Exploring international students’ adoption of AI-enabled voice assistants in enrolment decision making: a grounded theory approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT The proliferation and increasing significance of AI-enabled voice assistants (AIVAs) for consumer purchase decisions imply the need for a better understanding of their acceptance in the higher education (HE) enrollment context. Using the Grounded Theory (GT) research method and a consumer value perspective, we examine the enrolment decision-making of international students in the presence of AIVAs to propose a conceptual model linking value to adoption. Findings highlight the influence of the key antecedents of hedonic and functional value in AIVA adoption. The findings also indicate that the student and the AIVA can co-create novel experiences during information search and evaluation of enrollment alternatives. Some participants proactively suggest a larger role for the AIVA to aid their enrollment decision-making. Points of attention for university marketing managers are suggested based on the proposed core concept and the resulting tentative hypotheses.