A model of organizational employees’ e-learning systems acceptance

This study examines the factors that influence employees’ adoption and use of e-learning systems and tests the applicability of the technology acceptance model (TAM) in the organizational context. We examined the relationship of employees’ perceptions of their behavioral intention to use e-learning systems in terms of four determinants (individual, organizational, task characteristics, and subjective norm), to further explore the effects of management and organizational support on the subjective norm. Data were 357 valid questionnaires from four industries in Taiwan. The findings indicate that organizational support and management support significantly affected perceived usefulness and intention to use. Individuals’ experience with computers and computer self-efficacy had significantly positive effects on perceived ease of use. Task equivocality significantly influenced perceived usefulness. Organizational and management supports significantly impacted the subjective norm, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and intention to use. Additionally, the results suggest that external variables that affect perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and intention to use, need to be considered as important factors in the process of designing, implementing, and operating e-learning systems. The results provided a more comprehensive insight of individual, organizational, and task characteristics in predicting e-learning acceptance behavior in the organizational contexts, rarely tested in previous studies. By considering these identified factors, practitioners can take corresponding measures to predict or promote organizational employees’ e-learning systems acceptance more effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, by explaining employees’ acceptance behavior, the findings of this research help to develop more user-friendly e-learning systems and provide insight into the best way to promote e-learning systems for employees.     

Explaining physicians’ acceptance of EHCR systems: An extension of TAM with trust and risk factors

This paper explains physicians’ acceptance, in terms of usage intentions, of a central component of health information technology: electronic health care records (EHCR systems). For this purpose, the original version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which included perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude towards usage, and usage intentions, is extended with trust and risk-related factors such as physicians’ perceptions of institutional trust, perceived risk, and information integrity. The results stress the special importance of attitudinal factors (attitude towards usage and perceived institutional trust) and cognitive instrumental processes (mainly, usefulness perceptions) in determining physicians’ intention to use EHCR systems. Perceptions of institutional trust exerted strong direct effects on physicians’ perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude towards the use of EHCR systems. In addition, trust fully mediated the influences of perceived risk and information integrity perceptions on physicians’ acceptance of EHCR systems.     

Effects of individuals' locus of control and computer self-efficacy on their e-learning acceptance in high-tech companies

High-tech companies encounter intense competition in today's global economy. With rapid changes in working environments, high-tech employees must learn quickly and effectively to solve difficult problems and increase their productivity. Many large high-tech companies have recently implemented electronic learning (e-learning) for employee training. However, e-learning systems are expensive and often underutilised. Therefore, understanding the factors associated with acceptance to e-learning are of priority concern. By integrating locus of control, computer self-efficacy and technology acceptance model (TAM) into one model, this study examines the feasibility of the extended TAM to explain employee acceptance of e-learning systems. Data were collected from 223 employees at five high-tech companies located in the Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan. Analytical results indicate that locus of control had significant direct effects on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Computer self-efficacy had significant direct effects on perceived ease of use and behavioural intention to use. Overall, analytical results provide strong support for using the extended TAM to explain user acceptance of e-learning systems. The research and practical implications of findings are discussed.     

Empirical study on continuance intentions towards E-Learning 2.0 systems

Although E-Learning 2.0 has played a significant role in training and development within the organisational environment, after an initial acceptance, its use is frequently discontinued. Prior studies offered insights into participation in E-Learning; however, there is limited research on continuance intention towards E-Learning 2.0 systems in organisational contexts. Furthermore, the most widely used research models, such as technology acceptance model (TAM), neglect the interactive social processes in E-Learning 2.0. Therefore, this study proposes a unified model integrating the TAM, the information system success model and social motivation theories to investigate continuance intentions towards E-Learning 2.0 in an organisational context. A sample of 284 participants from companies in China that have already implemented E-Learning 2.0 systems took part in this study. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test the research hypotheses. The results show that the unified model provides a more comprehensive understanding of the cognitive processes and behaviours related to this context: (1) perceived usefulness and attitude were critical to the continuance intention towards an E-Learning 2.0 system; (2) perceived usefulness was a significant mediator of the effects from perceived ease of use, information quality and social influence on continuance intention; (3) perceived ease of use, information quality and social influence were found to play important roles in predicting the continuance intention; (4) system quality played an important role in affecting the perceived ease of use; and (5) unexpectedly, social motivations had no significant effect on attitude.     

