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Article history: Library operation and management requires the performance of a number of repetitive, painstaking,
Available online 27 November 2012 labour- and time-intensive activities. Hence, in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, many
libraries are moving towards automation of the majority of their activities. Libraries are deploying Radio
Keywords: Frequency Identification (RFID) technology as a substitute for barcode systems for item identification
IS Success Model and tracking, and this ultimately enables the automation of the majority of their processes. It is apparent
RFID
from the available literature that research on RFID-related issues is largely concentrated on technical,
Use
organizational and implementation aspects, and less attention has been paid to understanding the use
User satisfaction
and user-satisfaction aspects. Therefore, this article aims to understand factors affecting the use of RFID
systems and user satisfaction in a library context by empirically testing relevant constructs from DeLone
and McLean’s IS Success Model. A questionnaire-based survey was employed to collect data from a total of
181 respondents, who were all active users of an RFID-based library system. The findings from this study
suggest that factors like system quality, use and user satisfaction positively influence consumer attitudes
towards RFID-enabled services. The concluding section outlines salient points and briefly describes the
associated limitations of this research, along with suggestions for future research directions.
© 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction of the majority of activities outlined above. To this end, Radio Fre-
quency Identification (RFID) technology is being utilized to play a
The management and operation of libraries (particularly large vital role in library automation.
ones) requires a number of activities to be performed repeatedly. RFID technology has revolutionized the system of item identi-
Such activities include (but are not limited to) tagging new items, fication and tracking. RFID allows the automated identification of
shelving, issuing items to customers, alerting staff to late returns, products by embedding chips with wireless antennas into them
re-shelving after returns, inventory management, and protecting (Bose, Ngai, Teo, & Spiekermann, 2009). In a typical RFID system
items from theft. These activities are repetitive, painstaking, and radio waves are generated, modulated, amplified and then trans-
labour/effort and time intensive. Manual operation of such activ- mitted by a radio frequency transmitter via an antenna. The radio
ities requires high levels of resources in terms of the number of waves, in turn, are received and processed by RFID tags, which
people required and the amount of time and budget needed, and send back a unique ID and other data via radio waves to a radio
this makes it likely that human errors will arise in a number of frequency receiver (Ampatzidis & Vougioukas, 2009). In a library
activities, hence affecting both the efficiency and the effectiveness context, RFID tags are embedded within the objects of interest (such
of a library operation. In the hope of increasing efficiency and effec- as books, journals, and DVDs) and the receiver is integrated within
tiveness, therefore, many libraries are moving towards automation various systems such as self-checkout systems, security systems
and inventory management systems.
RFID tagging of objects is becoming the successor technology to
barcodes, particularly in libraries. Molnar and Wagner (2004, p. 25)
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +44 0 1792 602340; fax: +44 0 1792 295626. argue that libraries represent a fast-growing application of RFID, as
E-mail addresses: ykdwivedi@gmail.com, y.k.dwivedi@swansea.ac.uk the technology promises to relieve repetitive strain injury of staff,
(Y.K. Dwivedi), kawalkap@gmail.com (K.K. Kapoor), m.d.williams@swansea.ac.uk
allow rapid self-checkout for patrons, and make comprehensive
(M.D. Williams), jwillia3@glam.ac.uk (J. Williams).
1
Tel.: +44 0 1792 295181; fax: +44 0 1792 295626. inventory possible. Libraries began using RFID as a substitute for
2
Tel.: +44 0 1443 482936. the electro-magnetic and barcode systems in the late 1990s (Ayre,
0268-4012/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2012.10.008
368 Y.K. Dwivedi et al. / International Journal of Information Management 33 (2013) 367–377
2005). Since then, RFID has been utilized to play an imperative 2. Literature review
role in redefining the library process to simplify tasks for users and
library staff. It makes available a platform from which to automate RFID as a technology is surfacing at an incredibly rapid pace, cre-
the majority of processes executed by the library staff. ating a space that is full of conjecture concerning the advantages
Due to its effective role in item identification and tracking, RFID that its investments may have to offer (Irani et al., 2010). Library
technology is now utilized in various contexts, including library management using RFI-based systems is one of the most popu-
management. Daily streams witness RFID assisting in preventing lar applications of this technology. The implementation of RFID in
thievery of goods and automobiles, traffic control, automated man- libraries dates back to the late 1990s. The literature suggests that
agement of parking areas and vehicle access control, business the first ever deployment of RFID in a library environment was in
campuses and airports, ski lifting, inventory and supply chain man- 1998, at the Singapore Public Library (Engel, 2006). Singapore was
agement and more (Juban & Wyld, 2004; Reyes, Frazier, Prater, also the first country in the world to implement RFID systems across
& Cannon, 2007). Farms use tags to keep track of their animals, all of its 21 public libraries (Ayre, 2005).
