The Influence of Values on E-learning Adoption

Abstract As technology continues to pervade our lives, the influence of culture on technology adoption is of significant interest to researchers. However, culture, as a group-level construct may not give meaningful results when related to individual-level adoption. Although culture has been integrated into technology adoption models, values are the individual-level representation of culture, and are more appropriate to include in technology adoption models. There have been few studies attempting to explore the influence of values on adoption models, and none within the sphere of digital education. The purpose of this exploratory study is to integrate values with technology adoption models and apply the novel conceptual model to the context of digital education. In this study we investigate the influence of individual-level values on the adoption of e-learning by workers in The Gambia and the UK. Using the Unified Theory of the Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) as a base model, we integrate values relating to conservation of the status quo and self-enhancement from Schwartz's Theory of Human Values. Taking this approach, we develop and introduce the Values-Enhanced Technology Adoption (VETA) model. We tested the VETA model on the adoption of e-learning by workers in The Gambia and the UK. Empirical results demonstrated the influence of self-enhancement values in the model via social influence, price value and performance expectancy. The UTAUT2 base model was partially validated in that performance expectancy, price value and habit primarily influenced worker intention to use e-learning. We conclude that VETA will be a useful model to researchers studying technology adoption.

[1]  David T. Neal,et al.  Habit slips: when consumers unintentionally resist new products , 2017 .

[2]  Jim Ryan,et al.  Faculty Use of Established and Emerging Technologies in Higher Education: A Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Perspective , 2013 .

[3]  Xiaohui Liu,et al.  Measuring the Moderating Effect of Gender and Age on E-Learning Acceptance in England: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach for An Extended Technology Acceptance Model , 2014 .

[4]  Bryan S. Schaffer,et al.  A Review of Cross-Cultural Methodologies for Organizational Research: A Best- Practices Approach , 2003 .

[5]  Elena Karahanna,et al.  Time Flies When You're Having Fun: Cognitive Absorption and Beliefs About Information Technology Usage , 2000, MIS Q..

[6]  H. Adèr,et al.  Structural equation modelling , 1999 .

[7]  Jeongmin Lee,et al.  Learning Engagement and Persistence in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) , 2018, Comput. Educ..

[8]  Sushil K. Sharma,et al.  An exploratory study of the critical factors affecting the acceptability of e-learning in Nigerian universities , 2006, Inf. Manag. Comput. Secur..

[9]  Meina Zhu,et al.  A systematic review of research methods and topics of the empirical MOOC literature (2014-2016) , 2018, Internet High. Educ..

[10]  Eldad Davidov,et al.  Refining the theory of basic individual values. , 2012, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[11]  Wasim Ahmad,et al.  Antecedents of SMMA continuance intention in two culturally diverse countries: An empirical examination , 2018 .

[12]  Joseph J. Martocchio,et al.  EFFECTS OF FEEDBACK AND COGNITIVE PLAYFULNESS ON PERFORMANCE IN MICROCOMPUTER SOFTWARE TRAINING , 2006 .

[13]  Erkki Sutinen,et al.  Using Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model to Predict Students’ Behavioral Intention to Adopt and Use E-Counseling in Ghana , 2015 .

[14]  S. Schwartz.  Are There Universal Aspects in the Structure and Contents of Human Values , 1994 .

[15]  Shwu-Ing Wu.  The relationship between consumer characteristics and attitude toward online shopping , 2003 .

[16]  Gordon B. Davis,et al.  User Acceptance of Information Technology: Toward a Unified View , 2003, MIS Q..

[17]  Kallol Kumar Bagchi,et al.  Exploring the role of espoused values on e-service adoption: A comparative analysis of the US and Nigerian users , 2012, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[18]  Chorng-Shyong Ong,et al.  Gender differences in perceptions and relationships among dominants of e-learning acceptance , 2006, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[19]  M. S. Abbasi,et al.  Social influence, voluntariness, experience and the internet acceptance: An extension of technology acceptance model within a south-Asian country context , 2011, J. Enterp. Inf. Manag..

[20]  Steven W. Floyd,et al.  Towards modelling the effects of national culture on IT implementation and acceptance , 2001, J. Inf. Technol..

