IT acceptance

Abstract

Users and IT personnel typically belong to different organizational units with different objectives and values. This often creates a perceived boundary between the two units, reducing the degree to which users accept the installation of new IT. Much IT research suggests that increased user involvement and influence on IT development can overcome user - IT personnel differences and thereby increase user acceptance. However, the realization of this objective can be problematic when implementing new IT in large organizations within which such user involvement is impractical.This study examines a case of IT adoption in view of Social Identity Theory, which focuses on how identification with groups affects individuals' beliefs and behavior. As hypothesized, users' acceptance of the IT increased when they believed that the inter-group boundary between them and the IT group was reduced and when they believed that they shared values with the IT group. Both of these beliefs increased when the IT group was perceived to be responsive to user requests. The results suggest that, even in large organizations where user influence on IT development is limited, IT group responsiveness can increase user acceptance of new IT.