Normative Influence on the Acceptance of Information Technology

Abstract

This article draws from the behavioral research literature to explore the mechanisms of normative influence and to evaluate measurement techniques that may be applied to studies of infonnation technology (IT) acceptance. Two widely accepted models (Fishbein and Ajzen 's subjective norm and Jackson 's Return Potential model of group norms) are evaluated as potential methods of measuring normative influence. The article also outlines the results of afield study that incorporated Jackson 's technique into the TechnologyAcceptance Model. In the field study, which considered software usage in 10 intact work groups, normative influence explained a significant portion of the variance in usage. The results suggest that normative pressures nay be more influential in technology acceptance than demonstrated in earlier research findings. Results also suggest that Jackson's model may be a viable alternative to the subjective norm measure.