Summerized From: Summerized From: Andrew Burton-Jones and Andrew Burton-Jones and Michael J. Gallivan (2007). Toward A Deeper Michael J. Gallivan (2007). Toward A Deeper Understanding System Usage in Organizations: Understanding System Usage in Organizations: A Multilevel Perspective, A Multilevel Perspective, MIS Quarterly MIS Quarterly Vol.31 Vol.31 No.4, pp.657-679No.4, pp.657-679

Professor: Dr. Celeste Ng Student: Sharon 986210 Wesley 986239

Paper SummaryPaper SummaryContribute a deeper understanding of system usage

in organizations by examining its multilevel natureOffers rich opportunities for theoretical and practical

insights and suggests a new foundation for in-depth research on the nature of system usage

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Introduction Introduction Examples of collectives using information systems◦ Teams

Fifteen major league baseball teams use online ticketing technology

◦ Firms Continental uses IT to chart a new course

◦ Industries Big media uses technology and the law to lock down culture

◦ Nations trade press China uses Internet as a tool of repression

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IntroductionIntroductionHow can any collective really use an Information

Systems (IS)?How is it different from a summation of individual

usage or the use of an IS by specific subgroups in a collective?

How can researchers study system usage in a multilevel fashion, keeping an eye on the whole as well as its parts?

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Principle ConceptPrinciple ConceptTheory of acceptance and use of technology

(Venkatesh et al. 2003) includes a construct to reflect social influence ◦ It is not a multilevel theory because all of its constructs

are conceptualized at the individual levelGreat opportunities exist to extend this theory and

many others in IS research, from a multilevel perspective

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Paper ObjectivePaper ObjectiveProvide a platform for research on the nature of

system usage, its emergence and change, and its antecedents and consequences1. Presenting system usage as a multilevel construct 2. Illustrating what it takes for researchers to study

multilevel construct

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Literature on System UsageLiterature on System UsageVariance researchers tend to study system usage at

three levels-individual, group, and organization ◦ Individual level

View system usage as behavior, measuring system usage via indicators such as an individual’s frequency or duration of usage

◦ Group level and organizational level Conceptualize system usage as the aggregation of individual

behaviors

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Major Problems of Past System Major Problems of Past System UsageUsageEach level has been so separate, there are no

definitions of system usage about multiple levels◦ System usage does not have a precise definition at any

level

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Element in System UsageElement in System UsageDefine system usage on any level of analysis of these

three elements1. User (the subject using the IS)2. System (the IS used)3. Task (the function being performed)

Define system usage as a user’s employment of a system to perform a task

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Motivations for Multilevel Motivations for Multilevel Research .1Research .1Helps researchers to avoid significant misleading

idea that can occur in single-level studiesOpens up new opportunities for theory ◦ e.g., to understand linkages between levels

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Motivations for Multilevel Motivations for Multilevel Research .2Research .2

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Significant fallacies that can occur in single-level studies

Multilevel Account of System UsageMultilevel Account of System Usage

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Guideline 1: Concepts of Function Guideline 1: Concepts of Function UsageUsageThere are two construct suggested: functional and

structure◦ The function of a construct

Refers to the effects or outputs of the event that the individual or collective is used to reflect.

◦ The structure of a collective Construct refers to the actions and interactions among

individuals that generate the collective phenomenon that a collective construct is used to reflect.

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Guideline 1: Example of Function Guideline 1: Example of Function UsageUsageQuickBooks is an accounting system that can be used

by individuals and small businesses

◦ The intended function of using QuickBooks is the same in both cases Produce financial statements

◦ The structure of usage is different Because in the latter case, usage will require coordination

among accountants and other staff

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Guideline 1: Illustrative Theoretical Guideline 1: Illustrative Theoretical ModelModel

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Multilevel Model of Usage• Includes relationships that cross levels• Includes multiple dependent variables at each level

Guideline 1: Cross-level Guideline 1: Cross-level Relationships ExampleRelationships Example Individual use affected individual performance and

group use affected group performanceExample◦ Group Excel use affected individual performance

because members relied on their group for inputs, poor Excel use by the group reduced members’ performance. one member might need certain input data to perform her

task, but because of poor coordination among users in her group, she may not receive the input data, forcing her to reconstruct the input data as well as perform her task, reducing her efficiency

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Guideline 1: Similar and Different Guideline 1: Similar and Different Outcomes Across Levels ExampleOutcomes Across Levels Example

The firm and its consultants could both be argued to have used the CASE tool to improve consulting performance◦ Firm wanted to

Improve work performance Staff substitutability at firm level

◦ Consultants wanted to Improve work performance Marketability at the individual level

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Guideline 2: Structure of UsageGuideline 2: Structure of Usage

