Search results

Examines how perceived knowledge quality influences researchers' satisfaction with academic social media (ASM) site use, perceived learning from use, and loyalty toward the site.

Built upon the theoretical grounding of the information system success framework, it was hypothesized that satisfaction, perceived learning, and loyal behavior toward an ASM site are all functions of the perceived quality of knowledge obtained. Data were collected by online survey from 348 researchers registered on ResearchGate and subjected to SmartPLS structural equation modeling, bootstrapping, and blindfolding.

The hypothesized relationships were supported. Perceived knowledge quality significantly influences researchers' satisfaction with ASM site use, and satisfaction affects perceived learning and researchers' loyalty with the ASM site.

Identification of the relationship between perceived knowledge quality and ASM site success extends the study of ASM sites from description of usage patterns to understanding the effect of content quality on important outcomes of use.

ASM sites rely on the quality of knowledge contributed by their members for satisfaction, loyalty, and perceptions of value. The ongoing success of an ASM requires directed attention to quality knowledge provision.

This paper contributes a simplified DeLone & McLean information system success framework for studies of content quality. It also provides fresh insights into ASM site usage through a focus on the role of perceived knowledge quality in forming satisfaction, learning, and loyalty.

The purpose of this paper is to present brief YouTube life stories to learn about how extensive users experience YouTube use and manage (or fail to manage) their use. It also explores the consequences of different types of extensive use.

In this paper, a biographical approach was used. Nine students who used YouTube for two or more hours every day were guided to tell life stories of their introduction to YouTube, subsequent use and critical events associated with YouTube use. Thematic analysis distinguished between non-problematic, compulsive and addicted users. Three single case life stories illustrate the experiences of users in each category.

These extensive YouTube users tell similar stories of informal learning from early interaction with the platform. For some, extensive YouTube use became problematic; for others, it remained functional. Similar to other social platforms, users unable to regulate use became compulsive users and some users can become addicted. While the symptoms of YouTube addiction are similar to other online addictions, compulsive YouTube use is driven more by algorithm-generated content chaining than overt social interaction.

The paper introduces life stories as a way to present case studies of social media use. The distinction between extensive, but functional, and problematic YouTube use illustrates how extensive social media use is not necessarily dysfunctional. User education for self-regulation of YouTube use is recommended.

Examines changes in experience and confidence among students taking their first Internet course at university between 1994 and 2000 in a country with high Internet use. Time series show that the number of participants who had used the Internet before commencing university has increased so it is now rare to encounter a student with no prior experience. While almost all new students are experienced and confident users of e‐mail and the WWW, not all have used search engines, and exposure to new and advanced tools is limited. Very few have built a Web page. The first Internet course at universities in countries with high Internet penetration should develop students’ understanding of the Internet as it is used in everyday life by developing knowledge of the Internet’s history and development, advanced skills in Internet use, and the knowledge required to evaluate the potential of new Internet technologies and applications.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how the intermediation of an online agent in the relationship between prospective clients and professional service providers affects individual purchasing processes and decisions, and satisfaction with the professional service provider once the commercial transaction is concluded.

Drawing on the integrated trust-technology acceptance model, modified to include two additional variables to take into account of the specificities of the context investigated – users’ perceived reduction of information asymmetry and satisfaction with the professional service provider – a research framework is developed and tested with a research design combining a decision tree procedure with structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis. Participants are 188 users of an Italian website which incorporates an online agent that refers notaries to prospective clients.

Decisions to purchase professional services brokered by online agents depend upon trust in the agent, and users’ perceptions of the agent’s ability to reduce information asymmetry, as well as its perceived usefulness. Online agents for professional services can be effective as well as efficient: users who bought the service from an agent-referred notary had higher levels of satisfaction with their professional service provider than users who purchased the service from a different notary.

This is the first empirical effort to investigate the effects of online agents in the specific context of professional service purchasing. The uniqueness of the research context permitted identification of a new type of online agent, the “double-sided online referral agent”.

