| This research applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to the literatures on mentoring and computer-mediated communication to examine intentions to use computer-mediated alternatives to mentoring. Computer-mediated mentoring alternatives are forms of mentoring available on the Internet such as e-mail and electronic bulletin boards. The TAM proposes that beliefs about the usefulness and ease of use of a technology influence attitudes and intentions to use technology. This research suggests three antecedents to the TAM---barriers to mentoring, family-work conflict, and perceived media richness---will make women more likely than men to intend to use computer-mediated mentoring alternatives. Results of a test of the model in a state agency support the predictions of the TAM. Perceived usefulness and ease of use play a central role in predicting attitude toward use and behavioral intention to use the technology. While the statistical results of the study did not find gender differences in the three proposed antecedents to the TAM, results did provide two interesting insights into the model. First, perceived media richness was related to each variable in the TAM at a statistically significant level, indicating its importance as an antecedent to intention to use computer-mediated mentoring alternatives. Second, the research extends the application of the TAM, which has been used extensively to predict the use of many software packages, to computer-mediated mentoring alternatives. |
