A contingency approach to incorporate human, emotional and social influence into a TAM for KM programs

In our dynamic environment with its accelerating technological progress, knowledge has become a very important asset through which firms can acquire competitive advantages. Most previous studies have focused on the influence of the technological perspective of knowledge management (KM) programs, neglecting the influence of the human side of the situation. The study aims to incorporate human, emotional and social influence variables into a technology acceptance model (TAM) and then to empirically test the model’s feasibility. Through a series of expert interviews in conjunction with a questionnaire survey, our study results yield three conclusions. First, a contingency fit between KM orientation and emotional factors will enhance employees’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation toward using a specific KM program. Second, intrinsic motivation will not only serve as a mediation variable to influence perceived usefulness, but also a direct influential variable on attitude and intention toward using a KM program. Third, the social influence factors, including internalization and identification, will serve as both direct and moderating effects on employees’ attitude and intention toward using a KM program. Since none of the previous studies have simultaneously incorporated human, emotional and social influence factors into a TAM, the results of this study have provided a very useful reference for scholars and managers to identify the relevant issues of KM program implementation.