Success Constructs Research Articles

Development and validation of an instrument to measure expectancy for success and subjective task value constructs in the context of higher education

Development and validation of an instrument to measure expectancy for success and subjective task value constructs in the context of higher education

Mediating effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between employee job satisfaction and firm performance of small business

PurposeThe aim of this study is to measure the mediating effect of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction and firm performance of small business and to identify the critical success constructs and significant path of emotional intelligence in relation to job satisfaction and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study provides an analysis of the relevant literature that has been published on the renowned journal of small business. This study’s theoretical framework and constructs were developed based on prior research of emotional intelligence in small business. Along with, data were gathered from 355 respondents, with a valid response rate of 73.95%. This study used the SEM-PLS to measure the validity of the theoretical framework and test the hypothesis.FindingsThis study revealed that infrastructure, leadership and management, salary, working hours, working environment and emotional intelligence are very crucial for job satisfaction and firm performance. Emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between five job satisfaction factors (working hours, organizational infrastructure, leadership and management, working environment, salary and other benefits) and firm performance. Thus, this study can contribute to enhancing firm performance and developing a new dimension of small business.Research limitations/implicationsThe result of this study will assist the researchers and service providers in understanding the mediating effect of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction and firm performance of small businesses. Thereby, policy formulation in the era of training of employees, leadership and technology-based services orientation will assist to in enhancing opportunities for small businesses and upholding sustainable business.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyze the link of the mediating effect of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction and firm performance of small business.

Students' perception of smartphones as a new modality to enhance health sciences knowledge

Smartphones are increasingly being used by health sciences students as a popular and effective learning tool, globally replacing traditional learning methods with advanced e-learning techniques. This study aimed to explore students' perception of smartphones as a new modality to enhance health science knowledge and whether this technology could assist them in accomplishing their educational goals. This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 222 undergraduate health sciences students using a convenience sampling technique and used Delone and Mclean's information systems (IS) success model to develop variables for five IS success constructs. The study results showed that most participants were females (70.27%), and students used smartphones for multiple purposes, with accessing learning content (weighted average = 4.58), text messaging services (weighted average = 4.48), and internet-based text messaging services (weighted average = 4.36) being the most reported reasons. Students' perceptions regarding most smartphone usage for education included educational purposes and understanding lectures/revising concepts. Using smartphones as an educational aid influenced students' perceptions of system quality, information quality, system importance, usefulness, and satisfaction. Our study highlights the significant role of smartphones in the daily lives of health sciences students and their positive attitudes toward using them as a tool for enhancing their knowledge. Students use smartphones to access learning content and other online resources, and our findings suggest that educators should incorporate them into the educational curriculum. Notably, our study found that students' average daily smartphone usage varied widely. These findings have significant implications for the educational system, as smartphones have become an essential part of the educational experience for health sciences students. However, future studies could investigate the potential negative effects of smartphone usage on academic performance and explore the correlation between smartphone usage and academic outcomes to better understand the impact of smartphones on education.

THE ROLE OF OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS AND SUBJECTIVE TASK VALUE IN SELECTING A STEM MAJOR AMONG WOMEN AND MEN: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND DEFINING STEM

For decades, attaining gender equity and equality in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, along with increasing the number of STEM professionals in the U.S., have been interconnected goals that have received significant attention from scholars, researchers, and various national organizations. Projections still indicate an overall shortage of STEM professionals, including the underrepresentation of women in many STEM fields. Given such trends, scholars have recognized the need to study a variety of factors associated with students' entry into and persistence in STEM fields. In this study, we analyzed and compared the STEM major selection processes of 4,120 women and men who participated in the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and who, as college students, selected a STEM major. To do this, we constructed and analyzed structural equation models that describe the relationships between the expectancy of success and subjective task value constructs described by expectancy-value theory and students’ selecting a STEM major in one of three categories (core STEM subjects, medical STEM subjects, and peripheral STEM subjects). In so doing, we were able to discern (a) differences in STEM major selection processes among women and among men, depending on how STEM is categorized, and (b) differences between women and men within each of the three STEM categorizations. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Performance, Achievement, and Success in Psychological Research: Towards a More Transparent Use of the Still Ambiguous Terminology.

