The impact of voice assistants’ intelligent attributes on consumer well-being: Findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA

Abstract

The enhancement of consumer well-being is critical for technology companies in building customer loyalty. Voice assistants (VAs), as the intelligent products launched by technology companies, are increasingly used by consumers in their daily lives. While many technology companies are striving to increase the intelligent attributes of VAs to improve product functionality, little is known about how such attributes affect consumer well-being. Drawing on the means-end chain theory, this study aims to explore the effect of VAs’ intelligent attributes (i.e., autonomy, interactivity) on consumer perceived consequences (i.e., psychological ownership, perceived intrusiveness) and subjective well-being, involving the moderating effect of technology readiness and brand credibility. The resulting relationships were tested by analyzing survey data collected from 412 valid samples in China through partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). PLS-SEM indicates that intelligent attributes have significant impacts on perceived consequences, thus affecting subjective well-being. Findings also reveal the moderating roles of technology readiness in the link between intelligent attributes and perceived consequences. Finally, brand credibility moderates the effect of perceived intrusiveness on subjective well-being. The fsQCA results reinforce the PLS-SEM findings and indicate five configurations leading to high subjective well-being. These findings can help technology companies develop novel strategies for improving consumer well-being.