Much previous research has established that perceived ease of use is an important factor influencing user acceptance and usage behavior of information technologies. However, very little research has been conducted to understand how that perception forms and changes over time. The current work presents and tests an anchoring and adjustment-based theoretical model of the determinants of system-specific perceived ease of use. The model proposes control (internal and external--conceptualized as computer self-efficacy and facilitating conditions, respectively), intrinsic motivation (conceptualized as computer playfulness), and emotion (conceptualized as computer anxiety) as anchors that determine early perceptions about the ease of use of a new system. With increasing experience, it is expected that system-specific perceived ease of use, while still anchored to the general beliefs regarding computers and computer use, will adjust to reflect objective usability, perceptions of external control specific to the new system environment, and system-specific perceived enjoyment. The proposed model was tested in three different organizations among 246 employees using three measurements taken over a three-month period. The proposed model was strongly supported at all points of measurement, and explained up to 60% of the variance in system-specific perceived ease of use, which is twice as much as our current understanding. Important theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

/pdf/determinants-of-perceived-ease-of-use-integrating-control-10opxseq0g.pdf

Determinants of Perceived Ease of Use: Integrating Control, Intrinsic Motivation, and Emotion into the Technology Acceptance Model

Many EDI researchers and practitioners have recognized the importance of high penetration levels for the success of EDI. Unfortunately, such penetration is partly impeded by the resistance of small companies to become EDI capable. To investigate this issue, we identify three major factors that influence the EDI adoption practices of small firms. These factors are: organizational readiness (because of the low levels of IT sophistication and resource availability of small firms), external pressures to adopt (because of the weak market positions of small firms and the network nature of the technology), and perceived benefits (because of the limited impact that IT has on small firms due to under-utilization and lack of integration). By combining the anticipated effects of these factors, we developed a framework of EDI adoption by small businesses. The applicability of this framework is empirically demonstrated using the results of seven case studies. Lastly, recommendations are made for the development of successful EDI partner expansion plans. These include the development of a long term EDI partner expansion plan from the very beginning, the individual assessment of each partner's EDI preparedness level, and the selection of appropriate influence tactics to expedite adoption by small partners. Specifically, it is suggested that EDI initiators pursue promotional efforts to improve partners' perceptions of EDI benefits, provide financial and technological assistance to partners with low organizational readiness, and carefully select and enact influence strategies to reduce resistance.

Electronic data interchange and small organizations: adoption and impact of technology

The authors examine the implications of electronic shopping for consumers, retailers, and manufacturers. They assume that near-term technological developments will offer consumers unparalleled opportunities to locate and compare product offerings. They examine these advantages as a function of typical consumer goals and the types of products and services being sought and offer conclusions regarding consumer incentives and disincentives to purchase through interactive home shopping vis-à-vis traditional retail formats. The authors discuss implications for industry structure as they pertain to competition among retailers, competition among manufacturers, and retailer-manufacturer relationships.

Interactive home shopping: Consumer, retailer, and manufacturer incentives to participate in

Over the last three decades, the prevailing view of information technology strategy has been that it is a functional-level strategy that must be aligned with the firm's chosen business strategy. Even within this so-called alignment view, business strategy directed IT strategy. During the last decade, the business infrastructure has become digital with increased interconnections among products, processes, and services. Across many firms spanning different industries and sectors, digital technologies (viewed as combinations of information, computing, communication, and connectivity technologies) are fundamentally transforming business strategies, business processes, firm capabilities, products and services, and key interfirm relationships in extended business networks. Accordingly, we argue that the time is right to rethink the role of IT strategy, from that of a functional-level strategy--aligned but essentially always subordinate to business strategy--to one that reflects a fusion between IT strategy and business strategy. This fusion is herein termed digital business strategy.

