User adoption and purchasing intention after free trial: an empirical study of mobile newspapers

Marketing stimuli such as free trial has been widely used to increase user acceptance and intention to purchase information services. Information technology (IT) acceptance theories, such as the technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, have been widely used to explain information system (IS) usage. These theories, however, do not explicitly consider the effect of marketing stimuli that would influence and shape user beliefs, attitude and behavior towards the use and purchase of new IS/IT. Echoing calls for advancing knowledge in technology acceptance, we propose a theoretical model based on expectation conformation theory to investigate the effect of marketing stimuli in the form of free trial and price of using IS on consumers’ acceptance decision process. In this study, free trial of mobile newspaper is used as the research context. A survey sample of 192 responses is used to test the model. Results suggest that the trial experience has an impact on post-trial beliefs and attitude. Perceived fee also has an effect on the acceptance of the information service when the users need to pay for the service.     

The relationship between information technology acceptance and organizational agility in Malaysia

We examined the influence of information technology (IT) acceptance on organizational agility. The study was based on a well-established theoretical model, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). We attempted to identify the relationships between IT acceptance and organizational agility in order to see how the acceptance of technology contributes to a firm's ability to be an agile competitor. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze the data. Results from a survey involving 329 managers and executives in manufacturing firms in Malaysia showed that actual system or technology usage had the strongest direct effect on organizational agility. Meanwhile, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of IT influenced organizational agility indirectly through actual systems or technology use and attitudes towards using the technology. The results have several implications for IS management.     

Predicting electronic service continuance with a decomposed theory of planned behaviour

Previous research suggests that an eventual information technology (IT) success depends on both its initial adoption (acceptance) and subsequent continued usage (continuance). Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) has been successfully used to predict users' acceptance of IT. Yet, this theory has not been applied to the context of continuance of IT. This paper examines post-adoption cognitive beliefs and factors influencing one's intention to continue using (continuance) electronic services (e-services). Decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB) is adapted from social psychology and integrated with theoretical and empirical findings from prior information systems (IS) usage research to theorize a model of e-service continuance. Specifically, the research model decomposes the perceived behavioural control components of TPB into Internet self-efficacy and perceived controllability, the subjective norm component into social influences and interpersonal influence, and the attitude component into perceived usefulness, perceived playfulness, and perceived risk. Nine research hypotheses derived from this model are empirically validated using a field survey of Web-based tax filing service users. The results suggest that users' continuance intention is determined by Internet self-efficacy and satisfaction. Satisfaction, in turn, is jointly determined by interpersonal influence, perceived usefulness, and perceived playfulness.     

Lifestyle-technology fit: Theorizing the role of self-identity in IS research

Sociology and modernist theories have long emphasized the central role of lifestyle in processes of self-identity and attitude formation. Furthermore, lifestyle has been used to great effect in marketing and health research to predict attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors, but has largely been ignored in the IS field. In this study, we demonstrate the potential usefulness of incorporating lifestyle into IS research by using lifestyle cluster segmentation in the context of technology adoption. Based on a U.S. national random sample of 402 non-cloud service users, we propose, analyze, and validate a multi-faceted model of cloud technology adoption that integrates technology attributes—the dominant predictors in IS adoption and acceptance models—with a range of demographic, domestic, leisurely and professional variables for providing a holistic theoretical understanding of and practical insights into the technology adoption process.     

Factors influencing the acceptance of healthcare information technologies: A meta-analysis

Healthcare information technologies (HIT) can address several challenges faced by healthcare systems. To benefit from the advantages HIT offer, users must first accept them. This meta-analysis synthesizes previous research on HIT acceptance. It uses data from 214 independent samples reported in 193 articles and 83,619 technology users from 33 countries. The study contributes to the HIT literature by (1) synthesizing the empirical findings on technology acceptance factors and combining them in a comprehensive model, (2) testing the mediating mechanisms of health technology acceptance, and (3) examining contextual differences. The study finds that HIT acceptance depends on various predictors proposed by the technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. These factors displayed strong indirect effects through effort expectancy, perceptions of the technology, performance expectancy, and attitudes toward using HIT. Studies overlooking these effects may underestimate the importance of various acceptance factors. Finally, the results suggest that technology acceptance varies across healthcare technologies (remote information systems [IS], wearables), users (staff/patients, age, voluntariness, experience), and locations (hospitals, healthcare systems, life expectancy in country). We also provide IS managers with guidance for improving technology acceptance in the healthcare industry to ensure efficient, high-quality services.     

Extending the two‐stage information systems continuance model: incorporating UTAUT predictors and the role of context

This study presents two extensions to the two‐stage expectation‐confirmation theory of information systems (IS) continuance. First, we expand the belief set from perceived usefulness in the original IS continuance model to include three additional predictors identified in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, namely effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. Second, we ground the IS continuance model in the context of transactional systems that involve transmission of personal and sensitive information and include trust as a key contextual belief in the model. To test the expanded IS continuance model, we conducted a longitudinal field study of 3159 Hong Kong citizens across two electronic government (e‐government) technologies that enable citizens' access to government services. In general, the results support the expanded model that provides a rich understanding of the changes in the pre‐usage beliefs and attitudes through the emergent constructs of disconfirmation and satisfaction, ultimately influencing IS continuance intention. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the expanded model.     

