Adoption Of Self-service Technologies Research Articles

Attitudinal and Situational Determinants of Self-Service Technology Use

The authors test an extended technology acceptance model by incorporating two situational and two attitudinal variables as new predictors of self-service technology adoption. The situational variables are waiting line and service complexity, whereas the attitudinal variables are technology trust and technology anxiety. The study employs an experimental approach with hypothetical hotel check-in situations. The authors apply structural equation modeling techniques to provide additional insights into the main effects. They find significant main effects of all situational and attitudinal variables but no interaction effects between the situational and attitudinal variables. The main effects on intention to use self-service technologies occurred primarily through the mediation of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The technology acceptance model needs extension to include nontechnology variables as predictors of new technology adoption.

Comparative Study of Self-service Technology Adoption based on Product Function

Comparative Study of Self-service Technology Adoption based on Product Function

Adopting self-service technology to do more with less

Purpose– Employees have traditionally played a major role in the customer ' s service experience. Yet self-service technology (SST) replaces the customer-service employee experience with a customer-technology experience. This paper seeks to use a service-dominant logic lens to gain fresh insight into the consumer experience of SST. In particular, it aims to consider the resources that are integrated when consumers use SSTs, their co-production role and what might constitute value.Design/methodology/approach– The paper presents findings from 24 semi-structured interviews that focus on the everyday experiences of consumers in using SST. Both genders and all socio-economic categories within all adult age groups from 18 to 65+ were included.Findings– There is a danger that organizations embrace SST as an economic and efficient mechanism to “co-create” value with consumers when they are merely shifting responsibility for service production. The paper identifies risks when customers become partial employees and concludes that customers should perceive the value they gain from using SST to be at least commensurate with their co-production role.Research limitations/implications– The qualitative study was confined to the consumer perspective. Future research within organizations and among employees who support consumers using SST would extend understanding, as would research within the business-to-business (B2B) context. Quantitative studies could measure the frequency and extent of the phenomena the authors report and assist with market segmentation strategies.Practical implications– The application of service-dominant logic highlights potential risks and managerial challenges as self-service, and consequent value co-creation, relies on the operant resources of customers, who lack the tacit knowledge of employees and are less easy to manage. There is also the need to manage a new employee role: “self-service education, support and recovery”.Originality/value– The paper draws attention to managerial challenges for organizations to ensure that SST adoption enhances and does not destroy value. Additionally, it highlights the importance of distinguishing between co-production and co-creation.

Turnaround user acceptance in the context of HR self-service technology adoption: an action research approach

Growing advancement in electronic human resource management (e-HRM) in general, and human resource (HR) self-service technology in particular, has afforded transformational opportunities in changing the design and delivery of HR services. Despite their importance, our understanding of how acceptance of these technologies can be improved remains limited. To address this shortfall, this study utilises the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to consider how HR can drive and influence the adoption of HR self-service technology in an organisation. Utilising an action research approach, this study documents and reflects on the experience of a UK building society in introducing a new version of HR self-service technology, and analyses how interventions can be used to reshape users' perceptions. Our findings show how HR can play a more proactive role in shaping and reshaping users' perceptions towards accepting such a technology by better understanding how systematic interventions can be developed, used and evaluated. Our contributions are not only limited to the theorisation of HR self-service technology based on TAM, but also lie in demonstrating how action research, although currently underused, can be a valid and valuable approach for HR research and practice.

English

  With the tremendous growth of self-service technologies (SSTs) in many industries, SSTs in the context of service provision are recognized as more effective and important technologies to minimize investment costs and maximizes service quality. By means of reviewing and integrating literature in several fields, the present paper attempted to provide an understanding of this relationship in terms of the links between SST characteristics (perceived risk, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness), consumer technology readiness, social pressures (coercive, normative, and mimetic), and SST adoption. Eight hypotheses from a conceptual model developed to predict and explain consumer intentions towards SST usage were tested through data collection from senior undergraduate and graduate students majoring business as respondents. Through structural equation modeling (SEM), findings indicated that SST characteristics, consumer technology readiness, social pressures were crucial determinants of SST adoption. Besides the empirical confirmation of the hypotheses given, finally, there were several practical implications for service marketers and future research directions for scholars.   Key words: Self-service technologies (SSTs), self-service technologies characteristics, technology readiness, social pressures, self-service technologies adoption.

