| Abstract: | ABSTRACT There is increasing pressure on social service agencies to produce “results,” and often agency computer information systems are associated with efforts to do so. The current study explores worker characteristics that may interact with organizational factors in influencing data system utilization. A survey of 245 community social workers serving as field instructors was conducted. Worker skill and experience with computers accounted for a large part of the variance on the utilization of information systems followed by the user-friendliness of the system and the workers' beliefs that data are useful in their work. The findings suggest that organizations seeking to increase worker utilization of information systems will need to focus on enhancing worker's computer skills as well as assuring that the information is easy to use and is perceived as useful by workers. |
