Configurations of user involvement and participation in relation to information system project success

Abstract

Information system (IS) project success is crucial given the importance of these projects for many organizations. We examine the role of user involvement and participation (UIP) for IS project success in terms of perceived usability in 16 cases, where an IS has been implemented in an organization. Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) enables us to research multiple IS project configurations. We identify the participation of the appropriate users in the requirements analysis phase as the key condition for IS project success. Our research corroborates anecdotal evidence on key factors and informs practitioners about the most effective way to conduct UIP.