A Qualitative Case Study for Technology Acceptance Using TAM and the Kübler-Ross Models

Background Of Study

The purpose of this study provides an analysis of technology acceptance through the use of the TAM providing the perspective of the end user experience based on the Kübler-Ross model for acceptance, originally developed to understand the acceptance of death and dying. The researcher identified that there was a gap in the literature between the acceptance of technology and the emotional journey of the end user to achieve acceptance. The researcher proposed a qualitative case study that included 16 participants to discover and articulate their technology acceptance experience. The use of “technology” by the participant included the following: smartphones, tablets, a laptop, ecosystems, a suite of applications, cloud storage and sharing, High Definition television, an analog cell phone (pre-smartphones), SMS text messaging, Caller ID, and even a dishwasher. The researcher surmised that if the end user decided the technology then there would be a greater and more truthful response throughout the interview process. The interviewees selected a technology that had had the biggest impact on them or triggered the greatest emotional response. Many of the experiences identified through the interviews focused on a job-related function. Though this was not a prerequisite, it fit nicely within the context of the technology acceptance model, where the focus of Davis’s research was on technology in the business environment.