An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship Between IT Training Sources and IT Value

Information technology (IT) training has been identified as a key factor for the success of IT applications and the most frequently applied coping mechanism to handle changing IT. However, there is a question as to how IT training has to be conducted to obtain desired outcomes (higher levels of IT value). This paper analyses the presence of IT training sources used by firms and examines the influence on IT business value. Here, IT training is studied according to three IT training sources: in-house IT training, outside IT training, and self IT training by employees. In addition, differences in IT training sources are analysed according to two contingency factors: business size and business industry. Results show a positive relationship between IT training sources (outside and self IT training) and IT business value and confirm that IT training sources are positively related to business size and differ moderately by business industry.