CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION

Introduction to the Research Context

Qatar is one of the most rapidly developing countries in the Gulf region whose economic potential has remained unmatched in the region (Niblock, 2015). Over the last decade, the Qatar government has recognized the importance of information technology as a result of the advancing globalization where the ICT remains the central focus point for every developing economy. As such, the Qatar government envisioned the integration of the ICT platform in its service provision in its 2030 vision; and as a result the government seem to be much committed in advancing the IT infrastructure for private and public use (Supreme Council of Information & Communication Technology, 2013). This resulted into the creation of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR) whose key role is to develop information and communication technology (ICT) policies and champion the government’s commitment in the development of ICT in Qatar. As a result of the creation of ictQATAR, Qatar has experienced high level of technology advancement in the ICT sector with the ICT market being valued at USD $2.1 billion by the year 2010 (IctQATAR, 2015).

Based on a recent research by (Ministry of Transport & Communications, 2015), Qatar ranked first among the developing countries in terms of internet penetration reaching as high as 91.5% in the year 2014. The 2015 National ICT strategy as pointed out by Hukoomi (2016) as one of the key milestones in the country towards the development of information technology in the country as it facilitates effectiveness in the dissemination of public services. The rapid evolution of information system in Qatar has necessitated the government of Qatar to leverage over 50% of its services to the public on information technology (Ministry of Transport & Communications, 2013). Hukoomi (2016) reported that, part of the ICT strategy adopted by the ministry of Transport and Communications in Qatar is to guarantee the installation of affordable, and high-speed broadband network in the country by developing innovative entrepreneurial ICT strategy to foster the usage and relevance of information system both in the private and public sector.

As reported by Hukoomi (2015), the adoption of information technology as spearheaded by the ministry of technology and communication has been necessitated by the need to improve access and effectiveness of public service delivery through the creation of an effective digital platform. By leveraging affordable, responsive and high speed information system, the Qatar government is opening new opportunities for further economic growth of the country since with high rate of connectivity at high efficiencies, new opportunities in the corporate and entrepreneurial world is opened and this promotes increased effectiveness in the economy. Gamelto (2014) also observed that developing new secure infrastructure by the Qatar government means a closer interaction between the government and the public (including the private sector organisations); and hence contributing towards increased efficiency in public administration.

However, despite the development in the ICT sector in Qatar, very little empirical evidence is available on the divers of successful public administration using technological systems. As observed by Aggrawal and Kaur (2013), successful ICT implementation necessitates that the stakeholders be aligned to suit and accommodate the end-users needs and expectations. This is because when the technology being introduced to the people is not suitable and relevant to them, then Al-Farsi and E- Haddadeh (2015) observed that such technology may not be successful. While some past studies (e.g. Gemalto, 2014; Aggrawal and Kaur, 2013) have tried to explore how electronic government (e-government) services have been influenced by factors like public employees’ inefficiencies, attitudes and incapacities; very little is known on the success factors for the implementation of the information system (IS) in the government sector.

Significance and importance of the study

With regard to the infiltrating knowledge-based economy in Qatar and other developing countries, the need to invest in the ICT development has been on the rise. Both citizens and the corporate sector are actively embracing the modern technology and hence this provides new opportunities for the government to leverage its services in the information systems. Though Qatar is still a developing country, it has made significant milestones in the development of its communication infrastructure as reflected in the high rate of internet penetration in the country reaching as high as 91%. This is an implication that, Qatar has been committed in the offering outstanding IT infrastructure in line with its 2030 vision. Reports have also shown how ICT has played significant role in the economic development of Qatar, as it gears up in service delivery to the people.

The current research is mainly concerned with the factors affecting successful implementation of information system in the Qatar government with regard to the public employees. The need to focus on government employees was orchestrated by the fact that it is the government employees who act as mediators of service delivery between the government and the public; and hence any factors that would inhibit their effectiveness can largely derail the entire ICT implementation process (Al-Farsi and E- Haddadeh, 2015). Considering that relies on technology from the developed countries, its adoption by the end users (government employees for the purpose of this study) is largely influenced by various factors ranging from attitudes, perceived usefulness, effort expectancy and technology characteristics among others.

Conducting this study is therefore expected to bring new insights into the factors that can derail or promote the implementation of information system in the government by focusing on its employees. As such, the results obtained in this study are expected to have practical implications to the government of Qatar with regard to its IT implementation initiatives in offering its services to the public. On the other hand, this study is expected to contribute to the existing knowledge and theory by bringing new insights on the key factors that influence information system implementation in Qatar. With very limited empirical evidence in the context of Qatar on the key factors that influence the adoption of information system in the government, this study is expected to act as a springboard in understanding what influences the Qataris in the adoption of information system, and explain how it varies from the mainstream knowledge with regard to the existing theories.

Purpose and Research Questions

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the success factors in implementing information systems in Qatar government sector. This is done by focusing on the end-users of information system in the government which are the government employees. As such, this study aims at establishing the specific factors that determine the public employees’ effectiveness in the implementation of the information system in the public sector. As such, the UTAUT2 (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) model by Venkatesh et al (2003) is employed alongside the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) by Davis (1985) as cited in Venkatesh, Thong and Xu (2012), diffusion innovation model by Rogers (1995), and information system success model by DeLone and McLean (2003). All these three models are built on the assumption that, for a technology to be acceptable by its target users, it must be able to contribute positively in their work while enhancing their ability to perform their duties.

This study is therefore expected to provide an understanding on what motivates Qataris to adopt a technology, with respect to the government employees in the country. The tendency of technology to satisfy and create urge among the users for continued system usage is assumed in this study to be among the key factors influencing successful implementation of information system in the Qatar government. Alongside the technical point of view, the social aspect of information system is also brought into focus in this study where the researcher seeks to answer the following research questions:

RQ1: What are the factors influencing the Qatar government employee’s attitude to use the information systems in the public sector?

RQ2: How can the Qatar government foster efficiency and effectiveness in its implementation of information system aimed at offering services to the public

RQ3: Do demographics such as gender, age and computer confidence affect the participant’s response?

In order to facilitate a systematic research on the above research purpose and questions, this study is organized into five key sections as follows: After establishing the research context, significance and purpose in the current chapter, the next chapter presents a brief overview of the existing literature and theoretical models on the research problem. Chapter three presents the methodological approach employed in this study. Further, the fourth chapter presents the results obtained and a critical analysis of the results obtained in this study. Lastly, the final chapter concludes the research by providing the research implications of the findings obtained.

Background and Literature Review

Background

Introduction

Over the last decade, the advancement in information technology seems to have revolutionized not only the way people interact with the corporate society, but also the way governments disseminate various services to the citizens. In the currently knowledge-based economy, the adoption of information technology in executing various activities within the society has become a norm. According to Yildiz (2007), governments across the world have leveraged information system in their provision of various government services. Given the way information technology has proliferated into the society, adopting information system by the government to reach its citizens is considered by Rosacker and Olson (2008) to be an innovative approach. While there are numerous studies that have been conducted to establish the factors that influence the success of implementing information systems where the end users are the public, limited literature is available on the success factors for implementation of information systems in the government from the employees’ perspective. In this review, a critical analysis of the success factors that influence success in the implementation of information systems in the government/public sector are brought into focus where much of the focus is given on the government employees’ perspective.

First, an overview of the concept of information system is explored where its definition and the various roles it plays are discussed. Further, background information and theoretical frameworks underpinning the use of information systems are brought into focus. This is followed by an exploration of successful implementation of IS in the public sector where definitions of aspects of usage and satisfaction with IS are brought into focus. The concept of user attitudes towards IS and how it is related to usage and satisfaction is further explored. Moreover, the relationship between aspects of performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), self efficacy (SE), information quality (IQ), system quality (SQ), service quality (SRQ) and facilitating conditions are brought into focus. The chapter concludes with the conceptual framework of the study which guides the entire research study.

