Social factors affecting students’ acceptance of e-learning environments in developing and developed countries

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual model investigating the impacts of three social factors (i.e. interpersonal influence, external influence and instructor influence) on students’ intention to use e-learning in two different countries: Egypt as an example of a developing country and the UK as an example of a developed country. Design/methodology/approach The subjects of this study were hospitality and tourism students enrolled in “technology-enhanced” courses that were augmented using an online course management tool within face-to-face settings. A total of 700 e-mails were sent to invite students to participate in the survey. Accordingly, 468 usable responses were obtained, representing a response rate of 66.9 per cent. The structural equation modeling approach was used to estimate the conceptual model. Findings The research results show that interpersonal influence, external influence and instructor quality had significant effects on the Egyptian students’ behavioral intention to use e-learning platforms through the mediating variables of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. However, instructor quality was the only predictor which had significant impact on the UK students’ behavioral intention. Research limitations/implications There are three limitations in this study related to the selected sample, the investigated factors and the used research method. Practical implications The findings of the current study offer practical implications for scholars and practitioners in both countries to place a high priority on enhancing e-learning environments. Originality/value The current study contributes to the limited literature about the rule of social factors in technology adoption and use, especially in the context of developing countries such as Egypt.