The effect of user engagement on system success: A meta-analytical integration of research findings

Abstract

The effect of user involvement on system success is an important topic yet empirical results have been controversial. Many methodological and theoretical differences among prior studies have been suggested as possible causes for inconsistent findings. This research is an attempt to resolve inconsistent data despite differences that may exist in prior studies. Data from 25 studies were meta-analyzed to test the separate effects of user participation and user involvement on six system success variables. Results showed that user participation had a moderate positive correlation with four success measures: system quality, use, user satisfaction, and organizational impact. The correlation between user participation and individual impact was minimum. User involvement generally had a larger correlation with system success than did user participation. Overall, these findings indicate that both user involvement and user participation are beneficial, but the magnitude of these benefits much depends on how involvement and its effect are defined.