INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ENHANCING USER SATISFACTION
IN HIGHER EDUCATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Aso K. Ameen a,b,*,
Ismail Y. Maolood a, Dana A Abdullah a
a Department of
Information and Communication Technology Center (ICTC)-System Information,
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Erbil, Kurdistan Region,
Iraq
b Department of Computer
Science, College of Science, Knowledge University, Erbil 44001, Iraq
aso.khaleel, ismail.maulood, dana.ali@mhe-krg.org
Received: 8 June., 2024 / Accepted: 7 July., 2024 /
Published: 31 July., 2024. https://doi.org/10.25271/sjuoz.2024.12.3.1323
ABSTRACT:
In order to assess how effective information
systems are, end-user computing satisfaction (EUCS) is essential. This study
evaluates EUCS among 354 employees of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region's (KRI)
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Through factor analysis,
the findings indicate 16-item instrument measuring five core components:
content, accuracy, format, ease of use, and timeliness. The results show
important patterns and connections, emphasizing how important it is to improve
these parts in order to increase user satisfaction. Accuracy
had the highest impact on user satisfaction (Standardized Beta = 0.347, p <
0.001), and timeliness were particularly important, while format and ease
of use had a direct impact on usability. This study gives useful information
for improving IT infrastructure and user support. This will help the Ministry
create a better, more efficient, and easier-to-use computer environment that
meets the needs and expectations of the workforce. In the end, this will lead
to higher productivity and user satisfaction.
KEYWORDS: User Satisfaction, content, accuracy, format, ease of use, timeliness, end-user computing satisfaction, Ministry of Higher Education.
This
area of computer technology is well integrated into the modern global context
of organizational line of work development. Research into end-user computing
satisfaction (Doll & Torkzadeh, 1988) helps to
evaluate the extent to which EUCS is ready to meet the requirements of the end
consumer. Consequently, the Ministry of Higher Education in the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq (KRI) relies significantly on information systems for
administrative and educative practices. Measuring the level of satisfaction of
the employees will bring further insights on how the IT resources can be
aligned to the organizational goals better.
This work looks at EUCS in the Ministry using
survey on 354 end-users. After a factor analysis, we improved a 22-item
instrument to measure five main factors, namely content, accuracy, format, ease
of use, and timeliness. Saputri and Alvin (2020) have
discussed the contribution of these components in achieving the user
satisfaction with computing systems in earlier research. This
indicates the role of EUCS in
ensuring that information systems indeed provide value to the users and to the
organization. This study’s results may assist the Ministry in developing a
better user-focused IT plan that will ultimately result in the establishment of
an improved computing climate for increased efficiency and user satisfaction.
There
are numerous ways of examining the effectiveness and efficiency of the electronic
system, EUCS is defined as the level of satisfaction that end-users have with
computing. Taking the example of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the Ministry
of Higher Education and Scientific Research uses the electronic technology for
official communication as well as learning and administrative purposes. The
assessment of the efficiency of EUCS is therefore important to provide an
optimum use of the system. This review will discuss the EUCS constituents
including content, accuracy, format, ease of use, and timeliness of delivery in
regard to their impact on user satisfaction in institutions of learning.
Doll
and Torkzadeh (1988) initially validated the EUCS
model they have proposed and which has been used and expanded over the years.
Some of its components are substantiated by research findings and some expand
its applicability.
in
additional, quality of the content used in the EUCS has a great influence on
the functionality of the system. According to Iivari (2005), of all the factors
of system, the role of content and relevance is significant in satisfying the
users. It is crucial for educational institutions to provide the content
accurate and comprehensive, yet easily accessible. As discussed in the last
pertinent studies, including Suryanto et al. (2023),
the use of superior content enhances decision-making and user satisfaction.
For instance, DeLone and McLean (2003) remark
that accuracy is one of the determinants of success in a particular system.
Thus, they established that, when there are discrepancies, there is discontent
and less utilization of the system. Indeed, a new work from Anderjovi
et al. (2022) showed just the degree of the accuracy matters, let alone in contexts
where data is the primary currency.
In this context it is possible to state
that the format of information presentation has an impact on the perceived
satisfaction and usability. Well-formatted information is easier to comprehend
and apply, thus providing better usability. Effective information sharing
requires compliance with formatting standards, according to DeLone and McLean
(2003). This is especially important in learning institutions since the
organization of information eases the processes of administration and
learning. Nguyen (2021) also emphasizes the importance of format to improve
customers’ interaction and satisfaction.
According
to Venkatesh and Bala (2008), there is a positive relationship between
perceived ease of use and usage intention as well as usage heightened
satisfaction. This is the concept behind the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).
