Tentativas de provisión y corrección por parte del estado

The focus of this research will be on mobile phone uses as related to user needs (a user perspective), rather than on mobile phone features (a marketing perspective) although features will be considered in relation to usage spaces. After the literature review the research questions formulated in Chapter 1 are now reviewed. In Chapter 1, the following research questions and sub-question were formulated. The main research question is now given, followed by the sub-questions:

• What are the components of a model to represent the influence of motivational needs and cultural factors on mobile phone usage variety?

Sub-questions:

• Does infrastructure influence mobile phone usage?

• How can motivational user needs be related to mobile phone use?

• Do cultural and social factors influence mobile phone usage?

• How can usage variety, i.e., the different applications for which a product is used or the different situations in which a product is used, be described?

After the literature review the main research question remains unchanged. With regard to the sub- questions, one is removed and a new one is added. The sub-question on infrastructure will not be considered further since the literature study in Chapters 1, 2 and 3 has provided substantial evidence that infrastructure does indeed influence mobile phone usage. The revised set of research sub-questions is as follows:

• Is there a link between motivational needs and mobile phone usage variety?

• What are the cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety?

• Does mobile phone usage conform to the cultural context of the user?

• Can usage spaces represent usage variety in a way that is usable and useful to mobile phone users, designers and marketers?

• Can Marcus’s usage spaces model be supported by empirical evidence?

The next step in this research process will be to look at research methodologies in order to find the appropriate methodology and research design. Given the many factors that have been found to influence mobile phone adoption and usage, the research will have to be designed to control or at least monitor some of these variables. Each question will now be considered together with the preliminary research plan.

• Questions 1: Is there a link between motivational needs and mobile phone usage variety? Mobile phone usage variety will be represented by usage spaces. A questionnaire driven survey will be used to investigate the link between motivational needs and usage spaces. The findings will be triangulated with the qualitative findings from the surveys and continued observations of people’s mobile phone usage.

A model for representing the motivational and cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety 89 • Questions 2: What are the cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety? The cultural

factors will be represented by cultural dimensions and mobile phone usage variety by usage spaces. The first objective will be to investigate the relevance of cultural dimensions for mobile usage. If cultural dimensions are found to be relevant to mobile phone usage then the influence of cultural dimensions on usage variety will be investigated.

• Question 3: Does mobile phone usage conform to the cultural context of the user? This question will be considered while investigating question 2, though this question will only be addressed qualitatively.

• Question 4: Can usage spaces represent usage variety in a way that is usable and useful to mobile

phone users, designers and marketers? A questionnaire driven survey is planned to gather

quantitative data. The data will be analysed statistically and then triangulated with the findings of the qualitative observations on mobile phone usage variety. The initial plan is to propose a model for mobile phone usage variety and then test this model with users, designers and marketers.

• Question 5: Can Marcus’s usage spaces model be supported by empirical evidence? Establishing that usage spaces can be empirically motivated is fundamental to proposing a model for usage variety, since usage variety will be represented by usage spaces. This will be done as part of the research described for sub-question 4.

The findings on the sub-questions will then be considered with the main research question in mind to ascertain if a model for representing the motivational and cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage, can be proposed on the basis of this research. Chapter 6 will consider research methodologies in general and then consider research methods used in HCI, before focusing on research methods appropriate to this study.

5.4 SUMMARY

This chapter has reviewed the findings from Chapters 2, 3 and 4, which form the theoretical foundation for this study. Findings from Chapter 2 justify the argument that mobile phone users need support in understanding their motivational and cultural needs in using mobile phones. Findings from Chapter 3 highlight the importance of demographic variables, motivational needs and cultural factors in studying mobile phone usage variety.

Findings from Chapter 4 provide further evidence that users are not coping with the rapid developments and escalating number of features on mobile phones. Usage spaces are proposed as an approach to demarcate the usage domain in an attempt to manage the complexity of mobile phone usage variety.

The theoretical foundation has now been laid by identifying the basic concepts to be considered in a model for representing the motivational and cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety.

A model for representing the motivational and cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety 90 Models from fields relating to mobile phone usage have been considered and contrasted to find the core of what has been done, what can be done and what should be done in investigating this research question.

The research questions formulated in Chapter 1 are revisited and refined according to the findings from the literature study. These sub-questions are the focus of the research design, which will be presented in Chapter 6.

A model for representing the motivational and cultural factors that influence mobile phone usage variety 91