Debra Howcroft, Ben Light, A study of user involvement in packaged software selection, Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Information Systems, pp 69-77
Abstract
This paper is concerned with the decision-making processes surrounding the adoption of packaged software in organizations. We begin by looking at its increasing utilization and consider some of the strengths and limi- tations of employing a standardized approach, particularly in relation to its consideration of end-user requirements. We note the highly problematic nature of installing a global standardized product in the local environment. Using a field study concerning the adoption of a customer relationship management package in a small organization, we go on to illustrate the limited amount of end-user involvement in the selection and procurement of the product. We argue that the art of salesmanship by the third party vendor and project team, which focuses on the interests of senior management, ultimately secures the selection and procurement of the software package.
A summary is available.
Teresa Lynch, Shirley Gregor, Technology-Push or User-Pull? The Slow Death of the Transfer-of-Technology Approach to Intelligent Support Systems , IDEA Group book??
Teresa Lynch, Shirley Gregor, User involvement in DSS Development: Patterns of influence and system impact,
Abstract
Australian agriculture is one area in which a number of decision support systems (DSS) have been developed. It appears, however, that comparatively few of these systems are widely used or have the impact the developers might have wished. In this study we investigated possible explanations for this state of affairs. The development process for 66 systems was examined. Particular attention was paid to the nature of user involvement, if any, during development, and the degrees of success of the systems produced. Interpretation of the data gathered indicated the concepts of user involvement" and system success" were multi-faceted. User involvement, relabeled user influence", was a complex matter involving type of user involvement and degree of involvement. System success, relabeled level of impact", involved level of adoption and market share as well as other factors that may have influenced the level of impact. The patterns identified in the analysis suggest user influence is an important contributor to the impact of a system. These results have theoretical significance in that they add to knowledge of the role of the user in the development of DSS. The results also have considerable practical significance, as apparently developers of DSS in Australian agriculture do not recognize the importance of user participation, and continue to develop systems with less than optimum impact.
Conrad Shayo, Ruth Guthrie, Magid Igbaria, Exploring the measurement of end user computing success, Journal of End User Computing, 11(1), 1999
Abstract
Examines factors associated with End User Computing success. Suggests that user satisfaction is the most important.
John Gammack, Constructive Design Environments: Implementing End-User Systems Development, Journal of End User Computing, 11(1),
Lots of good quotes
George Ditsa, Tailoring Software Development Processes Along TQM Concepts: A way to narrow user-perceived expectations gap for information systems, Stratgies for Managing Computer Software Upgrades, Neal Shaw, Idea Group Inc, 2001
Carla Wilkin, Rodney Carr, Bill Hewett, Evaluating IS Quality: Exploration of the Role of Expectations on Stakeholders' Evaluation, Information Technology Evaluation Methods and Management, Wim Van Grembergen, Idea Group 2001
Anders I Morch, Evolutionary Growth and Control in User Tailorable systems, Adaptive Evolutionary Infomration Systems, Nandish Patel, Idea Group inc, 2003
James McKeen, Tor Guimaraes, Successful Strategies for User Participation in Systems Development, Journal of Management Information Systems, 1997, 14(2), pp 133-150
Abstract
Past MIS research has indicated a mixed relationship between user participation and user satisfaction with system development projects, suggesting that user participation is not equally effective in all situations. This has led researchers to investigate the contexts within which user participation can be used to improve user satisfaction. This study builds on this past body of research by examining the relationship between specific user participative behaviours and user satisfaction in different contextual situations in order to identify the most successful participative behaviours. To do this, data were collected from 151 indepdendent system development projects in eight different organisations. The context of development was described by two factors - task complexity and system complexity. As suggested in the literature, the combination of these two contextual factors determine the need for user participation. The relationship between specific participative behaviours and user satisfaction was the examined where the need for participation was high and those results were compared with situations with a lower need for participation. Not all participative behaviours were equally effective in all situations. Depending on the level of task compelxity and system complexity, some user participative behaviours resulted in improved user satisfaction, while others had no relationship with satisfaction. The results add to earlier studies by identifying those specific user participative behaviours most beneficial under different contexts. The implications apply to both practioners involved in the development of systems and academicians seeking to explain where and how user particiaption should be used. Strategies based on the results are suggested for the most appropriate involvement for users during system development.
