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ScienceDirect Procedia Computer Science 31 (2014) 105 – 114

Information Technology and Quantitative Management (ITQM 2014)

Critical Factors on Information Technology Acceptance and Use: an Analysis on Small and Medium Brazilian Clothing Industries Rafael Alexandre dos Reisª, Maria do Carmo Duarte Freitasᵇ,* ªFederal University of Paraná, Rua XV de Novembro, 1299, Curitiba, Brazil ᵇFederal University of Paraná, Rua XV de Novembro, 1299, Curitiba, Brazil

Abstract

The increasing business competitiveness leads industries to differentiate themselves in terms of technology. The insertion of information systems in their structures figure as an element of competitive leverage and operational and financial performance increase. Industrial companies face, however, difficulties regarding the use of these systems in their environments, causing a scenario of low computerization. This scenario is observed in the clothing industries of the Ceara State, unit of analysis of this research, which seeks to investigate the critical factors for the use of information systems in these companies. The application of a survey instrument, along with interviews with industrialists and literature review were used as sources of information gathering to reach that goal. The research is structured based on existing theoretical models in the literature, which have different dimensions related to critical factors of information systems use. As conclusions, aspects of knowledge transfer between the user company and the software provider shows up as critical factors, as well as other environmental characteristics of the user firms. © 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of ITQM 2014. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the organizers of ITQM 2014 Keywords: Critical Use Factors. Information Systems. Clothing industry.

1. Introduction Companies of all sizes and sectors of activity are facing markets with increasingly higher levels of competitiveness. The Brazilian opening domestic markets to foreign companies, the strong Asian competition, technological gaps, among others, appear as interrelated factors that impact in diversified sectors of the brazilian economy, as stated by Lima1. These market fluctuations oblige Brazilian companies to be oriented towards constant innovation and deployment of technologies in their processes.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 41 99128883 E-mail address: [email protected]

1877-0509 © 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of ITQM 2014. doi:10.1016/j.procs.2014.05.250

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Rafael Alexandre dos Reis and Maria do Carmo Duarte Freitas / Procedia Computer Science 31 (2014) 105 – 114

However, the adoption of technology in business scope is costly and directly impacts the status quo of organizational processes. Successful insertion of technology in business requires a favorable organizational structure for this purpose. Additionally, developers must know how their customers are using the technologies. This research has focused on the Information Technology (IT) in the form of information systems. The relationship between the presence of IT and increased operational and financial performance of companies is exposed by Porter2 and confirmed by Powell and Dent – Micallef3 and Lee et al4. The information systems are tools with the potential to leverage the competitiveness of a company, they have the ability to generate accurate and necessary information to the management decision making process. As will be seen below, diversified critical factors that determine success or failure in the use of an information system of this type are explored in the literature5,6,7,8. The purpose of this research is to investigate the existence of these critical factors in the use of information systems in a specific segment of the Brazilian industry: the clothing sector. 2. Literature Review 2.1. The presence of Information Technology on the Brazilian clothing industry The clothing industry sector of Ceara State of Brazil, unit of analysis of this research , has shortcomings in terms of their level of computerization , as presented by the authors as Gorini9 and Costa and Rocha10. The sector is representative technologically and economically, but its competitiveness is limited due to this scenario of low technological innovation in information systems. Costa and Rocha10 highlight the importance of the presence of IT in the textile and clothing chain to leverage the sector's competitiveness. According to the authors, the inclusion of information technology, especially in the form of CAD/CAM software makes possible the reduction of production batches, allows rapid changes in products and facilitates detection of problems and inefficiencies in production lines. The presence of IT in the form of integrated management systems throughout the Brazilian business environment is also in its infancy, especially in small businesses. Data presented by Barbosa11 show that among firms employed up to 49 people, 71% do not use ERP (enterprise resource planning) packages software. In the manufacturing industry this number is also significant: 48%. This scenario shows the need for managerial input systems in the industrial setting. But this requires care. Companies should monitor a set of factors that determine the usability of the systems in the organizational context12. Multiple studies show the critical factors for the use of IT in enterprises12,13,14,15,16,17. These investigations had as sample small and medium enterprises. These companies, represents 82.9 % of the Ceara state's clothing manufacture according to the Federation of Industries of the Ceara’s State18. As will be seen below, the critical factors for the use of a SI may be related to: the quality of information provided by the system, the quality of the system itself and the service provided by the trader, the technological complexity of the acquired system; training given users, the support of senior management in the deployment process, the efficiency of communication and cooperation in relation to the SI and the ease of use and usefulness perceived by the user. The results of this research sought to identify the critical factors of success and failure in the presence and use of IT in this segment of the Brazilian industry.


