Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201

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Computers in Human Behavior

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Factors affecting the usage of intranet: A confirmatory study

Sangjae Lee a,*, Byung Gon Kim b
a
Department of E-Business, College of Business Administration, Sejong University, 98 Kunja-dong, Kwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-747, Republic of Korea
b
Department of Business Administration, Namseoul University, 21, Maeju-ri, Seonghwan-up, Cheonan-city, Choongnam 330-707, Republic of Korea

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The extent of intranet implementation and use within individual organizations has significant implica-
Available online 14 September 2008 tions for organizational performance. Previous studies on technology adoption in the workplace suggest
that acceptance behavior is influenced by a variety of antecedent factors including individual differences,
Keywords: social influences, beliefs, attitudes, and situational influences.
Usage of intranet This study reports on an investigation of extended TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) using external
Technology adoption factors and subjective norm influencing usage of intranet within organizations. The external factors
Acceptance behavior
affecting the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and usage of intranet include technical support,
Structural equation model
Web experience, task equivocality, and task interdependence. The subjective norm is the mediating var-
iable and external variables indirectly affect usage of intranet indirectly through their effects on subjec-
tive norm. Based on a survey of 333 intranet users from 10 major Korean companies, this study uses a
structural equation model to test the research model. The results indicate that usage of intranet is influ-
enced by technical support, Web experience, task equivocality, and perceived ease of use. Technical sup-
port and Web experience influences the perceived ease of use. Technical support, task equivocality, and
task interdependence have positive effects on the subjective norm. Usage of intranet which is a depen-
dent variable in this model, is influenced by technical support, Web experience task interdependence,
and perceived ease of use.
Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction are widely distributed geographically to work together in a collab-

Intranet uses Internet by employees as a communication tool
supporting collaboration, interaction, and real-time sharing of cor-
porate information across and organizational levels. The elements
of intranet include the WWW browser, the material which can be
accessed via the browser, the process of accessing such material,
and a system for sharing and capturing knowledge in a secure envi-
ronment (Horton, Buck, Waterson, & Clegg, 2001). Intranet has
been used to empower geographically dispersed employees such
as telecommuters and salespeople on the road. As the Internet
has become the fastest growing mechanism for electronic markets
by providing substantial market potential and offering a new chan-
nel for communication, most of the employees of companies need
to utilize the Internet and the appropriate use of the technology by
end users is crucial for the overall performance of the organiza-
tions. The organizations obtain organizational benefits from the
appropriate usage of intraorganizational IS (information systems).
For instance, the intraorganizational use of e-mail provides signif-
icant organizational benefits (McManus, Sankar, Carr, & Ford,
2002). To improve productivity, organizations have turned to
computer network-based software that allows individuals who
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +82 11 2 3408 3980; fax: +82 11 2 3408 3310.
E-mail addresses: sangjae@sejong.ac.kr (S. Lee), bgkim@nsu.ac.kr (B.G. Kim).
orative, computer-based environment.
Intranet is an IS which provides security by using firewalls as
well as openness and expandability by using Internet technology.
An intranet is built for a specific group and is controlled and inter-
acts with the external environment. Intranet is used as a commu-
nication channel for organizational employees and the means of
improving organizational efficiency. Further, the role of intranet
in knowledge management increases as the importance of knowl-
edge management increases (Skok & Kalmanovitch, 2005).
Because the effectiveness of IS depends on its acceptance by
users, a number of studies have examined the factors that affect
the acceptance by users using Davis’ Technology Acceptance Model
(TAM) (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989). Intranet is used by orga-
nizational employees within organizations, and organizational fac-
tors may have influence on the acceptance of intranet. Recent
studies have applied TAM to find factors affecting acceptance of
the Web, e-mail, and virtual community. Phelps and Mok (1999)
have used TAM to find factors affecting user satisfaction with intra-
net, and do not consider the acceptance of intranet to be a depen-
dent variable. Whilst encouraging, the study used a small number
of responses and presented few details of sampling characteristics.
Horton et al. (2001) has found usefulness, ease of use, and inten-
tion to be factors affecting the acceptance of intranet. They did
not consider external factors affecting the acceptance of intranet.

