A Discrepancy Model of End-User Computing Involvement

William J. Doll and Gholamreza Torkzadeh
Additional contact information
William J. Doll: The University of Toledo, 2801 West Bancroft Street, Toledo, Ohio 43606
Gholamreza Torkzadeh: The University of Toledo, 2801 West Bancroft Street, Toledo, Ohio 43606

Management Science, 1989, vol. 35, issue 10, 1151-1171

Abstract: Within the context of traditional data processing, the MIS literature has devoted considerable attention to the relationship between user involvement and MIS success: unfortunately, this research has produced conflicting results. After reviewing these results, Ives and Olson provide a framework for research on user involvement. Although their framework uses cognitive and motivational psychological mechanisms to explain the linkage between user involvement and MIS success, the contingency variables they identify do not pertain to individual differences between users. Thus, the framework has limitations that reduce its usefulness for explaining conflicting research findings, and its applicability to the end-user computing environment. End-user computing is an emerging phenomenon characterized by substantial differences between individuals in skill and motivation. The unique aspects of this dynamic end-user environment are identified here and an end-user involvement construct is described. Next, after reviewing the participative decision making literature, a model of end-user involvement based upon Alutto and Belasco's discrepancy concept of participation is presented. Focusing on individual differences, this model hypothesizes a contingency relationship between perceived involvement, desired involvement, and end-user satisfaction. Three intervening psychological mechanisms described by Locke and Schweiger (value attainment as well as cognitive and motivational) are used to provide a theoretical rationale for the linkage between involvement and end-user satisfaction. The model is empirically examined using a sample of 618 respondents from 44 firms. The results tend to support the contingency hypotheses. The usefulness of this model for reconciling conflicting research findings in the user involvement literature is discussed, and suggestions for further research are described.

Keywords: user involvement; participation; MIS success; systems analysis; end-user computing; user satisfaction; end-user computing satisfaction; end-user involvement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1989
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.35.10.1151 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:35:y:1989:i:10:p:1151-1171

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Management Science from INFORMS Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Asher ().