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1 – 10 of over 105000Lei Hou, Lu Guan, Yixin Zhou, Anqi Shen, Wei Wang, Ang Luo, Heng Lu and Jonathan J.H. Zhu
User-generated content (UGC) refers to semantic and behavioral traces created by users on various social media platforms. While several waves of platforms have come and gone, the…
Abstract
Purpose
User-generated content (UGC) refers to semantic and behavioral traces created by users on various social media platforms. While several waves of platforms have come and gone, the long-term sustainability of UGC activities has become a critical question that bears significance for theoretical understanding and social media practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a large and lengthy dataset of both blogging and microblogging activities of the same set of users, a multistate survival analysis was applied to explore the patterns of users' staying, switching and multiplatforming behaviors, as well as the underlying driving factors.
Findings
UGC activities are generally unsustainable in the long run, and natural attrition is the primary reason, rather than competitive switching to new platforms. The availability of leisure time, expected gratification and previous experiences drive users' sustainability.
Originality/value
The authors adopted actual behavioral data from two generations of platforms instead of survey data on users' switching intentions. Four types of users are defined: loyal, switcher, multiplatformer and dropout. As measured by the transitions among the four states, the different sustainability behaviors are thereby studied via an integrated framework. These two originalities bridge gaps in the literature and offer new insights into exploring user sustainability in social media.
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This study aims at unpacking the multiplicity of the sitting activity in public spaces through the lens of actor-network theory. In line with previous urban research focussing on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims at unpacking the multiplicity of the sitting activity in public spaces through the lens of actor-network theory. In line with previous urban research focussing on outdoor activities, such empirical investigation aims to show the importance of the physical aspects of spaces, including seating, in supporting sitting activities as a way of encouraging the use of public space.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts the overlap between actor–network theory and affordances. It utilises ethnographic research involving frequent users in Dahiyat Al Hussein Park in Amman-Jordan. Data were gathered on the different seat–user relations and the translated sitting activity networks.
Findings
Analysis demonstrates different cases of alignment, misalignment and realignment between what is intended and experienced, and where these relations are maintained, disrupted or changed. These findings reveal the multiplicity of sitting activities; this is significant for understanding how they are maintained.
Originality/value
The research suggests a new way of conceptualising the relationship between the physical environment and users and an approach for examining sitting activities. Some studies have applied actor–network theory and/or the concept of “affordance” by highlighting relations between the object and its user and how they create sitting activities. However, only few studies have problematised the multiplicity of sitting when considering seating uses.
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Taehyun Ha, Seunghee Han, Sangwon Lee and Jang Hyun Kim
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how we can understand social media interactions better by explicating the process of social capital formation on Facebook from a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how we can understand social media interactions better by explicating the process of social capital formation on Facebook from a reciprocity perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study observed users who got tagged on Facebook by his/her friends and how s/he responded to that tagging activity. In total, 4,666 posts and 418,580 comments from The New York Times Facebook page were collected for the observation.
Findings
A majority (77.87 percent) of users who were tagged by their friends showed reactions to their tagging. In detail, 33.63, 44.20, and 0.04 percent of users responded by comments, “Likes”, and “Shares”, respectively. In total, 90.11 percent of the comments and 98.58 percent of the “Likes” were expressed on a comment or sub-comment, and only 9.89 percent of the comments and 1.42 percent of the “Likes” were expressed on a post. This indicates that a high percentage of users respond to their tagging notification, and they prefer dialogic responses to non-dialogic responses.
Originality/value
Previous studies have focused on photo tagging activity in social media, but user tagging activity had not been studied enough. This study examines the effects of Facebook tagging activity from a reciprocal perspective.
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Wieland Schwinger, Werner Retschitzegger, Andrea Schauerhuber, Gerti Kappel, Manuel Wimmer, Birgit Pröll, Cristina Cachero Castro, Sven Casteleyn, Olga De Troyer, Piero Fraternali, Irene Garrigos, Franca Garzotto, Athula Ginige, Geert‐Jan Houben, Nora Koch, Nathalie Moreno, Oscar Pastor, Paolo Paolini, Vicente Pelechano Ferragud, Gustavo Rossi, Daniel Schwabe, Massimo Tisi, Antonio Vallecillo, Kees van der Sluijs and Gefei Zhang
Ubiquitous web applications (UWA) are a new type of web applications which are accessed in various contexts, i.e. through different devices, by users with various interests, at…
Abstract
Purpose
Ubiquitous web applications (UWA) are a new type of web applications which are accessed in various contexts, i.e. through different devices, by users with various interests, at anytime from anyplace around the globe. For such full‐fledged, complex software systems, a methodologically sound engineering approach in terms of model‐driven engineering (MDE) is crucial. Several modeling approaches have already been proposed that capture the ubiquitous nature of web applications, each of them having different origins, pursuing different goals and providing a pantheon of concepts. This paper aims to give an in‐depth comparison of seven modeling approaches supporting the development of UWAs.
