UTAUT Model for Smart City Concept Implementation: Use of Web Applications by Residents for Everyday Operations

Yelena Popova,Diana Zagulova

doi:10.3390/informatics9010027

Yelena Popova, Diana Zagulova

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics9010027

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Abstract

The article considers the attitude of smart city residents towards the use of web applications in everyday life. It is very important for many stakeholders since it affects the involvement of people in all processes of urban life and contributes to the implementation of the smart city concept. The goal of the research is to study the factors influencing the intention and use of web applications in a smart city. Based on the results of surveying the residents of Riga, the UTA UT model was applied with the employment of partial least squares structural equation modeling in Smart PLS. The traditional constructs of the UTAUT model—Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), Facilitating Conditions (FC), as well as Attitude towards the use of Applications (ATA)—had a direct or indirect positive relationship with the intention to use technologies (Behavioral Intention: BI) and/or with usage of these technologies (Use Behavior: UB). Anxiety indirectly via ATA showed a negative effect on UB. The influence of Age, Gender and Education on BI and UB as moderators was also investigated. Only Age as a moderator negatively affected the relationship between FC and PE and SI. The results showed that in order to involve in full scope of the population of Riga in the use of communication technologies and the implementation of the smart city concept, it is necessary to create the appropriate conditions for residents, in particular by teaching people on a permanent basis. Some of the obtained results were different from similar studies’ results, which emphasizes that city authorities and other stakeholders should make decisions on the involvement of citizens in smart process based on the local peculiarities, which supports the slogan of smart cities—think globally, act locally.

Highlights

The concept of the smart city is one of the most widespread research topics in the contemporary scientific literature
Many researchers have stated the relationship of this construct with Behavioral Intention, and we propose the following hypotheses: H1(g,h). (g) The intention of residents to use and (h) the use of digital applications in everyday life is positively affected by Facilitating Conditions
A common goal of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-structural equation modeling (SEM)) analysis is to identify the key factors for target constructs; in the UTAUT model they are Behavioral Intention and Use Behavior

Summary

Introduction

The concept of the smart city is one of the most widespread research topics in the contemporary scientific literature This popularity is due to several facts: the great rate of urbanization [1], social and ecological problems within the urban environment [2], the disruptive growth of technological development and state-of-the-art technologies in human everyday routine life [3], and new economic realia and relations [4,5]. Some city residents do not accept information technologies or have certain problems with their use due to various reasons, for example, personal characteristics, lack of knowledge or technical resources, and so on [11,12] These people may have problems with integration into the activities of a smart city, which, in turn, may become a barrier to smart city functioning, since the usage of information technologies is a requirement that smart cities put forward [3]. It is important to study the behavior of people, their motivation, incentives [5,19] and the factors that influence the intention to use and the usage of the communication technologies for solving everyday tasks

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