Consumer Acceptance of Electronic Reading Devices

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This study investigates the acceptance of electronic reading devices among newspaper subscribers. The theoretical framework is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which was modified to suit the context. The empirical data was collected from 1084 newspaper subscribers. First, principal component analysis was used to examine the consumers’ attitudes towards electronic reading devices. Based on the analysis, five distinct factors in relation to consumers’ willingness to adopt electronic reading devices were found: ‘Eco-consciousness’, ‘Social prestige’, ‘Ease of use’, ‘Enjoyment value’ and ‘Extra features’. Second, based on the results of the factor analysis, consumers were grouped into four groups using cluster analysis. These groups were: Enjoyment seeking consumers, Eco-consciousness consumers, Serious and practical consumers, and Social consumers. Finally, the authors examined how these consumer groups differ in their intention to use electronic reading devices, and found several interesting differences.