Adoption of cellular telephone technologies and services: user perceptions and motivations in the United States (Hawaii) and South Korea

Abstract

Since commercial cellular telephone services began in 1983 in the United States, cellular telephones have proliferated worldwide; however, few academic researchers have studied why and how cellular telephones are adopted and used by the general public. Thus, the objective of this study is to gain a more complete understanding of people's acceptance of cellular telephones. Two hundred and ninety-three cellular telephone users from the United States (Hawaii) and South Korea were surveyed through questionnaires that examined individuals' demographic and socio-economic characteristics, perceptions about cellular telephones (the perceived ease of and apprehensiveness about use of telephones), motivations to use cellular telephones (extrinsic motivations, intrinsic motivations and social pressure), and extent of cellular telephone use. In particular, this study explored the following questions: 1. What are the impacts of users' demographic and socioeconomic factors, including gender, age, occupation and income, on their perceptions and social pressure? 2. What are the impacts of users' perceptions on their extrinsic and intrinsic motivations to use cellular telephones? 3. What are the impacts of the three motivational factors on use of cellular telephones? 4. Are cultural differences discernible between cellular telephone users in South Korea and the United States? These questions were tested using an integrated theoretical model. The model was developed in this study based on existing theories of motivation and explained the relationships between individual characteristics, users' perceptions, motivations, and the usage of cellular telephones. This study is one of the first to analyze these issues theoretically in relation to cellular telephones. The results of this study confirm that users' perceptions are significantly associated with their motivations, and that extrinsic motivations are among the most influential factors affecting cellular telephone usage. There were significant differences in perceptions, motivations, and extent of cellular telephone usage between the U.S. and South Korean samples. In this regard, culture plays a key role in technology adoption and use. Managerial and theoretical implications of this and other results are examined.