Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Information Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2014. / This study aimed to explore user factors that may influence attitude and behaviour where technology acceptance is concerned. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) Framework was used as a tool to map this degree of acceptance in relation to the design of the current Encyclopaedia of South African Arts, Culture and Heritage (ESAACH). ESAACH is an encyclopaedia intended to address the dearth of reference material in South African arts, culture and heritage studies (ESAACH.org.za). The encyclopaedia is divided into broader areas of research such as: verbal arts, performing arts, visual arts, and heritage. It was originally established as a tool to provide support for education in arts, culture and heritage. There has been an increase in interest in the ESAACH online resource platform. This has resulted in the need to capture user perceptions and attitudes on the site in order to provide guidelines on the improvement of the site and to make usage of the encyclopaedia easier and less frustrating. The researcher investigates English Language Proficiency, Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness and Computer Self-Efficacy as factors that influence an online user’s attitude towards intention to use and acceptance of an online encyclopaedia. There have been concerns expressed by website designers that because users may not be fully acquainted or familiar with using the Internet in general when accessing information, they anticipate some resistance or reluctance to make full use of available online content. The study included the administration of an online survey to a sample of 149 students from the Arts and Design and Library Information Studies departments whereby their demographics, antecedents and precedent constructs of the TAM were tested for co-relationships of user’s intention regarding usage and acceptance of the website. The TAM model was used as a tool to determine: whether a positive confidence in the students’ English language proficiency would affect intention to use the encyclopaedia and to predict whether positive Computer Self-Efficacy is an indicator for a positive effect regarding Ease of Use and/or Perceived Usefulness. Results confirmed that users perceived Computer Self-Efficacy as a positive contributor to the usefulness of the ESAACH online encyclopaedia. Although no significant relationship between English Language Proficiency and Perceived Ease of Use was demonstrated, the need for a design which caters for sensitivity to the language of users was identified.

女性網際網路使用者不斷增加的趨勢帶動下，針對女性提供服務的網站近年來頻頻出現。然而，網際網路使用者對於此一以性別區隔為訴求的網站所抱持的態度和定位為何？現階段女性網站經營者必須謹慎衡量哪些關鍵因素以吸引使用者前往？本研究希望藉由研究的進行與結果的發現，找出影響網際網路使用者瀏覽女性網站的因素，並驗證使用者認知和實際使用間的因果關係。 在以科技接受模型為研究架構之基礎進行研究後的結果顯示，女性網站之3C3O網站特性和使用者的網站認知間存有因果關係：網站設計的編排（context）、網站內容的豐富性（content）、網站發言或討論空間的經營（community），以及網站資訊的有條不紊（orderliness）等對於使用者的認知都會造成不同程度的影響；然而，大膽顛覆的用字遣詞（originality）以及技術層面的客製化服務（outreach），對於使用者的認知則沒有明顯的助益。 另一方面，科技接受模型原本所假設的認知─態度間的因果關係，在女性網站的實驗情境中亦有所變動。認知易用性（perceived easy of use）對網站態度產生的影響漸趨薄弱而不重要，相反地，認知有用性（perceived usefulness）和認知娛樂性（perceived playfulness）對態度產生的影響則漸顯重要，尤其是認知娛樂性的因素對於女性網站的使用更扮演了相當重要的角色。然而，當大部分的網際網路使用者將女性網站所提供的內容服務定位為休閒娛樂提供者的角色時，網站經營者亦需反思消費者對此服務的定位是否適切。 / The cyberspace has shown a growing number of female sites. It is of interest to understand the user perceptions on these gender-specific service appearances and the attitudes toward using them. This research attempts to identify the factors that influence users’ willingness to reuse a female site, and the relationship between user acceptance and actual usage. A survey of 390 respondents who have experience with and 310 respondents who have no experience with female sites in Taiwan was conducted. The results showed that the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) proposed by Moon & Kim is applicable, with some relationships altered. Moreover, the site characteristics such as the arrangement of CONTEXT, the richness of CONTENT, the atmosphere of COMMUNITY, and the ORDERLINESS of information are the four key factors that affect users’ perceptions of the site. The ORIGINALITY of design and the OUTREACH of service, however, present no significant benefit to form positive perceptions of female site users.

