William J. Doll

The measurement of end-user computing satisfaction

This article contrasts traditional versus end-user computing environments and report on the development of an instrument which merges ease of use and information product items to measure the satisfaction of users who directly interact with the computer for a specific application. Using a survey of 618 end users, the researchers conducted a factor analysis and modified the instrument. The results suggest a 12-item instrument that measures five components of end-user satisfaction - content, accuracy, format, ease of use, and timeliness. Evidence of the instruments discriminant validity is presented. Reliability and validity is assessed by nature and type of application. Finally, standards for evaluating end-user applications are presented, and the instruments usefulness for achieving more precision in research questions is explored.

A confirmatory factor analysis of the end-user computing satisfaction instrument

The dimensionality of the user satisfaction construct is an important theoretical issue that has received considerable attention. Focusing on end users who directly interact with application software, Doll and Torkzadeah (1988) develop a 12-item application specific instrument for providing an overall assessment of end-user computing satisfaction (EUCS). They also contend that EUCS is comprised of five component measures (content, accuracy, format, ease of use, timeliness) that explain the construct and permit more precision in formulating and testing research hypotheses. The acceptance of the EUCS as a standardized instrument requires confirmation that it explains and measures the user satisfaction construct.Based on a sample of 409 respondents from 18 organizations, this research uses confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL) to test alternative models of underlying factor structure and assess the reliability and validity of factors and items. Without respecifying the model, the results provide some support for Doll and Torkzadehs proposed model of the five first-order factors and one second-order (higher-order) factor. Thus the evidence supports the use of: (1) the 12-item instrument as an overall measure of EUCS; and (2) the five component factors for explaining the EUCS construct.

The development of a tool for measuring the perceived impact of information technology on work

The impact of information technology on work life has been one of the most talked about issues over the recent years. Chief executive officers spending millions of dollars on information technology face the critical issue of assessing the impact of this technology on work. Information system managers are increasingly required to justify technology investment in terms of its impact on the individual and his/her work. Measures of impact of information technology have narrowly focused on productivity impacts. This study uses a broader concept that is based on the impact of technology on the nature of work literature. This literature recognizes the multiple impacts of technology on work at the level of the individual. A review of the literature enabled us to generate thirty-nine items that were grouped into four constructs. In a pilot study, these constructs were assessed by observers in structured interviews with eighty-nine users to provide a criterion measure. Next, the users completed the thirty-nine item questionnaire. The unidimensionality, internal consistency and criterion-related validity of each construct were assessed. The pilot results suggest a four factor 12-item instrument that measures how extensively information technology applications impact task productivity, task innovation, customer satisfaction and management control. In a large scale study, a sample of 409 respondents was gathered to further explore this 12-item instrument and its relationships with other constructs (user involvement, user satisfaction, system usage). The results support the four factor model. Evidence of reliability and construct validity is presented for the hypothesized measurement model and future research is discussed.

Developing a multidimensional measure of system-use in an organizational context

Abstract The perception of a widening gap between the potential of information technology (that is, what it is capable of being and what it can ideally achieve) and its actual use has focused attention on the need for better measures of how extensively information technology is utilized in an organizational context. Building on a taxonomy of system-use and the rich descriptive literature provided by social scientists who focus on the impact of information technology on work, this paper makes an effort to develop new multidimensional measures of how extensively information technology is utilized in an organizational context for decision support , work integration , and customer service functions. System-use is a pivotal construct in the system-to-value chain that links upstream research on the causes of system success with downstream research on the organizational impacts of information technology. The new measures are appropriate for use as dependent variables in upstream research, or as independent or mediating variables in downstream research on the impact of information technology on work. A sample of 409 end-users enabled the researchers to provide evidence of this instruments reliability, validity, and general applicability.

The fuzzy front end and success of new product development: a causal model

While managers and researchers agree that the fuzzy front end of new product development (NPD) is critical for project success, the meaning of the term “front‐end fuzziness” remains vague. It is often used broadly to refer to both the exogenous causes and the internal consequences of fuzziness. This imprecise language makes it difficult for managers to separate cause and effect and thus identify specific prescriptive remedies for “fuzziness” problems. The vagueness of the concept and the lack of a framework for defining “front‐end fuzziness” also impede empirical research efforts. Building upon uncertainty theory, we define front‐end fuzziness in terms of environmental uncertainties. Front‐end fuzziness has consequences for a project’s team vision. It reduces the team’s sense of shared purpose and causes unclear project targets and priorities. Describes how foundation elements of a firm’s overall product development program can help project teams cope with front‐end fuzziness.

