Retail Innovation – The User Acceptance of Mobile Service Technologies and the Effect on Retailer
by Katrin Kallweit
Date of Examination:2018-03-09
Date of issue:2019-05-27
Advisor:Prof. Dr. Waldemar Toporowski
Referee:Prof. Dr. Waldemar Toporowski
Referee:Prof. Dr. Yasemin Boztug
Referee:Prof. Dr. Lutz M. Kolbe
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Abstract
English
The usage of smartphones is on the brink of revolutionizing the way people shop and emphasizes the strategic importance of mobile services for retailers. This holds especial importance for the customer interface design (e.g. in-store), as this is one of the most important responsibilities of a retailer within the value chain. Therfore, the presented research in this dissertation focuses on the acceptance of mobile services as a retailer initiative, which support the customer information search and product evaluation in-store. A scenario-based experimental approach is used for the purpose of testing the conceptual frameworks. Study 1 draws attention to the main driver of acceptance of a mobile service. In particular, study 1 assesses the driver of continuous usage: including the hedonistic (e.g. perceived enjoyment) as well as the utilitarian (e.g. perceived usefulness) aspects of the technology. Moreover, the study links the technology acceptance and the behavioral intention and shows the effect of interactive elements on retail patronage intentions. Since the first study could prove that the proposed model is suitable to analyze the acceptance of mobile services as defined in this thesis, study 2 deepens the understanding of the utilitarian aspect of the technology as an important driver of usage. The results emphasize the value of information for the customer and the influence on the acceptance of mobile services. Besides, the paper sheds light on the role of service quality within the technology acceptance model. With these findings in mind, Study 3 identifies different segments based on the customer acceptance of mobile services. Based on the description of distinctive user clusters, the study also deduces important management implications for the implementation of mobile service technologies.
Keywords: User Acceptance; Mobile Service Technologies; Retail; Innovation; Technology Acceptance