網路科技不斷進步，服務創新與商業模式陸續推出。線上影音分享網站為目前當紅的領域，但對於網站該如何設計以及使用者為何使用影音分享網站都未有明確準則。因此本研究藉由科技接受行為相關理論的回顧，配合影音分享網站之特性，以Davis(1989)的科技接受模式為基礎，結合相關重要變數，提出概念性架構。目的為找出可能影響網站使用者的相關變數、並瞭解Web2.0影音網站使用者之使用意圖。 實驗方法採用線上問卷方式，在回收的501份問卷中，得到492份有效問卷，以結構方程模式進行研究模式分析。分析結果顯示，研究模式之適配度均達到應有標準。 研究結論章節中會說明本研究之管理意涵，並將研究結果提供給未來欲設立Web2.0影音分享網站的設計者，在網站建立初期，將有限資源投注在重要的變數上，使網站可達到最大效益。 / As the advance of Internet technology continues new business models are emerging in the market. Online video sharing website is the hottest application nowadays, but there is little study on designing the website and why the users using the website. In this research, we propose a conceptual model based on the technology acceptance model developed by Davis (1989) and this model integrating the important variables due to the extant research of relevant theory of technology acceptance and characteristics of video sharing website. The data collection was used the online survey, and we got the 492 eligible data and the analysis was used the Structural Equation Model (SEM). According to the result, the model fit was qualified. This research will give some management implication for designers who want to set up a video sharing website, this research provides the information on how to invest the limited resource on the critical variables in order to maximize the service value in the conclusion section in this paper.

Southern U.S. teachers at suburban high schools can use Edmodo; however, teachers prefer traditional teacher-centered teaching methods. This quantitative correlative study explored teachers' technology acceptance in relation to teaching styles and experiences. Framing acceptance by Davis's technology acceptance model (TAM), research questions addressed the direct and moderating relationships between teaching style and the TAM variables related to using Edmodo and the direct and moderating relationships between teaching experiences and TAM variables. From 240 teachers at the high school, 45 completed an online survey (response rate of 18.75%). Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and regression analyzed data. TAM could be verified for the entire sample; however, no significant direct relationship between teaching style and the TAM variables was found. Teaching style moderated the relationships within the TAM; these were stronger for teachers with a teacher-centered teaching style. No significant direct relationship existed between teaching experiences and TAM variables; a moderating effect on the relationships existed within the TAM. Among experienced teachers, ease of use was the strongest acceptance predictor, whereas perceived use was the strongest predictor among less experienced teachers. Results indicated teachers might develop a more student-centered teaching style, thus concentrating on technology's ease of use, rather than its potential utility. A policy recommendation could ensure teachers efficiently used technology to support student-centered learning. The application of the recommended policies might lead to teachers' more effective use of instructional technology, which might affect student learning and motivation.

[pt] As operadoras celulares estão vivendo um momento no qual a comunicação por voz praticamente já chegou ao seu ápice e os serviços de valor agregado estão se tornando peças fundamentais para o sucesso de uma empresa móvel. O Serviço de Mensagem de Texto (SMS) é o serviço de valor agregado mais difundido atualmente, sendo responsável por aproximadamente 80% da receita de dados da maioria das operadoras móveis no Brasil e no mundo. Esta dissertação busca compreender os motivadores que levam os usuários de celular a adotarem o Serviço de Mensagem de Texto. Para compreendê-los foi realizada uma análise baseada no Modelo de Aceitação da Tecnologia (TAM - Technology Acceptance Model) incluindo as variáveis qualidade do serviço percebida e custo percebido. A análise de dados foi feita por meio de análise multivariada utilizando o software estatístico SPSS 13.0, e o sistema de equações estruturais foi suportado pelo software AMOS 4.0. Constatou-se no modelo que, apesar das variáveis Facilidade Percebida, Qualidade do Serviço Percebida e Custo Percebido influenciarem a Atitude em Relação ao Uso; a Utilidade Percebida é o constructo mais relevante na determinação da Atitude em Relação ao Uso e da Intenção de Uso, e que a Intenção de Uso é fundamental para o constructo Uso Real. / [en] Mobile operators have been challenged since voice communication reached its peak and value added services became crucial for success. SMS is the most adopted value added service and responds for 80% of mobile data revenues in Brazil and in the world. This essay tries to understand customer`s motivation for adopting SMS service. An extended version of TAM - Technology Acceptance Model that includes the Perceived Quality Service and the Perceived Cost variables was analyzed in order to understand these factors. The software SPSS 13.0 helped to perform a multivariate data analysis and the structured equations were supported by the software AMOS 4.0. The analysis of results provides the following conclusions: Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Service Quality and Perceived Cost influence the Attitude toward Using; Perceived Usefulness is the most relevant construct to determine the Attitude toward Using and the Behavioral Intention to Use; Behavioral Intention to Use is key driver to the construct Actual Use.

