The Relationship between Cultural Values and Individual Variables with Computer Use among Students

Abstract

Introduction: The current study aimed at structural equation modeling of the relationship between cultural values (individualism/ collectivism, masculinity/ femininity, uncertainty avoidance, power distance) and computer use, with regard to the meditational effects of personal innovativeness, perceived usefulness and ease of use applying the partial list squares (PLS) method.Method: Three hundred and eighty-one B.A students in Tehran University answered a questionnaire comprising of the following subscales: perceived usefulness and ease of use; willingness to innovate; individualism/ collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance and masculinity/ femininity. Partial least squares method was used for data analysis.Results: Findings, in general, showed personal innovativeness, usefulness and ease of use had a meditational role in the relationship between individualism/ collectivism, masculinity/ femininity, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and computer use: individualism/ collectivism exerted an indirect positive influence on use through personal innovativeness, usefulness and ease of use. In addition, uncertainty avoidance and power distance had an indirect negative influence on use through personal innovativeness, perceived ease of use and usefulness. On the other hand, perceived ease of use influenced computer use indirectly and positively, with the perceived usefulness being the meditational variable.Conclusions: Individual variables and cultural values can predict student's computer use.