Technology Inhibition Modelling: Investigating the Flip Side of TAM

Abstract

Research in technology domain since the 1980s has focused on the readiness, adoption and acceptance of new technologies. Negation of technology, driven by consumer inhibitions, has not been investigated into as a full-fledged study. The few studies on inhibition have always been in conjunction with acceptance studies. This study addresses this gap by proposing a Technology Inhibition Model (TIM). The paper hypothesizes Cost, Compatibility, Discomfort, Dissatisfaction and Risk as five inhibitor constructs and studies Technology Inhibition (TI) in the context of e-reader adoption. Of the five proposed constructs, except risk, the remaining four emerge as significant inhibition factors. Additionally, Dissatisfaction partially mediates the relationship between three antecedents (Cost, Compatibility and Discomfort) and TI. Creating a Technology Inhibition Model and identifying Dissatisfaction’s role in inhibiting the acceptance of technology are the original contributions of this research.