Acceptance and adoption of the Internet of Things : user perspective

Abstract

The Internet of Things promises a new technological paradigm that aims to connect anything and anyone at any time and any place, giving rise to a wide range of new services and applications. Such a grand vision will extend the scope of existing interactions between users and consumer electronics and bring about significant impacts on individuals and businesses. Enhancing user acceptance and adoption is one of the critical means of enlarging the business value of the Internet of Things. The objective of this doctoral work is to study the acceptance, adoption and use of pervasive technologies, as well as how predispositions based on an existing platform affect user attitudes toward its subsequent platform. This thesis consists of three empirical studies, each of which theoretically constructed and empirically tested a framework depicting users’ perceptions regarding technological paradigms, namely the Internet and the Internet of Things. Following the line of the Technology Acceptance Model, the first study started by exploring the antecedents and outcomes of Internet use from the psychological perspective. The second study conceptualised and tested the spillover effects of outcomes of Internet use into the user intention of the Internet of Things adoption. The third study incorporated and examined the perceived characteristics of innovation derived from Innovation Diffusion Theory, focusing on the user adoption of the Internet of Things. With data collected from 615 Internet users in the United States, structural equation modelling was used for data analysis. Three research models have been successfully put forward. Statistical results suggested that, first of all, psychological factors significantly affect user acceptance and the adoption of technological platforms, which in turn lead to many emotional outcomes. The relationships between user beliefs and psychological factors vary depending on personal attributes. Secondly, the outcomes of using the Internet spill over into the users’ acceptance of the Internet of Things, indicating that relevant technologies should not be considered separately. Lastly, in addition to the psychological factors, the characteristics of innovation influence the adoption intention of the Internet of Things. iv This thesis provided insights into the latest state of play in relation to acceptance and adoption of the Internet of Things from the user perspective. This research made three contributions to the existing body of knowledge about information systems and technology management studies. Firstly, it investigated the user interaction with technology in four phases, i.e. the motivations of use, technology acceptance, technology adoption, and outcomes of use. Then, this research elaborated the effects of psychological and emotional factors on user beliefs about technological platforms. Lastly, this thesis examined the spillover effect from the Internet to the Internet of Things, suggesting that the influence of relevant technologies should be taken into consideration in technology acceptance studies. IoT platform and technologies could enhance the “smartness” of future services, leveraging data collected by the context-aware objects, offering possibilities for service and product innovations for businesses. Also, given that the technologies arouse and are also affected by users’ emotions, businesses and policymakers should be concerned not only with technology affordance but also the psychological impact on users in order to maximise the benefits brought about by the Internet and Internet of Things. More specifically, through the diffusion of information technologies and the Internet in past decades, the users are seeking not only instrumental value but also the emotional value of new technology products and services. As such, the practitioners should take note of the target customers' attributes, preferences, and emotional responses toward relevant technologies in new product development and marketing strategies.