Longitudinal Study to Assess the Impact of Instructor-Based Training Versus Computer-Based Training on User Performance: A Field Experiment (open access)

Longitudinal Study to Assess the Impact of Instructor-Based Training Versus Computer-Based Training on User Performance: A Field Experiment

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between selected end-user training programs corporations provide to their employees and subsequent employee performance based on these opportunities.
Date: August 1996
Creator: Desai, Mayur S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Alternative Presentation Formats on Biases and Heuristics in Human Decision Making (open access)

The Effects of Alternative Presentation Formats on Biases and Heuristics in Human Decision Making

The purpose of this research was to determine whether changes in the presentation format of items in a computer display could be used to alter the impact of specific cognitive biases, and to add to the knowledge needed to construct theory-based guidelines for output design. The problem motivating this study is twofold. The first part of the problem is the sub-optimal decision making caused by the use of heuristics and their associated cognitive biases. The second part of the problem is the lack of a theoretical basis to guide the design of information presentation formats to counter the effects of such biases. An availability model of the impact of changes in presentation format on biases and heuristics was constructed based on the findings of a literature review. A six-part laboratory experiment was conducted utilizing a sample of 205 student subjects from the college of business. The independent variable was presentation format which was manipulated by altering the visual salience or visual recency of items of information in a visual computer display. The dependent variables included recall, perceived importance, and the subjects' responses to three judgment tasks. The results clearly demonstrate that changes in presentation format can be used to alter …
Date: May 1996
Creator: Van Dyke, Thomas P. (Thomas Peter)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Multimedia on Information Scanning Effectiveness: an Empirical Study in an Executive Support Systems Environment (open access)

The Impact of Multimedia on Information Scanning Effectiveness: an Empirical Study in an Executive Support Systems Environment

This study investigates the impact of multimedia on the effectiveness of information scanning. Information scanning is the act of seeking and receiving a wide variety of special information to develop a thorough understanding of the organization and the environment. The application domain of this study is Executive Support Systems. The experimental task is to identify potential threats and opportunities, a strategic information-scanning activity, based on the information stored in three ESS prototypes. Forty subjects from four organizations participated in the experiment. A random assignment process allocated them into three groups. The control group used the text-based ESS. The first experimental group used the visual multimedia ESS. The second experimental group used the audiovisual multimedia ESS. The experiment was carried out on the sites of the participating organizations. The investigator measured the effectiveness of information scanning based on the number of threats and opportunities each subject identifies. A close-ended questionnaire measured subjects' retention of information. The results of this study support the cognitive-fit theory. The findings indicate that multimedia is not an appropriate presentation format for analytical tasks. Subjects who use text-based ESS identify significantly more threats and opportunities than subjects who use audiovisual multimedia ESS. The cognitive style of subjects …
Date: May 1996
Creator: Huang, Hsin-Chih
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Investigation of the Productivity of Information System Helpdesk User Support Professsionals as Impacted by Their Communication Behavior : A Field Experiment (open access)

An Investigation of the Productivity of Information System Helpdesk User Support Professsionals as Impacted by Their Communication Behavior : A Field Experiment

This research conducted an interdisciplinary field experiment to identify relationships between productivity, user satisfaction and IS Helpdesk USP's use of effective communication behavior. An experimental group of Helpdesk USPs of a large retail organization were trained by communication professionals in communication effectiveness, with emphasis on the needs of the telephone environment.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Breshears, Robert Louis
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Investigation of the Value of Color in Hard Copy Output (open access)

An Investigation of the Value of Color in Hard Copy Output

The objectives of this research were to: (1) augment existing research regarding the impact of information retention resulting from the application of redundant color codes; and (2) determine whether the application of color in hard-copy documents has a positive influence in business reports by non-color deficient subjects. This research was an extension of work done by Lamberski and Dwyer (1983) and Moore and Dwyer (1991). Both studies were hard copy based and focused on the impact of information retention resulting from the application of redundant color codes.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Jensen, Bradley K. (Bradley Kevin)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of Electronic Messaging in the Intermediate Business Context (open access)

The Role of Electronic Messaging in the Intermediate Business Context

This research examines the role of electronic messaging in business firms. The study presents a taxonomy of electronic mail uses, develops a theoretical framework for analyzing electronic mail impact, and investigates risks and advantages of electronic messaging. The research focus is intermediate-size firms.
Date: May 1996
Creator: Case, Carl Jay
System: The UNT Digital Library