Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): Literature Review

Abstract

In a context of widespread digital transformation, understanding the determinants of user acceptance of technologies remains a central issue in management science and information systems. Since its initial formulation by Davis (1989), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has established itself as one of the most widely used theoretical frameworks for analyzing information and communication technology (ICT) adoption intentions. However, the growing diversity of technological contexts and user profiles has led to a series of extensions of the model aimed at enriching its explanatory scope. This article provides an integrative review of the main extensions of the TAM, including TAM 2, TAM 3, as well as several sector-specific models (SMEs, motivational, compatibility, …). Based on a critical, structured and in-depth theoretical analysis, the study highlights the gradual evolution of explanatory variables, notably the integration of social (subjective norm, image), cognitive (self-efficacy, perceived complexity), affective (anxiety, pleasure), and contextual (organizational support, facilitating conditions) factors. The results of this synthesis show that TAM, although initially based on simple cognitive dimensions, has gradually been enriched to offer a more nuanced analytical framework capable of adapting to the complex dynamics of contemporary technology use. Finally, the article suggests avenues for future research aimed at fostering theoretical and methodological hybridization to better understand ICT appropriation processes in constantly evolving environments.

Keywords: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Information Systems (IS), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Digital Transformation.

JEL Classification: O32, O33

Paper type: Theoretical article