An assessment of structure and causation of IS usage

Factors contributing to information system (IS) usage are of interest to both academicians and practitioners alike. Previous research has shown that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are two dominant factors affecting an individual's intention to use a system. Different models of the causal relationships between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and system usage have been investigated in the literature (Adams, Nelson, and Todd, 1992). Contributing to this body of knowledge, this paper reports on the analysis of three competing models of Davis's constructs: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention to use. The results indicate Davis is correct in proposing that the indirect relationship between perceived ease of use and intention to use, mediated by perceived usefulness, is an important one. In addition, the direct relationship between perceived ease of use and intention to use, is also significant. The study's findings indicate the full Davis model with all causal paths is superior to alternative nested models tested.