2.2 Models of IT acceptance Davis19 created a model that shows that the intention to use an information technology is directly related to two aspects: the usefulness and ease of use of this technology perceived by the user. Delone and McLean20 also created a conceptual model, this time focusing exclusively on information systems (IS), which relate the intended use of IT with the quality of the system, the quality of information provided by it and the service provided by the developer company. After these publications, authors such as Pai and Huang21 sought to study deeper these models. These authors created a model which directly related to the quality factors of Delone and Mclean20 with the perceived usefulness and ease of use factors by Davis19, and validated it successfully. Bueno and Salmeron22 argue that the usefulness and perceived ease of use are directly related to five other factors: technological complexity of the IS, communication, cooperation, management support and training. Such factors are detailed best below. Nah et al.23 and Al-Mashari24 commented that the involvement of senior management is crucial for the correct implementation of an ERP system. Bueno and Salmeron22 share that view. They comment that senior management support is a key factor for the acceptance of this system in an organization. According to the authors, users must perceive the participation of management in matters related to the new system so that they accept and use. Communication fosters user trust in relation to the IS and consequently its use. Moreover, communication is able to create a cooperative environment in the company, by which interorganizational problems can be resolved22. Nah et al.23 notes that effective communication about the expectations of senior management with the implementation of IS is a critical factor for the success of the system. A both internal and external cooperation promotes synergy and provides safety to users of the system, and help them achieve expectations. The internal cooperation means that different users of the same organization system cooperate. External cooperation means the connection of the company with the supplier of the system22. Training is a mechanism to disseminate relevant information on the implemented information system and how it fits into the specific organizational environment. Furthermore, it allows users to get closer to the system25. The technological complexity is defined by Rogers and Shoemaker 26 as the "degree to which an innovation is perceived as labored to understand and use". The table below (Table 1) shows these constructs identified in the literature and their authors who used them in their models. Table 1 – Factors that influence on the intention to use na information technology. Davis19 Perceived Usefulness Perceived Ease of Use Information Quality Service Quality System Quality Management Involvement Communication Cooperation Training Technological Complexity

Delone e Mclean20

X X

Bueno e Salmeron22 X X

X X X X X X X X

Pai e Huang21 X X X X X

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According to these authors, all constructs listed above directly or indirectly impact on intention to use an information technology by an individual. 3. Research Design This study is based in the ten constructs arising from the literature and shown in the section above. They were used to construct a questionnaire and interview guide, to be applied in the sample investigated. The figure below (Figure 1) shows the strategy used in the research.

Fig. 1. Research Design

The detailed diagram above allows a triangulation of information from the literature review, survey and interviews, with which it hopes to achieve the overall research proposal. 3.1 Sample and data collection A partnership was made between the research group responsible for this investigation and a software developer company in the state of Ceara, northeastern Brazil, target public of this research. This company provides a specific management information system for the clothing sector, containing nine modules including: planning and control of production, warehouse, financial, commercial, payroll, etc. This partnership allowed the application of the survey to all customers of this company, which totaled 573. The sample is characterized as intentional, adhesion, and consists of 23 survey respondents companies. 3.2 Questionnaire and interviews design The theory consulted showed ten factor constructs applicable to this research. Each of these ten dimensions were translated as variables for the survey applied. Table 2 shows these variables and highlights the respective authors contend that their stocks.


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Table 2 – Dimensions and variables of the model adopted in the research Dimension

Variables

Authors

Information Quality

Understandability of information; Usefulness of the information.

