Aad, Sama ; Daghe , G ace K.; Ha dey, Ma iann
A icle
How does cul u al upb inging in luence how Uni e si y
s uden s in he middle eas u ilize Cha GPT echnology?
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Daghe , and Ma iann Ha dey. 2024.
How Does Cul u al Upb inging
In luence How Uni e si y S uden s in
he Middle Eas U ilize Cha GPT
Technology? Adminis a i e Sciences 14:
330. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/
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A icle
How Does Cul u al Upb inging In luence How Uni e si y
S uden s in he Middle Eas U ilize Cha GPT Technology?
Sama Aad 1,* , G ace K. Daghe 1and Ma iann Ha dey 2
1
Managemen Depa men , Lebanese Ame ican Uni e si y, Bei u 13-5053, Lebanon; [email p o ec ed]
2Managemen Depa men , Uni e si y o Du ham, Du ham DH1 3LB, UK; ma iann.ha [email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: sama [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac : The Middle Eas , wi h i s di e se cul u es and adhe ence o social no ms, o e s a ele-
an case s udy o explo ing he cu en esea ch ques ion. Using es ablished heo ies o social
in e ac ion and echnology accep ance, his esea ch examines how cul u al backg ound shapes
s uden in e ac ions wi h Cha GPT. Analyzing da a om 202 online su eys, ou indings unde sco e
he gende -based dispa i ies in Cha GPT use, po en ially e ealing consequences o echnology
adop ion wi hin he Middle Eas . This s udy con ibu es o a deepe unde s anding o how cul u al
upb inging in luences AI u iliza ion and pa es he way o de eloping mo e cul u ally sensi i e and
inclusi e AI sys ems. By p omo ing a mo e equi able and in o med app oach o AI adop ion in he
Middle Eas and beyond, his esea ch o e s aluable insigh s o u u e esea ch di ec ions and
echnology applica ions.
Keywo ds: AI; Cha GPT; cul u al upb inging; highe educa ion; gende
1. In oduc ion
D i en by he complex con e gence o his o ical, poli ical, and social issues, he
Middle Eas e n coun ies ha e eme ged as ocal poin s o in e disciplina y esea ch. Mo e
esea che s a e in es iga ing hese collec i is cul u es o he Middle Eas e n coun ies
(Basu ah e al. 2022;Sama a 2021) and s udying how and why hese alues in luence
a ious aspec s o socie y. One such ace is echnology adop ion. Unlike indi idualis ic
cul u es whe e people ely on o mal in o ma ion sou ces, collec i is ic cul u es, like hose
in he Middle Eas , o en place g ea e weigh on he subjec i e expe iences o ea ly adop e s
(Papadopoulos and Cle eland 2023). Wi h he ise o gene a i e a i icial in elligence (GAI)
ools o ming he la es echnological e olu ion, unde s anding hese cul u al nuances
becomes pa amoun . The Middle Eas , lacking clea echnical egula ions and s a egies,
aces mul i ace ed challenges in na iga ing he app op ia e use and adop ion o GAI
(Mannu u e al. 2023).
Se e al s udies ha e shown he signi ican impac o cul u e, such as gende disc imi-
na ion and biasness, on he adop ion o di e en echnologies (Bi d and Rho on 2021;Wong
and Daminge 2024). In an empi ical s udy conduc ed by Al-Omoush e al. (2022) on he
ole o cul u al alues in he adop ion o social comme ce in he Middle Eas , he au ho s
no ed ha he e is a signi ican endency owa d isk a e sion in such socie ies. People
in hose socie ies end o a oid d as ic change and unce ain si ua ions, which plays a
signi ican ole in limi ing he adop ion o social comme ce. Fu he mo e, collec i is o ien-
a ions seem o ha e a subs an ial impac on echnology adop ion. In a s udy conduc ed by
Pookulanga a and Koesle (2011), collec i is socie ies appea ed o be wa y o emb acing
new echnologies o online shopping.
Mo eo e , collec i is alues may a ec he decision-making p ocess behind he adop-
ion o echnologies. Al-Omoush e al. (2022) ound ha indi iduals wi h high collec i is
alues ended o g ea ly ely on in-g oup sou ces o in o ma ion when making decisions
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci14120330 h ps://www.mdpi.com/jou nal/admsci
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 2 o 15
ega ding social comme ce adop ion. Fu he mo e, ac o s, such as inclusi i y and equi y
in echnological ad ancemen s, a e an impo an elemen o in es iga e in such cul u es,
especially wi h he eme ging echnologies, including Cha GPT. Recen esea ch sugges s
ha ins i u ional elemen s os e ing he engagemen o acial mino i ies, women, and
sexual mino i ies in sel -employmen could po en ially enhance ad ancemen , e en amids
escala ing le els o inequali y (Pa el e al. 2021). Mo eo e , socie al no ms and expec a ions
can limi women’s mobili y, eedom o exp ession, and access o esou ces (Akba e al.
