Modeling Multilevel Structures of Information Technology Acceptance: An Investigation of Group Level Effects on Individual Usage of Web-Based Systems

Despite the sizable and continually increasing amount of investment in information technology (IT), IT often falls short of realizing its expected benefits due to inadequate user acceptance. Understanding the key factors that facilitate user acceptance of IT is an issue that has considerable practical implications. While much research effort has been directed to investigating the effects of various variables operating at the individual level, little effort has been made to modeling and assessing the effects of group level variables on individual usage behavior. Our study addresses this issue by proposing a multilevel model composed of individual level variables and group level variables, integrating the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model with Resource-Based Theory. Research hypotheses derived from this integrative model will be empirically validated in a field study setting involving college students who use a Web-based system over a 12-week period. The proposed model will be tested using a hierarchical linear modeling approach, which is specifically designed to examine multilevel data structures. The findings are expected to provide important insights into the dynamic interplay between individual level variables and group level variables and their joint effects on individual acceptance of IT.