The relationship of personal innovativeness, quality of digital resources and generic usability with users’ satisfaction. A Pakistani perspective
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-12-2017-0046 |
| Published date | 11 February 2019 |
| Date | 11 February 2019 |
| Pages | 15-30 |
| Author | Asad Khan,Mohamad Noorman Masrek,Khalid Mahmood |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Records management & preservation,Information repositories |
The relationship of personal
innovativeness, quality of digital
resources and generic usability
with users’satisfaction
A Pakistani perspective
Asad Khan
University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
Mohamad Noorman Masrek
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selongore, Malaysia, and
Khalid Mahmood
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –In addition to instrumental assumptions, behavioural researchers suggest the study of individual
traits such as personal innovativeness (PI), users’satisfaction and other theoreticalbeliefs for example quality and
general usage patterns as the latent determinants of early and post-adoptions of technological innovations. In the
context of Higher Education Commission digital library of Pakistan, the purpose of this paper is to examine the
relationship of PI, quality of digital resources and generic usability of digital libraries (DL) with users’satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach –To guide the conceptual model of this study, five hypothesized
relationships were formulated. Adopting a quantitative approach, snowball sampling techniques were used. A total
of 464 users of DL enrolled in different programs of study in the universities of Pakistan participated and responded
to the survey. For data analyses,partial least squares, a method in the structural equation modeling was used.
Findings –Analyses reveal positiveand strong relationships of PI, quality of digital resources and generic
usability of DL with users’satisfaction. Thus, the findings of this study established personal traits as the
significantdeterminants of intention to adopt DL.
Research limitations/implications –The decision of effective adoptionis manipulated by the extent
of users’willing (PI), level of satisfaction, the image of quality and users’past experience with the use of
related innovations. Thus, librarians in addition to the system features should also focus on individual
characteristicsand quality of resources that probablyinfluence adequate adoption of DL.
Originality/value –In the Pakistani context, this study is the firstattemptthatexaminedthe
relationship of PI, the usability of DL and quality of digital resources with users’satisfaction. Research
model of this study can be used in future research. Also, this study extended the scope of theories of
adoption towards DL.
Keywords Digital libraries, Users satisfaction, Adoption theories, Evaluative study,
Innovations and technologies, Users studies
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
While the dynamic nature of technologies has become a potential challenge for librarians,
still its innovations such as a digital library (DL) are supportive of the overall learning
Users’
satisfaction
15
Received4 December 2017
Revised14 September 2018
13November 2018
Accepted18 November 2018
DigitalLibrary Perspectives
Vol.35 No. 1, 2019
pp. 15-30
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2059-5816
DOI 10.1108/DLP-12-2017-0046
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2059-5816.htm
processes and research activities.Realizing the worth of DL, the Government of Pakistan in
2002 established a National Digital Library under the supervision of Higher Education
Commission (HEC) to augment learning and research (Khan and Qutab, 2016). Since that
HEC has substantially invested in its overall developments, infrastructure, human capital,
digital resources and accessibility matters. Nevertheless, the worth of technological
innovations in terms of learning and research productivity can be recognized if users, for
example, universitystudents satisfactorily adopt digital libraries (DL).
There is a number of studies on the adoption of technologies carried out in diverse
contexts. Majority of them have explored antecedents related to post-adoption of
innovations (Venkatesh et al., 2012). However, it is equally essential to study the pre-
adoption characteristics that ensure individuals’intrinsic satisfaction manifested as
sustainable and long-term usability.Further, there is the possibility of a difference between
the pre- and post-adoption factors of these innovationsthat influence its users’intention to
use technologies.
Thus, extensive research is available on adoption of innovations but is limited on pre-
adoption factors such as personal innovativeness (PI) and users’intrinsic satisfaction.
Additionally, thisresearch could not find a single study addressing the issue of pre-adoption
factors in terms of HEC DL of Pakistan. Consequently, exploration of such factors has
become a potential issue which is highly required for the adoption of HEC digital library in
Pakistan. Currently, HEC DL provides on-campus users’access to the digital resources
including research databases in all-over the universities of Pakistan. However, its adoption
is not satisfactory. Majority of the students are not interested in the use of HEC DL library.
According to Khan and Qutab (2016), users of the HEC DL are not happy with its overall
infrastructure, contents, accessibility options and their level of knowledge that grant
support in the acquisition of desired information.Likewise, Park et al. (2009) indicated that
in developing countries, research on the general use of DL and its quality of information
resources is limited. Thus, adequateuse of HEC DL includes several success factors such as
users’level of satisfaction, desire to adopt technologies, overall usage policies, quality of
resources, technologyliteracy skills, system characteristics orinfrastructure and usability of
digital resources. In a comparative study on different theories of adoption of innovations,
Thong et al. (2002) pointed out thatresearchers in the past have merely focused on structural
features of a DL and ignored PI as a theoretical construct in their research model. Likewise,
Venkatesh et al. (2012) supported empirical appraisal of PI (users’willingness to try out
innovations) as one of the potential drivers of users’behavioural intention. To extend the
scope of their research model, theysuggested further assessment of PI in a diverse context.
Thus, research is crucial for ascertaining determinants of users’behavioural intentions
towards the adoption of DL.
The existing research on adoptionof technologies established the focus of researchers on
system features and post-adoption factors (easiness and usefulness of an information
system-IS). However, these researchers also suggested an investigation of users’attitude
towards other traits of innovations that manipulate users’level of satisfaction and usage
(Ajzen, 1991). It also widespread that influence of the dynamics of intention to accept or
reject innovations is adaptable with respectto the range and level of adoption (Khan, 2006).
Hence, the intended study advances the theoretical understanding of factors that stimulate
adoption at the early stages of innovations. To this end, the study attempts to examine the
relationship of PI as behavioural external stimuli with the intrinsic satisfaction. The study
also investigated the association of PI with usability and quality of digital resources and
then validated theirrelationship with the users’satisfaction.
DLP
35,1
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