Overview of Information Systems

The concept of information system (IS) is relatively a new concept which has emerged as a result of the advancing technology (Stair and Reynolds, 2015). While various researchers and scholars have tried to explain what information systems are, Moller and Chaudhry (2012) considers IS as the user-interfaced system used in accessing, processing, and sharing information in a network environment. Similarly, Mansour and Ghazawneh (2009) holds that IS comprises of people and information processing technologies which facilitate not only sharing of information, but also processes of various tasks and operations in a networked environment. Fundamentally, it can be argued that information system helps in the processing of information which facilitates decision making both at individual and group levels. While there are various types of information systems, there are five key information systems that have been popular which include transaction processing, office information, database management, decision-support, and knowledge management systems (Jessup and Valacich, 2008; Rosacker and Olson, 2008).

Despite the various information system types, they are mainly used to maintain a coordinated flow of information, availing of services, and maintaining of relationships between geographically dispersed teams (Alawadhi and Morris, 2009). As a result, information system plays a vital role capturing, transmitting and retrieving of information in a shared network. On this basis, Rosacker and Olson (2008) consider the availability of information system to the target audience to be of critical importance in order to facilitate its effectiveness. When an information system is not availed to all its end users, Mansour and Ghazawneh (2009) argues that it is possible that it may not yield the intended results; and thus contributing towards its ineffectiveness. On this basis, providing information system solutions to an identified problem ought to be accompanied by the availability of the necessary infrastructure, and empowerment of people to acquire the necessary information technology devices which enable them to access or transmit data in an information system. For example, in most information systems, internet is a necessary infrastructure, and hence the availability of internet among the users of an information system is fundamental in ensuring the success of the information system.

Past studies have established various propositions for some differences between information system in public and private sector organisations. As pointed out by Scholl et al. (2012), private organisations have higher degree of market exposure, unlike public organisations which are limited to the nationals of one country, and hence information systems in the private sectors are exposed to higher level of regulations and legal constraints. However, Al-Farsi and E- Haddadeh (2015) observed that IS in the public sector are more open and thus are expected to be more involved in red tape. While IS in the public sector are prone to control by political influence, and thus employees may be less involved in decision making regarding to the adoption of information system in the public sector, unlike in the private sector where collaborative decision making before an information system is adopted may be exercised (Moller and Chaudhry, 2012). Moreover, considering that public information systems are more expansive and extensive, more extensive testing procedures and development systems need to be conducted than it is in the case of private systems. Since this study mainly focuses on the implementation of information system in the public sector, the next section explores the theories underpinning the use and adoption of information system.

Theoretical Framework Underpinning the Adoption of Information Technology

Since the 1970s when information technology started to proliferate into the consumer market, a wide range of theories have been formulated to explore and understand why consumers accept or reject information technology among which the theory of reasoned action, which was further extended to the technology acceptance model (TAM). In the year 2003, Venkatesh and his colleagues (as cited in Venkatesh, Thong and Xu, 2012) extended the TAM model and came up with now what is referred to as the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Alongside the UTAUT Model, other models including the diffusion of innovation model (Rogers, 1995) and Information System Success Model (DeLone and McLean, 1992) were also formulated to explain the success factors of information systems from the end-users’ point of view. In the next sections, a critical analysis of each of these theoretical models is brought into focus.

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Model

The first UTAUT model was established by Venkatesh et al (2003) after an extant review of the previous theories on the acceptance of technology, where the technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of reasoned action forms the basis of the theory; and was later revised to come with the second and third models (Venkatesh et al, 2012). Technology acceptance model has gained popularity between the year 1990 and 2003 due to its applicability in explaining why people adopt technology using two key aspects which include perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use of use (PEOU). The UTAUT model comprises of three main constructs which include the effort expectancy (EE), performance expectancy (PE), social influence (SI), and facilitating conditions (FC). As pointed out by Alawadhi and Morris (2009), the four constructs of the UTAUT model play a central role in influencing user behavior towards technology, and the subsequent adoption preferences for the technology. As shown in figure 1 below, hedonic motivation, price value and habit are also considered to be having significant impact on the behavioral intentions towards technology and subsequent actual behavior of the use of technology (Venkatesh et al, 2012). As reflected in the figure below, moderating effects of age, gender and experience are also considered to be impactful on the adoption of technology among the people.

Figure 1 – The UTAUT Model

Source: Venkatesh et al (2012, p. 160).

Performance expectancy (PE) refers to the extent at which a technology helps users to perform various duties and tasks (Venkatesh et al, 2012). Fundamentally, performance expectancy inherently determines the perceived usefulness of technology which is a key construct of behavioral intentions towards a new technology (Rosacker and Olson, 2008). As such, when a technology is perceived to be having superior performance than its predecessor, then the target users embrace it and this determines its success in the market (Venkatesh et al, 2012). Nonetheless, though Venkatesh et al (2012) observed that no technology is universally superior than another because people have different needs and expectations, the most important factor that determines the success of technology is its ability to deliver value and usefulness to its target users.

As reflected in the above model, the aspect of effort expectancy (EE) is another key construct that influences users’ attitude towards technology. According to Venkatesh et al. (2012), EE is characterised by the extent at which users use technology with ‘ease’. This brings in the concept of the perceived ease of use which Gil-Garcia (2013) points out to be critical in determining the success of information technology. When consumers are able to use technology with ease and more conveniently, Akkaya et al. (2012) observed that they are likely to adopt it and hence contributing towards its success. Though Zheng et al. (2013) argued that not all technologies that are easy to use are readily accepted by the target users, Calisir et al. (2014) pointed out that the ease of use contributes largely towards the adoption of the technology. With regard to the UTAUT model, it can be argued that, when a technology is easy to use and convenient to the users, the target users are motivated to use it and hence enhancing their tendency to use it.

Moreover, the aspect of social influence has continued to gain acknowledgement by the previous models prior to UTAUT model, which is basically characterised by the extent at which subjective norms (friends, families, media, and celebrities) influence other people towards the use of technology (Venkatesh et al, 2012). The perceptions and opinions held by other people towards a particular piece of technology have significance influence on the other people’s behavioral intentions towards the use of the technology (Calisir et al, 2014; Kumar, Mukerji, Butt and Persaud, 2007). Though Wang (2012) argues that social influence for the use of technology is most effective when people have limited information about a particular technology, a study conducted by Calisir et al (2014) revealed that the respect/weight given to a subjective norm is the key determinant of the influence that is given to the people towards the use of technology. This implies that, when a subjective norm is given relatively lower weight, it is possible that it will exert very little influence on the consumer behavioral intentions; unlike when the subjective norms are treated with more weight, which makes them more influential to the other people’s behavioral intentions towards the use of technology.

The facilitating conditions are further identified to be a major factor that influences the users’ attitudes and behavioral intentions towards the use of technology (Venkatesh et al, 2012). These facilitating conditions comprise of the users’ perceptions of the support resources available to enable the use of the technology (Jessup and Valacich, 2008). For example, the use of technology is usually accompanied by the availability of power and network infrastructure, and hence the availability of these resources has direct influence on the user’s behavioral intentions towards the use technology. From this perspective, therefore, it can be argued that facilitating conditions can be hypothesized as one of the major players that influence consumer behavior towards the adoption of technology.