0747-5632/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.chb.2008.08.007
192 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201
It is required to include additional factors in TAM to understand
better what factors influence the perceived usefulness, perceived
ease of use, and usage of intranet. External factors, such as the task,
user characteristics, political influences, organizational factors, and
the development process, can affect technology acceptance behav-
ior indirectly influencing beliefs, attitudes, or intentions.
Although TAM is 20 years old, a number of studies (e.g., Bruner
& Kumar (2005); Fang, Chan, Brzezinski, & Xu. (2006); Shang, Chen,
& Shen (2005); Wu & Wang (2005)) have examined the extension
of TAM. TAM has been applied to various IT applications such as
World Wide Web (Lederer, Maupin, Sena, & Zhuang, 2000; Moon
& Kim, 2001), smart card payment systems for e-commerce mer-
chants (Plouffe, Hulland, & Vandenbosch, 2001), intranet (Horton
et al., 2001), e-commerce (Gefen, Karahanna, & Straub, 2003; Kou-
faris, 2002; Pavlou, 2003), digital library (Hong, Thong, Wong, &
Tam, 2001–2002), wireless technology (Fang et al., 2005–2006),
and mobile games under mobile broadband wireless access envi-
ronment (Ha, Yoon, & Choi, 2007). These studies used appropriate
context-specific antecedent variables that may be of value to
investigate various IT (Information Technology) applications and
the reasons why users accept different IT.
This study reports on an investigation of extended TAM using
external factors and subjective norm influencing usage of intranet
within organizations. The external factors affecting the perceived
ease of use, the perceived usefulness, and the usage of an intranet
include IS related factors, i.e., technical support and Web experi-
ence, and task characteristics, i.e., task equivocality and task inter-
dependence. The uses a structural equation modeling to test
research model based on a survey of 333 intranet users from ten
major Korean companies. The results will provide implications
for the usage behaviors of an intranet in performing organizational
tasks.
2. Theoretical framework
2.1. Intranet
An intranet is a network system for usage within organizations
designed to facilitate communication and cooperation among
employees who are dispersed in various locations (Lai, 2001).
The technologies that are usable in an intranet include database
systems, e-mail systems, document management systems, online
boards, electronic calendars, group scheduling systems, distributed
project management systems, and remote conferencing systems.
Knowledge sharing and management through intranet is possible
from web-based groupware after the advance of Internet technol-
ogy (Pan, Hsieh, & Chen, 2001). It applies standard Internet tech-
nology in organizations to facilitate information flow and
strengthen security functions. Intranet-based groupware system
differs from client–server based groupware systems in that the cli-
ent–server based groupware operates in a closed network such as a
LAN (Local Area Network), and intranet-based groupware operates
through the Internet. External networks are connected with intra-
networks through the Internet.
The effectiveness of intranet systems has been studied in
knowledge management (Plessisa & Boon, 2004; Skok & Kalmanov-
itch, 2005), system integration (Lamb, 2003), and knowledge shar-
ing (Pan et al., 2001). An intranet would enable activities such as
the acquisition, organization, storage, retention, distribution, and
presentation of information. Leung (2001) has suggested quality
metrics for intranet applications in terms of reliability, functional-
ity, and efficiency. Intranet provides many benefits such as
improved corporate data access, cost savings, and intraorganiza-
tional communication at reduced cost, and improved decision
quality (Lai, 2001). Perry, O’hara, Sellen, Brown, and Harper
(2001) conducted a study of mobile workers that highlights remote
‘‘anytime, anywhere” access to intranet for information. They sug-
gested four key factors in mobile work: the role of planning, work-
ing in ‘‘dead time,” accessing remote technology and informational
resources, and monitoring the activities of remote colleagues.
The increased use of intranet will allow the flattening organiza-
tions of the hierarchical structures, as employees can distribute
and communicate their ideas more readily, enabling them to be
more involved in the decision-making process. Further, the organi-
zational change is fueled by cross-functional teams, staffed by IT-
empowered employees, which will be the most productive and
efficient way of organizing business activities.
2.2. Models for the adoption of technology
Technology adoption studies use the theory of reasoned action
(TRA), the theory of planned behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991), and
TAM. The IT usage is a dependent variable and is measured by fre-
quency of use, usage time, and the number of functions used. The
self-reported measure by users is the subjective measure to assess
the extent of IT usage and several studies (Horton et al., 2001) at-
tempted to make objective measurements of IT usage.
According to TRA, a person’s performance of a specified behav-
ior is determined by his or her behavioral intention which is jointly
determined by the person’s attitude and subjective norm. TAM is
an adaptation of the TRA, which is specifically meant to explain
computer usage behavior. TAM uses TRA as a theoretical basis to
specify the linkages between perceived usefulness, perceived ease
of use, and users’ attitudes, intentions and actual computer usage
behavior. TPB extends TRA to account for conditions where indi-
viduals do not have complete control over their behavior. TPB pos-
its that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control
are direct determinants of behavioral intention, which in turn af-
fects behavior. TAM can be considered a special case of TRA, with
only two beliefs (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use) and
no role for subjective norm.
Individuals’ perceptions of technology affect their attitude to-
ward the technology and, in turn, their acceptance of technology.
Davis et al. (1989) propose two kinds of perceptions: perceived
usefulness and perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness is the
perception that the usage of a specific system will improve the per-
formance of a given task. Perceived ease of use is the perception
that the usage of a specific system will be possible with little effort.
The relationship between perceived usefulness and perceived ease
of use has been investigated in a number of studies (Chung & Tan,
2004; Gefen, 2004; Horton et al., 2001). Although these two vari-
ables are greatly interrelated, the significance of these two vari-
ables is different among different IT’s.
3. Research model
While TAM is a useful model in predicting the individual’s
acceptance of IT, several researchers applied it to Internet adoption
research (Dishaw & Strong, 1999; Moon & Kim, 2001). Dishaw and
Strong (1999) point out that one of the weaknesses of TAM in mea-
suring IT acceptance is its lack of task focus. Other researchers ar-
gue that TAM considers IS (information systems) to be an
independent issue in organizational dynamics. TAM postulates that
external variables act indirectly by influencing perceived ease of
use and perceived usefulness. External variables considered in
other studies on the acceptance of IT include computing training,
management support, level of education, prior experience (Agar-
wal & Prasad, 1999), task-technology fit and task characteristics
(Dishaw & Strong, 1999), and trust in online shopping (Gefen
et al., 2003). Horton et al. (2001) have examined the differential
applicability of the TAM to intranet usage between organizations’
intranets and it was found that TAM appeared more suitable for
 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201
modeling intranet use in the organization in which the work meth-
ods were prescribed and structured.
Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, and Davis (2003) suggested a unified
model, called the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technol-
ogy (UTAUT) with four core determinants of intention and usage,
and up to four moderators of key relationships. Therefore, to
understand better what factors influence perceived usefulness,
perceived ease of use, and usage of intranet, it is necessary to in-
clude external factors such as IS related factors and task character-
istics along with subjective norm as in Fig. 1.
The external variables of this research model include IS related
factors (technical support, web experience), and task characteris-
tics (equivocality, interdependence). The subjective norm is the
mediating variable and external variables indirectly affect usage
of intranet indirectly through their effects on subjective norm.
3.1. IS related factors
Technical support from management increases motivation of
employees to comply with the policy of management and the ref-
erent others such as their team leader and colleagues whose beliefs
may be important to the employees. Individuals can be influenced
by technical support in using IT and intranet, and be persuaded
that using intranet is useful and increases his or her job perfor-
mance, and follow the perceived opinion of referent others. Tech-
nical support which represents the extent of resources and
assistance provided to end users of intranet helps build up subjec-
tive norm as it contributes to increase learning effects among the
users and development team as intranet becomes more sophisti-
cated and improved from an early pilot to a fully operational appli-
cation. In this vein, technical support is one of factors affecting
subjective norm.
Computer self-efficacy has a positive influence on attitude,
usage, and behavioral expectation (Compeau, Higgins, & Huff,
1999). In order to increase self-efficacy, technical support to facil-
