Identifying Factors Affecting Acceptance of E-procurement Systems: An Initial Qualitative Study at an Australian City Council Communications of the IBIMA

Acceptance of e-procurement systems by employees working in the local government sector is important to ensure improved organisational effectiveness for city and rural councils alike. Although a rich body of literature exists regarding the organisational adoption decisions of e-procurement systems and their impact on organisational performance, little is however known about the factors that affect the acceptance of these systems by employees working in organisations. Using a qualitative case study research approach, we have thus examined the factors that are associated with e-procurement systems acceptance at a large Australian city council. Two sets of factors comprising perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, employee involvement, reliability, customised training, vendor support and management support are identified and their underlying relationships are discussed in the light of the existing literature. Finally, the implications of our findings are explained.