while others use them to identify lost pets, and warehouses and Although the two universally acknowledged advan-
supermarkets tag their goods/items to better manage inventory tages/benefits of RFID systems in the library context are patron
(Want, 2004). The drug administration industry is using RFID to self-checking and patron satisfaction (Kern, 2004), there are
identify drugs and thwart counterfeiting, and, as described above, several other advantages reported from its application, both in
libraries are deploying RFID to effectively manage their systems, library management and other application areas. Some of these
and the tags are being incorporated into DVDs to prevent movie benefits include: automation/elimination or reduction in labour
piracy (O’Conner Catherine, 2005). A further brief discussion the (Ferrer, Dew, & Apte, 2010); capacity expansion (Ferrer et al.,
on various applications (including library management) and advan- 2010); cost effective, inexpensive, easy and low maintenance (Liu,
tages of RFID-based systems and tagging of objects is provided in Tan, & Chu, 2009; Tesoriero, Tebar, Gallud, Lozano, & Penichet,
Section 2. 2010); self-service/reduction of staff injury (Ayre, 2005; Ching
Although RFID-based tagging and systems offers several bene- & Tai, 2009; Engel, 2006; Erwin & Kern, 2003; Hicks, 1999; Yu,
fits, including cost savings, its adoption in an organizational context 2007, 2008); enhanced customer satisfaction (Ferrer et al., 2010;
has been slow due to a number of reasons, including high cost Park, Heo, & Rim, 2008); facilitates communication with mul-
of implementation and integration issues (Irani, Gunasekaran, & tiple tags simultaneously (Abad et al., 2009; Kim & Choi, 2010;
Dwivedi, 2010). Due to this, the majority of initial scholarly and Kumar, Reinitz, Simunovic, Sandeep, & Franzon, 2009; Lau, Yung,
industry efforts have focused on understanding and overcoming & Yung, 2010; Wang, Chen, & Xie, 2010; Yu, 2007); faster response
technological shortcomings. Very little scholarly attention has yet time/greater speed/reduced cycle time (Apte, Dew, & Ferrer, 2006;
been paid to understanding the user or consumer perspective. This Coyle, 2005; Kern, 2004; Kumar et al., 2009; Tesoriero et al., 2010);
has been highlighted by a recent review on the topic by Irani inventory tracking and visibility/enhanced forecasting/reduced
et al. (2010), who argued that future scholarly efforts should be stock-outs/closed-loop tracking (De Kok, Donselaar, & Woensel,
made to investigate management and end-user-related issues that 2008; Doerr, Gates, & Mutty, 2006; Ferrer et al., 2010; Kang &
might be contributing to the failure of RFID implementation efforts. Stanley, 2005; Kumar et al., 2009; Lee, Lin, Lim, & Lee, 2009;
For example, a handful of studies (Pramatari & Theotokis, 2009; Lee & Ozer, 2007; Niederman, Mathieu, Morley, & Kwon, 2007;
Rothensee & Spiekermann, 2008) from the retail domain have Wen, 2010); longer lifetime of battery (Coyle, 2005; Kern, 2004;
illustrated that staff/user resistance, and the associated consumer Tesoriero et al., 2010); increased data storage (Kumar et al., 2009;
apprehensions in accepting this technology, effectively result in the Phillips, Karygiannis, & Huhn, 2005; Wu & Yen, 2007); no line of
failure of such implementations. It then becomes critical to scruti- sight required (Abad et al., 2009; Bansode & Desale, 2009; Kumar
nize the factors affecting customer acceptance or rejection in other et al., 2009); reduces theft and counterfeiting (De Kok et al., 2008;
areas of RFID application, including library management. Staake, Thiesse, & Fleisch, 2005).
