A longitudinal investigation of personal computers in homes: Adoption determinants and emerging challenges

Abstract

While technology adoption in the workplace has been studied extensively, drivers of adoption in homes have been largely overlooked. This paper presents the results of a nation-wide, two-wave, longitudinal investigation of the factors driving personal computer (PC) adoption among American homes. The findings revealed that innovators and early adopters were driven by a desire to obtain hedonic outcomes (i.e., pleasure) and social outcomes (i.e., status) from adoption. The early majority was strongly influenced by utilitarian outcomes, and friends and family members. The late majority and laggards have not adopted primarily because of rapid changes in technology and consequent fear of obsolescence. A second wave of data collection conducted six months after the initial survey indicated an asymmetrical relationship between intent and behavior among intenders and non-intenders, with non-intenders following more closely with their intent (to not adopt a PC). We present important implications for research on adoption of technologies in homes and the workplace, and also discuss challenges facing the PC industry.