Identifying resistant user groups during the product lifecycle of IT innovations: Proposing a user transformation theory

Maier C, Laumer S, Eckhardt A (2011)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2011

Series: Proceedings of the Special Interest Group on Adoption and Diffusion of Information Technology (DIGIT) (Pre-ICIS Workshop)

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of the Special Interest Group on Adoption and Diffusion of Information Technology (DIGIT) (Pre-ICIS Workshop)

Event location: Shanghai, China CN

Abstract

Motivated by the phenomenon of the digital divide, this research tries to identify resistant user groups in private household settings. Therefore, the concept of dispositional resistance widely studied in psychology, which reflects individuals' predisposition to check out something new, is transferred into information systems research. With the help of this trait, we investigate the groups within the diffusion of innovation theory, and try to identify resistant user groups. Surprisingly, the results do indicate that individuals, who are regarded as innovators, are not less resistant than others. We discuss reasons for this finding like the non-consideration of the point in time to which an individual gets aware of an innovation, or the speed to which an individual decides using an innovation. Based on these reasons, we develop a user transformation theory which clusters users and non-users of a technology in a completely new manner, as we differ between spontaneous and deliberate, as well as aware and unaware non-user. With data of 3,262 individuals, we empirically confirm that these groups differ concerning their dispositional resistance. Our research emphasizes the importance for future research to focus on these resistant user groups and their potential digital divide from society. Potential benefits of these new user group clusters are discussed.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sven Laumer Schöller Endowed Chair for Information Systems (Digitalization in Business and Society)

Involved external institutions

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main DE Germany (DE) Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Maier, C., Laumer, S., & Eckhardt, A. (2011). Identifying resistant user groups during the product lifecycle of IT innovations: Proposing a user transformation theory. In International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) (Eds.), Proceedings of the Special Interest Group on Adoption and Diffusion of Information Technology (DIGIT) (Pre-ICIS Workshop). Shanghai, China, CN.

MLA:

Maier, Christian, Sven Laumer, and Andreas Eckhardt. "Identifying resistant user groups during the product lifecycle of IT innovations: Proposing a user transformation theory." Proceedings of the Proceedings of the Special Interest Group on Adoption and Diffusion of Information Technology (DIGIT) (Pre-ICIS Workshop), Shanghai, China Ed. International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), 2011.

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