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Toward a Model of Interactions of Technology Adoption Factors vis-à-vis Socio-Economic Development Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract
While there has been considerable research on innovation adaptation and diffusion especially in the rapid growth area of Information Technology, most has focused on developed countries (Mathieson et al., 2001; Straub, 1994; Gallivan, 2001). Most of this research presumes that technology is readily available, and the onus of accepting or rejecting it resides with the end user. However, this assumption falls short of realities in developing countries in general, and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Countries in this region lag behind the rest of the world in basic socio-economic factors such as income, education, health, productivity, etc., pertinent to the day-to-day use of modern technologies. To the vast majority of potential users, adoption is not about choice, since adequate technology does not exist. Several theoretical frameworks have been used to explain innovation adoption and diffusion. Among them are the theory of planned behavior, theory of reasoned action, diffusion of innovations, social cognitive theory, technology acceptance model, etc. (Gallivan, 2001). An area of innovation adoption and diffusion that has received considerable attention, especially in Information Technology, is research that predicts whether individuals will accept and voluntarily use a given technology. One of the most referenced models in this research stream is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). TAM proposes that successful adoption (acceptance) of technology is dependent on its usefulness and its ease-of-use (Davis, et al., 1989).
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