From Attribution Theory and IS Success Aspects, Examining How and Why Nostalgia Affects the Introduction of a New IT System

Abstract

The current era is bursting with new technology; advances are made by crafting new technology from old knowledge. If new beneficial technology is continually rejected by people, it could pose a problem. When a new IT system is introduced, gossip related to the old system being superior could prevail. The voice of “the old one was better” is a nostalgia circumstance, which could prevent the success of new systems. However, this common and critical problem has been ignored in IT literature. According to attribution theory, when outcomes are not as positive as expected, people may attribute the cause to external factors such as challenging tasks or a poor new system. Without proper intervention, nostalgia, which is itself a surrogacy of regression and stress, makes employees perceive new systems as not useful for helping their performance. Ultimately, this can lead to the failure of the new system. This study examined the effects of nostalgia in IT system implementation, with the hypothesis that nostalgia negatively affects perceived usefulness (PU) and intention to continue (CI). The total effects of nostalgia on PU, satisfaction, and CI were −0.42, −0.26, and −0.47, respectively. Finally, strategies for ameliorating nostalgia and management implications are suggested.