Completing the IS use lifecycle: Theoretical foundations, empirical evidence, and organizational guidance on why employees (don’t) use firm IT again after substantial interruptions

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Maier
• Subject Area: Operations Management and Computer Science for Business Administration
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 471224160

Information systems (IS) usage is one of the most fundamental and mature research strands in IS research and has been called the theoretical “missing link” between IS investment and IS impact. IS usage scholars explore why individuals start using an IS for the first time, why users continue to use an IS, and why users discontinue using an IS.In our latest research focusing on off-the-job IS usage, we show that IS discontinuation is not an end state. Our study of social networking site (SNS) users who quit using the SNS, reveals that some start using the SNS again later, which we call SNS use resumption. Such IS resumption behavior in the off-the-job context has a strong theoretical foundation. In contrast, IS resumption behavior in the on-the-job context is sparse, despite its importance in strategic organizational IS investment. Workarounds and shadow information technology (IT) use present major obstacles for organizations’ efforts to translate IT spending into business value. Even before, but especially during the COVID pandemic, organizations need to understand how to facilitate and support mandatory on-the-job IS use resumption. Pre-study interviews conducted for this project reveal clearly that many individuals working remotely from home stopped using firm IS, such as organizational file server infrastructure or MS SharePoint, and switched to 3rd-party IS, such as Dropbox instead. While many organizations tolerate the use of such 3rd-party IS during the pandemic, organizations expect individuals to resume using mandated firm IS, such as file server infrastructure and MS SharePoint, when they work in the office. Hence, millions of ex-users will be expected to resume using mandated firm IS on the job. Our pre-study results indicate that the factors influencing off-the-job IS use resumption behavior differ from the factors influencing on-the-job IS use resumption.In this project, we will develop and theoretical and conceptual understanding of IS resumption on the job and empirically investigate why and when individuals give firm IT a second try. Drawing on IS use literature and theories relevant to the on-the-job IS use context, the project consists of four main work packages: 1) conceptualizing different types of on-the-job IS use resumption, 2) developing an IS resumption theory and evaluating it qualitatively and quantitatively in on-the-job contexts, 3) developing a theory of how environmental factors influence on-the-job IS use resumption, and 4) developing specific recommendations for organizations. The results will extend existing IS use theories by including on-the-job IS use resumption and casting light on why individuals give firm IS a second chance. We will provide organizations practice-oriented recommendations on how to facilitate and support on-the-job IS use resumption. Our research opens promising avenues for further research into corporate IS coaching, training and management strategies and corporate IS design.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants