The impact of social influence on perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions in the usage of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Against the backdrop of the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of reasoned action, and social impact theory the purpose of this research is to examine the validity of the TAM and assess the impact of social influence on the usage of NPIs in order to determine how best to encourage people to engage in the use of NPIs.

Design/methodology/approach: A survey instrument was used to gather data with a snowball sampling method from Canadian respondents. The survey questionnaire items were adapted from existing literature. Data analysis was done using PLS-SEM.

Findings: The results indicate that the TAM framework is applicable in the context of the use of NPIs with the COVID-19 outbreak as all TAM relationships were positive and significant. In addition, the results show a positive and significant impact of social influence on perceived usefulness, attitudes, and behavioral intentions towards the usage of NPIs. Thus, social forces can be considered relevant when understanding the adoption of technology.

Originality/value: This research gives a better understanding of how social influence impacts adoption of behavior, such as the use of NPIs, and can be used to support the use of NPIs to decrease the spreading of viruses.

KEYWORDS:

• Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)
• COVID-19
• Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
• social influence
• perceived usefulness
• attitude towards usage
• behavioral intentions
• Partial Least Squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Matti J. Haverila

Dr. Matti J. Haverila is a professor of marketing at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, Canada. His research interests are in the mobile communications, and marketing and R&D of technology intensive products as well as in customer satisfaction, loyalty and defection. He was also awarded research grant from ‘Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’ (SSHRC), Government of Canada. His recent writings have appeared in the Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Strategic Marketing, International Journal of Product Development, Journal of Brand and Product Management and Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics.

Caitlin McLaughlin

Dr. Caitlin McLaughlin is a marketing instructor St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia with a Ph.D. in Media & Information Studies, Advertising from Michigan State University. Her research is largely focused upon brand communities and how businesses can use them to their greatest advantage. In addition, she has conducted research in the areas of word-of-mouth, homophily, and parasocial phenomena.

Kai Haverila

Kai Haverila is a Ph.D. student at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and has published articles in International Journal of Mobile Communications, Journal of Modelling in Management, International Journal of Management Education, Journal of Brand and Product Management and International Journal of Wine Business Research.