[21]  Yi-Shun Wang,et al.  Investigating the determinants and age and gender differences in the acceptance of mobile learning , 2009, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[22]  B. Verplanken,et al.  Habit, attitude, and planned behaviour : is habit an empty construct or an interesting case of goal-directed automaticity? , 1999 .

[23]  Moez Limayem,et al.  How Habit Limits the Predictive Power of Intention: The Case of Information Systems Continuance , 2007, MIS Q..

[24]  Aytaç Göğüş,et al.  Educational technology acceptance across national and professional cultures: a European study , 2013 .

[25]  Arumugam Raman,et al.  Technology Acceptance on Smart Board among Teachers in Terengganu Using UTAUT Model , 2014 .

[26]  Linda S. Niehm,et al.  Exploring the role of values and norms towards consumers’ intentions to patronize retail apparel brands engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) , 2017, Fashion and Textiles.

[27]  Chorng-Shyong Ong,et al.  Factors affecting engineers' acceptance of asynchronous e-learning systems in high-tech companies , 2004, Inf. Manag..

[28]  S. Schwartz.  Universals in the Content and Structure of Values: Theoretical Advances and Empirical Tests in 20 Countries , 1992 .

[29]  P. Gupta,et al.  Comparison of statistical methods for outlier detection in proficiency testing data on analysis of lead in aqueous solution , 2013 .

[30]  James Kariuki Njenga,et al.  The myths about e-learning in higher education , 2010, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[31]  P. Musa.  Making a case for modifying the technology acceptance model to account for limited accessibility in developing countries , 2006 .

[32]  I. Brown.  Individual and Technological Factors Affecting Perceived Ease of Use of Web‐based Learning Technologies in a Developing Country , 2002, Electron. J. Inf. Syst. Dev. Ctries..

[33]  N. Kock.  Common Method Bias in PLS-SEM: A Full Collinearity Assessment Approach , 2015, Int. J. e Collab..

[34]  T. Thomas,et al.  The utility of the UTAUT model in explaining mobile learning adoption in higher education in Guyana , 2013 .

[35]  E. T. Krueger,et al.  The nature of attitudes. , 1931 .

[36]  Yogesh Kumar Dwivedi,et al.  Re-examining the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT): Towards a Revised Theoretical Model , 2017, Information Systems Frontiers.

[37]  W. Peng,et al.  Keep Using My Health Apps: Discover Users' Perception of Health and Fitness Apps with the UTAUT2 Model. , 2015, Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.

[38]  Øystein Sørebø,et al.  The role of self-determination theory in explaining teachers' motivation to continue to use e-learning technology , 2009, Comput. Educ..

[39]  M. Rokeach,et al.  Beliefs, Attitudes and Values. A Theory of Organization and Change , 1968 .

[40]  Hsiu-Ju Chen,et al.  Clarifying the impact of product scarcity and perceived uniqueness in buyers' purchase behavior of games of limited-amount version , 2014 .

[41]  Tiago Oliveira,et al.  Understanding individual-level digital divide: Evidence of an African country , 2018, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[42]  Venkatesh,et al.  A Longitudinal Field Investigation of Gender Differences in Individual Technology Adoption Decision-Making Processes. , 2000, Organizational behavior and human decision processes.

[43]  W. Wood.  Habit in Personality and Social Psychology , 2017, Personality and social psychology review : an official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

[44]  A. Mursu,et al.  ICT Barriers and Critical Success Factors in Developing Countries , 2013, Electron. J. Inf. Syst. Dev. Ctries..

[45]  Chao-Min Chiu,et al.  Understanding e-learning continuance intention: An extension of the Technology Acceptance Model , 2006, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[46]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  A Theoretical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Four Longitudinal Field Studies , 2000, Management Science.

[47]  Naresh K. Malhotra,et al.  A Longitudinal Model of Continued IS Use: An Integrative View of Four Mechanisms Underlying Postadoption Phenomena , 2005, Manag. Sci..

[48]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models , 1989 .

[49]  K. Sandhu,et al.  Factors Influencing the Adoption and Usage of Online Services in Saudi Arabia , 2010, Electron. J. Inf. Syst. Dev. Ctries..

