The graphical modelling of processes is of growing popularity and high relevance to organisations that seek to document, analyse and improve their business operations. This research investigates the phenomenon of continued user acceptance of the grammars that are used to build process models. It develops and tests a theory that can be used to explain and predict why users would opt to continue working with certain grammars in their process modelling efforts. This study builds on established theories, including the Technology Acceptance Model, Expectation-Confirmation Theory, Task-Technology Fit Theory and Representation Theory. These theories suggest that end users typically strive for tools that are useful and easy to use, which confirm their expectations through firsthand utility, and which match task requirements and individual abilities. Representation theory suggests that modelling grammars should be complete and clear in their capabilities to represent real-world domains. The research model has been designed by combining conceptual studies of acceptance and continuance theories with a representational analysis of the BPMN grammar, which is a recently ratified industry standard for process modelling and thereby of high practical relevance to process modelling practice. It further incorporates findings from nineteen semi-structured interviews with process modellers in Australia. The research model has been tested and validated by means of a web-based survey with 590 process modellers world-wide. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge in a number of ways: First, it presents an empirically validated model of the factors determining a user's intention to continue using a process modelling grammar. Second, it measures the impact that grammar characteristics as well as user and task characteristics have on user evaluations of a process modelling grammar. Third, it presents empirical evidence on the consequences that perceived representational deficiencies entail on user perceptions of a process modelling grammar.

The primary focus of this research is explicating the role of emotion in IT post-adoption behavior. Studied in the context of intelligent personal assistants (IPA), a class of conversational artificial intelligence (AI), the first study integrates elements from computer science, communications, and IS disciplines. The research identifies two constructs vital for speech-based technologies, natural language understanding, and feedback, and examines their role in use decisions. This work provides guidance to practice on how best to allocate R&D investments in conversational AI. The second essay examines the IT continuance through the theoretical lens of the expectation-confirmation model (ECM), incorportating cognitive and emotional satisfaction into the ECM framework. Empirical testing of the model suggests that it offers additional clarity on IT continuance phenomena and provides a significant improvement to the explanatory power of ECM in the context of an emerging technology. The third essay is one of the earliest efforts to conceptualize and test a theoretical model that considers emotional attachment in IT continuance behavior. This essay develops a novel model to investigate this phenomenon based on emotional attachment theory, and empirically validates the proposed model in the context of conversational artificial intelligence systems. While the existing theories of IT continuance focus on purely rational, goal-oriented factors, this study incorporates non-cognitive aspects by including the emotional consequences of IT continuance and offers evidence that attachment can exist even in the absence of cognitive factors.

Dans la présente thèse, nous proposons une grille de lecture - ancrée dans la théorie du don de Marcel Mauss - et permettant de comprendre les échanges effectués dans le cadre des réseaux sociaux numériques (RSN). Cet éclairage que nous présentons, nous amène à définir et à conceptualiser " le lien social virtuel " qui explique la continuité d'utilisation de ces plates-formes de socialisation en ligne. Il nous permet également d'effectuer une taxonomie des utilisateurs des RSN en fonction de leurs comportements de " donneurs " et de " receveurs " sur ces sites. C'est ainsi que nous avons pu identifier quatre profils : " les connectés " et " les réseauphiles " (catégorie de continueurs) puis " les désenchantés " et " les déconnectés " (catégorie de discontinueurs). Nous suivons une démarche de recherche mixte puisque nous adoptons à la fois des méthodes quantitatives et qualitatives qui s'enrichissent mutuellement et nous permettent de répondre à notre problématique de recherche

This thesis aimed to investigate the determinants of system satisfaction and the intention to systematically integrate a system from a continuous use perspective, where system use is mandatory. For this purpose, two identical questionnaires were distributed to collect data, 15 months apart. Respondents taking part in this study are healthcare multi-professionals who pertain to a work-group at an intensive care unit, at a large Swedish hospital. To evaluate the questionnaire data a research model was conceptualized, grounded in prior information system continuance research. It is also significantly influenced by the UMISC metamodel, conceptualized and suggested by Hadji & Degoulet (2016). The collected data was then analyzed using a two-stage analysis where one aspect was comparative, i.e., a comparison of the data between the two questionnaires, and the other was explorative, wherein research model constructs and their relations were evaluated. This analysis provided significant insight into the determinants of system satisfaction. However, regarding the determinants of the intention to systematically integrate as well as the research model itself, neither could be validated in this study. Nevertheless, these results allowed for a modified model to be conceptualized, with potentially promising results.

