Collaborative Technologies in an Inter-organizational Context: Examining the Role of Perceived Information Security and Trust on Post-adoption

Intensified collaboration in inter-organizational networks is a driving force for the utilization of collaborative technologies (CT). However, with data leakages being discussed frequently in media, there is a rising consciousness of information security issues. These concerns are known to affect individual behavior. Despite the importance of this awareness, the role of information security for the acceptance of CT has not garnered significant attention in research. This paper accounts for this gap and extends the technology acceptance model by integrating the dimension of perceived information security. Moreover, it takes a socio-technical stance and incorporates the perspective of inter-personal trust. The study develops a theoretical model, which is then validated using data gathered from 121 network organizations in Germany. The results suggest that both perceived information security and inter-personal trust are important predictors for the intention to use CT and should be considered in the field of CT adoption research.