The Impact Mechanisms of Psychological Learning Climate on Employees' Innovative Use of Information Systems

Chaoyou Wang,Yuanyuan Guo

doi:10.4018/jgim.2020040103

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the impact mechanisms of psychological learning climate on employees' innovative use of information systems (IS). Using structural equation modeling, this study develops a theoretical model to investigate how the psychological learning climate affects innovative IS use by introducing individual motivational factors as mediators. The model is tested through a survey of 163 employees using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in China. The results suggest that psychological learning climate is positively related to innovative IS use both directly and indirectly. The indirect effect works through motivating employees' intrinsic motivation and creative self-efficiency. This study adds to the literature on IS use by identifying and examining the role of psychological learning climate as a driver of innovative IS use. The findings could provide managers with an understanding of how management can inspire employees' potential in IS innovation.

Highlights

Firms have made huge investments in information systems (IS), as they expect IS to bring great economic benefits
The results suggest that psychological learning climate is positively related to innovative IS use both directly and indirectly
The empirical results show that intrinsic motivation and creative self-efficiency have significant impacts on innovative IS use. These two relationships are supported as expected, this study finds that creative self-efficiency has a stronger impact on IS innovative use than intrinsic motivation, suggesting that innovative use is more likely triggered by individual creative self-efficiency

Summary

Introduction

Firms have made huge investments in information systems (IS), as they expect IS to bring great economic benefits. To address the issue of underutilization, employees are expected to use IS in novel ways to perform new tasks or existing tasks in a different way, i.e., to conduct innovative IS use (Li et al, 2013). The functional complexity of enterprise information systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM), business intelligence (BI), and other IS, provide users with the potential to apply IS at different levels of sophistication (Wang et al, 2008). Employee users can apply a complex IS in a simple and superficial way, sticking to work procedures and requirements as prescribed by managers; alternatively, they can user the complex IS at a higher level by utilizing the technology in creative ways that go beyond routine use (Li et al, 2013). As technology and work become increasingly inseparable in modern organizations (Orlikowski and Scott, 2008), innovative

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion