The perception of information technology investment and its impact on productivity at small private colleges

The current study was conducted to examine the phenomenon known as the Information Technology Productivity Paradox in the context of small private colleges. The premise of the paradox is that information technology investment does not yield significant improvement in productivity (Brynjolfsson, 1993). A qualitative phenomenological research design was used to explore and understand the lived experiences and perceptions of 21 faculty members and professional staff. Data collection consisted of open-ended interviews, analyzed using NVivo 8 software. The study participants identified that information technology investment was imperative and had positive impact on their productivity, but room for significant improvement in productivity remains. Communication between leaders and end-users was found by participants to be a key in information technology implementation and productivity improvement. Based on the lived experiences and perceptions of faculty and staff, the Information Technology Productivity Paradox exists in some measure.