Despite the fact that patron self-checking and patron satisfac- All these advantages and benefits compound the fact that RFID
tion (Kern, 2004) have been recognized as the two most imperative is very practical and can be opportunely implemented in various
benefits of RFID application in libraries, our literature analysis contexts (Liu et al., 2009). Table 1 presents a comparative repre-
discloses that barely any previous effort has been invested in sentation of the benefits laid out across different RFID application
empirically examining these benefits. The existing literature on areas.
technology adoption (for example Anandarajan, Igbaria, & Anakwe, As well as highlighting the advantages of RFID application, previ-
2002; Gudigantala, Song, & Jones, 2011; Lin, 2011; Udo et al., 2010; ous studies have identified several technical, economical and social
Wang, Wu, Lin, & Wang, 2011) recommends that it is important challenges and limitations that organizations encounter when
to understand the factors that affect use and user satisfaction implementing RFID. Some such challenges and limitations include:
to promote the usage of a system. Considering the above dis- cost (Abad et al., 2009; Brown & Russel, 2007; Ching & Tai, 2009;
cussion, this research aims to examine factors that determine Kumar et al., 2009; Roberts, 2006); difficulty in reading tags on
usage and user satisfaction of RFID-based systems in libraries. products containing high amounts of water and metals (Kumar
The proposed aim was achieved by undertaking an empirical et al., 2009); difficulty in reading ultra-high-frequency tags near
examination of user perceptions with the aid of an online survey a human body (Kumar et al., 2009; Roberts, 2006); intermittent
method. and unreliable readings (Rappold, 2003; Roberts, 2006); middle-
The remainder of this paper is structured as follows: Section ware design (Chen, Gonzalez, Leung, Zhang, & Li, 2010); multiple
2 will present a brief review of the literature on RFID appli- item readings (Smart & Schaper, 2004); perpendicular orientation
cations and advantages. A brief discussion on the development of the tag to the antenna of the reader make reading difficult/large
of the conceptual model utilized in this research is then pro- number of tagged objects randomly placed may cause invisibil-
vided in Section 3. Section 4 describes the research methodology ity (Want, 2004); privacy and security (Atkinson, 2004; Ayoade,
employed to conduct this research, and Section 5 presents the 2006; Berthold, Gunther, & Spiekermann, 2005; Edwards & Fortune,
findings obtained from the analysis of the survey data. A discus- 2008; Erwin & Kern, 2003; Jones, Clarke-Hill, Hillier, Shears, &
sion of the reported findings is provided in Section 6. Finally, the Comfort, 2004; Kelly & Erickson, 2005; Kumar et al., 2009; Muir,
study concludes by outlining its limitations, and future research 2007; Roberts, 2006); recycling (Kumar et al., 2009); standard-
directions. ization (Abad et al., 2009; Brown & Russel, 2007; Ching & Tai,
Y.K. Dwivedi et al. / International Journal of Information Management 33 (2013) 367–377 369
Table 1
RFID application domains and benefits/advantages.
Automation O’Conner Catherine Ayre (2005) Bose et al. (2009) Wang et al. (2010)
(2005)
Eliminates human error Ferrer et al. (2010) Yu (2008) Wen (2010)
Capacity expansion Engel (2006) Wang et al. (2010)
Cost effective Ferrer et al. (2010) Boss (2004)
Low maintenance Yu (2007)
Self service Kern (2004)
Customer satisfaction Coyle (2005) Han, Lim, and Lee
(2007)
Simultaneous multiple-tag Molnar and Wagner Huang, Zhang, and Adenso-Diaz and
communication (2004) Jiang (2007) Gascón (1999)
Cycle time reduction Coyle (2005) Adenso-Diaz and
Gascón (1999)
Information sharing O’Conner Catherine Lee and Ozer (2007) Kern (2004) Kim and Chong (2007)
(2005)
Inventory tracking Chen et al. (2010) Bansode and Desale Gaukler, Seifert, and Wang et al. (2010)
(2009) Hausman (2007)
Longer lifetime Yu (2007)
No line of sight required Coyle (2005) Deyle, Nguyen,
Reynolds, and Kemp
(2010)
Safety Lee and Ozer (2007)
Reduces Hicks (1999) Herianto Sakakibara,
theft/counterfeiting Koiwa, and
Kurabayashi (2008)
2009; Loebbecke & Huyskens, 2008); managerial issues (Hildner, Halvatzis, and Tsipouridou’s (2010) study, which examined the suc-
2006), and vandalism (Coyle, 2005; Engel, 2006; Gomez-Gomez, cess of the Greek Taxation Information System. Since the purpose
Ena-Rodriguez, & Priore, 2007; Hopkinson & Chandrakar, 2006; of this research is also to examine the satisfaction of users who
Kern, 2004). have already adopted RFID technology, DeLone and McLean’s IS
Having introduced the benefits/advantages, challenges and lim- Success Model (DeLone & McLean, 1992, 2002, 2003, 2004; Petter
itations of RFID technology, the next section will discuss the & McLean, 2009; Urbach & Muller, 2011) was considered the most
theoretical basis of this study, propose the conceptual model to appropriate model for this study. All constructs (except net bene-
be used, and formulate the relevant hypotheses. fits) from DeLone and McLean’s IS Success Model were utilized to
