GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE PERCEPTION AND USE OF E-MAIL - AN EXTENSIONTO THE TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL

This study extends the TAM model (Davis 1989) and the SPIR addendum (S traub 1994) by adding gender to an IT diffusion model. The technology acceptance model (TAM) has been widely studied in IS research as an ex planation of the use of information systems across IS types and nation alities. While this line of research has found significant cross-cultu ral differences, it has ignored the effects of gender, even though in socio-linguistic research, gender is a fundamental aspect of culture. Indeed, socio-linguistic research has shown that men tend to focus dis course on hierarchy and independence, while women focus an intimacy an d solidarity. This literature provides a solid grounding far conceptua l extensions to the IT diffusion research and the technology acceptanc e model. Testing gender differences that might relate to beliefs and u se of computer-based media, this study sampled 392 female and male res ponses via a cross-sectional survey instrument. The sample drew from c omparable groups of knowledge workers using e-mail systems in the airl ine industry in North America, Asia, and Europe. Study findings indica te that women and men differ in their perceptions but not use of e-mai l. These findings suggest that researchers should include gender in IT diffusion models along with other cultural effects. Managers and cc-w orkers, moreover, need to realize that the same mode of communication may be perceived differently by the sexes, suggesting that more favora ble communications environments might be created, environments that ta ke into account not only organizational contextual factors, but also t he gender of users. The creation of these environments involves not on ly the actual deployment of communication media, but also organization al training on communications media.