Extending UTAUT to Explain Social Media Adoption by Microbusinesses

Abstract

This paper extends the use of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explainsocial media adoption by microbusinesses. A canonical action research method is used to study socialmedia adoption in microbusiness, and a post positivist approach is used to report the results based on apredetermined premise. It is found that the major constructs of performance and effort expectancy playedan insignificant role, and social influence and facilitating conditions did not influence the behavioral andadoption intentions of social media by microbusiness owners. Owner characteristics and codification effortdominated the use behavior. The goal of microbusiness owners in gaining additional customers leads tobehavioral modification resulting in replacing of behavioral intention with goals as a superior method ofpredicting adoption behavior within the context of microbusinesses.