examine the factors affecting the use and user satisfaction arising
from using RFID systems. Since the paper aimed at the use and user
3. Theoretical basis and development of conceptual model satisfaction aspects, the net benefit construct was removed.
In line with the IS Success Model (DeLone & McLean, 2002, 2003),
A number of alternative theories and models have been the proposed model postulates that information quality, system
utilized to examine the individual adoption of information sys- quality, and service quality influence the actual use of RFID-based
tems/information technology. The following are examples of some systems in libraries. The model also proposes that use, information
of the most frequently utilized theories and models: Technol- quality, service quality and system quality will have a significant
ogy Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989; Hsiao & Yang, 2011; Kim influence on user satisfaction. Fig. 1 illustrates the adapted IS Suc-
& Garrison, 2010; Park, Roman, Lee, & Chung, 2009); Theory of cess Model, and the formulated hypotheses are presented in Table 2
planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991; Hansen, Jensen, & Solgaard, 2004; and briefly discussed in remaining paragraphs of this section.
Lean, Zailani, Ramayah, & Fernando, 2009); Diffusion of innova-
tions (Lean et al., 2009; Rogers, 2003); and Theory of reasoned
3.1. System quality (SQ)
action (Hansen et al., 2004; Lean et al., 2009). All of these theo-
ries and models and their constructs are appropriate for examining
According to Urbach and Muller (2011), system quality is made
the intention and use of a technology. However, they are less appro-
up of the desirable characteristics of an information system and,
priate when research intends to examine aspects of post-adoption
hence, accounts for measures of the information system itself,
behaviour, for example user satisfaction and the success of the
implemented system. Since the purpose of this research is to exam-
ine the use and user satisfaction of RFID systems in a library context,
the aforementioned theories are considered less appropriate here. RFID System Quality
One of the most established and frequently utilized theories
that facilitates the examination of success and user satisfaction RFID System Use
is DeLone and McLean’s IS Success Model (DeLone & McLean, Service Quality
1992, 2002, 2003, 2004). The following six interrelated constructs Obtained from Library
Staff
together form IS success: system quality, information quality,
service quality, (intention to) use, user satisfaction, and net bene- User Satisfaction
fits. A large number of previous studies have utilized this model to
Information Quality
examine users, user satisfaction and the success of systems. Exam-
ples of recent applications of this theory include Kim, Oh, Shin,
and Chae’s (2009) study, which examined use of, and user satis- Fig. 1. Proposed conceptual model for examining user adoption of RFID.
faction regarding, ubiquitous computing, and Floropoulos, Spathis, Source: Adapted from DeLone and McLean (2003, 2004).
370 Y.K. Dwivedi et al. / International Journal of Information Management 33 (2013) 367–377
Table 2 that service quality equates to the discrepancy between the cus-
Description and proposed relationships of factors included for examining user adop-
tomer’s perception and their expectation. Hence, satisfying a user’s
tion of RFID.
expectations leads to increased overall user satisfaction (Pitt et al.,
Constructs Description of constructs Source 1995). Kim et al.’s (2009) study also reported a significant influence
and proposed
of service quality on the use of ubiquitous computing. An empiri-
relationships with
dependent constructs
cal examination by Floropoulos et al. (2010), which examined the
success of the Greek Taxation Information System, demonstrated
System quality Refers to desirable DeLone and McLean
the significant influence of service quality on perceived usefulness
characteristics of an (2003) and Urbach and
information system, Muller (2011) and user satisfaction. Udo, Bagchi, and Kirs (2010) also observed
which will positively significant effects of web service quality on intention to use and
influence use of RFID user satisfaction. In line with previous studies described above, the
systems and user
following hypotheses are proposed for empirical testing:
satisfaction
Service quality Represents the quality of Berthold et al. (2005), H3. Service quality will significantly influence use of RFID sys-
the support (i.e. training, DeLone and McLean
tems.
