Task-technology fit for mobile locatable information systems

  • Authors:

  • Iris Junglas;Chon Abraham;Richard T. Watson

  • Affiliations:

  • University of Houston, C. T. Bauer College of Business, Department of Decision and Information Sciences, United States;College of William and Mary, Mason School of Business, Department of Operations and Information Systems, United States;University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, Department of Management Information Systems, United States

  • Venue:
  • Decision Support Systems
  • Year:
  • 2008

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Abstract

To bring about intended use of a technology amongst a target user group, the technology must be a proper match with the task at hand. We learn from the fit literature that users are motivated to use a technology because they perceive it to be a better fit over and above alternative methods. This article reflects upon technological developments in information systems, particularly those that use location information as their central component for providing services. By drawing on locatability, we are able to recast the traditional fit models by differentiating between under-, over-, and ideal fit conditions. A wireless laboratory experiment with 112 subjects tests how differing fit levels impact individual performance across various tasks performed with locatable technology. For the experiment, a wireless environment is created that provides faster transmission rates and better localization accuracy than any currently existing cellular phone infrastructure. Findings conclude that subjects perceive differences between under- and ideal fit conditions when exposed to tasks that include localization components.