more information. As a result, they will feel information overload more quickly than
people who have a high tolerance for ambiguity. However, people with high
ambiguity tolerance can perform better when confronted with an increasing amount
of information, and their level of IO will be lower than people who have a low
tolerance for ambiguity. Therefore, tolerance for ambiguity can determine perceived
IO. This results in the following proposition:
Proposition 6 Tolerance for ambiguity has a negative impact on IO. The more
tolerant people are towards ambiguity, the less IO they are likely to experience
positively affecting organizational health.
2.5 Information Quality
Information quality is largely determined by the availability, accuracy and understandability of information. Important documents may be available but inaccessible
because they are stored in numerous places and various conflicting standards may be
used. This lack of a cohesive and standard system to make important information
accessible results in IO. If relevant information were easily available, the quality of
information would increase and perceived IO would decrease. We propose that if
information systems provide more relevant information, decision-makers would not
have to spend time evaluating irrelevant information, thus reducing perceived IO.
Proposition 7 The availability of information provided by the information system
has a negative impact on IO. The more people perceive the information provided by
the information system to be relevant, the less IO people are likely to experience
positively affecting organizational health.
Accuracy of information is a second determinant of information quality. The
decision-maker evaluates the accuracy of the information. When users come across
information they think might be inaccurate, they have to check its validity. The time
this takes cannot be spent processing accurate information. When there is much
inaccurate information, much information must be evaluated without a purpose. This
means time is wasted. Correspondingly, perceived IO will be higher when information accuracy is lower. Therefore, we posit the following proposition:
Proposition 8 The accuracy of information provided by the information system has
a negative impact on IO. The more people perceive the information provided by the
information system to be accurate, the less IO people are likely to experience.
When people do not understand the information generated by the information
system, they are confronted with low-quality information. Information becomes less
understandable when it is duplicate, unclear, false or anonymous. When information
is duplicate, the user gets confused and cannot understand the text. Unclear information can occur due to, for example, a poor-quality interface. When people think
the information provided is true, but in fact it is false, they are misled. When a source
of information is anonymous, people may be reluctant to believe or trust the
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people who have a high tolerance for ambiguity. However, people with high
ambiguity tolerance can perform better when confronted with an increasing amount
of information, and their level of IO will be lower than people who have a low
tolerance for ambiguity. Therefore, tolerance for ambiguity can determine perceived
IO. This results in the following proposition:
Proposition 6 Tolerance for ambiguity has a negative impact on IO. The more
tolerant people are towards ambiguity, the less IO they are likely to experience
positively affecting organizational health.
2.5 Information Quality
Information quality is largely determined by the availability, accuracy and understandability of information. Important documents may be available but inaccessible
because they are stored in numerous places and various conflicting standards may be
used. This lack of a cohesive and standard system to make important information
accessible results in IO. If relevant information were easily available, the quality of
information would increase and perceived IO would decrease. We propose that if
information systems provide more relevant information, decision-makers would not
have to spend time evaluating irrelevant information, thus reducing perceived IO.
Proposition 7 The availability of information provided by the information system
has a negative impact on IO. The more people perceive the information provided by
the information system to be relevant, the less IO people are likely to experience
positively affecting organizational health.
Accuracy of information is a second determinant of information quality. The
decision-maker evaluates the accuracy of the information. When users come across
information they think might be inaccurate, they have to check its validity. The time
this takes cannot be spent processing accurate information. When there is much
inaccurate information, much information must be evaluated without a purpose. This
means time is wasted. Correspondingly, perceived IO will be higher when information accuracy is lower. Therefore, we posit the following proposition:
Proposition 8 The accuracy of information provided by the information system has
a negative impact on IO. The more people perceive the information provided by the
information system to be accurate, the less IO people are likely to experience.
When people do not understand the information generated by the information
system, they are confronted with low-quality information. Information becomes less
understandable when it is duplicate, unclear, false or anonymous. When information
is duplicate, the user gets confused and cannot understand the text. Unclear information can occur due to, for example, a poor-quality interface. When people think
the information provided is true, but in fact it is false, they are misled. When a source
of information is anonymous, people may be reluctant to believe or trust the
168
G. van de Kaa