Acceptance Process: The Missing Link between UTAUT and Diffusion of Innovation Theory

Abstract

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) has been widely used in research involving adoption and acceptance of technologies. The theory considers factors that influence behavioural intention and use behaviour of technology. The authors of UTAUT combined eight competing theories of technology acceptance including the Diffusion of Innovation theory. Despite the involvement of the characteristics that affect technology adoption from the Diffusion of Innovation theory, the authors of UTAUT did not include the process that technology progresses through to be adopted. This paper argues conceptually that technology adoption processes should be included in UTAUT to better predict technology acceptance and that future information systems research should endeavour to include the environment and process in which technologies are used.