Evaluating User-System Adaptability in the Use of Web-based Information Systems through the Model of Access Efficiency

Abstract

Mutual adaptation between users and information systems as a significant research area is drawing more attention. This paper aims to construct an indicator to measure and evaluate the inter-adaptability between users and systems on the Web. We define inter-adaptability as the extent of match between users’ preference and IS properties during the process of adaptation. Knowing it is vital to IS management since the quality of match between the two sides can dramatically influence the efficiency of use of IS. In reality users and system are interactively adapting to each other in order to accommodate both sides’ needs. However, most existing literature confines in the adaptation only on the system side. This study bridges the gap by taking into account the factors of both user-side and system-side adaptation, and for the first time connects the inlink properties with users’ preference, offering a quick and practical measure to evaluate user-system adaptability. By using this measure, practitioners can easily identify inefficient access problems in the exploitation of IS. To response to those problems identified, three strategies are proposed as a guideline for improvement. At the end, an empirical study on a blog system is elaborated, which shows the applicability of the model in practical use.