• Title/Summary/Keyword: Path Modeling

Search Result 787, Processing Time 0.024 seconds

Social-Cognitive Model of Social Justice Interest and Commitment: for Korean College Students (사회 인지 관점에 따른 사회 정의 관심과 실천 모형의 검증: 국내 대학생을 중심으로)

  • Moon-Kyung Min;Hyun-nie Ahn
    • Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
    • /
    • v.20 no.2
    • /
    • pp.133-154
    • /
    • 2014
  • The purpose of this study was to investigate psychological processes based on the Korean college students' development of social justice interest and commitment. For this study, we replicated Miller and colleagues'(2009) study, which explained the development of social justice interest and commitment by social-cognitive career theory(SCCT). Social desirability was controlled, and then self-reports data from 343 college students were analyzed using Structural Estimate Modeling(SEM). As a result, the final research model that social justice self-efficacy and outcome expectations affect social justice interest and commitment was proven valid for Korean college students. Also, in comparison with the direct effects model(social supports and barriers affect directly on commitment), the indirect effects model(social supports and barriers affect indirectly on commitment through self-efficacy) was supported. As an unique path of social-justice domain, the indirect effect by social support on commitment through outcome expectation was proved, as well. This study covers measurement limitations, future directions for research, and some lessons points with regards to how Korean college students to have social justice interest and commitment.

  • PDF

The impact of organizational socialization tactics on newcomers' organizational citizenship behaviors: The mediating effect of perceived organizational support (조직사회화 기법이 신입사원의 조직시민행동에 미치는 영향: 조직지원인식의 매개효과를 중심으로)

  • Kyungmin Kim
    • Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
    • /
    • v.24 no.4
    • /
    • pp.519-539
    • /
    • 2018
  • This study investigates the impact of organizational socialization tactics on newcomers' organizational citizenship behaviors. We explains this relationship with the concept of perceived organizational support, which refers to the extent to which individuals perceive that the organization recognizes their contributions and takes care of their well-being. We expect that the more institutionalized the organization's socialization tactics are, the more organizational support individuals perceive, consequently increasing the performance of organizational citizenship behaviors. We performed a survey targeting 450 newcomers in domestic companies, and adopted 382 data for path analyses based on the structural equation modeling. As the result, in all the three dimensions of socialization tactics (content, context, social), the extent to which socialization tactics are institutionalized is positively related to the perception of organizational support. It also has the positive relationship with individuals' organizational citizenship behaviors, being fully mediated by the perceived organizational support. More specifically, context socialization tactics shows the highest level of impact both on the perceived organizational support and organizational citizenship behaviors, whereas social tactics has the lowest level of impact. These results imply that the range of effects the organizational socialization has on the newcomers' attitudes and behaviors should be more extended and detailed.

An Empirical Study on the Adoption of Online Direct Marketing in Agricultural Firms (농업경영체의 온라인 직거래 마케팅 수용에 관한 실증적 연구)

  • Cheolho Yoon;Changhee Park
    • Information Systems Review
    • /
    • v.20 no.1
    • /
    • pp.41-59
    • /
    • 2018
  • This study analyzed the factors that affect acceptance of online direct marketing in agricultural companies. Empirical analysis was conducted using the research model based on the individual's technology acceptance model (TAM) and the information technology adoption models in organizations. These models have four dimensions: 1) technology characteristics, which include perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of TAM 2) CEO characteristics, which including the innovativeness and IT capability of CEOs; 3) organizational readiness, which include financial, technological, and human resources capabilities and 4) environment and external pressure, which include government support and changes to the Internet environment. These concepts were empirically tested. A total of 209 valid data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis through the application of structural equation modeling. Results show that perceived usefulness, IT capability of CEOs, and changes to the Internet environment have significant effects on the adoption intention of online direct marketing. However, perceived ease of use, CEO innovativeness, government support, and the variables of organizational readiness dimension did not have significant effects on adoption intention. This study suggests practical implications for adoption of online direct marketing in agricultural companies.