2023). Cha GPT, a la ge language model de eloped by OpenAI, is able o lea n om a wide
ange o ex da a and can gene a e esponses based on na u al language inpu . In a c i ical
analysis conduc ed by Adeshola and Adepoju (2023), i was highligh ed ha Cha GPT
migh ha e unan icipa ed socioeconomic e ec s. Al hough Cha GPT may be accessible
gi en ha i is pa ially ee, he e is a posi i e co ela ion be ween sea ch in e es in Cha -
GPT and indica o s o human capi al, which may indica e ha people in lowe -income
coun ies a e less likely o sea ch o and use Cha GPT gi en he close ela ionship be ween
he g oss domes ic p oduc (GDP) pe capi a and human capi al. As a esul o Cha GPT
use, he e a e di e ences in he acqui ed compe i i eness, skill se s, le els o de elopmen ,
and economic g ow h be ween coun ies, businesses, colleges, and indi iduals. These dis-
c epancies a e e e ed o as A i icial In elligence (AI) di ides o digi al di ides (Wach e al.
2023). Building on Fujii e al. (2024) indings o gende bias in Na u al Language P ocessing
(NLP) embeddings, which can pe pe ua e bias in GAI sys ems, hese dispa i ies expose a
widening digi al di ide. No ably, ad anced economies, le e aging hei es ablished digi al
in as uc u e, a e be e posi ioned o adop AI echnologies, like Cha GPT. Con e sely,
de eloping economies ace signi ican obs acles due o a lack o in as uc u e, hinde ing
hei abili y o compe e in he AI ace (Wach e al. 2023).
Conduc ing u he esea ch ega ding he adop ion o such echnologies in he Middle
Eas is c ucial, wi h a ocus on he di ide ha will u he ampli y exis ing gende dispa i ies.
The MENA egion is a unique case whe e esea che s could explo e how echnology usage
could be a ec ed by adi ional cul u al alues. In wes e n socie ies, s uden s in e ac
wi h echnology and a e mo e academically and socially independen (Ong and Chu 2022),
while he Middle Eas is cul u ally sensi i e. In his egion, people a e binned by espec
o hei cul u e and au ho i y igu es, in addi ion o es ic ed social no ms (Ha ield and
Rapson 2015). Explo ing hese in e ac ions will highligh he challenges ha use s migh
ace when using AI e ec i ely o suppo hei lea ning and ca ee eadiness. I is he e o e
impo an no o o e look he di e ences be ween Wes e n and Middle Eas e n use s as i
is no a one-size- i s-all app oach o AI usage.
Unde s anding hese cul u al di e ences, a he han homogenizing use s, can em-
powe indi iduals (B ändle and Kucke z 2023). This s udy, ocusing on he unde -
esea ched Middle Eas , aims o p o ide aluable insigh s o policymake s, educa o s,
esea che s, and de elope s. By explo ing how cul u al ac o s in luence Cha GPT use and
i s implica ions o echnology and gende s udies, his esea ch seeks o illumina e he
complexi ies o he Middle Eas ’s AI adop ion. Fu he mo e, i highligh s a signi ican ye
unde -add essed dispa i y in he egion, gende .
The cu en s udy esponds o he gap ha was iden i ied by C omp on and Bu ke
(2024), who encou aged esea che s o empi ically explo e he new ools, such as Cha GPT.
The e o e, ou main esea ch ques ion is o unde s and how cul u al upb inging and
gende migh impac uni e si y s uden s’ usage o Cha GPT. To demons a e his, he s udy
de elops a concep ual model d awing om he Role Theo y and he Uni ied Theo y o
accep ance. Th ough he lens o bo h heo ies, he esea ch alida es he p oposed model o
iden i y d i e s, media o s, and bounda ies o how cul u al upb inging dispa i ies be ween
men and women in he Middle Eas in luence he u iliza ion o Cha GPT.
