TechnologyAcceptanceModel:ASurveyofLiterature

PriyankaSurendran
Lecturer,
AMAInternationalUniversity,Bahrain

ABSTRACT

Thetechnologyacceptancemodelhasbeenatheorythatismostwidelyusedtoexplainanindividuals
acceptanceofaninformationsystem.Thisstudyhasreviewednumerousliteraturesavailableinthis
area.Thedifferentstudiesinthisareawereevaluatedtounderstandthemodificationsthatweredone
onthismodel.Thepaperthentriestoprovideaninsightonfuturetrendsinthetechnologyacceptance
model.

Keywords:Technologyacceptancemodel;perceivedeaseofuse;attitude;PerceivedUsefulness
Introduction:

IntheareaofresearchtoinvestigatetheindividualacceptancebehavioronInformationtechnology
andInformationsystems,manymodelsweresuggestedbytheresearchers.TheseincludetheTheory
of Reasoned action (TRA), Theory of planned behavior (TPB), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM,
TAM2)andUnifiedTheoryofAcceptanceandUseofTechnology(UTAUT).

Accordingtotheoryofreasonedactiontheindividualbehaviorismotivatedbybehavioralobjectives
and these are a function of an individual's attitude toward the behavior and subjective norms
surroundingthe performanceofthebehavior.Technology acceptancemode (TAM) has been based
on theory of reasoned action (TRA) and has been used to explain individuals acceptance
behavior.TAM was first proposed by Davis(1989) in his Doctoral thesis. Theory of Planned Behavior
helps to recognize how the behavior of people can be changed. TPB suggests that human action is
guidedbythreefactorswhicharebehavioral,normativeandcontrolbeliefs.TPBincludessomefactors
thatarepartofTAM.However,TPBisnotspecificInformationsystemsusage(IS).

Theperceivedusefulnessfactorandperceivedeaseofusefactorsaremajorfactorsincomputeruse
behaviorsbasedonTechnologyacceptancemodel.TAMhasbeenwidelyusedtoscrutinizeindividual
technologyacceptancebehaviorinvarioustypesofinformationsystems.

TechnologyAcceptanceModel(TAM)

Technology Acceptance Model has been developed by Davis(1989) is one of the most popular
researchmodelstopredictuseandacceptanceofinformationsystemsandtechnologybyindividual
users.TAM has been widely studied and verified by different studies that examine the individual
technologyacceptancebehaviorindifferentinformationsystemsconstructs.

In TAM model, there are two factors perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use is relevant in
computer use behaviors. Davis defines perceived usefulness as the prospective users subjective
probability that using a specific application system will enhance his or her job or life performance.
Perceiveeaseofuse(EOU)canbedefinedasthedegreetowhichtheprospectiveuserexpectsthe
targetsystemtobefreeofeffort.AccordingtoTAM,easeofuseandperceivedusefulnessarethe

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InternationalJournalofBusinessandSocialResearch(IJBSR),Volume2,No.4,August2012

most important determinants of actual system use. These two factors are influenced by external
variables.Themainexternalfactorsthatareusuallymanifestedaresocialfactors,culturalfactorsand
politicalfactors.Socialfactorsincludelanguage,skillsandfacilitatingconditions.Politicalfactorsare
mainlytheimpactofusingtechnologyinpoliticsandpoliticalcrisis.Theattitudetouseisconcerned
withtheusersevaluationofthedesirabilityofemployingaparticularinformationsystemapplication.
Behavioralintentionisthemeasureofthelikelihoodofapersonemployingtheapplication.

Fig:TechnologyacceptanceModel(TAM)Davis(1989)

RelatedLiteratureinTechnologyacceptancemodel

Technology Acceptance Model is one of the most popular theories that is used widely to explain
InformationSystemusage.Somanystudieshavebeenconductedwhichhasledtothechangesinthe
originally proposed model. A new model called combined TAMTPB model which integrated the
Technology acceptance model and theory of planned behavior was proposed by Taylor and
Todd(1995).VenkateshandDavis(2000)proposedanewversionofTAMcalledTAM2whichadded
new variables to the existing model. Venkatesh et al.(2003) in a study published in MIS quarterly
proposedtheUnifiedTheoryofAcceptanceandUseofTechnology(UTAUT)Model.

