Abstract
Web 2.0 tools, such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, and RSS feeds, provide users with a flexible, collaborative and interactive environment for developing communities around shared interests. These tools are especially useful for professionals, such as accountants and lawyers, working in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for their continuing professional development (CPD) because they can obtain access to high-quality resources and interact with training providers and their peers at a much lower cost. However, there has been relatively little adoption of such tools by this group of professionals, and little relevant empirical research on this issue.
This study addressed this issue by examining the adoption of Web 2.0 tools by accounting professionals in New Zealand SMEs. A research model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) was drawn up and tested with a survey and a series of semi-structured interviews. 40% of the respondents use Web 2.0 tools, and 45.9% plan to continue using them in the future. The results indicate that digital literacy and performance expectancy were significantly related to the decision to adopt Web 2.0 tools. The interview findings support the variables used in the model, and offer additional insights on the barriers hindering the adoption of Web 2.0 tools. The study highlights certain trends in the adoption of this technology and provides guidance to future researchers and practitioners in this field.
