Toward a model for the acceptance of Internet banking in developing countries

The technology acceptance model (TAM) has been used in much of the research into technology diffusion conducted in the United States and other developed Western countries. There is, however, no empirical evidence that information-technology acceptance models established in developed countries can apply equally well to less-developed countries without some modification to account for the different context. This article questions the appropriateness of the traditional TAM model for the study of e-commerce in a developing country. It discusses the literature and presents the preliminary results of an investigation into the penetration of Internet banking in Jordan, a strategic developing country of the Middle East. The research results are used to suggest and evaluate modifications to the TAM to make it more relevant for research on technological acceptance in less-developed and developing countries. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.