Concurrent engineering and its consequences

Abstract Technology and market changes introduce uncertainty and equivocality in the product development arena, and firms are considering various structural relationships to help them cope with these changes. Concurrent engineering (CE) is a mechanism that can reduce uncertainty and equivocality and improve an organization’s competitive capabilities. CE is typically manifested through concurrent work-flows, product development teams, and early involvement of constituents. It enables information to flow through the organization quickly and effectively thereby, reducing uncertainty. At the same time, it enables debate, clarification, and enactment which are essential elements in combating equivocality. CE practices are also purported to have significant effects on product innovation, quality, and premium price capabilities. This research carefully defines CE and creates a valid and reliable instrument to assess it. It reports on the development and testing of a model that relates CE to some of its most salient consequences. Half of the sample of 244 firms is used for exploratory purposes and half for confirmatory work and hypotheses testing. Results indicate that firms that experience a high technological and product change in their environment are using more CE practices. In addition, results suggest that CE practices have significant direct effects on product innovation. However, only the indirect effects of CE on quality and premium pricing are statistically significant. Firms with higher levels of product innovation have higher levels of quality. Firms with higher levels of product innovation do exhibit premium pricing capabilities but only if they affect quality capabilities. Firms that display elevated quality levels excel in their premium pricing capabilities.

Avenues for top management involvement in successful MIS development

Top management and MIS directors have been increasingly urged to improve the way in which their information systems development efforts are being managed. Although the problems of designing and implementing company-wide integrated information systems are primarily managerial rater than technical, little is known about the role of management practices in MIS development or the most appropriate areas or avenues for top management involvement. Through field studies of thirty-three organizations, the author explores the ways in which these firms have managed their information systems operations and how this has influenced their success. This article develops a framework for assessing top managements role in providing guidance for information systems development efforts, contrasts the management practices of firms with successful versus unsuccessful development efforts, and suggests guidelines for improving the way in which development activities are managed.

Developing measures of time-based manufacturing

Abstract Case and industry studies have increased our understanding of time-base manufacturing and focused our attention on its key component practices. Despite important contributions by Blackburn (1991) and Stalk and Hout (1990), we lack a clear definition of time-based manufacturing and its relationship to Just-in-time (JIT). This study proposes a framework for research on time-based manufacturing, reports on the development of a set of seven instruments for measuring the key practices, and tests relationships among these practices. The instruments are valid, reliable, and generalizable across industries and firm size. Tests of the structural model confirm Mondens (1983) notion that shop-floor employee involvement leads to improved manufacturing practices which, in turn, lead to pull production.

Research Report---A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the User Information Satisfaction Instrument

The structure and dimensionality of the user information satisfaction UIS construct is an important theoretical issue that has received considerable attention. Building upon the work of Bailey and Pearson Bailey, J. E., S. W. Pearson. 1983. Development of a tool for measuring and analyzing computer user satisfaction. Management Sci.295, May 530--545., Ives et al. Ives, B., M. Olson, J. J. Baroudi. 1983. The measure of user information satisfaction. Comm. ACM2610, October 785--793. conduct an exploratory factor analysis and recommend a 13-item instrument two indicators per item for measuring user information satisfaction. Ives et al. also contend that UIS is comprised of three component measures information product, EDP staff and services, and user knowledge or involvement. In a replication using exploratory techniques, Baroudi and Orlikowski Baroudi, J. J., W. J. Orlikowski. 1988. A short-form measure of user information satisfaction: A psychometric evaluation and notes on use. J. Management Inform. Systems44, Spring 44--59. confirm the three factor structure and support the diagnostic utility of the three factor model. Other researchers have suggested a need for caution in using the UIS instrument as a single measure of user satisfaction; they contend that the instruments three components measure quite different dimensions whose antecedents and consequences should be studied separately. The acceptance of UIS as a standardized instrument requires confirmation that it explains and measures the user information satisfaction construct and its components. Based on a sample of 224 respondents, this research uses confirmatory factor analysis LISREL to test alternative models of underlying factor structure and assess the reliability and validity of factors and items. The results provide support for a revised UIS model with four first-order factors and one second-order higher-order factor. To cross-validate these results, the authors reexamine two data sets, including the original Baroudi and Orlikowski data, to assess the revised UIS model. The results show that the revised model provides better model-data fit in all three data sets. Thus, the evidence supports the use of: 1 the 13-item instrument as a measure of an overall UIS; and 2 four component factors for explaining the UIS construct.

The Meaning and Measurement of User Satisfaction: A Multigroup Invariance Analysis of the End-User Computing Satisfaction Instrument

Although user satisfaction is widely used by researchers and practitioners to evaluate information system success, important issues related to its meaning and measurement across population subgroups have not been adequately resolved. To be most useful in decision-making, instruments like end-user computing satisfaction (EUCS), which are designed to evaluate system success, should be robust. That is, they should enable comparisons by providing equivalent measurement across diverse samples that represent the variety of conditions or population subgroups present in organizations. Using a sample of 1,166 responses, the EUCS instrument is tested for measurement invariance across four dimensions--respondent positions, types of application, hardware platforms, and modes of development. While the results suggest that the meaning of user satisfaction is context sensitive and differs across population subgroups, the 12 measurement items are invariant across all four dimensions. The 12-item summed scale enables researchers or practitioners to compare EUCS scores across the instruments originally intended universe of applicability.