Examining factors affecting the adoption and usage of document workflow management system (DWMS) using the UTAUT model. Case of Botswana
| Date | 21 March 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/RMJ-03-2015-0012 |
| Pages | 38-67 |
| Published date | 21 March 2016 |
| Author | Olefhile Mosweu,Kelvin Bwalya,Athulang Mutshewa |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance |
Examining factors affecting the
adoption and usage of document
workow management system
(DWMS) using the
UTAUT model
Case of Botswana
Olefhile Mosweu
Ministry of Trade and Industry, Gaborone, Botswana
Kelvin Bwalya
Department of Library and Information Studies,
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, and
Athulang Mutshewa
Department of Library and Information Studies, University of Botswana,
Gaborone, Botswana
Abstract
Purpose – Public sector organisations in the developing world contexts have hugely invested in
procuring information management systems such as the electronic document and records management
system (EDRMS). The procurement and implementation of these systems come at a huge cost to
taxpayers. Unfortunately, most of these systems remain white elephants due to reluctance by the
anticipated users to adopt and use them in their information management endeavours. This study aims
to understand Action Ofcers’ perceptions of, adoption and/or usage of the document workow
management system (DWMS) at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Botswana. The DWMS is one
type of EDRMS.
Design/methodology/approach – The survey uses a questionnaire distributed in Gaborone,
Botswana to gather data on the perceptions of anticipated users of the DWMS. The study used a
modied form of UTAUT as a theoretical lens to explore user’s perception on the adoption and use of
DWMS at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Botswana. The population of the study was 68. A total
of 53 (86.89 per cent) out of 61 users of DWMS were purposively sampled and responded to the
questionnaire. The rest took part in interviews.
Findings – Negative attitudes to computers, computer anxiety, the complexity of DWMS and its
incompatibility to current working practices inuences Action and Records Ofcers’ unwillingness to
adopt and use the DWMS.
Research limitations/implications – This study was limited to the Ministry of Trade and Industry
(MTI)’s Department of Corporate Services, so its ndings cannot be statistically generalized to the MTI
as a whole. Another limitation relates to the secretive nature of staff in some government departments
which lead them to provide partial information related to the study. Finally, the additional technology
adoption factors discovered from interviews (i.e. computer anxiety, incompatibility of DWMS to current
work practices, negative attitudes to system use and complexity of the system) have not been
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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RMJ
26,1
38
Received 17 March 2015
Revised 30 June 2015
Accepted 8 July 2015
RecordsManagement Journal
Vol.26 No. 1, 2016
pp.38-67
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0956-5698
DOI 10.1108/RMJ-03-2015-0012
empirically tested to ascertain their validity. This provides an opportunity for a future study to
empirically test the said additional factors.
Practical implications – To mitigate the lower DWMS adoption and usage, robust change
management and communication were identied as some of the critical factors that should be
considered. The identied factors may be used in drafting a model to aid the implementation of DWMS
in Botswana or in a contextually similar environment in the developing world.
Originality/value – This study provides empirical evidence from an original study.
Keywords Information management, Botswana, Adoption, Action ofcers,
Document workow management system
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Despite high investments in both public and private sector organisations, information
systems implementation usually suffers from low adoption and usage, resulting in
failure (Davis et al., 1989;Davis, 1993;Kim and Kankanhalli, 2009). Implementation of
information systems in the public sector largely depends on technology adoption at both
institutional and individual levels (Seymour et al., 2007;Goldnch, 2007). This study
examined the perceptions, adoption and usage of an electronic document and records
management system (EDRMS) by Action Ofcers at the Ministry of Trade and Industry
in Botswana. An EDRMS is a software application that manages a range of digital
information, including Word-processed documents, spreadsheets, emails, images and
scanned documents (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011a). It combines both document
management and records management functionalities. In Botswana, the
implementation of an EDRMS was a part of the e-Government Agenda to timely,
conveniently and electronically deliver services to the public. The Department of
Information Technology (DIT) and Botswana National Archives and Records Services
(BNARS) are key stakeholders in the computerization of government business
processes. The core mandate of the DIT is the facilitation and administration of ICT
infrastructure and services, while BNARS has the mandate to manage public records
regardless of media or format.
The changing information management environment has experienced increased
utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and these have
become enablers for effective records management practices (Wilkins et al., 2009).
Further, there has been an increased usage of computer information systems (CISs) for
managing business-critical information in government departments to achieve
efciency and effectiveness. Apart from issues surrounding the successful
implementation and adoption of CIS such as harmonization of the proliferation of legacy
systems across government departments and information security, equally important
issues are the anticipated users’ perception of CIS and the general information culture
that, in turn, has an impact on CIS’ ultimate adoption and usage.
As a result of burgeoning needs of carefully thought information management
solutions in both public and private sector contexts, ERDMSs have emerged as the
“messiah” (Wilkins et al., 2009). The EDRMS brings together people and organizational
business processes in one operational domain. McLeod et al. (2011) articulated the
inter-relationship of people, processes and technology systems and the role of people as
a catalyst of change in as far as a shift to electronic records management using ERDMSs
is concerned. Realizing the benets of EDRMS, many public and private entities
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Document
workow
management
system
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