Investigation of factors affecting public employees' acceptance of online conferencing tools

The aim of the research is to examine the factors affecting public employees' intention to use online conferencing tools with the help of the Extended Technology Acceptance Model. In the study, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, behavioral intention, subjective norms, output quality, technostress, self-efficacy, facilitating situations, technological complexity and perceived enjoyment variables were tested for the factors affecting the use of online conferencing tools by public institution personnel. Cross-sectional survey research, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The data collection tool was created by adapting the scale items used in previous studies. The participants were public employees in Afyonkarahisar, and data was collected from a total of 233 people from permitted public institutions. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the perceived usefulness and attitude towards these tools positively and significantly predicted the public employees' intention to use online conferencing tools. Regarding other results, it was seen that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use positively and significantly predicted attitudes towards online conferencing tools. Subjective norms and output quality were found to be positive and significant predictors of the perceived usefulness of online conferencing tools. However, it was found that perceived ease of use did not predict the perceived usefulness of online conferencing tools. Self-efficacy, facilitating situations, and perceived enjoyment positively and significantly predicted perceived ease of use of online conferencing tools, while technological complexity negatively and significantly predicted perceived ease of use. According to another result of the study, it was revealed that technostress did not predict the perceived usefulness and the perceived ease of use of online conferencing tools. Therefore, the model tested in this study was found to be an appropriate framework for investigating the behavioral intentions of public employees towards online conferencing tools. Accordingly, suggestions are offered for managers, employees and tool developers regarding adopting these tools.