An Integrative Model for Self-Service Technology Adoption

With the tremendous growth of self-service technologies (SSTs) in many industries, SSTs in service provision are recognized as more effective and important technologies to minimize investment costs and maximize service quality. By means of reviewing and integrating literature in several fields, the present paper attempts to provide an understanding of links between SST characteristics, consumer propensity towards SST usage, social pressures, and SST adoption. This paper also advances 14 tentative propositions for additional research and develops a conceptual model to predict and explain consumer attitudes and intentions towards SST usage. Besides the need for empirical confirmation of the propositions given, finally, there are several practical implications for service marketers and future research directions for scholars.

Rural Household Adoption of SSTs (Self-Service Technologies) - An Economic Development Perspective

Many rural developmental programs have not yielded expected success by union and state governments in the country. When government or private sector systematically makes a forge into rural sector by offering the people quality services and if rural people consume the same optimally after coming out of certain conservative norms, then business opportunities may emerge as technological change is one such force. As RRBs, and lead development banks are operating around rural areas they can focus on getting the SSTs installed where it facilitates rural population to use the technologically interfaced service for transactions beyond banking hours. The challenge is to make them (rural people) adopt the technology. After many researchers determining the occurrences of attitudes, behavioral intentions towards self service technology and role of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use in formation of attitude, researchers worldwide have concluded that online driven SSTs such as internet banking will be hard to adopt by customers. But the same is not true with ATMs. Service providers have reaped best of the results in urban areas by providing very personalized services with the help of ATMs. The same can be applied to the SSTs in the rural areas if certain factors are considered and well confronted. There should be repurchase of service through SST by these individuals to call it as a successful adoption. This conceptual paper takes a view of applying SST concept on rural areas as true India lives in rural sector. The Indian rural segment as the world knows retain a very reserved attitude towards all innovation outside their village premises. This paper also makes an attempt of constructing a rural technological change model that may trigger development in rural India.

The impact of forced use on customer adoption of self-service technologies

Drawing upon researches in marketing and psychology, the present investigation examines empirically the intermediate psychological process that would explain how and why forced use affects satisfaction and behavioral intentions with self-service technologies. A non-internet self-service technology setting serviced as the study context. This study tested the research model and relevant hypotheses with survey responses collected from 290 users of self-service technology in China. Results indicate that technology anxiety and technology trust are the two intermediate psychological constructs through which forced use affects satisfaction and behavioral intentions with self-service technologies. This paper sheds some additional light on the relationship among forced use, technology anxiety, technology trust, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in self-service technology setting.

The Effects of Perceived Fairness on Customer Responses to Retailer SST Push Policies

Many retailers are implementing policies that encourage customer adoption of self-service technology (SST) offerings, such as self-checkout lanes, in order to enhance profitability. Instead of explicitly forcing customers to use SST, retailers create situations in which patrons are subtly pushed toward SST adoption. The authors examine the effects of fairness perceptions of these SST “push” policies on relationships between established antecedents of SST adoption and customer behavioral intentions toward the provider in a retail context. The results suggest fairness perceptions exert a significant influence on the relationships between these antecedents and customer patronage, future spending, and negative word of mouth intentions. Consistent findings across both users and nonusers of SST underscore the importance of fairness perceptions in the context of retailer SST push policies.

Tourists' adoption of self-service technologies at resort hotels

This study proposes and tests a model of travelers' self-service technology adoption to explain why travelers choose self-service technologies over service staff. Desire for interaction with service staff serves as a countervailing construct against technology-related perceptions and a subsequent technology adoption decision. Based on a resort hotel industry and data from a national sample, the proposed model provides cogent explanations for the two service transaction options' counteracting nature (self-service technologies vs. the service staff) toward the traveler's technology adoption in business transaction situations. The study shows the differently conceptualized role of the customer's desire for interaction. The proposed model allows service providers to examine the customer's willingness to adopt or avoid using self-service technologies and to determine a proper combination of technology and staff deployment.

