Conceptualizing means-end chains of user goals as networks

Authors:
Sabine Matook
Affiliations:
The University of Queensland, UQ Business School, 3 Blair Drive, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
Venue:
Information and Management
Year:
2013

Citing 9
Cited 0

User acceptance of computer technology: a comparison of two theoretical models

Management Science
The value of mobile applications: a utility company study

Communications of the ACM - Medical image modeling
Applying means-end chain theory to eliciting system requirements and understanding users perceptual orientations

Information and Management
Consumer E-Tailer Choice Strategies at On-Line Shopping Comparison Sites

International Journal of Electronic Commerce
Critical functionalities of a successful e-learning system - An analysis from instructors' cognitive structure toward system usage

Decision Support Systems
Moving beyond intentions and toward the theory of trying: effects of work environment and gender on post-adoption information technology use

MIS Quarterly
Model of acceptance with peer support: a social network perspective to understand employees' system use

MIS Quarterly
Mapping the reasons for resistance to Internet banking: A means-end approach

International Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals
Why break the habit of a lifetime? rethinking the roles of intention, habit, and emotion in continuing information technology use

MIS Quarterly

Quantified Score

Hi-index	0.00

Visualization

Abstract

Goals are desired states that an individual tries to attain. The process of achieving a goal can be represented as interlinked means-end chains of user goals that have been traditionally visualized as hierarchies. Evidence in recent literature suggests that a network structure would be more appropriate and provide insight into a user's process of seeking a goal. We investigated user goal means-end chains for the eBay online auction system, and produced its structure as a goal network. To analyze this network and assess the importance of various goals, social network analysis measures were used (specifically, degree and flow-betweenness centrality). In addition, goal networks for users with low and high IS value were created and differences in goal importance in the two groups were considered. Results revealed that the most important user goals are closely related to key features of the auction system; users with high IS value want to use eBay to buy, sell, and bid for products, while users with low IS value seem to avoid using eBay because of uncertain price bidding. As such, the results of our study suggest that differences in IS value may be due to differences in IS usage. IS designers, marketers, and providers of online auction system can use our findings to design and promote better systems for their users.