When users are IT experts too: the effects of joint IT competence and partnership on satisfaction with enterprise-level systems implementation

Abstract

Enterprise-level information systems (IS) are fundamental to businesses. Unfortunately, implementing these large-scale systems is a complex and risky endeavor. As a result, these initiatives must tap the expertise and active involvement of both the IS department and the enterprise's functional areas. Past studies focusing on IS implementation teams consistently identify the IS department as the source of technical expertise and leadership, while functional department team members are typically relegated to the role of business experts. However, unlike the past, many business professionals are knowledgeable about information technology (IT) and are increasingly capable of contributing to IS implementations from a technical perspective as well as a business perspective. This study examines how IT competence held by both the IS department and the user department stakeholders contributes to user satisfaction with the enterprise-level system implementation. Specifically, this research introduces a theoretically grounded construct, joint IT competence, which emerges when the IS department and user department stakeholders integrate their individually held IT competences. The study's results empirically demonstrate that joint IT competence is a key driver of user satisfaction in enterprise-level IS implementations. Although not as significant as joint IT competence, results show that partner-based leadership between the IS department and user stakeholders also influences user satisfaction with IS implementations.

Keywords:

• joint IT competence
• partnership
• user satisfaction
• enterprise-level system implementation
• matched-pair survey
• PLS

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joshua M Davis

About the authors

Joshua M. Davis is a Ph.D. candidate in Management Information Systems at the University of South Carolina. He received a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems from Missouri State University. His prior professional experience includes project management and systems implementation. His research interests include implementation of information systems, knowledge management, and human factors in effective technology adoption and use.

William J Kettinger

William J. Kettinger is a professor and the FedEx Endowed Chair in MIS at the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis where he teaches global IT management and IS research methods in the Ph.D. program. Dr. Kettinger previously served as Professor of Information System and Moore Foundation Fellow at the School of Business of the University of South Carolina. Bill has also regularly taught in the MBA programs at IMD in Lausanne Switzerland, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Vienna Austria, and at the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico. He has published four books and numerous articles in journals such as MIS Quarterly, EJIS, JMIS, JAIS, Decision Sciences, CACM, Sloan Management Review, and Long Range Planning. He currently serves, or has served, in the editorial boards of MIS Quarterly, ISR, and JAIS and MISQ Executive and has twice served as a special editor for JMIS. He has been the recipient of numerous awards such the Society of Information Management's best paper award. Bill has over 25 years consulting experience in both the public and private sectors with organizations such as Accenture, AT&T, Bose, enterpriseIQ, IBM, Philips N.V., and the US Government.

Dimitar G Kunev

Dimitar G. Kunev is a Ph.D. candidate in Management Information Systems at the University of South Carolina. Prior to entering his doctoral studies, he received an MBA from Columbus State University and a bachelor's degree from Varna University of Economics, Bulgaria. Mr. Kunev's work has been presented at AMCIS. His research interests include knowledge management, implementation of information systems, and management of innovation and technology.