Revisiting the TAM: adapting the model to advanced technologies and evolving user behaviours
| Date | 17 October 2024 |
| Pages | 1055-1073 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-06-2024-0166 |
| Published date | 17 October 2024 |
| Author | Fredrick Ishengoma |
Revisiting the TAM: adapting the
model to advanced technologies and
evolving user behaviours
Fredrick Ishengoma
College of Informatics and Virtual Education, The University of Dodoma,
Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this study is to examine the applicability of the technology acceptance model
(TAM)in libraries considering the advanced technologiesand users’behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach –The research uses a critical reflectiveapproach to review and synthesize
a body of recent academic literature on the use ofTAM in libraries. The review included assessing TAM’s
historicalevolution, its limitations and how it could be improved.
Findings –The findings indicated that, althoughTAM can be viewed as an appropriate theoretical model to
explain the users’intention towardstechnology acceptance, it is limited in explaining boththe users’attitude
towards advancedtechnology and their behaviour in advanced library settings.
Research limitations/implications –To enhance the practicality of TAM in libraries, several
recommendations for strategic advancementshave been proposed such as contextualizing TAM to libraries,
exploring AI-driven adoption, integrating library-specific constructs, understanding cultural differences and
using holisticresearch approaches.
Originality/value –The findings contribute to a deeper understandingof technology adoption in libraries
and to the future possibilitiesof TAM.
Keywords Technology acceptance model, Libraries, User experience, Digital inclusion,
Emerging technologies, Technology adoption
Paper type Literature review
1. Introduction
The technology acceptance model (TAM) has remained a central model to examine and
predict attitudes towards –and use of –technology (Davis, 1989). In the TAM, perceived
usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEoU) derives an intention to use technology,
which, in turn, predicts actual technology use. Since it was created, the TAM has been used
in a wide range of domains studying informationsystems, especially as it relates to adoption
patterns and the design and implementation of technology-based programs(Granićand
Marangunić, 2019).
The existing literature on library technologyadoption is largely empirical and consists of
experiments with specific technologies or with specific user groups (Ming et al.,2021;Yu
and Huang, 2020). Research that critically examines the TAM and reviews its suitability or
effectiveness in advanced libraries is limited in the literature. There has been little attention
given to the exploration of the validityof the classical TAMin various emerging
technologies, suchas artificial intelligence (AI).
This study aims to examine the applicability of the TAM to current library settings, as it
was developed when librarieswere very different from today’s technological setting(prior to
The Electronic
Library
1055
Received10 June2024
Revised31 August 2024
Accepted22September2024
TheElectronic Library
Vol.42 No. 6, 2024
pp. 1055-1073
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-06-2024-0166
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0264-0473.htm
emerging technologies andmuch different use by users). Thus, this study is synthesizing the
latest academic literature on the TAM in libraries, exploring its historical development,
pointing out the deficiencies and limitations of the TAM in libraries and eventually
recommending some updatesto make the TAM more applicable to the current library setting,
with the underlyingpurpose of guiding stronger strategy suggestions.
By critically examining the accuracy of the TAM and offering an explanation for
widening its theoretical and methodological boundaries, this study sheds light on how to
strengthen the explanation power of the TAM within libraries and efforts to meet the
demands of users adaptingthemselves to rapidly changing digital technologies. The practical
findings of this study amply demonstrate the areas of opportunity through corrective
measures and practical affordances for more effective application of the TAM within
libraries to manage the evolving challenges and opportunities in creating more user-centric
library provision in thedigital future.
The rest of the paper is structured as follows: Section 2 provides a literature review that
presents the TAM and itsapplication in library settings. Section 3 outlines the methodology
used in the study, and Section 4 presents the study’sfindings. Section 5 presents the
discussion of the findings.Policy implications of the study are presented in Section 6, and the
study concludes with a conclusionand future work in Section 7.
2.Literature review
2.1Technology acceptance model
The TAM, developedby Fred Davis in 1989, is a pioneering framework designed to
understand and predict user acceptance of technology. The TAM builds on the theory of
reasoned action (TRA) by focusing specifically on how PEoU and PU affect technology
adoption (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). PEoU refers to the degree to which an individual
believes that using a technology will be free of effort (Davis, 1989). This construct
emphasizes that, if a technology is perceived as easy to use, usersaremore likely to adopt it
because the perceived effort associated with learning and using the technology is minimal.
PU, on the other hand, denotes the degree to which a person believes that using the
technology will enhance their job performance (Davis, 1989). This construct highlights the
perceived benefits or improvements in performance that the technology offers, which is a
significant motivatorfor adoption.
The TAM presents a straightforward yet powerful model, positing that both PEoU and PU
directly influence an individual’s attitude towards using the technology,which, in tu rn,affects
their behavioural intention to use it. The model suggests that PEoU impacts PU; if a technology
is easier to use, it is more likely to be perceived as useful. Consequently, these perceptions
influence the user’s intention to use the technology, ultimately affecting the actual usage
behaviour. This causal relationship underscores the importance of addressing both PEoU and
PU in designing and implementing new technologies to enhance user acceptance.
The TAM’s strength lies in its ability to simplifythe complex phenomenon of technology
adoption into two key constructs, providing a clear framework for understanding user
behaviour.TAM was followed by severalstudies that enhanced, expanded, applied, validated
and used the TAM in diverse situations and technological areas (Davis et al., 2024). The
introduction of the TAM2 by Venkatesh and Davis (2000) aimed to address some of the
limitations of the original TAM by incorporating additional constructs to provide a more
comprehensive understanding oftechnology acceptance. The TAM2 extended the modelby
integrating variables, such as subjective norm, image, job relevance and output quality.
Subjective norm refers to the social pressure exerted on an individual to use or not use a
technology, while image denotes the perceived enhancement of one’s social status by using
EL
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1056
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