ThevariousstudiesconductedbyresearchershavetriedtomodifytheTAMbyaddingnewvariables
toit.AgarwalandPrasad(1998a,1998b)modifiedTAMbyaddingtheconstructofcompatibilityinthe
TechnologyAcceptanceModel.MoonandKim(2001)hasaddedanewvariableplayfulnessfactorsto
studyacceptanceoftheworldwideweb.Lim(2000)proposedtomodifyTAMbyaddingvariableslike
experience, self efficacy, perceived risk and social influence. Another study done by Agarwal and
Karahannaaddedcognitiveabsorption,playfulnessandselfefficacytotheTAMmodel.Chau(1996)in
astudyreviewedTAMbyincludedtwotypesofperceivedusefulness:neartermandlongterm.Van
derHeijden(2000)afteranalyzingtheindividualacceptanceandusageofthewebsiteaddedtwonew
constructstoTAM:perceivedentertainmentvalueandperceivedpresentationattractiveness.

Chau and Hu (2002) combined the factor of peer Influence with Technology Acceptance Model.
AccordingtostudybyFrancoandRoldan(2005)therelationshipbetweenperceivedusefulnessand
behavioral intention was strong among goaldirected users. Chau and Hu (2001) compared three
models Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and a
decomposedTPBmodelthatispotentiallyadequateinthetargetedhealthcareprofessionalsettingin
HongKong.TheresultsindicatedthatTAMwassuperiortoTPBinexplainingthephysiciansintention
tousetelemedicinetechnology.ThestudyconductedbySunandZhang(2003)foundvoluntariness
canbefactorindeterminingthebehavioralintentiontouse.

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TechnologyAcceptanceModel:ASurveyofLiterature
PriyankaSurendran

HunPin Shih (2004) combined the TAM and the information behavioral model of Choo (1991 that
takesnoticeoftherelevanceoftheinformation.

Lee(2009)combinedtheTechnologyAcceptanceModelwithTheoryofPlannedBehavior,perceived
riskandperceivedbenefittounderstandtheadoptionofinternetbanking.

TAM has been used by researchers worldwide to understand the acceptance of different types of
informationsystems.Shafeek(2011)inastudytriedtoevaluatetheacceptanceofeLearningsystems
by teachers by using TAM. Zhou et al. has developed a new model based on TAM called online
shopping acceptance model (OSAM) to study online shopping behavior. Pavlou(2003) developed a
model to predict the acceptance of ecommerce by adding new variables trust and perceived risk.
AccordingtothemodeldevelopedbyPikkarainenetal.(2004)tounderstandtheacceptanceonline
bankinginFinland,perceivedusefulnessandinformationinonlinebankingplayaveryimportantrole.
HsuandChiusuggestedamodelthatspecifiesthattheacceptancepatternandroleofinternetself
efficacyplaysanimportantroleineserviceadoption.ErvastiandHelaakoski(2010)havedevelopeda
model based on TAM and TPB to understand mobile service adoption which states that perceived
usefulisthestrongestfactorinadoption.MullerSeitzetal.(2009)usedtheTechnologyAcceptance
ModelwithsecurityconcerntounderstandacceptanceofRadioFrequencyIdentification(RFID).

Conclusion

TAM has been widely used model to help understand and explain user behavior in an information
system,.Therehasbeennumberofresearcheswhichhavebeenusedtotestthemodelandresults
have been reliable. The article has explained the technology acceptance model and the different
crucialfactorsinit.Thispaperhastriedtoreviewthemodelanddifferentrelatedresearchesinthe
area.Thestudyalsotriedtounderstandthedifferentchangesthathavebeendoneonthemodelby
the different researchers. The study also reviewed the application areas where technology
acceptancemodelcanbeimplemented.

Thefutureresearchwilltrytoprovideanextensionofthetechnologyacceptancemodelanduseit
understandtheuseracceptanceoftechnologyinerecruitment.

References

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Chau,P.Y.K.(1996).Anempiricalassessmentofamodifiedtechnologyacceptancemodel.Journalof
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Chau,P.andHu,P.(2001)InformationTechnologyAcceptancebyIndividualProfessionals:AModel
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