Household technology adoption in a global marketplace: Incorporating the role of espoused cultural values

This paper extends prior research in household technology adoption by incorporating the role of espoused cultural values. Specifically, we theorize that espoused cultural values–individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation—play an important role in affecting consumers’ behaviors by altering consumers’ belief structures—attitudinal beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs. Our theoretical model predicts that the impact of consumers’ belief structures on household technology adoption intention varies across consumers with different cultural values. Propositions are provided to explain how different cultural mechanisms moderate the relationships between consumers’ beliefs and household technology adoption intention. The paper concludes with theoretical implications, future research directions, and practical implications.

Likoebe M. MarupingEmail:

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Xiaojun Zhang   is a Ph.D. student in the Information Systems Department at the University of Arkansas. His research focus is on knowledge management and technology. Specifically, his research interests lie at the intersection of knowledge transfer, technology adoption and use, and social networks. Likoebe M. Maruping   is an assistant professor of Information Systems in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Likoebe’s research is primarily focused on the activities through which software development teams improve software project outcomes. His current work in this area focuses on understanding how teams cope with uncertainty in software development projects. He also enjoys conducting research on virtual teams and the implementation of new technologies in organizations. His research has been published or is forthcoming in premiere information systems, organizational behavior, and psychology journals including MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Organization Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.