Design/methodology/approach
This methodology is conducted by applying a detailed set of evaluation criteria and by demonstrating its applicability on basis of an exemplary tourism web application. In particular, five commonly found ubiquitous scenarios are investigated, thus providing initial insight into the modeling concepts of each approach as well as to facilitate their comparability.
Findings
The results gained indicate that many modeling approaches lack a proper MDE foundation in terms of meta‐models and tool support. The proposed modeling mechanisms for ubiquity are often limited, since they neither cover all relevant context factors in an explicit, self‐contained, and extensible way, nor allow for a wide spectrum of extensible adaptation operations. The provided modeling concepts frequently do not allow dealing with all different parts of a web application in terms of its content, hypertext, and presentation levels as well as their structural and behavioral features. Finally, current modeling approaches do not reflect the crosscutting nature of ubiquity but rather intermingle context and adaptation issues with the core parts of a web application, thus hampering maintainability and extensibility.
Originality/value
Different from other surveys in the area of modeling web applications, this paper specifically considers modeling concepts for their ubiquitous nature, together with an investigation of available support for MDD in a comprehensive way, using a well‐defined as well as fine‐grained catalogue of more than 30 evaluation criteria.
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Madeth May, Sébastien George and Patrick Prévôt
Keeping track of users' communication activities in web‐based environments has always been considered a complex task. It requires tracking systems that are capable of efficiently…
Abstract
Purpose
Keeping track of users' communication activities in web‐based environments has always been considered a complex task. It requires tracking systems that are capable of efficiently tracking users' activities and producing tracking data that can be useful to various users. The objectives of this paper are two‐fold: to present an approach for better observing the different levels of human and computer interactions (HCI) during a computer‐mediated communication (CMC) activity; and to present the technical aspects of a web‐based tracking system for communication tools such as discussion forums.
Design/methodology/approach
The research applications are applied to educational settings. Three cases of experiments with result analysis will also be presented. The paper studied different CMC tools. With the participation of researchers from different disciplines, including HCI and e‐learning specialists, we adopted the 5W1H method (When, Where, Who, What, Why, and How) and a participative method to build the approach. The result of the experiments and users' feedback allowed us to evaluate the approach.
Findings
An approach for efficiently tracking users' communication activities on CMC tools, by looking very closely at the different levels of HCI is shown. This paper demonstrates how useful it is to have tracking data with finer granularity and to provide significant data indicators to the participants in the learning process.
Practical implications
The data indicators shown in this paper are computed based on the real needs of the participants in the learning process. The proposed approach can be implemented with any conceptual and development languages.
Originality/value
One of the particularities of this research is the approach for efficiently tracking CMC activities on both client and server sides. The quality of the tracking data from the three experiments shows the effectiveness of the system. Another contribution of this paper is a discussion of the important key issues related to the tracking data in learning environments.
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Eduardo Alves Portela Santos, Rosemary Francisco, Maja Pesic and Wil van der Aalst
Increasing flexibility and complexity of modern process‐aware information systems (PAIS) usually leads to less guidance for its users and consequently requires more experienced…
Abstract
Purpose
Increasing flexibility and complexity of modern process‐aware information systems (PAIS) usually leads to less guidance for its users and consequently requires more experienced users. A flexible PAIS allows users to freely choose a specific execution sequence of activities. However, there are no guarantees that the chosen sequence conforms to established business rules. This context proposes a supervisory control service (SCS), which can be used to support end‐users of flexible PAIS during process execution by giving a list of disabled (or enabled) events (activities), i.e. at any point in time a list of possible next steps is given.
Design/methodology/approach
The SCS has been implemented in process mining framework (ProM – www.processmining.org) and the experiment that has been performed shows its feasibility. The computational infrastructure already implemented in ProM allows communication with external applications and allows the SCS to be integrated with PAIS that records events. This paper demonstrated that the SCS in ProM can cooperate with PAIS system in order to support users.
Findings
The SCS proposed in this paper monitors and restricts execution sequences of activities such that business rules are always obeyed. The system offers support based on business rules but does not limit the user by imposing rigid control‐flow structures. Users can adopt this service as a guide to execute activities with a guarantee that business rules are followed and goals are met. The SCS also offers flexibility to users to choose execution sequences.
Originality/value
The paper argues that the proposed approach has many advantages on controlling/supporting flexible processes. Supervisory control theory allows an automatic control synthesis instead of the usual manual and heuristic procedures. Thus, new control actions may be rapidly and automatically designed when modifications, such as redefinition of business rules or activities arrangements, are necessary. The flexible processes can be made to behave optimally with respect to a variety of criteria, where optimal means in minimally restrictive way.
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Jonathan Robin Crusoe and Karin Ahlin
This paper aims to develop a user process framework with activities and their variations for the use of open government data (OGD) based on empirical material and previous…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a user process framework with activities and their variations for the use of open government data (OGD) based on empirical material and previous research. OGD is interoperable data that is shared by public organisations (publishers) for anyone (users) to reuse without restrictions to create new digital products and services. The user process was roughly identified in previous research but lacks an in-depth description. This lack can hamper the ability to encourage the use and the development of related theories.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage research approach was used. First, a tentative framework was created from previous research and empirical material. This stage involved three different literature reviews, data mapping and seven interviews with OGD experts. The empirical material was analysed with inductive analysis, and previous research was integrated into the framework through concept mapping. Second, the tentative framework was reviewed by informed OGD experts. Third, the framework was finalised with additional literature reviews, eight interviews with OGD users, and a member check, including all the respondents. The framework was used to guide the data collection and as a tool in the analysis.