Intuitive systems facilitate the interaction due to a reduced load in cognitive
processes. Ease of use is still very important to user satisfaction,
particularly with today's complex information systems (Wilson et al., 2021).
Timeliness
refers to the accel with which knowledge is provided. Environments like
administrative and education require timely info for decision-making and task
completion. Timeliness is a key component of information systems because
delayed information frustrates users (DeLone and McLean, 2003). emphasize the
importance of timeliness for user satisfaction (Akıl and Ungan, 2022).
These
factors are supported by practical studies. Academic student satisfaction
depends on ease of use and quality content (Saputri
and Avin, 2020). Reliability and accuracy are crucial to workplace acceptance
and satisfaction (Chau and Hu, 2002) (Field, 2013). As well as examine EUCS’s
complexity, confirming its relevance in modern information systems research (Pratomo et al., 2023).
The
EUCS model by Doll and Torkzadeh (1988) served as the
foundation for this paper as shown in Figure 1, which aimed to demonstrate how
various aspects of the system's performance affect end-user satisfaction in
higher education. Based on the Information System Success Model (ISSM) and Technology
Acceptance Model (TAM), this study examines the effects that five important
system attributes—content, accuracy, format, ease of use, and timeliness—have
directly on user satisfaction (DeLone and McLean, 2003). Previous studies on system satisfaction and
usability selected these features due to their theoretical significance and
relevance to users' daily interactions
with the system.
Figure
1. Research model
The
research model will be used to test the following hypotheses:
H1: Content positively affects overall user
satisfaction.
H2: Accuracy positively affects overall user
satisfaction.
H3: Format positively affects overall user
satisfaction.
H4: Ease of Use positively affects overall user
satisfaction.
H5: Timeliness positively affects overall user
satisfaction.
This
research adopted a quantitative research design fitting to assess the
correlations between the System attributes ,namely
Content, Accuracy, Format, Ease of Use and Timeliness and User Satisfaction among
the employees of the Ministry of Higher Education in the Kurdistan Region of
Iraq (KRI). The study therefore used cross-sectional research design, in which data were collected
using a structured questionnaire to assess the participants’ perceptions of the
computing system at a given point in time (Creswell, 2014).
The
respondents were selected based on their job category which included both
administrative and academic staff in the Ministry of Higher Education in the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The questionnaire was delivered to 354 participants
and the participants’ personal information is presented ,such
as age, gender, occupational status, specialty, and computer proficiency as
depicted in Table 1 . The selection of participants in the study is crucial to
capture the sample of population with enough variability in the variables under
testing to test
the research hypotheses (Kumar, 2018).
Table1: Respondents’ demographic
characteristics
|
|
Valid Items |
Frequency |
Percent |
Valid Percent |
Cumulative Percent |
|
Gender |
Male |
228 |
64.4 |
64.4 |
64.4 |
|
Female |
126 |
35.6 |
35.6 |
100 |
|
|
Age |
26 - 35 yrs |
23 |
6.5 |
6.5 |
6.5 |
|
36 - 45 yrs |
257 |
72.6 |
72.6 |
79.1 |
|
|
46 - 55 yrs |
61 |
17.2 |
17.2 |
96.3 |
|
|
56 years more |
13 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
100 |
|
|
Occupation |
Administrative Staff |
253 |
71.5 |
71.5 |
71.5 |
|
Academic Staff |
101 |
28.5 |
28.5 |
100 |
|
|
Nothing |
31 |
8.8 |
8.8 |
8.8 |
|
|
Specialty |
Humanities |
151 |
42.7 |
42.7 |
51.4 |
|
Scientific |
172 |
48.6 |
48.6 |
100 |
|
|
others |
1 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
|
|
Qualification |
High School - Middle |
18 |
5.1 |
5.1 |
5.4 |
|
Bachelor - Institute |
232 |
65.5 |
65.5 |
70.9 |
|
|
Doctorate - Master |
103 |
29.1 |
29.1 |
100 |
|
|
Computer Skills |
Basic |
17 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
|
Intermediate |
200 |
56.5 |
56.5 |
61.3 |
|
|
Advanced |
137 |
38.7 |
38.7 |
100 |
As
the main source of collecting data, a structured questionnaire was adopted and
constructed from literature on digitalisation systems success and user satisfaction
based on DeLone and McLean’(2003) model. The
questionnaire administered contained questions assessing the content, accuracy,
format, ease of use, and timeliness of the product as independent variables and
the overall user satisfaction as the dependent variable. The responses were on
a Five - Likert scale that ranged from 1’ strongly disagree’ to 5 ‘strongly
agree’; this enabled the degree of satisfaction regarding different aspects of
the system to be ascertained.
