Being useful: How information systems professionals influence the use of information systems in enterprises

Organizations are keen to obtain as much value as they can from their information systems (IS) investments. While the first-order benefits of new information systems are usually obtained when they are used routinely, the full potential of new systems is only unlocked when they are used deeply. While the support of managers and peers can encourage individuals to use systems more deeply, the latter’s lack of technical know-how means that they may not be able to allay fears or doubts that arise as they improvise and experiment with new systems to infuse them into their work processes. We use social cognitive theory to frame infusion as a learning process, where individuals model their behavior based on the behaviors of others they observe in the environment and the resources available. We argue that individual users succeed in infusing new systems into their work when they interact with IS professionals. This interaction allows users to observe the actions of IS professionals and receive knowledge and guidance from them. The results of our study show that the discretionary behaviors exhibited by IS professionals positively affect users’ perceptions of the levels of usefulness and ease of use of new systems, encouraging them to use the systems as fully as possible. This study extends our understanding of the role that the discretionary behavior of IS professionals plays in enhancing the value that organizations obtain from their new IS investments.