Toward an understanding of construction professionals' acceptance of mobile computing devices in South Korea: An extension of the technology acceptance model

Abstract

Mobile computing devices have emerged as the most prominent tools to improve information accessibility, enhance management effectiveness, and increase operational efficiency. Despite the growing interest in mobile computing devices in the construction industry, it still meets with skepticism from the industry because of the relative lack of supporting data and a lack of understanding of mobile computing devices. Most of the research studies conducted on mobile computing devices have approached the subject from either a detailed technical perspective or a general conceptual perspective, but what is needed to ensure successful implementation of mobile computing devices in the construction industry is an investigation of the full range of individual, organizational, social, and technical issues involved. The goal of this research was to investigate the factors that influence successful implementation of mobile computing devices in the construction industry. This study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) to an exploration of the determinants of user satisfaction with mobile computing devices and the link between user satisfaction and perceived performance. The results demonstrate that the proposed model successfully accounts for how construction professionals come to accept mobile computing devices. This study found that user satisfaction was an important indicator of adoption of the intent to adopt mobile computing devices in the construction industry. The satisfaction of construction professionals with mobile computing devices is more likely to be affected by their beliefs about the usefulness of these tools, rather than their beliefs about how easy they are to use. In addition, this study found that determinants of perceived usefulness, such as social influence, job relevance, and top management support, and determinants of perceived ease of use, such as training and technological complexity, are critical factors that influence the successful implementation of mobile computing devices in the construction industry. This study provides insight into the role management plays in the acceptance of mobile computing devices among professionals in the construction industry. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.