Abstract
The labour market requires the knowledge and skills for usage of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions from graduates of business studies – future employees. Because ERP solutions are the most frequently used business software in organisations in all industries, more and more schools are incorporating them in their courses. Teaching real business case problem-solving in classrooms, using these solutions require innovative and adapted teaching methods. Because of this, schools need to know what the attitudes of students toward these solutions are. The main objective of the chapter is, therefore, the identification of important external factors that contribute to the acceptance of ERP solutions among economic and business studies students and that shape student intentions to use this knowledge in the future. The conceptual model of our research is based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), extended by identified important external factors that refer to students' characteristics, organisational-process characteristics, as well as system and technological characteristics.
TopIntroduction
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions are the most widely used integrated software solutions for business support in organisations from almost all industries worldwide. They are used by nearly all employees at the operational level and majority of managers. ERP solutions are not strategic advantage anymore; they have become strategic necessity for conducting business in globalised and digitally transformed economy.
Employees can use ERP solutions at basic level of knowledge and expertise, or they can be used at advanced and more sophisticated level. Because the ERP usage by its users in organisations has become more and more important, it is not surprising that the research studies regarding adoption and acceptance of ERP solutions by users at different levels within organisations are emerging (for example see Costa et al., 2016). The most used research models in these studies are (Awa et al., 2016): technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989), theory of reasoned action (TRA) (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991), innovation diffusion theory (IDT) (Rogers, 2003), stage model (SM) (Poon & Swatman, 1999), technology-environment-organisation (T-O-E) (Tornatzky & Fleisher, 1990) and resource-based view (Caldeira & Ward, 2003). In this area, TAM proved to be the most suitable model to study adoption in information systems (IS) (Costa et al., 2016; Shih & Huang, 2009; Sternad & Bobek, 2013; 2014; Costa et al., 2016) and therefore numerous IS researchers apply this research model to research ERP acceptance as well.
Because of its importance for organisations, ERP found its way to the curriculum of many business schools. In some study programmes, ERPs are included in courses only in lectures, explaining what ERPs are and why they are important. Only few business schools include the teaching of ERPs use in real cases in computer labs where students are using ERP solution. There is no doubt that the knowledge and skills of ERP solutions usage are among important competencies of graduates in the field of economics and business, for achieving a competitive position in the labour market (for example, Hepner & Dickson, 2013; Nisula & Pekkola, 2012; etc.) Hepner & Dickson (2013) research showed evidence of increased business knowledge and understanding, increased student placement, or an increase in graduates’ salaries after investment in the ERP. In past few years, selected topics of ERP solutions have become an integrative part in curricula in the management and business studies (Chen et al., 2011; Rienzo & Han, 2011), within courses, such as Accounting Information Systems, Enterprise Resource Planning, Information Systems etc. On the other hand, all leading ERP vendors such as SAP, Microsoft, Oracle etc. have university academic alliances such as SAP University Alliances (SAP, 2018), Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance (Microsoft, 2018), Oracle University (Oracle, 2018) etc. which help higher education institutions to integrate ERP solutions into their curriculum and thus preparing students with hands-on experience in using modern business applications.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): TAM is an acronym, which is usually referred to part of an information systems theory. It models the understanding of how users accept and use a technology. The model put forward the understanding of number of factors, which are influencing their decision regarding how and when they will remarkably use a new technology.
Computer Aided Learning Environment: The term refers to classroom as a learning environment equipped with computers or any other digital technology, which is used to improve the quality and value, supplement, or replace an existing, long-established educational course of study.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): ERP is an acronym, which is usually referred to business management technology and software. Typically, it is referred to a suite of technology and software integrated applications that any type of an organization can use to save, collect, govern, and interpret data from its work activities.
Digital Learning: The term refers to any type of learning, which is accompanied by digital technology or by instructional exercises to improve one’s effective use of digital technology.