Journal 5 - Influence of the User’s Psychological Factors on the Online Purchase Intention in Rural Tourism: Integrating Innovativeness To the UTAUT Framework
Framework Model
The framework above is about the online purchase intention from the research by H.S.Martin and A.Herrero (2011). Online purchase intention act as the dependent variable while performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions as independents variables. This research has a moderating variable which is innovativeness in information technologies where it can give a significant effect on independent variables has on the dependent variables. According to Buhalis and Law (2008) (as cited in H.S. Martin and Á.Herrero., 2011) the Internet has become one of the things that effects the actions of travelers since people may communicate with the suppliers and tourist destinations. This was supported by Law, Qi, and Buhalis (2010) (as cited in H.S. Martin and Á.Herrero., 2011) where people have frequently used the internet to buy items online not only to obtain the full details of the tourism items. H.S.Martin and Á.Herrero (2011), stated that new data technologies have brought foreign researchers to do comprehensive work on IT and tourism. After all, serious efforts are required to gain more specific knowledge in the tourism industry regarding web-based e-commerce.
Hypothesis:
H1: The performance expectancy in the use of the websites of rural accommodation positively affects the online purchase intention.
H2: The effort expectancy in the use of the websites of rural accommodation positively affects the online purchase intention.
H3: The social influence regarding the use of the websites of rural accommodation positively affect the online purchase intention.
H4: The facilitating conditions perceived in the use of the websites of rural accommodation positively affect the online purchase intention.
H5: The user's innovativeness in the domain of information technology positively influences the online purchase intention.
H6: The greater the user's innovativeness in the domain of information technology, the stronger the effect of performance expectancy on the online purchase intention.
H7: The greater the user's innovativeness in the domain of information technology, the stronger the effect of effort expectancy on the online purchase intention.
H8: The greater the user's innovativeness in the domain of information technology, the weaker the effect of social influence on the online purchase intention.
H9: The greater the user's innovativeness in the domain of information technology, the weaker the effect of facilitating conditions on the online purchase intention
Items of Measurement
As for the variables and their items for this study, one of the independent variables is performance expectancy. The variable implies the convenience of users to use the website whether it is easy to use or not. According to Venkatesh et al. (2003), performance expectancy is defined as the
degree to which an individual believes that using the system will
help him or her improve the performance of a task or work (as cited in H. San Martín, Á. Herrero / Tourism Management 33 (2011). The variable implies the convenience of users to use the website whether it is easy to use or not. The performance expectancy of this study scores at about 0.11 as in relation to the innovativeness in information technology. It ranks the highest score among all the other dependent variables in relation to the innovativeness.
Moreover, another independent variable is through social influence. According to H. San Martín, Á. Herrero / Tourism Management 33 (2011), social
influence is defined as the degree to which an individual perceives
that important people believe he or she should use the system. The variable implies the opinions of other social contacts of the respondents regarding the performance of the website whether it is recommended or not. The social influence of this study scores at about -0.01 as in relation to the innovativeness in information technology.
Thus, effort expectancy is also another independent variable for this study. According to H. San Martín, Á. Herrero / Tourism Management 33 (2011), effort expectancy is conceived as the degree of
ease associated with the use of the system. It is similar to variables
included in the integrated models such as perceived ease of use
(TAM), complexity (MPCU), and actual ease of use (IDT). Effort expectancy in this study scores at about -0.04 as in relation to the innovativeness in information technology. It ranks the lowest score among all the other dependent variables in relation to the innovativeness.
In addition, facilitating conditions is yet another independent variable for this study. According to H. San Martín, Á. Herrero / Tourism Management 33 (2011), the facilitating conditions factor is defined
as the degree to which an individual believes that an organizational
and technical infrastructure exists to support the use of the system. Facilitating conditions scores at about 0.01 as in relation to the innovativeness in information technology.
All in all, results have proven that rural tourism websites should focus more on the development of both effort expectancy and social influence as it scored the lowest values and is located way out of the standardized coefficients. More exposure should be done towards the general public to increase online purchasing intention especially in rural areas when technology isn't their strongest suit. Major events could be held in those regions to gain more attraction regarding the benefits of online purchasing towards the general public regardless of their age. According to H. San Martín, Á. Herrero / Tourism Management 33 (2011), it is important to highlight the need to inform the individuals
about the usefulness and instrumental advantages that the websites
of the rural accommodation offer for booking. In this sense, rural accommodation has to create an effective and friendly purchasing process so that the consumer perceives that booking online is at least
as easy, quick, and convenient as using traditional channels.
Theory Review
Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)
The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) suggests that a person's behaviour is determined by their intention to perform the behaviour and that this intention is, in turn, a function of their attitude toward the behaviour and subjective norms (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). The best predictor of behavior is intention or instrumentality (a belief that the behavior will lead to the intended outcome). Instrumentality is determined by three things: their attitude toward the specific behavior, their subjective norms, and their perceived behaviour control. The more favorable the attitude and the subjective norms and the greater the perceived control, the stronger the person’s intention to perform the behavior.
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) has been one of the most influential models of technology acceptance, with two primary factors influencing an individual’s intention to use new technology: perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. An older adult who perceives digital games as too difficult to play or a waste of time will be unlikely to want to adopt this technology, while an older adult who perceives digital games as providing needed mental stimulation and as easy to learn will be more likely to want to learn how to use digital games. While TAM has been criticized on a number of grounds, it serves as a useful general framework and is consistent with a number of investigations into the factors that influence older adults’ intention to use new technology (Braun, 2013).
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) is an extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Fishbein & Ajzen 1975, Ajzen & Fishbein 1980). Both models are based on the premise that individuals make logical, reasoned decisions to engage in specific behaviors by evaluating the information available to them. In psychology, TPB is a theory that links one's beliefs and behavior. The theory states that attitude, subject norms, and perceived behavioral control, together shape an individual's behavioral intentions and behaviors.