Assessing the Impact of Organizational Support and Prior Project Training: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

The eLearning industry has grown rapidly in recent years, and as a result in the context of higher education there is significant interest in implementing and managing eLearning through Learning Management Systems (LMS). This study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to test faculty members' acceptance of a new LMS using structural equation modeling (SEM). In addition, the study extends the model by incorporating two external factors: training programs on the new LMS conducted prior to implementation and organizational support for the new LMS. Each of these two factors is generally believed to have a significant impact on the acceptance of a new LMS on the part of faculty members. The results of this study validate the use of TAM in the context of higher education. Further, our findings affirm the importance of providing training in regard to the LMS before implementation and likewise the importance of providing organizational support.