Abstract This study examines the formation of brand loyalty and disloyalty behaviours among consumers of short life-cycle technology products. Today, the life cycle of technology products have become shortened due to rapid pace of innovation leading to introduction of new and innovative products at shortened intervals. Such technological changes create a dynamic market, induce uncertainties among the consumers in the usage leading to stress and anxiety and development of coping strategies to deal with such situations. This study attempts at an understanding of the formation of brand loyalty and brand disloyalty behaviours from the consumer’s lived consumption experiences. The importance of loyalty and disloyalty have long been recognized in marketing, by academic and practitioners alike and assumes even more salience in today’s highly dynamic and competitive market environment. This study adopts the qualitative approach based on a constructivist and interpretive perspective using narrative strategy of inquiry through semi-structured and open-ended interviews to bring forth the experiences and meanings emanating from the consumption narratives. A theoretical framework was developed and employed to aid in the analysis of the empirical data. Based on the lines of the theoretical framework, three different phases of consumption, pre-adoption, adoption and post-adoption were examined which brought forth rich details of consumption experiences and outcomes during each consumption phase. This study interestingly finds consumers to be more brand loyal than disloyal. This supports a school of thought which endorses the existence of brand loyalty and contradicts another school of thought which profess the decline of brand loyalty. The study also reveals the factors which cause brand loyalty, brand disloyalty, divided brand loyalty and no brand loyalty tendencies in the context of short life-cycle technology products providing insights to both practitioners and academics. And more interestingly, this study finds short life-cycle products influencing the brand disloyalty and divided brand loyalty tendencies significantly, if not most significantly. This is important in view of today’s highly changed, dynamic and competitive marketplace and in the context of short life-cycle technology products. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan brändilojaaliuden ja -epälojaaliuden kehittymistä teknologiaintensiivisten kuluttajatuotteiden käyttäjien keskuudessa. Sellaisten tuotteiden käyttöikä on lyhentynyt uusien tuoteinnovaatioiden ja -ratkaisujen tullessa markkinoille yhä nopeammalla tahdilla. Teknologiamuutokset johtavat dynaamisiin markkinoihin ja samalla kuluttajien huoli ja pyrkimykset hoitaa tuotteiden valinta- ja käyttötilanteita kasvavat. Tutkimuksessa pyritään ymmärtämään ja tulkitsemaan brändilojaaliuden ja -epälojaaliuden muodostumiseen liittyviä tekijöitä. Se on yhä tärkeämpää paitsi tutkijoille, myös liiketoiminnan harjoittajille. Tutkimukseen otetaan konstruktiivinen mutta tulkitseva ote, perustuen kuluttajien kertomiin kokemuksiin, joita kerättiin sekä avoimilla että puoliavoimilla haastatteluilla. Hankittu narratiivinen tutkimusaineisto analysoitiin aiempien tutkimusten perusteella muodostetun teoreettisen viitekehyksen avulla niin, että tuotteen valinta, hankinta ja käyttö jaettiin kolmeen periaatteelliseen vaiheeseen. Ne ovat käyttöön omaksumista edeltävä, käytön omaksumisen ja käyttöön omaksumisen jälkeinen vaihe. Tutkimusaineistosta saatiin kehikon avulla analysoituna esille rikas tuotteen valintaan ja käyttöön liittyvä kulutuskokemusten joukko koskien brändilojaaliutta ja -epälojaaliutta. Tutkimuksen mielenkiintoinen tulos on, että kuluttajien brändilojaalius on suurempi kuin epälojaalius. Se vahvistaa näkemyksen, että brändilojaaliuden merkitys ei ole vähentynyt eikä etenkään loppunut. Tutkimuksesta tulee silti esiin myös tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat lojaaliuden ohella jakaantuneeseen lojaaliuteen tai lojaaliuden puuttumiseen lyhytikäisten kuluttajatuotteiden tapauksessa. Kaiken kaikkiaan tekijöiden jäsentäminen, näkyväksi tekeminen ja analysointi tarjoavat kiinnostavia näkemyksiä tutkijoille, liiketoiminnan harjoittajille ja muille tahoille. Erityisesti jakaantuneeseen lojaaliuteen ja epälojaaliuteen vaikuttavat tekijät ovat tärkeitä lyhytikäisille teknologiaintensiivisille kuluttajatuotteille, joiden markkinat ovat erittäin dynaamiset ja kilpaillut.

