A Multilevel Investigation of Normative and Informational Influences on Extensiveness of Individual Technology Use

Prior research in technology use by individuals has predominantly focused on social influence as perceived by the individual. We take an alternative perspective and drawing from literature on normative influence and social networks, we develop cross-level hypotheses related to the effects of team level social influence on extensiveness of individual technology use. We test the research hypotheses, using hierarchical linear modeling, in a field study of over 250 employees, working in 44 teams that are using a new customer relationship management system in a large financial services institution. Results show that extensiveness of individual use, operationalized as the number of customer-related transactions managed electronically, is a function of both team normative pressure and team network configuration. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.