The Study on the Influence of Selection Characteristics of Franchise System, business possibility, Communication, Moral Hazard on Franchisee's Perceived Risk, and Recontracting Intention in the Food Service Franchise Industry (외식 프랜차이저의 사업성, 커뮤니케이션, 모럴해저드가 프랜차이지의 위험지각과 재계약의도에 미치는 영향)

  • Yu, Jong-Pil;Lee, In-Ho
    • Journal of Distribution Research
    • /
    • v.16 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-27
    • /
    • 2011
  • I. Introduction: This study is to examine the structural relationships among exogenous variable (preliminary and post-support, franchisee's perceived business possibility, communication, moral hazard), the mediated variables(satisfaction, perceived risk, trust) and dependent variable(recontracting intention) in the food service franchise industry context. More specifically, this study has considered some realistic characteristics factors influencing satisfaction, perceived risk and trust between franchisors and franchisees and their further recontracting intention from the perspective of a practical approach. In this study, 437 data has been collected and used for the SPSS and AMOS analysis. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Since the result of the overall model analysis demonstrated a good fit, we could further analyze our data. II. Research Model: This study is to examine the structural relationships among preliminary and post-support by franchisor, franchisee's perceived business possibility, and communication, moral hazard, has on effect on franchisee's satisfaction, perceived risk, trust and recontracting intention in the food service franchise industry context. Hypotheses are as following (Stern & EL-Ansary 1988; Oliver, 1997;Kee & Knox, 1970; Moorman, Deshpande & Zaltman, 1993; Perron, 1998; Zaheer, McEvily, Perrone, 1998). III. Result and Implication: We examined franchisee who have food service stores for samples of this study. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling using path analysis. The result of the overall model analysis appeared as following: ${\chi}^2$ = 61.578 (d.f.=9, p<0.01), CFI =.990, GFI =.973, AGFI =.863, RMR =.019, RMSEA= .116, NFI = .988, TLI = .959. The findings can be summarized as follows: First, preliminary and post support of franchisor, perceived business possibility and communication positively influence to franchisee's satisfaction. Second, moral hazard of franchisor has negatively influence to franchisee's satisfaction and positively influence to perceived risk. Third, franchisee's satisfaction and trust has positively influence to recontracting intention. Fourth, franchisee's perceived risk has negatively influence to trust and recontracting intention. We can concluded that franchisor's preliminary and post support of franchisor, perceived business possibility and communication may be considered as the important factors influence to franchisee's satisfaction. Moral hazard has become a focused issue in franchise industry. Finally, the managerial implication has been stated as followings: First, in the process of building a systematic industry support franchise system and developing a creative business model, franchisee's stable profitability should be considered as the first important factor. The franchisee's trust to franchise may become a dominant factor that influence the business expansion of franchisor. Second, franchisor should communication with their franchisees and deal with the realistic difficulties faced by them with an effort. Third, the franchisor should achieve a synergy effect by utilizing the win-win strategy. The moral hazard strategy that achieving the profit through franchisee's damage will not be inadvisable to franchisor. Then the long-term oriented development and profitability can be maintained. To do so, the franchise industry may break away from the traditional business structure to improve management transparency and competitiveness on investment and organizational changing management. The conflict between franchisor and franchisee also can be reduced and big success can be achieved in the franchise industry.

  • PDF

Ecological Factors Influencing Adolescent's Negative Emotion: Moderating Effects of Parent's Abuse (청소년의 부정적 정서에 영향을 미치는 생태학적 요인: 부모학대경험 여부의 조절효과)

  • Lee, Jongseok;Jung, Deuk;Kim, Insul;Hwang, Hyunseok
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
    • /
    • v.15 no.5
    • /
    • pp.2713-2723
    • /
    • 2014
  • This study adopts an ecological perspective to empirically navigate the issues surrounding the impact of parental abuse on the emotional development of adolescents. The data is used from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2011 (KCYPS 2011), which was conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute (n=2,270). Path models were constructed in which adolescents' environmental mediators (i.e., the relationship with parents, friends, and teachers; and school life) control their negative emotions (i.e., aggressiveness, negative physical symptoms, social weakness and depression); in turn to compare the difference between two groups based on parental abuse by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). As with the non-abused group (n=1,644), all the environmental mediators remained significant to control their negative emotion; whereas, the abused group (n=626) showed no significant pathway from their relationship with teachers and school life to negative emotion. This indicates that the abused group have limited number of the mediators to control their negative emotion than those of the non-abused group. For the non-abused group, the mediator with the highest total effect to control their negative emotion was the relationship with their friends; on the other hand, the abused group's mediator that showed the highest total effect to control their negative emotion was the relationship with their parents. Although the relationship with teachers remained significant as a mediator to affect school life for the both groups, teachers were not significant to control the negative emotion of the abused group. These findings suggest that the negative relationship with teachers in the abused group is a factor to threat the school adaptation of adolescents, which also leads to problems that are related to the emotional development of adolescents.

