Air Force users' perceptions of the value of information technology-enabled enterprise business systems

• Main Author: Thome-Diorio, Kathleen
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2009
• Subjects: public administration; Public Administration
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/673; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1672&context=dissertations

Based on the Government Performance and Results Act, the United States Air Force is transforming its business through e-government, the adoption of information technology enabled enterprise business systems. The problem this research addressed was the lack of theory on implementation success of enterprise business systems, especially when users perceive that organizational mission and the value of the systems differ from the enterprise vision and goals. The purpose of the study was to conceptualize the acceptance of enterprise business systems by internal users. The research was based on theories about the influence and interaction of drivers of technology adoption and user acceptance. The critical research questions involved exploring the internal users' perceptions of the value of the systems, what users need, and how those perceptions align with the vision and goals of their organization and the enterprise business systems. Grounded theory was used to construct a theory of the value and acceptance of the enterprise systems from the users' perspectives and experiences. Data were collected from twelve study participants using open-ended and semi-structured interview questions. The data were analyzed using an iterative comparative process to derive commonalities and differences among user value. The findings demonstrated that when internal users value an enterprise business system, shared understanding of the vision the system will be effective and efficient and will meet organizational goals. These findings can be used to improve the alignment of the Air Force systems' value for the user and the enterprise, increase the transparency in IT transformations, and enhance the effectiveness of enterprise system change initiatives, thus resulting in overall reduced business costs.