Resistance to online learning technology: Theoretical and empirical perspectives

Abstract

The increasing popularity of online learning applications (OLAs) among institutions and individuals is an ongoing trend in information technology. While much of previous technology adoption research has been focused on adoption motivators or enablers, the lack of research on adoption inhibitors is the primary motivation for this study. The main focus is on dispositional resistance to change (RTC) and its role in individual OLA adoption decisions. A theoretical model integrating two fields of research, technology adoption and psychology, was developed to investigate the influence of RTC on key adoption predictors using a sample of 217 university-student OLA users. A combination of cognitive dissonance and self-verification theories was used to explain the mechanism of this influence, which was subsequently tested and verified. Findings indicate that RTC has a significant negative impact on effort expectancy and usage intention, but not on attitude and performance expectancy. This study contributes by theoretically underpinning and empirically validating the impact of RTC on OLA adoption decisions. Furthermore, it illustrates the importance of incorporating RTC into technology adoption studies in general and OLA studies in particular. This research provides the foundation for future work in this severely underexplored area.