Today¡¦s motorcycle business has come to the saturation point in the market of Tawian; consequently, the major motorcycle companies recently competed with each other in building the DMS (Dealer Management System) by using the e-solutions. Through the deployment of an e-DMS (e-solutions of Dealer Management System) for shops of motorcycle, the manufacturers hope that all the channels could be more competitive. The purpose of this research is to explore the influence factors concerning the adoption of e-DMS of motorcycle¡¦s shops. After the studies of literature and empiric, the research is based on ¡§Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior¡¨ (Taylor and Todd, 1995b) to establish the research model.This resrerch suveryed 250 samples of motorcycle¡¦s shops for study cases The result of the research indicated that factors influenced the adoption of e-DMS for motorcycle shops as follows: (1).¡§Behavioral Intention¡¨ was principally influenced by ¡§Attitude¡¨ and ¡§Perceived Behavioral Control¡¨. The later was less important than the former. ¡§Subject Norms¡¨ showed no obvious influence. (2).¡§Attitude¡¨ was mainly influenced by ¡§Perceived Usefulness¡¨, ¡§Perceived Ease of Use¡¨ and ¡§Compatibility¡¨. The first two factors were more important than the last one. (3).¡§Perceived Behavioral Control¡¨ was chiefly influenced by ¡§Self-efficacy¡¨ and ¡§Technology Facilitating Conditions¡¨. The later was less essential than the former. ¡§Resource Facilitating Conditions¡¨ showed no apparent influence. In the end, this research checks explanation by using three acceptance models, TAM (Davis, 1989), TPB (Ajzen, 1985) and D-TPB (Taylor and Todd, 1995b) to evaluate. All the explanations were nearly close. Because D-TPB considered the contruct of society psychology, it shows better explanation than the others.

The main aim of this thesis study is to identify the factors that affect higher education students&rsquo / perceptions of computerized assessment for learning. This study additionally aims to help effective use of computers in assessment activities by guiding the teachers or educational organization by interpreting the factors that affect students&rsquo / attitudes toward computer use in examinations. Quantitative research design has been used in this study. When choosing the participants, nonprobability sampling strategy was used due to its convenience. A total number 332 student of Middle East Technical University participated in the study. The data has been analyzed via Confirmatory Factor Analysis and interpreted by Structural Equation Modeling. The data loaded under 5 constructs: Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Intention, Computer Attitude and Anxiety. By identifying the relations between these constructs, a structural model was created to determine the intention of students&rsquo / towards computerized assessment. The findings of this study have revealed that &ldquo / perceived usefulness&rdquo / is the most important determinant in students&rsquo / willingness to use computerized assessment. Additionally, if students have anxiety resulted from computer use, this affect their easiness perceptions negatively. Computer attitude is another factor that affects students&rsquo / perceptions of easiness and their anxiety. Finally it is concluded that students&rsquo / computer attitudes and anxiety affect their behaviors toward computerized assessment.

