Exploring the applicability of web architectural-inducing model (WA-IM) for information architecture in cultural context: A structural equation modeling approach

• Published in: 3rd International Conference on Digital Information Management, ICDIM 2008
• Main Author: Rahim W.A.; Isa W.M.; Laila N.; Noor M.D.; Mehad S.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-62949173733&doi=10.1109%2fICDIM.2008.4746826&partnerID=40&md5=8cac699cf4a93089adf5b7f049364ab5

Website Information Architecture (IA) has transcended into a discipline that is concerned with design principle and architecture of information in digital landscape. IA models in web-mediated environment however lack theoretical perspectives, empirical evidence and cultural context. In our effort to enlighten these aforementioned, we proposed the Web Architectural-Inducing Model (WA-IM) for IA. We conceptualized website IA as multidimensional constructs and explore the applicability of WA-IM for IA. We conducted a web-based survey to 427 Muslim online user as the cultural case study and examine the expectations of using IA in culturecentred website; i.e., Islamic genre website. Construct validation of the multifactor structure of website IA was assessed via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using structural equation modeling (SEM). A five factor hypothesis goodness fit model was evaluated where the CFA verified that website IA is composed of multidimensional constructs of five factors; 'content-information', 'content-trust', 'navigation-trait', 'navigation-wayfinding' and 'context-information design'. © 2008 IEEE.