The influence of change-related stress on user resistance when an enterprise system is implemented: a longitudinal field study

When an enterprise system is implemented employees often respond with user resistance behavior. As employees’ work environment are changed significantly they also experience stress during an implementation. However, neither technostress nor user resistance research have focused on the stress related to the change induced by an enterprise system implementation. Hence, it is not known how change-related stress results in user resistance behavior and thus prevents organizations from managing the implementation process sufficiently. Therefore, we provide a research model that theorizes the influence of change characteristics, such as change complexity, switching costs and switching benefits, on change-related work overload and role ambiguity as change stressors, which in turn determines employees change-induced exhaustion. When this exhaustion is perceived as a threat user resistance behavior will occur. Using a longitudinal field study with 273 employees during an enterprise system implementation we provide empirical evidence for the proposed model

A model for managing user experience

New innovative products are being designed while the user interface of existing products is constantly being revamped to give them a new look. All this is an effort to bring a satisfactory interacting experience for the user. However, in most cases users do not feel that they experience that benefit. The introduction of a new product, or the enhancement of the functionality and user interface of an existing product, often faces criticism and brings resistance to the acceptance and usage of the product by the users. Therefore, the change in user interface or introduction of new products does not only affect the business processes but also the lifestyles of the users, as well as their overall user experience. One of the most important components for the success of any product is a positive user experience. User experience refers to the subjective feeling of the user that results from their interaction or intention to interact with a product in order to perform a specific task in a specific environment. When the user interface and functionality of a product match the expectations of the users and make the users effective and efficient, feel safe and attain some level of self-worth from using or possessing the product, their interaction with the product becomes more satisfactory. User experience practitioners are in agreement that a change to the user interface influences the user experience of the people when interacting with the product; hence it affects change in the user experience of the people. A vast body of literature exists on the methods for evaluating user experience as well as on the principles that are aimed at guiding the design of products for a positive user experience. However, there is a lack of a means to manage this change in user experience that results from the changes in the features of the user interface or the product functionalities. This inadequacy opens up the potential for integrating change management principles in order to manage user experience. However, existing change management principles do not address the user experience aspects when managing change. Following the above premise, this study focused on the development of a model for managing user experience: the User Experience Management Model (UXM2). The UXM2 infers its components from the disciplines of user experience and change management. Its uniqueness is seated in its people-centred approach that aims to effect a free-will change in the individuals towards a long-term positive user experience. The proposed model further aims to promote the voluntary acceptance of a product, which is contrary to the mandatory change that is guided by the policies of the organization, as discussed in the study. The UXM2 was developed from a thorough argumentation of literature on user experience and change management. The components that were required for development of the model were identified from literature, and were evaluated for their relevance by means of academic publications in subject domain international conferences. The academic publications underwent double-blind peer review with subject domain experts. The model was evaluated for its relevance and potential applicability through interviews and discussions with subject domain experts. The subject domain experts consist of user experience practitioners and academic professionals in the domain of HCI. The subject domain experts also evaluated the model by means of an evaluation tool comprising of a Likert scale rating of the proposed components and related activities for managing user experience. The target users of the UXM2 are user experience practitioners and product developers who aim to promote a sustainable long-term positive user experience for the people interacting with their products. The UXM2 is aimed at being used for the design of products that are meant for institutional use, personal use, mandatory use and optional use. It is believed that adoption of the UXM2 will promote acceptance of the product by users, with an associated sustainable positive long-term user experience

Mixed Bag: Simulating Market-Based Instruments for Water Quality and Quantity in the Upper Waikato

We designed and implemented participatory computer simulations in three workshops in New Zealand's Upper Waikato catchment to learn how market-based instruments (MBIs) might improve freshwater outcomes when managing water and land resources within limits. An Excel-based platform was built to simulate, in stakeholder workshops, the use of transferable permits and user charges for both water quantity and water quality in the Upper Waikato catchment. Each participant managed a hypothetical property in a simplified catchment that included seven farms, a pulp mill, district council, and a hydro - electric company. Based on profit schedules and policy settings, participants made choices about production intensity, land use change and trading of water and/or nutrient allowances. The simulations highlighted the social and cultural context in which MBIs must operate, and how that context influences the outcomes that we can expect from MBIs. Participants found the simulations to be a valuable learning experience

Becoming part of behind the scenes: patients' experiences of co-learning with primary health care teams.

Current debates about the involvement of health service users in service delivery, research and education focus on the purpose of their involvement, the methods of their involvement, barriers to their involvement and the impact of their involvement. There is little reported about the experience of service user involvement from the service user perspective although some reports are beginning to emerge. This research study explored the experiences of a group of health service users (patient representatives) who brought their experience of being a patient to contribute to an educational initiative about quality improvement and back pain. That study – the Learning to Improve the Management of Back Pain in the Community (LIMBIC) project, utilised a mixed methods approach to evaluate the impact of the educational initiative on clinical practice and patient outcomes for the management of back pain. Eleven patient representatives, uniquely placed as co-learners, participated with general practice teams learning about quality improvement principles and methods and implementing quality improvements in practice. To build on this learning initiative, the current study used semi-structured interviews to explore the patient representative experience and integrated the findings with existing LIMBIC data. The study illuminated aspects of the service user experience which led to the proposal for a model for co-learning with service users to bring about change. It contributes to the wider knowledge of service user involvement by identifying features of their experience that worked well for them and features that could be improved. The co-learner role is a new direction for service user involvement and represents a new movement in the field of inquiry about opportunities for service user involvement in the future. A debate has been opened about managing expectations of service users and about their potential for leadership and influencing change

