Putting consumers' IT adoption in context : failed link between attitudes and behavior

Abstract

New information technologies, such as electronic invoicing, have a potential to contribute to cost savings for organizations, if fully adopted by consumers. Due to resistance to new technological services, adoption rates remain smaller than expected. Understanding the underlying reasons for resistance is essential for being able to improve adoption rates. Within this dissertation I look into the underlying reasons and symptoms of consumer resistance to new technological services. Thus, I offer insights into the consumer adoption context that is characterized by it being voluntary, I look into contextual factors that are out of the scope of attitudes alone, and finally, look into the actual adoption or resistance process – instead of only intentions. The dissertation consists of four individual essays. The first two essays concentrate on adoption in two different contexts (mobile ticket and electronic invoice). More specifically the emphasis is on the failed adoption intention despite positive attitudes. The third essay looks into the symptoms of resistance, more specifically on the little investigated phenomenon of partial adoption. The fourth and final essay elaborates on the underlying reasons behind consumer resistance. The findings highlight the importance of factors related to the adoption context, rather than only those related to technology. It is found that even if the attitude towards the technology itself is positive, the adoption intention is often incompatible with actual adoption behavior. The behavior, rather than being a result of intentions or habit, adapts to the environment. While the companies provide information detailing the benefits and use of the service, consumers mostly wait passively for detailed plans of action rather than actively search for information about technologies that might help them in chores, such as paying the bills. This suggests that the issuer bears the responsibility for actual adoption. The findings also suggest that after the initial adoption of a technology, the positive experience is not automatically generalized to other potential use situations. Adoption may remain partial, both old and new technologies being used for similar tasks, as a symptom of consumer resistance. The situation is analogous to that of initial adoption. When investigating the underlying reasons behind consumer resistance, I found two paths: internal and external. The internal pattern refers to the internal drive for consistency that overcomes the perceived appeal of the new technology. The external pattern refers to contextual factors being emphasized within the adoption situation. Practitioners could take this into account when designing the offering for consumers by creating clearer steps for adoption that could increase the convenience of the adoption situation and adoption. Future research could build on these findings by shifting the emphasis more towards the adoption context, the adaptive nature of behavior and the importance of specific implementation plans for actual adoption to occur