CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION
6.3 Re-visiting the Research Question
This section reviews how the sub-questions were answered. The answers to these sub-questions contributed to achieving the broader study objective, which was to address the main research question:
What are the factors that contribute to the success of BI systems in South Africa?
To answer the main research question, the following four sub-research questions were identified and investigated:
What existing IS success theoretical frameworks can be used in the context of BI systems?
What are the factors influencing the success of BI systems as perceived by BI end-users in South African organisations?
What are the factors influencing the success of BI systems as perceived by BI experts in South Africa?
To what extent does the hypothesised BI system success model fit into the identified factors?
Answers to the four sub-questions yielded the answer to the main research question. A summary of the answers for these sub-questions is presented below:
6.3.1 Sub-question 1
What existing information systems success theoretical frameworks can be used in the context of BI systems?
This sub question was intended to assist in the understanding of existing IS success theories.
To answer this sub-question, a detailed literature review was conducted on BI and IS success and presented in Chapter 2.It was found that while there are many sources on the success of IS systems in general, no empirical research on BI systems success in a developing country context had been undertaken (see Appendix J). Chapter 2 discussed the existing IS success models present in the literature and examined the usefulness that these models offer to the research question posed in Chapter 1. The Updated DeLone and McLean (2003) IS Success model appeared as one of the most comprehensive models supported with numerous empirical study applications. Thus the Updated DeLone and McLean (2003) IS Success model was chosen as the underlying model for the present study. The Updated DeLone and McLean (2003) model is made up of six constructs namely:
systems quality;
information quality;
service quality;
system usage;
user satisfaction; and
net benefits.
6.3.2 Sub-Question 2
What are the factors influencing the success of BI systems as perceived by BI end-users in South African organisations?
To answer sub question two, semi-structured interviews with three end users were conducted. The results of this phase were discussed in Chapter four. The interviews provided direction as to what variables and items were important for organisations in South Africa. Furthermore, the purpose of
this question was to: identify any additional BI specific success factors not highlighted through the literature review. The initial model (identified in sub-question 1) was modified, based on the results from the interviews.
6.3.3 Sub-Question 3
What are the factors influencing the success of BI systems as perceived by BI experts in South Africa?
In order to verify, whether the theoretical model derived from the literature review and the small- scale exploratory study phase, commands support the theoretical model was presented to a panel of experts. As a result of the feedback obtained from the expert panel changes were made to the theoretical model.
6.3.4 Sub Question 4
To what extent does the hypothesised BI system success model fit into the identified factors?
To answer this sub-question, the hypothesised model, developed from the previous sub questions, was empirically tested. The hypothesised model of BI systems success was made up of six factors namely:
information quality;
system quality;
service quality;
user satisfaction;
user quality; and
individual impact.
Nine hypotheses were posited. SEM was employed in testing the hypotheses. Figure 6.1 shows the structural model results showing both significant and non-significant paths.
Figure 6.1: BI system success Structural Model
6.3.4.1 Reflection on the findings regarding information quality
The results of the study presented and discussed in chapter 5 show that information quality has no significant relationship with individual impact in a BI system. This result suggests that higher quality information will not significantly affect the individual impact of a BI system. However, the results of this study presented and discussed in Chapter 5 show that information quality has a positive influence on user satisfaction in a BI system. This result suggests that the higher the information quality, the more users are likely to be satisfied with the BI system. This result is supported by previous researches such as Hunton and Flowers (1997) who found a positive relationship between information quality
and user satisfaction in an accounting information system context. Rai et al., (2002) also found that information quality strongly and positively impact on user satisfaction in an IS environment.
6.3.4.2 Reflection on the findings regarding system quality
According to the findings presented and discussed in Chapter 5, the results of the study show that system quality does not influence user satisfaction in a BI system. The results of the test on the effect of system quality on individual impact found that system quality is positively related to individual impact in a BI system. As the quality of the system increases, the individual impact levels increases.
6.3.4.3 Reflection on the findings regarding user quality
The following three items measured the user quality construct: business skills, technical skills and analytical skills. The empirical results of the study indicate that there is no significant relationship between user quality and individual impact in a BI system. This finding suggested that the user capabilities do not significantly influence individual impact of the BI system. The results of the study indicate that user quality influences user satisfaction positively.
6.3.4.4 Reflection on the findings regarding user satisfaction
The empirical results of the study indicate that user satisfaction does not significantly influence individual impact. These results are inconsistent with the IS success model by DeLone and McLean (2003) which suggested that user satisfaction is positively related to net benefits in an ecommerce IS.
6.3.4.5 Reflection on the findings regarding employment groups
This study also assessed BI Success from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Using the classification of employment groups into top management, middle management and operational staff, the data analysis reveals that each stakeholder group tends to be better informed about, and more influenced by particular BI Success factors.
There are two paths that are significant for the middle management group. There is a positive relationship between user quality and user satisfaction, meaning that when user quality increases the user satisfaction increases. There is a negative relationship between user quality and individual impact; meaning that when user quality increases its influence on individual impact decreases.
There are also two paths that are significant for the operational staff group. There is a positive relationship between user quality and user satisfaction, meaning that when user quality increases the user satisfaction also increases. There is a positive relationship between information quality and user satisfaction; meaning that when information quality increases its impact on user satisfaction increases.