The Uni ied Theo y o Accep ance and Use o Technology (UTAUT) model, p oposed
by Venka esh e al. (2003), has been applied o many ields ha adop ed echnology. I
has been mainly applied o e-lea ning, e-comme ce, and e-banking (A shan and Sha i
2016;Seze and Yilmaz 2019;Ve kijika 2018). This model iden i ies ou ac o s ha a ec
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 3 o 15
echnology accep ance o usage. These ac o s a e pe o mance expec ancy (PE), e o
expec ancy (EE), social in luence (SI), and acili a ing condi ions (FCs). PE e e s o he
deg ee o which an indi idual pe o ms be e when using a sys em (Lu e al. 2009). In he
con ex o gene a i e AI ools, like Cha GPT, his ela es o pe cep ions o how e ec i ely
he ool assis s wi h academic o p o essional asks. EE add esses he ease o use associa ed
wi h he echnology and he deg ee o con enience, no ing ha i becomes insigni ican
a e con inuous usage (Venka esh e al. 2003). Gene a i e AI sys ems, known o hei
in ui i e in e aces, align wi h his cons uc by minimizing he lea ning cu e o new
use s. SI e e s o he deg ee o which he pe son is in luenced by o he s in using a sys em.
Finally, FC is he a ailabili y o esou ces and suppo ha will acili a e he use o a
speci ic echnology.
Se e al esea che s used UTAUT o in es iga e AI and o he eme ging echnologies.
Acco ding o (Camille i and Camille i 2023), s uden s’ adop ion o mobile lea ning was
signi ican ly p edic ed by hei pe o mance and e o expec a ions. Thei s udy aligns
wi h And ews e al. (2021), who highligh ed he ole o UTAUT cons uc s in explaining
lib a ians’ and academics’ adop ion o AI ools in se ices and ope a ions. Simila ly, wi hin
he AI domain, he model has been ins umen al in unco e ing use mo i a ions and
ba ie s. S udies, such as Al-k ai y (2024), ha e applied UTAUT o explo e Cha GPT’s
educa ional applica ions, emphasizing he impo ance o acili a ing condi ions like ac-
cess o eliable in e ne and ins i u ional suppo . This esea ch u he highligh ed ha
pe o mance expec ancy o en d i es educa o s’ and s uden s’ willingness o engage wi h
Cha GPT, as i s capabili ies s eamline p oduc i i y.
The UTAUT model’s adap abili y ac oss a ious con ex s unde sco es i s ele ance
o unde s anding Cha GPT adop ion wi hin he Middle Eas e n cul u al amewo k. By
in eg a ing cul u al dimensions and gende as mode a ing ac o s, his s udy ex ends he
UTAUT model o o e nuanced insigh s in o he in e sec ion o cul u e, echnology, and
gende dynamics.
This esea ch equips uni e si ies wi h a deepe unde s anding o he in ica e ac o s
shaping echnology adop ion in he Middle Eas . Policymake s will gain aluable insigh s o
c a e ec i e s a egies, while business s a egis s can le e age hese indings o p omo e
digi al li e acy and empowe women. Ul ima ely, his s udy b idges he gap be ween
echnology and he cul u al con ex , en iching academic discou se and pa ing he way o
a mo e inclusi e echnological landscape in he Middle Eas , whe e gende equi y akes
cen e s age.
2. Li e a u e Re iew and Hypo hesis De elopmen
While signi ican p og ess has been made in add essing gende dispa i ies, hanks
o ad ocacy e o s and policy changes, he Global Gende Gap Repo (2021) es ima es
i will s ill ake o e a cen u y o achie e ull equali y. This pe sis en gap emains a
majo obs acle o achie ing he Uni ed Na ions Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs),
pa icula ly in ela ion o s able and p ospe ous socie ies (Leal Filho e al. 2019). The
Middle Eas , wi h i s ich cul u al apes y, deep- oo ed adi ions, and eligious in luences,
p esen s a complex case s udy. He e, his o ical ac o s, ongoing mode niza ion e o s,
and en enched gende dispa i ies c ea e an une en landscape o equali y (Kobu ay e al.
2020). Resea ch sugges s ha hese dispa i ies ha e deep his o ical oo s, wi h women
adi ionally con ined o domes ic oles and limi ed pa icipa ion in he wo k o ce (Eph em
e al. 2021;Ka shenas 2021).
His o ically, women ha e been la gely excluded om poli ical pa icipa ion, wi h
minimal ep esen a ion in go e nmen bodies. Howe e , global p og ess has been achie ed,
wi h he p opo ion o women holding pa liamen a y sea s inc easing om 13.4% in 2000 o
24.3% by Janua y 2019 (Hessami and da Fonseca 2020). These ad ancemen s ex end beyond
poli ics, wi h women making s ides in a eas like managemen and educa ion (Akba e al.
2023). Ne e heless, signi ican challenges pe sis in ensu ing equi able pa icipa ion
ac oss a ious ields, including echnology use and he ech indus y (Cha les e al. 2023).
