Mobile ICT use in early adopter vs. late majority countries

摘要

The rapid global diffusion of smartphones has not been uniform. This study uses Triandis' theory of interpersonal behaviour to investigate what drives smartphone use in early adopter (USA) versus late majority (Slovakia) countries. By surveying both current and potential owners, we also revisit Karahanna et al.' s question: Do potential adopters and users of IT hold the same behavioural and normative beliefs? Partial least squares analysis finds that habit, affect, and perceived social norms explain 65% of the intention to buy a smartphone. Surprisingly, perceived consequences (i.e., perceived usefulness) and whether people live in an early adopter versus late majority country, are not significant. Comparing users and non-users finds that they differ in almost every attribute measured in the study, and that users intend to continue using a smartphone whereas non-users have more ambivalent intentions.