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Weak passwords are one of the most pervasive threats in cybersecurity. Facing this threat, users require guidance on how to protect themselves. A method frequently used by IS practitioners and researchers to provide this guidance is fear appeals, persuasive messages intended to prompt behavioral changes in response to a threat. However, previous research has not considered a key element of fear appeal effectiveness: task primacy. When fear appeals are a part of the primary or focal task, users' cognitive engagement will be high by default. However, when fear appeals are delivered as secondary tasks, such as interruptive security messages, users' engagement is likely to be low because the primary task takes priority in attentional and cognitive resources. In such cases, a remedy is needed to elicit engagement with the fear appeal. In this research note, we theorize that cognitive engagement acts as a contextual moderator that is critical to the effectiveness of fear appeals under the boundary condition of task primacy. Further, we theorize that interactivity, a mechanism that adapts message content through tailored real-time feedback in response to a user's actions, is a key remedy to enhance engagement with fear appeals. However, to date fear appeals have largely been tested in noninteractive primary tasks, and no study has provided a theoretical explanation for why interactivity enhances the power of a fear appeal. We empirically examined engagement as a contextual moderator in two ways. First, we conducted a field experiment, which manipulated messages on a password creation form on a real-world website. Second, we performed a qualitative focus group study to triangulate the experimental results and more fully reify our theoretical model. Together, the findings reveal that interactivity acts as a catalyst to engage participants with a fear appeal, which then allows the persuasive message of the fear appeal to be internalized. The concepts of boundary condition of task primacy and engagement suggest ways that fear appeals can be more effectively applied in research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Information technology (IT) can transform societies, governments, and businesses alike. Technological innovation requires difficult but critically important strategic decisions. Making good decisions becomes even more challenging for platforms tightly [...]

The goal of this paper is to determine holistic archetypes of information technology (IT) outsourcing strategy. It does this through an overarching theoretical framework that integrates three dominant theories of inter-organizational relations in the IT outsourcing literature, namely transaction cost economics, resource dependency, and social exchange theories. A contingency fit theoretical framing is married to a configurational approach to explicate the intricate relationships that spring up between a focal firm and its outsourcing vendors when they are working toward specific strategic objectives under varying contingencies. In line with this theoretical objective, we used qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a set-theoretic configuration method that can handle the interdependent complexity among multiple elements of IT outsourcing. The technique was applied to a sample of 235 companies that have outsourced some or all of their IT functions. Findings at the project level of analysis empirically reveal two sets of configurations of strategic IT outsourcing elements, one set of configurations resulting in high economic benefit and the other set leading to high strategic benefit. Next, we compare similarities and differences among multiple, equifinal configurations and infer archetypes of IT outsourcing strategy internally congruent in terms of the strategic objectives as well as matching specific contextual contingencies. Our holistic archetypes take the form of theoretical propositions integrating the previous fragmented and inconsistent knowledge in IT outsourcing resulting from the causal ambiguity and complexity inherent in IT outsourcing projects as well as from divergent theories in the literature. Furthermore, by defining specific contingency boundaries, our archetypes provide managers with context-specific guidelines for strategic decisions regarding their relationships with outsourcing vendors, helping different sized firms to effectively succeed in IT outsourcing, contingent on the IT type being outsourced. Finally, we discuss new insights and implications of this study for complementing and extending the extant theories in IT outsourcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the design of the survey employed to measure the impacts of the Integrated Information Center (IIC) at the University of Minnesota on the end-users and reports the results of that survey. (Author/MES)

Describes an ethnographic study of a selected group of faculty end-users; the purpose of this qualitative assessment was to triangulate on several phenomena under investigation to better understand the impacts of the Integrated Information Center (IIC) at the University of Minnesota on end-user work behaviors. (Author/JAK)

Explores where the responsibility for information resources management (IRM) can lie, identifying entities which might carry IRM tasks: (1) individuals; (2) departments; (3) institutions; and (4) markets. It is argued that the IRM function should be located at the department level, and that associated departmental costs may be overshadowed by the benefits of reducing agency costs. (19 references) (SD)

Defines the Integrated Information Center (IIC) as an emerging information technology-intensive environment which captures, integrates, and provides information resources to academic departments. Sample IIC configurations are described--i.e., expertise poor/technology poor; expertise rich/technology poor; expertise poor/technology rich; expertise rich/technology rich--as well as IIC personnel and facilities. (nine references) (SD)

Outlines the impact of current divisions in the information infrastructure of the information environment on the ability of knowledge workers to integrate information across media and sources of information. Discussion covers information "seams," inaccessible information, information overload/impoverishment, and bottlenecks. The coordination and standardization of information systems among academic departments through Integrated Information Centers is advocated. (22 references) (SD)

In pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing, buyers are allowed to pay any amount they want, often including a price of zero. Standard theory predicts that buyers are driven solely by their own interest and will always choose to pay nothing, making PWYW pricing impractical to use. Nonetheless, PWYW pricing has been consistently occurring in the marketplace. We build and analyze a theoretical model to explain the presence of PWYW pricing in the marketplace and identify the situations under which businesses are better off adopting it over the traditional posted pricing. Because the digital product domain is a particularly good fit for PWYW pricing because of its constant exposure to piracy threats, we focus on digital product firms and examine PWYW pricing as an alternative to their piracy prevention efforts. We show that PWYW pricing becomes a superior pricing strategy when the pirate version is quite similar to the authentic product and it is costly for the firm to improve its product quality. Moreover, if network externalities are present, PWYW pricing can outperform posted pricing only when the network externalities are weak. The results explain why PWYW pricing is rare in the established digital product marketplace, which exhibits strong network externalities. Pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing is a pricing scheme under which buyers pay any amount for a product, often including zero. Digital product firms may particularly benefit from PWYW pricing because it can be utilized as an alternative to their costly piracy prevention efforts. In this paper, we examine PWYW pricing based on the established social preference theory where consumers may be concerned with how fairly they are being treated by firms. Utilizing a two-segment model for consumers (self-interested versus fair minded), we study PWYW pricing against traditional, posted pricing in a monopolistic digital product market. We show that under posted pricing, it is optimal to eliminate piracy when the quality development cost is sufficiently high. Interestingly, high quality of the illegal copy associated with low quality development cost makes PWYW pricing an effective alternative to posted pricing. We also examine the impact of network externalities on PWYW pricing. Counterintuitively, despite the full market penetration, PWYW pricing invariably becomes less profitable than posted pricing as network externalities become sufficiently strong. Our findings explain why PWYW pricing is rare in the established digital product marketplace with strong network externalities despite near-zero marginal costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.2007.00172.x Byline: Richard Klein (1[dagger]), Arun Rai (2), Detmar W. Straub (3) Keywords: Collaborative Partnerships; Dyadic Data; Exchange Relationships; Field Studies; Information Sharing; Logistics Service Performance; Structural Equation Modeling; and System Integration. Abstract: ABSTRACT Cooperative logistics relationships require the sharing of information, which must be enabled by the integration of disparate information systems across partners. In this article, we theorize business-to-business logistics relationships should be managed using cooperative and competitive postures. Based on data from 91 dyadic relationships using interorganizational information technology (IT), we find that performance gains accrue when parties share strategic information and customize IT; mutual trust enables IT customization and strategic-information flows and equitable relationship-specific investments positively impact IT customization, mutual trust, and performance. Among other scholarly and practical implications discussed, partners should compete on resources for IT customization and cooperate to share strategic information. Managers tend to think of relationships with firms as polar opposites and view them as entirely cooperative or entirely competitive. Our results support active balancing and understanding of both competitive and cooperative stances. Such an approach enables conditions for participation symmetry that yields greater performance gains. Author Affiliation: (1)Department of Management, College of Business and Behavioral Sciences, Clemson University, 101 Sirrine Hall, Box 341305, Clemson, SC 29634-1305, e-mail:rklein@clemson.edu (2)Center for Process Innovation & Department of Computer Information Systems, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, 35 Broad Street, Atlanta, GA 30303-4015, e-mail:arunrai@gsu.edu (3)Center for Process Innovation & Department of Computer Information Systems, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, 35 Broad Street, Atlanta, GA 30303-4015, e-mail:dstraub@cis.gsu.edu Article History: [Received: July 2006. Accepted: August 2007.] Article note: ([dagger]) Corresponding author.

Information technology (IT) outsourcing success requires careful management of customer-supplier relationships. However, there are few published studies on the ongoing relationships, and most of these adopt a customer perspective, de-emphasizing […]

Reducing social uncertainty--understanding, predicting, and controlling the behavior of other people--is a central motivating force of human behavior. When rules and customs are not sufficient, people rely on trust and familiarity as primary mechanisms to reduce social uncertainty. The relative paucity of regulations and customs on the Internet makes consumer familiarity and trust especially important in the case of e-Commerce. Yet the lack of an interpersonal exchange and the one-time nature of the typical business transaction on the Internet make this kind of consumer trust unique, because trust relates to other people and is nourished through interactions with them. This study validates a four-dimensional scale of trust in the context of e-Products and revalidates it in the context of e-Services. The study then shows the influence of social presence on these dimensions of this trust, especially benevolence, and its ultimate contribution to online purchase intentions. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Trust; World Wide Web; Electronic commerce; Trust scales; Predictability; Ability; Integrity; Benevolence; Familiarity; Disposition to trust; Social presence, 1. Introduction Research tells us that human beings like to reduce their social uncertainty. In other words, they seek ways to understand, predict, and occasionally attempt to control the behavior [...]

