Quality Evaluation Models - High Level Models and Methodologies for Information Systems - page 106

Fig. 6.10 Expectation - discon rmation model

itself is only measured after the adoption period, when the user confronts the initial
opinion with the real performance of the system. When this comparison happens, that
is when discon

rmation takes place (Lankton and McKnight 2012 ). The user realizes
that the product or system has inferior quality to that which he/she had expected prior
to the purchase or use. Discon

rmation is, thus, a result of users ' expectations and his/

her perception of quality (Wang and Chang 2013 ).
This means that the fact that users may initially present a positive attitude toward
a system does not necessarily mean that their opinion about the system will remain
unaltered. The impact that a change of judgment has on productivity is an important
driving force behind the need to understand the process that leads a user to accept a
technology or system, at first, and then, with use, to dispute it (Venkatesh and

Goyal 2010 ).
Some authors have noted that expectations can be shaped by more than just the
external observation of the technology or system ' s traits. They may be dependent

also on the user s social and cultural context, and on his predisposition to trust the

technology or system. Lankton and McKnight ( 2006 ) built on this premise to assert
that the concept of expectation is linked with the concept of trust in technology.
They de

'

and argued that it appeared to
have various dimensions, which they summarized in

ned it as “ technology trusting expectations, ”

five sets of characteristics:
functionality, reliability, helpfulness, usefulness, and ease of use (Lankton and
McKnight 2006 ). These are the traits that users will base their expectations on.
This model has demonstrated a good performance in the anticipation and
understanding of customer satisfaction (Wang and Chang 2013 ). Hence, it has been
applied to studies that investigate a multiplicity of subjects, ranging from a wide
scope of areas. The common characteristic between these studies is the fact that
they all required a comparison between individuals

perception of the quality of a
system/service/product and their expectations toward that same system/service/

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