Consumer Acceptance of Technology Contact

Abstract

Existing IS research on consumer acceptance of technology has mainly focused on web-based applications and online stores. However, the appearance of new technologies, such as RFID, mobile computing and sensor networks ,has driven retail companies to the development of several in-store technological applications in order to support consumer services. Marketing researchers have studied consumer acceptance of technology-based services, but they treat these services as a single homogeneous group by ignoring their design characteristics. However, recent study has shown that technology-based services can differ in the level of customer-technology interaction they require, and this service characteristic can affect consumer acceptance.

Based on the conceptualization of technological application that support consumer services as service systems, and exploiting theories from service marketing, operations management and information systems, this paper describes the concept of technology contact, as a specific service characteristic, that is referred to the level of customer-technology interaction the service requires. Moreover, it defines technology contact of a service as a construct with three dimensions: time of interaction with technology, medium sophistication and task complexity.

Then, we develop a conceptual model for consumer acceptance of technology-based services that includes the notion of service technology contact. It is hypothesized that technology contact, as a unique service characteristic, affects performance expectancy, ease of use and behavioral intentions, but these relationships are moderated by individual’s anxiety with technology and the type of shopping trip. The scenario of technology-based dynamic product information service in supermarket stores is used in order to empirically test our model. The technology contact of the service is manipulated at three levels using service scenarios with different supporting technologies (electronic shelf labels, electronic kiosk and PDA) that are presented to 575 grocery store shoppers.

Results confirm the hypotheses and the paper concludes that the level of technology contact is an important service characteristic that should be taken into account when designing and evaluating technology-based services.

Keywords: Technology-based Services, Pervasive/Ubiquitous IS, Technology Contact, Retailing, Consumer Behavior