Tea farmers? intention to participate in Livestream sales in Vietnam: The combination of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and barrier factors

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Livestream sales are becoming an emerging trend in developing countries. However, there is very little research on tea farmers??? intention to participate in Livestream sales. This paper combines the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and barrier factors to examine the tea farmers??? intention to participate in Livestream sales in four Northern midlands and mountainous provinces of Vietnam. Our interview data are from 398 tea farm households whose heads have been in business for at least three years and are between the ages of 26 and 53. Using general structural equation modeling (GSEM), we found that farmers??? perceived ease of use and usefulness of Livestream sales motivate their intention to participate in this selling channel. However, regarding barrier factors, the lack of knowledge and experience, information, and professionals??? support, and normative barriers reduce tea farmers??? perception of ease of use and usefulness of Livestream sales. Based on the research findings, we propose several solutions to encourage tea farmers to participate in Livestream sales. We emphasize that solutions must be associated with the cultural and traditional standards of the local people, especially for ethnic minority farmers.