Research on Internet Access Intentions of Urban Households in Our Country

Author: Jin Jianbin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: At the turn of the century, the internet has ceased to be mysterious or unfamiliar to many ordinary people in China. As a revolutionary innovation that will permanently change the way we live, learn, work, and entertain, the adoption of the internet in households holds profound significance. This study takes Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, as a case study to conduct an empirical investigation into the intentions of urban residents in China to adopt the internet at home and the various factors influencing these intentions. The research is based on the Theory of Reasoned Action to construct an analytical model, categorizing the factors influencing internet adoption into three types: attitude, subjective norms, and perceived constraints, with both attitude and subjective norms further influenced by behavioral beliefs and normative beliefs. Through questionnaire surveys, this study obtained 859 valid cases. The results revealed: (1) The intention to adopt the internet at home can be divided into adoption possibility and adoption willingness. Adoption possibility is significantly influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and internal conditions, while adoption willingness is primarily influenced by attitude. (2) People's attitude toward adopting the internet at home is mainly positively influenced by relative superiority and emotional satisfaction, as well as negatively influenced by relative disadvantage. Additionally, subjective norms also have a significant positive influence. Subjective norms are primarily positively influenced by normative beliefs from colleagues, family, and relatives. (3) There are differences in behavioral beliefs influencing attitudes between households that have already adopted the internet and those that have not, while there are no significant differences in normative beliefs influencing subjective norms. (4) Unlike the expectations of the Theory of Reasoned Action, this study found that some behavioral beliefs, including relative superiority, relative disadvantage, congruence, and emotional satisfaction, as well as some normative beliefs, primarily from family members, have a direct impact on adoption intentions. (5) To connect the micro-analysis of this study with broader social realities, we also examined several important external variables, including lifestyle, innovative spirit, and media satisfaction, and their influence on people's adoption of the internet. The results showed that innovative spirit and the lifestyle variable of "lifestyle fashion" significantly influence both adoption possibility and adoption willingness, while media satisfaction and the lifestyle variable of "lifestyle expansion" have no significant impact on adoption intentions. In line with the expectations of the Theory of Reasoned Action, the influence of these external variables on internet adoption is primarily reflected indirectly through behavioral beliefs and normative beliefs. This study reveals the decision-making factors and processes of urban residents in China to adopt the internet at home, boldly exploring the application of the Theory of Reasoned Action in this research field, and holds both theoretical value and practical significance.