Learning to Use IT in the Workplace

Fluency with information technology (IT), defined as “an ability [to use information technology] to express [oneself] creatively, to reformulate knowledge and to synthesize new information” (Committee on Information Technology Literacy, 1999, p. ES1) is an important concern for those who manage workers with jobs that require the use of IT. Training is one mechanism to build fluency, but research about “influential individuals” hints that other mechanisms might also play a role. This article presents an interpretive case study of junior-level knowledge workers at a management consulting firm. To learn to use the IT of their jobs, these workers relied not only on formal training, but also on on-the-job learning through experimentation; reading books, manuals and online help; and social interaction with their peers. The researcher identified different types of “master users” who were indispensable for this learning to take place. The findings of this study suggest that managers and researchers interested in training users also devote attention to these other mechanisms for learning, especially the “master user” phenomenon. “Fluency with information technology… entails a process of lifelong learning in which individuals continually apply what they know to adapt to change and acquire more knowledge to be more effective at applying information technology to their work and personal lives.” (Committee on Information Technology Literacy, 1999, pp. ES1-2)

A Comparison of Audio-Conferencing and Computer Conferencing in a Dispersed Negotiation Setting

The growing globalization of business is making face-to-face communications, decision-making, and negotiations more the exception than the rule. Internet communication in text-only, audio, and video form are all becoming feasible methods of communication between distantly located parties. However, in order for these new technologies to be used most effectively, more investigation is needed into the impact of various media on decision-making, such as that in negotiation. In particular, negotiators need to have a means of choosing the most appropriate communication medium, based on the amount of richness inherent in the medium, for the particular task at hand. This paper presents the results of an empirical study to examine the effectiveness of a computerized negotiation support system (NSS) in supporting bargaining carried out in a dispersed, but synchronous setting. In the study, pairs of college students, using the NSS, participated in a simulated industrial bargaining scenario that tested the impact of communication media employed and level of conflict on contract outcomes and negotiator attitudes. The subjects, located in separate rooms, played the roles of buyer and seller engaged in negotiations either by telephone (audio-conferencing) or Lotus Notes (computer conferencing). In both low and high conflict, the efficiency aspects of audio-conferencing — a richer medium in which more communication can take place more quickly — overshadowed any negative social cues transmitted.

The Effectiveness of Online Task Support vs. Instructor-Led Training

This study investigates the effectiveness of online task support (the wizard type in particular) relative to instructor-led training, and explores the underlying cognitive process in terms of the development of mental models. Ninety-two novice users of Microsoft Access were either trained by an experienced instructor or performed exercises with online task support, and then completed a variety of performance-based tests. Analysis shows that users of online task support tended to outperform instructor-trained individuals on high-level tasks, whereas the performance difference on low-level tasks was not significant. The cognitive processes underlying the difference are also noteworthy. Task support users were more likely to develop conceptual mental models as opposed to procedural ones, which accounted for their better high-level performance. Mental model completeness was also found to be closely associated with performance on both low and high-level tasks. These findings offer support for increased use of online task support.

Learning from Patterns During Information Technology Configuration

This chapter asks how people can be assisted in learning from practice, as a basis for informing future action, when configuring information technology (IT) in organizations. It discusses the use of Alexanderian patterns as a means of aiding such learning. Three patterns are presented that have been derived from a longitudinal empirical study that has focussed upon practices surrounding IT configuration. The paper goes on to argue that Alexanderian Patterns offer a valuable means of learning from past experience. It is argued that learning from experience is an important dimension of deciding “what needs to be done” in configuring IT with organizational context. The three patterns outlined are described in some detail, and the implications of each discussed. Although it is argued that patterns per se provide a valuable tool for learning from experience, some potential dangers in seeking to codify experience with a patterns approach are also discussed.

