Exploring Factors Influencing High-Performance Computing System Utilisation: A Quantitative Study at a Selected Higher Learning Institution

Description

Page: 01-10

Reginald M. Ndwamai and Hlanganipai Ngirande (Department of Human Resource Management and Labour Relations, University of Venda, South Africa)

Understanding how organisational support, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness influence the actual use of a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system sheds light on its adoption within a higher education institution. A quantitative approach with a descriptive design was employed, surveying 218 respondents, including Master’s and PhD students and academic staff, using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected through online self-administered questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 29.0. The findings revealed strong positive correlations between organisational support, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and actual use of the HPC system, supporting prior research on technology adoption (Davis, 1989; Venkatesh et al., 2003). A moderate positive correlation was found between organisational support and perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness This suggests that users who feel supported by their institution are more likely to find the system easy to use and valuable. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was found between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as well as between perceived ease of use and actual use, indicating that users who find the system simple to use are more likely to adopt it. Additionally, there was a moderate positive correlation between perceived usefulness and actual use highlighting that users engage more with the system when they recognise its benefits. In conclusion, organisational support and user perceptions are key to successfully implementing and using new technologies.