How Do IT Users’ Attributes Influence Innovative Use of IT: The Mediating Role of Individual Absorptive Capacity

Individual innovation is increasingly considered as a crucial element of organizational innovation. Prior research on user attributes as antecedents of innovation behavior (e.g., innovative use of IT) has identified three key factors: domain-specific knowledge and skills (e.g., prior knowledge), creativity-related skills (e.g., absorptive capacity), and intrinsic motivation. However, it is still unclear how these factors jointly impact the innovative use of IT. To address this knowledge gap, we propose a model that builds on the absorptive capacity theory and creativity literature to study how individuals’ innovative use of IT is influenced by prior knowledge, absorptive capacity, and intrinsic motivation as well as their joint interactions. Conceptualizing prior knowledge in two constructs (IT knowledge and domain knowledge) and absorptive capacity in four constructs (acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation), we empirically validate the proposed model with a survey of 249 business intelligence (BI) system users. In addition, we identify two mediating roles of absorptive capacity: indirect-only or complementary. The findings enhance our understanding of the innovative use of IT.