Gender differences in perceptions and relationships among dominants of e-learning acceptance

This research attempts to extrapolate the results of education research about computer usage and IS research about technology acceptance to e-learning. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the objectives of this study are to explore gender differences in perceptions and relationships among dominants affecting e-learning acceptance. A survey of 67 female and 89 male employees taken from six international companies at the Hsin-Chu Science-based Industrial Park in Taiwan shows that men’s rating of computer self-efficacy, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention to use e-learning are all higher than women’s. Additionally, we found that women were more strongly influenced by perceptions of computer self-efficacy and ease of use, and that men’s usage decisions were more significantly influenced by their perception of usefulness of e-learning. These findings also suggest that researchers should take into consideration factors of gender in the development and testing of e-learning theories. Managers and co-workers, moreover, should realize that e-learning may be perceived differently by women and men. Based on these findings, implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Does the technology acceptance model predict actual use? A systematic literature review

ContextThe technology acceptance model (TAM) was proposed in 1989 as a means of predicting technology usage. However, it is usually validated by using a measure of behavioural intention to use (BI) rather than actual usage.ObjectiveThis review examines the evidence that the TAM predicts actual usage using both subjective and objective measures of actual usage.MethodWe performed a systematic literature review based on a search of six digital libraries, along with vote-counting meta-analysis to analyse the overall results.ResultsThe search identified 79 relevant empirical studies in 73 articles. The results show that BI is likely to be correlated with actual usage. However, the TAM variables perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU) are less likely to be correlated with actual usage.ConclusionCare should be taken using the TAM outside the context in which it has been validated.     

Predicting user satisfaction,strain and system usage of employee self-services

In this study, we explore attitudinal and behavioural patterns when using employee self-service (ESS) systems by using an expanded technology acceptance model (TAM). We examine the relationship between organizational support and information policy on the one hand and ease of use and usefulness on the other, and then the relationship between ease of use and usefulness with satisfaction, strain and system usage. To explore question order effects, user satisfaction was assessed prior to or after survey items. Data was collected from 517 employees using an ESS system. Results from partial least squares structural equation modelling suggests that (a) organizational support and information policy were positively related to ease of use, (b) usefulness was positively related to satisfaction and system usage, (c) ease of use and usefulness were negatively related to user strain and (d) ease of use fully mediates the relation between organizational support and strain as well as between information policy and strain. Evidence for a question order effect was found with increased satisfaction judgements, when satisfaction was assessed after the survey items. Results are discussed in terms of the theoretical and methodological aspects of the TAM and their implications for ESS system implementation.     

Job performance through mobile enterprise systems: The role of organizational agility,location independence,and task characteristics

This study examines how organizational workers improve their perceived job performance through the use of Mobile Enterprise Systems (MES), while also investigating the impact of perceived organizational agility and location independence on technology acceptance of MES. This study also tests the moderating role of task characteristics (task significance and feedback) on the relationship between MES usage and perceived job performance. Based on the extant technology acceptance model (TAM), we proposed an extended TAM and conducted a large-scale survey among organizational workers who use MES in their workplace across industries. Our findings suggest that both positive attitude toward MES and a high level of habitual MES usage are positively associated with perceived job performance, and that task characteristics positively moderate the relationship between habitual usage (attitude toward MES) and perceived job performance. More importantly, we also found that organizational agility is positively associated with both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, while location independence is positively associated with perceived ease of use. The present findings provide us with a deeper understanding of how organizational workers utilize MES and how they improve their perceived job performance through the use of MES. Based on these findings, we discuss further implications and limitations.     

Determinants of users’ intention to adopt wireless technology: An empirical study by integrating TTF with TAM

This paper reported the results of a survey study and provided evidences of empirically testing a model that integrates both technology acceptance model (TAM) and task-technology fit (TTF) model in understanding the determinants of users’ intention to use wireless technology in organizations. Questionnaires were distributed to organizations that bring mobile commerce into practice through the wireless handheld devices. The results indicated that both technology acceptance model and task-technology fit model are robust models by themselves. First, both perceived usefulness and ease of use significantly influence users’ behavior intention to utilize wireless technology. Perceived ease of use has significant effect on perceived usefulness. Second, characteristics of technology and task significantly predict the fit between these two constructs. Significant effect of characteristics of technology on perceived ease of use and usefulness were observed. Finally, significant relationships between TAM and TTF model were also observed. Task-technology fit is a significant direct predictor of technology adoption intention. Overall, users’ intention to adopt wireless technology in organizations was determined directly by fit between characteristics of task and technology as well as users’ perceived ease of use and usefulness.     

Cross-national differences in individual knowledge-seeking patterns: a climato-economic contextualization

Electronic Knowledge Repository (EKR) is one of the most commonly deployed knowledge management technologies, yet its success hinges upon employees’ continued use and is further complicated in today’s multinational context. We integrate multiple theoretical linkages into a research model, conceptualizing knowledge-seeking as an instrumental behavior, adopting the technology acceptance model to characterize the individual-level continued EKR knowledge-seeking behavioral model, and drawing on the climato-economic theory to explain cross-national behavioral differences. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we test the model with data from 1352 randomly sampled knowledge workers across 30 nations. We find that two national-level factors, climate harshness and national wealth, interactively moderate the individual-level relationship between perceived usefulness (PU) and behavioral intention (BI) to continue seeking knowledge from EKR, such that the difference in the strength of this relationship is larger between poor-harsh and poor-temperate nations than between rich-harsh and rich-temperate nations. We find similar cross-level cross-national differences for the link between perceived ease of use (PEOU) and PU but not for the link between PEOU and BI. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Dimensions of self-efficacy in the study of smart phone acceptance

This study focuses on smart phone acceptance in a major delivery service company in Taiwan. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was tested in two different forms, the original and with self-efficacy added. A two-dimensional improvement to the theory of self-efficacy was investigated in this research. Only assisted self-efficacy was related to both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, but Individual Self-efficacy was only a predictor of perceived ease of use. This result offers new evidence to the debate of the role of self-efficacy on TAM constructs. Interesting findings including a strong influence of perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness and behavioral intention were compared to prior studies to add additional insights for future research.     

