The role of users’ emotions and associated quality goals on appropriation of systems: two case studies

In this paper, we examine the role of peoples’ emotions or feelings about a system and the associated system qualities in encouraging adoption and effective use of systems. In two different contexts, we examine the use of a learning management system in an educational setting and a personal emergency alarm system in an aged care setting. This study reveals that technology appropriation – a term used to capture adoption and ongoing use, is driven by different emotions depending on whether users are in the adoption decision-making stage or during actual use. Findings from this study also suggest that social factors influence peoples’ emotions in the decision to adopt a system. However, as people use a system over time, it is the non-functional system qualities, based on personal experiences with the look, feel, functionality and features that trigger positive and negative emotional responses. Our findings therefore propose that these emotional responses should be considered during system design and implementation to encourage appropriation and avoid rejection of systems.