Impact of IT User Behavior: Observations through a New Lens

Despite the progress that research has made on acceptance and resistance, a need to further clarify what behaviors they translate into and their impacts beyond face value remains. Based on the extant literature on user acceptance and resistance, we developed a framework in which we map user behaviors in light of their conformity/non-conformity to organizational intent. Mapping the literature in this framework revealed mixed study results on impacts of IT user behaviors. Overall, we suggest that one should understand the impacts of user behaviors in light of organizational intent, which organizations’ IT terms of use generally embody. This new lens allows one to understand the contradictions in extant research results and to articulate a more nuanced account of IT use impacts. To conclude, we propose that researchers could add much value to current knowledge in this area by: 1) exploring how acceptance and resistance IT user behaviors relate to conformity/non-conformity with IT terms of use and delving in their impacts, 2) explaining the sometimes paradoxical impacts of conforming/non-conforming IT user behaviors, and 3) investigating the role of individual and organizational agency in relation with IT terms of use