The Impact of Task-Technology Fit in Technology Acceptance and Utilization Models

In a recent paper, Venkatesh et al. (2003) examine a series of models that explain or predict user acceptance of information technology. These models included the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis et al., 1989), Computer Self Efficacy (Compeau and Higgins, 1995) and other models of user behavior, intention, or affect. Their study combined these models to form a Unified Model, which the authors call UTAUT. The underlying models as well as the combined model fail to explicitly include task constructs. Typically, users intend to use an information technology if it meets their task requirements. A model that explicitly includes task characteristics is the Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model (Goodhue, 1995), which has been shown to add explanatory power to the Technology Acceptance Model (Dishaw and Strong, 1999). Our study adds TTF constructs to the UTAUT with the goal of determining whether this addition produces an improvement in explanatory power, similar to that reported by Dishaw and Strong (1999).