We identify four key themes to guide our thinking on digital business strategy and help provide a framework to define the next generation of insights. The four themes are (1) the scope of digital business strategy, (2) the scale of digital business strategy, (3) the speed of digital business strategy, and (4) the sources of business value creation and capture in digital business strategy. After elaborating on each of these four themes, we discuss the success metrics and potential performance implications from pursuing a digital business strategy. We also show how the papers in the special issue shed light on digital strategies and offer directions to advance insights and shape future research.

https://misq.org/misq/downloads/download/editorial/581/

Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights

Why do people play on-line games? an extended TAM with social influences and flow experience

This paper examines information system evolution in small firms. It focuses on applications growth, and uses the experiences of six small manufacturing firms to identify motivators and inhibitors of growth. Many factors were identified. Motivators of growth included improved enthusiasm for the technology. Inadequate resources and limited education about information systems were among the factors that inhibited application growth.

Small-firm computing: motivators and inhibitors

This research tests and develops the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), introduced by Davis (1986), which attempts to explain end users' attitudes to computing technologies. It introduces several new variables, including compatibility, user characteristics, system rating and the enduser computing satisfaction (EUCS) construct, a surrogate measure for IT success and acceptance. A questionnaire with over seventy items was completed by a large number of users and LISREL, a technique for modelling a system of structural equations, was used to analyse the responses. The output shows the model as a whole fits the data very well and indicates significant relationships between variables in the model. These results confirm that TAM is a valuable tool for predicting attitudes, satisfaction, and usage from beliefs and external variables. They also show that relative advantage of the system contributed most to attitudes and satisfaction. Compatibility (of the system to the task performed) contributed most to usage an...

/pdf/attitudes-satisfaction-and-usage-factors-contributing-to-n1nuf8h487.pdf

Attitudes, satisfaction and usage: Factors contributing to each in the acceptance of information technology

This study used a specially designed questionnaire to explore undergraduate students' expectations of and preferences in teaching, learning and assessment. A convenience sample of 395 first-year university undergraduates at the start of their university life was used. They were enrolled on a Medical, Business Studies or Psychology degree course at one of three British universities. Overall, the similarities in expectations and preferences between the three groups were greater than the differences. Specifically, the students expected to be taught by formal and interactive lectures but preferred to be taught by interactive lectures and group-based activities. Their least favoured learning methods were formal lecture, role-play and student presentations. Coursework assessment preference was for essays, research projects and problems/exercises. Although there was an overall preference slightly in favour of coursework assessment rather than examinations, this was not consistent across all three centres. Studen...

University Students' Expectations of Teaching

The concept of IT alignment has been discussed in the literature, but almost always in the context of large firms. Similarly, attempts to measure alignment and relate it to performance have been made, but primarily based on work in larger firms. This study focused on measuring the alignment of business strategy and IT strategy (ITS) among small UK manufacturing firms and then investigated the link between alignment and performance. The method built on prior studies, developing approaches to alignment used with larger firms and integrating other concepts and measures from the small firm literature. Using a mail questionnaire, data from 250 firms was collected on nine strategy areas so that business and ITS responses could be compared. IT alignment was explored using both the matching and moderation approaches. The moderation approach appeared more effective in identifying IT alignment. The results indicated that a significant proportion of small firms had achieved high IT alignment. Furthermore, the group of small firms with high IT alignment had achieved better organisational performance than firms with low IT alignment. This is consistent with findings in large firms and opens up possibilities for further study of IT alignment in small firms.

IT alignment and firm performance in small manufacturing firms

This study focused on the alignment of business strategy and IT strategy among 256 small UK manufacturing firms. An instrument was developed and used to measure IT alignment in small firms. Evidence was gained of high IT alignment in some firms. The study also indicated that IT alignment was related to the firm's level of IT maturity and the level of the CEO's software knowledge, but did not seem to be linked to the CEO's involvement or the firm's sources of external IT expertise.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1057%2Fpalgrave.ejis.3000422.pdf

Malcolm King

Papers

Small-firm computing: motivators and inhibitors

Attitudes, satisfaction and usage: Factors contributing to each in the acceptance of information technology

University Students' Expectations of Teaching

IT alignment and firm performance in small manufacturing firms

IT alignment in small firms