The combination of today’s ever increasing competition in the marketplace and rapid technology development change the way how services are designed, produced, and experienced. One of the outcomes of this changing nature of services is the proliferation of self-service technologies, which reflect a new way how companies seek to efficiently serve their customers. However, not all self-service technologies are successfully adopted, and not all consumers engage in the technology-based self-service economy. So, what drives consumers to provide services by themselves without service employee involvement? This master thesis aims at gaining further insight into the factors being critical to the consumers’ adoption of self-service technologies. In particular, this research focuses on the role of consumer readiness consisting of role clarity, motivation, and ability, and the moderating effects of consumers’ trust and experiences related to the service provider and the self-service technology on the consumers’ voluntary decision to use airlines’ self-check-in op-tions. In addition, a potential self-service technology interface dependence of the adoption factors’ influence is examined by means of a scenario-based approach. The corresponding empirical study makes use of a web-based survey facing the 239 respondents with the choice between the counter check-in and either a kiosk or Internet check-in option. The results confirm the critical role of motivation and role clarity, but question the raison-d’être of the dimension ability. The findings also provide evidence for trust and experiences having moderating effects on the relationship between consumer readiness and self-service technology use. A potential self-service technology interface dependence of the factors is suggested by the results; however, the alternative explanation that the sample’s Internet-experience is responsible for the identified dependence can not be ruled out. This master thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of critical factors influencing the adoption of self-service technologies, and underlines the importance of integrating all three aspects relevant to SST adoption – the consumer, self-service technology, and service provider.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 The Proliferation of Self-Service Technologies
1.2 Problem Statement and Research Questions
1.3 Master Thesis Outlined
1.4 Contribution
2 Literature Review – Self-Service Technology Adoption
2.1 Self-Service Technologies as Innovations
2.2 Factors Influencing the Adoption of SSTs
2.2.1 Self-Service Technology Related Factors
2.2.2 Consumer Related Factors
2.2.3 Service Provider Related Factors
2.3 Emerging Research Questions
3 Development of Hypotheses
3.1 Consumer Readiness
3.1.1 Role Clarity
3.1.2 Motivation
3.1.3 Ability
3.2 Moderating Effects
3.2.1 Trust in Technology and in the Service Provider
3.2.2 Previous Experiences with Technology-Based Products and Services
3.2.3 Previous Experiences with Service Employees
3.3 Self-Service Technology-Interface Dependence
4 Research Design
4.1 Research Setting
4.2 Sample Design
4.3 Methodology
4.3.1 Survey Approach
4.3.2 Questionnaire Development
4.3.3 Construct Measures
4.4 Data Collection
5 Analysis and Results
5.1 Sample Description
5.2 Data Preparation
5.3 Scenario A
5.3.1 Internet Check-in Users versus Non-Users
5.3.2 Scenario A – Consumer Readiness Hypotheses
5.3.3 Scenario A - Moderating Effects Hypotheses
5.4 Scenario B
5.4.1 Kiosk Check-In Users versus Non-Users
5.4.2 Scenario B – Consumer Readiness Hypotheses
5.4.3 Scenario B - Moderating Effects
5.5 Comparison of Scenarios
6 Discussion and Implications
6.1 Check-in Choice Behavior
6.2 The Role of Consumer Readiness
6.3 The Influence of Trust and Experiences
6.4 Managerial Implications
6.5 Theoretical Implications and Future Research
6.6 Limitations
Objectives & Key Themes
This master thesis investigates the critical factors influencing consumers' voluntary adoption of self-service technologies (SSTs) in the airline industry. Specifically, it aims to determine the relationship between consumer readiness—defined by role clarity, motivation, and ability—and SST adoption, while examining how trust in technology and service providers, along with previous experiences, moderate this relationship.
- Role of consumer readiness (role clarity, motivation, ability) in SST adoption.
- Moderating impact of trust (technology and service provider) and previous experience.
- Interface-dependence of adoption factors (Internet vs. kiosk scenarios).
