Digital Commons Network^™

A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Approach To Users, Usability And Usefulness, Helen M. Hasan

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper takes an historical overview of the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Itdescribes how the cognitive psychology emphasis on user involvement in systemsdevelopment of the 1980s reached its limit by the early 1990s. At this point the focus shifted onto support for the tasks of users using computer-based systems in real contexts, a focus that ideally suits the mobile, ubiquitous and social technologies of the new millennium. The Cultural-Historical Activity Theory provides an appropriate framework for understanding this phenomenon and is adopted in this paper to present the work, over a seven year period, of a usability laboratory grounded in …

Cross-Cultural Differences In The Development Of Trust In Relational Service Exchange - An Empirical Analysis Of The Moderating Role Of Uncertainly Avoidance, Jan H. Schumann, Florian Wangenheim, Zhilin Yang, Sandra Praxmarer, Fernando Jinenez, Marcin Komor, G Shainesh

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

Customer trust is of high importance for customer relationship management in services.

While service providers increasingly provide their services globally, little is known about cross-cultural differences in the way customers develop trust in their service providers. The present paper fills this void by providing a research model that builds on the idea that cross-cultural differences in the development of trust can be explained by moderating effects of uncertainty avoidance. This view is supported by results of an empirical analysis conducted in the banking context in six countries. Managerial implications are derived and directions for further research are proposed.

Family Values And Cultural Continuity Among The Displaced East Bengal Hindus In Kolkata, Golam Sarwar Khan, Muhammad K. Chowdhury

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

In the process of resettlement in Kolkata, the East Bengal (EB) Hindu refugee-migrants initiated some strategic plans for their unity. These plans were reflected in their attitudes of retaining family values, marriage practices and distinct cultural boundaries. EB Hindus known as Bangal tended to maintain such distinctive attitudes because they could not easily socialise and adjust themselves with the local people of West Bengal (WB) known as Ghoti. Initially, the EB Hindus felt threatened by maintaining distinct cultural values and supremacy primarily for their unsettled status. Even after a stay of over 30 years in Kolkata, most EB Hindus could …