A Model of Factors Explaining the Adoption and Use of Electronic Performance Support Systems in Portuguese Organizations

Abstract

This article describes how the huge investments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the increasing impact of Information Systems (IS) on the functioning and competitive capacities of organizations justify and stress the need to identify factors influencing the adoption and use of EPSS (Electronic Performance Support System). Following the models and theories of IT adoption by the available theories of Acceptance as well as studies conducted in the field of EPSS, which indicate the existence of several factors influencing the use and success, a study was conducted to assess possible changes in these factors considering the idea of some authors assume that there are differences by type of IT. In this sense, it was felt that it would be advisable to know the circumstances that arise from the adoption and use of three types of EPSS - extrinsic, intrinsic, and external, arguing that such knowledge can be obtained by identifying a set of enabling factors to characterize those circumstances. The performance of three-case studies and reflection made that it derived a set of factors that influence the strategy of adopting and using EPSS, which were grouped and organized in a model of adoption of EPSS. This model brings together all the key factors considered and classifies them, according to their origin in four different categories, designated by the organizational environment, individual performance characteristics of the tool and task requirements.