Behavioral Seminar in IS (Spring 2005) - Readings

Technology Adoption and Post-Adoption

1. Davis, F.D., Bagozzi, R.P., and Warshaw, P.R., "User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models," Management Science (35:8), 1989, 982-1003. [Download paper]
   [This paper started the stream of research in IT acceptance, by drawing on the theory of reasoned action from social psychology. It is also an exemplar of how to take theories from referent disciplines and modify/apply them to the IS context.]

2. Venkatesh, V., Morris, M.G., Davis, G.B., and Davis, F.D., "User Acceptance of Information Technology: Toward an Unified View," MIS Quarterly (27:3), 2003, 425-478. [Download paper]
   [This paper summarized most prior work on IT usage and presented an integrated model.]

3. Lee, Y., Kozar, K. A., and Lai, K. R. T., "The Technology Acceptance Model: Past, Present, and Future," Communications of the AIS (12:50), 2003, 752-780. [Download paper]
   [This paper presents a nice discussion of the significant problems with TAM and IT usage research.]

4. Bhattacherjee, A., "Understanding Information Systems Continuance: An Expectation-Confirmation Model," MIS Quarterly (25:3), 2001, 351-370. [Download paper]
   [This paper proposes a new dependent variable in IT adoption research called IT continuance, describes why it is important to study continuance, and adapts expectation-disconfirmation theory from marketing to propose a theoretical model of continuance.]

5. Bhattacherjee, A. and Sanford, C., "Persuasion Strategies for Information Technology Usage: An Elaboration-Likelihood Model," Forthcoming at MIS Quarterly. [Download paper]
   [This paper is the first to study how IT usage patterns can be proactively influenced in organizations. It uses elaboration-likelihood model from psychology to examine alternative means of influencing users and the relative efficacy of these means for different users.]

IT Diffusion:

1. Rogers, E.M., "New Product Adoption and Diffusion," Journal of Consumer Research (2:4), 1976, 290-301. [Download paper]
   [Innovation diffusion theory is an alternative theoretical perspective for studying IT adoption. Rogers' research is the seminal work and the starting point in this area.]

2. Fichman, R.G., "Information Technology Diffusion: A Review of Empirical Research," Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Conference on Information Systems, Dallas, 1992, 195-206. [Download paper]
   [This paper provides a nice summary of some key IDT studies along with some shortcomings.]

3. Attewell, P., "Technology Diffusion and Organizational Learning: The Case of Business Computing," Organization Science (3:1), 1992, 1-19. [Download paper]
   [Attewell suggests that IDT is limited in that it accounts for adopters' motivation but not their ability to adopt, which he believes is the larger constraint for adoption. He also discusses the role of supply-side institutions such as service bureaus in shaping adoption patterns.]

4. Fichman, R.G. and Kemerer, C.F., "The Assimilation of Software Process Innovations: An Organizational Learning Perspective," Management Science (43:10), 1997, 1345-1363. [Download paper]
   [This paper introduces the concept of assimilation gap, when adopters have adopted but not routinized IT innovations, an unaddressed area of research. It presents some reasons for the occurence of assimilation gaps.]

5. Gatignon, H. and Robertson, T. S., "Technology Diffusion: An Empirical Test of Competitive Effects," Journal of Marketing (53:1), 1989, pp. 35-49. [Download paper]
   [This marketing paper examines some of the less studied areas of diffusion, namely competition and supplier effects, and also makes some interesting observations about technology resistance.]