Most of the researches on end-user computing(EUC) have generally been exploratory and descriptive in nature with little theoretical basis. Further, a lack of consistent definition for EUC is apparent in the current literature. In this thesis, EUC is defined as development and use activities associated with the direct, hand-on use of computers, by non-DP professionals in functional areas, to perform or facilitate job-related tasks and responsibilities.
In an attempt to provide a more comprehensive framework with a firm theoretical base, this thesis integrates the rational choice model and the social influence model and compares the integrated model with these two models. First, this thesis suggests an EUC success model which is composed of system utilization, user satisfaction, and individual impact. Among various surrogate measures, system utilization and user satisfaction are most widely adopted for EUC success. As an extension of traditional EUC success model, it suggests that system utilization and user satisfaction are direct antecedents of individual impact. Second, based on rational choice perspective and social influence perspective, task-system fit and social influence (reference group's suggestion and utilization) are included as direct factors affecting system utilization. Finally, further extending the EUC success model, an integrated causal path model, considering contingent and contol variables together, is suggested by integrating these two complementary perspectives.
A field study was undertaken to evaluate three competing models and to test the hypothesized relationships among task-system fit, social influence, and EUC success variables via a structural equation modeling using LISREL. Pilot Suvey revealed that Korean end-users spended more their time in use activities than development activities. Moreover, there were few end-users and EUC activities from the viewpoint of strict EUC definition. So, data were collected from 210 word processing systems and 211 computer-mediated communication systems (CMCS). Final sample were 137 word processing systems and 130 CMCS collected from 267 end-users in 16 Korean large firms.
Empirical results are summarized as follows. First, the rational choice model, the social influence model, and the integrated model performed well in terms of goodness-of-fit. Overall, the integrated model provided better explanatory power and goodness-of-fit relative to the rational choice model and the social influence model.
Second, the path between system utilization and user satisfaction and the paths from system utilization and user satisfaction to individual impact were significant. The paths from task-system fit and the reference group's utilization to system utilization were also significant. On the other hand, the path from the reference group's suggestion to system utilization was not significant. Contingent hypotheses of the voluntariness of system utilization and EUC abilities were moderately supported. The path coefficient from task-system fit to system utilization was greater and the path coefficient from the reference group's utilization to system utilization was smaller when such utilization was more voluntary.
Despite all the methodological care given to this study, the results should be interpreted cautiously because of the several limitations in sampling, research setting, and measures. Theoretical and practical Implications and future research directions are drawn for the management of EUC and for further research on EUC.
