USER JOB TECHNOLOGY AS A CONTINGENCY FACTOR IN THE INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN AND USER/SYSTEM PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP

User information requirements are of major concern in the design of computerized information systems (IS). A number of information needs analysis methods have been proposed in the IS literature, but little research has been conducted. Four approaches to information needs analysis were reviewed: People, task, structure, and technology. Technology was found to have the most promise as a needs analysis method. However, few studies of organization technology have dealt specifically with information needs analysis. None of the studies have dealt with the relationship between technology and information needs and how utilizing a match between technology and information characteristics in IS design affects IS or user performance. User job technology was investigated in this study as a contingency factor in the relationship between IS design and performance. Specifically, the fit between job technology and computerized information needs was explored as a method for needs analysis and improving user and IS performance. A cross-sectional field survey using a questionnaire was conducted in five public sector, human service organizations. A sample of more than 60 IS reports used by 200 individuals was utilized. Because the study was exploratory, a personal interview was conducted at each research site to support the direction of the values of the variables determined from the questionnaire responses and to aid in the interpretation of the results of the user questionnaires. This was especially important in light of the sparce literature relating the variables of the study. User job technology was found to be a useful tool for predicting computerized information needs. A statistically significant relationship was found between six dimensions of user job technology and eight information characteristics needs. Including the right level of each of the needs in the design of an IS significantly predicted positive user satisfaction with an IS report and perceived user effectiveness. User job technology was also found to be a contingency factor in the relationship between needs for the eight information characteristics and IS design. Limited support was found for job technology and information characteristics as moderators of the IS design and report satisfaction and IS design and user effectiveness relationships