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

Purpose - This 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/approach - A 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). Findings - Results 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/implications - This 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 implications - TR 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/value - This paper represents the first study to propose and empirically examine the relationships among TR, perceived SST service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward SSTS.