or helpdesk) that the (2003), and Urbach and
library users receive Muller (2011) H4. Service quality will significantly influence user satisfaction.
from the library staff,
which will positively
influence the use of RFID 3.3. Information quality (IQ)
systems and directly
affect the user satisfaction The measures of the information quality construct include time-
Information quality Refers to the desirable DeLone and McLean
liness, accuracy, availability, completeness, consistency, precision,
characteristics of output (2003), Hildner (2006),
of an information Loebbecke and Huyskens
reliability, scope, relevance, and format of information generated
system, which will (2008) and Urbach and by an information system (Seddon & Kiew, 2007; Urbach & Muller,
positively influence use Muller (2011) 2011). Urbach and Muller (2011, p. 5) stated that the IQ is ‘often
of RFID systems and user seen as a key antecedent of user satisfaction’. An empirical exami-
satisfaction
nation by Rai, Lang, and Welker (2002) on use and user satisfaction
Use Use is a measure of the DeLone and McLean
spread of the technology, (2003), Gunther and of student information systems demonstrated a significant effect of
and is likely to have a Spiekermann (2005), information quality on perceived usefulness and user satisfaction.
significant influence on McGinity (2004), More recently, similar observations were reported by Floropoulos
user satisfaction Pramatari and Theotokis
et al. (2010) when explaining the success of the Greek Taxation
(2009), and Urbach and
Muller (2011)
Information System. The findings of this study demonstrated that
User satisfaction Refers to the degree of DeLone and McLean information quality significantly influences perceived usefulness
pleasure/happiness (2003), and Urbach and and user satisfaction of the Greek Taxation Information Systems
obtained from the use of Muller (2011) (Floropoulos et al., 2010). Kim et al. (2009) also illustrated a sig-
the technology in
nificant influence of information quality on the use of ubiquitous
question
computing. Petter and McLean (2009) conducted a meta-analysis
of findings reported in published studies that examined the effect
which specifically concentrate on the usability aspects and per- of information quality on use (five studies) and user satisfaction
formance characteristics of the system in question. Wu and Wang (10 studies). The findings from their meta-analysis demonstrated
(2006) highlighted that the importance of system quality is con- that, overall, information quality had a strong and significant influ-
cerned with the following: whether there are errors in the system, ence on both use (across five studies) and user satisfaction (across
ease of use, stability, response time and flexibility. More recently, 10 studies) constructs (Petter & McLean, 2009). Considering the
Kim et al. (2009) illustrated the significant influence of system qual- above discussion, it can be argued that the greater the information
ity on the use of ubiquitous computing. Petter and McLean (2009) quality of RFID systems in libraries, the more likely it is that the sys-
conducted a meta-analysis of findings reported in nine published tem will be used and the user will be satisfied. Thus, the following
studies that examined the effect of system quality on use and user hypotheses are proposed for empirical testing:
satisfaction. The findings from their meta-analysis demonstrated
H5. Information quality will significantly influence use of RFID
that, overall (across nine studies), system quality had a strong and
systems.
significant influence on both use and user satisfaction constructs
(Petter & McLean, 2009). Considering the above discussion, it can H6. Information quality will significantly influence user satisfac-
be argued that the greater the quality of RFID systems in a library, tion.
the more likely it is that the system will be used and the user will be
satisfied. Thus, the hypotheses proposed for empirical testing are: 3.4. Use
H1. System quality will significantly influence use of RFID sys-
Urbach and Muller (2011), describe use as the degree and man-
tems.
ner in which an information system is employed. They go on to
H2. System quality will significantly influence user satisfaction. elaborate that measuring the usage of an information system is a
broad concept which can be considered across several perspectives.
3.2. Service quality (SQ) DeLone and McLean (2002, 2003, 2004) argued that use, specially
informed and effective use, is an important indication of IS success.
