Perceptions of E-commerce Web Sites across Two Generations

Abstract

Numerous studies have examined and predicted the usage of e-commerce Web sites using the Technology Acceptance Model and its primary constructs of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Smith (2008) conducted an empirical study of four e-commerce Web sites with participation from a unique and often understudied segment of the population - the senior generation. In addition, he called for additional research on the same e-commerce Web sites with participants from today's student population, a generation that has grown up with computers and the Internet. During the Spring 2008 semester, the authors duplicated Smith's research and conducted a field experiment with a purposeful sample of students enrolled in four courses in the School of Information Technology at Macon State College. Consistent with the conclusion by Smith, of significant worth is the test of the robustness of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) when applied to e-commerce adoption by both the senior generation and the net generation. The model’s predictive and explanatory capabilities still hold true. This is the only study we know of that compares two generations and their perceptions of e-commerce Web sites.