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Cited by 896Technology Adoption and User BehaviourInformation Systems Theories and ImplementationERP Systems Implementation and Impact

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 98 of the 98 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Shackled to the Status Quo: The Inhibiting Effects of Incumbent System Habit, Switching Costs, and Inertia on New System Acceptance

Polites, Greta L., Karahanna, Elena·2012·MIS Quarterly
DOI 10.25300/misq/2012/36.1.02
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Abstract

Given that adoption of a new system often implies fully or partly replacing an incumbent system, resistance is often manifested as failure of a user to switch from an incumbent technology to a newly introduced one. Thus, a potential source of resistance to adopting a new system lies in the use of an incumbent system. Using the status quo bias and habit literatures as theoretical lenses, the study explains how use of an incumbent system negatively impacts new system perceptions and usage intentions. We argue that habitual use of an incumbent system, rationalization due to perceived transition costs, and psychological commitment due to perceived sunk costs all encourage development of inertia. Inertia in turn fully mediates the impact of these incumbent system constructs on constructs related to acceptance of the new system via psychological commitment based on cognitive consistency and by increasing the importance of normative pressures. Specifically, we hypothesize that inertia leads to decreased perceptions of the ease of use and relative advantage of a newly introduced system and has a negative impact on intentions to use the new system, above and beyond its impact through perceptions. Finally, we hypothesize that inertia moderates the relationship between subjective norm and intention, such that normative pressures to use a new system become more important in the presence of inertia. Empirical results largely support the hypothesized relationships showing the inhibiting effect of incumbent-system habit, transition and sunk costs, and inertia on acceptance of a new system. Our study thus extends theoretical understanding of the role of incumbent system constructs such as habit and inertia in technology acceptance, and lays the foundations for further study of the interplay between perceptions and cognition with respect to the incumbent system and those with respect to a new system.

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Metadata

Authors
Polites, G. L., & Karahanna, E.
Affiliations
  • Bucknell University (US)
  • University of Georgia (US)
ORCID
Venue
MIS Quarterly
Publisher
MIS Quarterly
Published
2012-03-01
Volume
36
Issue
1
Pages
21-42
ISSN
  • 0276-7783 (ISSN-L)
  • 2162-9730
DOI
10.25300/misq/2012/36.1.02
OpenAlex
W4401611614
Cited by
215
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 56 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
FWCI
5.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • MIS Quarterly (publishedVersion)
  • Journal of the Association for Information Systems (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › Information Systems Theories and Implementation
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › ERP Systems Implementation and Impact
Keywords
technology adoption, status quo bias, habit, inertia, switching costs, sunk costs, resistance to change, technology acceptance, perceived ease of use, relative advantage, intention to use, subjective norms, normative pressure, cognitive consistency, psychological commitment

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