The Measurement of Information System Use: Preliminary Considerations

DeLone and McLean (1992, p. 16) argue that the concept of “system use” has suffered from a “too simplistic definition.” Despite decades of substantial research on system use, the concept is yet to receive strong theoretical scrutiny. Many measures of system use and the development of measures have been often idiosyncratic and lack credibility or comparability. This paper reviews various attempts at conceptualization and measurement of system use and then proposes a re-conceptualization of it as “the level of incorporation of an information system within a user’s processes.” The definition is supported with the theory of work systems, system, and Key-User-Group considerations. We then go on to develop the concept of a Functional- Interface-Point (FIP) and four dimensions of system usage: extent, the proportion of the FIPs used by the business process; frequency, the rate at which FIPs are used by the participants in the process; thoroughness, the level of use of information/functionality provided by the system at an FIP; and attitude towards use, a set of measures that assess the level of comfort, degree of respect and the challenges set forth by the system. The paper argues that the automation level, the proportion of the business process encoded by the information system has a mediating impact on system use. The article concludes with a discussion of some implications of this re-conceptualization and areas for follow on research

Imperfect state verification and financial contracting

An argument that in a costly state verification model of financial contracting, relaxing the assumption of perfect verification makes the measurement of information difficult.Contracts ; Information theory

The Measurement of Information Systems Effectiveness: Evaluating a Measuring Instrument

Information system effectiveness is an important phenomenon for both researchers and practitioners. Despite widespread interest, and the importance of the uses, there have been no efforts to validate CompufemorM’sPremier 100 rankings of information system effectiveness. This paper uses structural equation modeling in an attempt to validate the measuring instrument usee to derive the Computerworld rankings. Alternative models for the measuring insrrument are proposed. TJsing a .reflective model, the findings raise doubts as to the reliability of the rankings, and both conteni validity 2nd construct validity are also suspect. The reliability and validity are problematic because multiple indicators of the same consvict must be homogeneous for it to make sense to combine them into a conposite index. A solution to this problem is to represent information system effectiveness as a multidimensional construct that is part of a causal model. Based on previous research in the area, suggestions are offered to improve the measuring instrument

The Measurement of Information Systems Success in China: Re-validating IS-Impact in the Chinese Organizational Context

Information system (IS) investments are under increasing scrutiny and pressure to justify their contribution to the productivity and competitiveness of organizations. The impacts from contemporary IS, Enterprise Systems being the quintessence, are arguably difficult to measure. In response (Gable, Sedera, & Chan, 2008) introduced the IS-Impact measurement model \u27a measure at a point in time, of the stream of net benefits from the IS, to date and anticipated, as perceived by all key-user-groups.\u27 IS-Impact, though extensively validated with enterprise system (ES) in both public and private sectors in Australia, has yet to be tested in other countries. This paper proposes a study to operationalise a Mandarin version of the IS-Impact model, and to validate the model, instrument and approach in the Chinese organisational context, thereby further validating and generalizing the IS-Impact approach. A context study, in combination with IS-Impact survey results, will also yield valuable insights into the state of ES in China

The measurement of information flow efficiency in supply chain management

Characteristics such as speed of reaction, order accuracy, operational flexibility and sustained quality have become fundamental in successful business today. The success of aligning a supply chain to attain these characteristics depends largely on the use of efficient communication and information technology. Communication between supply chain members requires that relevant information is transferred from its point of inception to the next point(s) of use. The transfer of information entails an efficient flow of information between systems, between systems and humans and between humans, which is directly associated with the effective interoperability between the various entities handling the relevant information. Accordingly, the realisation of interoperability will mean a faster information flow and, thus, an effective decision-making process. This research, therefore, will propose indicators and metrics for the assessment of the information flow efficiency of a business and, in particular, of a supply chain, examine the existing techniques of information flow measurement, and identify inherent weaknesses. New information flow efficiency metrics are developed and categorised into different indicators, which are based on the quality of the information as it is applied in finance, information technology and the principles of business performance measurements. This research will illustrate that these quality characteristics drive an effective and efficient information flow which, in turn, enables them to be used both as indicators and as associated metrics of information flow efficiency. Explorative analysis and statistical cluster analysis identified the most important indicators and associated metrics based on the results of a survey instrument designed specifically for this purpose. Scales were developed to facilitate the numeric assessment of the metrics and indicators. In order to prove the ability of the new indicators and associated metrics to differentiate between different levels of information flow efficiency, the new metrics were applied in sample organisations and the responses evaluated. This research lays an important foundation in terms of the ability to assess information flow efficiency which is, in turn, necessary in order to gain a better understanding of the performance of supply chains in a time where real-time information flow and electronic integration are becoming strategic business success factors.Business ManagementD. Com. (Business Management

Measuring the Use of Information Technology of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises

This paper describes the evaluation of the use of information technology, efficiency of the use of computer, and the use of information technology for strategy of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A framework, developed from previous research on information technology on organizational strategy, is used to exploring the use of information technology of SMEs. This study is based on survey with some SMEs in Thailand. The strategic variables in the model are then analyzed. The results of this research suggest the measurement of information technology and the efficiency in using information technology for SMEs. Finally, some implications are discussed

Does mandatory IFRS adoption improve the information environment?

Author's pre-print version. Final version published in Contemporary Accounting Research. Available online at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/We examine the effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRS’) adoption on firms’ information environment. We find that after mandatory IFRS adoption consensus forecast errors decrease for firms that mandatorily adopt IFRS relative to forecast errors of other firms. We also find decreasing forecast errors for voluntary adopters, but this effect is smaller and not robust. Moreover, we show that the magnitude of the forecast errors decrease is associated with the firm-specific differences between local GAAP and IFRS. Exploiting individual analyst level data and isolating settings where investors would benefit more from either increased comparability or higher quality information, we document that the improvement in the information environment is driven both by information and comparability effects. These results are robust to variations in the measurement of information environment quality, forecast horizon, sample composition and tests of earnings management

On Productivity Measurement and Interpretation: Some Insights on Italy in the European Context. LEQS Paper No. 142/2019 March 2019

Over the period 1995–2016, the Italian performance in terms of productivity was poor in historical terms and in comparison with its main international partners. This issue goes beyond Italy, with declining productivity growth observed, from the second half of the nineties, in several other advanced economies. Possible explanations for the slowdown include factors such as lower capital investment by firms, decreased competition, excessive regulation, and capital misallocation. The diffuse slowing rates of measured productivity growth has also raised questions on whether GDP and output current compilation methods are adequate (i.e. the mis-measurement hypothesis). The “ICT revolution” has created new ways of exchanging and providing goods and services as result of increased connectivity. These developments challenge the way economic activity is traditionally measured. There are also measurement problems associated with estimating output and input volumes especially related to the quality of price indexes for some products and services. These problems have an impact on productivity estimates and might impair international comparability. In this paper, we intend to investigate what the core problems in productivity measurement and interpretation are in the European context, with a specific focus on Italy