How a Smart Technology Imposed by an Organization Can Arouse Ambivalent Psychological Empowerment: An Approach Leveraging the Theory of Social Representations

Abstract

The present research applies the conceptual background of psychological empowerment to explore customer cognitions regarding smart technologies, particularly when deployment is imposed by an organization, as well as their impact on the use of the device. We conducted an analysis of the structure of social representations regarding smart meters in France, demonstrating the existence of three patterns of ambivalent psychological empowerment when referring to the dimensions of the construct: forced autonomy (self-determination dimension), symbolic ambivalence of modernity (meaning), and ambivalence of artificial intelligence (impact dimension). Furthermore, the specific ambivalent pattern of the impact dimension of psychological empowerment, relating to artificial intelligence and privacy, seems to negatively influence smart meter use. These results provide important implications for scholars and managers of organizations alike.