Overcoming the Negative Influence of Individual Motives on Disruptive Technology Acceptance

Abstract

In this study, we explore the dueling roles of individual goals and firm goals on the acceptance of disruptive technologies at the employee level. Disruptive technologies are unique in that they require the user to drastically change the manner in which they use this type of technology. As this transition to a disruptive technology takes both time and effort, an individual employee is likely to be distracted from their primary goals (e.g. hitting deadlines, milestones). Because of this, the motivations of individuals may have a negative effect on the acceptance of disruptive technologies at the employee level. In order to highlight the negative influence of technology disruptiveness on individual-firm goal congruency, we empirically compare incremental technologies to disruptive technologies in this study. This comparison is enriched by the introduction of a new scale aimed at measuring technology disruptiveness at the employee level. Furthermore, four moderators of the main effect of individual motives on acceptance are measured: the existence of an internal technology champion, the perceived usefulness and ease of use of the product, and the amount of interorganizational trust with the supplier of the disruptive technology. This article should highlight some possible obstacles towards employee acceptance of disruptive technologies and offer some moderators that could help overcome these obstacles.