Peter Kawalek, Trebor Wodd-Harper, The Finding of Thorns: User Participation in Enterprise System Implementation, The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems, Winter 2002, 33(1),
Abstract
This paper presents a study of a major, multinational program of Enterprise Systems (ES) implementation. The case study subject is a hi-tech manufacturer. They study focuses on the issue of user participation. The investigation inquires into the fact that the implemetnation method espoused user participation even though the outcome of the project was already known. (Regardless of user input, the ES would be deployed). The paper reports that user participation was deployed to serve the interests of the project manager in reporting local circumstances as the implementation project moved across different sites. The framework for this inquiry was Multiview2, the latest generation of the Multiview information systems method. The structure of Multiview2 was used as a diagnostic device in order to inquire into the characteristics of the ES method used at the case study sites.
James McKeen, Tor Guimaraes, James WetherbeThe Relationship between user participation and user satisfaction: An investigation of four contingency Factors, MIS Quarterly, December 1994, pp 427-
Abstract
User participation has been widely touted by the MIS community as a means to improve user satisfaction with systems development. This claim, however, has not been consistently substantiated in the empirical literature. In seeking to explain such equivocal results, the effects of four contingency factors - task complexity, system complexity, user influence and user-developer communication - on the relationship between user participation and user satisfaction were investigated. As suggested in the literature, this research tests hypotheses that these specific contingency factors should aid in identifying situations where user participation would have a strong relationship with satisfaction.
Analysis of 151 independent systems development projects in 8 different organisations indicated that user participation has a direct relationship with user satisfaction. In addition, the four contingency factors were found to play key roles on this relationship. Task complexity and system complexity proved to be pure moderators. That is, the strength of th eparticipation-satisfaction relationship depdended on the level of these factors. In projects where there was high level of task complexity or system complexity, the relationship between user participation and user satisfaction was significantly stronger than in projects where task complexity of system complexity was low. User influence and user-developer communication were shown to be independent predictors of user-satisfaction. That is, user influence, or user-developer communication, was positively related to user satisfaction regardless of the level of participation.
The results help explain the relationship between user participation and user satisfaction by suggesting the nature of the relationship under different sets of conditions. The implications are relevant to systems developers and to academicians seeking to explain how, when, why and where user participation is needed.
William Doll, Xiaodong Deng, The collaborative use of IT: End-User Participation and System Success, Information Resources Management Journal, April-June 2001
Tom Butler, Brian Fitzgerald, The Relationship between user participation and management of change surrounding the devleopment of information systems: A european perspective, Journal of End User Commputing, Jan-Mar, 2001
Abstract
While much is known about the general proces of user participation in information systems development, its ipmact on matters of organisational change has not been the subject of systematic, in-depth investigation. In addition, researchers have typically adopted variance, rather than process-based approaches to the study of these related phenomena. This paper addresses these deficiencies and makes several important contributions to the literature. First, it presents the results of a comprehensive, process-based study of the relationship between user participation and organisational change in the development and iplementation of information systems in a large organisation. Second, it presents a theoretical model which captures the institutionsal and evelopment-related contexts that shape and influence the processes of user participation and management of change. Third, using the model as a framework to guide the research effort, this sutdy illustrates that an organisation's institutional context plays a dominant role in shaping and influencing the content and process of user participation and management of change in systems development. This particular finding has important implications for both research and practice. Finally, the model and its associated framework has been validated by the findings of this study; it may, therefore be used in future explorations of these important phenomena.