Extending the Technology Acceptance Model: A Field Study of Broker Workstations

Abstract

This paper presents a field study of the Technology Acceptance Model. We extended this model to predict the acceptance of a multifinctional, broker workstation with a windowed interface. Brokers and sales assistants in the private client group of a major investment bank use this workstation as an integral part of their jobs. The extended model explains a significant percentage of the variance in usage, but the variables that are most salient in the model differ between brokers and sales assistants. There is evidence that low performing brokers use the workstation more than higher performing brokers; the results also suggest that more training may be needed for sophisticated workstations for professionals than for clerical personnel learning to use transactions processing systems. We believe it is important to predict and understand the acceptance of technology like the workstation in this study if firms are to obtain a return from investing in information technology.