The Effect of Education on Information Systems Success: Lessons from Human Resources

Research into the relationship between education and information systems (IS) success (use, satisfaction, and impact) has produced mixed results. Such results seem counterintuitive, given the many benefits that education brings to the workplace. However, workplace research from Human Resources (HR) has similarly found that education has little direct effect on job performance. Instead, education has indirect effects on job performance through job expertise, which is what drives behavior and job performance. The present research integrated the Delone & McLean IS Success Model with the Job Performance Model, and found similar results: in a survey of 465 professionals working in business analytics (BA), user education level had no direct effect on IS success (BA tool use, satisfaction, and impact). Instead, education level had a positive effect on expertise with the BA tool, which in turn positively affected BA tool use. These results build upon those from HR, and suggest that education has an indirect effect on IS success, rather than a direct effect.