Abstract

Researchers have extensively and intensively examined Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for many years. Unfortunately, despite years of research regarding technology acceptance, researchers today still cannot conclusively answer the question raised by Baron and Kenny (1986): “What processes link traits to behavior?” With respect to the role of individual traits within TAM, at least two research streams can be identified. However, they have generated conflicting results. Our study addresses this question by examining the effects of one set of individual traits, technology readiness (TR) which has four dimensions according to Parasuraman (2000), within TAM. Specially, our research question is about the role of the fours dimensions of TR. We argue that the four dimensions will moderate the hypothesized relationships within TAM. We believe that such a research attempt is a timely response to Venkatesh and Davis’s (2000) call for examining major contingency factors that moderate the effects of subjective perceptions on behavior intentions (BI). Data were collected via online survey. Two dimensions of TR, i.e., innovativeness and optimism, were found to interact with perceived usefulness to determine people’s intention to accept new technologies. Specifically, perceived usefulness was insignificant to influence behavior intention for people who are either optimistic or innovative with respect to new technologies. Such findings were quite interesting as previous research seldom explored contingencies for the perceived usefulness-behavior intention relationship.

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