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 4 o 15
Gende dispa i ies, alongside cul u al/social no ms and eligious belie s, con inue o play
a signi ican ole in shaping use beha io , habi s, and decision-making p ocesses wi hin
he echnological domain.
The in e play be ween gende and echnology use, as well as wo kplace dynamics,
has ecei ed g owing schola ly a en ion. Fo ins ance, El Haddad e al. (2019) in es iga ed
he impac o o ganiza ional jus ice and sus ainabili y on he 360-deg ee eedback app aisal
sys em, wi h gende as a media ing a iable. Thei esea ch highligh s how gende can
in luence pe cep ions o ai ness and sus ainabili y wi hin o ganiza ional se ings. Fu he -
mo e, gende plays a signi ican ole in he delica e balance be ween ca ee and amily li e.
S udies, like Ka koulian e al. (2016), e eal ha women o en ace g ea e di icul ies due
o pe cei ed ime cons ain s and a lack o spousal in ol emen in domes ic cho es.
The pe asi eness o gende bias has ga ne ed a en ion beyond academic ci cles.
The Eu opean Union Agency o Fundamen al Righ s (FRA), o ins ance, ad oca es o
policies like “disc imina ion es ing” and “si ua ion es ing in eal-li e si ua ions” o au-
di algo i hms o bias in da a p ocessing (Goodman and T ehu 2022). This highligh s
he impo ance o add essing gende no only as a media ing a iable in o ganiza ional
con ex s o wo k– amily balance bu also as a po en ial sou ce o bias wi hin algo i hmic
sys ems. Implemen ing such measu es equi es collabo a i e e o s om bo h he public
and p i a e sec o s.
Shi ing ocus o he Middle Eas , echnological ad ancemen s a e demons ably e-
shaping socie al dynamics, including a i udes owa ds and accep ance o new echnologies.
The egion has wi nessed a apid in eg a ion o digi al ools and pla o ms in o a ious
aspec s o daily li e, wi h p omising economic and en i onmen al bene i s (Hossin e al.
2023). No ably, echnology adop ion has become a pe cei ed ma ke o social p og ess and
mode niza ion (Clingan 2024). This digi al ans o ma ion is d i en by a su ge in in o -
ma ion and communica ion echnology (ICT) use (Akinoso 2023;Appiah-O oo and Song
2021). By 2021, he MENA egion boas ed a ema kable 97.5% mobile phone pene a ion
a e and 66% in e ne usage (Bogdan-Ma in 2019).
As he Middle Eas na iga es he apid e olu ion o echnology, a c i ical ques ion
eme ges: how do cul u al upb ingings shape he u iliza ion o cu ing-edge echnologies
like gene a i e A i icial In elligence (AI)? One ecen example is he swi adop ion o
Cha GPT, a powe ul language model de eloped by OpenAI, since i s elease in No embe
2022. Cha GPT’s abili y o pe o m asks, like email composi ion, essay w i ing, and code
gene a ion, has ga ne ed signi ican global a en ion (Aad and Ha dey 2024;Sil a e al.
2024;Wu e al. 2023). In es iga ing he nuances o Cha GPT use wi hin he Middle Eas e n
con ex becomes essen ial. By examining how cul u al in luences di e be ween men
and women, his esea ch can illumina e dis inc pa e ns in echnology adop ion, usage,
and pe cep ion.
2.1. Theo e ical F amewo k
To unde s and how cul u al upb inging and gende migh impac uni e si y s uden s
usage o Cha GPT, his esea ch will be ounded based on wo heo ies: Role Theo y (A.
H. Eagly e al. 2000) and Uni ied Theo y o Accep ance and Use o Technology (Venka esh
e al. 2003). We p opose social ole heo y as a heo e ical amewo k ha we use as a lens
o unde s and exis ing indings and o p opose u u e esea ch o explain he complica ed
ways in which gende shapes he usage o Cha GPT.
Role heo y is a concep in sociology and social psychology ha holds ha he majo i y
o e e yday ac i i y is he pe o mance o socially de ined oles. Each ole en ails a se o
igh s, du ies, expec a ions, no ms, and beha io s ha an indi idual mus con on and
ul ill (A. H. Eagly e al. 2000). Social oles encompassed “app op ia e” and “pe mi ed”
o ms o beha io ha we e di ec ed by social no ms ha we e well ecognized and hence
de e mined expec a ions (A. Eagly e al. 2012). Eagly e al. (2012) a gues ha socializa-
ion, gende s e eo ypes, gende oles, and physical di e ences all in e ac o in luence
he beha io s o men and women. The heo y claims ha social beha io simila i ies
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 5 o 15
o di e ences a e due o he ole dis ibu ion wi hin a socie y. Men and women a e ex-
pec ed o play di e en oles compa ed o speci ic expec ed social s uc u es (Ruggie o and
Cupe ino 2018); u he mo e, Biddle (2013) claimed ha his heo y helped schola s o
se he bounda ies o membe s’ ac ions and in e ac ions in a common social sys em and
expec indi iduals’ in e pe sonal eac ions in a de ined g oup ia ole dis ibu ion and
in e dependence (Biddle 2013).