Online crisis communication response: A case study of fraudulent banking transactions in South Africa

The emergence and advancement of information technology – specifically the replacement of face-toface services with innovative self-service technology, such as banking transactions on the Internet – is forcing companies to adopt a proactive approach to online crisis communication response, and to combine the management and control of online messages during a crisis. In the financial services industry, deregulation and the rapid growth in technology have removed entry barriers in the online environment, forcing financial institutions to transform from the traditional brick-and-mortar to click-and-mortar service delivery, while at the same time allaying customers’ fears (and the perceived risk) of fraudulent online transactions. Although studies have been conducted on the adoption, use, perceived risk and purchase intention of self-service technology, limited research has examined the knowledge management of an online crisis communication response. Knowledge management, which focuses on the acquisition, transfer and assimilation of information, is one way in which to manage messages effectively before, during and after an online crisis communication response situation. The main aim of this article is to identify and characterise typologies of the management and control of messages in an online crisis communication response, through an interpretative and critical analysis of fraudulent websites, based on the main premises of the knowledge management approach. This is done through a case study approach: the website of one of the top ten banks in South Africa was studied in terms of it dealt with fraudulent banking transactions, specifically from the knowledge management paradigm.

Assessing the effects of consumer involvement and service quality in a self-service setting

The aim of this study is to assess how consumer involvement and service quality within the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) influence consumers' adoption of self-service technologies (SSTs). A model is proposed to test the antecedent factors of SSTs in a retail environment. A total of 441 valid questionnaires were received, and the data were examined by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings show that consumer involvement has a significant positive effect on attitude toward SSTs. In addition, service quality plays an important role by significantly moderating the influence of intention to use SSTs on consumer behavior. The key objective of this study is to analyze the role that consumer involvement and service quality play in influencing the adoption of SSTs. Future research could classify the different levels of involvement and types of SSTs to confirm and extend our framework. Despite the increasing popularity of SSTs, few studies have to date examined the topic of technology acceptance in combination with user involvement. This study extends the original TAM and explains the conditions required for successful user involvement and service quality in consumers' adoption of SSTs. This study makes an original contribution by proposing a strategic model for a successful implementation of SSTs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Self-Service Technologies (SSTs): determinants of adoption and its post-usage outcomes from a focal company perspective

With the exponential rise of the technological advances, service firms adopt Self-Service Technologies (SSTs) as their innovative weapons to create value. Much research has focused on customers’ perspectives of adopting SSTs, i.e., determinants of SST adoption, attitudes and intentions toward use. Yet, studies on organisational adoption of SST, its post-adoption usage, and its organisational impact have been little explored. This paper conceptually explores the determinants of SST adoption and its post-usage impact from a focal company perspective considering the nomological network of SST adoption. Implications as well as future research opportunities are provided.

Measuring Corporate Affinity for Technology: A Scale for Customers and Employees

The adoption of self-service technology by customers has revolutionized the selling process. From pouring their own fountain drinks in fast-food restaurants to booking airline tickets online, customers are more involved in tailoring their own purchasing and consuming experiences. A selling firm’s use of self-service technology can strengthen customer relationships and lead to greater profits. Therefore, sales and marketing managers need to monitor how their customers perceive their firm’s use of technology as part of the selling effort. The increased importance of technology within sales has opened an area of important research. However, if researchers are going to examine this phenomenon effectively, they need tools designed specifically for its study. This paper reports the development and validation process of a research scale to measure customer and employee perceptions of a firm’s affinity for technology.

Key influencers and inhibitors on adoption of the Internet for banking

The focus on new technologies in service situations is growing and is of particular importance in financial services contexts. It is argued that there is mutuality of benefit for both bank and customer through the adoption of self-service technologies (SSTs), of which e-banking is but one example. While the economic imperative for banks’ adoption of e-banking solutions is clear, the value proposition for the customer can be less evident. It is proposed that the value proposition on offer through e-banking could be better conveyed to customers were banks to have a greater understanding of the appropriateness of the on-line medium for products as they varied according to complexity level. This paper reports on a study which examined customer-stated propensity to purchase financial products on-line at varying levels of complexity. Findings underline the importance for banks to achieve a customer-oriented balance between face-to-face relationship-managed activity and online enablement and to understand now this balance varies according to customer and complexity of product. Strategic marketing implications for the case bank are discussed.

