As evidenced by the sheer number of websites presently on the Internet and the exorbitant amount of dollars that are spent on maintaining corporate websites determining the successfulness of these websites is of the utmost importance. In building a successful website the design must match the organization's objectives and these objectives need to be clearly defined. However, the objectives of a website differ depending upon the website type. As a result, from the user perspective, this results in varying ideas of satisfaction as well as success. Thus, from the user perspective determining success across websites is both goal and context specific. This dissertation investigated five variables which were believed to impact website satisfaction: information quality, system quality, perceived effectiveness, social influence, and trust. Theories in information systems success and information technology adoption provided theoretical foundations for this dissertation. The research was conducted by surveying multiple respondents, who were regular users of two different websites, each fitting into a different category within the taxonomy of websites. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to build the models of determinants of satisfaction for each website. The research results indicate that depending upon the type of website being evaluated different determinants of satisfaction were present. Four variables were found to be significant determinants of website satisfaction in the online community website: information quality, perceived effectiveness, social influence, and trust. However, in the information specific search website only three variables were found to significantly predict website satisfaction: information quality, system quality, and perceived effectiveness. Thus, this dissertation has shown that website users' determinants of satisfaction and overall successfulness is dependent upon the context of the website being evaluated and that determinants of satisfaction are goal specific. Several contributions were made by this study. In particular, this research is one of the first to empirically measure determinants of satisfaction, from the user perspective, in varying website contexts. / Ph. D.

This study examines the link between managerial competencies and Information Systems outsourcing (ISO) project success under different types of outsourcing relationships. At present, ISO is a multi-billion dollar industry, and has spawned a new industry related to the management of outsourcing contracts. At the micro-level, ISO offers firms economic, strategic, and technical benefits. Various academic and industry publications have observed the critical importance of managerial competencies in influencing ISO project success. Yet, research that investigates the relationship between managerial competencies and ISO project success is scant. In this study, we developed a theoretical model along with a set of propositions that can be empirically tested. The model and propositions are based on theories that stem from economics (Transaction Cost Economics and Agency Theory), strategic management (core competence, and Resource-based View), and social (Relational Exchange Theory and Social Exchange Theory) perspectives. We also proposed an investigation framework utilizing the case study approach to guide future empirical studies. Our theoretical model and propositions indicate different patterns of managerial competencies for the client and vendor project managers within the different types of ISO relationships. Apart from an empirical study based on our theoretical model and propositions, future research can adapt and/or extend the model to study knowledge residing in other project stakeholders such as project directors, or to study other outsourcing context such as offshore outsourcing projects.

The purpose of this three-part study is to acquire greater knowledge of success in school and the factors that affects it, in order to better understand the school-related reality that students face every day. It is made up of a document study of some of the currently leading literature on academic and other types of success and of the Swedish steering documents that regulate the Swedish school system and a questionnaire based survey on what Swedish high school students believe it takes to succeed in school. Largely, the study finds that both inner factors, like personality traits and soft skills, and outer factors like school organization and good teachers, have a massive impact on academic outcome and therefore also adult outcome. The study largely finds that there are much empirical evidence suggesting that certain things affect achievement both positively and negatively. Nothing is left up to chance.

This study examines the link between managerial competencies and Information Systems outsourcing (ISO) project success under different types of outsourcing relationships. At present, ISO is a multi-billion dollar industry, and has spawned a new industry related to the management of outsourcing contracts. At the micro-level, ISO offers firms economic, strategic, and technical benefits. Various academic and industry publications have observed the critical importance of managerial competencies in influencing ISO project success. Yet, research that investigates the relationship between managerial competencies and ISO project success is scant. In this study, we developed a theoretical model along with a set of propositions that can be empirically tested. The model and propositions are based on theories that stem from economics (Transaction Cost Economics and Agency Theory), strategic management (core competence, and Resource-based View), and social (Relational Exchange Theory and Social Exchange Theory) perspectives. We also proposed an investigation framework utilizing the case study approach to guide future empirical studies. Our theoretical model and propositions indicate different patterns of managerial competencies for the client and vendor project managers within the different types of ISO relationships. Apart from an empirical study based on our theoretical model and propositions, future research can adapt and/or extend the model to study knowledge residing in other project stakeholders such as project directors, or to study other outsourcing context such as offshore outsourcing projects.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

This study examines the link between managerial competencies and Information Systems outsourcing (ISO) project success under different types of outsourcing relationships. At present, ISO is a multi-billion dollar industry, and has spawned a new industry related to the management of outsourcing contracts. At the micro-level, ISO offers firms economic, strategic, and technical benefits. Various academic and industry publications have observed the critical importance of managerial competencies in influencing ISO project success. Yet, research that investigates the relationship between managerial competencies and ISO project success is scant. In this study, we developed a theoretical model along with a set of propositions that can be empirically tested. The model and propositions are based on theories that stem from economics (Transaction Cost Economics and Agency Theory), strategic management (core competence, and Resource-based View), and social (Relational Exchange Theory and Social Exchange Theory) perspectives. We also proposed an investigation framework utilizing the case study approach to guide future empirical studies. Our theoretical model and propositions indicate different patterns of managerial competencies for the client and vendor project managers within the different types of ISO relationships. Apart from an empirical study based on our theoretical model and propositions, future research can adapt and/or extend the model to study knowledge residing in other project stakeholders such as project directors, or to study other outsourcing context such as offshore outsourcing projects. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

In response to the increasing cost of college, colleges and universities are leveraging financial aid and academic support services to implement access and success programs intended to help financially disadvantaged students afford and persist through a baccalaureate degree program. This research is a study of the efficacy of one such program at a large research university in the southwestern region of the United States. The study sample included low-income program participants in four cohorts of freshmen enrolling for the first time in college from fall 2007 (Cohort 1) to fall 2010 (Cohort 4) and a comparison group of almost 400 low-income freshmen who enrolled for the first time in college in fall 2006 (the year prior to program implementation) for a sample total of over 2150 students. Approximately 64% were female, 36 % were males, over 60% were African American and Hispanic, and over 75% were first generation college students. Logistic regression was used to measure probability and odds of their academic success and retention in the first year of college utilizing gender, ethnicity, parental degree attainment, and program participation as the independent variables. The logistic regression models illustrated that participation in the program netted a consistently positive and significant impact on academic success across all cohorts, increasing the odds ratio for academic success no less than three times in favor of program participants vis-à-vis the comparison group. The statistical models illustrated that the program netted a slight positive impact on the odds of retention, particularly for African American students. Therefore, the principle implication that might be drawn from this study is that by strategically leveraging financial aid and academic support services, access and success programs can facilitate higher rates of academic success and retention for financially disadvantaged college students.

No description available.

Recent attempts to extend Heider's (1958) attributional model of person perception to the area of achievement motivation have important practical as well as theoretical implications. Specifically, it has been hypothesized (Kukla, 1972) that if causal attributions for success and failure determine achievement-related behavior, then a change in attribution will result in a corresponding change in behavior. The purpose of the present study is twofold: (1) to delineate several parameters relevant to the process of making causal ascriptions for success and failure; (2) to attempt to manipulate attributions, thereby altering achievement-related behavior.

No description available.