Mun Yong Yi

Predicting the use of web-based information systems: self-efficacy, enjoyment, learning goal orientation, and the technology acceptance model

With the growing reliance on computerized systems and increasing rapidity of the introduction of new technologies, user acceptance of technology continues to be an important issue. Drawing upon recent findings in information systems, human computer interaction, and social psychology, the present research extends the technology acceptance model by incorporating the motivation variables of self-efficacy, enjoyment, and learning goal orientation in order to predict the use of Web-based information systems. One hundred nine subjects participated in the study, which was conducted in a field setting with the Blackboard system, a Web-based class management system. A survey was administered after a 2-week trial period and the actual use of the system was recorded by the Blackboard system over 8 weeks. The results largely support the proposed model, highlighting the important roles of self-efficacy, enjoyment, and learning goal orientation in determining the actual use of the system. Practical implications of the results are provided.

The Multilevel and Multifaceted Character of Computer Self-Efficacy: Toward Clarification of the Construct and An Integrative Framework for Research

Despite the recent empirical interest and advances in research with regard to the construct of computer self-efficacy (CSE), the results obtained to date have, in some cases, been either equivocal or contradictory. We suggest that such results may be attributable to a general lack of attention to the dynamic, multileveled, and multifaceted nature of the computer self-efficacy construct. We offer examples from the extant CSE literature suggesting weaknesses in existing measures of the construct as well as issues associated with manipulations and the need for control of antecedent and consequent factors directly associated with CSE. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to provide a thorough review of the extant literature related to CSE; (2) to present an integrated model of empirical findings, constructed from a wide variety of disciplines, that comprehensively defines the multifaceted nature of task-specific CSE in terms of its antecedent, consequent, and moderating factors; (3) to present a conceptual model of CSE at the general versus task-specific level; and (4) to use the two models of CSE to proffer guidelines for both measurement and manipulation of the construct. Through our review of the CSE literature, we offer several thoughts regarding the nature of the empirical results obtained to date. The combined objectives serve as a basis for establishing a foundation upon which future research investigating the CSE construct can be based.

Understanding information technology acceptance by individual professionals: Toward an integrative view

Although information technology is becoming a vital part of the workplace of skilled professionals, it is unclear what factors contribute to its acceptance by them. Building upon and integrating the key findings of three closely related theoretical paradigms (the technology acceptance model, the theory of planned behavior, and innovation diffusion theory), we developed a more complete, coherent, and unified model and tested the resulting model in the context of PDA acceptance by healthcare professionals. Using LISREL, data collected from 222 physicians in the U.S. were tested against the model; it explained 57% of the physicians intention to accept an innovation, with good model fit. Our study produced useful insights into the factors that influence technology acceptance decisions by professionals and provided new ideas in the understanding of user acceptance of technology.

Developing and Validating an Observational Learning Model of Computer Software Training and Skill Acquisition

Computer skills are key to organizational performance, and past research indicates that behavior modeling is a highly effective form of computer skill training. The present research develops and tests a new theoretical model of the underlyingobservational learning processes by which modeling-based training interventions influence computer task performance. Observational learning processes are represented as a second-order construct with four dimensions (attention, retention, production, and motivation). New measures for these dimensions were developed and shown to have strong psychometric properties. The proposed model controls for two pretraining individual differences (motivation to learn and self-efficacy) and specifies the relationships among three training outcomes (declarative knowledge, post-training self-efficacy, and task performance). The model was tested using PLS on data from an experiment ( N = 95) on computer spreadsheet training. As hypothesized, observational learning processes significantly influenced training outcomes. A representative modeling-based training intervention (retention enhancement) significantly improved task performance through its specific effects on the retention processes dimension of observational learning. The new model provides a more complete theoretical account of the mechanisms by which modeling-based interventions affect training outcomes, which should enable future research to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of a wide range of modeling-based training interventions. Further, the new instruments can be used by practitioners to refine ongoing training programs.

Computer playfulness and anxiety: positive and negative mediators of the system experience effect on perceived ease of use

Perceived ease of use plays a critical role in predicting and determining a users decision to use an information system. Users perceive a system easier to use as they gain more knowledge and confidence through direct experience in using the system. Our research traced the link between system experience and ease of use via both positive (computer playfulness) and negative (computer anxiety) responses using a sample of 116 users of electronic spreadsheets. As expected, system experience was significantly related to perceived ease of use. Both computer playfulness and computer anxiety were found to be significant mediators of the effect that system experience has on ease of use. However, the effect was fully mediated only by computer anxiety, revealing that the negative side of user reaction is a more potent mechanism than the positive side, Moreover, the findings indicate that those interventions found to influence the mediating variable of computer anxiety should be used to effectively enhance ease of use perceptions.

