An evaluation of user acceptance of a corporate intranet

Intranets represent an important organisational resource for knowledge sharing. However, as yet, there has been little research into the quality of intranets and the impact of quality on intranet user acceptance. In the study reported in this paper, an intranet quality assessment tool comprising the dimensions usability, design, and information quality, is combined with perceived usefulness and social influence from the technology acceptance literature to create an intranet acceptance model. The model is applied to the sales and marketing division of an international manufacturing company. Data is collected via a Web survey (n=131, response rate = 65.5%) and tested using the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling. The results show that intranet quality is a significant factor in determining behavioural intention to use, although it is less important than perceived usefulness and social influence. Comments collected from respondents are used to illustrate the findings and provide an insight into user behaviour. The discussion considers the implications, future research (e.g., the role of social influence in intranet usage) and limitations. The paper rounds off with a short summary