Understanding the Adoption of Multipurpose Information Appliances: The Case of Mobile Data Services

Abstract

We have come to a stage when information technology (IT) innovations have permeated every walk of life. Many new technologies can be used for many different purposes and in different contexts other than the workplace. The current study attempts to understand individual adoption of IT innovations that are used beyond work settings. We define a new class of IT innovations called multipurpose information appliances, which are personal, universally accessible, and multipurpose. The ubiquitous nature of these appliances has led to a constant permeability between the separate contexts of social life. An adoption model that reflects the unique characteristics and usage contexts of multipurpose information appliances was developed. The model consists of five sets of adoption factors and was tested using data collected on mobile data services adoption. Our findings show that the determinants of multipurpose information appliance adoption decisions are not only different from those in the workplace, but are also dependent on the nature of the target technology and its usage context. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

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