User acceptance of mobile services

222 Pages·2005·5.5 MB·English

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This dissertation discusses user acceptance of mobile services based on a S
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ISSN 1235–0621 (soft back ed.) ISSN 1455–0849 (URL: http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/) n

VTT PUBLICATIONS 566
User acceptance of mobile services (cid:150)
value, ease of use, trust and ease of
adoption

Eija Kaasinen
VTT Information Technology

Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Technology
to be presented with due permission for the public examination
and criticism in Tietotalo Building, Auditorium TB104
at Tampere University of Technology,
on the 22nd of June 2005 at 12 o·clock noon
ISBN 951(cid:150)38(cid:150)6640(cid:150)8 (soft back ed.)
ISSN 1235(cid:150)0621 (soft back ed.)
ISBN 951(cid:150)38(cid:150)6641(cid:150)6 (URL: http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/)
ISSN 1455(cid:150)0849 (URL: http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/)
Copyright ' VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland 2005

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Cover Juha Kolari

Technical editing Leena Ukskoski

Valopaino Oy, Helsinki 2005
Kaasinen, Eija. User acceptance of mobile services (cid:150)value, ease of use, trust and ease of adoption
Espoo 2005. VTT Publications 566. 151 p. + app. 64 p.
Keywords mobile services, user acceptance, Technology Acceptance Model, human-
centred design, mobile Internet, location-based services, value, ease of use,
usability, trust, ease of adoption
Abstract
This dissertation studies user acceptance of mobile services based on a series of
case studies of mobile Internet and location-aware information services targeted
at consumers and accessed mainly by mobile phones. The studies were carried
out in connection with technology research projects, where the objectives were
to develop technical infrastructures, to pilot the technology in demonstrator
services, and to collect user feedback in field studies to assist in focusing future
commercial deployment of the technology. A Technology Acceptance Model for
Mobile Services is proposed on the basis of the results of the case studies.
According to the model, user acceptance is built on three factors: perceived
value of the service, perceived ease of use, and trust. A fourth user acceptance
factor: perceived ease of adoption is required to get the users from intention-to-
use to actual usage. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model for Mobile
Services, design implications for each user acceptance factor are proposed.
Instead of implementing collections of useful features, the design of mobile
services should be focused on key values provided to the user. The value of
mobile services can be built on utility, communication or fun. Successful service
content is comprehensive, topical and familiar, and it includes personal and user-
generated content. The users appreciate seamless service entities rather than
separate services. Ease of use requires a clear overview of the service entity,
fluent navigation on a small display, and smooth user interaction with the
service. The users should get personally and situationally relevant services and
information without needing to expend effort on personalisation. The services
should be designed to be adaptive to the wide variety of devices and networks.
As the services increasingly support individual users in their daily tasks and the
services are increasingly dealing with personal data, user trust in the services is
becoming more and more important. The user should be able to assess whether
(s)he can rely on the service in the intended contexts of use. The user needs to
feel and really be in control, and the privacy of the user must be protected.
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Occasional usage and momentary usage sessions on the move are typical of
mobile services. In addition, services are increasingly available only locally or in
certain contexts of use. This indicates the need for disposable services: services
that are easy to find, take into use, use and get rid of when no longer needed.
The user needs realistic information about the actual values of the services, so
that (s)he can realise how to utilise the service in his/her everyday life and to
innovate new usage possibilities.
Designing mobile services that will be accepted by users calls for changes also
to the design methods. Value-centred design aims to identify the key targeted
value(s) for end users, service providers and other stakeholders, and then focuses
on these values in the design. The proposed Technology Acceptance Model for
Mobile Services provides a tool to communicate key user acceptance factors and
their implications to the design.