There is a long-standing debate on whether the entrepreneurship education program (EEP) of university graduates can promote entrepreneurship intention and behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to use the theory of planned behaviour as a conceptual framework and compare the differences in entrepreneurial attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intentions among students who participated in entrepreneurship education with a control group of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students in Pakistan. The study further examines what drives intentions between the two groups.

Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from 348 entrepreneurship students and 329 MBAs in their final year (both groups did a total of four years’ tertiary study). One-way analysis of variance test and regression analysis were used to examine the differences and the antecedents of entrepreneurship intention between the two groups.

MBAs have higher entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) than EEP students and the EIs are statistically significant. Nevertheless, the authors did not find any differences in attitude, perceived control behaviour and subjective norms towards entrepreneurship in both the groups. The entrepreneurship intentions of the MBA students are more influenced by social pressure as opposed to EEP students who are influenced by perceived control behaviours.

First, although the study introduced a control group, comparisons were based only on EIs and their antecedents in participants’ final year of study. This cross-sectional design provides no information about how much intentions and antecedents changed over time. A longitudinal study would provide information about such changes. Second, the groups in the study were matched in terms of gender, age distribution, family background, years of study and presumed disposition towards running their business. It would be useful if future comparative and longitudinal research measured these individual factors and their effects.

Educational activities render the starting of a business desirable and feasible by changing the attitudes and intentions. Nevertheless, various exposures to the challenges of being an entrepreneur via the education programmes may lower their intention to be entrepreneurs. As such, entrepreneurial programmes should be designed with care.

The study provides some insights on improving EIs especially in understanding the antecedents that are important for nations, such as Pakistan which has high unemployment and widespread poverty.

This study provides fresh evidence on the role of entrepreneurship education by comparing EIs and the cognitive antecedents of intentions of the two groups – entrepreneurship as well as MBA students.

This paper investigates the extent to which six factors drawn from the theory and practice of knowledge management can be applied in small organisations. The factors are: balance between need and cost of knowledge acquisition; the extent to which knowledge originates in the external environment; internal knowledge processing; internal knowledge storage; use and deployment of knowledge within the organisation; and attention to human resources. Three cases demonstrate that the fundamental concepts and principles of knowledge management are similar for small and large organisations. Differences include the value placed on systematic knowledge management practices such as formalised environmental scanning and computer‐based knowledge sharing systems. Consultants, and library and information professionals, are advised to understand the organisation’s management and communication culture; emphasise simple and inexpensive systems integrated into everyday practice; and establish and monitor adherence to tools such as records management schedules. Information professionals can contribute much by managing systems which use vocabularies to enhance information retrieval for knowledge sharing.

This paper examines factors to be considered in the management of technological change in libraries and information services. The factors include the organisational climate or ‘environment for change’ and other factors that are specific to introduction of a new product, system or service. The author concentrates on the need for energetic, authoritative leadership; clear goals: the commitment of users, staff and management: timing; and resources. The importance of consultation, attention to political processes and communicating (or ‘marketing’) the change is stressed.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/10662249610152320. When citing the article, please cite: Jane E. Klobas, (1996), “Networked information resources: electronic opportunities for users and librarians”, Internet Research, Vol. 6 Iss: 4, pp. 53 - 62.

Examines social influences on Internet use and training based primarily on the results of longitudinal research with adult Internet trainees in Iceland. The authors briefly discuss the theoretical context before outlining the research and its findings. Social influences included the effect of family and friends, employers, professional colleagues, the media, and a general sense that, increasingly, “everybody” is expected to be able to use the Internet. In this context, librarians and the managers of libraries and information services are experts who are best placed to exert their influence on attitudes to the Internet by providing recommendations, demonstrations, and training about the Internet as a source of information and knowledge.

Many of the activities people perform with the Internet are new, and possibly could not have been conceived before the network became available. Describes innovative uses of the Internet by staff of two Australian universities. While the Internet provides opportunities for communication among its users, it poses challenges to the computing and information systems professionals who support them. It also presents librarians with the opportunity to apply their established skills as educators, information managers, custodians, information providers and change agents in their work with Internet users.