itate IT usage affects the adoption of IT. Technical support for IT
affects perceived ease of use (Chau, 1996) and the usage of IT
IS related Factors
Technical Support
Web Experience
Task Characteristics
Task Equivocality
Task Interdependence
Fig. 1. Research model.
193
(Compeau & Higgins, 1995). The usage of colleagues, and encour-
agement of others affect self-efficacy and goal expectation. Tech-
nical support is positively associated with decreased anxiety and
increased favorable attitude; lack of technical support can be a
critical barrier to the effective utilization of intranet. Technical
support from management is able to ensure sufficient allocation
of resources and act as a change agent to create a more conducive
environment for Intranet usage. TAM proposes that internal user
support will influence personal computing acceptance by affect-
ing perceived usefulness and ease of use. The technical support
affects the usage of microcomputers through its effect on the per-
ceived usefulness, the perceived ease of use or other mediating
variables. Technical support is similar to ‘‘facilitating conditions”
(Thompson, Higgins, & Howell, 1994) which represents the avail-
ability of resources and opportunities needed to perform a
behavior.
Technical support include a variety of forms such as offering
educational programs, encouragement to use intranet, providing
a wider selection of user-friendly software of special use, and pro-
viding system development tools and help functions for usage of
the systems.
Technical support affects the perceived ease of use and useful-
ness as usability and system requirements of intranet are identified
from the perspective of the individual user through an understand-
ing of technical issues and problems. Technical support is particu-
larly relevant for situations where an intranet is not fully
developed. Thus, the technical support for intranet increases usage
of intranet.
Hypothesis 1-1: Technical support for intranet affects subjective
norm of users of intranet.
Hypothesis 1-2: Technical support for intranet affects the per-
ceived usefulness of intranet.
Hypothesis 1-3: Technical support for intranet affects the per-
ceived ease of use of intranet.
Hypothesis 1-4: Technical support for intranet affects usage of
intranet.
Subjective Norm
Perceived Usefulness
Perceived Ease of Use
Usage of Intranet
194 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201
In this study, Web experience represents the experience of
using Web, Internet and Internet-based systems. Self-efficacy of
users is believed to affect IT usage (Compeau & Higgins, 1995)
and Web experience increases self-efficacy of users which is be-
lieved to affect intranet usage.
The Web experience of software affects its usage because many
users learn to use software by experience and it does not demand
great expertise to use. The use of other special purpose software is
learned by systematic education. The experience of computer
usage affects ease of use, playfulness, and perceived usefulness.
Igbaria, Parasuraman, and Baroudi (1996) indicated that computer
experience positively affects system usage directly and indirectly
through mediating variables. Thompson et al. (1994) examined
the influence of prior experience on personal computer utilization.
The inexperienced group was more affected by the behavioral
intentions of PU, subjective norm, and PEU than the experienced
group.
The acceptance of computer technology depends on the tech-
nology itself and the level of skill or expertise of the individual
using the technology. User training and experience, which repre-
sents individual skills and expertise, are found to be related to user
beliefs and usage. Opportunities to gain experiences using comput-
ers and information systems are shown to improve user’s beliefs
about the system.
Thompson et al. (1994) provided the rationale for the influence
of IT experience on IT utilization. The experienced users are less af-
fected by complexity of PC use, and are more aware of long term
consequences such as improved opportunities for more meaning-
ful work, and improved opportunities for preferred future job
assignments. Ha et al. (2007) posited that giving mobile game play-
ers as many chances as possible to be familiar with the games is
needed before commercialization of mobile games under mobile
broadband wireless access environment; it is important to keep
players from being uncomfortable when using mobile devices for
accessing games. It is necessary to promote mobile devices and in-
crease game experience opportunities through various channels.
Intranet is Internet-based intraorganizational network. Users
with prior experience with Web may internalize the objective con-
sequences of usage behavior for intranet contributing to forming
subjective norm. While inexperienced user may hold unrealistic
beliefs concerning the application of intranet to their job, experi-
enced users may adjust their job fit beliefs to a more realistic level.
Further, as users become more experienced in Web usage, they can
handle the difficulty in using intranet and are aware of more ben-
efits of intranet usage. The test of effects of Web experience or a
related construct such as expertise or habit, provides a much better
understanding of the role of experience in the adoption and use of
information technology as experience is an important construct in
attitude/behavior research, and that its total effect is not captured
by the antecedent variables employed in conceptual models such
as TRA. Thus, as the prior experience with Internet or Web is an
important factor to include as it affects subjective norm, and in or-
der to examine the effect of work experience on intranet accep-
tance, the study states the hypothesis that Web experience
affects subjective norm, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of
use and intranet usage.
Hypothesis 2-1: The experience of Web usage affects subjective
norm of users of intranet.
Hypothesis 2-2: The experience of Web usage affects the per-
ceived usefulness of intranet.
Hypothesis 2-3: The experience of Web usage affects the per-
ceived ease of use of intranet.
Hypothesis 2-4: The experience of Web usage affects usage of
intranet.
3.2. Task characteristics
Organization members use intranet to perform their work.
Thus, the use of an intranet is related to the tasks of organization
members. The scope of tasks is increasing to include document
preparation, corporate databases, electronic conferencing, authori-
zation and others. Task characteristics affecting IS usage include
variability, interdependence, uncertainty, task-technology fitness,
diversity, analyzability, and job satisfaction (Dishaw & Strong,
1999).
Igbaria (1990) indicated that task equivocality positively affects
computer usage in end user computing. Task characteristics should
be included as factors affecting attitude and behavior. Managing
knowledge is the typical example of the tasks performed though
intranet (Pan et al., 2001) and this involves great uncertainty and
interdependence in that knowledge can be exchanged and trans-
ferred on the Internet or intranet without physical or time con-
straints. Hong, Thong, and Tam (2004–2005) investigated the fit
between information format and shopping task, and examine its
influence on consumers’ online shopping behavior. Their study
examined if a match between the information formats (list versus
matrix) and the shopping tasks (searching versus browsing) has ef-
fect on attitude toward using the Web site.
Task types to be performed on handheld devices moderate the
effect of perceived usefulness, ease of use, playfulness, and security
on the intention to use wireless technology (Fang et al., 2005–
2006); task types include (1) general tasks that do not involve
transactions and gaming, (2) transactional tasks, and (3) gaming
tasks. User adoption of technology applications focuses on tasks
and their fit with selected technologies (Chan & Fang, 2003).
Task equivocality increases the degree to which a decision ma-
ker lacks a formal, well defined search procedure to solve a given
problem problems. Task interdependence increases the require-
ment for more data and the exchange of richer information to clar-
ify task assignments, develop effective task performance strategies,
and obtain performance feedback (Karimi, Somers, & Gupta, 2004).
Task equivocality and interdependence affects subjective norm,
as the individuals under these task environments, need to see the
influence of their actions on interrelated activities across bound-
aries within their organization and across organizational bound-
aries; individuals should use judgment or trial and error in
building coalition, exchanging information, and establishing goals
and priorities. When task equivocality and interdependence is
high, employees are likely to be more affected by peers and have
motivations to follow the others’ opinion in order to reduce risk,
which increases the subjective norm. The risk represents the ex-
tent that individuals typically cannot predict problems or activities
in advance, and cannot accomplish an organization’s primary goals
due to failure in coping with unexpected and novel events occur-
ring in performing task. As task equivocality and interdependence
increase, intranet usage increases as a means for obtaining and
producing more information. Intranet allows organizational mem-
bers whose tasks are uncertain and interdependent to collaborate,
interact, and share corporate information in real-time across-func-
tional boundaries and organizational levels (Lai, 2001). This pro-
vides a form of distributed information infrastructure to enable
some corporate managers to redefine their tasks to better address
competitive business environments. Thus, task equivocality and
interdependence increase perceived usefulness and usage of
intranet.
Hypothesis 3-1: Task equivocality affects the subjective norm of
intranet users.
Hypothesis 3-2: Task equivocality affects the perceived useful-
ness of an intranet.
 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201 195