Moreover, the UTAUT included other factors like hedonic factors, price value and experience & habit to be critical factors that influence the users’ behavioral intentions towards technology (Venkatesh et al, 2012). Hedonic motivation is basically defined as the perceived pleasure derived from adopting a technology, which in return influences the level of motivation by the consumers towards the use of the technology (Mansour and Ghazawneh, 2009). In information system literature, Venkatesh et al (2012) considered hedonic motivation as being fundamentally characterised by the conceptualized enjoyment that people have towards technology, which predicts their future involvement with the technology. Some critics (e.g. Rosacker and Olson, 2008) have pointed out that information technology can mainly be gauged through its performance, rather than the pleasure derived from it because some technologies do not necessarily arouse a sense of pleasure in using them despite their usefulness. Nonetheless, Venkatesh et al (2012) points out that in every activity, there must be motivating factors and hence the aspect of hedonic motivation remains fundamental in explaining why consumers prefer a particular technology than another.

Moreover, experience and habit were among the constructs that were added by Venkatesh et al (2012) as key influencing factors for the adoption of technology. Experience is basically conceptualized as a form of prior interaction with the technology (Jessup and Valacich, 2008); whereas habit is fundamentally as the extent to which behaviors are automatically exhibited over a particular period of time (Venkatesh et al, 2012). Though both experience and habit are closely related, they differ in the sense that people may have experience with technology, but have not developed a habit of using it. An empirical study conducted by Mansour and Ghazawneh (2009) revealed that, when people have high level of experience and subsequently lead to a habit, they easily adopt the technology than their counterparts who have no experience with the technology. Similarly, when people have high efficacy in the use of particular technology as a result of their long exposure to it, they tend to have stronger behavioral intentions towards it, compared to their counterparts who have less or no efficacy towards the technology.

The UTAUT model further demonstrates the influence of moderating factors of age and gender on the relationship between facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value and habit with behavioral intentions towards the use of technology. Venkatesh et al (2012) pointed out that, age and gender have moderating effects on hedonic motivation and its relationship with behavioral intentions in the sense that young males are more affected than their older counterparts. The dependence on the facilitating conditions among females was also found to be stronger than in males, and hence impacting on the relationship between facilitating conditions the behavioral intentions towards the use of technology (Belanger and Carter, 2005; Yildiz, 2007). Further, Aggrawal and Kaur (2013) pointed out that the effect on facilitating conditions on behavioral intention towards the use of technology is stronger among the older women at their early stages of experience with technology.

Diffusion of Innovation Model

The diffusion of innovation model was developed by Rogers in the year 1995 to explain how information system is adopted in the communities. According to Rogers (1995) (as cited in Belanger and Carter, 2005), diffusion is fundamentally the process through which innovation is relayed and communicated over various channels within a given period of time. Basically, innovations are ideas that perceived by the people as new. As such, the fundamental tenets of the diffusion of innovation model include the relative advantage (perceived usefulness), compatibility with existing norms and values, trialability, demonstrability and voluntariness (Carter and Belanger, 2005; Akkaya et al, 2012). When a particular technology is perceived to be having relative advantage compared to a previous technology, people find it easier to adopt it; unlike introducing a new technology with no relative advantage. From this perspective, therefore, it can be argued that the perceived usefulness of technology compared to an older technology is a key factor that influences its adoption by the people.

The perceived characteristics of the technology are further pointed out to be fundamental in determining its acceptability by the target users (Belanger and Carter, 2005). For instance, the compatibility of a technology with people’s existing norms and values plays a key role towards influencing its acceptance by the people. If a technology is congruent with the existing lifestyles, values and norms of the people, they easily embrace it, which further determines its diffusion into the entire society (Gupta, 2011). Based on an experimental study conducted by Calisir et al (2014), when an introduction of new technology enhances people’s lives while promoting their lifestyles, they easily adopt it; and hence the adoptability of new technology can be attributed to the characteristics of the technology and how it enhances of inhibits the values and norms of the people. From this perspective therefore, it can be argued that the compatibility of technology is a key factor that influence sits diffusion in the society.

The aspects of trialability and demonstrability is considered by Belanger and Carter (2005) to be a key construct the diffusion of innovation model which constitute of the ease at which an idea can be experimented and demonstrated to the users openly. The ability of technology to be easily demonstrated to the target audience in which the benefits and threats are openly shared is a key factor that Gupta (2011) considers to be fundamental for the technology to be accepted by the target users. This argument can also positioned in theory of reasoned action which asserts that people’s behavior towards a technology are mainly influenced by their attitudes towards it, which is determined the practicability of the technology and its usefulness in solving the their problems. On this basis, the characteristics of the technology is among the major factors that influence their acceptability by the people and hence its proliferation to the target audience.

The ability of a technology to allow people to try it before they can actually adopt it is considered by Belanger and Carter (2005) to be one of the success factors for the diffusion of technological innovations. With regard to a study conducted by Aggrawal and Kaur (2013) on the consumer perceptions of government web-based services, it was revealed that the ability of a technology to allow for triability is a necessary condition for the success of the technology. This is because when people are given opportunities to test the technology before fully adopting it, they move in large numbers to try it unlike a situation where there is only a single chance to try and adopt the technology (Mansour and Ghazawneh, 2009). On this basis, the aspect of voluntariness is a key aspect of technology diffusion which Jessup and Valacich (2008) considers to be having significant influence on the way people perceive a particular piece of technological innovation. From this perspective, therefore, it can be argued that the perceived triability of an information system is a major influencing factor that affects consumers’ attitudes towards it.

The Information System Success Model

The information system success model was established by DeLone and McLean in the year 1992. This was the initial model whose central tenet was that, user satisfaction for information system is determined by the nature of the system and the information quality. In the year 2003, the authors extended the model where they asserted that information system acceptability is determined by three key important dimensions which include the service quality, information quality and the system quality (DeLone and McLean, 2003). As shown in figure 2 below, service quality, system quality and information quality contributes both towards user satisfaction and intentions to use the information system; contributing towards the net benefits acquired from the overall use of the information system.

Figure 2 – The modified information system success model

DeLone and McLean (2003, p. 24).

Past studies have demonstrated the importance of service quality in the information system, where DeLone and McLean (2003) suggested the SERVQUAL to explain how service quality in information system influences users’ behavior towards the technology. The SERVQUAL model measures service quality using five key dimensions which include tangibles (up-to-date hardware and software), reliability (dependability of the information service), responsiveness (prompt response to customer inquiries), assurance (confidence on the service providers), and empathy (personalized customer service) (DeLone and McLean, 2003).

While the SERVQUAL model of evaluating the service quality in information has gained popularity and acceptance by researchers over the years (Zheng et al, 2013; Gupta, 2011); it has not been without any criticisms. According to Van Dyke et al (1997) cited in DeLone and McLean (2003) criticized the SERVQUAL model by pointing out problems with the measurement of reliability metrics. Nonetheless, arguments that the service quality is a subset of system quality have been pointed out. Though the nature of services within an information system vary, a study conducted by Calisir et al (2014) revealed that it is difficult to measure some service quality dimensions like assurance and reliability, arguments for the validity of all the SERVQUAL model constructs have continued to dominate the field of information technology (Aggrawal and Kaur, 2013).

Moreover, the aspect of information quality has been pointed out by numerous studies to be a key dimension of the system success model which is measured in terms of the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and relevance of the information to the target audience (Calisir et al, 2014). This implies that, for an information system to be considered acceptable, the information accessed or relayed through it must be accurate, timely and relevant to the users. Though studies (e.g Wang, 2012) have argued that information quality is usually determines by the users’ awareness of its importance, a study conducted by Zheng et al (2013) revealed that providing relevant information to the users through information system even if the users had previously not come across the information plays a central role in influencing their satisfaction with the information, and subsequent intention to re-use the information system based on the benefits that they get from using the system.

