| The dissertation extended the Technology Acceptance Model2 (TAM2, Venkatesh and Davis, 2000) to include a measure of negative utility, perceived risk of service usage. It applied TAM2 to the e-payments research context for the first time. TAM2 is an evaluation model based on previous attitude-intentions literature, tuned for information systems research. It has been successfully utilized to measure the perceived positive gain in utility possible from adoption of an information system.; Valence models (Lewin, 1944; Fishbein 1967, Peter and Tarpey, 1976) base evaluations on both desirable benefits (with positive valence) and undesirable costs (with negative valence). These models propose that if the benefits outweigh the costs resulting in a net positive valence the purchase will tend to be made.; The dissertation provided initial evidence for the validity of including a measure of negative valence (a potential cost of system adoption) into TAM2. Several operationalizations of the construct product category inherent perceived risk were tested for construct validity within the TAM nomological net.; Results indicated that perceived risk inhibited consumers' adoption intentions as well as perceptions of the usability, and usefulness of an e-billpay software service. Perceived usage risk also proved useful when used as a categorical variable to segment the sample. Different antecedents and inhibitors of perceived usefulness and adoption intention were found for low and high-risk perceivers.; Linear regression, structural modeling, and ANOVA results were used to investigate the research questions and fit of perceived risk within the research model. |
