Effective use of analytic DSS and job performance: Looking beyond technology acceptance

ABSTRACT This study extends and test the work done on effective use of information systems (IS) by developing measures for this construct which expands the conceptualization of use beyond the popular technology acceptance model (TAM). Effective use posits dimensions of use (informed action, representational fidelity, and transparent interaction) which are intended to measure a user’s ability to effectively use an IS in a given context. Moving beyond simple adoption and use contexts is an important distinction that expands researcher’s and practitioner’s ability to assess usage effectiveness. In a work context, it is more important to have high performance and effective usage of systems in comparison to just having high usage rates. Therefore this study uses the context of analytic decision support systems (DSS) and tests the relationship between the proposed dimensions of effective use and job performance. A survey (N = 265) of executives with work experience using analytic DSS was conducted to maximize realism and generalizability. This study is the first to empirically test the proposed relationships of effective use to performance. Results indicate that informed action is a significant predictor of individual job performance. However, representational fidelity and transparent interaction are not significant predictors of job performance.