Technology adoption by 'emergent' users: the user-usage model
Devanuj Kanta Balkrishan, Anirudha N. Joshi · 2013
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have a role to play in human development. However, in order to be effective, they have to be adopted and used by their potential users. While there is an extensive literature on user modelling, there has been very little effort to model emergent users - those who are less educated, economically disadvantaged, geographically dispersed, and culturally heterogeneous. These users have not been adequately addressed by the progress in ICT until recently. In order to design successful ICT artefacts for the emergent users, one needs to know how the users adopt them and progress in their usage. Based on contextual interviews, we propose a two-dimensional model of technology adoption. One dimension characterises the types of users on the basis of the factors affecting their predisposition towards technology adoption, such as culture, capabilities and attitudes. Along the other dimension, we map the progress of each user type in skilful usage of a given ICT artefact over time. We also identify the triggers and barriers encountered during this progress.