Perceived ease of use in prior e-commerce experiences: A hierarchical model for its motivational antecedents

This study develops and tests a theoretical model to evaluate the motivational factors behind perceived ease of use in prior e-commerce experiences. This hierarchical model includes need for arousal as the independent variable; general self-efficacy, technological innovativeness, and consumer self-determination as the mediating variables; and perceived ease of use in prior e-commerce experiences as the dependent variable. Tested by data generated from a survey of 290 consumers, the model yields satisfactory fit and contributes to the literature by adding more intrinsically motivational variables to predict perceived ease of use. Practical and academic implications are also discussed.