Understanding the Role of Individual Innovativeness in the Acceptance of IT‐Based Innovations: Comparative Analyses of Models and Measures*

As new technological innovations are rapidly introduced and changed, identifying an individual characteristic that has a persistent effect on the acceptance decisions across multiple technologies is of substantial value for the successful implementation of information systems. Augmenting prior work on individual innovativeness within the context of information technology, we developed a new measure of adopter category innovativeness (ACI) and compared its effectiveness with the existing measure of personal innovativeness in IT (PIIT). Further, we examined two alternative models in which the role of individual innovativeness was theorized differently—either as a moderator of the effects the perceived innovation characteristics of usefulness, ease of use, and compatibility have on future use intention (moderator model) or as a direct determinant of the innovation characteristics (direct determinant model). To ensure the generalizability of the study findings, two field studies (N= 634) were conducted, each of which examined the two models (moderator and direct determinant) and measured individual innovativeness using the two measures (ACI and PIIT). Study 1 surveyed the online buying practices of 412 individuals, and Study 2 surveyed personal digital assistant adoption of 222 healthcare professionals. Across the markedly different adoption contexts, the study results consistently show that individual innovativeness is a direct determinant of the innovation characteristics, and the two measures share many commonalities. The new measure offers some additional utilities not found in the PIIT measure by allowing individuals to be directly classified and mapped into adopter categories. Implications are drawn for future research and practice.

Toward an integrative framework for online consumer behavior research: A meta-analysis approach

The recent failure of a large number of e-tail companies epitomizes the challenges of operating through virtual channels and underscores the need to better understand key drivers of online consumer behavior. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the extant information systems (IS) literature related to online consumer behavior and integrate the literature in order to enhance our knowledge of consumer behavior in electronic markets and provide clear directions for future research. This paper introduces a framework that integrates research findings across studies to develop a coherent and comprehensive picture of the online consumer behavior research conducted in the IS field. The integrative framework proposes system quality, information quality, service quality, and vendor and channel characteristics as key factors that impact online consumer behavior, achieving their effects by altering the perceptions of usefulness, ease of use, trust, and shopping enjoyment.

Improving Computer Training Effectiveness for Decision Technologies: Behavior Modeling and Retention Enhancement*

Managers and analysts increasingly need to master the hands-on use of computer-based decision technologies including spreadsheet models. Effective training can prevent the lack of skill from impeding potential effectiveness gains from decision technologies. Among the wide variety of software training approaches in use today, recent research indicates that techniques based on behavior modeling, which consists of computer skill demonstration and hands-on practice, are among the most effective for achieving positive training outcomes. The present research examines whether the established behavior-modeling approach to software training can be improved by adding a retention enhancement intervention as a substitute for, or complement to, hands-on practice. One hundred and eleven trainees were randomly assigned to one of three versions of a training program for spreadsheets: retention enhancement only, practice only, and retention enhancement plus practice. Results obtained while controlling for total training time indicate that a combination of retention enhancement and practice led to significantly better cognitive learning than practice alone. The initial difference in cognitive achievement was still evident one week after training. Implications for future computer training research and practice are discussed.

Untangling the antecedents of initial trust in Web-based health information: The roles of argument quality, source expertise, and user perceptions of information quality and risk

As the Internet develops as a medium for disseminating health-related information, research on Web-based health information consumption grows increasingly important to academics and practitioners. Building on the current research in this area, our study proposes a model of initial trust formation in Web-based health information, rooted in the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and Toulmins model of argumentation. The proposed model theorizes trust as a function of perceived information quality and perceived risk, which are in turn determined by the structural quality of the message (argument quality) and the expertise of the message source (source expertise). Testing of the research model was accomplished via a field experiment involving 300 online users who had searched for health information on the Web. Overall, the results largely support the proposed model, explaining substantial variance in trust and highlighting the important but distinct roles that argument quality, source expertise, and user perceptions of information quality and risk play in determining an individuals decision to trust health information online.

An empirical test of three mediation models for the relationship between personal innovativeness and user acceptance of technology

Understanding the drivers of technology adoption remains an important organizational problem. Our research focused on a personality trait that is relevant to the adoption of technological innovation: personal innovativeness in IT (PIIT). We examined the causal pathways by which this trait affects behavioral intention by testing three alternative models based on innovation diffusion theory, the theory of planned behavior, and an integrative perspective that combines them. Data were collected from 196 hospital administrators in South Korea. The target innovation was an e-commerce purchasing system. Testing across all three models resulted in complete mediation, indicating that PIIT is a strong predictor of intended use of IT but it exerts its influence by altering the mediators. Our integrative perspective provides a more complete account of the causal mechanisms underlying the relationships as well as unique insights that cannot be obtained with a single theory driven model.