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.     

An empirical study on consumer first purchase intention in online shopping: integrating initial trust and TAM

To understand the first purchase mechanism in online shopping, this study established an integrated model of initial trust and TAM. According to the analysis results, initial trust beliefs were significantly influenced by initial trust bases such as company reputation, structural assurance, and trusting stance, and initial trust beliefs indirectly influenced the first purchase intention through consumer attitude. In TAM constructs, only perceived usefulness directly influenced the usage attitude of online shopping systems, then indirectly influenced the first purchase intention. These results imply that online consumers consider perceived ease of use as a basic requirement for system design. It was also found that there is a time cushion between the time of first purchase and the time of belief formation. On the whole, these results reinforced the theory that a relationship between belief (trust and perceived usefulness) and intention was better explained when it was mediated by attitude.     

The mediation of external variables in the technology acceptance model

TAM specifies a pathway of technology acceptance, from external variables to beliefs, attitudes, and system usage. We tested one of its assumptions that the ‘perceived ease-of-use’ and ‘perceived usefulness’ constructs fully mediate the influence of external variables on usage behaviors. Using a survey of 125 employees of a U.S. Government agency we found, contrary to the normally accepted assumption, that external variables could have direct effects on usage behavior over and above their indirect effects. We also found that TAM is significantly and consistently better at predicting frequency than volume of usage.     

Acceptance of Corporate Blogs for Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

ABSTRACT

This study investigates employees’ acceptance of corporate Web 2.0 applications for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Results show that altruism, managerial support, and perceived usefulness are good predictors of the intention to use corporate blogs as tools for collaboration and knowledge sharing. The study further explores differences between employees from companies with low and high adoption rates, and uses prediction-oriented segmentation to unveil two different paths to adoption of Web 2.0 collaborative tools in companies.     

Exploring Chinese users’ acceptance of instant messaging using the theory of planned behavior,the technology acceptance model,and the flow theory

Instant messaging (IM) is a popular Internet application around the world. In China, the competition in the IM market is very intense and there are over 10 IM products available. We examine the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that affect Chinese users’ acceptance of IM based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the technology acceptance model (TAM), and the flow theory. Results demonstrate that users’ perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment significantly influence their attitude towards using IM, which in turn impacts their behavioral intention. Furthermore, perceived usefulness, users’ concentration, and two components of the theory of planned behavior (TPB): subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, also have significant impact on the behavioral intention. Users’ intention determines their actual usage behavior.     

Understanding pre-service teachers' computer attitudes: applying and extending the technology acceptance model

Abstract   Computers are increasingly widespread, influencing many aspects of our social and work lives, As we move into a technology-based society, it is important that classroom experiences with computers are made available for all students. The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service teachers' attitudes towards computers. This study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) framework, with subjective norm and facilitating conditions acting as external variables. Results shows that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and subjective norm were significant determinants of pre-service computer attitudes. Facilitating conditions did not influence computer attitude directly but through perceived ease of use. These findings demonstrate that social norm and facilitating conditions are potential variables that may be used to extend the TAM for research on computer attitudes.     

Adoption of e-book among college students: The perspective of an integrated TAM

This study explored factors that affect consumer acceptance of e-book use by applying a model that incorporates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical basis of the hypotheses. The model differentiated external factors—compatibility, relative advantage, self-efficacy, and subjective norms—from internal factors—perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, satisfaction with e-book usage, and intention to continue using e-books. The study (n = 1030) found statistically significant support for the hypothesized model, indicating that the tested relationships between the revised TAM and user intention to continue using e-books were positive and statistically significant. The study’s findings provide potentially significant implications that can be used to develop guidelines and a framework for assessing e-book users’ behavior.     

Acceptance of Internet-based learning medium: the role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation

This study is one of the few attempts to investigate students’ acceptance of an Internet-based learning medium (ILM). By integrating a motivational perspective into the technology acceptance model, our model captured both extrinsic (perceived usefulness and ease of use) and intrinsic (perceived enjoyment) motivators for explaining students’ intention to use the new learning medium. Data collected from 544 undergraduate students were examined through the LISREL VIII framework. The results showed that both perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment significantly and directly impacted their intention to use ILM. Surprisingly, perceive ease of use did not posit a significant impact on student attitude or intention towards ILM usage. Implications of this study are important for both researchers and practitioners.     

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.