Training experiences and usage intentions: A field study of a graphical user interface

User perceptions about the attributes of an information system have been found to be good predictors of system utilization intentions. This paper explores the effects of an important intervention, user training, on the development of user perceptions about a target system. The theoretical model underlying the study postulates that two other classes of variables-situational and individual-moderate the relationship between training and user perceptions. Predicted usage behavior, measured through intended use of the system in the future, is, in turn, predicated upon perceptions of the system. We present the results of a field study of 230 users conducted to examine the impacts of training on the development of user perceptions about a graphical user interface, Microsoft Windows, and the relationship between user perceptions and system use. Two different types of training experiences, formal training and self training, were investigated. Results show that user perceptions are reasonable predictors of usage intentions, and that training experiences moderated by several individual variables play an important role in the development of user perceptions. Recommendations for the design of user training programs as well as for future research are offered. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited.