Assumptions and limitations
The basis of this study is the application of the TAM research methodology developed by Davis in 1989. The TAM has been used, modified and extended in numerous studies examining and exploring the acceptance, usefulness, ease of use, and usage of different forms of technology.
The assumptions of this study include (a) the responses to the survey will be honest and, (b) the results of this study will provide applicable results to e‐book publishers and other key important players in the e‐book market place considering non‐academic e‐books for leisure purposes.
The limitations of this study are based on using a population limited to one city in Taiwan and (a) this study does not take the way of obtaining an e‐book into consideration (e.g. the black
market), (b) this study will not evaluate e‐book reader devices and (c) it will only be applicable to Taiwan considering the variability of the consistency of other populations and demographics.
In my opinion the biggest limitation of the study is crossing the language barrier: to get valuable feedback from Taiwanese citizens with good English speaking and understanding ability limited the research to mostly English teachers and therefore also mostly females.
Another limitation of this study is that it will not gain input from all stakeholders beyond the general public, such as e‐book publishers, e‐paper manufacturers, and so forth to more fully explore the topic.
Conclusion and recommendations
This study addressed the lack of empirical knowledge related to specific dimensions of the unexplored e‐book market segment for recreational e‐books. The lack of knowledge has been
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explored with specific reference to how the public perceive recreational e‐books as useful, the advantage thereof relative to printed books, the perceived ease of use thereof and the social factors involving the usage thereof. The application of the TAM to this study was effective based on the correlation coefficient analysis. The findings of this study are applicable not only to educational institutions, but also to publishers of recreational e‐books. These findings will support strategic management decisions related to e‐book adoption based on the public’s preferences. The timing of the study is superb given the rise in the market for e‐book reader devices.
It is clear from this study that there is a definitive divide in the general public: between current e‐book users and future e‐book users. Change is never easy, but it seems that the general public is reluctant to adopt e‐books for recreational purposes and it will take long for them to do so.
Recommendations
Limitations of the study.
Survey instrument. The most evident limitation aspect of this study is related to the sample size and distribution. The fact that the majority were females has a tremendous influence on the results. Any future research should take note of this limitation and should try to avoid it.
Research Scope. The fact that the group of participants were limited to competent English speakers in a foreign country, made the research scope very limited. The language barrier should never be underestimated when doing research in a foreign country, especially if the local citizens make up the core of the study.
Additional analysis. In this study, only specified data were collected representing the
respondents to the study. Additional difference testing and reporting could be performed using the following categories of data:
1. Ethnic affiliation
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2. Reported household income
3. Level of education
Future research. Future research should be focused on the marketing segment of the market for recreational e‐books. The big challenge lies in changing the way future e‐book users think and promoting the latest developments in the market place. With the rise of new e‐book reader devices launched by big companies, research opportunities open up. Another segment of research should monitor the adoption of the e‐book market across generations. The TAM could be applied in various ways and could provide even more valuable data. The copyright and ‘black market’ issue also deserves to be researched.
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