Adoption Behavior for Facilities Management Information Systems at Feature Level

Abstract

Information technology adoption at the feature level is relative new and becoming a research area in the information system (IS). Features adoption is defined as a basket of information system features that can be used by a particular user to accomplish work task. Currently, information systems have multiple features so that multiple users can complete multiple tasks and accomplish specific work objectives. Their power can reveal only when their features support specific employees in completing their tasks efficiently and effectively. The integration of features, work processes and employees is critical. Moreover, bundles of new and old features with similar functions coexist in employees’ tool kits. Employees can cherry-pick their favorite work settings at different points in time. This situation leads to dynamic and complex nature of technology adoption behavior at feature level. Past research that has concentrated on adoption at the system level may be less relevant, overly simple or inappropriate to explain and predict adoption behavior at the feature level.

This thesis builds upon two consecutive empirical projects and investigates forms of feature adoption behavior and their respective outcomes for individuals and organizations. It proposes feature substitution that employees substitute old features with new ones, having similar functions, is the desired form of adoption behavior because of positive outcomes attained. This thesis adopts the Expectancy Theory of Motivation, to explore the co-influence of personal experiential factors and cognitive factors on feature substitution, as goal-oriented and outcome-based behavior. Through investigating why and how specific behavior happens, the thesis has developed a theoretical framework to explain feature substitution at workplace context. Additionally, organizational factors are discovered that have a substantial indirect influence on the behavior, and therefore enrich our knowledge of the facilitating conditions. This finding becomes a guide to formulating effective organizational measures to strengthen the motivation for the behavior. Overall, this thesis reveals the key determinants of feature substitution, including experiential factors, benefit, personal intrinsic needs, work goal congruence and self-esteem, and organizational factor of self-learning environment. The service performance management approach may moderate those variables.