Abstract
This chapter explores whether past experiences with telecommunications providers and current ‘plans’ on offer serve as barriers between an individual consumers’ persuasion phase of the Innovation-Decision Process (Rogers, 2003) and the decision phase. With broadband in around 33% of Australian homes, it is important that telecommunications providers understand why the future mainstream segment of consumers will want to adopt broadband, and any barriers to this. This analysis suggests future studies are needed to investigate whether the telecommunications providers are collectively confusing potential broadband consumers in their attempts to differentiate a generic product in the market. It argues that future technology adoption studies need to consider including the complexity of the actual purchase decision when developing constructs for quantitative models. If we are to build a picture of why mainstream consumers adopt broadband, more than just the perceptions of using the technology itself need to be investigated.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Information Sources: The degree to which social influence, advertising, published reviews, and exposure to a technology influence the development of an individuals normative beliefs (Brown & Venkatesh, 2005; Rogers, 2003).
Image: “The degree to which use of an innovation is perceived to enhance one’s image or status in one’s social system” (Moore & Benbasat, 1991, p. 195).
Perceived usefulness: The degree to which a person believes using the innovation is an improvement over the technology it supersedes (Davis, 1989; Rogers, 2003).
Lifestyle Motivations: “The degree to which an innovation is perceived as consistent with the existing values, part experiences, and current needs of potential adopters” (Rogers, 2003, p. 15).
Perceived Complexity: “The degree to which an innovation is difficult to understand and use” (Rogers, 2003, p. 16).
Perceived Cost: An individual’s perception of cost. This is a secondary attribute as it is how the consumer considers price relative to his or her disposable income that is important (Moore & Benbasat, 1991, p. 194).
Technology Orientation: An individual’s optimistic or pessimistic feeling about technology (Modahl, 2000).