Authors - Emmanuel Opoku Debrah, Sunet Eybers, Corne J. van Staden Abstract - Student Information and Management Systems (SIMS) are increasingly being implemented in higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries. However, with these mandatory systems, there is limited evidence of user satisfaction. This systematic literature review investigates the influence of technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) factors on user satisfaction with the use of mandatory SIMS in HEIs in developing countries, with a focus on Ghana. A search was conducted across six databases and Google Scholar, focusing on the past decade (2015-2025). Two reviewers independently evaluated the studies' quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT 2018). The average consensus MMAT score was 4.08/5 (7 High, 14 Moderate, 5 Lower quality). A total of 1,382 records were screened and considered for duplicates and applicability. The result was 27 empirical studies. A narrative synthesis supported by thematic mapping identified the most frequently reported determinants: system quality, reliability, and performance (n=18); organizational support, IT capacity, and management readiness (n=12); perceived usefulness, ease of use, and user experience (n=10); ICT infrastructure and connectivity (n=9); and information quality (n=6). The synthesis suggests that TOE factors are not independent: technological advantages can be offset by organizational weaknesses, and environmental factors set an upper limit to satisfaction. This suggests that Ghanaian HEIs focus on integrated investments in user training, technical support, and infrastructure rather than just system upgrades.
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