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Low cost innovation is a challenge (Williamson & Yin 2014) and opportunity for companies (Chesbrough 2010) but its cost should not compromise on the utility of the product (Wernerfelt 1995). Therefore, a useful low-cost product should benefit the end customer. “Unless it benefits him he shall not use it” (Lundvall, 2016). This paper looks at the relationship between the technology acceptances constructs for a product and its perceived benefit. Perceived benefits arise if the well-being of the individual is anticipated to change for better. Perceived well-being is a relative term (Diener et al., 1993) and therefore is a belief about one’s future. One can form a belief about the economic situation (Smets, 1995) after adoption of an innovative product. Before reaping any economic benefits, the customer should have a positive attitude towards such innovative product.
Intention to use is governed by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude and subjective norm. This is based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) developed by Davis (Davis 1989) and modified several times later on. It has been articulated that the intention of using an information system drives the actual use. A key purpose of TAM is to provide a basis for tracing the impact of external variables on internal beliefs, attitudes, and intentions. Perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU) and attitude explain the intention of a user to use any system. PU and PEOU are beliefs (Rossiter & Braithwaite 2013) and defined as “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her performance” and “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort”, respectively. Attitude is defined as “the degree to which an individual evaluates and associates the target system with his or her job” (Davis, 1993).
Many researches have measured intention to use. However, it does not measure any benefit created for the user. While there are numerous measures of economic and tangible benefits, a clear, sophisticated methodology for measuring the intangible perceived economic benefits has been developed for the first time.
This study proposes that apart from intention to use, perceived economic well-being during use of a technologically innovative product is the consequence of attitude, which is affected by PEOU and PU, which are the major beliefs of the user. Characteristics of the system or external factors affect the cognitive factors PEOU and PU (Davis, 1989). There is evidence in the literature demonstrating a positive impact of PU on attitude (Davis 1989; Venkatesh & Davis 2000). Studies have established a relationship between attitude and PEWB (Li, Xiao, & Gong, 2015; Lee & Glasure, 2002). Furthermore, studies also show that PEOU has a direct impact on attitude and PU (Davis, 1989; Chen, Gillenson, & Sherell, 2002).
Many innovative ICT based programs have been initiated in rural India which is helping farmers in reducing poverty (Cecchini & Scott, 2003; Jha, Pinsonneault, & Dubé, 2016). The research is based on the preposition that a consumer who benefits economically is more likely to use an innovative product. Mobile phones are the most widely embraced technologies (Revels, Tojib, & Tsarenko, 2010) and mobile based agricultural extension services are one such innovative product (Aker 2011). It has been reaffirmed that farmers make land use and management decisions through mobile based AES to maximize their perceived economic well-being (Antle & Valdivia, 2006). It can help in more farms and small enterprises become more productive by lowering the cost of searching for information, adding new skills, or advertising to customers, and are good for the families which depend on the enterprises for their livelihoods (Donner, 2009).