THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTENTION OF FACULTY TO USE IN THEIR TEACHING: THE ROLES OF MEDIATORS

Dialdin Osman
Clark Atlanta University

Rashid Khan
Gannon University

Dexter Gittens
Delaware State University

Harold Lundy, Jr.
Florida A & M University

ABSTRACT

Innovative technologies such as Learning Management Systems (e.g., Blackboard,
Moodle) are widely used in students’ teaching and learning on campus and off campus at major
universities in the world (reference). For the successful acceptance of new technologies in
educational institutions, it is necessary to find the determinants that influence the intention of
instructors to accept and use technology in their teaching.
This study adopted an extended version of the “Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of
Technology” (UTAUT2) to find out whether there are significant relationships between the six
independent variables of UTAUT2 (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence,
facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and habit) and the dependent variable, the intention of
faculty to accept and use technology in their student’s teaching and. This study also tests the
mediating roles of three demographic variables (age, gender, and experience) and Hofstede’s four
cultural variables (power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and masculinity) to find
out if they are significant mediators in the relationships between the above independent variables
and the dependent variable.
Utilizing a sample of faculty members (Arab and non-Arab) from Saudi Arabia, the
results of this study revealed significant relationships between five variables of UTAUT2
(performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic
motivation) and the intention of faculty to accept and use of new technology. However, the habit
variable is insignificant mediator. With respect to the mediating demographic variables, it was
found that “faculty age and experience variables” are a significant mediator. With respect to
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, the “power distance” and” uncertainty avoidance dimensions”
are significant mediators, but the individualism and masculinity dimensions are insignificant
mediators.

Keywords: Cultural dimensions, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, unified theory of acceptance and use of
technology, habit, hedonic motivation, technology adoption, higher education