The present study focused on the terms performance, achievement, and success that have often been used in an ambiguous manner in psychological research. The way in which the meaning of the domain-specific constructs referred to with the terms was established for measurement purposes was investigated on a sample of 262 articles that stemmed from 35 randomly selected journals covering the full range of psychological research. The operational definitions of the constructs referred to with the terms performance, achievement, and success were analysed and compared in both inter- and intra-domain fashion. Additionally, we assessed the match among the observed operational definitions and general conceptual definitions available in the extant literature. The results revealed terminology-related issues in educational and occupational research. Within these domains, lack of adherence to the multidimensionality of the constructs of academic performance, academic achievement, academic success, job performance, and career success was identified as a general issue. Further, the tendency to measure job performance via indicators based on self-rating was considered inadequate given the objective nature of the term performance. In educational research, the overlap of the academic performance, academic achievement, and academic success constructs was confirmed, resulting from the tendency to use GPA as a universal indicator of academic outcomes. Based on the present findings, we provided several recommendations in order to encourage future research towards a more transparent way of dealing with the particular constructs referred to with the terms performance, achievement, and success. We suppose the present study may help researchers in the full range of psychological disciplines to add clarity to their own research.

Predicting the pass probability of secondary school students taking online classes

Empirical evidence on factors behind student success in secondary school online classes has been mixed and insufficient in its scope as well as data coverage. With a nationwide secondary school online class dataset with 26,345 students, this study attempts to identify factors of student success and first constructs a statistical model predicting the pass probability of online classes. The following student background variables are associated with a high pass rate: transfer students, graduation-year students, pass-experienced students, and students not re-registering for the course. With respect to learning activities, students who actively communicate with teachers/coordinators via messenger services or questions and answer sessions, or students who log in to the online class at the early stage of the semester are more likely to pass a course. Individual course characteristics are also found to be important for pass in courses requiring a summative exam, while courses for either subjects that have a good track record of students passing or courses for subjects that are taught by teachers with a good track record of students passing are correlated with a high pass rate. Logistic regression results suggest that the pass probability (odds ratio) is greatly increased when students have passing experience, actively interact with teachers/coordinators, or when the subject has a good student passing record.

Combining readiness and success constructs for exploring the information system implementation performance: A model development

This study explained how to combine the technology readiness and success model of information systems (IS) in the context of exploring the factors that influence the readiness and success of IS implementation performance. As explained by many studies of IS, that most IS research models are developed by adopting, combining, and adapting previous studies. The researchers developed this model based on the input-process-output logic and professional and causal models of the IS success model. The developed model was structured in twelve variables and 42 indicators. The path influences between variables were presented by 28 links. Researchers broke down the model to the level of the assessment instrument in relation to the implementation of the research. However, the model development study may have limited in the used assumptions and understanding of the researchers, the study may contribute theoretically in terms of new model propositions. In addition, the development of the proposed model and the instrument for data collection may be a practical consideration point for further study.

Strategizing Information Systems: An Empirical Analysis of IT Alignment and Success in SMEs

IT investment is a crucial issue as it does not only influence the performance in Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) but it also helps executives to align business strategy with organizational performance. Admittedly, though, there is ineffective use of Information Systems (IS) due to a lack of strategic planning and of formal processes resulting in executives’ failure to develop IS plans and achieve long-term sustainability. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the phases of Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) process that contribute to a greater extent of success so that guidelines regarding the implementation of the process in SMEs can be provided. Data was collected by 160 IS executives in Greek SMEs during February and May 2017. Multivariate Regression Analysis was applied on the detailed items of the SISP process and success constructs. The results of this survey present that managers should be aware of the strategic use of IS planning so as to increase competitive advantage. Senior executives should choose the appropriate IT infrastructure (related to their business strategy and organizational structure), so as to align business strategy with organizational structure. The findings of this paper could help IS executives concentrate their efforts on business objectives and recognize the great value of the planning process on their business.

Significance of User Participation in a Hospital Information System Success: Insights From a Case Study.

User participation in the development of a system is universally prescribed as an effective strategy to ensure the success of the resultant system. However, the existing literature on the merits of user participation only provides equivocal evidence. Various analyses of this literature point out that this equivocal evidence may be due to inconsistent operational measures of the user participation and system success constructs. Planned organizational change and participative decision making, the underlying paradigms of user participation construct, suggest that the development of some information systems may require blending of users' system-related functional expertise and developers' technical expertise to ensure system success. These paradigms also maintain that in case of well-defined, structured information systems user participation should enhance the likelihood of system success through better user understanding of the need for the system and system content and objectives, user trust, and a sense of system ownership. This research also described a case study involving the development and implementation of a medical records system for a neonatal intensive care unit in a large hospital in Texas. The case study provides evidence that in systems that require incorporation of user functional expertise user participation will enhance the likelihood of system success.

Relationships among ERP post-implementation success constructs: An analysis at the organizational level

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems implementation success factors have been widely researched; however, few have investigated ERP post-implementation success in organizational contexts. The paucity of research into ERP system success evaluations partly motivates this research. To that end, the objective of this study is twofold. First, it primarily investigates the relationships among six constructs or dimensions in a respecified ERP system success measurement model, which was developed from prior relevant frameworks. Second, this research adds to the body of knowledge in the information system (IS) success evaluation domain, especially with its focus on ERP packages. The extended ERP system success model was tested using data collected in a cross-sectional field survey of 109 firms in two European countries. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test six relevant hypotheses. The SEM results showed that five out of the six hypotheses have significant, positive associations. Namely, the constructs of System Quality, Service Quality, Individual Impact, Workgroup Impact, and Organizational Impact have strong relevance in ERP success conceptualization, whereas Information Quality does not, at least, in the context of our data. The pertinence of the study’s findings for IS success evaluation as well as its implications for practice and research are discussed.