Effects of Reward Programs on Brand Loyalty in Online Shopping Contexts (인터넷쇼핑 상황에서 보상프로그램이 브랜드충성도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Ji-Hern;Kang, Hyunmo;Munkhbazar, M.
    • Asia Marketing Journal
    • /
    • v.14 no.2
    • /
    • pp.39-63
    • /
    • 2012
  • Previous studies of reward programs have generally focused on designing the best programs for consumers and suggested that consumers' perception of the value of reward programs can vary according to the type of reward program (e.g., hedonic vs. utilitarian and direct vs. indirect) and its timing (e.g., immediate vs. delayed). These studies have typically assumed that consumers' preference for reward programs has a positive effect on brand loyalty. However, Dowling and Uncles (1997) pointed out that this preference does not necessarily foster brand loyalty. In this regard, the present study verifies this assumption by examining the effects of consumers' perception of the value of reward programs on their brand loyalty. Although reward programs are widely used by online shopping malls, most studies have examined the conditions under which consumers are most likely to value loyalty programs in the context of offline shopping. In the context of online shopping, however, consumers' preferences may have little effect on their brand loyalty because they have more opportunities for comparing diverse reward programs offered by many online shopping malls. That is, in online shopping, finding attractive reward programs may require little effort on the part of consumers, who are likely to switch to other online shopping malls. Accordingly, this study empirically examines whether consumers' perception of the value of reward programs influences their brand loyalty in the context of online shopping. Meanwhile, consumers seek utilitarian and/or hedonic value from their online shopping activity(Jones et al., 2006; Barbin et al., 1994). They visit online shopping malls to buy something necessary (utilitarian value) and/or enjoy the process of shopping itself (hedonic value). In this sense, reward programs may reinforce utilitarian as well as hedonic value, and their effect may vary according to the type of reward (utilitarian vs. hedonic). According to Chaudhuri and Holbrook (2001), consumers' perception of the value of a brand can influence their brand loyalty through brand trust and affect. Utilitarian value influences brand loyalty through brand trust, whereas hedonic value influences it through brand affect. This indicates that the effect of this perception on brand trust or affect may be moderated by the type of reward program. Specifically, this perception may have a greater effect on brand trust for utilitarian reward programs than for hedonic ones, whereas the opposite may be true for brand affect. Given the above discussion, the present study is conducted with three objectives in order to provide practical implications for online shopping malls to strategically use reward program for establishing profitable relationship with customers. First, the present study examines whether reward programs can be an effective marketing tool for increasing brand loyalty in the context of online shopping. Second, it investigates the paths through which consumers' perception of the value of reward programs influences their brand loyalty. Third, it analyzes the effects of this perception on brand trust and affect by considering the type of reward program as a moderator. This study suggests and empirically analyzes a new research model for examining how consumers' perception of the value of reward programs influences their brand loyalty in the context of online shopping. The model postulates the following 10 hypotheses about the structural relationships between five constructs: (H1) Consumers' perception of the value of reward programs has a positive effect on their program loyalty; (H2) Program loyalty has a positive effect on brand loyalty; (H3) Consumers' perception of the value of reward programs has a positive effect on their brand trust; (H4) Consumers' perception of the value of reward programs has a positive effect on their brand affect; (H5) Brand trust has a positive effect on program loyalty; (H6) Brand affect has a positive effect on program loyalty; (H7) Brand trust has a positive effect on brand loyalty; (H8) Brand affect has a positive effect on brand loyalty; (H9) Consumers' perception of the value of reward programs is more likely to influence their brand trust for utilitarian reward programs than for hedonic ones; and (H10) Consumers' perception of the value of reward programs is more likely to influence their brand affect for hedonic reward programs than for utilitarian ones. To test the hypotheses, we considered a sample of 220 undergraduate students in Korea (male:113). We randomly assigned these participants to one of two groups based on the type of reward program (utilitarian: transportation card, hedonic: movie ticket). We instructed the participants to imagine that they were offered these reward programs while visiting an online shopping mall. We then asked them to answer some questions about their perception of the value of the reward programs, program loyalty, brand loyalty, brand trust, and brand affect, in that order. We also asked some questions about their demographic backgrounds and then debriefed them. We employed the structural equation modeling (SEM) method with AMOS 18.0. The results provide support for some hypotheses (H1, H3, H4, H7, H8, and H9) while providing no support for others (H2, H5, H6, H10) (see Figure 1). Noteworthy is that the path proposed by previous studies, "value perception → program loyalty → brand loyalty," was not significant in the context of online shopping, whereas this study's proposed path, "value perception → brand trust/brand affect → brand loyalty," was significant. In addition, the results indicate that the type of reward program moderated the relationship between consumers' value perception and brand trust but not the relationship between their value perception and brand affect. These results have some important implications. First, this study is one of the first to examine how consumers' perception of the value of reward programs influences their brand loyalty in the context of online shopping. In particular, the results indicate that the proposed path, "value perception → brand trust/brand affect → brand loyalty," can better explain the effects of reward programs on brand loyalty than existing paths. Furthermore, these results suggest that online shopping malls should place greater emphasis on the type of reward program when devising reward programs. To foster brand loyalty, they should reinforce the type of shopping value that consumers emphasize by providing them with appropriate reward programs. If consumers prefer utilitarian value to hedonic value, then online shopping malls should offer utilitarian reward programs and vice versa.

