A post-adoption analysis of computing in the home

No technology in recent memory has aroused as much national and global interest as the computing technology (Scientific American l995). The new digital age, now augmented by the ubiquitous and powerful microcomputers, is variously described as "the mode of information" (Poster 1990), "the cyberculture" (Escobar 1994), and the like. While the role of personal computers in transforming work environments is generally well known and has been discussed in detail by several scholars (Attwell l992; Boland, Tenkasi and Te'eni l994; Danziger l979; Griffith and Northcraft l994; King l983; Kling l980, Kling 1995; Kraemer, Dutton and Northrop l980; Olson l983; Kraut l989; Orlikowski l992, Sproull and Kiesler l995), similar scholarly inquiry with regard to home use has been less systematic, although not absent (Dholakia, Mundorf and Dholakia l994). For example, under the general rubric of computing in the home, researchers have investigated issues such as the profile of innovators (Dickerson and Gentry l983), symbolic dimensions of the new technology (Turkle l984), the nature of computer diffusion (Dutton, Rogers and Suk-Ho l987, Rogers l985), social psychological factors affecting computer use (Mcquarrie and Langemeyer l987), educational use of computers at home by children (Psychology Today l984, Giacquinta, Bauer, and Levin l993), post-adoption analysis of homecomputers (Venkatesh and Vitalari l987), gender differences in use of computers (Ruddell l993), and telecommuting and work at home (Kraut l989, Venkatesh and Vitalari l992). There are also international perspectives on home computer use (Bakke l993, Berg and Hagersklaer l987, Bjerg and Borreby l994, Josiet l988, Miles l988, OECD l992, Proulx l990).

Home Informatics and Telematics, 2000

This paper reports on the use of personal computers in the home. Analyses were; conducted on US Census Current Population Survey data on computer usage from 1984 to 1997. Findings are presented with regard to the diffusion of ownership and usage patterns of personal computers in the home. Implications ors social impact of home computing art discussed.

MIS Quarterly, 2001

While technology adoption in the workplace has been studied extensively, drivers of adoption in homes have been largely overlooked. This paper presents the results of a nation-wide, two-wave, longitudinal investigation of the factors driving personal computer (PC) adoption in American homes. The findings revealed that the decisions driving adoption and non-adoption were significantly different. Adopters were driven by utilitarian outcomes, hedonic outcomes (i.e., fun), and social outcomes (i.e., status) from adoption. Non-adopters, on the other hand, were influenced primarily by rapid changes in technology and the consequent fear of obsolescence. A second wave of data collection conducted six months after the initial survey indicated an asymmetrical relationship between intent and behavior, with those who did not intend to adopt a PC following more closely with their intent than those who intended to adopt one. We present important implications for research on adoption of technologies in homes and the workplace, and also discuss challenges facing the PC industry.

Journal of Consumer Research, 1983

Adopters and non-adopters of home computers were contrasted in terms of their demographics, psychographics, and experiences with technical consumer products. Experiences with other computer-related products and services were found to play a major role in movement toward purchase of a home computer. Further, the profile of the adopter appears to be consistent with that of a particular type of creative consumer.

The Information Society, 2006

Recently, the model of adoption of technology in households (MATH) was developed and tested in the context of household personal computer (PC) adoption. In this study, we apply MATH to predict PC use. We conducted a nationwide survey including 370 households that owned at least one PC. Results indicate that attitudinal beliefs are extremely important in determining use of a PC in the household. In contrast to previous work examining adopters, normative and control beliefs were not significant in predicting use. Furthermore, several determinants of adoption that were important at different stages of the household lifecycle were found non-significant in predicting use for the same stages of household lifecycle. Overall, the results demonstrate that the belief structure for household PC use is different from that of household PC adoption. Further, the results provide additional evidence in support of including household lifecycle in studies of household technology adoption and use.

Inside the smart home, 2003

Computer and Internet use in the home does not only depend on the functionality of available software and services. It also depends in a very practical way on how the computer itself is located, managed and shared between family members. These factors constitute the social context of home computing and form the subject of this chapter. We report the findings of a home interview survey with 35 families in Pittsburgh and Boston, in which family members spoke about the practicalities of using a computer and going on-line. The findings show a variety of ways in which the computer is being domesticated to fit into existing patterns of family life, home architecture and parental control. They also point to the significance of introducing a second computer into this situation, and its similarity to introducing a second television. The implications of these findings for the design of home technology is discussed.

2000

This report provides a summary overview of findings in major data and research papers about the implications of information technologies for the home. A full literature review of these works, "The Application and Implications of Information Technologies in the Home," is presented. This study identifies eight core data sets and reviews more than 30 major studies related to information technologies in the home. The major findings are: (1) personal computer (PC) use in the home has spread rapidly, especially among the affluent and well-educated; (2) children and male teenagers continue to be the heaviest users of home PCs; and (3) Internet use has moved from work to home. (CCM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Center For Research on Information Technology and Organizations, 2003

Technology adoption research has a long tradition in IS literature, particularly in the work context. Recently, several authors have proposed to extend investigation into the household context. In this study, we have proposed a model of use diffusion as a basis for investigating post-adoption computer usage behavior in three countries. The model was tested with data from a large-scale random sample survey collected in the United States, Sweden, and India. We found that the rate of computer usage and the variety of computer uses in households are influenced significantly by variables that fall into five general categories: attitudinal belief structure, normative belief structure, control belief structure, household makeup structure, and technological structure. When we compare our results across the three countries, the crosscountry analyses reveal that, in general, the countries do not differ in the direction of effect for these five factors; rather, the country differences are the orders of magnitude with which these factors influence home computer usage. Implications for the making of policy decisions are presented.

Center For Research on Information Technology and Organizations, 2011

1984