Hypothesis 3-3: Task equivocality affects the usage of an shown that the perceived ease of use and usefulness affect the ex-
intranet. tent of usage of IS (Moon & Kim, 2001). Especially in an intranet,
Hypothesis 4-1: Task interdependence affects the subjective the ease of use and perceived benefits such as ability to bring data
norms of users of an intranet. and documents together, potential to enhance e-commerce, and
Hypothesis 4-2: Task interdependence affects the perceived use- improved performance are included among the top 10 reasons
fulness of an intranet. for intranet adoption (Lai, 2001). Thus, the perceived usefulness
Hypothesis 4-3: Task interdependence affects the usage of an and ease of use of an intranet affect the extent of usage of intranet.
intranet.
Hypothesis 6: The perceived ease of use for an intranet affects
the perceived usefulness of an intranet.
3.3. Subjective norm and TAM
Hypothesis 7-1: The perceived usefulness of an intranet affects
usage of intranet.
Subjective norm is defined as ‘‘an individual’s perception of
Hypothesis 7-2: The perceived ease of use for an intranet affects
whether people important to the individual think the behavior
usage of intranet.
should be performed.” Organizational members expect others to
use intranet and are affected by the usage behavior of their col-
4. Research methods
leagues. This subjective norm is concerned with the perception of
individuals as to whether they should do a specific action (Ajzen,
4.1. Measurement of variables
1991). The subjective norm is described as social pressure and af-
fects perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, intention to
4.1.1. Technical support
usage behavior and actual usage. The subjective norm has been
Technical support is the support from organizations to facilitate
used for mediating variables between external variables and inten-
usage of an intranet. Igbaria (1990) developed two dimensions for
tion of usage (Venkatesh & Morris, 2000). Subjective norm is re-
technical support. The first is user support which includes the use
lated to social pressure, i.e., the influence of peers to use IT.
of system development tools, user manuals, and system docu-
Social pressure will be stronger for individuals who do not have
ments. The second is management support which includes top
much experience of usage but are likely to be users as they depend
management encouragement and resource allocation. Kleintop
on the opinion of others in creating their intention to use services.
(1993) stated the measures of technical support to be (1) the rec-
Organizational members were affected by their colleagues in
ognition by top management of the usefulness of IT, (2) education
using technology such as e-mail and PCs. Although e-mail and PC
and training provided by top management (3) the employees
is now so widely used that their usage can be no longer considered
working in IS development, (4) the resistance of employees to IT,
to be affected by subjective norm, in late 1980s or early 1990s, e-
and (5) education and training provided by IS implementation
mail and PC were actively adopted as relatively new technology
team. This study uses four items which are modified version of
subjective norm is an important factor affecting usage of those
those suggested by Igbaria, Zinatelli, Cragg, and Cavaye (1997)
technologies. As intranet can be in a similar stage of development
and Kleintop (1993) to measure technical support after pilot test
as e-mail or PC in late 1980s, the results of those studies regarding
of items. Four items (Likert type scales) are used for technical sup-
the relationship between subjective norm and usage of IT can be
port: (1) company keeps setting advanced IT facilities; (2) com-
applied to build hypothesis in our study on Intranet.
pany hires extensive technology staffs to help IT users; (3)
Hsu and Lu (2004) incorporated social influence as belief-re-
company keeps advanced Internet security technology; (4) com-
lated constructs to predict users’ acceptance of online games. They
pany maintains fast Internet connection.
empirically showed that social influences, including perceived crit-
ical mass and social norms affect attitudes and intentions. Turel,
4.1.2. Web experience
Serenko, and Bontis (2007) suggested that an overall assessment
This study defines Web experience as the extent of usage of
of value was a key determinant of behavioral intentions to employ
Internet in the past. This is the total usage of individual functions
pay-per-use information services, especially for short messaging
of an Internet. Igbaria (1990) suggests that the measure of Web
services (SMS). The perceived value of SMS includes emotional,
experience varies according to the software type and computer
performance, and social dimensions; social dimension in their
language which users have experienced, and the extent of partici-
study reflects social approval and desirability of SMS usage. Indi-
pation in system development. This study defines usage of an
viduals may strengthen their self-concept by using SMS, because
intranet as the use of electronic mail, electronic bulletin board,
the technology may be perceived as trendy and innovative, and
group scheduling, video conferencing, and group document man-
this can signal that the user belongs to a particular social class. So-
agement. This study uses the measures of IT experience which
cial dimension of perceived value in Turel et al.’s study is very
are modified version of those suggested by Thompson et al.
much similar to subjective norm.
(1994) after pilot test of items. Four items (7-point Likert type
Intranet is the channel by which organizational members ex-
scales) are selected to measure Web experience: (1) I use Web
change information and perform works. Individuals can be persuaded
for various tasks (Span of Web usage); (2) I visit Website very often
to use intranet if individuals whose beliefs may be important to them,
(frequency of Web usage); (3) I use Web very long time (intensity
such as supervisors, subordinates, peers, think they should use intra-
of Web usage) (4) I know how to use Web search engine.
net. Individuals hope to be considered as technologically sophisti-
cated by the people who are important to them. Thus:
4.1.3. Task equivocality and interdependence
Task equivocality is related to the structure and diversity of
Hypothesis 5: The subjective norm of users affects usage of
tasks (Igbaria, 1990). It is the extent that tasks are diverse, ambig-
intranet.
uous, not repeated, and not similar to familiar tasks. Task interde-
pendence is the extent that a task is interdependent with other
3.4. TAM for usage of intranet tasks. This study uses the measures of task equivocality and inter-
dependence which are modified version of those suggested by
A number of studies have tested TAM in the contexts of various Goodhue and Thompson (1995) after pilot test of items. Three
technologies (Horton et al., 2001; Pavlou, 2003). Many studies have items (Likert type scales) are used for task equivocality: (1) I have
196 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201
confusion on communication with colleagues; (2) I disagree with
my colleagues in group efforts; (3) I do not understand what’s
going on in my group. Three items (Likert type scales) are adapted
from previous studies for task interdependence: (1) I share infor-