  • PDF

A Study of Guide System for Cerebrovascular Intervention (뇌혈관 중재시술 지원 가이드 시스템에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Sung-Gwon;Jeong, Chang-Won;Yoon, Kwon-Ha;Joo, Su-Chong
    • Journal of Internet Computing and Services
    • /
    • v.17 no.1
    • /
    • pp.101-107
    • /
    • 2016
  • Due to the recent advancement in digital imaging technology, development of intervention equipment has become generalize. Video arbitration procedure is a process to insert a tiny catheter and a guide wire in the body, so in order to enhance the effectiveness and safety of this treatment, the high-quality of x-ray of image should be used. However, the increasing of radiation has become the problem. Therefore, the studies to improve the performance of x-ray detectors are being actively processed. Moreover, this intervention is based on the reference of the angiographic imaging and 3D medical image processing. In this paper, we propose a guidance system to support this intervention. Through this intervention, it can solve the problem of the existing 2D medical images based vessel that has a formation of cerebrovascular disease, and guide the real-time tracking and optimal route to the target lesion by intervention catheter and guide wire tool. As a result, the system was completely composed for medical image acquisition unit and image processing unit as well as a display device. The experimental environment, guide services which are provided by the proposed system Brain Phantom (complete intracranial model with aneurysms, ref H+N-S-A-010) was taken with x-ray and testing. To generate a reference image based on the Laplacian algorithm for the image processing which derived from the cerebral blood vessel model was applied to DICOM by Volume ray casting technique. $A^*$ algorithm was used to provide the catheter with a guide wire tracking path. Finally, the result does show the location of the catheter and guide wire providing in the proposed system especially, it is expected to provide a useful guide for future intervention service.

Hydrogeochemistry of Some Abandoned Metal Mine Creeks in the Hwanggangri Mining District, Korea : A Preliminary Study (황강리 광화대에 분포하는 일부 폐금속 광산수계의 수리지구화학적 특성 : 예비연구)

  • 이현구;이찬희;이종창
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
    • /
    • v.6 no.4
    • /
    • pp.194-205
    • /
    • 1999
  • Hydrogeochemical variation and environmental isotope at the some abandoned metal mine (Sanggok, Keumsil, Jangpung and Samdeok) creeks of the Hwanggangri mining district were carried out based upon the physicochemical properties for surface water collected of February in 1998. Hydrogeochemical composition of the all water samples are characterized by the relatively significant enrichment of Ca$^{2}$, alkaline ions, N $O_3$$^{-}$ and Cl$^{-}$ in normal surface water, whereas the surface waters near the mining area are relatively enriched in Ca$^{2+$, Mg$^{2+}$, heavy metals. HC $O_3$$^{-}$ and S $O_4$$^{2-}$. Surface waters of the mining creek have low pH, high EC and extremely high concentrations of TDS compared with surface water of the non-mining creeks. The range of $\delta$D and $\delta$$^{18}$O values (SMOW) in the waters are shown in -65.0 to-71.2$\textperthousand$ and -9.1 to-10.2$\textperthousand$. The d($\delta$D-$\delta$$^{18}$O) value with those of water samples ranged from 7.3 to 10.9. These $\delta$D and $\delta$$^{18/}$ of the acid mine water are more heavy values than those of surface water. The values have revealed the positive correlation between isotopic compositions and major elements, because those $\delta$D and $\delta$$^{18}$O values increase with increasing TDS. HC $O_3$$^{-}$ , S $O_4$$^{2-}$ and Ca$^{2+}$ concentration. Using WATEQ4F, saturation index of albite calcite, dolomite and mostly clay minerals in water of the mining area show undersaturated and progressively evolved toward the equilibrium condition due to fresh water mixing, however, surface waters of the non-mining area are nearly saturated and/or supersaturated. Geochemical modeling showed that mostly toxic heavy metals within water in the mining creek may exist largely in the from of metal-sulfate (MS $O_4$$^{2-}$), free metal (M$^{2+}$/), C $O_3$$^{-}$ and/or OH$^{-}$ complex ions. Based on the geology, water chemistry and environmental istopic data the water compositions from the Sanggok and Keumsil mine creek (consist mainly of Cambro-Ordovician carbonate rocks of the Cho-seon Supergroup) show higher PH, Ca$^{2+}$, Mg$^{2+}$ , HC $O_3$$^{-}$ and more heavy $\delta$D and $\delta$$^{18}$O values than those from the Jangpung and Samdeok mine creek (consist of age -unknown metasedimentary rocks of the Ogcheon Supergroup and/or Jurassic grani-toids), but each of these waters represents a similar hydrogeochemical evolution path by the mine water mixing.