TASK MANAGEMENT APPLICATION

The Task Management Application is a web-based platform designed to facilitate efficient task and project management, similar to other Project Management Tools like Jira, Trello, ClickUp, Wrike, Zoho Projects, and Asana. The application features three distinct roles: Administrator, Project Manager, and Employee, each with specific functionalities and permissions to streamline workflow. Administrator: This role encompasses comprehensive project oversight, including adding, viewing, and managing project managers, supervising ongoing projects, and viewing employee details. Project Manager: Project Managers can manage employees, assign tasks, and oversee project progress effortlessly. Employee: Employees have dedicated functionalities to view and manage tasks assigned to them. The application prioritizes user convenience with an intuitive interface, ensuring a seamless experience in project and task management. Additionally, all user roles are equipped with the capability to change their passwords upon login, enhancing security. By providing these tailored features and a user-friendly design, the Task Management Application aims to improve productivity and ensure efficient project execution

End user preference of customisable features within a course management system

Customisation is the means by which people alter and change various elements of their environment with the purpose of making it more suited to their immediate needs. This aids in creating a more personalised experience. People are extremely diverse in terms of age, gender, nationality, and with the dominant presence of technology people also have various levels of computer skills and experience. In the context of computer environments, customisation provides the ability to cater for a diverse user group, providing tools and options that assist with specific tasks, improve accessibility and achieve greater user satisfaction. Carter, MacLean, Lovstard & Moran (1990) claim that allowing a user to customise their system to match their personal work practices proves to be a useful technique. Various educational institutions are employing course management systems (CMS) to streamline and help carry out tasks involved in managing a large course. Students are also required to utilise the CMS in order to carry out various tasks associated with the study demands of their course. There is a variety of literature that discusses the types of customisable features that could be employed in a CMS; however there is no recommendation as to which of these features should be implemented. An analysis of end user preference toward customisable features offered a deeper understanding of the diversity of end user needs and the discovery of specific customisable features that are preferred by the student end user population

APLU Adaptive Courseware Grant, A Case Study: Implementation at the University Of Mississippi

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been the main vehicle for delivering and managing e-learning courses in educational, business, governmental and vocational learning settings. Since the mid-nineties there is a plethora of LMS in the market with a vast array of features. The increasing complexity of these platforms makes LMS evaluation a hard and demanding process that requires a lot of knowledge, time, and effort. Nearly 50% of respondents in recent surveys have indicated they seek to change their existing LMS primarily due to user experience issues. Yet the vast majority of the extant literature focuses only on LMS capabilities in relation to administration and management of teaching and learning processes. In this study the authors try to build a conceptual framework and evaluation model of LMS through the lens of User Experience (UX) research and practice, an epistemology that is quite important but currently neglected in the e-learning domain. They conducted an online survey with 446 learning professionals, and from the results, developed a new UX-oriented evaluation model with four dimensions: pragmatic quality, authentic learning, motivation and engagement, and autonomy and relatedness. Their discussion on findings includes some ideas for future research

Quality Management of Learning Management Systems: A User Experience Perspective

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have been the main vehicle for delivering and managing e-learning courses in educational, business, governmental and vocational learning settings. Since the mid-nineties there is a plethora of LMS in the market with a vast array of features. The increasing complexity of these platforms makes LMS evaluation a hard and demanding process that requires a lot of knowledge, time, and effort. Nearly 50% of respondents in recent surveys have indicated they seek to change their existing LMS primarily due to user experience issues. Yet the vast majority of the extant literature focuses only on LMS capabilities in relation to administration and management of teaching and learning processes. In this study the authors try to build a conceptual framework and evaluation model of LMS through the lens of User Experience (UX) research and practice, an epistemology that is quite important but currently neglected in the e-learning domain. They conducted an online survey with 446 learning professionals, and from the results, developed a new UX-oriented evaluation model with four dimensions: pragmatic quality, authentic learning, motivation and engagement, and autonomy and relatedness. Their discussion on findings includes some ideas for future research

Innovation still needed? Service user participation in social care services and practice-led management

This paper considers the extent to which the empowerment of service users to participate in, or become active in, the management of care services is possible without further innovation in the way services are delivered and structured. Can such innovations be successful within bureaucratic and target driven environments? To what extent can leadership based on social work and care values be part of management? Can service user voice about the management of services be sustained beyond tokenism and, if so, how? It concludes that committed and innovative management is needed and that inevitably the pivotal person may well be the first line manager

The fundamental challenge: human and organisational factors in an ERP implementation

Organisations encounter obstacles when implementing ERP systems. This paper intends to explore some of the problems that occur throughout the implementation of an ERP system. Using a combination of the work of Markus et al (2001) and Kim et al (2005), a framework is constructed of Human and Organisational and Technical problems in ERP Implementations during the project phase. Drawing on empirical evidences from a UK furniture manufacturer, this study then discusses and analyses each problem identified in the framework and its affect on the implementation of their ERP system. The findings of this paper reveal that the fundamental challenge of ERP implementation is not technology but organisational and human problems, which, if not properly comprehended and addressed, can lead to ERP failure. Understanding that organisational and human issues are extremely important will encourage practitioners to address these problems and succeed in their ERP system implementations