An e-vendor's website inseparably embodies an interaction with the vendor and an interaction with the IT website interface. Accordingly, research has shown two sets of unrelated usage antecedents by customers: 1) customer trust in the e-vendor and 2) customer assessments of the IT itself, specifically the perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use of the website as depicted in the technology acceptance model (TAM). Research suggests, however, that the degree and impact of trust, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use change with experience. Using existing, validated scales, this study describes a free-simulation experiment that compares the degree and relative importance of customer trust in an e-vendor vis-a-vis TAM constructs of the website, between potential (i.e., new) customers and repeat (i.e., experienced) ones. The study found that repeat customers trusted the e-vendor more, perceived the website to be more useful and easier to use, and were more inclined to purchase from it. The data also show that while repeat customers' purchase intentions were influenced by both their trust in the e-vendor and their perception that the website was useful, potential customers were not influenced by perceived usefulness, but only by their trust in the e-vendor. Implications of this apparent trust-barrier and guidelines for practice are discussed. Index Terms--Disposition to trust, e-commerce, familiarity, perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), trust, technology acceptance model (TAM).

Drawing on the theoretical work of Hill et al. and Straub et al., this study examines culture-specific inducements and impediments to using the Internet in the Arab world. Research questions were 1) to what extent does the process of technology culturation affect the acceptance of the Internet 2) to what extent do social norms (SNs) affect the acceptance of the Internet? Of the two research methods employed, the first was a quantitative field study of knowledge workers. The instrument measured the extent to which respondents and their organizations are influenced by advanced technology cultures. Using partial least squares (PLS), the first of two models tested links between SNs; technological culturation and Internet usage for each respondent. The second model investigated links between technological culturation and Internet utilization for the respondent's organization. Findings show strong support for both models, explaining, respectively, 47% and 37% of the variance. The second method was a qualitative analysis of respondents' free-format comments. These findings reinforce the quantitative findings, on the one hand, and reveal additional cultural barriers that still need to be studied, on the other. Findings identify how culture can both inhibit and encourage technological innovation and how Arab cultures can move their economies more quickly into the digital age. Index Terms--Cross-cultural research, culture and (information technology (IT), cultural obstacles, developing countries, diffusion of innovations, internet, technology adaptation.

Information technology outsourcing (ITO) relationships today are facing increasingly turbulent environments. This research examines ITO performance by focusing on client firms' perceived legitimacy of vendors, termed "vendor legitimacy," consisting of pragmatic, cognitive, and moral dimensions. Based on our surveys with executives and managers at 200 ITO client firms, the study's findings present the imperative to actively manage vendor legitimacy for achieving and sustaining ITO performance. Specifically, at the strategic level, clients' perception of vendors as mutually aligned, long-term-oriented, tightly integrated partners is critical. At the operational level, clients should collaborate with vendors to design and establish interorganizational routines that undergird vendor legitimacy. At the managerial level, clients' relational governance plays a pivotal role in attaining procedural justice, ethical standards, and fairness in the interorganizational collaboration. In sum, our study suggests that creating a dedicated corporate function or unit for continually overseeing and assessing a portfolio of vendors and swiftly identifying and responding to potential issues and crises related to vendor legitimacy would be a worthwhile investment. Information technology (IT) outsourcing relationships today are facing increasingly turbulent environments. With rapid changes in technological, commercial, societal, and regulatory landscapes, client firms have to closely and continually assess the desirability and appropriateness, or legitimacy, of their vendors in such dynamic settings. In this research, the focus is on client firms' perceived legitimacy of vendors, termed "vendor legitimacy." Specifically, building on institutional theory, vendor legitimacy is conceptualized as consisting of three dimensions—pragmatic, moral, and cognitive—and is examined through their respective impacts on IT outsourcing performance. The role of key governance strategies for managing vendor legitimacy, namely, contractual governance and relational governance, are likewise explored. Results from a multiple-sourced, matched-pair, cross-industry sample of executives and managers of 185 client firms reveal that these various governance strategies exert differential impacts on the aforementioned dimensions of vendor legitimacy, which, in turn, drive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]