An empirical investigation of the factors affecting the adoption of Instant Messaging in organizations

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Abstract

Instant Messaging (IM) has become one of the most popular applications for many Internet users. As a means of communication, it has not only been influential at the personal level, but has also affected interaction between members of business organizations. Previous studies mainly focus on IM usage at the personal level, and do not investigate IM usage within organizations. This study proposes a model to conform to a scenario of IM usage within organizations based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior. The study presents an empirical investigation of the factors influencing workers within organizations to adopt IM usage. A total of 313 valid questionnaires were returned. A structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test the research hypothesis. The results indicate that perceived presence awareness has the greatest positive impact on the attitude of organization workers towards IM, while critical mass causes a negative effect. Perceived usefulness on the other hand had no significant effect. As for subjective norm, peers have the greatest influence while the superior's influence is not significant. In terms of perceived behavioral control, facilitating conditions are more influential than self-efficacy. The study provides implications from both a theoretical and managerial point of view.

Introduction

In recent years, due to the prevalence of computers and the advancement of Internet technology, computer-mediated communication (CMC) has become more popular and started to change the way people communicate [20], [21]. With the emergence of the Internet, asynchronous and synchronous communication tools, such as e-mail, newsgroups, BBS (electronic bulletin board systems), real-time chat, online interaction or conferencing, blogs, and instant messengers have provided a variety of communication means. Instant Messaging, among all, is the communication means with the fastest growing user population. In Taiwan, the usage rate for Instant Messaging among the online population reaches as high as 87.4%, only second to the United States [37]. The usage of Instant Messaging is not only popular among home users, but also corporate users. Market analysts predicted that corporate Instant Messaging would grow from 18.3 million users worldwide in 2001 to 229 million in 2005 [23]. According to Radicati Group, a technology market research firm in the USA, IM is used in 85% of all enterprises in North America. Internationally, 20% of all enterprise users worldwide utilize IM, and this number is expected to grow to 80% by year-end 2008 [26].

IM software was introduced more than ten years ago in 1996, and its impact has extended from the personal level to the corporate level. However, previous studies of IM focus on personal usage [17], [29], [30], technology development, [13], [22] or conceptual introduction [10]. Studies on IM usage in organizations is still in the preliminary stage. Whether to adopt IM application within an organization has become an issue faced by many enterprises; however few studies, especially empirical studies, have discussed this issue [6], [36].

The study presents an in-depth understanding of IM usage within enterprises in Taiwan, and reveals the critical factors that effect the adaptation of IM by organizational workers. The study proposes a model to explain and predict the usage of IM of workers in organizations based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) [34], and relevant studies on technology acceptance [4], [16], [35] and Instant Messaging [6], [17], [22], [36]. Implications and suggestions are provided for the usage of IM within enterprises.

Section snippets

Instant Messaging

Faulhaber [11] defines Instant Messaging as a text-based means of near-real-time communication between customers who have registered for the service. Carmeron and Webster [6] on the other hand describe IM as a communication technology that allows employees to send and receive short text-based messages in real-time and to view associates who are also ‘online’ and currently available to receive messages. McClea et al. [22] label IM as the ability for one to see if a chosen friend, co-worker, or

Research model and hypotheses

As illustrated in Fig. 1, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, compatibility, critical mass, security and perceived presence awareness have a positive effect on attitude. Business relations, peers and superiors would have a positive effect on subjective norm while self-efficacy and facilitating conditions would have positive effect on perceived behavioral control. Finally, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control would have a positive effect on behavioral intention.

Instrument development

Behavioral intention is defined as the subjective intention of IM adoption for organization workers, and attitude is defined as the positive or negative perception of IM adoption for organization workers [12]. Subjective norm is defined as the effect of reference groups on IM adoption for organization workers, and perceived behavioral control is defined as the perceived internal and external constraints expected to impact behavior [34]. Perceived usefulness is defined as the degree to which a

Measurement model

Reliability and validity analysis were conducted after collecting the 313 valid questionnaires. Hair et al. [15] defines reliability as the extent to which a variable or set of variables is consistent in what it is intended to measure. Robinson et al. [27] indicates that Cronbach's α value of 0.7 is the minimum acceptable value for reliability. The Cronbach's α value of each construct is over 0.7, which represents good reliability. Hair et al. [15] defines validity as the extent to which a

Discussion and implications

The purpose of the study focuses on the understanding of IM adoption within organizations and the factors influencing IM adoption. A total of 11 decomposed factors were presented, of which 9 factors were statistically sustained. As expected, the results of the study are in accordance with the DTPB. Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control are the three key factors affecting behavioral intention. Besides the factors proposed in DTPB such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease

Limitations and suggestions for future research

The major limitation of this study is that the sampling procedure was not randomized. However, the sources of the samples are highly diversified for including different companies, industries and regions of users, and also for avoiding sampling bias. All respondents were organization workers who used IM at work. The samples should still be representative. Researchers who utilize the results of this study in the future should take note of this issue.

This study proposes a model for explaining IM

Pui-Lai To is a professor and Chair of the Department of Management Information Systems at National Chiayi University in Taiwan. She received her Ph.D. in MIS from the University of Memphis. Her current research interests focus on electronic commerce, customer relationship management, and the impacts of information technology on organizations and individuals. Her articles have appeared or have been accepted for publication in International Journal of Information Management, Technovation,

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    Pui-Lai To is a professor and Chair of the Department of Management Information Systems at National Chiayi University in Taiwan. She received her Ph.D. in MIS from the University of Memphis. Her current research interests focus on electronic commerce, customer relationship management, and the impacts of information technology on organizations and individuals. Her articles have appeared or have been accepted for publication in International Journal of Information Management, Technovation, Journal of Database Management, International Journal of Information and Management Sciences, International Journal of Management, Journal of Information management, Management Review, Journal of Management and Systems, and other refereed journals and conference proceedings.

    Chechen Liao is a professor of management information systems in the Department of Information Management at National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan. He received his Ph.D. in MIS from the University of Memphis. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Journal of global information technology management. His current research interests focus on electronic commerce, knowledge management, e-supply chain management, and the impacts of information technology on organizations and individuals. His articles have appeared or have been accepted for publication in International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, International Journal of Information Management, Computers in Human Behavior, Technovation, Journal of Database Management, International Journal of Information and Management Sciences, International Journal of management, Journal of Information Management, MIS Review, Journal of Management and Systems, and other refereed journals and conference proceedings.

    Jerry C. Chiang is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Information Management at National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan. His current research interests include IS service quality management, IS project management, IS employment relationship management, electronic commerce, and research methodology. His articles have appeared in the American Conference of Information Systems (AMCIS), Journal of Information Management, Journal of Management and Systems, and a number of domestic and international conference proceedings.

    Meng-Lin Shih is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Information Management at National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan. He is also a lecturer in the Department of Information Technology at the Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health, Taiwan. He holds a master degree in Information Management fromTamkang University, Taiwan. His current research interests include electronic commerce, Internet marketing, and supply chain management. His articles have appeared in International Journal of Information Management, MIS Review, and other conference proceedings.

    Chun-Yuan Chang received his MS in MIS degree from National Chung Cheng University in Taiwan. His research interests include issues in electronic commerce and the impacts of information technology on organizations and individuals.

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