The Uni ied Theo y o Accep ance and Use o Technology a gues ha he u iliza ion
o echnology is con ingen upon beha io al in en ion (Venka esh e al. 2003). I has ou
main ac o s ha in luence he use o echnology (Venka esh e al. 2003,2012). The i s
ac o , social in luence, is he ex en ha he indi idual belie es ha key pe sons belie e
ha hey should u ilize a speci ic echnology. The second ac o , pe o mance expec a ion,
is he deg ee o which u ilizing a speci ic echnology will p o ide bene i s. The hi d ac o ,
e o expec a ion, is he deg ee o ease associa ed wi h using he echnology. The ou h
ac o , acili a ing condi ions, is he pe cep ion o he a ailabili y o esou ces and suppo
o u ilize he speci ic echnology (Williams e al. 2015).
2.2. In luence o E o and Pe o mance Expec a ion on Cha GPT U iliza ion
Pe o mance expec ancy is desc ibed as he ex en o which echnology use s belie e
ha u ilizing echnology will con ibu e o imp o emen s in hei pe o mance o a ce ain
ask and lead o posi i e ou comes wi h less e o (Venka esh e al. 2003). In he con ex
o u ilizing echnology, like Cha GPT, e o expec a ion would in ol e use s’ pe cep ions
o how easy o challenging i will be o in e ac wi h he gene a i e AI sys em and how
o p omp i o gene a e desi ed esul s. This AI ool has been used by educa o s, o
example, o c ea e asks and class oom ac i i ies using minimal e o s while deli e ing
sa is ac o y esul s (Aad and Ha dey 2024); his has posi i ely in luenced educa o s o
adop and egula ly engage wi h he echnology. The same is ue o s uden s who a e
now using Cha GPT o answe assignmen ques ions, c ea e essays, and plan and p epa e
p esen a ions (Aydın and Ka aa slan 2022) Cha GPT usage has expanded o all indus ies,
no only educa ion. Employees o di e en posi ions and anks a e now adop ing i o
inc ease hei p oduc i i y (Adeshola and Adepoju 2023).
The pe cei ed ease o use (PEOU) o a echnology, like Cha GPT, is a well-es ablished
ac o in luencing use adop ion (Venka esh e al. 2003). Use s a e mo e likely o emb ace
echnologies pe cei ed as e icien and use - iendly. In cul u ally speci ic con ex s, like he
Middle Eas , whe e eligious alues play a signi ican ole, echnology adop ion, including
Cha GPT use, may be u he in luenced by eligious belie s (Al Lily e al. 2023;Ba ou
e al. 2024). A g owing body o esea ch on AI and e hics ocuses on he no ma i e analysis
o AI echnologies o guide he de elopmen o e hical amewo ks ha maximize bene i s
and mi iga e isks (Taddeo and Flo idi 2018). Indi iduals’ assessmen s o a echnology’s
e hical implica ions can also in luence usage pa e ns. E hical egoism, o ins ance, sugges s
ha ac ions p omo ing indi idual in e es s a e mo ally accep able (Bo ens ein and Howa d
2021).
The e o e, we hypo hesize ha use s who pe cei e Cha GPT as bene icial will demon-
s a e con inued engagemen wi h he echnology.
H1. Pe o mance expec a ion will posi i ely in luence he u iliza ion o Cha GPT.
On he o he hand, indi iduals emb ace echnology and adop i when hey eel ha i
assis s hem in e e yday li es. Acco ding o a ecen s udy, use s accep he use o a ech-
nology when hey eel i is easy o use wi h less e o (Kelly 2016). E o expec a ion e e s
o he pe cei ed le el o he ease o di icul y associa ed wi h using a pa icula echnology
(A e¸s and Ga zón 2023). This is linked o how con iden and able he use is in e ec i ely
na iga ing and u ilizing he echnology whe he i is an AI, Cha GPT, o any o he ech-
nological ool (Akinoso 2023). Belie ing in ones capabili ies and compe ence shape hei
decisions in using echnology. Indi iduals who possess a high le el o sel -e icacy a e
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 6 o 15
mo e likely o pe cei e he use o new echnology as less demanding, he eby inc easing
hei willingness o adop i . On he con a y, hose wi h lowe sel -e icacy may pe cei e
he lea ning cu e o be challenging, leading o po en ial esis ance o echnology adop ion.