Service quality refers to all direct or non-direct assistance A number of previous studies (Chiu, Chiu, & Chang, 2007; Halawi,
offered in relation to a service or a purchase that the organization McCarthy, & Aronson, 2007; Iivari, 2005), which each conducted
has to offer, to enhance customer experience (Pérez-Mira, 2010). empirical tests, found evidence in support of DeLone and McLean’s
DeLone and McLean (2003, 2004) argued that poor user support (2002, 2003, 2004) argument, as they illustrated a significant pos-
will result in lost customers and decreased sales. Pitt, Watson, and itive relationship between use and user satisfaction. Considering
Kavan (1995) reviewed and analyzed various studies to conclude the above discussion, it can be argued that the greater the use of
Y.K. Dwivedi et al. / International Journal of Information Management 33 (2013) 367–377 371
Constructs Survey questions/items (Sources: Derived from With the survey instrument fully designed and in place, before
DeLone and McLean (1992, 2003, 2004), targeting a larger population, a pilot study was conducted to ensure
Floropoulos et al. (2010) and Kim et al. (2009))
the questionnaire’s understandability and ease from the respon-
System quality (SYQ) SYQ1: Library’s self-issue/return terminals are user dent perspective. The pilot study involved a total of five students,
friendly and care was taken to involve students from different study pro-
SYQ2: The response time of the self-issue/return
grammes. The respondents found the survey simple to understand
terminals is acceptable
Service quality (SEQ) SEQ1: I can get support from the library staff when and quick to complete. Minor comments/suggestions were made,
I encounter problems in using the self-issue/return and these were addressed and incorporated into the final version
terminals of the questionnaire.
SEQ2: Library staff are generally available to
resolve problems that I may have encountered
regarding the use of self-issue/return terminals 4.3. Data collection
Information quality (IQ) IQ1: The information displayed at the
self-issue/return terminals regarding their use is
Data was collected from student users of a UK higher education
understandable
IQ2: The information displayed at the institution’s library that had successfully implemented RFID-based
self-issue/return terminals regarding their use is self-issue/return terminals. Since students were the prime users
sufficient and useful of the RFID-enabled services installed at the library, they were
Use (U) U1: I use self-issue terminals to issue books at the considered to be the most appropriate population for testing the
library
U2: I use self-return terminals to return issued
proposed hypotheses regarding use and user satisfaction of RFID-
books based systems. Hence, the population of this survey consisted solely
User satisfaction (US) US1: The selfissue/return terminals meet my of students at the selected institution. After determining the popu-
library (book issue/return) needs lation, the next step was to circulate the survey to all the students
US2: I am satisfied with the self-issue/return
who used library services; the library staff were contacted to facil-
terminals’ efficiency
US3: Overall, I am satisfied with the itate this, and the library then e-mailed the online survey in the
self-issue/return terminals mid of July 2010 to all student users of the selected library, asking
for those interested to complete the survey. The library staff were
responsible for the circulation of the survey and the total size of
RFID systems in libraries, the more likely it is that their users will the targeted population was not disclosed. The respondents were
be satisfied. Thus, the proposed hypothesis for empirical testing is: requested to return the completed questionnaires within 15 days.
We received 197 completed questionnaires within the specified
H7. System use likely to have significant influence on user satis- duration. After careful checking, it was found that 16 questionnaires
faction. had missing data for several of the Likert-scale-type questions.
After careful consideration, it was deemed appropriate to remove
4. Research method the incomplete data from these 16 questionnaires in order main-
tain accuracy and reliability. Finally, the data collected from the
The survey research method, employing online questionnaires, 181 responses were subjected to further analyses using SPSS data
was considered an appropriate method for examining the use and analysis software, the findings from which are presented in Section
user satisfaction of RFID systems in a library context. The following 5 and discussed in Section 6.
section presents details on the survey instrument utilized to col- Analyses of the data included generating the frequency and per-
lect data, the pilot test conducted, and the administration of the centage of demographic variables, reliability tests to determine
questionnaire. the internal consistency of survey items, and descriptive statistics
(means and standard deviations) of the Likert-scale-type questions.
Finally, two linear regression analyses were conducted in order to
4.1. Survey instrument
test the hypotheses formulated in Section 3.