The recent advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the past two decades have influenced many aspects of live ([19] and [7]). These advances make the issue of acceptance of ICTs a topic of increasing importance, particularly in educational research and practice [18]. Many studies have been conducted to understand, explain, and predict the issue of acceptance and use of new technologies. Fortunately, these studies have resulted in several serious theoretical developments [9]. Overall understanding of the role of culture and social norms in influencing acceptance and use of education technologies, particularly collaborative and interactive technologies such as the internet, can facilitate the successful implementation and use of these technologies in the educational context. This study concentrates on providing insight into the influence of culture and social processes on staff members’ acceptance and use of educational technology, namely the internet at Khartoum state universities (KSUs). Specifically, the study aims to identify the influential role of these factors on acceptance and the use of the internet as a helpful collaborative educational technology. To achieve this aim, the study adopts technology acceptance model (TAM), which is modified (i.e. extended) with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (mainly uncertainty avoidance and masculinity). With the help of a structural equation model (SEM), the data assessment demonstrates the validity of the model and proves that social influence process and cultural factors have significant (direct and moderate) influence on staff members’ acceptance and use of internet technology for teaching and academic activities – i.e. the authors are able to assert that community matters in the adoption of these new ICTs. The article concludes by offering important implications and recommendations for both research and practice.

In today’s world, we live in a technologically advanced environment where information access is huge and limitless. The advantage to this is that, people are able to create more information, share and communicate with each other instantly on the go regardless of where they are in the world. However on the downside, with endless information, it becomes confusing and difficult to filter which information is right for a person’s need. This goes hand-in-hand for business companies, as it requires strategic processes and tools to identify the information from the market, store and evaluate it into meaningful insights and lastly communicate it efficiently so that the value of it is not lost along the way. Therefore this study focuses on how augmented reality (AR) as an emerging digital technology is able to dissect and communicate information and bring value to those who are implementing it. What is more interesting in this study is to see the usefulness and ease of using AR from commercial and non-commercial aspects in B2B field. This study was conducted through a qualitative research approach with semi-structured interviews with five companies providing and using AR applications. In conclusion, AR brings value by transferring data faster and communicating it effectively through visualization of integrating computer-generated information with the real world as one. From commercial aspect, companies could use this technology in their marketing communication to increase customer involvement and perception of the brand. In contrast, from non-commercial perspective, companies could use AR as an internal resource to increase efficiency in operation process.

There was a lack of knowledge about the user’s acceptance of smart devices as ubiquitous learning (u-learning) tools at higher education institutions in Sweden. As the mobile technology grows, the demand for mobile devices, particularly smart devices increases as well. With the increase in the usage of smart devices, the higher education institutions provide mobile learning platforms to attract more customers in the competitive industry of education. Thus, understanding the key factors from the perspectives of end-users is important for the institutions to survive in the competitive market. This study explores and explains Behavioral and Continuance intentions of students regarding the acceptance and usage of smart devices (Smartphones and Personal Digital Assistants or PDA) as u-learning tools. Key factors related to the users’ intentions to accept and continue using smart devices as u-learning tools were identified and hypothesized in the Swedish context. Ten hypotheses were suggested based on TAM, UTAUT, and ECT. To achieve the aim and objective of this study, a quantitative approach was chosen, and a survey strategy based on purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used. A web-based questionnaire on five-points Likert Scale was designed to collect the required data. 115 (96 valid) students answered the questionnaire. The collected data were used to conduct statistical operations in SPSS. Five hypotheses were supported, and the other five were not. The findings suggest that Performance Expectancy, Perceived Mobility value, Confirmation, and Satisfaction positively influence both Behavioral and Continuance Intentions of students to accept and continue using smart devices as u-learning tools. According to the findings, Confirmation and Satisfaction from ECT can be included as separate constructs in UTAUT and UTAUT2. Higher education institutions planning to have (and those that already have) learning platforms, compatible with smart devices, can benefit from the findings. Higher education institutions can also design their u-learning platforms according to the Performance Expectancy, Perceived Mobility value, Confirmation, and Satisfaction of the students. / Master program in Strategic-IT Management