Further, the aspect of system quality, which is associated with the processes of meeting the technology users’ needs, is yet another very important aspect of the information system model which defines the success the success of the information technology (Gupta, 2011). This necessitate information technology implementers to evaluate the design of an information system being implemented based on the target audience characteristics in order to make the technology relevant in the target audience. This is necessary because if the technology is unable to meet the specific needs of the target audience, then its system quality is considered to be low, and hence contributing towards its failure (Aggrawal and Kaur, 2013). As such, it can be argued that the accessibility and relevance of information system to the end users are a key factor that influences its success.

Further, the information system success model suggests that an information system should deliver benefits to the end users including saving costs, expanded reach, time saving, social networks, and convenience in accessing information (Zheng et al, 2013). This implies that, for an information system to succeed, in addition to meeting the three criteria dimensions (service quality, system quality and information quality), it must be able to deliver benefits to the end users after using it; in order to make it not only relevant, but also success based on its intended aim or objectives.

LITERATURE REVIEW

IS Success (SC)

Successful implementation of information system is usually characterised by the satisfaction of the end-users with the technology and their continued usage of the technology (Zheng, Zhao and Stylianou, 2013). This brings in two key factors that Scholl et al. (2012) points out to be critical indicators of successful implementation of IS which include employee satisfaction (ES) and system usage (SU). According to Al-Farsi and E- Haddadeh (2015), system usage refers to the frequency and efficiency of using technology by the end-users. The extent at which employees efficiently use technology at their workplace is a key indicator of IS implementation success, since poorly implemented information system is inefficiently used by the employees (Moller and Chaudhry, 2012). With regard to the frequency of usage, Gliedman (2011) observed that when employees regularly use technology in their workplace, it seems that they consider the technology useful in their work, with regard to the technology task fit model which postulates that when employees perceive that a technology is useful to them, they frequently use and this contributes towards its successful implementation.

On the other hand, the aspect of employee satisfaction with technology is yet another very critical indicator that Mahmood (2013) pointed out to be important in determining the success of information system in the public sector. When employees are satisfied with the technology implemented, chances of the technology succeeding are high because they usually support its entire implementation process (Brown, Fishenden and Thompson, 2014). Though there are a wide range of factors which may contribute towards employee satisfaction from a newly instituted technology including their ability to use the technology among others; Bwalya (2013) pointed out that employees’ satisfaction with technology is mainly attributed to the user attitudes, which comprises of perceptions of the technology in terms of its usefulness In the next section, the concept of attitude, which Sebina and Mazebe II (2014) considers to be fundamental in explaining why people accept technology with regard to the technology acceptance model is brought into focus; where its influence on user satisfaction and system usage are brought into focus, alongside the various factors which have direct influence on user attitudes towards a particular form of technology.

Attitude (AT)

User attitudes towards information system are defined by Khan and Pessoa (2010) as the resultant expressions of a technology based on its perceived positive and negative effects by the user. Fundamentally, Stair and Reynolds (2015) points out that attitude is one of the main factors that influence the way employees adopt technology at the workplace. Considering that attitude is basically associated with behavioral intentions based on the favourability or unfavourability of assessment of an action (Brown and Garson, 2013); it defines the users’ overall reaction towards using an information system. Various studies have pointed out that AT has direct influence on system usage (SU) and employee satisfaction (ES) in the sense that, when employees have positive attitude towards a technology, they actively embrace it and tend to be satisfied with its use (Scholl et al., 2012); unlike in a situation where employees have negative attitude towards a technology where they develop low usage and dissatisfaction with the technology (Al-Farsi and E- Haddadeh, 2015).

As pointed out by Wang (2012), the concept of attitude determines the level of motivation that people have towards a particular set of technology, since it defines the perceived usefulness or effectiveness of technology in their day to day activities. As pointed out by Stair and Reynolds (2015), attitudes play a central role in determining the acceptability of a particular piece of technology by the target users. As a result, it is important that users of technology develops positive attitude towards a particular piece of technology targeted to them in order to enable them to actively use it more effectively. This reflects the critical link between AT towards information system use and user satisfaction with the system; and hence the following hypotheses were formulated for investigation in this study:

H₁ – Employees’ attitude towards IS has a positive effect on their system usage

H₂ – Employees’ attitude towards IS has a positive on their satisfaction with the system

With regard to the technology acceptance model (TAM), the concept of AT in this study is measured through independent variables of performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), self efficacy (SE), information quality (IQ), system quality (SQ), service quality (SQ) and facilitating conditions (FC); as discussed below.

Performance Expectancy (PE)

Performance expectancy is one of the key factors that influence the adoption of technology, which basically refers to the extent at which a technology helps users to perform various duties and tasks (Venkatesh et al, 2012). This implies that, when a technology provides users with high performance expectancy, it is possible that the users will adopt it, unlike technologies with low performance expectancy. However, Wang (2012) observed that users of a similar technology can have diverse perceptions on the usefulness of the technology despite performing similar functions with the technology. Though there is no exiting empirical evidence so far which explains why users of a technology can have different perceptions of its usefulness, Gupta (2011) argued that other factors like experience and self efficacy with the technology play a significant role in influencing the user’s perceptions of the performance effectiveness of a technology. From this perspective, therefore, though consumers’ perceptions of the performance expectancy of a technology largely influence their adoption of the technology, other factors influence their behavioral intentions towards the use of the technology.

The construct of PE is further integrated into the concept of perceived usefulness which defines the perceived relevance and importance of technology to the users (Moller and Chaudhry, 2012).Fundamentally, the perceived usefulness (PU) of an information system by the government employees is among the most influential factors that influence the success of information system adoption by the government. According to Workman (2007), since the PU defines the perception that the use of a particular technology will facilitate or enhance job performance; government employees believe on the usefulness of a particular technology can be of fundamental importance in determining its success in the government sector. This implies that, the nature of information system that the government plans to use must promise usefulness to the users (government employees) for its successful implementation. As argued by Kim and Kim (2002), when a technology is perceived by its users to be having no added advantage to their work; they hardly adopt it and hence its implementation would be a failure. From this point of view, therefore, it is important that the government policy holders evaluate the importance of a technology before implementing it to its employees. This is evidenced in an empirical study conducted by Moon (2014) in the healthcare sector where the adoption of Smartphones by hospital employees in the government was mainly influenced by the perceived usefulness of the technology to their job.

The perceived usefulness of information technology is also reflected in Rosacker and Olson (2008) ideas who argued that the ability of technology to enhance the performance of employees in government institutions is a key factor that largely plays a critical role towards enhancing its adoption. In cases where the technology is perceived to be having less impact on the employees’ productivity in their job, Otieno (2010) argues that such technology is less likely to be embraced by employees because they develop negative attitude towards it. While the key aspect of behavioral intention as reflected in the TAM model which influences the perceived usefulness of technology is the user attitudes (Smith and Salvendy, 2001), it can be argued that when employees perceive a technology to be having positive impact on their job, they are likely to have positive attitude towards the technology, which in return impacts on the ability of the technology to be successful in the government. From this point of view, therefore, it can be argued that the aspect of PE of information system by the government employees is a fundamental factor that influences the success of implementing such technology in the government sector; and hence the following hypothesis was formulated for investigation in this study:

H₃ – PE has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information system

Effort Expectancy (EE)

The aspect of effort expectancy (EE) is another key construct that influences users’ attitude towards technology. According to Gliedman (2011), EE is characterised by the extent at which users use technology with ‘ease’ (Venkatesh et al, 2012). When consumers are able to use the technology easily, they develop positive attitudes towards it which in return influences their behavioral intentions towards it (Gil-Garcia, 2013; Akkaya, Kremar and Wolf, 2012). While some studies (e.g. Zheng et al, 2013; Calisir et al, 2014) criticize this approach by arguing that technology use is learnt, and hence prolonged exposure with it makes its use easier; and hence arguing that the ease of use of technology influences its acceptance is not enough, but the exposure to technology use is the key aspect. Nonetheless, the aspect of EE in the adoption of technology has continued to gain popularity, where prospects of the theory continue to argue that, when the technology is less complicated and fundamentally significant to the users, they embrace it in large numbers. This is explained in the adoption of mobile phone technology, where the largest proportion of the population across the world uses it; unlike other complicated technologies like the PC which have gained low proliferation across the consumer markets.