The survey questionnaire utilized for data collection in this
research included two types of questions. The first type were 5. Findings
multiple-choice in nature, and aimed to capture data related to
the following: (1) demographic characteristics (such as age, gen- 5.1. Demographics
der, education) of respondents; (2) frequency of library visit; and
(3) awareness of RFID technology. Table 4 presents the demographics of the survey respondents
The second type consisted of a total of 11 Likert scale ques- in terms of age, gender, educational qualifications, library visit fre-
tions. These questions were included to collect perceptual data with quency and RFID awareness. The table illustrates that the largest
which to test the hypotheses and conceptual model presented in proportion of respondents are 18–24 years old (70.7%), female
the previous section. The respondents had to rate each question on (63.5%), and studying for an undergraduate degree. The majority
a five-point Likert scale (Hui & Triandis, 1989; Kim et al., 2009), as of respondents visited the library either once in two weeks (27.1%)
follows: 5 = strongly agree; 4 = agree; 3 = neither agree nor disagree; or once in a month (28.2%), and 56.4% of respondents were not
2 = disagree; 1 = strongly disagree. These 11 Likert scale questions aware of RFID technology (see Table 4).
were designed to measure the perceptions of respondents in terms
of five different constructs (as illustrated in Fig. 1 and listed in 5.2. Reliability test
Table 3). Each construct was made up of a specific set of questions
from the survey. Eleven out of a total of 16 survey questions were A reliability test was conducted to measure the internal consis-
mapped against the respective constructs, as exemplified in Table 3. tency of the survey items for each construct, the results of which are
As described above, the remaining five questions collected data on presented in Table 5. According to Hinton, Brownlow, McMurray,
the five demographic factors. and Cozens (2004) there are four cut-off points for Cronbach’s alpha
372 Y.K. Dwivedi et al. / International Journal of Information Management 33 (2013) 367–377
Table 7
Regression analysis I: examining the influence of system quality, service quality, and information quality on system use.
Table 8
Regression analysis I: examining the influence of system quality, service quality, information quality, and system use on library user satisfaction.
As discussed in Section 3.1, a number of previous stud- The third explanatory variable, service quality, was introduced
ies have illustrated the appropriateness of the system quality in the 2003 version of DeLone and McLean’s IS Success Model. Since
construct to explain use and user satisfaction regarding a new sys- its inclusion in the model, a number of studies have empirically
tem/technology. For example, system quality successfully explains tested its effect on use and user satisfaction. However, the major-
the use and/or user satisfaction of knowledge management systems ity of these studies have found that the service quality construct
(Wu & Wang, 2006), ubiquitous computing (Kim et al., 2009), and is ineffective in explaining system and user satisfaction (Petter &
the Greek Taxation Information System (Floropoulos et al., 2010). McLean, 2009; Petter et al., 2008). Once again, the findings from
Petter, DeLone, and McLean (2008, pp. 249–250) listed 14 studies this study (see Tables 6–8) in relation to this construct are in line
reporting significant effects of system quality on system use, and 21 with the findings reported in the majority of previous studies.
studies that reported a significant positive influence of system qual- The possible reason for this (specific to the context of this study)
ity on user satisfaction. In a similar vein, Petter and McLean (2009), could be that both of the survey items that were used to measure
by conducting a meta-analysis of nine published studies, demon- service quality revolved around the availability of staff to resolve
strated that across all nine studies system quality had a strong problems encountered by patrons at the self-service terminals; the
and significant influence on both the use and user satisfaction con- respondents showed poor agreement with this construct. It could
structs. The importance of system quality for promoting the use of have been the case that either the library staff could not provide
RFID-based systems to consumers has been highlighted by Gunther readily available for assistance with the terminals, or the major-
and Spiekermann (2005) and McGinity (2004). Our findings (see ity of users have never needed help, as they may able to use the
Tables 6–8) are in line with the majority of existing research on system without any problems. This is also evidenced by the higher
the IS Success Model and arguments made by RFID researchers proportion of variance explained by system quality and information
that the quality of RFID-based systems is an important factor for quality.
determining the use of the system and the satisfaction of library More generally, a reason for the underperformance of this con-
users. struct could be hidden in the underlying purpose for creating it.
