Looking Forward: Toward an Understanding of the Nature and Definition of IT Acceptance

Abstract

In the past two decades the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has successfully catalyzed a large number of studies related to IT usage or intentions toward that usage. However, we argue that the focus of these studies has been on a narrow aspect of usage (typically, extent or frequency of use). Moreover, we suggest that, these studies implicitly include the notion that "IT acceptance" be construed as simply the relationship between antecedent factors such as perceived usefulness and ease of use that target or predict that particular type of intention connected to amount of IT usage. Rather than continuing studies for additional antecedents or contexts that moderate this particular mode of use, we suggest a reflexive pause regarding the notion of IT acceptance itself. Specifically, we encourage broadening our understanding of IT acceptance toward a wider constellation of behavioral usage and its psychological counterparts. Other aspects of usage behavior or post hoc usage evaluation such as infusion, routinization, substantive use, exploitive usage, or faithfulness of appropriation have recently emerged and will likely require/involve other psychological notions of acceptance (Sundaram et al, forthcoming;Jones et al. 2002;Jasperson et al. 2005;Burton-Jones and Straub, 2006;Chin, et al. 1997). The call for this expansion is only made more salient by recent studies that indicate that the traditional TAM antecedents do not necessarily relate to these other forms of usage (Jones et al. 2002) and, furthermore, that these alternative notions of usage such as routinization or infusion may have stronger connection to performance outcomes (Sundaram et al., forthcoming).

How Endogenous Motivations Influence User Intentions: Beyond the Dichotomy of Extrinsic and Intrinsic User Motivations

“…From survey data collected for 211 users, 189 usable responses for the initial adoption stage (second week) and 181 usable responses for the experienced use stage (fi fteenth week) were received. 7 The key motive for analyzing "experienced use" data was to further understanding about internalization of specifi c behaviors as recommended by recent IS research [3,52].…”

“…While some may perceive usefulness in the instrumentality of job performance, others may perceive it in the learning, growth, and development of the self. The latter aspects are the key focus of OIT and are fi nding increased interest among IS researchers studying IT adoption and use [3,4,52]. IT managers in industry realize that users may respond positively to both incentives of development and growth of valuable skills as well as to monetary incentives.…”

Individual entrepreneurial orientation role in shaping reactions to new technologies

“…Much TAM research has simply proposed additional demographic moderators (e.g., gender, age) to explain technology acceptance under volitional conditions (Schwarz and Chin, 2007).…”

“…The extent to which TAM tenets apply to mandated contexts is an important question because the TAM theoretical framework was originally conceived for volitional choices about use of a new technology (Bogozzi, 2007). Consequently, in mandated contexts, researchers and decision-makers are interested in user willingness for sustained engagement with the new technology (Schwarz and Chin, 2007).…”

“…Stated succinctly, our argument and research question is that entrepreneurial orientation is a psychological construct that may affect how people make decisions about new technologies. Prior research has primarily examined the contingent influence of demographic factors in relation to new technology adoption (Bogozzi, 2007); we extend this line of research to include entrepreneurial orientation, and move beyond a focus on voluntary usage of new technology (Pavlou and Fygenson, 2006;Schwarz and Chin, 2007). Low acceptance of systems that are installed has often been identified as a key factor causing the "productivity paradox" encompassing uninspiring returns in new technologies based on investments by organizations (Venkatesh and Bala, 2008); therefore, our examination of technology acceptance in mandatory contexts is relevant for both research and practice.…”