DIFFERENTIAL-EFFECTS OF OCCUPATION ON INTERNET USAGE

Although there has been much publicity about the Internet, empirical r esearch focusing on it is still relatively sparse. Most research on th e Internet has been carried out in Europe or USA rather than Asia. Thi s study examines the differential effects of occupation on Internet us age in an Asian country, namely, Singapore. Data were collected on Int ernet users via a questionnaire placed on the World Wide Web. From thr ee main occupational groups (students, non-IT personnel and IT personn el) 1,299 usable responses were obtained. Differential effects of occu pation in terms of Internet usage patterns, tasks preferences and fact ors affecting an enjoyable Internet experience were examined.