Task-Technology Fit and Individual Performance

Abstract

A key concern in Information Systems (IS) re- search has been to better understand the link- age between information systems and individual performance. The research reported in this study has two primary objectives: (1) to propose a comprehensive theoretical model that incor- porates valuable insights from two comple men- tary streams of research, and (2) to empirically test the core of the model. At the heart of the new model is the assertion that for an informa- tion technology to have a positive impact on in- dividual performance, the technology: (1) must be utilized and (2) must be a good fit with the tasks it supports. This new model is moderately supported by an analysis of data from over 600 individuals in two companies. This research high- lights the importance of the fit between technol- ogies and users' tasks in achieving individual performance impacts from information tech- nology. It also suggests that task-technology fit, when decomposed into its more detailed com- ponents, could be the basis for a strong diag- nostic tool to evaluate whether information sys- tems and services in a given organization are meeting user needs.