Acceptance of E-reverse auction use: A test of competing models

This study aims to understand factors affecting e-reverse auction usage in companies by comparing three models: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the integrated model (integration of TAM and TPB). The comparison of the models will answer two important questions: First, with the integration of the models, whether the explanation rate of behavioral intention to use and actual use is increased. Second, in explaining e-reverse auction usage, whether TAM is the most powerful method. Since TAM is developed only to explain usages of information technologies (IT). Using LISREL 8.54, data collected from 156 employees working in the procurement department of companies in 40 different countries were used to test the models. Results indicated that, TPB may be more appropriate than the TAM and the integrated model for explaining behavioral intention to use e-reverse auction. Further, the explanation rate of both behavioral intention to use and actual use is not increased with the integration of the models. The other result suggests that behavioral intention to use is explained- by only attitude towards use in TAM; by subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and attitude towards use in both TPB and the integrated model. Actual use of e-reverse auction is directly predicted by behavioral intention to use in all three models. This study concludes with the discussion of the findings, implications for practitioners and recommendations for possible future research. Significance: This paper aims to identify significant factors affecting e-reverse auction usage among buyers working in the procurement department of companies by comparing three models: TAM, TPB and the integrated model. The comparisons will explore that whether the explanation rates of behavioral intention to use and actual use is increased with the integration of the models and whether TAM is the most powerful method in explaining the usage behavior of e-reverse auction users.