The
data were analyzed using SPSS program. The
reliability of the scales was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha, where values
higher than 0.7 are considered acceptable for internal consistency (Tavakol and Dennick, 2011). Moreover, correlation analysis
was performed to examine the relationships between the independent variables
and the dependent variable. Multiple regression analysis was then performed to
determine the effect of each independent variable on user satisfaction,
allowing assessment of both the individual and combined effects of system
characteristics on overall satisfaction (Field, 2013).
In
order to ascertain the dependability of the variables utilized in this study,
Cronbach's Alpha was computed for each crucial system attribute. Cronbach's
Alpha is a statistical metric that assesses the degree of internal consistency
within a group of items, indicating how closely they are related to each other.
Values beyond 0.70 are often deemed satisfactory, and values surpassing 0.90
suggest exceptional reliability. The data presented in Table 2 indicate that
the Cronbach's Alpha values for all variables fell within the range of 0.900 to
0.915, indicating a good level of internal consistency. The variable
'Timeliness' demonstrated the highest level of reliability, as indicated by an
alpha coefficient of 0.915. This suggests that the questions used to measure
timeliness were highly consistent in their assessment. The overall aggregate
dependability for all variables was 0.9092.
Table 2: Cronbach's Alpha Outcomes
|
Variable |
Mean |
SD |
Cronbach's
Alpha |
|
Content |
3.9393 |
0.58654 |
0.9 |
|
Accuracy |
3.9096 |
0.665 |
0.91 |
|
Format |
3.911 |
0.61944 |
0.908 |
|
Ease of
Use |
4.0028 |
0.59268 |
0.913 |
|
Timeliness |
3.9661 |
0.62772 |
0.915 |
|
Total |
3.9458 |
0.6183 |
0.9092 |
The high Cronbach's Alpha values show
that the survey tool used in this study was valid and that the variables that
were tested are reliable when looking at the main features of the system.
Correlation
analysis was used to look at how the important parts of the system were
connected. For every pair of factors as indicated in Table 3, the Pearson
correlation coefficient is shown in the correlation matrix. A Pearson
correlation coefficient (r) is a number between -1 and 1. Values closer to 1
mean there is a strong positive relationship, values closer to -1 mean there is
a strong negative relationship, and values around 0 mean there is no
relationship
.
Table 3: Correlation Matrix for Key System
Characteristics
|
Factors |
Content |
Accuracy |
Format |
Ease of
Use |
Timeliness |
Overall
Satisfaction |
|
Content |
1 |
|||||
|
Accuracy |
0.687** |
1 |
||||
|
Format |
0.725** |
0.644** |
1 |
|||
|
Ease of
Use |
0.673** |
0.592** |
0.637** |
1 |
||
|
Timeliness |
0.685** |
0.580** |
0.591** |
0.596** |
1 |
|
|
Overall
Satisfaction |
0.756** |
0.759** |
0.708** |
0.665** |
0.676** |
1 |
All
of the correlations were statistically significant at the 0.01% level, which
means that the links between the factors are not likely to be random. 'Overall
happiness' and 'Accuracy' had the strongest correlation (r = 0.759, p <
0.01), which means that perceived accuracy is strongly linked to overall user
happiness. 'Overall Satisfaction' and 'Content' were then linked (r = 0.756, p
< 0.01).
The strong positive correlations show that
improvements in one characteristic are probably linked to improvements in
others. This shows how these system
attributes are connected and how they affect user happiness as a whole.
A
multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate the prediction ability
of the key system attributes on overall satisfaction. The regression model
incorporated the independent variables 'Content', 'Accuracy', 'Format', 'Ease
of Use', and 'Timeliness', while the dependent variable was 'Overall
Satisfaction'. The findings, as presented in Table 4, indicate that all of the
independent variables have a substantial impact on overall satisfaction. Among
these variables, 'Accuracy' exhibits the most influential effect (Standardized
Beta = 0.347, p < 0.001). The results show that accuracy has the highest
impact on user satisfaction, followed by 'Content' (Standardized Beta = 0.208,
p < 0.001) and 'Timeliness' (Standardized Beta = 0.167, p < 0.001).
Table 4: Regression Analysis Summary
|
Model |
Unstandardized
Coefficients B |
Std.
Error |
Standardized
Coefficients Beta |
t |
P Value |
|
Content |
0.216 |
0.052 |
0.208 |
4.163 |
<0.001 |
|
Accuracy |
0.318 |
0.038 |
0.347 |
8.388 |
<0.001 |
|
Format |
0.157 |
0.043 |
0.159 |
3.613 |
<0.001 |
|
Ease of
Use |
0.122 |
0.042 |
0.118 |
2.88 |
0.004 |
|
Timeliness |
0.163 |
0.039 |
0.167 |
4.132 |
<0.001 |
The
high t-values and low p-values suggest that the variables provide a significant
contribution to the model. Among the predictors, 'Accuracy' stands out with the
highest t-value of 8.388, highlighting its importance in predicting total
satisfaction.
