The influence of smartphones on academic performance: The development of the technology-to-performance chain model
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence college students’ smartphone use for academic purposes by identifying the task-technology fit (TTF) of smartphones. A research model is proposed to explain how TTF of smartphones affects college students’ perceived academic performance and smartphone use.
Design/methodology/approach
Online surveys were administered to college students at a South Korean university that has offered online academic services for more than five years, and 1,923 valid responses were analyzed. The study used partial least squares path modeling to evaluate the measurement model, and the bootstrapping technique to test the significance of the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings highlight that the TTF of smartphones has a direct influence on students’ perceptions of performance impact and an indirect influence on smartphone use through a precursor of utilization, such as attitude toward smartphone use, social norms and facilitating conditions.
Research limitations/implications
Despite a reasonably large sample, a single cross-sectional survey has a likelihood of selection bias in the sample.
Practical implications
This study applies the TTF model to smartphone use among college students and suggests an effective way to motivate them to use mobile technologies for their academic activities.
Originality/value
The present study develops an empirical model to assess the adoption of smartphones and its effect on college students’ academic performance. Above all, the study identifies a causal relationship among TTF, precursor of utilization, smartphone use and a perceived impact on academic performance based on the development and validation of the TTF constructs of smartphones.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper was supported by Sungkyun Research Fund, Sungkyunkwan University, 2014. The authors would like to thank Dr Inchol Shin, Research Assistant Professor of the Institute for Social Development and Policy Research at the Seoul National University for his assistance of data analysis.
Citation
Yi, Y.J., You, S. and Bae, B.J. (2016), "The influence of smartphones on academic performance: The development of the technology-to-performance chain model", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 480-499. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-04-2016-0038
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited