IT-Induced Adaptation and Individual Performance: A Coping Acts Model

Recent IS literature stresses the importance of IT-related adaptation behaviors and points out our lack of understanding of them. Drawing on coping theory in individual psychology, this paper attempts to shed new light on this phenomenon. Our model suggests that user adaptation behaviors can be conceptualized as coping acts, which are mainly determined by an initial assessment a user makes of a new IT. Coping is hypothesized to be positively associated with levels of integration of IT and with user task performance. The main premise of this study is that higher levels of integration between the user, IT, and the working system will be related to higher individual performance at work. A survey of 262 account managers was conducted in two large Canadian banks to test our conceptual model

Appropriation of Information Technology: A Requisite for Improved Individual Performance

Numerous studies have assessed the relationship between information technology (IT) usage and individual performance. However, the empirical evidence on the subject is mixed and contradictory. This paper argues that the current state of empirical research is due to a failure to understand the interplay between IT usage and performance. It argues that the relationship between IT and performance materializes through an appropriation process resulting in two fits: a fit between IT and the task and one between IT and the user. The main premise of this paper is that IT leads to enhanced performance only when this double fit exists

Adoption and Use of Dual-purposed Systems: A User-System Fit Model and Empirical Test

Evidence suggests varied motives drives individuals to use dual-purposed systems such as social media. Current models of IT acceptance do not account for all these motives, and, while these models have been used in the context of dual-purposed systems, the focus was usually on the productivity side of use. Building on theories of motivational needs and person-environment fit, we conceptualize the construct of user-system fit - a construct that comprises four dimensions of fit – user-expression, needs-supplies, demands-abilities, and user-group fit – and which we hypothesize is positively associated with IT use. A model is developed and tested, and the results indicate that user-system fit explains 32.2% of usage

The Role of Organizational Internal Communication on Individuals\u27 Reactions to New Information

The study aims at furthering our understanding of impacts of organizational communication on individuals\u27 reactions to new IT. Research suggests that reactions to the announcement of a new IT implementation are related to their eventual acceptance of such IT. Though a critical issue for organizations investing significant financial resources in IT, we do not know how organizational communication influences user reactions. By investigating the role of organizational communication on acceptance, resistance, ambivalence and their related behavioral manifestations, we will contribute to explain how and why users might react differently to new IT. Exploring the dynamics of user reactions will allow us to link antecedents (e.g. organizational communication strategy), behavioral manifestations and outcomes together. It will lead to a better understanding of individual reactions over time by revealing the process individuals go through in terms of their reactions to IT implementation and by identifying their triggers and associated impacts

The Customer-Centered B2C Literature through the Lens of Activity Theory: A Review and Research Agenda

A multitude of published research studies investigate the B2C phenomenon from the customer point of view. At this point, making sense of such a large number of studies is a difficult task. The aim of this paper is to organize the literature to provide a clear depiction of what we know and what we don\u27t know about it in order to identify specific areas where future research efforts are needed. A review of the B2C literature of the past seven years yielded 115 papers investigating the phenomenon from the user/customer perspective, 74 of these were empirical. This literature is organized according to the Activity Theory framework, allowing for an enhanced understanding of the phenomenon through a social context perspective. Future research directions are identified and discussed

UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ADOPTION AND USE OF SOCIAL COMPUTING: A USER-SYSTEM FIT MODEL AND EMPIRICAL STUDY

Social computing, or Web 2.0, is receiving growing attention both in academic research and in practice. Evidence suggests that a rich set of motives entice individuals to use Web 2.0. However, traditional models of IT acceptance generally do not account for these motives, and thus are not particularly adequate to explain the adoption and use of Web 2.0. Indeed, a central construct in many of these models, the ‘usefulness’ construct, exclusively focuses on performance needs. This study makes an effort to provide an improved understanding of Web 2.0 usage by offering two contributions. First, the study reconceptualizes ‘usefulness’ into ‘needs-supplies fit’, a formative construct that taps into a wide spectrum of needs. Second, relying on person-environment fit as its theoretical lens, the study develops and tests a model of user system fit that offers a complementary perspective to current models in further understanding of Web 2.0 use

The Influence of Organizational Communications on IS Users’ Perceptions of Change

The ultimate goal of this research is to provide a new and fine-grained understanding of how the IT users’ perceptions of a new system are shaped by organizational communication (OC). While OC has been acknowledged as having a key influence in IT projects, researchers have not yet provided a clear understanding of its role vis-à-vis user perceptions. In this research in progress paper, we highlight our initial results, which detail the role of sensemaking and sensegiving practices in shaping user perceptions. As of today, we have conducted a preliminary analysis of 32 interviews and examined organizational documentation. The interviews were conducted with the personnel of a major courier service provider in North America, who were mandated to use a new information system. Using a qualitative approach for analyzing the data, our preliminary results reveal the process through which the organizational internal communications initiate a specific set of sensegiving practices. These practices, in turn, shape the users’ sensemaking properties as reflected in their IT-related mental frames of reference, and in turn, in their perceptions. Once completed, the main contributions of this study will be to create a knowledge bridge between organizational communication and IT implementation. In addition to the implications for research and theory, we aim to help managers in tailoring out appropriate organizational communications in times of technological changes and as a result, paving the way for successful and efficient IT implementation and use

Employees\u27 Compliance with ISP: A Socio-Technical Conceptual Model

Employees’ compliance with Information Systems Security Policies (ISP) is critical for protecting organizational data. Both the technical side and the social aspects of IT-use were shown to have significant influence on ISP-compliance. However, they have been mostly studied in isolation, despite the literature’s emphasis on the socio-technical nature of security. Also, while the technical side has been extensively explored, there is a scarcity of research on the social mechanisms that underlie ISP-compliance. Here, we aim at bridging the gap between the technical and social sides of compliance. We also build upon Social Impact Theory to provide a more nuanced understanding of the social influence on ISP-compliance. We suggest that transparency of use is associated with the three pivotal elements of social influence, namely, perceived strength, immediacy, and number of influencing sources, which trigger normative and informational forces towards compliance. The influence of organizational ISP-compliance culture is also discussed

Employees' Compliance with ISP: A Socio-Technical Conceptual Model

Employees’ compliance with Information Systems Security Policies (ISP) is critical for protecting organizational data. Both the technical side and the social aspects of IT-use were shown to have significant influence on ISP-compliance. However, they have been mostly studied in isolation, despite the literature’s emphasis on the socio-technical nature of security. Also, while the technical side has been extensively explored, there is a scarcity of research on the social mechanisms that underlie ISP-compliance. Here, we aim at bridging the gap between the technical and social sides of compliance. We also build upon Social Impact Theory to provide a more nuanced understanding of the social influence on ISP-compliance. We suggest that transparency of use is associated with the three pivotal elements of social influence, namely, perceived strength, immediacy, and number of influencing sources, which trigger normative and informational forces towards compliance. The influence of organizational ISP-compliance culture is also discussed

Impacts of Stress, Satisfaction and Behavioral Intention on Continued Usage: Evidence from Physicians Transitioning to a New Drug Management System

A survey of physicians taking part in a pilot study involving the transition from an e-prescribing system to a new integrated drug management system was conducted. Data about physicians’ level of stress induced by the system transition, satisfaction with the new system, and intention to continue to use the system, were collected as well as system usage logs before, during, and after the transition. Results indicate that physicians experiencing higher level of stress used the new system less during the transition as well as during the two months post-transition than their counterparts who reported lower level of stress. Although satisfaction with the new system was positively related to physicians’ intention to use, it was not significantly related to actual usage. A discussion of our results and their implications for research and practice concludes the paper