Information technology adoption across time: A cross-sectional comparison of pre-adoption and post-adoption beliefs

The process of information technology adoption and use is critical to deriv ing the benefits of information technology. Yet from a conceptual standpoin t, few empirical studies have made a distinction between individuals' pre-a doption and post-adoption (continued use) beliefs and attitudes. This disti nction is crucial in understanding and managing this process over time. The current study combines innovation diffusion and attitude theories in a the oretical framework to examine differences in pre-adoption and post-adoption beliefs and attitudes, The examination of Windows technology in a single o rganization indicates that users and potential adopters of information tech nology differ on their determinants of behavioral intention, attitude, and subjective norm. Potential adopter intention to adopt is solely determined by normative pressures, whereas user intention is solely determined by atti tude. In addition, potential adopters base their attitude on a richer set o f innovation characteristics than users. Whereas pre-adoption attitude is b ased on perceptions of usefulness, ease-of-use, result demonstrability, vis ibility, and trialability, post-adoption attitude is only based on instrume ntality beliefs of usefulness and perceptions of image enhancements.