Developing a Model and Questionnaire for Predicting Intention to Use Job Boards: A Jobseeker-Oriented Research on the E-Recruitment Adoption in Iran

Abstract

By integrating several prominent theories and models in technology adoption, this study develops a research model to examine the factors affecting jobseekers’ intention to use job boards. The validity and reliability of the researcher-developed instrument, the SEDA-IUQ (SEDA-Intention to Use Questionnaire), were assessed using a combination of statistical methods. Utilizing the data collected from 447 Iranian respondents, findings from the exploratory factor analysis provided evidence for the five-factor solution, that is, technological innovation, functional adequacy, content accessibility, practical utility, and reputation-seeking intention, for the 36-item SEDA-IUQ. Various relationships in the research model are tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. In addition to developing a practical questionnaire that the e-recruitment researchers and practitioners can deploy to study jobseekers’ behavioral intentions, this is the first study on job search websites’ adoption in the Iranian context. The results support existing literature on e-recruitment adoption and extend it by demonstrating the multidimensionality of jobseekers’ perceptions and behavioral intentions toward e-recruitment.