Moon (2014) further points out that EE is also referred to as perceived ease of use (PEOU) which is defined as the extent at which people believe that the use of a particular technology would be effortless; is another key factor that influences the adoption of information system in the government sector. Considering that employees are usually afraid of changes, the perception that the adoption of a particular technology would ease their job or be free from effort can be among the major factors that promotes successful implementation of information system in the government (Workman, 2007; Dečman and Klun, 2015). With regard Au and Cheng (2012) ideas, when people consider a technology to be making their work easier and not result into use of more efforts to accomplish a particular task, they easily adopt the technology. This point of view can be used in explaining the success in the implementation of information system by the government where the employees’ perception that the technology would result into reduced efforts in the completion of their tasks, they easily adopt it. In this regard, therefore, it can be argued that, the ability of the information system to make the work of government employees easier can be considered as one of the major factors that determines its success; since technologies which do not offer any added advantage among the users in terms of effort reduction may not be readily accepted (Cullen, 2010; Garson, 2006).

The aspect of convenience has also been pointed out by Rosacker and Olson (2008) as a factor influencing technology users’ attitudes towards technology. When users of a technology perceive that the use of a particular technology increases their convenience of doing their job, they easily embrace it; unlike in a situation where a particular technology does not foster convenience among the users (Palvia and Sharma, 2007). With regard to the implementation of information system in the government, when government employees perceive that the proposed information system is likely to increase convenience in their job, Kumar et al (2007) argues that it will be more likely for the employees to embrace the technology. Though a study conducted by Kim and Kim (2002) revealed that employees might not have any idea about how a technology works, but due to enthusiasm and positive attitude towards it lead to its acceptance; it is important to note that users of technology are not always naïve about it, and thus their attitudes towards it are mostly influenced by its acceptance. From this point of view, therefore, it can be argued that when the proposed technology by the government to be used by its employees fosters a sense of convenience to their job, and then it is usually more likely that the technology will be accepted and this will facilitate its successful implementation by the people.

The perceived quality of services offered by government employees through information system is also pointed out by Ajami and Mohammadi-Bertiani (2012) to be a key determinant factor the acceptance of the technology by the employees. Adam-Mahmood et al (2000) observed that, when a particular technology promotes a sense of increased job efficiency, while offering outstanding client [public], service, then the employees tend to find the technology more useful. The perceived desire of government employees to serve the public better and more efficiently through the use of technology is considered by Alawadhi and Morris (2009) to be a key determinant of perceived ease of use; which in return facilitates increased positive attitudes towards the technology. From this perspective, therefore, it can be argued that the ability of a technology to enable government employees to be in a position to offer outstanding customer service more efficiently leading to high client[public] satisfaction can be considered as among the major factors that influence the perceived ease of use of technology; and hence its successful implementation – and thus the hypothesis below was formulated for investigation in this study.

H₄ – EE has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards IS

Self-Efficacy (SE)

Self efficacy is defined by Brown et al. (2014) as one’s belief that he/she has the ability succeed in a particular situation or accomplishing a particular set of task. As pointed out by Sebina and Mazebe II (2014), individual’s self efficacy plays a very important towards influencing the approaches they take in solving new challenges. In the context of the adoption of information system, (Prabhu (2012) argued that employees’ trust and confidence on their capability to work with technology plays a critical role in influencing their attitudes towards the technology. According to Venkatesh et al (2012), the perceived control of the information system by users is further pointed out by to be a key factor that influences the adoption of information system provided by users. This is an implication that, when government employees have high control of technology (as demonstrated by their self efficacy and experience in the use of the technology) they usually develop positive attitude towards the technology which in return enhances their satisfaction and continued usage of the technology; and the subsequent success in the implementation of the technology (Ajami and Mohammadi-Bertiani, 2012).

Further, Wang (2012) observed that users’ exposure to technology and their ability to trust the use of technology in their job is yet another very important user characteristic that influences their attitude towards technology. One of the most salient characteristic of users of technology which fosters their trust for the technology is their exposure and previous experience with the technology (Workman, 2007). A study conducted by Yildiz (2007) revealed that, employees in telecommunication companies are comfortable in using technology which they have previously experienced in terms of efficiency and compatibility with their job. When trust is established in an information system where the end users of the information system are able to develop positive perception for the adoption of the information technology, it becomes easier for such technology to be adopted and implemented into the organisational system (Loch et al, 2003; Rasmy et al, 2005). From this point of view, therefore, it can be argued that when information system is capable of being trust-worthy in terms of its efficiency and ability to promote higher performance by the government employees, they develop positive attitude towards it, which in return promotes its successful implementation. From this point of view, the following hypothesis was formulated for investigation with regard to SE and user attitudes among employees in the Qatar government.

H₅ – SE has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information technology

Information Quality (IQ)

The aspect of information quality has been pointed out by numerous studies to be a key dimension of the system success model which is measured in terms of the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and relevance of the information to the target audience (Calisir et al, 2014). This implies that, for an information system to be considered acceptable, the information accessed or relayed through it must be accurate, timely and relevant to the users; which in return influence the users’ attitudes towards it. Though studies (e.g. Wang, 2012) have argued that information quality is usually determines by the users’ awareness of its importance, a study conducted by Zheng et al (2013) revealed that providing relevant information to the users through information system even if the users had previously not come across the information plays a central role in influencing their satisfaction with the information, and subsequent intention to re-use the information system based on the benefits that they get from using the system. With very limited empirical evidence on the impact of IQ on user attitudes among the Qatar government employees, the following hypothesis was formulated to investigate this relationship.

H₆ – IQ has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information technology

System Quality (SQ)

The aspect of system quality is considered by DeLone and McLean (2003) as an important construct of information system success model which is characterised by aspects like system usability, accessibility, affordability, and availability to the users; which Khan and Pessoa (2010) considers to be a critical determinant of user attitudes towards an information system. While system quality is mainly associated with the processes meant at meeting the requirements of the service users (Gupta, 2011), the need to evaluate the design of an information system in the context of the target audience characteristics is necessary. In the context of system quality in the government sector, the quality of the information system as perceived by the employees is pointed out by Stair and Reynolds (2015) as one of the major factors that largely contribute towards the nature of attitudes the users develop towards it. Aggrawal and Kaur (2013) argued that the accessibility and usability of information system to the end users are a key factor that influences its success; which in return influences the users’ overall attitudes towards the technology.

While the aspect of system quality can be perceived differently employees from different regions based on their technological background, Brown and Garson (2013) pointed out information systems with similar qualities in different organisations from two distinct cultures may be interpreted differently by the employees in each organisation. For example, in Middle East countries where technology infiltrated a few decades ago, an information system which has been considered inferior by employees from developed countries may be perceived to be fit and of high quality (Sebina and Mazebe II, 2014). This brings in the subjective nature of system quality where employees from different regions may interpret a particular technology to be high, whereas in another it is considered poor (Brown and Garson, 2013). From this point of view, therefore, it can be argued that system quality is a key AT construct which is investigated in this study with regard to the employees from the public sector in Qatar; and thus the following hypothesis was formulated to investigate this relationship.

H₇ – The SQ has a positive effect on attitudes towards information technology

Service Quality (SRQ)

Past studies have demonstrated the importance of service quality in the information system; where DeLone and McLean (2003) suggested the SERVQUAL in explaining how service quality plays an important role in influencing the users’ behavior towards the technology. As earlier pointed out, the SERVQUAL model measures service quality using five key dimensions which include tangibles (up-to-date hardware and software), reliability (dependability of the information service), responsiveness (prompt response to customer inquiries), assurance (confidence on the service providers), and empathy (personalized customer service) (DeLone and McLean, 2003).