- Integration of consumer, service provider, and technology-related aspects in a multi-channel context.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 The Proliferation of Self-Service Technologies
One of the outcomes of this changing nature of services are self-service technologies (SST) which are “technological interfaces that enable customers to produce a service independent of direct service employee involvement” (Meuter, Ostrom, Roundtree, & Bitner, 2000, p.50). SSTs become more and more widespread and either replace or supplement the traditional face-to-face service encounter (Barnes, Dunne, & Glynn, 2000). Kiosks, (mobile) phones, as well as the Internet are mainly the interfaces of SSTs for e.g. banking via automated teller machines (ATMs), online banking, phone banking, Internet shopping, Internet information search, automated hotel checkout, automated car rental, automated airline ticketing and check-in, self-scanning at stores or in libraries, package tracking, automated gambling machines, and pay at the pump terminals, only to mention a few. Companies and customers are increasingly faced with the proliferation of SSTs. In 2005, already 627 million people shopped online, about 135 million people made online plane reservations, and 86 million people booked hotels or tours via the Internet worldwide according to ACNielsen (2005). Internet-banking adoption increases rapidly, and not only in Norway where more than 100 million transactions were made over the Internet in 2005 – a 26% increase compared to 2004.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the proliferation of self-service technologies and defines the problem statement and research questions regarding consumer adoption.
2 Literature Review – Self-Service Technology Adoption: Examines existing research on SST adoption, categorizing factors into technology-related, consumer-related, and service provider-related dimensions.
3 Development of Hypotheses: Develops a conceptual model and derives specific hypotheses linking consumer readiness and trust/experience factors to SST usage.
4 Research Design: Describes the methodology, including the selection of the airline industry, survey approach, and questionnaire development for two distinct scenarios.
5 Analysis and Results: Presents the empirical findings from the web-based survey, applying logistic regression to test the hypotheses across the two scenarios.
6 Discussion and Implications: Discusses the findings, provides managerial and theoretical implications, and acknowledges the study's limitations.
Keywords
Self-Service Technologies, SST, Consumer Readiness, Role Clarity, Motivation, Ability, Trust in Technology, Trust in Service Provider, Technology Adoption, Airline Industry, Online Check-in, Kiosk Check-in, Service Encounter, Customer Co-production, Multi-channel context
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this master thesis?
The thesis focuses on identifying critical factors that drive consumers to adopt self-service technologies (SSTs), specifically within the context of airline check-in processes.
What are the central thematic pillars of the research?
The research explores consumer readiness, the impact of trust (in both the technology and the service provider), and the role of prior experiences in influencing whether a customer chooses a self-service option over traditional counter service.
What is the core objective or main research question?
The main objective is to understand the relationship between consumer readiness and SST adoption, and how trust and experience act as moderators in this relationship across different SST interfaces (Internet vs. kiosk).
Which research methodology is employed?
The study uses a quantitative approach, specifically a scenario-based web survey with 239 respondents, analyzing data through logistic regression models.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body reviews relevant literature, develops a conceptual model with specific hypotheses, describes the research design, and presents the empirical analysis of two scenarios (Internet check-in and kiosk check-in).
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key concepts include Self-Service Technologies (SST), Consumer Readiness, Role Clarity, Motivation, Ability, and Trust, particularly applied to multi-channel service environments.
How does this thesis distinguish between the three parties involved in an SST encounter?
The thesis differentiates between the consumer (readiness, experience), the service provider (trust, interaction quality), and the technology interface (trust, system reliability), integrating all three in a comprehensive conceptual model.
Why are different check-in interfaces (kiosk vs. Internet) analyzed separately?
The study analyzes them separately to test the hypothesis of interface-dependence, exploring whether the influence of consumer readiness factors changes based on whether the technology is accessed via a kiosk or the Internet.
- Quote paper
- Claudia Jasmand (Author), 2006, The Adoption of Self-Service Technologies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/75028