  • PDF

A Study on the Effects of User Participation on Stickiness and Continued Use on Internet Community (인터넷 커뮤니티에서 사용자 참여가 밀착도와 지속적 이용의도에 미치는 영향)

  • Ko, Mi-Hyun;Kwon, Sun-Dong
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
    • /
    • v.18 no.2
    • /
    • pp.41-72
    • /
    • 2008
  • The purpose of this study is the investigation of the effects of user participation, network effect, social influence, and usefulness on stickiness and continued use on Internet communities. In this research, stickiness refers to repeat visit and visit duration to an Internet community. Continued use means the willingness to continue to use an Internet community in the future. Internet community-based companies can earn money through selling the digital contents such as game, music, and avatar, advertizing on internet site, or offering an affiliate marketing. For such money making, stickiness and continued use of Internet users is much more important than the number of Internet users. We tried to answer following three questions. Fist, what is the effects of user participation on stickiness and continued use on Internet communities? Second, by what is user participation formed? Third, are network effect, social influence, and usefulness that was significant at prior research about technology acceptance model(TAM) still significant on internet communities? In this study, user participation, network effect, social influence, and usefulness are independent variables, stickiness is mediating variable, and continued use is dependent variable. Among independent variables, we are focused on user participation. User participation means that Internet user participates in the development of Internet community site (called mini-hompy or blog in Korea). User participation was studied from 1970 to 1997 at the research area of information system. But since 1997 when Internet started to spread to the public, user participation has hardly been studied. Given the importance of user participation at the success of Internet-based companies, it is very meaningful to study the research topic of user participation. To test the proposed model, we used a data set generated from the survey. The survey instrument was designed on the basis of a comprehensive literature review and interviews of experts, and was refined through several rounds of pretests, revisions, and pilot tests. The respondents of survey were the undergraduates and the graduate students who mainly used Internet communities. Data analysis was conducted using 217 respondents(response rate, 97.7 percent). We used structural equation modeling(SEM) implemented in partial least square(PLS). We chose PLS for two reason. First, our model has formative constructs. PLS uses components-based algorithm and can estimated formative constructs. Second, PLS is more appropriate when the research model is in an early stage of development. A review of the literature suggests that empirical tests of user participation is still sparse. The test of model was executed in the order of three research questions. First user participation had the direct effects on stickiness(${\beta}$=0.150, p<0.01) and continued use (${\beta}$=0.119, p<0.05). And user participation, as a partial mediation model, had a indirect effect on continued use mediated through stickiness (${\beta}$=0.007, p<0.05). Second, optional participation and prosuming participation significantly formed user participation. Optional participation, with a path magnitude as high as 0.986 (p<0.001), is a key determinant for the strength of user participation. Third, Network effect (${\beta}$=0.236, p<0.001). social influence (${\beta}$=0.135, p<0.05), and usefulness (${\beta}$=0.343, p<0.001) had directly significant impacts on stickiness. But network effect and social influence, as a full mediation model, had both indirectly significant impacts on continued use mediated through stickiness (${\beta}$=0.11, p<0.001, and ${\beta}$=0.063, p<0.05, respectively). Compared with this result, usefulness, as a partial mediation model, had a direct impact on continued use and a indirect impact on continued use mediated through stickiness. This study has three contributions. First this is the first empirical study showing that user participation is the significant driver of continued use. The researchers of information system have hardly studies user participation since late 1990s. And the researchers of marketing have studied a few lately. Second, this study enhanced the understanding of user participation. Up to recently, user participation has been studied from the bipolar viewpoint of participation v.s non-participation. Also, even the study on participation has been studied from the point of limited optional participation. But, this study proved the existence of prosuming participation to design and produce products or services, besides optional participation. And this study empirically proved that optional participation and prosuming participation were the key determinant for user participation. Third, our study compliments traditional studies of TAM. According prior literature about of TAM, the constructs of network effect, social influence, and usefulness had effects on the technology adoption. This study proved that these constructs still are significant on Internet communities.

