A Path Analysis of the Impact of Application-Specific Perceptions of Computer Self-Efficacy and Anxiety on Technology Acceptance

Research Background And Hypotheses

The technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1989) provides a theoretical basis for studying IS acceptance. TAM models IS acceptance and use as a function of users’ beliefs about perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the target system. Reviews and meta-analytic studies of TAM provide ample support for TAM’s ability to explain and predict technology acceptance and utilization (King & He, 2006; Legris et al., 2003; Ma & Liu, 2004; Mahmood et al., 2001). Although TAM captures the impact of external factors on IS acceptance through their direct effects on perceptions of ease of use and usefulness (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989), external factors effecting TAM have not been adequately examined in past research (Hsu & Lu, 2004; Taylor & Todd, 1995). As was pointed out earlier, the literature indicates that additional research is needed to investigate which and how external variables influence TAM’s core variables and subsequent acceptance behavior (Lee et al., 2003).