Technology Acceptance Model
(TAM)
Damian Gordon
1989
Technology Acceptance Model


The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is
an information systems theory that models
how users come to accept a technology and
how they use that technology.
Developed by Fred Davis in 1989
Fred Davis


Fred D. Davis’s 1989
articles in MIS Quarterly and
Management Science are
the most highly cited articles
in those journals.
Davis is listed in ISI
HighlyCited.com, which
features “the world's most
influential researchers”.
1989
Technology Acceptance Model
Perceived
Usefulness
Intention to
Use
Perceived
Ease of Use
Usage
Behaviour
First, a bit of history...
1975
Acceptance Models


Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
developed by Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen
1975
Acceptance Models


Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
TRA suggests that a person's behavioural
intention depends on the person's attitude
about the behaviour (“Would I do this sort of
thing normally?”) and subjective norms
(“Would other people in the group do this?”).
1975
Theory of Reasoned Action
Attitude
Towards
Behaviour
Behavioural
Intention
Subjective
Norm
Behaviour
1985
Acceptance Models


Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
developed by Icek Ajzen
1985
Acceptance Models


Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
Extension of his Theory of Reasoned Action
(TRA), since TRA states that actual
behaviour is highly related to behavioural
intention, but the results of some studies
show that, because of circumstantial
limitations, behavioural intention does not
always lead to actual behaviour.
1985
Acceptance Models


Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
TPB adds the notion of Perceived
behavioural control which refers to a
person’s perceptions of their ability to
perform a given behaviour.
1985
Theory of Planned Behaviour
Attitude
Towards
Behaviour
Subjective
Norm
Perceived
Behavioural
Control
Behavioural
Intention
Behaviour
1995
Acceptance Models



Decomposed Theory of Planned
Behaviour (DTPB)
developed by Taylor and Todd
Like the TPB but decomposes the attitudinal,
normative and control beliefs into
multidimensional constructs, which provides
more explanatory power, better diagnostic
value and strengthens the ability of the
model to explain behavioural intention.
1995
Decomposed Theory of Planned
Behaviour
Ease-of-Use
Perceived
Usefulness
Compatibility
Attitude
Towards
Behaviour
Peer Influence
Superior’s
Influence
Subjective
Norm
Self-efficacy
Resource
facilitating
condition
Technology
facilitating
condition
Perceived
Behavioural
Control
Behavioural
Intention
Behaviour
Other Models







Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT)
Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT)
The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)
The Motivational Model (MM)
The Model of PC Utilisation (MPCU)
Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of
Technology (UTAUT)
Matching Person & Technology (MPT)
So onto the Technology
Acceptance Model (TAM)
1989
Technology Acceptance Model

When users are presented with a new technology,
two key factors influence their decision about how
and when they will use it:
–
Perceived usefulness (PU) - the degree to which a person
believes that using a particular system would enhance his
or her job performance.
–
Perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) - the degree to which a
person believes that using a particular system would be free
from effort.
1989
Technology Acceptance Model
Perceived
Usefulness
Intention to
Use
Perceived
Ease of Use
Usage
Behaviour
1989
Technology Acceptance Model
1989
Technology Acceptance Model