GENDER DISPARITIES IN BEHAVIORAL INTENTION TO USE UNIVERSITY WEBSITES AMONG GENERATION Y STUDENTS

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the role of university websites in higher education. University websites are an important source of information for students, providing access to course materials, academic support services, and campus resources. Generation Y students, who are digital natives, are expected to be proficient in using university websites. However, research has shown that there may be gender disparities in the behavioral intention to use university websites among this population. As such, the purpose of this paper was to explore whether Generation Y male and female students differed in their intentions to use university websites in a South African context. The factors that influence their behavioral intentions included perceived system quality, information quality, trust, and attitude. These antecedents of behavioral intention were tested using two regression models, one for male students (n = 154) and the other for female students (n = 163) as well as an independent samples t-test. The regression analysis results reveal that, for Generation Y female students, 45 percent of the variance in their behavioral intention to use university websites is explained by the independent variables, compared to 35 percent for male students. In addition, the regression model applicable to females shows that trust and attitude have a statistically significant influence on their behavioral intention, whereas for males, only attitude has a statistically significant influence on their behavioral usage intention. The independent samples t-test further suggests that Generation Y female and male students differ in their attitude towards university websites and their behavioral intention to use university websites. These findings have implications for the design and implementation of university websites and e-learning environments, particularly in terms of considering gender differences in the needs, preferences, and motivations of male and female students. Future research could explore how cultural and contextual factors influence gender disparities in the use of university websites among Generation Y students.