Acceptance Level of Drone Delivery among Malaysian Consumers

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is the formal term for a drone that can operate without the pilot, or at ground level, the pilot can use the control operating systems. Today, some companies in Malaysia have begun to test drone parcel delivery, but the acceptance level of Malaysian consumers for this new service is still vague. Thus, the objectives of this study are to (i) measure the level of Malaysian consumer acceptance of drone delivery and (ii) investigate the relationships between perceived attribution of innovation, perceived risks, and individual characteristics and Malaysian consumer acceptance of drone delivery. A total of 158 Malaysian consumers who have knowledge of drones participated in this study through the convenience sampling technique. The data was collected using quantitative methods via an online questionnaire survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Diffusion of Innovation (DOI). The results showed a high level of Malaysian consumer acceptance of drone delivery, with a mean value ranging from 3.91 to 4.11. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that compatibility (0.702), personal innovativeness (0.688), relative advantages of speed (0.659), complexity (0.627), relative advantages of environmental friendliness (0.612), mass media channel (0.527), and environmental concern (0.346) have positive significant affect toward drone delivery acceptance. However, delivery risks (0.038), privacy risks (0.043) and performance risks (0.019) were found to be insignificant towards the drone delivery acceptance. Ultimately, the study has management implications for companies readying to provide drone deliveries which can use this information to determine consumers' acceptance levels and improve drone delivery systems.