Ahn et al.(2004); Kuo e Lee (2009); Gorlaet al.(2010); Pai e Huang (2011)

Service Quality

Responsiveness of the service; Security of the service; Empathy of the service.

Parasuraman et al. (1988);Landrum e Prybutok (2004); Gorla et al.(2010)

System Quality

System Flexibility.

Sedera e Gable (2004); Gorla et al.(2010);Pai e Huang (2011)

Management Involvement

Consideration of the strategic importance of the system given by the management; Incentive toward the use of the system given by management.

Al-Mashari (2003); Bueno e Salmeron (2008).

Communication

Existence of information on advantages and limitations of the system; Existence of periodic meetings to discuss about the system.

Cooperation

Existence of a specific person to support the system; Existence of specific person selling the company to support the system.

Igbariaet al. (1997); Bueno e Salmeron (2008)

Training

Completeness of training; Increased level of understanding of the system; Adequacy of Training in length and detail; Knowledge of the coaches.

Venkatesh e Davis (2000); AmoakoGyampahand Salam (2004); Bueno e Salmeron (2008).

Technology Complexity

Amount of time using the system; System complexity.

Chang and Cheung (2001); Bueno e Salmeron (2008).

Perceived Usefulness

Increased productivity; Quickness in performing tasks; Increased ease in performing the work.

Davis (1989); Amoako-Gyampah e Salam (2004); Walczuch, Lemmink e Streukens(2007); Kuo e Lee (2009); Pai e Huang (2011).

Perceived Ease of Use

Ease of learning; Ease of remembrance on using the SI; Ease of use.

Davis (1989); Venkatesh e Davis (2000); Walczuch, Lemmink e Streukens (2007); Kuo e Lee (2009).

The instrument created from the ten constructs listed above consists of four blocks, namely: x Respondent Identification; x Company Identification; x Relationship of the company with information systems, and; x Critical Factors Investigation. We opted for the use of the Likert scale in the research. The survey consisted of statements with a scale of 7 points of agreement, the -3 alternative being "Strongly Disagree" and the +3 being "Strongly Agree" and a neutral option of zero. After applying the survey, the sum of the responses was adequate for a scale ranging from -100 (all respondents scoring -3) to +100 (all respondents scoring +3), resulting in scores of each variable studied.

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After applying the survey, three companies were selected for the interviews, these companies are here called A, B and C. The interviews were conducted on the same individual responsible for completing the survey. 4. Empirical study results Among the respondents, 69.57% were women, compared to 30.43% of men. The majority of respondents (52.17%) had undergraduate level of study and 61.21% were managers or owners of the companies. All of the companies had up to 99 staff and had the system operating for 2 or 3 years. In order to facilitate the analysis of variables assessed by questionnaire, these were grouped into four analysis groups (Figure 2).

Fig. 2. Analysis Groups

Each analysis group was created based on the ten constructs that supported the construction of the survey, and are thus detailed: x Quality of Information Technology: this analysis group includes variables that assess Quality System itself , involving aspects of reporting and the level of technological complexity of it; x Perceived usefulness and ease of use: it is contemplative by variables measuring the notion taken by the user on the Quality System. Seeks to measure if he perceives the system as useful and easy to use. x Organizational Environment Conductive to the use of IS: here, the relationship between organizational aspects and the IS are analyzed, excluding the individual and focusing on the enterprise as a whol . x Technology Transfer: variables relating to the knowledge transfer between the two companies that engage in the commercialization of the IS are addressed. The following charts represent the results from the four groups of analysis described above, in that order.


Fig. 3. Information Technology Quality

It is observed that questions regarding the ease of understanding of the content of the system, the existence of information that meet the user's needs and level of customization of the system had positive performance. Additionally, there was a predominance of disagreement when observing the performance of activities related to system complexity and amount of time using the system variables. In general, industries do not believe the system is too complex or that it takes a long time of work to operate.

Fig. 4. Perceived Usefulness and Ease of Use

It is observed that users in general see on the system something useful and easy to use, what to Davis19 are two fundamental characteristics for acceptance of any technology. The results in six dimensions varied between about 40 and 66 points on the agreement scale.

