APPLYING THE PLS-SEM MODEL TO ANALYZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FACTORS AFFECTING THE INTENTION AND ACTUAL USE OF AI TOOLS (CHATGPT) IN THE WORKPLACE IN HO CHI MINH CITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62985/j.huit_ojs.vol26.no3E.470Keywords:
ChatGPT, intention to use, actual use, PLS-SEM, technology adoption.Abstract
This study examines the factors influencing intention to use and actual use of ChatGPT among students and office workers in Ho Chi Minh City. The proposed framework integrates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), supplemented by local contextual factors related to digital infrastructure. A quantitative survey yielded 251 valid responses, which were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that intention to use has a strong positive effect on actual use (β = 0.810), while contextual factors strongly influence attitude (β = 0.793). Personal innovativeness (β = 0.416) has a stronger effect on intention than attitude does. Perceived ease of use is not statistically significant, suggesting that ease of use may function as a baseline expectation for generative AI rather than as a differentiating factor. The study contributes by incorporating local contextual conditions into established adoption models and offers implications for responsible AI adoption in educational institutions and organizations.
References
[1] Prime Minister of Vietnam, "Decision No. 131/QD-TTg approving the scheme 'Strengthening the application of information technology and digital transformation in education and training for the period 2022-2025, with orientation to 2030," Jan. 25, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?docid=205236&pageid=27160
[2] F. D. Davis, "Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology," MIS Quarterly, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 319-340, 1989. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
[3] V. Venkatesh, J. Y. L. Thong, and X. Xu, "Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology," MIS Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 157-178, 2012. https://doi.org/10.2307/41410412
[4] I. Ajzen, "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 179-211, 1991. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
[5] J. F. Hair, Jr., G. T. M. Hult, C. M. Ringle, and M. Sarstedt, A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage, 2022.
[6] A. Strzelecki, "Students' acceptance of ChatGPT in higher education: An extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology," Innovative Higher Education, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 223-245, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-023-09686-1
[7] B. Foroughi et al., "Determinants of intention to use ChatGPT for educational purposes: Findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA," International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 40, no. 17, pp. 4501-4520, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2226495
[8] H. Albayati, "Investigating undergraduate students' perceptions and awareness of using ChatGPT as a regular assistance tool: A user acceptance perspective study," Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, vol. 6, Art. no. 100203, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100203
[9] G. Maheshwari, "Factors influencing students' intention to adopt and use ChatGPT in higher education: A study in the Vietnamese context," Education and Information Technologies, vol. 29, no. 10, pp. 12167-12195, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12333-z
[10] S. Grassini, M. L. Aasen, and A. Møgelvang, "Understanding university students' acceptance of ChatGPT: Insights from the UTAUT2 model," Applied Artificial Intelligence, vol. 38, no. 1, Art. no. 2371168, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/08839514.2024.2371168
[11] S. Caner-Yıldırım, "Modeling ChatGPT adoption among undergraduates: An integrated UTAUT2 and digital competence framework," SAGE Open, vol. 15, no. 2, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251343340
[12] A. Alzahrani and A. Alzahrani, "Understanding ChatGPT adoption in universities: The impact of faculty TPACK and UTAUT2," RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 37-58, 2025. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.28.1.41498
[13] T. T. T. Huynh, T. T. N. Huynh, and L. K. O. Dao, "Factors influencing the decision to use artificial intelligence technology (ChatGPT-AI) in learning at colleges and universities in Vinh Long province," Journal of Finance-Marketing Research, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 15-30, 2025. https://doi.org/10.52932/jfm.v3i1e.645
[14] A. Polyportis and N. Pahos, "Understanding students' adoption of the ChatGPT chatbot in higher education: The role of anthropomorphism, trust, design novelty and institutional policy," Behaviour & Information Technology, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 315-336, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2024.2317364
[15] R. Agarwal and J. Prasad, "A conceptual and operational definition of personal innovativeness in the domain of information technology," Information Systems Research, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 204-215, 1998. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.9.2.204.
[16] M. Soliman, R. A. Ali, I. Mahmud, and T. Noipom, "Unlocking AI-powered tools adoption among university students: A fuzzy-set approach," Journal of Information and Communication Technology, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1-28, 2025. https://doi.org/10.32890/jict2025.24.1.1
[17] A. Biloš and B. Budimir, "Understanding the adoption dynamics of ChatGPT among Generation Z: Insights from a modified UTAUT2 model," Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 863-879, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer19020045
[18] A. Namatovu and M. Kyambade, "Leveraging AI in academia: University students' adoption of ChatGPT for writing coursework (take-home) assignments through the lens of UTAUT2," Cogent Education, vol. 12, no. 1, Art. no. 2485522, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2485522
[19] D. N. Nguyen, T. P. Tran, P. V. Tran, Q. A. Pham, H. N. N. Le, and D. G. Duong, "The current status of applying ChatGPT in learning for students at the School of Engineering and Technology-Hue University," Hong Bang International University Journal of Science, special issue no. 2, pp. 50-59, 2024. https://doi.org/10.59294/HIUJS.KHQG.2024.005
[20] J. Cohen, Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed. Hillsdale, NJ, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988.
[21] Y. P. Chua, A Step-by-Step Guide to SmartPLS 4: Data Analysis Using PLS-SEM, CB-SEM, PROCESS and Regression. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Researchtree Education, 2024, ISBN 979-8-3204-2320-3. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379413546_A_step-by-step_guide_to_SMARTPLS_4_Data_analysis_using_PLS-SEM_CB-SEM_Process_and_Regression. [Accessed: Jul. 26, 2026]
