Decision Support Systems 13 (1995) 75-91 75 North-Holland Usefulness and ease of use: field study evidence regarding task considerations * Mark Keil a,* Peggy M. Beranek a and Benn R. Konsynski b,1 a Computer Information Systems Department, College of Busi- ness Administration, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 4015, Atlanta, GA 30302-4015, USA h Harvard Business School, Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02163, USA Usefulness and ease of use (EOU) are both believed to be important factors in determining the acceptance and use of information systems. Yet, confusion exists regarding the rela- tionship between these two constructs and the relative impor- tance of each in relation to use. Usefulness is seen as a function of task/tool fit, while EOU is viewed as a task-inde- pendent construct reflecting intrinsic properties of the user interface. This paper presents the results of a field study illustrating the hazards of focusing on EOU and overlooking usefulness. Based on the study, the authors suggest that perceived EOU may be a function of task/tool fit. Keywords: Usefulness; Relative advantage; Ease of use; EOU; Complexity task; Task-Tool fit; Usability 1. Introduction Usefulness and ease of use (EOU) are both believed to be important factors in determining acceptance and use of information systems. Soft- ware developers now place considerable empha- sis on building systems that are "easy to use." In many cases, however, the intended users have been unimpressed with the usefulness of the re- sulting product. Two examples illustrate this point. Mark Keil is an Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems in the College of Business Administration at Georgia State University. He received his D.B.A. in management informa- tion systems from the Harvard Busi- ness School in 1991. His research in- terests include implementation of in- formation systems, human/computer interaction, knowledge-based systems, and the impacts of information tech- nology on individuals and organiza- tions. Peggy M. Beranek is an Assistant Pro- fessor of Computer Information Sys- tems in the College of Business Ad- ministration at Georgia State Univer- sity. She received her Ph.D. in man- agement information systems from the University of Arizona in 1991. Her research interests include task analy- sis and usability engineering for inter- face design, and computer supported collaborative work systems. * We want to thank the Associate Editor and three anony- mous reviewers for their helpful comments. We also want to thank Jeff Smith, Fred Davis, Ephraim McLean, Lea Keil Garson, and Judy Fridovich-Keil for their feedback on earlier drafts of this manuscript. Research funding from the Harvard Business School's Division of Research is also gratefully acknowledged. Corresponding author. l Author's present address is: Benn R. Konsynski, Decision and Information Analysis, Emory Business School, Atlanta, GA 30322. Benn R. Konsynski is a Visiting Pro- fessor at the Harvard Business School. Prior to that he was a professor at the University of Arizona, where he was cofounder of the university's group decision support laboratory. He com- pleted his Ph.D. in computer science at Purdue University in 1976. His cur- rent research interests include organi- zational and systems design issues. His articles have appeared in Communi- cations of the ACM, Harvard Business Review, IEEE Transactions on Com- munications, MIS Quarterly, Journal of Management Infor- mation Systems, and many other publications. 0167-9236/95/$09.50 ©1995 - Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved SSDI 0 167-9236(94)E0032-9