Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User

Valid measurement scales for predicting user acceptance of computers are in short supply. Most subjective measures used in practice are unvalidated, and their relationship to system usage is unknown. The present research develops and validates new scales for two specific variables, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, which are hypothesized to be fundamental determinants of user acceptance. Definitions of these two variables were used to develop scale items that were pretested for content validity and then tested for reliability and construct validity in two studies involving a total of 152 users and four application programs. The measures were refined and streamlined, resulting in two six-item scales with reliabilities of .98 for usefulness and .94 for ease of use. The scales exhibited hgih convergent, discriminant, and factorial validity. Perceived usefulness was significnatly correlated with both self-reported current usage r = .63, Study 1) and self-predicted future usage r = .85, Study 2). Perceived ease of use was also significantly correlated with current usage r = .45, Study 1) and future usage r = .59, Study 2). In both studies, usefulness had a signficnatly greater correaltion with usage behavior than did ease of use. Regression analyses suggest that perceived ease of use may actually be a causal antecdent to perceived usefulness, as opposed to a parallel, direct determinant of system usage. Implications are drawn for future research on user acceptance.

Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology

A large number of studies have been conducted during the last decade and a half attempting to identify those factors that contribute to information systems success. However, the dependent variable in these studies-I/S success-has been an elusive one to define. Different researchers have addressed different aspects of success, making comparisons difficult and the prospect of building a cumulative tradition for I/S research similarly elusive. To organize this diverse research, as well as to present a more integrated view of the concept of I/S success, a comprehensive taxonomy is introduced. This taxonomy posits six major dimensions or categories of I/S success-SYSTEM QUALITY, INFORMATION QUALITY, USE, USER SATISFACTION, INDIVIDUAL IMPACT, and ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT. Using these dimensions, both conceptual and empirical studies are then reviewed a total of 180 articles are cited and organized according to the dimensions of the taxonomy. Finally, the many aspects of I/S success are drawn together into a descriptive model and its implications for future I/S research are discussed.

Information Systems Success: The Quest for the Dependent Variable

The Technology Acceptance Model and two variations of the Theory of Planned Behavior were compared to assess which model best helps to understand usage of information technology. The models were compared using student data collected from 786 potential users of a computer resource center. Behavior data was based on monitoring 3,780 visits to the resource center over a 12-week period. Weighted least squares estimation revealed that all three models performed well in terms of fit and were roughly equivalent in terms of their ability to explain behavior. Decomposing the belief structures in the Theory of Planned Behavior provided a moderate increase in the explanation of behavioral intention. Overall, the results indicate that the decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior provides a fuller understanding of behavioral intention by focusing on the factors that are likely to influence systems use through the application of both design and implementation strategies.

Understanding Information Technology Usage: A Test of Competing Models

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.

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

Part 1 End-user computing - what is it?: The CEO goes on-line a field study of end-user computing - findings and issues. Part 2 Organizational support for EUC: what to do with all those micros information centres - a survey of successes. Part 3 EUC development life cycle: caution - user-developed systems may be hazardous to your organization prototyping - the new paradigm for systems development. Part 4 The management of EUC - managing end-user computing organizational factors affecting the success of end-user computing. Part 5 Cases and applications in EUC: case studies of end user requirements for interactive problem-solving systems general foods information systems services department organization and management of the information centre.

End-user computing: Concepts, issues, and applications

Beginning in the early 1980s, end-user computing (EUC) began to permeate organizations following the advent of the personal computer and a host of applications directed at the non-IS professional. Along with EUC came a whole new set of organizational opportunities and risks. Ten years later the World Wide Web has opened the door to a yet more powerful set of EUC applications capable of reaching well beyond the boundaries of the organization. Indeed, Web technology permits end users to design applications that are immediately accessible by unlimited numbers of people from anywhere in the world. As a result, EUC using Web technology has introduced a whole new set of opportunities and risks for organizations. The purpose of this research is to examine what strategies organizations are using in their attempt to maximize the benefits of the Web for end users while mitigating the inherent risks. To this end, individuals from twelve major organizations were surveyed via the Web. The results indicate that while organizations seem to be doing an adequate job of establishing roles and standards, mechanisms for resource allocation, development management, and maintenance appear to be lacking. In fact, most firms seem to be relying on a monopolist control strategy at this point in time. While such a strategy may be the best approach given tile relative infancy of Web technology, it could prove to be an unstable strategy in the long run given the reach, range and flexibility of access that Web technology provides. Organizations are encouraged to take a proactive, formal posture toward EUC development on the Web.

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Strategies for managing EUC on the Web

The hiring and retention of IT personnel has remained a top priority for managers given the increasingly important role that information technology plays in the success of virtually all companies today. In this chapter, through a series of case studies, we report on a set of best practices that are designed to help organizations develop strategy, recruit, hire, develop, compensate, and ultimately retain valued IT personnel. In addition, a model is presented that describes the key drivers of job satisfaction, and ultimately determine turnover. It is suggested that the relative importance of these drivers, which include the quality of management, work attributes, compensation, and career development, will change for employees over time. Therefore, managing these drivers using the identified best practices can significantly assist organizations in attracting and retaining IT personnel.

Peopleware: the hiring and retention of IT personnel

This article validates a conceptual model of the relationship among training, ability, and acceptance of information technology (IT) within organizations. Previously developed to explain the relationship for end users, the model is tested for information systems personnel as well. To examine these variables (training, ability, and acceptance) and their interrelationships, an instrument was developed, pretested, and completed by 232 employees at eight different organizations. Based on the results of this study, the model is validated for both IS personnel and end users of information technology, indicating that positive relationships exist between (1) the IT-related training of an individual and his/her ability to use IT, (2) an individual’s ability to use IT and his/her use of IT, and (3) an individual’s ability to use IT and his/her satisfaction with IT. The implications and possibilities for further research are discussed.

R. Ryan Nelson

Papers

End-user computing: Concepts, issues, and applications

Strategies for managing EUC on the Web

Peopleware: the hiring and retention of IT personnel

An empirical re-examination of the relationship among training, ability, and the acceptance of information technology

Management-by-exception reporting: an empirical investigation