Mobile commerce adoptiontechnology acceptance model vs. the technology provider perspective

Resumen

Mobile commerce context has specific characteristics that affect technology adoption. This paper study the factors associated with the adoption of Mobile Commerce using a new perspective and a new methodology since Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) [1]. The design of this study attempts to consider common limitations of previous relevant studies. TAM´s classical studies are based on subjective data from final user feedback. We suggest a new study �out of the box� based on information from interviews with industry providers: telephone operator and content provider. It is justified by two reasons: the privileged position of mobile industry managers in terms of knowledge about technology advances, market information and global market response, and the fact that this industry providers´ knowledge has direct effects on user behaviour through marketing actions: Publicity, Price, Promotion and Product. As a result technology industry is guiding final user behaviour affecting to adoption. The research questions we ask are: Which are the factors that affect Mobile Commerce adoption from the point of view of the industry providers? And are they coincident with the factors given by TAM literature? Cognitive maps add a qualitative perspective hardly found on technology adoption researches. This technique is used here to analyse the way managers construct their mental map about mobile adoption in order to compare it with TAM results. With cognitive maps technique concepts appear freely from interviewed and those concepts are connected trough arrows. It allows researchers to compare the concepts built from views of industry managers with TAM variables. The structured methodology insures internal validation and consistency.