Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This paper presents results of a large evaluation of user perspectives on voice mail system performance as measured by message transmission delay. Over 1000 state employee respondents completed survey questions rating system speed (as presented in a standardized user interface questionnaire) and tolerance for message transmission delay in a variety of situational task contexts. Results of the study indicate that situation variables (message urgency, message context, and sender-receiver distance) affected user ratings of maximum acceptable transmission delay. In addition, user experience as measured by frequency of system use, but not length of exposure to the system, was a significant predictor of evaluations of what constituted acceptable voice mail message delivery performance. Users dynamically change their expectations and tolerances for “adequate” system performance based on system use and task demands. These results provide implications for future studies of diffusion of innovations and organizational implementation of new information technology systems.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aronsson

(1989). Dimensions of Control as Related to Work Organization, Stress, and Health. International Journal of Health Services, 19 (3), 459–468.

Box

G. E. P.

Draper

N. R.

(1987). Empirical Model-Building and Response Surfaces. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Caldwell

B. S.

(1993). Situational and information constraints affecting communications with 1-1000 second transmission delays. In Salvendy

Smith

M. J.

(Eds.), Human-Computer Interaction: Applications and Case Studies, vol. 1, (Vol. 19A, pp. 167–170). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Caldwell

B. S.

(1994). Developing Robust Mathematical Models of Information Technology Use in Organizations. In Bradley

Hendrick

H. W.

(Eds.), Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management - IV (pp. 526–530). Amsterdam: North-Holland.

Caldwell

B. S.

Uang

S.-T.

(1994). Interactions of Situation, Social, and Technological Constraints in Information Technology Use in Organizations. In Bradley

Hendrick

H. W.

(Eds.), Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management - IV (pp. 531–536). Amsterdam: North-Holland.

Caldwell

B. S.

Uang

S.-T.

(1995). Technology Usability and Utility Issues in a State Government Voice Mail Evaluation Survey. Human Factors, in press.

Carayon-Sainfort

(1992). The Use of Computer in Offices: Impact on Task Characteristics and Worker Stress. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 4 (3), 245–261.

Chin

J. P.

Diehl

V. A.

Norman

(1988). Development of an Instrument Measuring User Satisfaction of the Human-Computer Interface. Paper presented at the CHI1988 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems..

Emurian

H. H.

(1991). Physiological Responses During Data Retrieval: Comparison of Constant and Variable System Response Times. Computers in Human Behavior, 7, 291–310.

10.

Kuhmann

(1989). Experimental investigation of stress-inducing properties of system response times. Ergonomics, 32 (3), 271–280.

11.

McGrath

J. E.

(1990). Time Matters in Groups. In Galegher

Kraut

R. E.

Egido

(Eds.), Intellectual Teamwork: Social and Technological Foundations of Cooperative Work. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Situation and User Experience Influences on Voice Mail System Performance Evaluations

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References