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Preface
I started to get acquainted with usability research at VTT about 10 years ago. In
many research projects usability studies could identify several usability
problems, but those problems often could not be solved in the software
development. The most common reason for this situation was that major changes
would have been needed and there was no more time in the development project.
To solve these problems, we started to develop design methods that would
strengthen the co-operation between software designers and usability researchers
towards a common goal of more usable software.
We were carrying out technical research projects that aimed at developing technical
infrastructures and proving their applicability in demonstrator applications. The draft
ISO standard for human-centred design, later published as ISO13407:1999,
provided us with a good framework to ensure the usability of those demonstrator
applications. That was useful but not adequate for our co-operation companies.
Their aim was to exploit the technical infrastructures in commercial applications
beyond our demonstrators. To focus the forthcoming application development, they
needed information about the most important characteristics of the applications from
the users(cid:146) point of view. As we were already accustomed to carrying out field trials
with the demonstrators, we could study not only the usability but also the utility of
the demonstrator applications. The Technology Acceptance Model that explained
how perceived ease of use and perceived utility affected user acceptance of
technology gave us a good framework.
All new technology cannot be studied with a single demonstrator. We soon
noticed that it was necessary to enhance the circle: it was beneficial to study a
certain technical phenomenon and user acceptance of it in several parallel
demonstrators. As we obviously could not implement all those demonstrators
ourselves, we set up horizontal usability research projects that were in co-
operation with several technology research and development projects. This
facilitated the collection, analysis and synthesis of user acceptance research
results. We could provide the co-operation projects with usability design
guidelines so that they did not have to keep reinventing the wheel.
The research on mobile services described in this dissertation was carried out
within these continuously enhancing research circles. And still, the circles are
expanding: today we are focusing on the co-operation of different research
institutes so that we can all learn from each other’s experiences.
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Kaisa
V(cid:228)(cid:228)n(cid:228)nen-Vainio-Mattila from Tampere University of Technology. Without her
encouragement, patience, support and strictness when needed, I would never
have completed this work.
I was honoured to have Professor Kari Kuutti from the University of Oulu and
Professor Martti M(cid:228)ntyl(cid:228) from Helsinki Institute for Information Technology as
the pre-examiners of my dissertation. Their insightful and constructive
comments helped in clarifying the focus of my work and in recognising
deficiencies in the argumentation.
I also want to thank Professor Ilkka Haikala from Tampere University of
Technology, whose SOFKO course tempted me back to the university and
encouraged me to start my post-graduate studies after so many years in working
life. I want to address sincere thanks to Professor Kari-Jouko R(cid:228)ih(cid:228) from the
University of Tampere, who taught me scientific writing in his TAUCHI
courses. Those courses greatly supported my writing of the first three papers of
this dissertation.
The research work that this dissertation is built on was carried out in four
separate research projects at VTT. Many individuals contributed both in setting
up those projects and carrying out the research work. I want to address my
sincere thanks to Christer Englund, with whom we set up the first mobile
Internet research projects at VTT. His insight into the future possibilities of
mobile Internet helped us to get started with this research theme well before
others. I want to thank Timo Laakko, who was the project manager in the
projects studying mobile Internet. His competence and enthusiasm created the
good spirit of the projects. I also want to thank the usability research team, who
insightfully carried out all the fieldwork needed: Juha Kolari, Eija-Liisa
Kasesniemi, Minna Kulju, Suvi Melakoski-Vistbacka and Raisa Suihkonen. I am
also grateful to Matti Aaltonen and Tapio Hiltunen, who together with Timo
Laakko took care of the technology development and were so responsive to
comments and new ideas.
The studies on location-aware services were carried out in the project Key
Usability and Ethical Issues in Personal Navigation (KEN). I am grateful to
Antti Rainio from Navinova, who saw that horizontal usability research activity
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was needed in the Personal Navigation (NAVI) research and development
programme and helped in setting it up. I also want to thank the members of the
NAVI programme, who supported the work of our project and provided us with
interesting case studies. I want to thank all the members of the KEN project team
for the good co-operation. I was lucky to have that good a project team! Special
thanks to P(cid:228)ivi Topo from Stakes and Teija Vainio from the University of
Tampere, who made us see how ethical assessment could be connected to
human-centred design. I want to address special thanks to the usability team,
who professionally carried out all the fieldwork in sun, rain and frost: Ari
Ahonen, Veikko Ikonen, Minna Kulju, Sari Lehtola, Tuula Pet(cid:228)koski-Hult,
Pirkko R(cid:228)m(cid:228), Raisa Suihkonen and Tytti Virtanen from VTT, Annu-Maaria
Nivala from Finnish Geodetic Institute, Rolf S(cid:246)derg(cid:229)rd from Adage and Teija
Vainio from the University of Tampere.
I wish to thank the sponsors of the mobile Internet research projects for their
fruitful co-operation: the National Technology Agency of Finland (Tekes), Alma
Media, Nokia, Radiolinja and Teamware Interactive. The research work on
location-aware services was carried out with the financial support of the NAVI
programme, hosted by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of
Finland. I wish to thank the members of the NAVI management board for their
valued co-operation: Benefon, Digia, Fortum, Genimap, Hewlett-Packard, ICL
Invia, Nokia, Novo Group, Radiolinja, Satama Interactive, Sonera, Suunto,
TietoEnator, VTT, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry
of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry
of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Social Affairs and
Health, the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development SITRA, Tekes
and the Finnish National Road Administration as well as the SME enterprises of
the NAVI network.
I want to express warm thanks to my co-members of the Human Technology
Interaction (HTI) Key Technology Action team at VTT: Leena Norros, Johan
Plomp and Pirkko R(cid:228)m(cid:228), who have greatly supported my work. The co-
authoring of VTT’s HTI roadmap and our inspiring discussions have enhanced
and clarified my thinking.
I want to thank Research Manager Jukka Per(cid:228)l(cid:228) and Executive Director Pekka
Silvennoinen from VTT for their kind support and the possibility to get a leave
of absence from VTT to finalise the dissertation.
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Juha Kolari has made the cover picture and he has also taken care of other
photographic illustrations in this dissertation. I want to thank him very much for
his contribution and patience with my changing opinions. I also want to thank
Richard Walker who checked the language of this dissertation, Niina Valtaranta
and Maria Lahti who checked the language of the final updates and Leena
Ukskoski who took care of the technical editing.
I want to thank all my good friends from Tampereen Tennisseura (Tampere
Tennis Club). Tennis has helped to refresh my brain and prevented my shoulders
from totally stiffening while working with this dissertation. Special thanks to
Anita, Habiba and Pirjo for the weekly doubles and Satu for the weekly singles.
I wish to address warm thanks to all my friends, relatives and colleagues, who
have supported me in many ways in writing this dissertation. Special thanks to
my mother, Elli H(cid:246)yss(cid:228), who taught me to love books and initially set up a thirst
for knowledge in me.
Last but not least I want to thank my daughters Susanna and Anne and my son-
in-law Richard Wallenius for their loving support. You have always been so
understanding for my frequent physical or mental absences. Susanna and Anne
have grown from teenagers to smart, self-reliant and warm-hearted young ladies
while I have been working with my dissertation. I am proud of you!

Tampere, 29.4.2005
Eija Kaasinen

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