THE EFFECT OF CONTROL VARIABLES WHEN USING TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL TO PREDICT CONSUMERS’ INTENTIONS TO BUY ONLINE

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was employed in order to predict consumers’ intentions to buy online. Initial TAM latent variables were used and indicators were adapted for the purpose of the study. Measurements’ reliability and validity are tested in the study. What differentiates this study from other TAM-based studies is the control for the effects of socio-demographic variables: gender, education and income. TAM initial associations were tested for statistical significance, when the effects of gender, education and income were controlled for. The results of the PLS-based structural equation modeling indicate that TAM original associations among variables are significant, regardless of the socio-demographic variables employed in the model. This study once more confirms the predictive power of TAM in explaining and predicting online buying behavior.