E-Mail and V-Mail Usage: Generalizing Across Technologies

Many researchers and practitioners describe electronic mail (e-mail) and voice mail (v-mail) together and assume that their usage and impacts are similar. However, empirical evidence on the issue is mixed. For example, whereas some research found similar relations to hold across both e-mail and v-mail, other research presents evidence suggesting that e-mail and v-mail are used differently and their impacts are distinct. This research investigates whether theories derived and tested with respect to e-mail are generalizable to v-mail. Specifically, the research examines whether the antecedents of e-mail use are different than the antecedents of v-mail use. To do so, the research tests a theoretical model for both e-mail and v-mail usage in the same organization. This model expands the technology acceptance model (TAM) to incorporate antecedents of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU). These antecedents, which are based on theories of communications media choice and use, include social influence about usage of the medium, social presence of the medium, physical and informational accessibility of the medium, media style, and availability of training and support on use of the medium. Results indicate important differences between antecedents of e-mail and v-mail usage, in both the determinants of system use and in the determinants of PU and PEU. Specifically, the relations between use and beliefs appear to be more complex than originally proposed in TAM. The effect of social influence on use and its relation to beliefs differ across the two media, suggesting that strong social norms may have a moderating effect on the relation between beliefs and use.