The impact of initial learning experience on digital services usage diffusion: A field study of e-services in Lebanon

Abstract

The initial learning experience is crucial for understanding digital services adoption and usage diffusion. Using a UTAUTv2 model, we explore the effect of process- and content-oriented knowledge on behavioral intentions to use e-government services. The adoption of e-government systems is lower than desired in general and faces considerable resistance in many developing countries. Scholars suggest that more knowledge and better training are critical to increasing adoption and usage rates. We conducted a survey of 262 citizens in Lebanon to investigate how consumers cope with high and moderate levels of complexity during their initial learning experience with a technology-based product. The results show that a moderate degree of content- and process-oriented knowledge about e-government services during an initial learning experience improves usage habits, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions. The challenge for service providers is to understand consumers’ learning experience and coping strategies and to provide mechanisms that make the transition to e-services easier and more intuitive. This can be achieved by developing new infrastructure for e-services to facilitate easier access to e-government websites and to improve site performance. Marketers can also develop more effective communications that offer easy and flexible specific steps for using the portal.