Ethnic-identity intensity as a moderator of the technology acceptance model and its antecedents.

摘要

The goal of this dissertation is oriented to study the motivation of minorities to adopt and learn new, innovative technologies. The primary research question: is there some reason the African-American experience is driving certain sub-groups of the population to the wrong side of the digital divide? To examine this, I introduce ethnic identity as a moderating variable to a leftward extended technology acceptance model (TAM). Additionally, both components of the classic TAM (ease of use and usefulness) are divided into two antecedents: (1) ease of use - (a) trait efficacy and (b) state efficacy and (2) usefulness (completely replaced by) - (a) symbolic utility and (b) functional utility. State efficacy has a significant relationship to both ease of use as well as intent to use. Functional utility has a significant relationship to intent to use. Ethnic-Identity and its intensity does have a moderating effect to a more parsimonious model (were significant paths are compared for invariance.