Master’s Degree Project
The Application of the Extended
Technology Acceptance Model in
Different
Cultural
Contexts
to
Understand Mobile Payment Adoption:
A comparative study between China and Sweden
Authors: Yusha Zhang and Klavdija Zalar Supervisor: Soumitra Chowdhury
Examiner: Associate Professor Päivi Jokela Date: 2020-01-31
Course Code: 5IK50E, 30 credits Subject: Information Systems Level: Graduate
ABSTRACT
Rapid technological progress has transformed our daily activities. One of these is how we pay for goods. Mobile payment is a payment option with great potential, but it is still struggling to become part of individuals' daily life. Previous research shows that adoption and acceptance of mobile payment vary widely between different countries. It is important to understand the determinants of mobile payment adoption, as cultural differences between countries may be one of the primary reasons for the different degrees of user mobile payment adoption. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors, which influence user adoption of mobile payment in one Asian country, China, and one European country, Sweden. In addition, the aim of the study is to explore the difference in mobile payment adoption from the cultural point of view at an individual level. In this study, two research questions are proposed: what influences user intention to adopt mobile payment in the context of China and Sweden, and how does an individual culture influence user adoption of mobile payment in the context of China and Sweden. The research was conducted with a combination of an extended UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) model with the added concept of Perceived Information security and Hofstede's cultural theory. Altogether, it was studied how these concepts influence Behavioural intention.
Based on the literature review of mobile payment adoption by users and Hofstede's culture theory, this study uses qualitative research to interpret the phenomenon on a deeper level with the intention of explaining it. Through observation, interviews, and questionnaires, several conclusions were drawn. The analysis of the results showed that the proposed research model applies to China and Sweden. Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, and Social Influence have influenced the user mobile payment adoption in both studied countries, and Perceived Information Security has a strong influence on users in Sweden. The results also show that Power Distance, Collectivism, and Masculinity have a strong moderating effect on the behavioural intention of users in China, while Collectivism and Femininity have a strong moderating effect on the behavioural intention of users in Sweden. On this basis, it is suggested that cultural factors be incorporated into the research model of technology acceptance, and further research should be conducted in different countries to provide different perspectives.
Keywords: mobile payment, mobile-commerce, user adoption, UTAUT, China, Sweden,