The Effects of Metaphors in the Interface of Smartphone Applications on Users' Intention to Use (사용자환경의 메타포가 스마트폰 애플리케이션 사용의도에 미치는 영향)

  • Jung, Wonjin;Hong, Suk-Ki
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
    • /
    • v.24 no.3
    • /
    • pp.255-279
    • /
    • 2014
  • It is not too much to say that smartphones have become an essential part of our lives due to their versatility. Nevertheless, they still have less overall capabilities than their desktop counterparts. Specifically, they have small screens and low resolutions, which make their applications difficult to have a usable interface. To account for these limitations, the interface of smartphone applications should be designed carefully and properly. Good interface design to any application is critical. However, a comprehensive information systems (IS) literature review found that there has been little research on the user interface design of smartphone applications. More specifically, there has been little empirical evidence and understanding about how metaphors, an imaginative way of describing objects and concepts, in the user interface of smartphone applications affect users' intention to use the applications. Thereby, the research goals of this study are to examine 1) the effects of the metaphors in the user interface of smartphone applications on the interaction between users and applications and 2) the effects of mediating variables including the interaction between users and applications, users' beliefs and attitudes, on users' intention to use the applications. A survey was conducted to collect data. University students and practitioners participated in the survey. A 24-item questionnaire was developed on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The measurement items were mostly adapted from the previous studies in the IS literature and modified to fit the context of this study. First, a principal component factor analysis was performed to explore the inter-relationships among a set of variables. The analysis showed that most of the items loaded quite strongly on the six components. The analysis also revealed the six components with eigenvalues exceeding 1, explaining a total of 70.7 per cent of the variance. The reliabilities of the items were also checked. Most Cronbach alpha values were above 0.8, so the scales were considered reliable. In sum, the results of the analysis support the decision to retain the six factors for further investigation. Next, the structural model was analyzed with AMOS structural equation modeling. The values of GFI, AGFI, NFI, TLI, CFI, and RMSEA were checked. The values showed that the research model considerably have a good fit in general. Next, the convergent and discriminant validities of all constructs were examined. The values for the standardized regression weights and critical ration (CR) indicated sufficient convergent validity for all constructs. In addition, the square root of the average variance extracted (AVE) of each construct was compared with its correlations with all other constructs. The results supported discriminant validity for all constructs. In sum, the results of analysis demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant validities for all constructs. Finally, path coefficients between the variables were examined. Methphor was found to have an impact on interaction (${\beta}$ = .457, p = .000). There were also significant effects of the interaction on perceived usefulness (${\beta}$ = .273, p = .000) and ease of use (${\beta}$ = .405, p = .000). User attitude was significantly influenced by these two beliefs, perceived usefulness (${\beta}$ = .386, p = .000) and ease of use (${\beta}$ = .347, p = .000) respectively. Further, the results of analysis found that users' intention to use smartphone applications was significantly influenced by user attitude (${\beta}$ = .567, p = .000). Based upon the analyses, all hypotheses were supported. This study found that the metaphors used in the interface of smartphone applications affect not only the interaction between users and applications, but also users' intention to use the applications through the mediating variables, perceived usefulness and ease of use. These findings imply that if the metaphors used in the user interface of application are easy enough to understand for smartphone users, then the application can be perceived useful and easy to use, which in turn make users to have an intention to use the application. In conclusion, this study contributed not only to validate and extend Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) partially, but also to develop the construct of metaphor in smartphone settings. However, since a single empirical study cannot be enough to validate the findings, some limitations should be considered.