(An) analysis of the factors datermining EDP success

Abstract

As the management of informations becomes more and more important for the management of organizations, many organizations have operated Electronic Data Processing(EDP) systems or, in a broader concept, Management Information Systems(MIS). Accordingly, a number of studies have been done to investigate the factors affecting EDP or MIS success and to provide a scheme for managing the systems effectively. Most of the studies, however, were not based on empirical data and great majority of them failed to systemize the factors investigated. For this reason, in this thesis, an emphasis is placed on the identification of the basic dimensional variables, in which all the factors investigated to date are systematically grouped and included. Then these variables are validated through field survey. The dimensional variables identified in this thesis are $\underline{group}$ $\underline{ability}$, $\underline{resource}$ $\underline{availability}$ and $\underline{implementation}$ $\underline{climate}$. The variables are directly derived from the three operational features of EDP system, that is, EDP group characteristics, EDP resources and EDP environment. Based on these variables and the factors shown in the literature, a model of EDP success is developed. The model hypothesizes that EDP success is determined by above three variables and it is empirically tested using both correlational analysis and multiple regression analysis. The data for the test are collected from 25 manufacturing firms including construction companies which provide the responses, out of 52 firms selected by purposive sampling technique. The results of data analysis indicate that implementation climate is the strongest predictor of EDP success, followed by resource availability, and then group ability. Further researches with larger sample size including other industries, with improved theoretical background and methodology will strengthen the results and findings of this study.