Interdependencies-in-useForm of collective use

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Guideline 2: Interdependencies-in-Guideline 2: Interdependencies-in-useuse Interdependencies are patterns of action and

interaction where two or more entities are mutually dependent on each other

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Guideline 2: Scenarios in Which Guideline 2: Scenarios in Which Collective System UsageCollective System Usage

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According to Morgeson and Hofmann’s logic collective usage cannot exist if there are no interdependencies-in-use or only weak ones

Guideline 2: Guidance to Determine Guideline 2: Guidance to Determine Collective System - 1Collective System - 1 Interdependencies-in-use can be mediated in several

ways◦ Through electronic or personal interactions, as well as

mediated by a third-partyAttend to the function of usage when determining

whether and why interdependencies-in-use exist in a given scenario

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Guideline 2: Guidance to Determine Guideline 2: Guidance to Determine Collective System - 2Collective System - 2Focus on interactions that relate to usage rather

than simply general social or task-related interactions among members of the collective◦ Measure three key types of interdependencies

Collaboration Communication Co-ordination

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Guideline 2: Form of Collective UseGuideline 2: Form of Collective Use

Multilevel researchers distinguish between three forms of collective constructs◦ Global◦ Shared (homogeneous)◦ Configural (heterogeneous)

The difference between global and (shared and configural) is the level of origin and the level of theory◦ For global construct the level of origin at the theory level◦ For shared and configural the level of origin is lower than

level of theory

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Guideline 2: IS a Heterogeneous Guideline 2: IS a Heterogeneous CollectiveCollectiveDifferent employee groups given the same

workstation and functionality in a system will have quite different use patterns, depending on their tasks◦ Example: The bank provided brokers and sales assistants

with the same technology. But sales assistants appear to be involved in more record keeping activities than brokers

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Guideline 2: Forms of Shared and Guideline 2: Forms of Shared and Configural Collective UsageConfigural Collective Usage

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IS researchers consider whether the collective phenomena is configural rather than shared.

Guideline 2: Types of Configural Guideline 2: Types of Configural System UsageSystem UsageSystem-centered fashion◦ A distinct pattern whereby some users use different

features of a system than othersUser-centered fashion◦ A distinct pattern whereby some users work with the

system in different cognition or affectTask-centered fashion◦ A distinct pattern whereby some users employ the

system for different subsets of a task Holistic fashion◦ A distinct pattern whereby some users employ different

parts of a system, for different subtasks, and with different affect

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Guideline 3: Context of usage - 1Guideline 3: Context of usage - 1Types of Contextual factors◦ Function

Factors that affect functional relationships among constructs

◦ Structure Factors that affect the emergence of collective phenomena

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Guideline 3: Context of usage - 2Guideline 3: Context of usage - 2Researchers should be aware of contextual factors

associated with each element of usage◦ Control for the degree to which user, system, and task fit

each other Collective usage could be associated with different

outcomes because of differences in timescale◦ March’s (1991, 1999) theory suggests that exploration

has uncertain benefits in the short run, but more certain benefits in the long run

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Challenges of Multilevel TheorizingChallenges of Multilevel TheorizingDifficult to draw on more specific theoriesMethods for measuring configural constructs are not

well developedNo agreed upon principles for testing the construct

validity of shared or configural constructsLittle in the way of guidance for specifying relevant

samples in multilevel studiesNo established thresholds for determining how close

together levels should be

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ConclusionConclusionAdvocated a multilevel perspective that integrates

system usage at individual and collective levelProvide detailed steps for building multilevel

theories of system usage and concrete illustrationObtain rich insights into the nature and use of

information systems in organizations

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Contributions of The Paper in MIS Contributions of The Paper in MIS FieldField In the past, system usage was analyzed in single level

perspective in most of the time, therefore films can’t discover the problems or situation in multi-level perspective.

The paper gives theories of how researchers could analyze the collective information system usage, to know better how to adjust system usage more efficient and improve better decision making.

It also demonstrates how to analyze the system usage of both single and multi-level perspective but it emphasizes more on multi-level collective information system usage.

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Useful Contributions Found in the Useful Contributions Found in the paper for the future - 1paper for the future - 1We have to bear in mind that when analyzing a

system it can be both in single and multi-level information system usage.

To determine the system usage, you have to understand the level of construct and the level of theory◦ Multi-level system usage can be divided into 2, the

contract level at the level of theory and the level of contract which is lower than the level of theory.

◦ The lower level of contract than the level theory can be distinguished into two, which are shared and configural.

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Useful Contributions Found in the Useful Contributions Found in the paper for the future - 2paper for the future - 2To analyze the construct in a multilevel fashion we

have to consider 3 guidelines, ◦ Function usage which is the usage of construct if it has

same functional relationship at different levels◦ Structure of usage, which is to the study of

interdependency in the collective system usage◦ Context of usage which affects the relationship between

system usage and related construct

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