Information systems (IS) analysis and design has much to do with “people factors.” Basically, human beings are creatures of self-interest. This paper first proposes a theory of self-interest as the theoretical base and integrative approach to understand the phenomenon of IS development. Based upon the theory proposed, a series of research propositions are then advanced to lay the basis of speci...

Preferences for redistribution may be influenced by values and beliefs about distributive justice as well as by self-interest. People may prefer more redistribution to the poor if they believe that poverty is caused by circumstances beyond individual control. Therefore, beliefs about the causes of income may affect demand for redistribution. Alternatively, the effect of these beliefs on redistr...

Self-assessment questionnaires have long been used in tutoring systems to help researchers measure and evaluate various aspects of a student’s performance during learning activities. In this paper, we chronicle the efforts made in the REAP project, a language tutor developed to teach vocabulary to ESL students through reading activities, to understand the usefulness of self-assessment questionn...

How does self-efficacy affect interest? The interest-and-interests model assumes that factors that induce interest—novelty, complexity, conflict, and uncertainty—do so non-linearly. Selfefficacy should thus affect interest quadratically, because it reflects uncertainty about an activity s outcome. When self-efficacy is low, interest is low because the activity s outcome is certain. When self-ef...

The Austrian calculation argument suggests that inability to engage in economic calculation worsened outcomes in socialist states. We suggest that this is hardly the case. When Austrian assumptions of benevolence are relaxed, inability to engage in economic calculation prevents the non-benevolent planner from fully extracting all available surplus from the citizenry. Consequently, when planners...

We explore whether the recent laboratory findings that suggest the origin of endowment matters in simple bargaining games are actually due to contextual shifts of relative effort and deservingness. Results support previous findings of endowment origin yielding more self-interested behavior. Todd L. Cherry & Jason F. Shogren (2008) "Self-Interest, Sympathy And The Origin Of Endowments" Economic ...

Abstract Reputation systems are emerging as an increasingly important component of online communities, helping elicit good behavior and cooperation among loosely connected and geographically dispersed economic agents. A deeper understanding of the factors that drive voluntary online feedback contribution is crucial to the long-term viability of such systems and of the online communities that re...