Service quality as reflected in the information system success model established by DeLone and McLean (2003) can be used to explain why employees develop positive or negative attitudes with the implementation of information system by their organisations. One of the dimensions that people use to evaluate the quality of a service offered through an information system platform is the tangibles which comprise of the evaluation on whether the hardware and software employed by the service provider are up-to-date or not (Gil-Garcia, 2013; Adam-Mahmood et al, 2000). When the information system being implemented comprises of modern and high quality tangible components, it is possible that employees develop positive attitudes towards the technology which fosters its successful implementation. This means that, for successful implementation of an information system by the government, adopting the most updated technology (both hardware and software) is a key success factors which will influence the end-user’s attitudes towards it.

Further, information system reliability which is characterised by the consistency of an information system to offer its intended services is also another key implementation success determinant (Prabhu, 2012; Palvia and Sharma, 2007). According to Stair and Reynolds (2015), when employees perceive the technology being implemented by the government are highly dependable and consistent in providing services to the end users, Bwalya (2013) suggests that it is possible that the employee will develop positive attitudes towards it, leading to subsequent continued usage and satisfactions with the usage of the technology which in return influences the overall success of implementing the information system. On this basis, therefore, when implementing information system in the government sector, it is important to consider the reliability of the information system which influence the end-users’ attitudes towards the technology. From this point of view, therefore, it can be argued that the service quality offered by an information system in the government plays a critical role towards influencing its employees’ attitudes towards it.

Information system responsiveness is yet another critical information system implementation success factor embedded on the service quality aspect on the information system (Garson, 2006). Service responsiveness, characterised by the ability of service providers to offer quick response to the users (DeLone and McLean, 2003), plays an important role in influencing user attitudes towards a particular information system, because the more responsive a technology is, the higher the positive attitude people develop towards it. However, when an information system is less responsive, employees have negative attitude towards it and this can derail the success of implementing the entire information system. When implementing an information system in the government, therefore, it is important that a reliable and responsive technology be implemented in order to enhance its acceptability by the end users. An empirical study conducted by Decman (2015) on the adoption of e-government services in Slovenia revealed that, the quality of service with regard to its responsiveness when needed to be used by the government employees was one of the most fundamental factors that influenced its adoption. It is therefore important for government policy makers to evaluate whether an information system proposed to be implemented is reliable and responsive in order to make its implementation successful. The following hypothesis was therefore formulated to investigate this relationship with regard to employees in the public sector of Qatar.

H₈ – SRQ has a positive effect on employees’ attitude towards IS

Facilitating Conditions (FC)

According to Smith and Salvendy (2001), facilitating conditions comprises of the factors provided by an organisation which affect/facilitate the implementation of the information technology and enhance its usage by the send-users. With regard to the UTAUT model, facilitating conditions (FC) play an important role in influencing the success of implementing information system in the government. According to Kim et al (2012), one of the facilitating conditions that determine the success of information system in the government is the availability of the required infrastructure for the implementation of the information system. The availability of the infrastructural aspects like the internet, power and information technology devices play a critical role in influencing the success of a government service embedded on the internet as argued by Mansour and Ghazawneh (2009). For example, when the government plans to implement an information system which makes employees to be able to work from their homes, the proliferation of electricity power to the employees in their homes is a key factor that largely influences the success of the information system in the government. This implies that, when the facilitating conditions are availed to the users of an information system, it is possible that the information system will succeed, unlike in a situation where there are no facilitating infrastructure; and therefore it is very important for the government to ensure that they provide the needed infrastructure for any information system first before embarking on its implementation.

Moreover, support systems including complementary resources required to implement an information system is another key factor that Jessup and Valacich (2008) considers to be critical success factor when implementing information system. One of the key facilitating conditions as suggested by Smith and Salvendy (2001) is the availability of qualified and reliable trainers for technology-based skills and knowledge. Considering that the availability of training facilities for a new form of technology is necessary in order to make employees better oriented for the use of the technology (Mansour and Ghazawneh, 2009; Kim and Kim 2002), lack of reliable training opportunities for government employees can negatively affect successful implementation of a technology which necessitates the training of employees in order to enable them to be in a position to use the technology more effectively. Though Moon (2014) argues that before the adoption of any technology it is important to ensure that the available skills needed to run the technology is available, the rapidly changing face if technology necessitates the adoption of newer technologies, and thus the need to have employees trained on how to use newer technologies. From this point of view, therefore, it can be argued that the availability of training facilities within the area where the government plans to implement a new technology is a key factor that influences the success in implementing the information system.

Further, a key support system that Prabhu (2012) considers to be necessary to facilitate the adoption of information system in the modern world is the availability of internet infrastructure which enables efficiency in the information system (Sharma and Yetton, 2007). Moreover, Venkatesh et al (2012) observed that availing support systems in organisations is critical in ensuring that an implementation of information system in the government is successful, since incomplete systems are received with negative attitude by the users and this may largely derail the success in implementing the information system in the government. With limited empirical evidence on the role played by the availability of skills and r expertise on the acceptance of information system in the context of the Middle East countries, there is need for an up to date study on how the availability of effective training facilities on modern day technology impacts on the adoption of information technology among the employees. On this basis, therefore, it can be argued that; availing support systems like training to the staff members and internet facilities are critical in fostering success in the implementation of information system in the government, since they promote user efficiency and accuracy in using the information system. In the context of this discussion, the following hypothesis was formulated to investigate the impact of facilitating conditions on the users’ attitudes towards information technology among the employees in the public sector of Qatar.

H₉ – FC has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards IS

Conceptual Model

Based on the key theoretical frameworks and concepts on how technology is accepted by the end-users, it can be drawn from these frameworks that for an information system to be successful, a wide range of factors come into play. As earlier pointed out, successful implementation of information system in the government necessitates that the end-users must be satisfied (employee satisfaction, ES) and that employees ought to be efficient in using the information system frequently (system usage, SU) which altogether seem to be influenced by the employees’ attitudes towards the information system. This implies that, system usage and employee satisfaction are determined by the employees’ attitudes towards the information system being implemented. As reflected in this chapter, there are seven key constructs which seem to influence employees’ attitudes towards technology which include performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), self efficacy (SE), information quality (IQ), system quality (SQ), service quality (SRQ) and facilitating conditions (FC). Figure 2.1 below shows the conceptual framework that was adopted in this study, which reflects the underlying success factors for implementing information system in the government).

Figure 2.1 – The conceptual framework of the study

Table 2.1: summery of hypothesis

H1	*Employees’ frequency of IS use has a positive effect on the system success*
H2	*Employees’ utilization of IS has a positive effect on the system success*
H3	*Employees’ attitude towards IS has a positive effect on their system frequency of usage*
H4	*Employees’ attitude towards IS has a positive on their system utilization*
H5	*PE has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information system*
H6	*EE has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information system*
H7	*SE has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information technology*
H8	*IQ has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information technology*
H9	*The SQ has a positive effect on attitudes towards information technology*
H10	*SRQ has a positive effect on employees towards information technology*
H11	*FC has a positive effect on employees’ attitudes towards information technology*
H12	*PE has a stronger impact on attitude toward IS use for male.*
H13	*EE has a stronger impact on attitude toward IS use for male*
H14	*SE has stronger impact on attitude towards IS use for employees above 40*
H15	*IQ has stronger impact on attitude towards IS use for employees with high computer confidence level*
H16	*SQ has stronger impact on attitude towards IS use for employees with high computer confidence level*
H17	*SRQ has stronger impact on attitude towards IS use for employees with high computer confidence level*

CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY

3.1 instrument Development

In order to test the conceptual model established in chapter two, a descriptive research design was adopted. An online survey was designed and shared with the participants to collect data. The survey consists of 40 close-ended question and 2 open-ended shared with the research participants through various electronic platforms. The online survey has many advantages, it allows using a wide range of electronic platforms to reach out to the participants, no paper and printing cost and can by exported to statistical packages.

