A comparative analysis of successful and unsuccessful Information Centers

Findings of a field study that examined some differences between successful and unsuccessful Information Centers (ICs) from the end-users’ point of view are presented here. The study involved ten large companies representing a diverse range of industries. The research methodology consisted of Selection Phase, where ten large organizations with ICs were selected, Interview Phase, where IC managers were interviewed and detailed background information of ICs was collected, and Survey Phase, where the responses of 238 end-users were collected. Results of the interviews and the data analysis of the survey are presented and discussed. The ICs were grouped as successful and unsuccessful based upon the end-user’s response to the End-User Computing satisfaction instrument. End-users from successful ICs perceived higher satisfaction and higher benefit for services under all categories of support compared with end-users from unsuccessful ICs. As the levels of end-users advanced, the satisfaction and benefit for services tend to decline for both successful and unsuccessful ICs. Support from successful ICs was perceived significantly better than from unsuccessful ICs on all six dimensions: adaptability, timeliness, availability, dependability, accessibility, and adequacy. Many other differences between the two groups have also been explored.