信息技术采纳中的相对优势研究

When a Better Technology Doesn’t Supersede:the Concept of Relative Advantage in Information Technology Adoption

重新研究相对优势概念中的若干问题,将最初的概念扩展为实证上相关联,但是在概念上独立的两部分。第一个是优越性认知,指新技术被认知到的比原技术更好的程度。另一个是替代性认知,指新技术被采纳的话,它被认知到的替代原技术的顺利程度。我们从(替代传统媒体的)某在线服务的528名潜在采纳者那里收集了数据来评价这两部分。结果显示,这两部分的定义是合理的。优越性认知通过替代性认知对意图产生影响。也就是说,在线服务被认为比传统媒体越好,一旦它被采纳的话,取代传统媒体就越顺利,那么采纳在线服务的意图也就越强。但是,另一方面,即使在线服务被认为比传统媒体更好,但被认为不可能顺利替代传统媒体,那么采纳意图最终也未必实现。我们的研究结果为当前相对优势的研究结论中一些不一致(instability)和矛盾提供了可能的解释,供相对优势度量的进一步研究参考之用。

This study attempts to re-explicate some of the issues in the concept of relative advantage by extending the original concept to two empirically related but conceptually distinct constructs.The first one,perceived betterness,refers to the degree to which the new technology is perceived as better than the old technology.The second one,perceived supersession,refers to the degree to which the new technology is perceived favorably in superseding the old technology if adopted.The two proposed constructs are evaluated using data collected from 528 potential adopters of an online service as an alternative to traditional media.The results support the validity of the constructs,with the effect of perceived betterness on intention mediated by perceived supersession.In other words,the better the online service is perceived than the traditional media,the more favorable it is perceived in superseding the traditional media if adopted,and hence the higher the intention to adopt the online service.However,intention to adoption may not result if the online service is perceived as better than traditional media but for some reasons that it is not perceived favorably in superseding traditional media if adopted.The results provide plausible explanations to the instability or contradiction across findings that involve the concept of relative advantage and provide insights to future studies on the measurement of the concept.