An Empirical Study of Factors Affecting Software Package Selection

Abstract:

Evidence suggests that information centers (ICs) have significantly more interest in evaluating software packages and assisting in the selection of software packages than end users have. However, the selection of software packages by the information center product specialists (ICPSs) can compromise their usage. Ease of use and usefulness are believed to be fundamental predictors of usage. The question of whether ICPSs are able to correctly evaluate ease of use and usefulness of software packages for end users is posed. An insight into this issue could enhance end-user computing (EUC) policy and lead to a more effective partnership between end users and information systems (IS) professionals. A search for this insight provided the motivation for our empirical investigation of the perception of ICPSs and end users in assessing the ease of use and usefulness of thirty different software packages. Our investigation was performed in an organization with an IC that had evolved to the formalization stage. The findings show that the perceptions of the end users and ICPSs were similar in terms of assessing the ease of use of software packages. However, end users found the software packages less useful than did IC product specialists. Therefore, in sophisticated environments, end users should be empowered to develop their own user groups and suggest to IC personnel which useful software packages to acquire. Otherwise, selection of software packages without end-user participation could have an adverse effect on their usage.

Key Words and Phrases:

• end-user computing
• information center
• software selection criteria

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ali R. Montazemi

Ali R. Montazemi is Associate Professor of Information Systems at Michael G. Degroote School of Business, McMaster University. He received his M.Sc. in management science from the University of Southampton, England, and his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo, Canada. His current research interests are information system planning, application of artificial intelligence in business and education, and measuring the effectiveness of decision support tools. His articles have appeared in the Journal of Management Information Systems, MIS Quarterly, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, INFOR, European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Operational Research Society, Journal of Educational Computing Research, and others.

David A. Cameron

David A. Cameron is a project administrator with the financial department at Defasco Incorporated. He has more than eight years’ experience in software engineering, systems analysis, project management, and office automation software training. His current responsibilities include providing administrative systems for treasury operations and participating in a corporate logistic system rebuild project. He holds a B.Sc. in mathematics and computer science from the University of Western Ontario and an M.B.A. from McMaster University.

Kalyan Moy Gupta

Kalyan Moy Gupta is a doctoral candidate majoring in management science and information systems at Michael G. Degroote School of Business, McMaster University. Prior to joining the doctoral program, he received an M.Tech. in industrial management from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He has several years of industrial experience in the design and development of a variety of information systems. His research interests include application of case-based reasoning to business problems and information systems planning and design. He has presented and published in conferences of the American Management Association and the Canadian Operations Research Society.