Self service technologies : factors influencing adoption by the Maltese consumer

Abstract

Self Service Technologies (SSTs) are technologies that enable customers to produce a service without interacting with company employees (Meuter et al. 2000). The use of Self Service Technologies is becoming an increasingly important factor during service delivery. Widespread use of Self Service Technologies is becoming more common by companies in the local market, yet little is known about what factors influence the Maltese consumer in adopting these technologies. This quantitative study analysed what factors influence the Maltese consumer in adopting SSTs. Factors such as intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, individual differences, innovation characteristics, technology readiness, SST recovery and competitive advantage were all examined in order to understand if these factors contribute to adoption of these technologies. One hundred and sixty respondents participated in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was made up of five introductory questions which examined respondents’ gender, age, occupation and usage of SSTs, and forty seven 5 point Likert scale statements to test the previously mentioned factors. The results imply that all factors tested were important for SSTs adoption, but some factors were more important than others. Intrinsic motivational factors are important motives for the adoption of SSTs by the Maltese consumer. The importance of implementing strategies for SSTs failure have also been determined. Respondents also considered SSTs as a way of building competitive advantage. Personal interaction still plays a key important role during service delivery, this implies that companies have to offer a mix of both SSTs and employee interaction. Innovation characteristics such as perceived risk and adoption of SSTs, meant that respondents seeked information and trial functionality about new technologies before committing in using them. The results of this study imply that managers have to analyse factors which contribute to the adoption of SSTs before introducing these technologies to the Maltese customers.