Factors Influencing the Use of Smartphones for Programing: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The ubiquitous application of smartphones and their advanced development have created an opportunity for using them as coding platforms. In this study, we compared between the use of personal computers (PCs) and smartphones to investigate the factors affecting the use of smartphones in programing. The behavioral intentions of smartphone end-users are inspired by the ease of use perception, enjoyment perception, programing anxiety, perception of external control, and smartphone design aesthetics. Although the R2 value of the smartphone model was lower than that of the PC model, the end-users’ adoption decisions could have shifted toward accepting the use of smartphones for programing had their decisions been free of enforcement. In this study, design aesthetics and programing anxiety were introduced to Technology Acceptance Model 3 in an Arabic environment. Additionally, the model was creatively applied for guiding practitioners in two situations. First, when organizations are in the quest for emerging technology to replace the legacy technology, they might apply the presented side-by-side comparison of the use of PCs with that of smartphones in programing. Second, at a time when decision makers analyze what might hinder the adoption of a recently introduced technology, the model can be a successful hand tool guiding the top management in identifying technology acceptance interventions, an approach this research revealed. Furthermore, in this paper, the research implications and recommendations are presented for technology practitioners and designers.