Stuart J. Barnes
Abstract
Applying technology acceptance theory to understand why iMode has become so popular in Japan, and whether its popularity will extend to the rest of the world.
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Index Terms
- Rising sun: iMode and the wireless Internet
Recommendations
Reviews
Tom Stafford
Barnes and Huff provide a detailed, if not unique, perspective on the fascinating i-mode mobile phone and Internet service of Japan. Although information about the -mode service is widely available in a number of venues, including one very good Harvard case study, this article, in the easy-to-assimilate CACM magazine article format, is a handy compendium of i-mode facts and figures in a brief and appealing narrative style. Academic readers may not find the section on i-mode and technology acceptance appealing, simply because it is not practical to do justice to the robust technology acceptance model (TAM) in the confines of the CACM page limitations. Moreover, any discussion of technology acceptance that includes Fishbein and Ajzen, but overlooks Venkatesh and Davis (as, indeed, the authors have done) will be seen as less than credible by scholars who are knowledgeable in the topic. The discussion of the diffusion of i-mode as a consumer innovation is very good, if not completely in line with standard theoretical considerations related to the TAM. Hence, for those who need a contemporary and accurate applied example of Everett Roger's key innovation characteristics, this i-mode article is good reading, and perhaps an even better example for use in a discussion with colleagues in the practice, or as a classroom example for those in the academic field.
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