Practical
comprehension of users' perception of various features of the system was
achieved by calculating user satisfaction percentages for each system
attribute. The findings, displayed in Table 5, indicate that the 'Ease of Use'
factor achieved the greatest satisfaction rate of 80.06%, suggesting that users
perceived the system as user-friendly. The overall satisfaction rate was
78.77%, indicating a predominantly pleasant user experience in all aspects.
Table 5: Percentage of User Satisfaction for
All Factors
|
Factors |
Mean |
Percentage
Satisfaction (%) |
|
Content |
3.9393 |
78.79 |
|
Accuracy |
3.9096 |
78.19 |
|
Format |
3.911 |
78.22 |
|
Ease of
Use |
4.0028 |
80.06 |
|
Timeliness |
3.9661 |
79.32 |
|
User
Satisfaction |
3.9025 |
78.05 |
|
Combined Overall
Satisfaction |
3.93855 |
78.77 |
According
to the results of this study, overall dependability was at a fairly high point, and the features
considered vital in the system had considerably positive impacts on user
satisfaction. This indicates high reliability and internal consistency of the
survey instrument in measuring the variables, given that the obtained
Cronbach’s Alpha values were above the recommended 0. 7. As for the correlation
coefficients, all the parameters proved strong positive correlations if overall
satisfaction and accuracy had to be highlighted as the most evident
connections, stressing the value of accuracy in representing the complete
satisfaction of the clients. The regression study also corroborated the past
studies suggesting that ‘Accuracy’ is the most significant factor that
determines overall satisfaction with ‘Content’ and ‘Timeliness’ being the other
measuring parameters. These findings point towards the importance of enhancing
the general quality and accuracy of the content in system design for the
purposes of user happiness. Similar results were found in the user satisfaction
percentages, suggesting a good level of acceptance of this system; here again
the ‘Ease of Use’ received the highest rating. This means that improving on the
usability of the systems is likely to play a major role in an increased
satisfaction. All in all, this research provides valuable information into what
defines user satisfaction concerning system characteristics and can therefore
point to amendments in the future or necessities in design.
From
the study, it has been established that the various dimensions of the
digitalization systems used in the Ministry of Higher Education in the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq have an impact on system user satisfaction in terms of
accuracy, content, easiness, and timeliness. These findings provide support to
the improved model of user satisfaction that includes motivational factors as
proposed by Venkatesh and Bala (2008) and the Dillon and McLean (2003). The criteria for
selection were defined based on the fact that accuracy was considered the most
basic requirement, in accordance with the concept highlighted in the article by
Xu and Quaddus (2012). As highlighted by Zhang Li and Scialdone (2015), there
are main elements in the construction of an efficient system and include
timeliness and accuracy of the content. This study reinforces the research
hypothesis that the knowledge of the various system satisfactions would further
the development of educational and administration management systems. Nevertheless,
it is necessary to acknowledge the fact that the research focus on the
distribution of employees in the higher education system can prevent the
finding from being applicable to other institutions. From the research study
results, the following research topic could be considered for future
research: Examining ways in which system improvements impact on users’
organisational contexts and time frames through subsequent empirical studies
carried out in a diverse number of system settings.
This research has successfully shown how
the system factors, such as content, correctness, format, ease of use, and time
factors can positively affect the user satisfaction in the digital system of
the Ministry of Higher Education in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The findings
of the present research support the importance of the accuracy aspect as the
most efficient one underlining the importance of accurate and trustworthy
information in learning context. Give concrete
recommendations to the Ministry of Higher Education resulting from the study,
such as the need to prioritize improvements in system accuracy and ease of use,
which could make the work more actionable. Realistic correlations exist and each of the above
regression coefficients is also significant, which implies that by increasing
these system features, it is possible to foster growth in user satisfaction in
higher education institutions, which is an important area of management in
these organizations. They are not only extending these literatures and enhance
the theoretical framework of the acceptance model of those systems but also
offer implications for administrative and technical designers in the higher
education sector. Thus, by focusing on these aspects, it is possible to enhance
the technological interaction between users of Ministry institutions and
requirements, with the overall aim of constructing a more straightforward and
satisfying relationship with the digital. We propose the following research
avenue for Future study should examine this relationship in a range of cultural
and institutional contexts to enhance the generalizability of these conclusions
to the sphere of user satisfaction. It would further help in understanding the
issues related to digital acceptance as well as user satisfaction with the
existing systems of higher education across the world.
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