Is Technology Acceptance Models Fitting to Measure Online Purchasing Intention in the Context of e Commerce?

Abstract

Technology acceptance theories, starting from the TRA, TAM, TAM2, TPB, Combined TAM and TPB, MPCU, IDT, SCT, UTAUT and UTAUT2 were the theories used primarily by researchers to measure online purchasing in the context of ecommerce. Those theories were focus directly technology acceptance by IT component while ignoring retailer, customer and most other components. Hence, it is mandatory to recognize relevancy of the measurement of technology acceptance theories. Main technology acceptance theories were critically evaluated and examine to identify the uniqueness of each model. Context applied, concept and process evaluated in each model. Technology Acceptance theories are directly used to measure technology acceptance behavior in an organizational context. However, there were difference in context, concept, process and theoretical aspects when comparing the organizational worker and the online consumer. Hence those theories cannot be adopted to measure online purchasing behavior as they are. Similarly, IDT and UTAUT2 measure purchasing new technologies such as online game or email by individual consumer. Which is again not compatible with purchsing good online. On the other hand, it must be emphasized that a high level of volitional control is needed to apply TRA (Al Suqri & Al-Kharusi, 2015). Hence TRA is not strictly applicable when measuring the online purchasing concept. Therefore, prior tech‐ nology acceptance models, as well as UTAUT2 and IDT cannot be applied to e-commerce. Hence, the current researcher proposes the development of a model, which merges a new context (consumer) and concept (e-commerce) with the maximum utilization of pre‐ vious technology acceptance theoretical aspects