Technology acceptance model extension in an e-learning environment: empirical validation of social influence within instructors' domain / Azmi Aminordin, Mohd Saiyidi Mokhtar Mat Roni and Mazlan Salleh

E-learning is increasingly prevalent in many higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. This phenomenon is partly due to the rapid growth of Internet technologies and penetration rate. Gauging the acceptance and/or reluctance to use the e-learning system is primarily rooted to Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). TAM represents an important theoretical involvement towards understanding the e-learning usage and e-learning acceptance behaviours. Nonetheless, some studies propose that it is also important to account for subjective norm (SN), the construct expressing social influence, as an additional cognitive stimulus that drives the use of the e-learning system. While many studies in this area focus on students as the subjects, this study evaluates the SN encapsulating the instructors that steers their e-learning usage behaviour. This study also attempts to develop a recommended line of inquiry to better understand the role of social influences as they relate to individual acceptance and usage behaviour in HEI implementation of new information technologies, specifically the e-learning system. A total of 150 survey questionnaire sets were disseminated to e-learning instructors in UiTM Melaka and 131 useful feedbacks were analysed. Analyses of field data provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the proposed constructs, factor structures and measures. The findings contribute to future research to account for social influence in TAM.