Under what conditions is end-user training (EUT) as part of the implementation of a business process management (BPM) system successful? This question is addressed in this paper. Based on the literature on EUT and implementation success, we first argue that user involvement with, and attitude towards, a BPM system, both have a conditional effect on the relationship between EUT and the implementation success of the system. Secondly, we investigated this expectation empirically, by measuring the practice of EUT as perceived by end-users. Using a mixed method approach, survey data was collected from 143 end-users of a BPM system in a large Dutch social insurance organisation, and by 49 additional semi-structured interviews. Regression analysis of the survey data shows that attitude variables indeed have a significant moderating influence on implementation success. In addition, the interviews revealed that specific attention must be paid to the arrangements for EUT when deploying BPM systems in this type of organisations. Arguments are given for a more comprehensive way of measuring and optimising EUT during the implementation of information systems/information technology in organisations.
In discussions on smart grids, it is often stated that residential end-users will play a more active role in the management of the electric power system. Experience in practice on how to empower end-users for such a role is however limited. This paper presents a field study in the first phase of the PowerMatching City project in which twenty-two households were equipped with demand-response-enabled heating systems and white goods. Although end-users were satisfied with the degree of living comfort afforded by the smart energy system, the user interface did not provide sufficient control and energy feedback to support an active contribution to the balancing of supply and demand. The full potential of demand response was thus not realized. The second phase of the project builds on these findings by design, implementation and evaluation of an improved user interface in combination with two demand response propositions. © 2013 IEEE.
The temporal dimension of acceptance is under-researched in technology acceptance research. Yet, people’s perceptions on technology use may change over time when gaining user experiences. Our 6-month home study deploying an interactive robot provides insight into the long-term use of use interactive technology in a domestic environment. We present a phased framework for the acceptance of interactive technology in domestic environments. Based on 97 interviews obtained from 21 participants living in different household types, the results provide an initial validation of our phased framework for long-term acceptance showing that acceptance phases are linked to certain user experiences which evolve over time when people gain experience with the technology. Involving end users in the early stages of development helps researchers understand the cultural and social contexts of acceptance and enables developers to apply this gained knowledge into their future designs.
