Office Information Systems and Service-Delivery Efficiency in Federal Universities: Evidence from South-East Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of Office Information Systems (OIS) on service-delivery efficiency in federal universities in South-East Nigeria. Anchored on the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model (2003) and the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989), the research focused on two critical dimensions: system quality and integration, and user competence and utilization. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and covered a population of 118 senior administrative officers responsible for records management in the registry departments of five federal universities—University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike; and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Due to the manageable population size, a census approach was used, yielding 111 valid responses (94% return rate). Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions, and multiple regression analysis for hypothesis testing. Findings revealed that OIS in the universities exhibit high system quality and integration (M = 4.02) and that users demonstrate strong competence in OIS utilization (M = 3.88). Service-delivery efficiency was rated very high (M = 4.16). Regression results indicated that OIS significantly enhance service delivery (R² = 0.661, F = 105.36, p < .001), with both system quality (β = 0.493) and user competence (β = 0.428) exerting statistically significant positive effects. The study concludes that robust OIS infrastructure and sustained user competence are vital to administrative efficiency and service improvement in Nigerian universities. It recommends regular system upgrades, continuous staff digital training, and stronger policy support for full OIS integration across administrative operations.