of solution selection mikael collan franck tétard

of Solution SelectionMikael CollanFranck Tétard

LAZY USER THEORY

IADIS CELDA 2007 Algarve, Portugal 2

This presentation

• Background to this research• The focus of the model• Lazy User Theory• Case mTicket• Learning issues• Relationship with some models explaining

technology adoption • Conclusions

Mikael Collan


Background

• The model started from long discussions into why technology adoption models are mostly based on technology and not the user that adopts the technology

• And another set of long discussions into what part does learning play in the selection of which solution to use

• And a third discussion into why mobile services have not really taken off

Mikael Collan


Focus areas of the theory• Focus on the user need and user characteristics, not only on the

technology characteristics• Focus on the effort needed from the user (in €, £, $; time;

activity)• Focus on putting many solutions on the same line (e.g.,

competing technologies)• Focus on effect of learning to the effort needed• The theory tries to explain selection of solutions ≈ technology

adoption• Usable in understanding the chances of market penetration of

new products & in the design of new products (solutions)• Now limited to solutions that fulfill one need 100%

Mikael Collan


The Lazy User Theory of Solution Selection

Mikael Collan

User need

User state

defines

limits

User selection of

solution based on the lowest level

of effort(cost)

”likelihood to select solution”

Circumstances: Location, available resources, available devices, available time, personal characteristics...

Explicitly specifiable want that can be (completely) fulfilled. The need can be tangible or intangible, e.g., information: type of information, depth of information,

Quality of information, completeness of information, urgency of information delivery

Set of possible solutions to

fulfill the needSolution 1Solution 2Solution 3Solution 4Solution 5Solution 6

USER FOCUS COMPETING SOLUTIONS(TECHNOLOGY)

COST(UTILITY)


Case: mTicket

Mikael Collan

Need a ticket for the tram in

Helsinki

User state

Set of possible solutions to fulfill

the need

defines

limits

User selection of


of effort(cost)

User NeedBuy from the tram

Buy from a kiosk

Buy from a ticket vending machine

mTicketIn hurry, no cashIn hurry, with cash

mTicket selected because only solution

mTicket likely selected if there is waiting time

no hurry, with cash

In Helsinki the ticket is 10% cheaper if bought with a mobile phone, or from a vending machine, than if bought from the tram


A newer less costly solution enters the market

Solution selection

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COSTLEVEL

€ £ $, Time, Effort

Likelihood to choose solution

User has selected a solution (technology)

A new level reached through learning (becoming an expert user):It has a combination of cost level & likelihood that users choose the solution

Cost (in effort/time) becomes lower due to expertise in use,this makes the likelihood to use the solution higher

The cost of learning is a sunk cost and it has caused for this user a lasting change in the cost level of the solution AND a higher likelihood that this particular solution is chosen by this user in the future

Learning takes place (user learns the system)

Because of the sunk cost in learning the user will not be more likely to adopt the new lower cost solution

At least if it does not offer a lower level of cost than where the user is now

The original solution

What about a new inexperienced user? Which solution will he/she be more likely to choose?

The newer solution, because it offers a lower cost level

What is a ”universal solution”?

It’s a solution that offers a cost level that is clearly the lowest universally => the likelihood to choose the universal solution is the highest

Also: cost level of the universal solution is lower than any cost level of other solutions reachable through learning


Learning issues

Mikael Collan

COSTLEVEL

€ £ $, Time, Effort

Likelihood to choose solution

- An investment in learning a solution makes thecost of repeated use lower (economies of scale)-Learning is a sunk investment that is also a barrier ofentry; new competing solutions must be so much better that they justify ex-ante a new investment in learning, i.e., the faster the investment is ”paid back”, in the form of the lower effort of use, the better

- The size of the learning investment comes from the learnabilityof the solution (how easy is it to learn [to use]) and from the portability of the knowledge needed (transferrability) -The barrier of entry is affected by memorability (how easyis it to remember how to use), if low memorability => low barrier of entry

Gain of eachrepeated use

Gain over oldsolution

How many times must I use the new solution to justify the cost of learning?= Trade-off betweencost of learning & the expected benefit

Transferrability implication:Design new solutions so that users canuse their previous knowledge

Cost of learning (for example)


Relationship with some models explaining IT adoption

Mikael Collan

User need

User state

Set of possible solutions to fulfill

the need

defines

limits

User selection of


of effort(cost)

TAM (Technology Acceptance Model)

TAM: Characteristics of the technology determine useFocus on technology, not on the user

UTAUT: Unified Theory of Acceptance and use of Technology

UTAUT: Tries to explain what determines the acceptance and use of technology with four key constructs that are affected by four characteristics Focus on single technology at a time

TASK TECH FIT

TASK TECH FIT: Focus on fit of technology to task

COGNITIVE MODELS

Source: Shaft & Vessey (2006)

COGNITIVE MODELS (AKA HCI): Fit between task and information presentation format leads to differences inPerformance (better interfaces => better performance)

The Lazy User Theory of Solution Selection implication for IT adoption:The selection of the solution is dependent on the user need & characteristics that define the available (suitable) solutions, and that the user will select the

least effort solution from the set of available solutions.

Main differences with other models include the inclusion of competing solutions and theacknowledgement that effort (cost) is a main factor in solution selection that depends on the user characteristics (different cost for different individuals). Use is also strongly related

to a need (of the user).


Conclusions• The Lazy User Theory takes into consideration user characteristics,

competing solutions, and the cost of solutions • The theory has interesting implications for defining the effect of learning in

selection of solutions through a change in the user characteristics, which cause an effect in the effort level (cost of use)

• A number of theories explaining technology adoption have points of tangency with the model

Future Research• Empirical research to test the theory• Further modelling of the different issues in learning vis-a-vis the cost

(learnability, memorability, transferrability)• Implications of the theory to solution design • Taking into the model devices that integrate multiple solutions – including

degree of fullfilling a need (now 100%)

Mikael Collan


Thank You for your attention!

Contact info: [email protected]

Mikael Collan

of solution selection mikael collan franck tétard

Documents

solution technology

solution cost

need solution

solution mticket

solution circumstances

costly solution

user characteristics

portugal5 user need