User Satisfaction with an Internet-Based Portal: An Asymmetric and Nonlinear Approach

Past research in information systems (IS) user satisfaction primarily adopted a conventional "key-driver analysis" approach assuming that independent variables symmetrically and linearly affect user satisfaction. However, recent studies suggest that relationships in IS satisfaction models are more complex. Relying solely on symmetric and linear models runs the risk of systemically misestimating the impact of independent variables on user satisfaction. Building upon previous work, we empirically tested the asymmetric and nonlinear IS user satisfaction model in the context of Internet-based portals. Results show that negative perceived performance on three of the four information-quality attributes have greater impacts on overall satisfaction than do positive perceived performance. In addition, user satisfaction appears to display diminishing sensitivity to information quality in the domain of negative perceived performance but not in positive perceived performance. We expect that this study will generate interest in this new but important area of research.