The survey was divided into eleven sections. The first section of the survey items investigates the user attitudes (AT) towards using IS at workplace which was adopted and modified from Shih and fang (2004). The second to the fifth section consists of the items that explores performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), self-efficacy (SE) and facilitating condition (FC) that were adopted from Venkatesh et al (2012).

The sixth section investigates the information quality (IQ) , the system quality (SQ) and the service quality (SRQ) which was adopted from DeLone and McLean (2003 ), and Alshare and et al (2011).

The seventh and the eighth section investigate the usage of the IS at the workplace the in term of frequency of use(FRQU) and utilization (UT) of features. The FRQU questions were adopted and modified from D. Freeze (2010). The UT questions were constructed with the help of the supervisor. Section nine explored IS success which consists of items obtained and modified from D. Freeze (2010).The tenth section is to colect the participants’ demographic information in terms of gender, age, education, job nature, job title, nationality and in the computer confidence level which were designed with the help of my colleagues and supervisor. The last section of the survey explored the difficulties and challenges that the participants were experiencing with the use of information system in their workplace which was also constructed with the help of my colleagues and supervisor. Alongside the online version of the survey, a copy of the survey is illustrated in appendix A.

3.2 Sampling and Data Collection

For this research, the target participants were not limited to a particular occupation any employee in the public sector was a potential participant. The online survey was therefore designed on Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) and shared with participants through various platforms including emails, Twitter and WhatsApp to have a scattered sample from the public sector of the state of Qatar. Which enabled the researcher to be in a position to conveniently share the online survey to the participants, and hence encouraging them to participate in this study.

The research participants were informed of the nature of the study, their roles and measures taken to ensure their anonymity and confidentiality of the information they provide, by using participants’ information sheet and consent forms. Before rolling out the actual survey, a pilot study was conducted with a sample of 5 participants selected from the researchers’ twitter acquaintances in order to establish the validity and reliability of the survey. Much of the focus during the pilot study was mode on the ability of the participants to answer all the questions accurately within the given period of time. As such, the online survey was shared to the participants and given five days to complete the survey. Unexpectedly, all the participants had responded within 48 hours with all the completed surveys being fully answered without any significant anomalies. As a result, the researcher was necessitated to adopt the pilot study survey because it was deemed valid and reliable in terms of collecting relevant data for this study.

After the pilot study was conducted, the actual data analysis process was conducted.

The survey link was sent to the participants through three key online platforms which include personal emails, Twitter, and WhatsApp depending on the available platform to the selected participants. Using a wide range of platforms to reach the participants was preferred because using a one platform may work for some of the participants while being unfavourable to others. The survey link was sent to employees in the public sector from the researcher network and after that it was distributed from one participant to the other to achieve the desired number of responses.

A total number of 187 responses were received, 151 of the were usable and used. All 151 responses chosen were for Qatari’s to ensure the sample homogeneity in term of culture.

3.3 Statistical Analysis

In this study, only quantitative data was collected, and hence only statistical data analysis method was employed. In essence, Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS 22) package was used in analysing the collected data. the frequencies, means, standard deviation, reliability coefficients, principal components and ANOVA was computed. Lastly, multiple regression models were used to test the hypothesis the study conceptual model.

The data collected was downloaded to an Excel sheet from the survey website.
The data were examined for missing and invalid values. Some missing data were replaced by the mean and if a response has a lot of data missing it was eliminated.
The data were exported to SPSS
The data were coded. For example, male (1) and female (2). Another example, strongly agree (5) strongly disagree (1)
Descriptive statistics were used for all scale-items: maximum, minimum, range, mean, frequency and standard deviation.
The reliability and validity of the collected data was tested by employing Cronbach’s Alpha and corrected item-total correlation. The recommended value of Cronbach’s Alpha is 0.70 or greater (Nunnally, 1978). ANOVA was used to examine the statistically significant difference in means between different group of demographic variables.
All measurement items were finalized and for each construct averages for the items were calculated. Three regression models were run. The first multiple regression model is between the dependant variable attitude (AVG_AT) and the independent variables performance expectancy (AVG_PE), effort expectancy (AVG_EE), self-efficacy (AVG_SE), facilitating condition (AVG_FC), information quality (AVG_IQ), system quality (AVG_SQ) and the service quality (AVG_SRQ). The second multiple regression model is between the dependant variables frequency of use(AVG_FRQU) and utilization (AVG_UT) and the independent variable attitude (AVG_AT). The third multiple regression model is between the dependent variable IS success (AVG_SC) and the in dependant variables frequency of use(AVG_FRQU) and utilization (AVG_UT).
All the assumptions of the regression model were taking into consideration and evaluated.
Lastly, the results of the regression analysis were obtained.

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Appendix -A

Success Factors in Implementing Information Systems in the Public

Sector in the State of Qatar

Dear Participant;

My name is Sara Al-Noaimi Im a graduate student of MB and this questionnaire is part of my graduation research were I attempt to improve the understanding of how to successfully implement information systems and ensure their usage by the employees in in the Public Sector in the State of Qatar. Your input is an essential element in this study and will be kept strictly confidential. This information will be used for research purposes only. It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete the survey. Your participation is voluntarily and you may withdraw anytime. The time and effort you spend in answering this survey is highly appreciated. If you have any questions pertaining to this survey or research study, please feel free to contact me at my email address: [email protected]

Sincerely,

Sara ALNoaimi

MBA Student

عوامل النجاح لتطبيق نظم المعلومات في القطاع العام في دولة قطر

عزيزي المشارك؛

أنا سارة النعيمي طالبة في ماجستير ادارة الاعمال بجامعة قطر و هذا الاستبيان جزء من بحث التخرج حيث يهدف لتحسين فهم كيفية تطبيق نظم المعلومات بنجاح وضمان الاستخدام من قبل الموظفين في الجهات الحكومية القطرية. مشاركتك عنصر أساسي في هذه الدراسة، وستحاط الاجوبة بالسرية التامة. وسوف تستخدم هذه المعلومات لأغراض البحث فقط. وسوف يستغرق تعبئة الاستبيان حوالي 10 دقائق. مشاركتكم طوعية ويمكنك الانسحاب في أي وقت. الوقت والجهد الذي تقضيه في الإجابة عن هذا الاستبيان هو محل تقدير كبير. إذا كان لديك أي أسئلة تتعلق بهذا الاسبيان أو الدراسة، لا تتردد في الاتصال بي على عنوان بريدي الإلكتروني: [email protected]

كليه الإدارة و الاقتصاد في جامعة قطر تدعم ممارسة الحماية للمشاركين في البحوث والأنشطة ذات الصلة.

مع خالص التقدير،

سارة النعيمي

طالبة ماجستير إدارة أعمال

The definition of Information Systems in this survey

An information system (IS) is a computer-based tool used for storing, managing, using and gathering of data and communications in an organization that is provided by your organization to enable you to complete efficiently your work. An example of those systems could be HR applications, procurement systems, accounting systems, dashboards …etc. that you use at your workplace only.

تعريف نظام المعلومات لغرض هذه الدراسة

نظام المعلومات هو أداة حاسوبية تستخدم لتخزين وإدارة وجمع البيانات والاتصالات في المؤسسة والتي يتم توفير هذه النظم من قبل المؤسسة ليتمكن الموظف من إكمال اعمالهم بكفاءة. مثال على هذه النظم يمكن أن تكون تطبيقات الموارد البشرية، نظم المشتريات ونظم المحاسبة، … الخ. التي تستخدمها في مكان عملك فقط.

