Home Articles Abstract
Research Article

Factors of Internet Service Acceptance: A Revaluation of UTAUT Model

Oh Jong Chul

Yonsei University

Published: January 2010 · Vol. 39, No. 1 · pp. 55-79
Full Text PDF

Abstract

The most notable issue related to studies on information technologies like Internet services is use and acceptance of Internet technologies. Individual’s belief and attitude influence the most use and acceptance of Internet technologies (Rogers, 2003) and the belief and attitude are linked with social influences that are formed by individual attitude and others’ effects. Many researchers have produced various theories about the intention of accepting Internet technologies and actual uses. Most theories on technology acceptance argue that the acceptance is determined by user’s attitude and behavior rather than by features of information technology. Moreover, it is also determined by users’ perception as for the technology. These days, many studies about Internet technology acceptance are being carried out and a variety of technology acceptance models according to service type are verified. However, since these studies have different perceptions about individual’s acceptance and examine different services, it is needed to conduct a study which examines information technology acceptance from an integrated perception. Reflecting this demand, Venkatesh (2003) formulated UTAUT(Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) model by consolidating the constructs of eight major studies on information technology acceptance. This is a theory that unifies major theories on the acceptance and it explains information technology service acceptance better than any other theories. However, UTAUT model by Venkatesh(2003) ignored some concepts such as trust and flow which impact on interaction between individuals and information system when it explained user’s technology acceptance. Hence, this study intends to check the effectiveness of UTAUT model and re-evaluate it. Following is the subdivision. Firstly, this paper provides and verifies new unified model of technology acceptance by adding concepts of trust and flow that UTAUT model formulated by Venkatesh (2003) ignored. Secondly, it checks the differences in effects according to type of Internet service as for online game and e-learning service user’s acceptance and draws meaningful conclusions for academic and strategic studies. The service types where this paper focuses are “e-learning” which has practical features, and “online game” that has emotional and enjoyable features. In order to examine this subject, samples are drawn from 211 people who utilize Internet frequently. The samples are tested via reliability, factor, correlation, bootstrap path analysis of PLS visual statistics program. Based on previous research, this paper makes academic suggestions as follows. First, this study re-evaluates UTAUT model formulated by Venkatesh(2003) concerning acceptance and use of Internet service. Results of empirical analysis have it that independent variables (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions)have a meaningful influence on intention and behavior of acceptance. Moreover, it appears that the newly added two variables, flow experience and trust, have a relatively bigger effect than those used in UTAUT model does. Therefore, effectiveness of the two factors(flow and trust) demonstrates the possibility of expanding UTAUT model and, at the same time,UTAUT model’s limitations. Second, this paper suggests new direction for studies on information technology acceptance. This paper analyzes the differences in accordance with type of Internet service by examining variables that effect usage intention and actual usage, and finds out that the actual variables are different from those of UTAUT model. Many researchers carried out many studies on information technology acceptance like TPB(Azjen, 1991)and TAM(Davis, 1986). Nonetheless,fast development of information technology and providence of various services made it impossible to explain information technology and services acceptance with only one model unlike the time when the studies on the subject started. Intentions of choosing information technology and services and the factors that have an effect on choice are different according to type of service. In this light, this paper proposes that it is essential to produce various models according to type of service and verify them rather than to explain overall information technology and service acceptance with an effective unified model like UTAUT. The followings are the limitations this paper has. First, owing to limitation of sampling, it collects convenience samples and so the result cannot be generalized. Second, this paper measures measured perception and intention from one viewpoint. Hence, follow-up researches should continue to confirm suggestion of this paper’s model and its validity. In addition,regarding information acceptance it is necessary to produce subdivided information technology acceptance model by considering features of information technology and service type.
Keywords: 기술사용과 채택의 통합이론신뢰플로우경험온라인게임이러닝