Task-Technology Fit and Process Virtualization Theory: An Integrated Model and Empirical Test

62 Pages Posted: 8 Mar 2010

See all articles by Eric M. Overby

Eric M. Overby

Georgia Institute of Technology

Benn Konsynski

Emory University - Goizueta Business School

Date Written: March 8, 2010

Abstract

Task-technology fit and process virtualization theory are two theories developed by IS scholars to advance our understanding of the role and impact of information systems in business and society. Task-technology fit seeks to explain the use and associated outcomes of technologies designed to complete tasks. Process virtualization theory seeks to explain whether processes are suitable for migration into virtual environments such as those enabled by information technology. We integrate these two theories and test the integrated model by assessing the fit of electronic channels to the process of purchasing vehicles in the wholesale automotive market. The research makes three contributions. First, the integrated model addresses a gap in the task-technology fit literature by replacing the generic “task / technology characteristics” antecedents of task-technology fit with the constructs from process virtualization theory. This improves the prescriptive power of task-technology fit without sacrificing its generalizability. Second, the paper represents the first empirical test of the propositions of process virtualization theory, thereby helping determine how the theory operates in practice. Third, integrating the two theories deepens the IS discipline’s theoretical foundation by combining their strengths to improve our understanding of IS phenomena.

Keywords: task-technology fit, process virtualization theory, Information Systems theory, survey data, archival data, partial least squares, structural equation modeling, automotive

Suggested Citation

Overby, Eric M. and Konsynski, Benn, Task-Technology Fit and Process Virtualization Theory: An Integrated Model and Empirical Test (March 8, 2010). Emory Public Law Research Paper No. 10-96, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1567097 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1567097

Eric M. Overby (Contact Author)

Georgia Institute of Technology ( email )

800 West Peachtree St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30308-1149
United States

Benn Konsynski

Emory University - Goizueta Business School ( email )

1300 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30322-2722
United States

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