Online Banking Information Systems Acceptance: An Empirical Examination of System Characteristics and Web Security

Prior work on the technology acceptance model (TAM) is mainly devoted to the influence of TAM’s core motivational factors and their impact on behavioral intent toward IS acceptance. Relatively little research has focused on what specific system design characteristics motivate individuals toward IS acceptance. This article identified specific systems design factors and examined their impact on TAM’s motivational factors through the TAM. The findings will help designers to design and implement better user-accepted systems.     

Do I have to learn something new? Mental models and the acceptance of replacement technologies

Few studies in technology acceptance have explicitly addressed the acceptance of replacement technologies, technologies that replace legacy ones that have been in use. This article explores this issue through the theoretical lens of mental models. We contend that accepting replacement technologies entails both mental model maintenance and mental model building: mental model maintenance enables users to apply their knowledge of the legacy technologies, and mental model building helps users acquire new knowledge and reform their understanding to use replacement technologies. Both processes affect user perceptions about replacement technologies, which in turn affect user intentions to use them. In addition, this study explores how perceived compatibility between replacement and legacy technologies affects both mental model processes. A research model was developed and empirically tested with survey data. The results in general support our arguments. Based on the findings, we offer a few suggestions that can promote user acceptance of replacement technologies.     

Using structural technology acceptance models to segment intended users of a new technology: Propositions and an empirical illustration

This article aims to offer an alternative method to analyse technology acceptance models, namely a segment‐wise analysis. The empirical illustration of this method involves data that were collected during a company‐wide implementation of a Sales Force Automation technology in Europe. The data comprise a variety of commonly used technology‐related, context‐related, and person‐related variables. The segmentation procedure, which involved a finite mixture partial least squares estimation, provides more insight into the different ways in which people come to accept new technologies. Unlike other segmentation studies published in IS journals, the resulting segments are based on similarities and differences in the structure of the underlying theoretical models rather than (a collection of) individual variables. Further research or a re‐analysis of existing data should help establish robust “technology acceptance model”‐based segments as well as comprehensive profiles of the individuals in each segment.     

A strategic path to study IT use through users’ IT culture and IT needs: A mixed-method grounded theory

We consider recent research in IS, as well as recent advances in the fields of psychology and sociology. As an alternative to existing models, we propose a new strategic path to study IT use through users’ IT culture and IT needs. Our contributions are (1) theoretical: we investigate the predictive value for IT usage of several new constructs and show that both expectancy-based and needs-based theories of motivation should be taken into account in acceptance models, (2) methodological: we adopt an exploratory, mixed-method, grounded theory approach and use both quantitative and qualitative data and methods, an unusual approach in IS research that allows new perspectives, and (3) practical: our results highlight the fact that highly IT-acculturated users may hinder (rather than facilitate) new-IT acceptance if their situational IT needs are ignored. Therefore, when the strategic decision of implementing new IT is made, managerial attention must be focused on these users in order to drive toward the alignment of their IT needs and managerially-perceived organizational IT needs.Our work opens the way to numerous avenues for future research.     

Internet adoption by the elderly: employing IS technology acceptance theories for understanding the age-related digital divide

Information technology (IT) allows members of the growing elderly population to remain independent longer. However, while technology becomes more and more pervasive, an age-related underutilisation of IT remains observable. For instance, elderly people (65 years of age and older) are significantly less likely to use the Internet than the average population (see, for instance, European Commission, 2011). This age-related digital divide prevents many elderly people from using IT to enhance their quality of life through tools, such as Internet-based service delivery. Despite the significance of this phenomenon, the information systems (IS) literature lacks a comprehensive consideration and explanation of technology acceptance in general and more specifically, Internet adoption by the elderly. This paper thus studies the intentions of the elderly with regard to Internet use and identifies important influencing factors. Four alternative models based on technology acceptance theory are tested in the context of comprehensive survey data. As a result, a model that explains as much as 84% of the variance in technology adoption among the elderly is developed. We discuss the contribution of our analyses to the research on Internet adoption (and IT adoption in general) by the elderly, on the digital divide, and on technology acceptance and identify potentially effective paths for future research and theoretical development.     

Understanding information systems continuance: The case of Internet-based learning technologies

Our research model expanded the Bhattacherjee's IS continuance model by adding a moderating effect (IS habit) to IS continuance intention and IS continued usage, postulating direct links between satisfaction and IS continued usage, as well as between prior behavior and IS continued usage. The model was tested with an Internet-based learning technology in a longitudinal setting. Data collected from 505 students were examined using partial least squares analysis. The results presented strong support for the theoretical links of IS continuance model, and for the new moderating effect. Both satisfaction and prior behavior were found to have significant impact on IS continuance. In addition, our findings confirmed the theoretical argument that the strength of intention to predict continuance was weakened by a high level of IS habit.     