Along with system quality, the information quality construct According to DeLone and McLean (2003) the need for including
was included as a core construct in both 1993 (DeLone and McLean, the service quality construct was triggered by the changing role
1993) and 2003 (DeLone & McLean, 2003) versions of the IS Suc- of the IS function from information provider to service provider.
cess Model. Its importance and usefulness for explaining use and However, the authors argued that ‘to measure the success of a sin-
user satisfaction is evidenced by a number of existing articles that gle system, “information quality” and “system quality” may be the
have tested the effect of this construct. For example, information most important quality components’ (DeLone & McLean, 2003, p.
quality has successfully explained the use and/or user satisfac- 18). They further added that service quality may be the most impor-
tion of integrated student information systems (Rai et al., 2002), tant construct if one wants to examine the overall success of the IS
ubiquitous computing (Kim et al., 2009) and the Greek Taxation department (DeLone & McLean, 2003, p. 18). The majority of studies
Information System (Floropoulos et al., 2010). Petter et al. (2008, that have utilized the 2003 version of the IS Success Model (includ-
p. 250) listed four studies reporting a significant effect of infor- ing this study on RFID-based systems) have examined individual
mation quality on system use, and 15 studies that reported a systems rather than the overall success of IS departments, and this
significant positive influence of information quality on user satis- could explain its non-significance in a number of studies, including
faction. Petter and McLean’s (2009) meta-analytic study concluded ours. Service quality is more likely to be effective when measur-
by analyzing findings from a number of published studies that ing the success of web-based systems in comparison to individual
overall information quality has a significant influence on both use systems, such as RFID systems.
and user satisfaction constructs. In line with above discussion, Finally, use of the RFID-based system had a significant and sub-
the findings (see Tables 6–8) from this study also confirm that stantial effect on user satisfaction from using RFID-based systems
information quality is an important factor for determining use of within the library (see Tables 6–8). The finding in relation to this is
the system and user satisfaction from of the use of RFID-based in line with the findings reported in previous studies, such as that
library systems. by Petter et al. (2008, p. 252), who listed four studies (including
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Y.K. Dwivedi et al. / International Journal of Information Management 33 (2013) 367–377 377
Wu, J. H., & Wang, Y. M. (2006). Measuring KMS success: A respecification of the MBA degree awarded from Swansea University, Wales. Her ongoing PhD research
DeLone and McLean’s model. Information and Management, 43, 728–739. is on the Diffusion of Innovations. She carries three years of work experience in the
Wu, Y. C. J., & Yen, T. C. (2007). RFID technology innovations: The use of patent IT industry, as a software engineer with Accenture Services Private Limited, India.
data. International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 10(1),
106–120. Michael D. Williams is a Professor in the School of Business and Economics at
Yu, S. C. (2007). RFID implementation and benefits in libraries. The Electronic Library, Swansea University in the UK. He holds a BSc from the CNAA, an MEd from the
25(1), 54–64. University of Cambridge, and a PhD from the University of Sheffield. He is a member
Yu, S. C. (2008). Implementation of an innovative RFID application in libraries. Library of the British Computer Society and is registered as a Chartered Engineer. Prior to
Hi Tech, 26(3), 398–410. entering academia Professor Williams spent twelve years developing and imple-
menting ICT systems in both public and private sectors in a variety of domains
Yogesh K. Dwivedi is a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems and E-Business at including finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, and local government, and
the School of Business and Economics, Swansea University, Wales, UK. He obtained since entering academia, has acted as consultant for both public and private organi-
his PhD and MSc in Information Systems from Brunel University, UK. He has co- zations. He is the author of numerous fully refereed and invited papers within the
authored several papers which have appeared in international referred journals such ICT domain, has editorial board membership of a number of academic journals, and
as CACM, DATA BASE, EJIS, ISJ, ISF, JCIS, JIT, JORS, and IMDS. He is Associate Editor of has obtained external research funding from sources including the European Union,
EJIS, Assistant Editor of TGPPP, Managing Editor of JECR and member of the editorial the Nuffield Foundation, and the Welsh Assembly Government.
board/review board of several journals. He is a member of the AIS and IFIP WG8.6.
Janet Williams is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Glamorgan Business School.
Kawal Kapoor is a PhD candidate in the school of Business and Economics at She holds BSc (Econ) and MSc (Econ) from Cardiff University. Her research interests
Swansea University, Wales. She has her bachelors in industrial engineering & man- are focused upon the social, economic and organisational implications of techno-
agement from JSSATE, India. She is a master of business administration and has her logical change, and utilisation of the internet.