The Changing Demographics

As the changing demographics of the workplace influence how organizations operate, the need to reexamine relationships between these demographic variables and their effect on the organization continues. This study provides an empirical examination of the effect of two demographic variables, age and gender, and any moderating impact anxiety, enjoyment, and/or peer pressure may have on computer usage. Based on our analysis of 292 knowledge workers, we identified no significant difference between men and women and/or young and old regarding their computer usage in the workplace. Therefore, the findings from this study do not seem to support earlier research regarding age and gender, which indicated that these variables did impact computer usage. However, the moderating construct (anxiety) did appear to be significant in the employees’ computer usage.

Business Software Specifications for Consmers

Commercialized business application software packages have been widely used to implement business information systems. In order to determine whether a software package meets the system needs, consumers must check the software specifications against the target system requirements. Since the commercial software industry does not have standard format of software specifications for consumers, free-formatted descriptions of application software and ad hoc demos are commonly used in marketing software products, but are often too ambiguous for consumers to uncover the implemented capacity. This chapter proposes a model of commercialized business software specifications for consumers. It suggests that software packages need to provide specifications for consumers in four aspects: business operations, user-computer interfaces, user-perceived inputs and outputs, and business rules. Using an example, the chapter demonstrates the implementation of the model.

The Impact of Personal Innovativeness on the Use of the Internet Among Employees at Work

Examining Internet use among employees, this research investigated the theoretical proposition that personal IT innovativeness will positively impact the use of novel computer technologies. The research model included the individual traits of age, gender, experience with IT, and educational level. The article discusses the categories of organizationally relevant versus personal use of the Internet. Using a questionnaire, data was collected from 328 respondents in one organization. The results indicated that users perceive structural differences across various types of Internet use areas, although no clear support for a distinction between organizationally relevant and personal use was found. Additionally, the analyses indicated that personal use is considerably lower than organizationally relevant use of the Internet. However, employees may not distinguish clearly between these two categories. Personal IT innovativeness was the best predictor of organizationally relevant use of the Internet. Age contributed negatively to Internet use. Males appear to use the Internet more frequently than females. Educational level had no impact on Internet use.

Perceptions of End Users on the Requirements in Personal Firewall Software

Information security is usually considered a technical discipline with much attention being focused on topics such as encryption, hacking, break-ins, and credit card theft. Security products such as anti-virus programs and personal firewall software are now available for end-users to install on their computers to protect against threats endemic to networked computers. The behavioral aspects related to maintaining enterprise security have received little attention from researchers and practitioners. Using Q-sort analysis, this study used students as end users in a graduate business management security course to investigate issues affecting selection of personal firewall software in organizations. Based on the Q-sort analysis of end users in relation to seven variables identified from review of the information security literature, three distinct group characteristics emerged. Similarities and differences between groups are investigated, and implications of these results to IT managers, vendors of security software, and researchers in information security area are discussed.

Assesing Web-Enabled Interactivity

As business models evolve to integrate technology with organizational strategy and marketing, the application of Web technology to facilitate end-user interactions, or what we call Web-enabled interactivity, has become increasingly important to customer relationships. This article develops and introduces the Web-enabled Interactivity Self-Evaluation tool (referred to as WISE). Two case studies are used to illustrate how managers can use WISE to develop a thorough, easily communicated profile of their Web-enabled interactivity capabilities upon which competitive positioning assessments can also be made. The information generated by the audit process is intended to help firms enhance their interactive communication with Web site users in a market-oriented manner.

The Role of Internet Self-Efficacy in Acceptance of Web-Based Electronic Medical Records

The technology acceptance model (TAM) stipulates that both perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) directly influence the end user’s behavioral intention (BI) to accept a technology. Studies have found that self-efficacy is an important determinant of PEOU. However, there has been no research examining the relationship between self-efficacy and BI. The studies on the effect of self-efficacy on PU are also rare, and findings are inconsistent. In this study, we incorporate Internet self-efficacy (ISE) into the TAM as an antecedent to PU, PEOU, and BI. We conducted a controlled experiment involving a Web-based medical record system and 86 healthcare subjects. We analyzed both direct and indirect effects of ISE on PEOU, PU, and BI using hierarchical regressions. We found that ISE explained 48% of the variation in PEOU. We also found that ISE and PEOU together explained 50% of the variation in PU, and the full model explained 80% of the variance in BI.