Conflicting behavioral paradigms and predicting IS adoption and non-adoption – The importance of group-based analysis

Although information technology use is often conscious and deliberate and can therefore often be evaluated based on intentions, contemporary research has begun to consider automatic use occurring beyond conscious awareness based mainly on habit or automaticity. In addition to driving continued use or inhibiting switching to a new system, habit also moderates the effects of planned behavior depending on its strength and direction. Little attention has been paid to the implications of these conflicting behavioral paradigms and how they complicate valid behavioral predictions. Based on the concept of inclined actors and disinclined abstainers developed by Sheeran (European Review of Social Psychology 12 (2002) 1–36), we navigate these difficulties by undertaking a group-based analysis based on a threshold model to analyze data collected in a real case in the German public sector. Our study reveals that the impact of cognition on intention follows opposing patterns among adopters and non-adopters depending on the strength of their habit. We extend these findings through post-hoc analysis to identify and propose group-specific persuasion strategies for eight groups of individuals. •Differentiation of conflicting behavioral paradigms in IS adoption and non-adoption.•Decomposition matrix of user group behaviors.•Introduction of the threshold model to the IS community.