IF you are an employee in the Public Sector, please complete this survey

إذا كنت موظف في القطاع العام الرجاء الإجابة على ملء هذا الاستبيان

Please indicate the extent to which you agree/disagree with the following statements 1–33, (1 – strongly disagree; 2 – disagree; 3 – neutral; 4 – agree; strongly agree).

يرجى الإشارة إلى مدى الموافقة /عدم الموافقة للعبارات التالية ( 1-33) ، باستخدام ( 1 – لا أوافق بشدة ، 2 – لا أوافق ، 3 – محايد؛ 4 – أوافق ، أوافق بشدة ) .

SECTION 1 – ATTITUDE
Item		1	2	3	4	5
1. I feel using Information systems in work is a wise idea 1. أشعر أن استخدام أنظمة المعلومات في العمل فكرة حكيمة
2. I like to use Information systems in my workplace 2. أنا أحب استخدام أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل
3. I feel using Information systems in work is an exciting idea 3. أشعر أن استخدام أنظمة المعلومات في العمل فكرة مثيرة
SECTION 2– PERFORMANCE EXPECTANCY
4. I would find IS useful in my job 4. سأجد أنظمة المعلومات مفيدة في عملي
5. Using IS enables me to accomplish tasks more quickly 5. استخدام انظمة المعلومات يخولني من انهاء المهام بشكل أسرع
6. Using IS increase my productivity 6. استخدام أنظمة المعلومات يزيد من انتاجيتي
SECTION 3-EFFORT EXPECATNCY
7. My interaction with the IS at my workplace would be clear and understandable 7. تفاعلي مع نظام المعلومات في مكان العمل سيكون مفهوم وواضح
8.It would be easy for me to become skilful at using the IS in the workplace 8. سيكون من السهل اتقان استخدام نظام المعلومات في مكان العمل
9. I would find the IS easy to use at my workplace 9. سأجد نظام المعلومات في مكان العمل سهل الإستخدام
SECTION 4 – SELF EFFICACY
10. I could easily use IS at my workplace 10. سأتمكن وبسهولة من استعمال أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل
11. I know enough to use IS at my workplace 11. أعلم ما يكفي لإستخدام انظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل
12. I would feel comfortable using IS at my workplace 12. سأكون مرتاحا عند استعمال انظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل
SECTION 5– FACILITATING CONDITIONS
13. I have adequate office set-up and equipment to use Information system at my workplace 22. لدي المكتب المجهز بالادوات اللازمة لإستخام أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل
14. I can get help from others when I have difficulties in using Information system at my workplace 23.أستطيع الحصول على المساعدة عند مواجة المشكلات أثناء استعمال أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل
SECTUION 6 – IS CHARACTERISTICS
System quality
	15. Information system is always available at the workplace 13. أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل دائما متاحة
	16. Information system is user friendly at my workplace 14. أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل سهلة الاستخدام
	17. The Information system has attractive features that appeal to users 15.أنظمة المعلومات لها خصائص جذابة تشد المستخدمين
Information quality	18.The Information system at my workplace provides information that is exactly what you need. 16. أنظمة المعلومات توفر االبيانات التي احتاجها بالضبط
	19.The Information system provides information that is easy to understand 17. أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل توفر بيانات سهلة الفهم
	20. The Information system provides up to date information at my workplace 18. أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل توفر بيانات حديثة جدا

Service quality	19. Information system at my workplace has up to date hardware and software 19.تعمل أنظمة المعلومات على أحدث البرامج والأجهزة في مكان العمل
	20. Information system is dependable at my workplace 20. أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل يعتمد عليها
	21. Information system employees provide prompt service to users 21. موظفي نظم المعلومات يقدمون خدمة سريعة للمستخدمين
	22. Information system employees have the knowledge to do their job well 22.موظفي نظم المعلومات لديهم المعرفة لعمل وظيفتهم على أكمل وجه
SECTION 7 – SYSTEM USAGE
23. I frequently use Information system at my workplace 27. أستخد أنظمة المعلومات كثيرا في مكان العمل
24. I depend upon the information systems at my workplace 28. أعتمد على أنظمة المعلومات في مكان عملي
25. I only use the information systems when its absolutely necessary for work 29. استخدام نظم المعلومات للعمل فقط عند الضرورة القصوى
SECTION 8 – IS SUCCESS
26. The information system at my workplace has positive impact on my work 30. أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل لها تأثير ايجابي على عملي
27. overall, the performance of the information system at my workplace is good 31. بشكل عام، أداء أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل جيدة
28. overall, the information system is successful at my workplace 32. بشكل عام، أنظمة المعلومات ناجحة في مكان عملي
29.the information system is an important and valuable aid to me in the performance of my work 33. أنظمة المعلومات أداه قيمة ومهمة لي في أداء العمل
SECTION 9 -FEATURE UTILIZATION
30. I use all the features available in the IS at my workplace أستخدم جميع الخصائص المتوفرة بأنظمة المعلومات المتواجدة في مكان عملي؟		strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree strongly agree					لا أوافق بشدة لا أوافق محايد أوافق أوافق بشدة
31.What is the percentage of your usage of the IS features at your workplace? كم نسبة استخدامك لخصائص نظام المعلومات بجهة عملك؟		0-25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-100%
SECTION 10 – DEMOGRAPHICS
32.Gender الجنس		· Male ذكر · Female أنثى
33.Age العمر		· 18-20 ١8 – ٢٠ · 20-30 ٢٠-‫٣٠ · 31-40 ٣١‫٤٠- · 41-50 ٤١-٥٠ · 51-60 ٥١-٦٠ · Above 60 أكثر من ٦٠
34.Educational level المستوى التعليمي		· High school الثانوية العامة · Two year college دبلوم · Bachelor’s degree جامعي · Post-graduate level دراسات عليا · Doctoral درجة الدكتوراه · Others أخرى
35. Do you have a managerial role? . هل لديك دور اداري		· Yes نعم · No لا
36. What is your current job? ما هو مسمى وظيفتك الحالية؟		·
37.The length of service in the present job? مدة الخدمة في وظيفتك الحالية		· Less than 5 years ‫أقل من ٥ سنوات · 5-10 ٥-١٠ · 11-15 ١١-١٥ · 16-20 ١٦-٢٠ · 21-25 ٢١-٢٥ · 26-30 ٢٦-٣٠ · 31 years and above أكثر من ٣١ سنة
38.Nationality الجنسية		· Qatari قطري · Non-Qatari غير قطري
39.What is your “computer confidence” level (10-point scale from 1-Not at all confident to 10-Totally confident) ما هو مستوى الثقة لديك في استخدام الحاسب الآلي” (مقياس من ١٠ نقاط يبدأ من 1-ليس لدي الثقة الكافية في استخدام الحاسب، إلى 10- لدي الثقة الكاملة في استخدام الحاسب)‫		· 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

SECTION 11- Difficulties

4 Do you experience any difficulties in using information systems at your workplace?
هل تواجه أية صعوبات في استخدام أنظمة المعلومات في مكان عملك؟

Yes () نعم ()

No () لا ()

If your answer for the previous question is yes

إذا كان جواب السؤال السابق نعم

What are the obstacles you are facing in using the information systems at the workplace?

إذا كان جواب السؤال السابق نعم، ماهي العقبات التي تواجهك أثناء استخدام أنظمة المعلومات في مكان العمل؟

What are your suggestions to remove those obstacles?

ماهي مقترحاتك لتخطي هذه العقبات؟

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