According to the chapter, what is the role of perceived trust (PT) in the proposed extended UTAUT framework for AI-enabled recruitment?

Perceived trust (PT) is an added construct that extends the original UTAUT framework in the study. It captures the perceived dependability, equity, openness, and moral application of AI-enabled recruitment systems, integrating cognitive reliability with technological efficiency. The model positions trust as a critical factor determining user desirability rather than a peripheral variable. Empirically, PT strongly predicts user desirability (beta = 0.380, p = 0.002) and strongly influences performance evaluation (beta = 0.512, p < 0.001), but it does not significantly affect effort expectancy.

In the proposed extended UTAUT model, perceived trust is introduced as one of two additional constructs alongside technology intricacy. The chapter defines PT as capturing the perceived dependability, equity, openness, and moral application of AI-based recruitment systems. In the holistic perspective of the model, this construct integrates cognitive reliability with technological efficiency. The framework deliberately redefines trust as a critical factor in determining user desirability towards technology adoption, instead of treating it as an outlying appendage. The path analysis results support this role: PT has a strong positive effect on user desirability (H6: beta = 0.380, p = 0.002), making it a key driver of acceptance. PT also has a strong and significant effect on performance evaluation (H7: beta = 0.512, p < 0.001), indicating that higher trust leads users to evaluate the system's performance more positively. In contrast, PT does not significantly influence effort expectations (H8: beta = 0.143, p = 0.343). The chapter concludes by positioning trust as a high-order psychological determinant that is responsible for both user desirability and performance outcomes, and it highlights PT as one of the most influential factors in the model.