Mobile Applications Acceptance: A Theoretical Model Proposal and Empirical Test

Abstract

Mobile apps are now an integral part of our daily life, with people spending an average of 30 hours per month with them. On the other hand, according to the existing literature, one in four installed apps is never been used and also there are thousands of rarely downloaded apps on mobile platforms. In this context, investigating the factors influencing the behavioral intentions to use mobile apps and finding out what make some apps popular are important research areas for scientists as well as practitioners. This study integrates constructs from the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model (UTAUT) and the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) into a new theoretical model and tests them. The study was conducted by using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 1654 student respondents from a large state university. The theoretical research model was tested with structural equation model (SEM).