Computer Self-Efficacy: A Replication After Thirty Years

Abstract

This work replicates Compeau and Higgins’ (1995) study of computer self-efficacy (CSE). Nearly 30 years have passed since those data were collected, and the CSE concept and measurement instrument have been widely used with very limited change. This, despite extensive changes in both the technological and user environment. The original study was conducted using a mail survey of professional workers who learned to use computers for business related tasks in organizational settings. We conduct a conceptual replication with digital natives (undergraduate business students) who were learning to use computers for business related tasks in a university lab setting. We test the original model, with the measures adapted as needed to match the context. Our results confirm some but not all the initial study’s hypotheses (9 in the replication study vs. 16 in the original study). These findings suggest the need for additional investigation into the utility of the original CSE conceptualization and the implications of computer self-efficacy in computer use for contemporary IS contexts.