Affordance-based Conceptualization of adaptive Use of Enterprise Systems

Prior studies suggest adaptive use as the key to maximize the benefit from enterprise systems (ESs). In order to understand adaptive use, we need to explore users' perceptions of working possibilities of systems in use. However, we have a limited understanding of how users perceive the adaptive use possibilities that a system could offer. This study, therefore, investigates users' perceptions of adaptive use possibilities, by carrying out a case study of an ES project in a large chemical company. By drawing on the concept of affordances, we present an affordance-based model of adaptive use. This study makes three key contributions: a) it contributes to adaptive use literature by exploring the perceptual linkage from multiple affordances to adaptive use; b) it offers a relational view of affordances by illustrating the interplay between multiple affordances; and c) it extends current understanding of affordances in IT literature with the concept of human affordances and the dual quality of affordances.