mation with my colleague for my work; (2) I use the same re-
sources with my colleagues for my work; (3) I need my
colleagues’ skill to complete my work.
4.1.4. Subjective norm
A subjective norm is the perception that individuals have when
they decide whether to do a specific behavior based on others’ be-
liefs regarding the specific behavior (Ajzen, 1991). The subjective
norm reflects the thoughts of the people who may agree or dis-
agree to do a specific behavior. This study defines the subjective
norm as the perception of others’ thoughts regarding the usage
of an intranet. This is measured by three items which are modified
version of those suggested by Ajzen (1991) and Mathieson (1991)
after pilot test of items. Three items (Likert type scales) are used to
measure subjective norm: (1) my friends and family affect me a lot
in using Internet; (2) my colleagues and peers let me use a specific
software; (3) I feel pressure from management to use a certain IT.
4.1.5. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use
Perceived usefulness represents the individual’s perception that
the usage of a specific system will improve task performance. The
perceived ease of use is the perception that the usage of specific
system will be relatively free of effort. This study uses the items
which are modified version of those suggested by Davis et al.
(1989). Three items (Likert type scales) are adapted from previous
studies for perceived usefulness: (1) usage of intranet would im-
prove my job performance; (2) usage of intranet would enable
me to work more quickly; (3) usage of intranet would increase
my work productivity. Thee items (Likert type scales) for perceived
ease of use are used: (1) it would be easy to become skillful at
intranet application; (2) using intranet application would be easy;
(3) interaction with intranet would be clear and understandable.
4.1.6. Usage of intranet
Usage of intranet represents the extent of current usage of
intranet. Frequency of system use and usage time are the most
widely used measures for systems usage (Davis et al., 1989) after
pilot test of items. The numerical measures of computer records
and usage time are difficult to measure (Straub, Limayem, & Kara-
hanna, 1995). The objective usage logs were not practical in the
present context since it is difficult to measure access time and fre-
quency for subjects who are using different intranets from one ses-
sion to the next. Thus we used perceptual measure as usage of
intranet. One item is used for a self-report measure of intranet
usage. We adapted the ‘‘perceptual” measures of Davis et al.,
(1989) which used only two items. Wu and Wang (2005) used
one perceptual item for actual usage of mobile commerce.
Although our measure of intranet usage should not be regarded
as precise measures of actual usage frequency, the measure is con-
sidered to be appropriate as relative measures.
One item (Liker type scale) used for usage of intranet is: I use
intranet applications for my job in my workplace.
4.2. Data collection
Questions about intranet can be answered reliably only by the
companies which have comprehensively implemented intranet.
Among the companies selected from publicly available databases
through the Internet, respondent organizations were composed
as follows. First, a wide variety of the industries which have heavily
used intranet such as banking, manufacturing, and trading indus-
tries, were identified. Second, using publicly available databases,
the companies in those industries which are likely to have imple-
mented intranet comprehensively were contacted to check their
level of intranet implementation. The respondents selected sup-
posedly possessed a level of knowledge about intranet which
was required to answer the questionnaire.
The survey method was adopted to maximize result generaliz-
ability by obtaining a statistically testable representation of the
various categories of variables, and the mailed survey was carefully
designed and pilot tested to maximize the response rate. The pilot
test was conducted to further improve the scales, to determine
problems in completion of the instrument and to estimate the time
required to complete the questionnaire. Ten participants (graduate
students and IS professors) completed the pilot test. After initial
items to measure each construct were identified, discussions with
graduate students who have usage experience in intranet were
then employed to ensure that the items had a clear meaning and
presentation. Based on the results of this pilot test, some items
were modified, and some deleted. In total the final questionnaire
contained 25 questions to measure the constructs of interest, as
well as some demographic and other related questions.
We addressed respondents by name and followed up the unde-
livered questionnaires by calling individuals. We then mailed a
second letter three weeks after the first mailing to remind the
respondents. The sample base consists of individuals employed
in ten major companies in Korea. The companies all are IT, manu-
facturing, electronics, or governmental organizations. Five hundred
questionnaires are mailed to these individuals. The participation in
the survey was solicited through a direct call to IS managers, and
the objectives of the study were explained. Among 351 question-
naires that are received, 18 responses are excluded due to incom-
plete and invalid answer; 333 responses are used in the final
sample for data analysis. The sample characteristics are depicted
in Table 1.
5. Results
5.1. Measurement properties
Cronbach a is analyzed to examine the reliability of variables.
Exploratory factor analysis is used to examine validity of variables.
The items converged on appropriate constructs for variables, as
originally envisaged from the result of exploratory factor analysis.
The results of exploratory factor analysis are suggested in Tables 2
and 3.
Confirmatory factory analysis is performed after each item and
each construct for each latent variable were determined. The reli-
ability and validity of measures are suggested in Table 4. The com-
posite reliability is greater than .8 and shows moderate to high
reliability. Cronbach’s a is the most popular reliability coefficient
in social science research to test individual item reliability. The
Cronbach and composite a is greater than .8 indicating that all of
the measures exhibit adequate reliability.
Data were generally consistent with the hypothesized measure-
ment structure (v2 = 51.60, df = 50, p = .41). The fit indices are all
indicative of a good fit (GFI = 0.935, AGFI = 0.883, RMSR = 0.050).
The measurement model with eight concepts that needed to be
tested was set against data to establish its measurement proper-
ties. Confirmatory factory analysis was performed after all items
and constructs for each latent variable were determined. The data
was generally consistent with the hypothesized measurement
structure (v2 (p) = 486.08 (.0)). The fit indices are all indicative of
a good fit (GFI = 0.89, AGFI = 0.84, RMSR = 0.044, NFI = 0.92).
Construct validity was evaluated by convergent and discrimi-
nant validity. Convergent validity can be assessed by estimated
parameters of items and the average variance extracted. The con-
vergent validity could be investigated from the measurement mod-
 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201 197

Table 1 el by finding whether the estimated parameters of each construct

The characteristics of sample are significant (Table 4). All the estimated parameters for items
Characteristics Number of Percentage are significant and all the average variance extracted exceed .5,
responses thereby demonstrating convergent validity.
Sex Male 299 89.8 Discriminate validity refers to the degree to which a latent var-
Female 34 10.2 iable differs from other latent variables. The inter-correlations
Age Lower than 30 95 28.5 among the latent variables do not exceed the square root of aver-
30–40 191 57.4 age variance extracted. Table 5 presents the intercorrelations
40–50 43 12.9 among the study variables. In all of the entries examined, the
50–60 4 1.2
square correlations, representing the shared variance among vari-
Position Lower than assistant 146 43.8 ables, are found not to exceed the average variance extracted. This
manager
Assistant manager 93 27.9
suggests that the measures are distinct and unidimensional mea-
Manager 77 23.1 sures. Thus, this indicates discriminant validity of measures. These
Senior manager 13 3.9 results showed that the measurement model has reliability, con-
Executives 4 1.2 vergent and discriminant validity and properly fits the data.
School degree High school 25 7.5
Bachelor 285 85.6 5.2. Test of hypotheses
Master 23 6.9
Work Less than one year 30 9.0 This study tests the structural relation among variables using
experience 2–4 years 92 27.6
LISREL 8.52. The structural model is represented as Fig. 2. The
5–7 years 78 23.4
8–10 years 68 20.4 observed variables are enclosed in squares or rectangles. The latent
More than 11 years 65 19.5 variables are enclosed in circles or ellipses. A one-way path
Department Production 39 11.7 between variables indicates a hypothesized direct effect of one
Sales/marketing 63 18.9 variable upon another. The non-existence of an arrow between
Administration/personnel 115 34.5 two variables means that one variable does not have a direct effect
IT 70 21.0 on the other. The v2 is 513.74 with 186 degrees of freedom for the
Research 46 13.8
model. p-Value is lower than .01. The model goodness-of-fit index
is .88, which is a measure of the relative amount of variables and
covariance jointly accounted for by the mode. The adjusted-good-
ness-of-fit is .84. The root mean square residual is .049, which is a
Table 2
measure of the average of the residuals. These measures of overall
Factor matrixes with Varimax rotation for external variables
fitness indicate the explanatory power of the model.
Items Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3 Factor 4 The estimated structural equation model is presented in Fig. 2.
Technical support 1 (TS1) 0.140 0.852 0.184 0.095 Table 6 suggests the results of hypotheses testing.
Technical support 2 (TS2) 0.188 0.842 0.206 0.013 Web experience significantly affects perceived usefulness, per-
Technical support 3 (TS3) 0.207 0.799 0.005 0.267
ceived ease of use, and usage of intranet: As users become experi-
Technical support 4 (TS4) 0.267 0.789 0.0066 0.228
enced in using intranet, they perceive more usefulness and less
Web experience 1 (WE1) 0.864 0.106 0.162 0.154
difficulty in using intranet and this leads to more usage of intranet.
Web experience 2 (WE2) 0.860 0.187 0.170 0.002
Web experience 3 (WE3) 0.827 0.288 0.133 0.041 This is expected since earlier studies have consistently shown that
Web experience 4 (WE4) 0.789 0.293 0.130 0.131 users’ experiences have a significant and positive influence on the
Task equivocality 1 (TE1) 0.153 0.005 0.863 0.140 adoption of new information technology. Any IT adoption with a
Task equivocality 2 (TE2) 0.137 0.118 0.853 0.108 previously introduced idea can influence the adoption of the new
Task equivocality 3 (TE3) 0.133 0.071 0.796 0.291 IT, and prior experience with a product class (e.g., the Web) may
Task interdependence 1 (TI1) 0.001 0.159 0.142 0.899 lead to greater acceptability of new products (e.g., groupware
Task interdependence 2 (TI2) 0.014 0.174 0.257 0.869 applications).
Eigen value 6.655 4.267 2.837 2.062 Web experience fails to affect subjective norm; the Web expe-
Percent of variance explained (%) 33.766 21.386 11.386 5.482 rience is not related to the expectations of others about using intra-
net. As users feel more uncertainty in their tasks, they recognize
Cumulative percent of variance 33.766 55.152 66.538 72.02
explained (%) more usefulness and others expect them to use intranet more.
The task equivocality itself, however, is not related to usage of
intranet.
The effect of task interdependence on subjective norm and
usage of an intranet is significant. The employees whose tasks
Table 3 are interdependent with others are more likely to feel the effects
Factor matrixes with Varimax rotation for mediating variables
of subjective norm and role expectations. This leads to greater
Items Factor 1 Factor 2 Factor 3 usage of intranet. When users work with other members in their
Subjective norm 1 (SN1) 0.231 0.099 0.893 organization by sharing information and resources, they adopt
Subjective norm 2 (SN2) 0.224 0.109 0.894 intranet to enrich their collaboration. The greater the interdepen-
Perceived ease of use 1 (PEU1) 0.395 0.739 0.155 dence of users’ tasks, the more likely that users will think intranet
Perceived ease of use 2 (PEU2) 0.336 0.776 0.102 is useful for their tasks.
Perceived ease of use 3 (PEU3) 0.215 0.805 0.049
Perceived usefulness 1 (PU1) 0.869 0.115 0.136
Technical support affects subjective norms, perceived useful-
Perceived usefulness 2 (PU2) 0.913 0.129 0.151 ness, perceived ease of use, and usage of intranet. This suggests
Perceived usefulness 3 (PU3) 0.926 0.104 0.160 that as technical support increases, users recognize more subjec-
Eigen value 6.680 3.459 1.360 tive norm, usefulness and ease of use of intranet. This then leads
Percent of variance explained (%) 47.716 17.565 9.713
to greater usage of intranet. Intranet often utilizes the Internet
Cumulative percent of variance explained (%) 47.716 65.281 74.995
and/or Web technology with an extensive and complicated
198 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201

