Factors of E-book Use Intentions: Perspective of Students in a Developing Country

E-books are regarded as a new, digital way to access reading material and as a learning tool for students. Therefore, South African institutions of higher learning are spending increasing amounts of money on the provision of e-books for use by students. However, the extent to which students will accept e-books remains unclear. This paper is aimed at examining the factors of e-book use intentions among students in tertiary education, based on theoretical considerations rooted in utaut. Data used in the analysis was sourced from 544 participating students from five institutions of higher learning using a structured questionnaire. Results of the analysis identified performance expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions as salient factors of e-book use intentions among tertiary students. Interestingly, gender and e-book use experience had no significant moderating effect of the factors of use intention examined in this study. The implications of these findings on the efforts aimed at promoting a more enthusiastic acceptance of e-books among tertiary students are highlighted in this paper.