Thesis

An investigation of consumer engagement with Internet of Things in the context of smart meter in-home displays

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2022
Thesis identifier
  • T16421
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201652573
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Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Consumer interaction with smart Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies has recently been getting a lot of scholarly attention in marketing. Yet, existing research has primarily focused on the factors influencing their acceptance/adoption whereas research on consumer engagement (CE) with IoT products at the post-adoption stage remains embryonic. Drawing from Technology Acceptance Model and Social Presence Theory, and via a two-phase empirical study consisting of exploratory interviews and a large-scale survey, this thesis investigates CE with IoT technologies at the post-adoption stage. Specifically, this research: i) reviews and critiques existing literature on the conceptualisation, dimensionality, measurement, and drivers of CE with IoT technologies, ii) explores CE with IoT technologies in the context of energy consumption, as well as individuals’ perceptions of the main consumer-related (both general and context-dependent) and technology-related drivers of their engagement, and of their relative significance, and iii) investigates how these drivers directly and indirectly influence distinct dimensions of CE with IoT technologies in the context of energy consumption. Findings from the qualitative phase reveal that consumers are mainly driven by three types of general and context-specific motivations (susceptibility to normative influence, attitude to money, and green environmentalism) when engaging with their smart energy in-home devices, while their perceptions of the technology’s ease-of-use (i.e., perceived ease of use) and usefulness (i.e., perceived usefulness) appear important in the engagement with smart energy in-home devices. The results of the quantitative study confirm that the three motivations indirectly influence engagement with smart meter in-home displays (IHD), as perceived usefulness of technology mediates this relationship, while perceived ease-of-use of technology is a direct antecedent of consumer-IHD engagement. The study contributes to CE literature via unveiling the role of different consumer-related and technology-related antecedents on engagement with IoT technologies while also highlighting the specific relationship between these antecedents and the specific dimensions of IoT engagement. Additionally, it also offers practical recommendations in relation to the factors which need to be manipulated in order to enhance consumer-IoT engagement, which becomes particularly important in contexts such as energy consumption, as it can ultimately lead to behaviour change.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Wagner, Beverly A.
Resource Type
DOI

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