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Description:
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This research investigated the decision process surrounding the self -regulated learning of new uses of existing technology . With firms investing up to 50 % of their capital budgets on information technology (in excess of 1 trillion dollars in aggregate ) , understanding what factors motivate or inhibit more encompassing use of technology is of practical concern (Bowen 1986 ; Nambisan et al . 1999 ; Mahmood et a . 2001 ) . I introduced a dynamic element to the technology adoption /acceptance literature by using a framework based upon deferral option theory . This framework allows for the decision to learn a new use of technology to occur over time . I found that potential users chose to defer learning new uses of technology even when usefulness was evident and ease of learning was not prohibitive . Further , an additional benefit to using the deferral option framework was its inclusion of both rewards and penalties ; I found that not only do potential users consider what can be gained by learning , but also what can be lost by trying to learn and failing .
In addition to using a framework premised on deferral option theory , I investigated the properties of time pressure and subjective norms on the decision to learn new uses of technology . As time pressure offered a possible alternate explanation for why potential users defer learning , I controlled for it experimentally and determined that time pressure did affect deferral choice . Further , as subjective norms have had limited success as a predictor of intent to use technology in prior literature , I investigated the separate pieces of the theoretical construct , referent group perceptions and the motivation to comply with those perceptions . By manipulating environment between work and play settings , different motivational sources were enacted by the potential users . Specifically , I found that when potential users were externally motivated subjective norms did influence deferral , and when internally motivated , subjective norms did not influence a potential user ? ?s decision to defer learning a new use of technology . |