User Cognition Antecedents of Smart Assistant Systems in Cars

Abstract

By customizing smart assistance systems to customer needs, car manufacturers can improve their systems and create additional benefits for users. However, it is still unclear which characteristics car drivers perceive as favorable and useful. To examine this, we employ a mixed-method approach. In our first study, we conduct a survey (N <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$=$ </tex-math></inline-formula> 301) to investigate general user perception antecedents of smart assistant systems in cars. We analyze the indirect effects of different system quality characteristics mediated by user perception on their usage intention. In our second study (N <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$=$ </tex-math></inline-formula> 270), we use a discrete choice experiment to measure the effects of concrete system attributes on user acceptance of IT-based parking systems representing a concrete instantiation of a smart assistance system. Consistent with our first study, we observe that the system quality factors user interface intuitiveness, full language flexibility, and system error occurrence significantly influence the consumers’ intention to use the technology. Accordingly, car manufacturers should put a particular focus on these factors when developing and implementing their smart assistance systems in cars. For IT-based parking systems, in particular, consumers are very price-sensitive. However, by implementing additional technical features, manufacturers can significantly increase the systems’ price value and thus the purchase probability.