Critical Review of the Technology Acceptance Model in Information Systems Research

Authors

  • Tri Setyo Slamet Universitas Salakanagara
  • Muhammad Akil Hi Umar Universitas Persatuan Islam
  • Muhammad Hafiz Zulkifli Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56861/jsiska.v1i1.24

Keywords:

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Information Systems, IS Research

Abstract

This paper presents a critical review of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a widely recognized framework in Information Systems (IS) research used to explain and predict technology adoption behavior. Originating from the Theory of Reasoned Action, TAM emphasizes two core constructs: perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, which shape users’ intentions and actual system usage. While its simplicity and predictive capability have driven widespread application across domains such as e-commerce, healthcare, education, and mobile technology, the model has also faced criticism for overlooking social, emotional, and contextual influences. This review explores the model’s theoretical foundations, empirical applications, limitations, and evolution through extensions like TAM2, TAM3, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). It further discusses contextual and cross-cultural factors that affect the model’s applicability and provides insights for adapting TAM to contemporary technologies such as AI, mobile platforms, and social media. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of integrating TAM with alternative models to capture the complexity of technology acceptance in diverse environments

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Submitted

2026-01-17

Accepted

2026-01-17

Published

2026-01-10