Bandu a’s sel -e icacy heo y (1977) p o ides a aluable amewo k o unde s anding
ha sel -e icacy may p o e o be ins umen al in lowe ing pe cei ed e o expec a ions
and os e ing a smoo he ansi ion owa ds he adop ion o no el echnological solu ions,
such as Cha GPT. Sel -e icacy is shaping young people nowadays who ely mo e on hei
skills and who a e mo e p one o di e in o en ep eneu ial in en ions using echnology
(Hoang e al. 2020). The e o e, we p opose he ollowing hypo hesis:
H2. E o expec a ion will posi i ely in luence he u iliza ion o Cha GPT.
2.3. Social In luence and he Use o Cha GPT
Cu en ly, mobile de ices ha e become i al o almos e e yone. Indi idual beha io
was clea ly ela ed o he inc eased use o mobile de ices and he o ma ion o digi al habi s
du ing he pandemic. We ha e s a ed o wi ness he majo impac o A i icial In elligence
(AI) on ou li es, and i will con inue o ha e a signi ican impac on ou socie y du ing
he nex ew decades (Aad e al. 2024;Olhede and Wol e 2018). Examining he impac
o Cha GPT on indi idual beha io in a collec i is ic socie y, such as he Middle Eas e n
coun ies, equi es an unde s anding o he ole o gende and cul u e in beha io s. Al-
Omoush e al. (2022) ound ha indi iduals wi h high collec i is alues ended o g ea ly
ely on in-g oup sou ces o in o ma ion when making decisions ega ding social ading
and a i udes. Fu he mo e, cul u al ine ia can explain some o he social a i udes owa d
gende oles in such socie ies (Cons an in and Voicu 2015). The Middle Eas e n cul u e has
long been conside ed one o he ac o s behind di e ences in indi idual beha io , leading
o di e en sys ems o alues and indi idual beha io be ween men and women. The main
eason ha an indi idual will display social beha io is o belong o a g oup in his own
socie y. Thus, we hypo hesize he ollowing ela ionship:
H3. Social in luence will posi i ely in luence he u iliza ion o Cha GPT.
On he o he hand, acili a ing condi ions is he pe cep ion o he a ailabili y o
esou ces and suppo o u ilize he speci ic echnology. I e e s o he use s’ belie ha
hey a e suppo ed by he su oundings when using a speci ic echnology (Da is e al.
1989). I is es ablishing he app op ia e condi ions, such as esou ces, aining, policies,
e c., ha pe mi a speci ic echnology, such as Cha GPT, o p e ail among use s (Paul e al.
2015). In academia, o example, we ha e seen a ise in he use o mobile de ices among
s uden s, as his can help hem access educa ional con en any ime and anywhe e, p o ided
hey ha e a connec ion; he e o e, he a ailabili y o such a echnology and i s bene i s
encou aged s uden s o use i (Camille i and Camille i 2023). Du ing COVID-19, eache s
and s uden s who ecei ed app op ia e aining and suppo om hei ins i u ions wi h
online lea ning had a mo e posi i e expe ience han hose who did no ha e acili a ing
condi ions. Facili a ing condi ions, as desc ibed by Camille i and Camille i (2023), pe ain o
an indi idual’s belie in he capaci y o exis ing o ganiza ional and echnical in as uc u e
o suppo echnology use. Neslin and Shanka (2009) emphasize ha acili a ing condi ions
a e linked o he a ailabili y o esou ces and suppo necessa y o indi iduals o e ec i ely
use echnology. Challenges, such as insu icien assis ance, delayed suppo , incomple e
in o ma ion, and limi ed esou ces, can hinde he accep ance and use o echnology
(Kamaghe e al. 2020). The global de elopmen o in e ne connec i i y and social media
ne wo king si es has apidly ans o med wo ldwide communica ion, pa icula ly h ough
he use o popula mobile de ices and pla o ms (Amba wa i e al. 2020). Thus, we
hypo hesize he ollowing ela ionship:
H4. Facili a ing condi ions will posi i ely in luence he u iliza ion o Cha GPT.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 7 o 15
2.4. Gende as a Mode a o
Al hough he Middle Eas e n coun ies a e wi nessing apid mode niza ion leading o
shi s in adi ional gende oles, we s ill see many gende dispa i ies in he Middle Eas e n
coun ies. Men a e o en posi ioned as he b eadwinne s and p o ec o s, esponsible o
upholding amily hono and secu ing esou ces. Women, meanwhile, ypically assume he
ole o nu u ing ca egi e s, ensu ing he s abili y and emo ional well-being o he amily
uni (Eph em e al. 2021). Hu chings and Wei (2006) a gue ha A ab Middle Eas e n
women’s oles a e de ined by hei amily se ing, cul u e, and adi ions. The A ab egion’s
socie al and cul u al s anda ds a e hough o be s ongly pa ia chal, wi h dis inc gende
dis inc ions (Daghe e al. 2015); he e o e, we expec ha he e will be di e ences in he
usage o Cha GPT aking in o conside a ion he socie y and he cul u e. Females will end
o use Cha GPT ools mo e han males in o de o achie e wha hey a e a emp ing o
achie e. Thus, we p opose ha gende mode a es he ela ionship among he ou ac o s
o UTAUT and he beha io o use Cha GPT (e.g., See Figu e 1). The e o e, we hypo hesize
he ollowing:
H5. The posi i e ela ionship among he ou ac o s o accep ance and usage o echnology and he
beha io o using Cha GPT (u iliza ion o Cha GPT) is mode a ed by gende .
