Decomposition of perceived usefulness: A theoretical perspective and empirical test

Information technology (IT) research largely treats perceived usefulness as a simple concept reflecting system effectiveness in improving task productivity. In the context of continuing use of modern IS – complex systems capable of supporting various uses – this approach is overly simplistic. This simplicity negatively affects content validity of the key determinants of IT use, thereby biasing research findings and conclusions. This study applies affordance theory integrated with uses and gratifications to conceptualize the factor of usefulness as a multidimensional construct accounting for the complexity of modern IT. This perspective is empirically tested using a cross-sectional survey sample of 218 university-student Facebook users. The results of the analysis affirm that the proposed conceptualization of perceived usefulness is valid. The study contributes by depicting the mechanism by which usefulness beliefs shape users’ decisions, and by demonstrating that using a multidimensional approach to measure conceptually complex constructs can lead to more accurate prediction and explanation of IT usage.