Findings
The user process framework covers activities and related variations, where the included phases are: start, identify, acquire, enrich and deploy. The start varies relating to the intended use of the OGD. In the identify phase, the user is exploring the accessible data to decide if the data are relevant. In the acquire phase, the user is preparing for the delivery of the data from the publisher and receiving it. In the enrich phase, the user is concocting and making something. In the final deploy phase, the user has a product or service that can be provided to end-users.
Research limitations/implications
The framework development has some limitations: the framework needs testing and development in different contexts and further verification. The implications are that the framework can help guide researchers towards relevant and essential data of the user process, be used as a point of comparison in analysis, and be used as a skeleton for more precious theories.
Practical implications
The framework has some practical implications for users, publishers and portals. It can introduce users to the user process and help them plan for the execution of it. The framework can help publishers understand how the users can work with their data and what can be expected of them. The framework can help portal owners to understand the portal’s role between users and publishers and what functionality and features they can provide to support to the user.
Originality/value
In previous research, no user process with an in-depth description was identified. However, several studies have given a rough recall. Thus, this research provides an in-depth description of the user process with its variations. The framework can support practice and leads to new research avenues.
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Justine Brigitte Virlée, Wafa Hammedi and Allard C.R. van Riel
Patients, when using healthcare services, (co)create value by integrating their own resources with those of a range of stakeholders. These resource integration activities…
Abstract
Purpose
Patients, when using healthcare services, (co)create value by integrating their own resources with those of a range of stakeholders. These resource integration activities, however, require different types of skills and effort from the patients, and different types of interactions with stakeholders, while also having different effects on patients' well-being. The purpose of the present study is to develop a better understanding of why some patients are better able or willing to perform resource integration activities that impact their well-being. To reach this objective, barriers and facilitators of these activities in their interactions with various stakeholders were identified.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a multiple case study design. Individual patients having received a lung transplant, together with their entourage (family, medical professionals, other patients) each represent a case. In-depth interviews were conducted with the patients and with various categories of stakeholders in their service delivery network who were relevant to their experience and with whom they integrated their resources.
Findings
The study identifies three levels on which barriers and facilitators of the resource integration process occur: the individual, relational and systemic level. Factors on these levels affect different aspects of the process.
Originality/value
This study takes a systems perspective and investigates how various systemic factors and stakeholders conduce or inhibit healthcare service users to perform resource integration activities, especially focusing on those activities that strongly affect their well-being.
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Felix T.S. Chan and Alain Yee‐Loong Chong
The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors examining the determinants of users' mobile commerce (m‐commerce) usage activities.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors examining the determinants of users' mobile commerce (m‐commerce) usage activities.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 402 users in Malaysia, and structural equation modelling analysis was employed to test the research model.
Findings
The results showed that different demographic, motivation and security perceptions variables have different relationships with the types of m‐commerce usage activities.
Practical implications
The results from this study will be useful for m‐commerce companies in formulating appropriate marketing strategies, as well as developing appropriate applications that will attract more consumers.
Originality/value
Although past literatures have focused on technological aspects of m‐commerce, few studies have examined the applications and strategies of m‐commerce. Furthermore, most studies on m‐commerce adoptions have focused on the relationships between technology adoption factors and behavioural intentions of users. There are few studies which have investigated the actual m‐commerce usage activities of users.
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Yuanyuan Feng and Denise E. Agosto
Building on theoretical foundation of personal information management (PIM) in information science, this paper seeks to understand how activity tracker users manage their personal…
Abstract
Purpose
Building on theoretical foundation of personal information management (PIM) in information science, this paper seeks to understand how activity tracker users manage their personal health information generated by their devices and to elucidate future activity tracking technology in support of personal health information management (PHIM). This paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a web survey study with a specific group of activity tracker users – amateur runners. This survey collected both quantitative and qualitative data on participants’ engagement with activity tracking technology, their PHIM practices with the information generated by the technology and how their needs were being met by their activity tracking technology use and PHIM practices.
Findings
Amateur runners surveyed in this study exhibit long-term engagement and frequent interaction with activity tracking technology. They also engage in PHIM practices by using a range of PHIM tools and performing various PHIM activities. Furthermore, they use activity tracking technology and engage in PHIM practices to meet various health/fitness-related needs and information needs, while some of these needs such as performance needs and overarching needs are only partially met or unmet.
Originality/value
This research discusses amateur runners as power users of activity tracking technology, provides timely updates to PIM and PHIM research in light of a new type of personal health information, and generates design considerations for future activity tracking technology in support of PHIM. It also brings together previously disparate research regarding everyday life PHIM in information science, human–computer interaction and health informatics.
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