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 o 16
media ne wo king si es has apidly ans o med wo ldwide communica ion, pa icula ly
h ough he use o popula mobile de ices and pla o ms (Amba wa i e al. 2020). Thus,
we hypo hesize he ollowing ela ionship:
H4. Facili a ing condi ions will posi i ely in luence he u iliza ion o Cha GPT.
2.4. Gende as a Mode a o
Al hough he Middle Eas e n coun ies a e wi nessing apid mode niza ion leading
o shi s in adi ional gende oles, we s ill see many gende dispa i ies in he Middle
Eas e n coun ies. Men a e o en posi ioned as he b eadwinne s and p o ec o s, espon-
sible o upholding amily hono and secu ing esou ces. Women, meanwhile, ypically
assume he ole o nu u ing ca egi e s, ensu ing he s abili y and emo ional well-being
o he amily uni (Eph em e al. 2021). Hu chings and Wei (2006) a gue ha A ab Middle
Eas e n women’s oles a e de ined by hei amily se ing, cul u e, and adi ions. The
A ab egion’s socie al and cul u al s anda ds a e hough o be s ongly pa ia chal, wi h
dis inc gende dis inc ions (Daghe e al. 2015); he e o e, we expec ha he e will be
di e ences in he usage o Cha GPT aking in o conside a ion he socie y and he cul u e.
Females will end o use Cha GPT ools mo e han males in o de o achie e wha hey a e
a emp ing o achie e. Thus, we p opose ha gende mode a es he ela ionship among
he ou ac o s o UTAUT and he beha io o use Cha GPT (e.g., See Figu e 1). The e o e,
we hypo hesize he ollowing:
H5. The posi i e ela ionship among he ou ac o s o accep ance and usage o echnology and he
beha io o using Cha GPT (u iliza ion o Cha GPT) is mode a ed by gende .
Figu e 1. The concep ual model o ou s udy.
3. Me hodology
This s udy employs an explo a o y su ey design o in es iga e he in e play among
cul u al upb inging, gende , and uni e si y s uden s’ u iliza ion o Cha GPT in he Mid-
dle Eas . The su ey app oach allows o he collec ion o da a om a la ge sample, ena-
bling he explo a ion o po en ial ela ionships be ween hese a iables.
3.1. Sample and Pa icipan s
The a ge popula ion o his s udy comp ises unde g adua e and g adua e s uden s
en olled in uni e si ies ac oss he Middle Eas . To ec ui pa icipan s, we u ilized a con-
enience sampling echnique, dis ibu ing he su ey h ough pla o ms, such as uni e -
si y social media g oups, academic o ums, and s uden Wha sApp g oups. This
Figu e 1. The concep ual model o ou s udy.
3. Me hodology
This s udy employs an explo a o y su ey design o in es iga e he in e play among
cul u al upb inging, gende , and uni e si y s uden s’ u iliza ion o Cha GPT in he Middle
Eas . The su ey app oach allows o he collec ion o da a om a la ge sample, enabling
he explo a ion o po en ial ela ionships be ween hese a iables.
3.1. Sample and Pa icipan s
The a ge popula ion o his s udy comp ises unde g adua e and g adua e s u-
den s en olled in uni e si ies ac oss he Middle Eas . To ec ui pa icipan s, we u ilized
a con enience sampling echnique, dis ibu ing he su ey h ough pla o ms, such as
uni e si y social media g oups, academic o ums, and s uden Wha sApp g oups. This
app oach, while e icien , may in oduce ce ain limi a ions, as discussed u he in he
limi a ions sec ion.