[50]  S. Schwartz.  An Overview of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values , 2012 .

[51]  Aytaç Göğüş,et al.  Educational Technology Acceptance across Cultures: A Validation of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology in the Context of Turkish National Culture. , 2012 .

[52]  V. Zeithaml.  Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: A Means-End Model and Synthesis of Evidence: , 1988 .

[53]  R. Fischer,et al.  How and when do personal values guide our attitudes and sociality? Explaining cross-cultural variability in attitude-value linkages. , 2013, Psychological bulletin.

[54]  Mehwish Waheed,et al.  The influence of learning value on learning management system use , 2016 .

[55]  Marylène Gagné,et al.  Understanding e-learning continuance intention in the workplace: A self-determination theory perspective , 2008, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[56]  A. Tarhini,et al.  Factors affecting the adoption of e-learning systems in Qatar and USA: Extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) , 2017, Educational Technology Research and Development.

[57]  Jason Bennett Thatcher,et al.  Examining the influence of cultural values on the post-adoptive use of knowledge management systems , 2012, SIGMIS-CPR '12.

[58]  Hager Khechine,et al.  A meta‐analysis of the UTAUT model: Eleven years later , 2016 .

[59]  Marjan Hericko,et al.  A meta-analysis of e-learning technology acceptance: The role of user types and e-learning technology types , 2011, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[60]  R. Saadé,et al.  The Role of Intrinsic Motivation in System Adoption: A Cross-Cultural Perspective , 2009 .

[61]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Model of Adoption and Technology in Households: A Baseline Model Test and Extension Incorporating Household Life Cycle , 2005, MIS Q..

[62]  B. McSweeney.  Hofstede’s Model of National Cultural Differences and their Consequences: A Triumph of Faith - a Failure of Analysis , 2002 .

[63]  Xiaojun Zhang,et al.  An espoused cultural perspective to understand continued intention to use mobile applications: a four-country study of mobile social media application usability , 2015, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[64]  Vas Taras,et al.  Half a century of measuring culture: Review of approaches, challenges, and limitations based on the analysis of 121 instruments for quantifying culture , 2009 .

[65]  Marko Sarstedt,et al.  PLS-SEM: Indeed a Silver Bullet , 2011 .

[66]  E. Deci,et al.  Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. , 2000, The American psychologist.

[67]  P. Brewer,et al.  The Ecological Fallacy in National Culture Research , 2014 .

[68]  Nasution,et al.  Investigating Social Influence on Acceptance of Executive Information Systems: A UTAUT Framework Approach , 2007 .

[69]  John K. Tarus,et al.  Challenges of implementing e-learning in Kenya: A case of Kenyan public universities , 2015 .

[70]  Dennis F. Galletta,et al.  Integrating National Culture into IS Research: The Need for Current Individual Level Measures , 2005, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[71]  Juho Hamari,et al.  Demographic differences in perceived benefits from gamification , 2014, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[72]  Hossam Haick,et al.  Motivation to learn in massive open online courses: Examining aspects of language and social engagement , 2016, Comput. Educ..

[73]  Timothy Teo,et al.  Factors influencing teachers' intention to use technology: Model development and test , 2011, Comput. Educ..

[74]  C. Fornell,et al.  Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. , 1981 .

[75]  Ching-Ter Chang,et al.  Examining the students' behavioral intention to use e-learning in Azerbaijan? The General Extended Technology Acceptance Model for E-learning approach , 2017, Comput. Educ..

[76]  Anastasios A. Economides,et al.  The acceptance and use of computer based assessment , 2011, Comput. Educ..

[77]  Nicolae Nistor,et al.  Towards the integration of culture into the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology , 2014, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[78]  R. Raisamo,et al.  Investigating students' behavioural intention to adopt and use mobile learning in higher education in East Africa , 2014 .

[79]  Antonio Padilla-Meléndez,et al.  Perceived playfulness, gender differences and technology acceptance model in a blended learning scenario , 2013, Comput. Educ..

[80]  Qing Hu,et al.  User behaviour towards protective information technologies: the role of national cultural differences , 2009, Inf. Syst. J..

