Perceptions and attitudes with regard to teleworking among public sector officials in Pretoria: applying the technology acceptance model (TAM)

Abstract

The research described in this article can be described as an explorative study that focused on obtaining and analysing perceptions and attitudes of public sector officials in Pretoria regarding the possible introduction of teleworking in their working environment. The term teleworking was understood in the sense of using computers to work from home or working at a distance away from the office. The research question that was posed was: What perceptions and attitudes exist among public sector officials in Pretoria that could contribute to, or impede, the acceptance of teleworking in South African government departments? Specific attention was given to perceptions of possible benefits or other impacts of teleworking, indications of public sector officials' ability to use computers for teleworking purposes, attitudes towards computers and teleworking, and the behavioural intention to use teleworking in the future. The questionnaire and results were structured along the lines of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) of Davis. It was found that there was firm support among the officials for public sector teleworking, especially in terms of those views and perceptions that served as indicators for relevant TAM constructs such as "perceived ease of use regarding teleworking", "perceived usefulness of teleworking", "attitude toward teleworking", and "intention to use teleworking".