Determining the improvement potentials of employee portals using a performance‐based analysis

Purpose – The overall purpose of this study is to inform practitioners about the levers for improving their employee portals. Design/methodology/approach – The authors introduce a theoretical model that is based on the DeLone and McLean IS success model, which considers the specific requirements of employee portals. They tested the associations between their model's success dimensions by using more than 4,400 employees' responses, which were collected in 12 companies across different industries. They applied structural equation modeling to carry out the causal analysis. In addition, within a performance‐based analysis, they further investigated the success dimensions' improvement potentials. Findings – The results of the causal analysis indicate that besides the factors contributing to the success of information systems (IS) in general, other success dimensions – like the quality of the collaboration and process support – have to be considered when aiming for a successful employee portal. The performance‐based analysis emphasizes the significance of collaboration quality to improve an employee portal and indentifies the respective fields of action. Research limitations/implications – This paper's contribution to theory is the empirical validation of a model for investigating employee portal success. The performance‐based analysis further elaborates on the causal analysi's findings. The results advance theoretical development in the area of employee portals and serve as a basis for future research in this field. Practical implications – This model offers a means for organizations to evaluate and predict the success of employee portals. The study's findings make it possible for practitioners to understand the levers with which to improve their employee portals and to prioritize their investments accordingly. Originality/value – This study is among the first, which empirically validates a comprehensive success model for employee portals and highlights its practical usefulness by means of a performance‐based analysis.