Acceptance behavior theories and models in software engineering—A mapping study
Börstler, Jürgen ; Ali, Nauman Bin ; Petersen, Kai and Engström, Emelie LU
(2024)
In Information and Software Technology
172.
- Abstract
- Context:
The adoption or acceptance of new technologies or ways of working in software development activities is a recurrent topic in the software engineering literature. The topic has, therefore, been empirically investigated extensively. It is, however, unclear which theoretical frames of reference are used in this research to explain acceptance behaviors.
Objective:
In this study, we explore how major theories and models of acceptance behavior have been used in the software engineering literature to empirically investigate acceptance behavior.
Method:
We conduct a systematic mapping study of empirical studies using acceptance behavior theories in software engineering.
Results:
We identified 47 primary studies... (More) - Context:
The adoption or acceptance of new technologies or ways of working in software development activities is a recurrent topic in the software engineering literature. The topic has, therefore, been empirically investigated extensively. It is, however, unclear which theoretical frames of reference are used in this research to explain acceptance behaviors.
Objective:
In this study, we explore how major theories and models of acceptance behavior have been used in the software engineering literature to empirically investigate acceptance behavior.
Method:
We conduct a systematic mapping study of empirical studies using acceptance behavior theories in software engineering.
Results:
We identified 47 primary studies covering 56 theory uses. The theories were categorized into six groups. Technology acceptance models (TAM and its extensions) were used in 29 of the 47 primary studies, innovation theories in 10, and the theories of planned behavior/ reasoned action (TPB/TRA) in six. All other theories were used in at most two of the primary studies. The usage and operationalization of the theories were, in many cases, inconsistent with the underlying theories. Furthermore, we identified 77 constructs used by these studies of which many lack clear definitions.
Conclusions:
Our results show that software engineering researchers are aware of some of the leading theories and models of acceptance behavior, which indicates an attempt to have more theoretical foundations. However, we identified issues related to theory usage that make it difficult to aggregate and synthesize results across studies. We propose mitigation actions that encourage the consistent use of theories and emphasize the measurement of key constructs. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Context:
The adoption or acceptance of new technologies or ways of working in software development activities is a recurrent topic in the software engineering literature. The topic has, therefore, been empirically investigated extensively. It is, however, unclear which theoretical frames of reference are used in this research to explain acceptance behaviors.
Objective:
In this study, we explore how major theories and models of acceptance behavior have been used in the software engineering literature to empirically investigate acceptance behavior.
Method:
We conduct a systematic mapping study of empirical studies using acceptance behavior theories in software engineering.
Results:
We identified 47... (More) - Context:
The adoption or acceptance of new technologies or ways of working in software development activities is a recurrent topic in the software engineering literature. The topic has, therefore, been empirically investigated extensively. It is, however, unclear which theoretical frames of reference are used in this research to explain acceptance behaviors.
Objective:
In this study, we explore how major theories and models of acceptance behavior have been used in the software engineering literature to empirically investigate acceptance behavior.
Method:
We conduct a systematic mapping study of empirical studies using acceptance behavior theories in software engineering.
Results:
We identified 47 primary studies covering 56 theory uses. The theories were categorized into six groups. Technology acceptance models (TAM and its extensions) were used in 29 of the 47 primary studies, innovation theories in 10, and the theories of planned behavior/ reasoned action (TPB/TRA) in six. All other theories were used in at most two of the primary studies. The usage and operationalization of the theories were, in many cases, inconsistent with the underlying theories. Furthermore, we identified 77 constructs used by these studies of which many lack clear definitions.
Conclusions:
Our results show that software engineering researchers are aware of some of the leading theories and models of acceptance behavior, which indicates an attempt to have more theoretical foundations. However, we identified issues related to theory usage that make it difficult to aggregate and synthesize results across studies. We propose mitigation actions that encourage the consistent use of theories and emphasize the measurement of key constructs. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/98c10d3b-be40-4d8e-857c-70f69218dfcd
- author
- Börstler, Jürgen
; Ali, Nauman Bin
; Petersen, Kai
and Engström, Emelie
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-04-16
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- in
- Information and Software Technology
- volume
- 172
- article number
- 107469
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85190986067
- ISSN
- 0950-5849
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.infsof.2024.107469
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 98c10d3b-be40-4d8e-857c-70f69218dfcd
- date added to LUP
- 2024-05-06 09:05:46
- date last changed
- 2024-05-07 02:17:29
@article{98c10d3b-be40-4d8e-857c-70f69218dfcd,
abstract = {{Context:<br/>The adoption or acceptance of new technologies or ways of working in software development activities is a recurrent topic in the software engineering literature. The topic has, therefore, been empirically investigated extensively. It is, however, unclear which theoretical frames of reference are used in this research to explain acceptance behaviors.<br/>Objective:<br/>In this study, we explore how major theories and models of acceptance behavior have been used in the software engineering literature to empirically investigate acceptance behavior.<br/>Method:<br/>We conduct a systematic mapping study of empirical studies using acceptance behavior theories in software engineering.<br/>Results:<br/>We identified 47 primary studies covering 56 theory uses. The theories were categorized into six groups. Technology acceptance models (TAM and its extensions) were used in 29 of the 47 primary studies, innovation theories in 10, and the theories of planned behavior/ reasoned action (TPB/TRA) in six. All other theories were used in at most two of the primary studies. The usage and operationalization of the theories were, in many cases, inconsistent with the underlying theories. Furthermore, we identified 77 constructs used by these studies of which many lack clear definitions.<br/>Conclusions:<br/>Our results show that software engineering researchers are aware of some of the leading theories and models of acceptance behavior, which indicates an attempt to have more theoretical foundations. However, we identified issues related to theory usage that make it difficult to aggregate and synthesize results across studies. We propose mitigation actions that encourage the consistent use of theories and emphasize the measurement of key constructs.}},
author = {{Börstler, Jürgen and Ali, Nauman Bin and Petersen, Kai and Engström, Emelie}},
issn = {{0950-5849}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{04}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Information and Software Technology}},
title = {{Acceptance behavior theories and models in software engineering—A mapping study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2024.107469}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.infsof.2024.107469}},
volume = {{172}},
year = {{2024}},
}