Multi-level analysis in information systems research: the case of enterprise resource planning system usage in China

Abstract

Information technology (IT) usage within organisations is a multi-level phenomenon that is influenced by individual-level and organisational-levelvariables. Yet, current theories, such as the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, describe IT usage as solely an individual-level phenomenon. This article postulates a model of organisational IT usage that integrates salient organisational-level variables such as user training, top management support and technical support within an individual-level model to postulate a multi-level model of IT usage. The multi-level model was then empirically validated using multi-level data collected from 128 end users and 26 managers in 26 firms in China regarding their use of enterprise resource planning systems and analysed using the multi-level structural equation modelling (MSEM) technique. We demonstrate the utility of MSEM analysis of multi-level data relative to the more common structural equation modelling analysis of single-level data and show how single-level data can be aggregated to approximate multi-level analysis when multi-level data collection is not possible. We hope that this article will motivate future scholars to employ multi-level data and multi-level analysis for understanding organisational phenomena that are truly multi-level in nature.

The Adoption of Building Information Modeling in the Design Organization: An Empirical Study of Architects inKorean Design Firms

“…If technology adoption is mandatory, technological support will have positive effects on individual IT usage [32]. Therefore, it can be reasonably expected that technical support can enhance users' behavioral intention [5].…”

Re-examining the role of attitude in information system acceptance: a model from the satisfaction–dissatisfaction perspective

“…However, we purposively excluded the path between intention and system use in our research model because such a relationship is a mature one that has frequently been examined in previous empirical studies (e.g. Sun and Bhattacherjee 2011;Rauniar et al 2014) and is thus not the research focus in the present study. It is worth noting that our research data confirmed the significant impact of intention to use on actual system usage.…”

Managerial Incentive and External Knowledge Acquisition Under Technological Uncertainty: A Nested System Perspective

“…Manager nested within manager–firm system also have important influence on the firm‐level knowledge acquisition as the adaptive effort to fit with the technological change embedded in the organization–environment system (Yin and Zajac, ). Sun and Bhattacherjee () suggested that enterprise resource planning system adoption is affected by multi‐level factors. However, although an extensive body of literature on knowledge acquisition has stressed the firm‐level barriers and drivers nested within firm–environment system (Szulanski, ; Hau and Evangelista, ), little attention has been paid to the barriers and/or drivers nested within manager–organization system.…”