This paper presents the findings of two studies that replicate previous work by Fred Davis on the subject of perceived usefulness, ease of use, and usage of information technology. The two studies focus on evaluating the psychometric properties of the ease of use and usefulness scales, while examining the relationship between ease of use, usefulness, and system usage. Study 1 provides a strong assessment of the convergent validity of the two scales by examining heterogeneous user groups dealing with heterogeneous implementations of messaging technology. In addition, because one might expect users to share similar perspectives about voice and electronic mail, the study also represents a strong test of discriminant validity. In this study a total of 118 respondents from 10 different organizations were surveyed for their attitudes toward two messaging technologies: voice and electronic mail. Study 2 complements the approach taken in Study 1 by focusing on the ability to demonstrate discriminant validity. Three popular software applications (WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, and Harvard Graphics) were examined based on the expectation that they would all be rated highly on both scales. In this study a total of 73 users rated the three packages in terms of ease of use and usefulness. The results of the studies demonstrate reliable and valid scales for measurement of perceived ease of use and usefulness. In addition, the paper tests the relationships between ease of use, usefulness, and usage using structural equation modelling. The results of this model are consistent with previous research for Study 1, suggesting that usefulness is an important determinant of system use. For Study 2 the results are somewhat mixed, but indicate the importance of both ease of use and usefulness. Differences in conditions of usage are explored to explain these findings.

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The optimal amount of information needed in a given decision-making situation lies somewhere along a continuum from “not enough” to “too much”. Ackoff proposed that information systems often hinder the decision-making process by creating information overload. To deal with this problem, he called for systems that could filter and condense data so that only relevant information reached the decision maker. The potential for information overload is especially critical in text-based information. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects and theoretical limitations of extract condensing as a text processing tool in terms of recipient performance. In the experiment described here, an environment is created in which the effects of text condensing are isolated from the effects of message and individual recipient differences. The data show no difference in reading comprehension performance between the condensed forms and the original document. This indicates that condensed forms can be produced that are equally as informative as the original document. These results suggest that it is possible to apply a relatively simple computer algorithm to text and produce extracts that capture enough of the information contained in the original document so that the recipient can perform as if he or she had read the original. These results also identify a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of text condensing schemes. The research presented here contributes to a small but growing body of work on text-based information systems and, specifically, text condensing.

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