[81]  Yogesh Kumar Dwivedi,et al.  A Meta-analysis of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) , 2011, Governance and Sustainability in Information Systems.

[82]  Mark Srite,et al.  Culture as an Explanation of Technology Acceptance Differences: An Empirical Investigation of Chinese and US Users , 2006, Australas. J. Inf. Syst..

[83]  R. Stolzenberg,et al.  Multiple Regression Analysis , 2004 .

[84]  S. Schwartz.  Beyond individualism/collectivism: New cultural dimensions of values. , 1994 .

[85]  E. Deci,et al.  Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation , 2000 .

[86]  Peter A. Todd,et al.  Understanding Information Technology Usage: A Test of Competing Models , 1995, Inf. Syst. Res..

[87]  K. Hone,et al.  Factors affecting students’ acceptance of e-learning environments in developing countries:A structural equation modeling approach , 2013 .

[88]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Consumer Acceptance and Use of Information Technology: Extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology , 2012, MIS Q..

[89]  Paule Chau,et al.  Online higher education commodity , 2010, J. Comput. High. Educ..

[90]  Shuiqing Yang,et al.  Understanding Undergraduate Students' Adoption of Mobile Learning Model: A Perspective of the Extended UTAUT2 , 2013 .

[91]  Geoffrey S. Hubona,et al.  Individual differences and usage behavior: revisiting a technology acceptance model assumption , 2005, DATB.

[92]  Jörg Henseler,et al.  Consistent and asymptotically normal PLS estimators for linear structural equations , 2014 .

[93]  Sonia Adelé,et al.  Evolutions in the human technology relationship: rejection, acceptance and technosymbiosis , 2013 .

[94]  Xiaohui Liu,et al.  Examining the moderating effect of individual-level cultural values on users’ acceptance of E-learning in developing countries: a structural equation modeling of an extended technology acceptance model , 2017, Interact. Learn. Environ..

[95]  R. Jackson,et al.  Ethnic difference in the relationship between acute inflammation and serum ferritin in US adult males , 2007, Epidemiology and Infection.

[96]  Hager Khechine,et al.  UTAUT Model for Blended Learning: The Role of Gender and Age in the Intention to Use Webinars. , 2014 .

[97]  Francisco J. Martínez-López,et al.  Exploring the impact of individualism and uncertainty avoidance in Web-based electronic learning: An empirical analysis in European higher education , 2009, Comput. Educ..

[98]  E. Davidov,et al.  Values, Attitudes Toward Interpersonal Violence, and Interpersonal Violent Behavior , 2018, Front. Psychol..

[99]  Y. Don,et al.  Preservice Teachers' Acceptance of Learning Management Software: An Application of the UTAUT2 Model. , 2013 .

[100]  Jan C. Recker,et al.  Reasoning about Discontinuance of Information System Use , 2016, J. Inf. Technol. Theory Appl..

[101]  Tiago Oliveira,et al.  A weight and a meta-analysis on mobile banking acceptance research , 2016, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[102]  Mark Srite,et al.  The Role of Espoused National Cultural Values in Technology Acceptance , 2006, MIS Q..

[103]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Technology Acceptance Model 3 and a Research Agenda on Interventions , 2008, Decis. Sci..

[104]  Joseph F. Hair,et al.  Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling , 2021, Handbook of Market Research.

[105]  Peter Meso,et al.  Developing a research agenda for ICT research in developing countries: A focus on Sub-Saharan Africa , 2006, ASIST.

[106]  Marjan Hericko,et al.  An Empirical Study of Virtual Learning Environment Adoption Using UTAUT , 2010, 2010 Second International Conference on Mobile, Hybrid, and On-Line Learning.

[107]  Fred D. Davis.  Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology , 1989, MIS Q..

[108]  Rupert Ward,et al.  Developing a General Extended Technology Acceptance Model for E-Learning (GETAMEL) by analysing commonly used external factors , 2016, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[109]  Seger M. Breugelmans,et al.  A Cross-Cultural Study of the Mediating Role of Implicit Theories of Innovativeness in the Relationship Between Values and Attitudes Toward Innovation , 2018 .