Coping with information technology challenges to identity: A theoretical framework

Drawing on ideas from identity control theory and coping theory and on a diverse range of social psychology literature, we propose an integrative theoretical framework that unpacks and traces the processes by which information technology comes to affect users’ identity. We define four types of strategies (acting on the situation, adjusting the self, cathartic practices and distancing) through which people cope with technological challenges to the self. We suggest that these strategies may lead to four individual-level outcomes, namely reinforced identity, redefined identity, ambivalent identity and anti-identity. The model is provided with a preliminary support through reference to real life situations, carefully selected from extant empirical IS enquiries.     

The effects of generational differences on use continuance of Twitter: an investigation of digital natives and digital immigrants

This study links generational literature and information systems (IS) research by investigating the effect of generational differences on the usage of Twitter. Using theories of technology acceptance and IS continuance, we propose a research model to explore whether digital natives (DN) and digital immigrants (DI) perceive technology differently, and whether any such differences affect Twitter use-continuance behaviour. Structural equation modelling analysis of survey data from 385 users reveals that DN and DI perceive Twitter differently, providing partial support for the propositions of the model. The findings emphasise the role of generation in explaining users' continuance behaviour, with DN experiencing more social pressure to use Twitter, and finding it easier to use – but less useful – than do DI. This study has important implications for research in that it contributes to the debate on generational differences and to the IS continuance literature.     

Understanding Chinese users’ continuance intention toward online social networks: an integrative theoretical model

This study explores users’ continuance intention in online social networks by synthesizing Bhattacherjee’s IS continuance theory with flow theory, social capital theory, and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to consider the special hedonic, social and utilitarian factors in the online social network environment. The integrated model was empirically tested with 320 online social network users in China. The results indicated that continuance intention was explained substantially by all hypothesized antecedents including perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, usage satisfaction, effort expectancy, social influence, tie strength, shared norms and trust. Based on the research findings, we offer discussions of both theoretical and practical implications.     

An empirical study on the integrative pre-implementation model of technology acceptance in a mandatory environment

Technology acceptance has been studied extensively within the IS discipline. Few, if any, have studied end users’ acceptance of newly implemented technologies within organisational contexts before end users start using the technology. Thus, by integrating variables from multiple relevant literature, this research attempts to answer this research question: will the introduction of a richer model for technology acceptance in a mandatory adoption environment, specifically in the pre-implementation phase, allow us to capture and account for the complexities of organisational technology implementations? The research model was tested in an organisational setting where a new content management system was being implemented. A total of 148 employees participated in this survey and partial least squares method was used to analyse the data to test the model. Implementation climate, valence, attitude, and perceived ease of use positively influence goal commitment to technology acceptance in a mandatory environment, and the model has displayed relatively large explanatory and predictive power. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the paper.     

Delineating the effects of general and system-specific computer self-efficacy beliefs on IS acceptance

This paper discusses extensions to previous research on computer self-efficacy (CSE) and systems acceptance by examining the impact of multilevel CSE on IS acceptance. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), we examined the effects of general and system-specific CSE on perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and behavioral intention to use a system. The results of a field experiment indicated that system-specific CSE represented a stronger predictor of perceived usefulness and behavioral intention than general CSE. In contrast, general CSE had a stronger effect on perceived ease of use. The research and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Rethinking the concept of the IS organization

Do conceptualizations of the information systems (IS) organization reflect findings from research studying requirements for successfully harnessing information, systems and technology to achieve operational and strategic objectives? This paper addresses this question, reporting on an analysis of articles published in leading academic and practitioner journals. It describes how the IS organization is portrayed in these studies and examines the results of this analysis through a sensitizing lens constructed from research that has studied how organizations generate business value from IS. The lens depicts this objective as a quest to harness knowledge that is distributed enterprise wide. The analysis suggests that conceptualisations of the IS organization used by researchers do not reflect the requirements for generating business value from information technology that have been identified in the literature. Whilst highlighting that definitions are vague or more often absent, it challenges the dominant orthodoxy of the IS organization as a separate organizational unit suggesting that it is a more pervasive construct. The implications of this conclusion for practice, research and teaching are considered.     

Wearable technologies: The role of usefulness and visibility in smartwatch adoption

Although still in the early stages of diffusion, smartwatches represent the most popular type of wearable devices. Yet, little is known about why some people are more likely to adopt smartwatches than others. To deepen the understanding of underlying factors prompting adoption behavior, the authors develop a theoretical model grounded in technology acceptance and social psychology literatures. Empirical results reveal perceived usefulness and visibility as important factors that drive adoption intention, suggesting that smartwatches represent a type of ‘fashnology’ (i.e., fashion and technology). The magnitude of these antecedents is influenced by an individual's perception of viewing smartwatches as a technology and/or as a fashion accessory. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.