Mediating effects of perceived usefulness and trust between individual factors and intention to use E-training in Nigerian Technological Universities

Abstract

Developments in information technology (IT) have offered universities some sophisticated technological tools and innovative training contents that can be used in delivering training to their employees. However, for successful IT integration in training, employees’ positive disposition towards the new system is vital. Although factors, including computer/Internet self-efficacy, interactivity, organisational support, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and trust have been used in most studies that investigated technology acceptance, little is known about the effects of interactivity and trust on intention to use e-training. Therefore, this study empirically examines the roles of these factors in determining intention to use e-training within the context of Nigerian technological universities using the technology acceptance model (TAM). Data were collected from 301 employees of five technological universities in Nigeria and partial least squares - structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used in the analysis. Findings of the study reveal that interactivity and trust constructs have positively and significantly influenced employees’ intention to use e-training systems. Additionally, perceived usefulness and trust are found to have mediated the relationship between individual factors and intention to use e-training. The Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) result shows that to predict intention to use e-training in Nigerian technological universities, priorities should be accorded to trust and organisational support. Theoretically, the study has contributed to the understanding of factors affecting intention to use e-training demonstrating the applicability as well as effectiveness of interactivity and trust in predicting intention to use e-training. Methodologically, the study has established the relevance of conducting Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) in examining intention to use e-training. Practically, the study provides new inputs for successful implementation of e-training systems in universities. It is recommended that future studies investigate the influence of other factors such as subjective norm, enjoyment, and appeal on the intention to use e-training.