User Acceptance of Information Technology Systems as a Driver of Innovation in the Colombian Fashion Industry: An Abstract

Abstract

Despite the key role innovation plays in determining competitiveness of organizations and regions (OECD 2015), there are still many challenges in the implementation of activities related to improving innovation, especially in the fashion industry (Godart et al. 2015). Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis 1986; Venkatesh and Davis 1996), this study proposes to examine the user acceptance of new information technology (IT) in the fashion industry in Colombia (South America) in relation to the firm’s innovation performance. IT plays a major role in promoting innovation by reducing information costs and increasing inclusion (World Bank 2016). Multiple studies (e.g., Lyver and Lu 2018) confirm the influential role technology plays in the processes related to innovation. Moreover, even though TAM is highly popular among researchers, the majority of studies based on variations of TAM have been tested in the USA (Davis et al. 1992).The original TAM posits that Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) are the main beliefs influencing computer acceptance behaviors, and those beliefs are also determined by certain external variables (e.g., objective design characteristics of a system) (Davis et al. 1989). For this study, the IT considered will be of mandatory usage for employees. Consequently, the proposed model follows Venkatesh and Davis (1996), which is the original TAM with the addition of the Behavioral Intention (BI) construct and elimination of the attitude construct. Based on these relations adapted to the context of the fashion industry in Colombia, nine hypotheses were proposed (H1–9).Survey research design was conducted to test the proposed model. Survey distribution was supported by Inexmoda through email invitations sent to all companies from the fashion system in Colombia (>5000 companies). Data analysis will be performed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results are not available at the time of submission. Findings will be useful for managers in the fashion industry aiming to increase innovation via the usage of newly implemented IT, as well as for academics by generating theoretical implications related to the proposed TAM extension.KeywordsTAMInnovationFashionInformation technology