AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING PREDICTED SUCCESS IN DSS IMPLEMENTATION

This paper describes the results of an experiment that examined the ef fects of four factors hypothesized to influence the predicted success at various stages of the implementation of a proposed Decision Support System (DSS). The setting for the experiment was the development of a n interactive financial budget planning and expense tracking system. T he experiment was framed using two basic models: the three-stage chang e process comprising unfreezing, moving, and refreezing; and second, a model for the management of technological change. The four factors st udied were: (a) the time allowed for completion of the systems develop ment and implementation effort; (b) the presence or absence of a champ ion; (c) the ease with which the managerial change required by the pro posed system could be reversed; and (d) the level of success in the pr eceding stage or stages of the change process. The subjects were mid-l evel managers and staff attending evening MBA classes at the Universit y of Minnesota.