Table 4
The measurement properties of variables (NA, not applicable as items are excluded in factor analysis)

Variables (Cronbach’s a, composite reliability) and items Mean Standard deviation Correlation with total Estimated parameters t-Value
Technical support (.856, .907) 4.647 1.533
TS1 company keeps setting advanced IT facilities 3.787 1.545 0.835 0.903 20.13*
TS2 company hires extensive technology staffs to help IT users 4.273 1.542 0.859 0.953 22.09*
TS3 company keeps advanced Internet security technology 4.676 1.519 0.786 0.769 16.17*
TS4 company maintains fast Internet connection 4.390 1.575 0.753 0.727 15.64*
Web experience (.823, .826) 4.488 1.344
WE1 I use Web for various task (span of Web usage) 4.178 1.624 0.813 0.700 13.56*
WE2 I visit Website very often (frequency of Web usage) 4.226 1.656 0.884 0.572 10.78*
WE3 I use Web very long time (intensity of Web usage) 4.094 1.526 0.912 0.743 14.98*
WE4 I know how to use Web search engine 5.125 1.538 0.861 0.913 20.00*
Task equivocality (.824, .862) 4.586 1.336
TE1 I often have confusion in communicating with colleagues 4.249 1.496 0.884 0.788 15.97*
TE2 I often disagree with my colleagues in group efforts 4.468 1.386 0.894 0.852 18.01*
TE3 I often do not understand what’s going on in my group 4.593 1.457 0.847 0.826 17.08*
Task interdependence (.826, .879) 4.551 1.425
TI1 I share information with my colleague for my work 5.227 1.383 0.762 0.941 17.85*
TI2 I use the same resources with my colleagues for my work NA NA 0.793 NA NA
TI3 I need my colleagues’ skill to complete my work 4.832 1.476 0.782 0.828 15.37*
Subjective norm (0.917, 0.955) 4.586 1.655
SN1 my friends and family affect me a lot in using the Internet 5.124 1.445 0.837 0.973 23.40*
SN2 my colleagues and peers let me use a specific software 5.235 1.286 0.921 0.938 21.70*
SN3 I feel pressure from management to use a certain IT NA NA 0.786 NA NA
Perceived usefulness (.965, .946) 4.828 1.238
PU1 usage of intranet would improve my job performance 4.875 1.479 0.844 0.886 23.21*
PU2 usage of intranet would enable me to work more quickly 4.818 1.473 0.824 0.941 24.90*
PU3 usage of intranet would increase my work productivity 4.924 1.507 0.793 0.943 20.31*
Perceived ease of use (.841, .896) 4.741 1.370
PEU1 it would be easy to become skillful at a intranet application 4.834 1.361 0.885 0.892 20.11*
PEU2 using a intranet application would be easy 4.905 1.315 0.865 0.883 19.59*
PEU3 interaction with an intranet would be clear and understandable 4.474 1.468 0.828 0.806 17.08*
Usage of intranet (.959, .793) 5.469 1.155
I use intranet applications for my job in my workplace 5.320 1.253 0.873 0.891 27.31*
2 *
v (p) = 486.08 (.0), GFI = 0.89, AGFI = 0.84, RMSR = 0.044, NFI = 0.92, ( p < .05).

Table 5
Correlation matrix for external factors, mediating factors and intranet usage

TS WE TE TI SN PU PEU UI
Technical support (TS) 0.843
Web experience (WE) 0.368** 0.742
Task equivocality (TE) 0.008 0.396** 0.823
Task interdependence (TI) 0.257** 0.067 0.497** 0.886
Subject norm (SN) 0.274** 0.479** 0.128* 0.148* 0.956
Perceived usefulness (PU) 0.352** 0.587** 0.267** 0.283** 0.382** 0.923
Perceived ease of use (PEU) 0.389** 0.632** 0.193* 0.147* 0.355** 0.490** 0.862
Usage of intranet (UI) 0.464** 0.468** 0.068 0.265** 0.231** 0.429** 0.354** 0.892

Diagonals represent the square root of average variance extracted.

*
Significance < .05.
**
Significance < .01.

network infrastructure; thus, technology support from IT staffs is
essential to adopt intranet. To enhance the perception of ease of
use and usefulness, managers should provide end users with tech-
nical support for using intranet.
Perceived usefulness affects usage of intranet and mediates the
effect of technical support, Web experience, task equivocality, and
perceived ease of use on usage of intranet. Perceived usefulness is
believed to be an important factor in determining the acceptance
of intranet. Perceived ease of use has a strong effect on perceived
usefulness, which supports the TAM in the context of intranet. Per-
ceived ease of use fails to affect usage of intranet. Ease of using
intranet has not been a primary concern among system users as
learning to use an intranet is generally considered easy. Further,
while the effect of perceived ease of use on mobile commerce
acceptance is significant early in the use of the system, its effect
becomes non-significant after more prolonged exposure. Further,
for some companies, minimum extent of usage is required regard-
less of perceived ease of use as the sole network for performing
organizational tasks. These reasons make the effect of perceived
ease of use on usage of intranet insignificant. Since ease of use can-
not fully compensate for low usefulness, system developers must
put a considerable amount of emphasis on usefulness. Given the
indispensable nature of intranet usage in users’ task performance,
intranet users are driven to accept intranet primarily on the basis
of the functions it performs for them and secondarily because of
ease of use and user-friendliness. Users may willingly cope with
some difficulties if intranet provides them with necessary informa-
tion in their job.
Subjective norms negatively affect the usage of an intranet,
which demands the careful interpretation of the context of usage
 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201 199