Determinants of the continued use of self-service technology: The case of Internet banking

This study focuses on buyers’ continued use of self-service technology (SST). This area is often neglected because most studies focus on buyers’ adoption or acceptance of SST. In comparison to new buyer acquisition, continued use is a cost-effective market strategy aimed at retaining buyers. Based on a sample of 1831 Estonian Internet banking customers, we find that continued use of SST is positively affected by buyers’ perceived usefulness. We also find that continued use of SST is negatively affected by multichannel satisfaction. As our results show, two important issues are facing developers of SSTs and sellers using SSTs: First, continued use of SST is achieved when the buyer finds the SST useful. Second, SSTs need to be considered in the context of all channels in the buyer–seller interface because the buyer does not separate the service offering of an SST from other channels. The benefits associated with using SSTs will increase if these strategic issues are taken into account.

The role of technology readiness in customers' perception and adoption of self‐service technologies

PurposeThis study aims to examine how technology readiness (TR) influences customers' perception and adoption of self‐service technologies (SSTs) through development of an empirical model to explore the relationships among TR, perceived service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework is proposed to suggest the links between the four constructs. Extant research and concepts from various fields, including marketing, psychology and information system (IS), are reviewed, deriving six hypotheses. Data from SST users is examined through structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsResults indicate TR influences perceived SST service quality and behavioral intentions, while perceived SST service quality has a positive impact on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs.Research limitations/implicationsThis study represents an early attempt at explaining the role of TR in customer SST usage. Future research directions are discussed, with an emphasis on incorporating attitudinal, behavioral, situational and psychographic factors to improve our understanding of SST usage.Practical implicationsTR should be given increased attention by firms implementing SSTs to improve customer perception and adoption of SSTs. Firms also need to examine all SST service quality dimensions in order to improve customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs. An aggressive approach toward strengthening TR drivers and reducing TR inhibitors will show benefits for both firms and customers.Originality/valueThis paper represents the first study to propose and empirically examine the relationships among TR, perceived SST service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTs.

The Role of Relational and Operational Performance in Business-to-Business Customers’ Adoption of Self-Service Technology

The authors explore whether and why business-to-business customers using service relationship designs—service delivery systems that promote repeated personal interactions between a customer and a specific service provider—will adopt self-service technology (SST). Their results show that these customers associate operational performance gains and relational performance losses with a prospective SST. Whereas perceived operational performance gains increase customers’ intention to adopt SST, perceived relational performance losses decrease it. However, these main effects are moderated by customers’ purchase frequency and their enacted service design, which refers to the way that customers actually experience firms’ intended service designs. Specifically, the positive effect of perceived operational performance gains on customers’ intention to adopt SST was weaker for customers with higher purchase frequency. Similarly, the negative effect of perceived relational performance losses on customers’ intention to adopt SST was strongest for customers who had enacted strong service relationships.

Technology readiness and the evaluation and adoption of self-service technologies

As companies struggle to persuade their customers to adopt new self-service technologies (SSTs), it has become increasingly important to understand the factors affecting customers’ attitudes towards these SSTs and their adoption behaviour. Technology readiness (TR), i.e. the customer's mental readiness to accept new technologies, has been proposed as such a factor. TR comprises four dimensions: innovativeness, optimism, discomfort and insecurity. This article investigates the effects of TR on customers’ (1) attitudes towards using SST for airline check-in, (2) adoption of self-service check-in, and (3) evaluations of a new self-service check-in on the Internet, in terms of perceived service quality, satisfaction and loyalty. An empirical study was conducted among loyalty program customers of a European airline, having access to Internet check-in. Data were collected with online and traditional mail surveys, resulting in 1258 usable responses. Analysis of the data revealed that only optimism and innovativeness formed unique individual dimensions. Furthermore, TR had surprisingly little impact on customer attitudes towards SST, on adoption behaviour, and on SST evaluations. Optimism explained consumer behaviour towards SSTs best, whereas innovativeness had only a marginal effect on attitudes towards using the Internet or a mobile phone to check-in. The article concludes with a discussion of the validity of the TR construct and suggestions for future research. Managerial implications are provided.

Complementing Self-Serve Technology with Service Relationships: The Customer Perspective

The adoption of self-service technology (SST) by customers is arguably the hallmark of a successful dot-com venture.* The more customers go online to fulfill their service needs themselves, the more scalable and cost-effective the business model. However, in the business-to-business environment, embedded relationships between customers and providers (e.g., sales representatives) have traditionally been key in generating repeat business and financial success (Anderson et al., 1994). This raises questions about the impact of using SSTs to complement service relationships, a strategy that an increasing number of firms is employing.