vis Level 5, a fusion architecture can meet user's information needs for varying situations, extend user sensing capabilities for action, and increase the human-machine interaction.

Supporting ease-of-use and user control: desired features and structure of web-based online IR systems

Abstract: The emergence of Web-based IR systems calls for the need to support ease-of-use as well as user control This study attempts to investigate users' perceptions of ease-of-use versus user control, and desired functionalities as well as desired interface structure of online IR systems in supporting both ease-of-use and user control Forty subjects who had an opportunity to learn and use five online databases participated in the study Multiple methods were employed to collect data The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data show that users consider both ease-of-use and user control are essential for effective retrieval The results are discussed within the context of a model of optimal support for ease-of-use and user control, particularly, emphasizing on the balance between system role and user involvement in achieving various IR sub-tasks

Measuring e-Commerce effectiveness: a conceptual model

Abstract: The evaluation of user satisfaction is an established means of assessing Information Systems (IS) effectiveness. However, the advent of e-Commerce has shifted the location of the traditional user of Information Systems out of the physical domain of the organisation or business. e-Commerce businesses now have to deal with a new type of user viz. the e-Customer. Furthermore, the integral role that IS plays in delivering core business services or products implies that evaluation of the satisfaction of the e-Customer is implicitly an evaluation of service quality as well. In light of this, already established instruments that measure user satisfaction of IS in traditional (brick and mortar) businesses are not completely appropriate. The authors, building on a comprehensive literature study, derive an appropriate model for exploring the measurement of e-customer satisfaction in the South African context.

A Movie Recommendation System—An Application of Voting Theory in User Modeling

Abstract: Our research agenda focuses on building software agents that can employ user modeling techniques to facilitate information access and management tasks. Personal assistant agents embody a clearly beneficial application of intelligent agent technology. A particular kind of assistant agents, recommender systems, can be used to recommend items of interest to users. To be successful, such systems should be able to model and reason with user preferences for items in the application domain. Our primary concern is to develop a reasoning procedure that can meaningfully and systematically tradeoff between user preferences. We have adapted mechanisms from voting theory that have desirable guarantees regarding the recommendations generated from stored preferences. To demonstrate the applicability of our technique, we have developed a movie recommender system that caters to the interests of users. We present issues and initial results based on experimental data of our research that employs voting theory for user modeling, focusing on issues that are especially important in the context of user modeling. We provide multiple query modalities by which the user can pose unconstrained, constrained, or instance-based queries. Our interactive agent learns a user model by gaining feedback aboutits recommended movies from the user. We also provide pro-active information gathering to make user interaction more rewarding. In the paper, we outline the current status of our implementation with particular emphasis on the mechanisms used to provide robust and effective recommendations.