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Fig. 5. Organizational environment conducive to the use of SI

Regarding the Management Involvement, we note that the surveyed industries, in general, have this aspect embedded in the organizational culture. On the other hand, with regard to system support and the existence of periodic meetings about the IS, the performance is relatively low. Industries, in general, require both internal and external support to their information systems.

Fig. 6. Technology Transfer

The relationship between the buying company and the supplier of the IS, both in the form of Training and post-sales support, shows up as the worst-performing group, with scores ranging between 52 and 17 points in the agreement scale. Users believe that their knowledge increased somewhat with training. Nevertheless, the knowledge of the instructors for both training and support, scored low. The remaining questions had scores between 17 and 32 points, which demonstrates the industries are not satisfied with the services of training and support for the systems use in general. 5. Discussions This topic discusses the results of the survey and compare them with the information obtained in the interviews conducted in three companies, here called A, B and C. It is divided between critical factors of success and failure.


5.1 Critical Success Factors The growing number of customers of the developer company can be justified by the critical success factors found by the search field. Unanimously, ease of use and perceived usefulness of the information system, widely discussed in the literature and suggested by Davis19 as critical factors are evident in the interviews. Only the A company shows that the system could be more helpful. The same company that reported the inefficiency of training, which according to Bueno and Salmeron22 is directly related to perceived usefulness. When asked about the main strength of the system, the development manager also comments about the ease of use. Regarding the organizational environment of the industries, the commitment of senior management with the system as relevant to enhance its use across the organization is highlighted. The model created by Bueno and Salmeron22 shows that this factor is indirectly linked to the use of the system. The ease in reading the reports is also evidenced as a critical success factor. The clarity and ease of understanding of the information system had a score of 62 in the questionnaire, and was reported by the three companies interviewed. Delone and McLean20 argue that the information quality of the reports given by the system directly influences the perceived ease of use and acceptance of a system. This same relationship is evidenced by Kuo and Lee27 and appears as a factor of satisfaction on the industries. 5.2 Critical Failure Factors The results point to the evidence that the aspect of knowledge transfer between the supplier and the buyer information system is critical to the use of the system, both in the form of training and the form of technical support after sale. The analysis group regarding this issue has reached a low score, between 17 and 52 for the seven issues surrounding the topic, highlighting the availability of company employees to support and understand the questions submitted to them. Analyzing this factor in the interviews, the three companies revealed problems ranging from delays in support to the inability on solving problems. This noise in the communication between companies can be traced to multiple factors, both relevant to the supplier as to the buyer. In Company C, bigger and better structured, for example, the problems are mitigated. According to eh interviewee, good organizational composition facilitates the absorption of knowledge passed by the developer, while smaller companies have reported major problems. The frustration of the purchasing companies in relation to the technical support provided in the region is reported in the literature. Studies of Fink28, Kyobe14, Zhang et al.29, Santos Junior et al.12 and Aranha15 also highlight the lack of adequate support as critical factors to the use of IT in business factor. Prates and Ospina7 indicated that the main obstacles to the use of systems in small companies lack aligned with the apprehension generated by employees in training ineffective support. It is noted, therefore, that this lack of synergy between the developer and user industries, regarding the training and technical support is a critical factor relevant to the use of information systems. An internal cooperative environment in the use of the system and a fluent communication within the company with respect to software are essential to make full use of it22,23,30. The research allowed to observe that this recognition given by the authors are not significantly present in the surveyed units, which can lead to a loss of efficiency in using the system provided. None of the companies interviewed reported the existence of meetings to discuss about the system, for example. Additionally, companies do not have an individual or department responsible for providing support to the use of the IS, which results in a greater reliance on the developer in these cases. As mentioned above, the industries are generally not satisfied with the technical support, which added to their lack of autonomy in solving problems related to the software, leads to the conclusion that the low level of cooperation and communication is a critical point to be improved. It is assumed that the low efficiency in technology transfer among software developers and industries is not restricted to people affected by this research, which makes this survey likely replicable in other environments.

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