Technical 0.27*
0.35***
Support
0.74**
Subjective Norm
-0.019
0.09**
0.10**
-0.31**
Web Experience

0.39***
Perceived Ease Usage of
0.36***
of Use -0.13 Intranet

Task Equivocality
0.45**
0.23***
0.14*** 0.29**

0.19***
Perceived
0.023
Usefulness
Task 0.22**
-0.015
Interdependence

Fig. 2. Structural equation model (*p < .1, **p < .05, ***
p < .01).

behavior. This implies that social pressure will cause a negative im-
pact on those who might have found intranet easy to use. Mandat-
ing technology use against the explicit will of an individual may
result in negative consequences; thus, it is better that managers
promote voluntary acceptance of information technologies. The re-
sult shows the importance of voluntary use of intranet (Agarwal,
2000). The external pressure to use IT can result in initial positive
usage behavior. However, the usage behavior does not last long.
The respondents of the study have used intranet for some time
Table 6
Test results
and usage of intranet is affected less by the influence of others’
opinions and thoughts than by the users’ own will.
When skills and ability to manage intranet are not present,
users are willing to listen to others, get help from others, and
appreciate pressure from management and colleagues. However,
when they know how to use and manage intranet, or think learn-
ing intranet is easy, then social pressure affects them negatively.
Thus, companies should be careful when they adopt intranet by
choosing proper strategies and tactics for different levels of users,
because mandating technology use against the explicit will of an
individual may result in negative consequences. Managers should
promote voluntary acceptance of information technologies.
6. Conclusions and implications

Hypotheses Path Path Results

coefficient
Motivating by a need to understand the underlying drivers of
***
usage of intranet, the study suggest technical support, Web expe-
1-1 Technical support ? subjective norm 0.74 Accept
rience, task equivocality, task interdependence, subjective norm,
1-2 Technical support ? perceived ease of 0.39*** Accept
use perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness as antecedent fac-
1-3 Technical support ? perceived usefulness 0.23*** Accept tors affecting usage of intranet. In order to explain the process of
1-4 Technical support ? usage of intranet 0.27* Accept voluntary and involuntary usage behavior, this study extends
2-1 Web experience ? subjective norm 0.019 Reject
TAM by including a variety of external factors affecting perceived
2-2 Web experience ? perceived ease of use 0.36*** Accept
2-3 Web experience ? perceived usefulness 0.14*** Accept usefulness, perceived ease of use, and usage of intranet. While
2-4 Web experience ? usage of intranet 0.35*** Accept usage of intranet is affected by technical support, Web experience,
3-1 Task equivocality ? subjective norm 0.09** Accept task interdependence, and perceived usefulness of intranet, usage
3-2 Task equivocality ? perceived usefulness 0.19*** Accept of an intranet is not influenced by task equivocality, subjective
3-3 Task equivocality ? usage of intranet 0.015 Reject
norm, and perceived ease of use. Technical support and Web expe-
4-1 Task interdependence ? subjective norm 0.10** Accept
4-2 Task interdependence ? perceived 0.023 Reject rience affect perceived usefulness, which explains the significant
usefulness effect of these two variables on usage of intranet; as users perceive
4-3 Task interdependence ? usage of intranet 0.22** Accept greater usefulness of intranet, they tend to use intranet to a greater
5 Subjective norm ? usage of intranet 0.31** Reject
extent. The negative effect of the subjective norm on usage of
6-1 Perceived ease of use ? perceived 0.45*** Accept
usefulness
intranet indicates that external pressure has no effect on usage of
6-2 Perceived ease of use ? usage of intranet 0.13 Reject intranet after the initial stage of usage has passed.
7 Perceived usefulness ? usage of intranet 0.29** Accept The insignificant effect of perceived ease of use on usage of
*
p < .1.
intranet indicates that the design of interface to improve ease of
**
p < .05. use is less important than the functionality aspects of intranet in
***
p < .01. view of its purpose to perform organizational tasks. Further, the
200 S. Lee, B.G. Kim / Computers in Human Behavior 25 (2009) 191–201
insignificant effect of subjective norm on usage of intranet suggests
that the expectation of others and the external pressure to use
intranet has no strong effect on the actual usage in the long term.
The individuals should be encouraged to use intranet by self-recog-
nition of the values of intranet.
As technical support and Web experience increase, users con-
sider using an intranet to be less difficult. In addition, as technical
support, task equivocality and task interdependence increase,
users become more aware of subjective norm from others. The ef-
fect of technical support and Web experience, and task interdepen-
dence on usage of intranet indicates that an individual’s learning
process to acquire experience of intranet, encouragement from
top management to support intranet, and structure of the task pro-
cess become important to increase usage of intranet.
The findings from this study have important implications for
researchers and practitioners who are using intranet or are consid-
ering adopting the technology. In terms of research, this paper pro-
vides further evidence of the appropriateness of using technical
support, individual factor, task-related factors, and subjective
norm that have been used in prior studies of IT acceptance. Given
the growth and strategic importance of intranet technology in
organizations, non-technological factors as well as technological
factors should be examined to improve the ease of use, usefulness
and usage of intranet.
When considering adoption of the technology, companies
should carefully examine external factors that are significantly re-
lated to users’ perceptions of intranet. For example, in promoting
usage of intranet, companies can provide users with more experi-
ence in similar applications on the Web and provide better techni-
cal support. Intranet is used in organizations to perform
organizational tasks. For vendors and supplier organizations which
implement an intranet for customer organizations, in order to oc-
cupy promising intranet service market where wired and wireless
service is integrated, and to increase the scope of communication
business service, the results provide implications on the employ-
ees’ usage behaviors of IT in performing organizational tasks. In or-
der to improve effectiveness of task performance, it is important
for vendors to examine the effect of individual, task and organiza-
tional characteristics on the ease of use, usefulness and usage of
intranet.
The generalizability of the results of the study is limited due to
the small number (10) of sample companies selected in the study.
Furthermore, a longitudinal study would be more useful in captur-
ing the change in the relationship among variables rather than
cross sectional study. As technology of intranet develops, the nat-
ure of the interrelationship among variables will change. In addi-
tion, as intranet becomes the means of communication and task
processing, it will be useful to examine the effect of this study’s
independent variables on individual and organizational
performance.
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