Functional and Nonfunctional Quality in Cloud-Based Collaborative Writing: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract

Research problem: Collaborative writing has dramatically changed with the use of cloud-based tools, such as Google Docs. System quality-both functional (i.e., what services the system provides) and nonfunctional quality (i.e., how well the system provides the services)-influences user satisfaction with these tools. Research question: Do functional and nonfunctional quality influence user satisfaction in cloud-based systems that support collaborative writing? Literature review: The intersection of literature from collaborative writing and system quality presents the theoretical foundation for this study. The literature on collaborative writing suggests that technology facilitates and constrains collaborative writing, while the literature on cloud computing highlights the challenges in ensuring various aspects of quality. Furthermore, literature on system quality emphasizes the importance of the different facets of quality (i.e., functional and nonfunctional) and their impacts on user satisfaction. Methodology:We conducted a survey of 150 undergraduate students enrolled in an information systems course at a large urban university. Results: The results show that functional and nonfunctional quality play a critical role in shaping user satisfaction with cloud computing and that nonfunctional quality has a stronger impact than functional quality. Implications: To ensure satisfaction with cloud computing, organizations need to provide adequate development and maintenance resources to ensure both types of quality, and they need to recognize that nonfunctional quality plays a key role in shaping user satisfaction with cloud computing.Index Terms-Cloud computing, collaborative writing, functional quality, nonfunctional quality, system quality, system success.Collaborative writing is an important component of professional communication in organizations because the contributions of multiple stakeholders to the writing process are becoming increasingly widespread [1] and because a significant portion of the workday is spent in this activity. In the recent past, collaborative writing significantly changed due to the availability of cloud-based tools, such as Google Docs [2]. A recent survey [2] underscores the prevalence of technology-supported collaborative writing by highlighting that 85% of technical communication practitioners and students use online collaborative writing tools (with Google Docs as one of the most common tools used). While prior research has emphasized the role of collaborative writing and examined how computers facilitate collaborative writing [3], there is a paucity of research exploring the impact of different quality elements of collaborative writing tools on user satisfaction. This is particularly interesting Manuscript given the transition of collaborative writing from traditional tools to cloud-based tools.In this research, we specifically examine the role of functional and nonfunctional quality in facilitating collaborative writing. Functional quality refers to the services that a system should pr...

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