La nostra investigació empírica s'emmarca, a nivell teòric, dins la teoria relacional pròpia de la psicoanàlisi.Objectius: l'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi és conèixer com els nens adoptats elaboren el complex d'Èdip, tenint en compte que a tots ells els acompanyen dues variables indissociables d'aquesta condició d'ésser un nen adoptat:- Ser un nen abandonat pels pares biològics. - Tenir una doble parentalitat: pares biològics i pares adoptius. Amb aquesta recerca volem aprofundir -mitjançant el test projectiu Pota Negra, de L. Corman (1961)- especialment en aquells aspectes que configuren la realitat interna de cada nen. Paral·lelament, hem volgut analitzar aquells aspectes de la realitat externa pre-adoptiva i post-adoptiva que s'erigeixen com a factors importants per al bon desenvolupament psicològic de l'infant.Metodologia: el nostre estudi s'ha realitzat amb nens d'adopció internacional, concretament amb 5 nens i 5 nenes del Nepal, amb edats compreses entre els 6 i els 12 anys. Tots ells han estat adoptats fa més de dos anys per famílies que no tenien fills biològics.Els instruments aplicats han estat diversos. Pels pares s'ha utilitzat l'entrevista semiestructurada elaborada per la investigadora i el CBLC -Qüestionari Infantil de Comportament 4/18-, de T. Achenbach (1991). Quan als nens, el test projectiu Pota Negra, de L. Corman (1961). Conclusions: el test projectiu Pota Negra ens ha permès conèixer les principals variables que articulen la realitat interna del nen adoptat, evidenciant la manca d'estructura triangular edípica, i per tant de la no elaboració de l'Èdip, en tots els subjectes de la nostra mostra. Les dificultats per a poder elaborar l'Èdip estan vinculades a la condició de ser un nen adoptat. S'ha pogut observar, entre d'altres, com aquets nens presenten simptomatologia post-adoptiva diversa, com indicador del seu malestar emocional per l'experiència viscuda. / Nuestra investigación empírica se enmarca, a nivel teórico, en la teoría relacional propia del psicoanálisis.Objetivos: el objetivo principal de esta tesis es conocer como los niños adoptados elaboran el complejo de Edipo, teniendo en cuenta que a todos ellos les acompañan dos variables indisociables de esta condición de ser un niño adoptado:- ser un niño abandonado por los padres biológicos- tener una doble parentalidad: padres biológicos i padres adoptivosCon esta investigación queremos profundizar -mediante el test proyectivo Pata Negra, de L. Corman (1961)- especialmente en aquellos aspectos que configuran la realidad interna de cada niño. Paralelamente, hemos querido analizar aquellos aspectos de la realidad interna pre-adoptiva i post-adoptiva que se erigen como factores importantes para el buen desarrollo psicológico del niño.Metodología: nuestro estudio se ha realizado con niños de adopción internacional, concretamente con 5 niños y 5 niñas del Nepal, con edades comprendidas entre los 6 y los 12 años. Todos ellos han sido adoptados hace más de dos años por familias que no tenían hijos biológicos.Los instrumentos aplicados han sido diversos. Para los padres se ha utilizado la entrevista semiestructurada elaborada por la investigadora i el CBLC - Cuestionario Infantil de Comportamiento 4/18-, de T. Achenbach (1991). En cuanto a los niños, el test proyectivo Pata Negra, de L- Corman (1961).Conclusiones: el test proyectivo Pata Negra nos ha permitido conocer las principales variables que articulan la realidad interna del niño adoptado, evidenciando la falta de estructura triangular edípica. I por tanto la no elaboración del Edipo, en todos los sujetos de nuestra muestra. Las dificultades para elaborar el Edipo están vinculadas a la condición de ser un niño adoptado. Se ha podido observar, entre otros, como estos niños presentan sintomatología pots-adoptiva diversa, como indicador de su malestar emocional por la experiencia vivida. / Our empirical investigation is framed, at theoretical level, in the own relational theory of the psychoanalysis.Objectives: the primary target of this thesis is to know as the adopted children elaborate the Oedipus Complex, considering that all of them have two inseparable variables due to their condition of being an adopted child: - to be a child abandoned by the biological parents- to have double parents: biological parents and adoptive parents With this investigation we want to deepen - by means of the projective test Corman’s Patte Noire (1961) - especially in those aspects that form the internal reality of each child. At the same time, we have wanted to analyze those aspects of post-adoptive and pre-adoptive of the external reality that are elevated like important factors for the good psychological development of the child.Methodology: our study has been made with children of international adoption, concretely with 5 boys and 5 girls from Nepal, with ages between the 6 and 12 years old. All of them have been adopted for more than two years by families who did not have biological children.The applied instruments have been diverse. For the parents, we have used a semi-structured interview elaborated by the investigator and the CBLC - Child Behavior Checklist 4/18-, Achenbach,T. (1991). For the children, we have applied the projective test Corman’s Patte Noire (1961).Conclusions: the projective test Black Leg has allowed us to know the main variables that articulate the internal reality of the adopted child, demonstrating the lack of Oedipus triangular structure and therefore the non-elaboration of the Oedipus, in all the subjects of our sample. The difficulties to elaborate the Oedipus are bound to the condition of being an adopted child. It has been possible to observe, among others, as these children have diverse pots-adoptive symptomatology, as indicator of its emotional malaise by the lived experience.