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Strong evidence from scholarly studies and cross-cultural theories regarding cross-cultural implications for attitudes toward information and communication technology (ICT), increases our intention to reveal the impacts of behavioral differences on the belief-attitude model toward technology. Basically, the controlled process of technology development, diffusion, disruption, and adoption has cultural, behavioral, and social aspects (Kumar et al, 2008). Irani et al. (2007) claimed that ICT adoption behavior is highly controlled by socio-psychological traits which signify the impact of behavioral differences. Posey et al. (2010) investigated online adoption behavior and concluded that behavioral attitude toward ICT-based online system should be evaluated considering different potential beliefs which form actual behavior. Tajfel (1972), in social identity theory, strongly asserted that social identity, which is potentially governed by attitudinal behavior, has a substantial impact on paradigms of users behavior. Chen and Li (2010) also asserted this argument that, “The personalities of consumers play a principal role while they adopt a new technology or service either in the context of work or home”.
The adoption and extensive use of ICT-based online systems in public and private organizations has expanded dramatically. The Internet has become, within a very short time, one of the basic building blocks of modern society. Many countries now consider understanding online systems and mastering the basic skills and concepts of ICT as part of the core of economic development. It is the single most powerful tool for participating in global markets, promoting political accountability, improving the delivery of and cost cutting in basic services, developing efficiency in operations of public and private organizations, and enhancing local development opportunities. Researchers indicate that, since the 1980s, about 50 percent of all new capital investment in organizations has been in information technology (IT)-based online systems (Westland and Clark 2000). This huge investment in online systems and ICT can only be realized if its full potential is achieved. For ICT to achieve its full potential, it must be accepted and used by employees of organizations internally and by citizens externally. Explaining user acceptance of new technology is often regarded as a research area of great potential in contemporary ICT literature (Hu et al. 1999). Organizational theorists, IT professionals, psychologists, sociologists, economists, market researchers, policy makers, and academics are all keenly interested in analyzing different aspects of the IT-intensive online system adoption from their own fields. The globalization of the market economy is extremely helpful in understanding technology diffusion and adoption in developed countries as well as in some developing countries regarded as Asian giants—such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, and India. However, the diffusion of ICT and acceptance of online systems do not follow a single track for all countries. In each country, the different economic and government policies and differences in social, cultural, and behavioral aspects are very significant and prominent. This paper mainly concentrates on evaluating ICT-based online system adoption and diffusion criteria based on the previously mentioned perspectives. Researchers also argue that the cultural, social, and behavioral attitudes in adopting online systems are strongly affected by some external attributes arising from political, economic, and marketing issues (AL-Shehry et al., 2006; Damodran et al., 2005). Chen and Li, (2010) revealed, “The service space is a virtual environment where transactions take place through virtual channels, no longer requiring the physical presence between customers and service providers”. Since ICT related adoption behavior is primarily conducting in virtual environment, exploring and conceptualizing adoption behavior for ICT has its own contemporary merit. However, before going into further analysis regarding those aspects, we examine brief definitional concepts of ICT.