An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Understanding Farmers’ Behavioral Intention towards Using Agricultural E-commerce

The emergence of agricultural e‐commerce can solve the challenges of agricultural marketing especially in developing countries such as Iran. The aim of this study was to extend the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) through adding the variables social influence and facilitating conditions to understand farmers’ behavioral intention towards using agricultural e-commerce. This descriptive-correlational research was conducted through a cross-sectional survey. The statistical population of the study was Jahrom citrus growers, Iran, (N=3566). The stratified random sampling method was used and 360 respondents selected in the survey. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire, who’s the research instrument was a structured questionnaire, whose face, convergent, and discriminant validity of the questionnaire were confirmed. Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability were obtained using SPSS24 and AMOS24 software, respectively to examine the reliability of research tool (0.75< α< 0.85). The results showed that the extended form of TAM constructs was significant in explaining farmers’ behavioral intention. This means that attitude, perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions, social influence and perceived ease of use explained 50.3% of the variance in behavioral intention. The hypotheses of the extended TAM constructs showed that social influence and facilitating conditions have a positive and significant effect on intention towards using agricultural e-commerce. In this context, the government and agricultural e-commerce planners need to raise the awareness of all social influence groups about the benefits of using agricultural e-commerce through all media. In addition, providing technical and educational e-commerce facilities for farmers is recommended.