These pla o ms we e chosen o a ge speci ic s uden demog aphics, ensu ing b oad
pa icipa ion ac oss ins i u ions. The ec ui men message emphasized he esea ch pu pose
and included a di ec link o he su ey. Da a collec ion was conduc ed o e a h ee-
mon h pe iod o maximize each and esponse a es. Pa icipa ion was olun a y, and
e o s we e made o emind s uden s o comple e he su ey h ough ollow-up pos s and
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 8 o 15
messages. While con enience sampling was employed due o p ac ical cons ain s, he
chosen pla o ms p o ided access o a di e se s uden popula ion.
A o al o 400 su eys we e dis ibu ed, wi h 350 esponses ecei ed. A e da a
cleaning and il e ing o incomple e esponses, a inal sample o 202 usable esponses
was ob ained, yielding a esponse a e o 50.5%. The majo i y o pa icipan s we e single
(97%), aged be ween 18 and 24 yea s old (97%), and emale (62%). Addi ionally, 93% we e
unde g adua e s uden s, and 4% we e g adua e s uden s. The sample p ima ily comp ised
s uden s om Lebanon, Jo dan, Pales ine, and Sy ia.
3.2. Resea ch Ins umen
In his s udy, a 7-poin Like scale su ey ques ionnai e was employed, wi h he ange
being s ongly disag ee (1) o s ongly ag ee (7). To measu e he usage and accep ance o
echnology we adap ed he UTAUT cons uc de eloped by Venka esh e al. (2003) wi h ou
dimensions. The ou dimensions we e pe o mance expec ancy, e o expec ancy, social
in luence, and acili a ing condi ions. To measu e he pe o mance expec ancy dimension,
we used ou i ems. A sample i em is “I belie e ha Cha GPT is use ul in my s udies”.
To measu e he e o expec ancy dimension, we used ou i ems. A sample i em is “I
belie e ha Cha GPT is use ul in my s udies”. To measu e he social in luence dimension,
we used h ee i ems. A sample i em is “People who a e impo an o me hink I should
use Cha GPT”. To measu e he acili a ing condi ions dimension, we used ou i ems. A
sample i em is “I ha e he esou ces necessa y o use Cha GPT”. In Table 1, we p esen he
dimensions o he UTAUT cons uc and he i ems o each dimension. In addi ion o he
UTAUT cons uc , we also asked demog aphic ques ions, o example, gende , age, ma i al
s a us, educa ion, employmen s a us, and o he s. Finally, ques ions ela ed o cul u al
upb inging we e add essed, o example you coun y o esidency, coun y o bi h, and
he communi y.
Table 1. UTAUT Va iables and i ems.
Va iables I ems Sou ce
“I belie e ha Cha GPT is use ul in my s udies”
“Using Cha GPT inc eases you chances o achie ing impo an hings in
you s udies”
“Using Cha GPT helps you ge asks and p ojec s done as e in you
s udies”
Pe o mance Expec ancy
“Using Cha GPT inc eases you p oduc i i y in you s udies”
“Lea ning how o use Cha GPT is easy o me”
“My in e ac ion wi h Cha GPT is clea and unde s andable”
“I ind Cha GPT easy o use”
E o Expec ancy
“I is easy o me o become skill ul a using Cha GPT”
“People who a e impo an o me hink I should use Cha GPT”
“People who in luence my beha io belie e ha I should use Cha GPT”
Social In luence “People whose opinions I alue p e e me o use Cha GPT”
“I ha e he esou ces necessa y o use Cha GPT”
“I ha e he knowledge necessa y o use Cha GPT”
“Cha GPT is compa ible wi h echnologies I use”
Facili a ing condi ions
“I can ge help om o he s when I ha e di icul ies using Cha GPT”
Venka esh e al. (2003)
3.3. E hical Conside a ions
The s udy p o ocol, including he su ey ins umen , was e iewed and app o ed
by he Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d (IRB), IRB# LAU.SOB.SA4.10/Oc /2023, o ensu e com-
pliance wi h e hical esea ch guidelines. In o med consen will be ob ained om all
pa icipan s be o e hey begin he su ey. Anonymi y and con iden iali y o pa icipan
esponses will be main ained h oughou he esea ch p ocess.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 330 15 o 15
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Disclaime /Publishe ’s No e: The s a emen s, opinions and da a con ained in all publica ions a e solely hose o he indi idual
au ho (s) and con ibu o (s) and no o MDPI and/o he edi o (s). MDPI and/o he edi o (s) disclaim esponsibili y o any inju y o
people o p ope y esul ing om any ideas, me hods, ins uc ions o p oduc s e e ed o in he con en .
