Social influence and end-user training

axiom that user training is a key element in MIS success [3, 16]. Included among positive outcomes afforded by user training are improved user attitudes, behavior, and performance. Although the typical focus of training programs is their technical content, many practit ioners have demonstrated that social factors could be instrumental in the target system’s success or failure. Indeed, it is recommended that researchers examine how methods of training can enhance motivation to learn and use software [3, 16, 17]. Unfortunately, there is little or no literature that includes actual manipulation of such “soft” variables [16]. The study presented in this article provides such manipulation. More specifically, we wanted to discover the extent to which training outcomes such as attitudes, behavior, and performance are influenced by peers through informal, verbal, word-of-mouth (WOM) communication, rather than derived solely through direct experience or formal channels. This article reports on a deception experiment that employed confederates in three experimental groups.