Selecting an appropriate operationalization of the system usage construct: an IT artifact perspective

This paper aims at promoting more systematic information systems (IS) usage research. It suggests that there is a link between the operationalization of the system usage construct and the researchers’ view of the information technology (IT) artifact in a particular research. We suggest that in order to get an appropriate operationalization of the system usage construct, the richness of the measure should correspond to the chosen conceptualization of the IT artifact. Using extant IS literature, we performed an exploratory analysis of a sample of studies to better understand the relationship between these two concepts and showed how the fit could sometimes be improved. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of this study for future research.