INTERNET USE ADOPTION AMONG ACADEMICIANS: Comparing Innovative Adopters and Other Adopter Types

Online shopping represents an innovation to be adopted or rejected by online consumers globally. Previous experiences and knowledge of innovation are the main factors affecting people’s willingness to adopt a new innovation. We explore how Internet use differs between academicians who are innovative adopters and other types of adopters. Academicians who are innovative adopters are hypothesized to: have more years of experience on online shopping, have greater frequency of purchase, and pay a higher price for items purchased online. Data were collected from 301 respondents. Results provide new perspective on innovative adopters among Malaysian academicians; they have less experience than other adopters in shopping for products online, make fewer purchases online and pay small amount of money in shopping for products online than other adopters. Directions for future research are also discussed