Measuring the success of the Greek Taxation Information System

The transformation of many governments all around the world into new forms, namely, electronic government (e-Government), could not leave the Greek government unaffected. Therefore, it initiated an e-Government project related to national information systems and finance services, the Greek Taxation Information System (TAXIS). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the success of TAXIS from the perspective of expert employees, who work in public taxation agencies. This topic is interesting, because TAXIS is applied in a tax-driven country, under a mandatory setting. Also, it is the first time that the success of this project is examined, from the perspective of employees, using IS success models. The study adapts DeLone and McLean [DeLone, W. H., & McLean, E. R. (2003). The DeLone and McLean model of information systems success: A ten year update. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19(4), 9–30] and Seddon's [Seddon, P. B. (1997). A respecification and extension of the DeLone and McLean model of IS success. Information Systems Research, 8(3) 240–253] information systems success models. The model developed includes the constructs of information, system and service quality, perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. The results provide evidence that there are strong connections between the five success constructs. All hypothesized relationships are supported, except for the relationship between system quality and user satisfaction. The empirical evidence and discussion presented can help the Greek Government improve and fully exploit the potential of TAXIS as an innovative tool for taxation purposes.

Measuring information systems success: models, dimensions, measures, and interrelationships

Since DeLone and McLean (D&M) developed their model of IS success, there has been much research on the topic of success as well as extensions and tests of their model. Using the technique of a qualitative literature review, this research reviews 180 papers found in the academic literature for the period 1992–2007 dealing with some aspect of IS success. Using the six dimensions of the D&M model – system quality, information quality, service quality, use, user satisfaction, and net benefits – 90 empirical studies were examined and the results summarized. Measures for the six success constructs are described and 15 pairwise associations between the success constructs are analyzed. This work builds on the prior research related to IS success by summarizing the measures applied to the evaluation of IS success and by examining the relationships that comprise the D&M IS success model in both individual and organizational contexts.

Information System Success: Individual and Organizational Determinants

Despite considerable empirical research, results on the relationships among constructs related to information system (IS) success, as well as the determinants of IS success, are often inconsistent. A comprehensive understanding of IS success thus remains elusive. In an attempt to address this situation, which may partly be due to the exclusion of potentially important constructs from prior parsimonious models of IS success, we present and test a comprehensive theoretical model. This model explains interrelationships among four constructs representing the success of a specific IS (user satisfaction, system use, perceived usefulness, and system quality), and the relationships of these IS success constructs with four user-related constructs (user experience with ISs, user training in ISs, user attitude toward ISs, and user participation in the development of the specific IS) and two constructs representing the context (top-management support for ISs and facilitating conditions for ISs). To test the model, we first used meta-analysis to compute a correlation matrix for the constructs in the model based on 612 findings from 121 studies published between 1980 and 2004, and then used this correlation matrix as input for a LISREL analysis of the model. Overall, we found excellent support for the theoretical model. The results underline the importance of user-related and contextual attributes in IS success and raise questions about some commonly believed relationships.

Promoting Success for At-Risk African-American Youth

A Delphi technique was used to assess service provider and community consensus on program elements essential for promoting the success of at-risk African American youth. The respondent group consisted of 54 subjects representing three broad groups: service agencies, community leaders and members, and school system participants. The study identified barriers to the use of community-derived success constructs, opportunities for collaboration between community members and service agencies in the development of programs, and the feasibility of incorporating success constructs into program development and delivery. Although consensus was achieved on key issues, individual variations between counties point to the necessity of targeting intervention programs to the unique problems and expectations found in each community.

A Partial Test and Development of Delone and Mclean's Model of IS Success

DeLone and McLean's (1992) comprehensive review of different information system success measures concludes with a model of interrelationships between six IS Success constructs. This paper critically examines the meaning of four of these constructs and the evidence of relationships between them. It then provides results from empirical tests of these relationships. Tests are conducted using both conventional ordinary least squares regression path analysis and structural equation modeling - with substantially similar results. The empirical results provide substantial support for the up stream two thirds of DeLone and McLean's model. Three factors. System Quality, Information Quality, and Usefulness, are found to explain 75% of the variance in the overall User Satisfaction measure. The empirical results also provide substantial support for the use of usefulness as an IS success measure, and of the hitherto-unreported importance of Importance of the task in user perceptions of IS usefulness.