BRM: A methodology for improving the practical relevance of belief-based information technology usage theories

Abstract

There has been extensive research in Information Systems (IS) regarding the individual-level beliefs that are germane to technology usage. Theories like the technology acceptance model, user satisfaction, service quality, the diffusion of innovations theory, and others identify a wide variety of influential beliefs, such as those that target properties of the system itself (e.g., its features), the use of it (e.g., its ease of use), or other contextual aspects (e.g., the pressure from peers to use it). These theories have been invaluable for understanding one of the most fundamental phenomena of interest to IS researchers and practitioners: individuals’ adoption and use of information technology (IT). However, as valuable as these theories are, there has been growing criticism about the fact that several of their constituting belief constructs (e.g., usefulness or quality) do not lend themselves to prescriptions for actionable interventions, in particular those geared toward IT design. This is especially problematic when it comes to applying or extending them to the contexts of emerging technologies, where best design practices are still to be discovered and tested. We address this concern by developing a Broadness Reduction Methodology (BRM) that relies on Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) foundational work on the nature and formation of beliefs to help researchers develop belief-based theoretical models that are more relevant to IT practitioners. In order to illustrate the application of our methodology and demonstrate its validity, we apply it to the context of e-business. In doing so, we decompose the broad construct of supporting-service functionality, which has been shown to be a strong predictor of satisfaction and continued usage, into more specific constructs that are more amenable to actionable design recommendations.