Adopted Yet Underused: A Technology Commitment Model of Post-Adoptive Behavior

Every year, individuals and organizations end up adopting (licensing) many competing software products. Yet, over time, much of the adopted software remains underused because users forgo the use of one for another adopted alternative. Although much research in the IS field has examined first-time IS adoption, less is known about post-adoption behavior, especially why users continue to use one software over competing alternatives. This paper proposes a comprehensive technology commitment model that explains why some IS technology products enjoy sustained use while others’ use are often discontinued. This paper forwards the notion that IS continuance may be best understood by investigating user commitment towards specific technologies, along with their corresponding antecedents. Besides examining the mediating role of technology commitment, the paper introduces technological inertia as a moderator on continuous use. The hypotheses are further tested to validate our model and draw important cues for explaining user commitment and continuous use of technologies.