Mediating effects of user experience usability. An empirical study on mobile library application in China
| Pages | 892-909 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-04-2017-0086 |
| Published date | 01 October 2018 |
| Date | 01 October 2018 |
| Author | Ping Ke,Fu Su |
Mediating effects of user
experience usability
An empirical study on mobile library
application in China
Ping Ke and Fu Su
Department of Information Resource Management,
Business School of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to explore whether the usability of user experience for mobile library
application playsa mediating role in the relation between the successfactors of information systems and net
benefit.
Design/methodology/approach –The theoretical model of “information system success factor–user
experience usability–netbenefit”was constructed. A questionnaire was conducted at the Nankai University.
The mediating effectsofthe usability of the mobile libraryapplication on information system success factors
and net benefit wereexamined using hierarchical linear regressionand structural equations.
Findings –First, the usability of user experiences is positively correlated to information quality, system
quality and servicequality. Second, user experience usabilityhas a significant mediating effect on the relation
between informationsystem success factors and net benefit.
Originality/value –This study improves upon theDeLone and McLean model, connects the usability of
user experiencewith the model and constructs the success factor mechanism of the mobile library application.
It providesatheoreticalbasis for interpreting the relation between the mobile libraryapplication and users.
Keywords China, Usability, User experiences, Mobile library applications
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The January 2017 report released by the China Internet Network Information Center states
that the number of Chinese netizens has reached731 million as of December 2016, which is
equivalent to the total population of Europe [China Internet Network Information Center
(CINIC), 2017]. Mobile phone netizens has reached 695 million. The utilisation ratio of
desktop computers and notebook computers declined, and smartphones continued to
squeeze out the use of other personal internet devices. In China, smartphones have quickly
become the most popular way to connect with the internet. The traditional service models
used by libraries have beenunable to meet the increasingly diversified demand of university
users. Based on this demand, PC-terminal online library services are being rapidly
developed for and installed on mobileequipment. These digital library services provide not
This work is supported by National Social Science Fund of China, under Major Program Grant
14ZDA050. The authors thank Dan, Wu and Jinchao, Zhang (School of Information Management,
Wuhan University) and Hui Yan (School of Information Resource Management, Renmin University)
for their encouragement and support in undertaking the study and for the constructive feedback on
the draft article. They also wish to thank three doctoral friends Wang Jianping, Deng Weisheng and
Qi Kang (library of Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology) for their encouragement.
EL
36,5
892
Received17 April 2017
Revised6 September 2017
7 November2017
Accepted21 January 2018
TheElectronic Library
Vol.36 No. 5, 2018
pp. 892-909
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-04-2017-0086
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
only traditional literature resources but also a variety of intelligent services to meet the
personalised needs in the mobile network environment. Many libraries are developing
applications (apps) for smartphones. The success of the mobile libraryapp does not lie any
longer in the mere availability of resources but in the capacity of the app to provide users
with a better experience and access to more abundant net benefit. In their information
system success model, DeLone and McLean (2003) referred to information quality, system
quality and service quality as the key factors influencing the net benefit obtained from an
information system.They also found that customer satisfaction affects net benefit.
Based on previous studies, this paper uses the DeLone and McLean (D&M) model
(DeLone and McLean, 2003) as the major framework to expand the variables of user
satisfaction to “usability of user experience”and to form a new model featuring the
“information system success factor–usability of user experience–net benefit”. The research
subjects include undergraduates, postgraduate students anddoctoral scholars who use the
Superstar mobile library application that is frequently used in China’s colleges and
universities. The subjects are enrolled at Nankai University, one of China’s most famous
universities. A questionnairewas used along with structural equation modelling to address
the following issues in Nankai University:
Q1.What are the relationships amongst information quality, system quality, service
quality and the usabilityof user experience of the mobile library app?
Q2.Does the usability of user experience have an intermediary role for the relation
between the success factors of the mobile library app information system and the
net benefit?
Literature review
Information system success model
The evaluation of the success model of the information system is subject to extensive
research in the field of information management,and understanding information systems is
the basis for effectively evaluating an information system. Using the information theory of
Shannon and Weaver (1949) and the information influencetheory of Mason (1978),DeLone
and McLean (1992) proposed the information system success model, which includes six
variables:
(1)system quality;
(2)information quality;
(3)system use;
(4)customer satisfaction;
(5)personal influence; and
(6)organisational influence.
Based on numerous empirical studies from the 1970s to 1980s, Seddon and Kiew (1996)
proffered the initial D&M modelandredefined the first four variables:
(1)system quality;
(2)information quality;
(3)system use; and
(4)user satisfaction and their mutual relationships.
Effects of user
experience
usability
893
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