Adoption Factors of Digital Services—A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

In recent years, the diffusion of digital technologies in the service sector offers great potential for growth and success. Today, many companies are trying to launch new digital services on the market to realize this potential. Prior research concludes that the success of such services depends crucially on whether a consumer adopts or rejects them. Hence, by using the methodology of a systematic literature review, this paper identifies key factors that drive a consumer to adopt digital services. As a result of a subsequent classification, the present work distinguishes among three main categories. First are consumer-specific factors relating to individual predispositions, demographics, and awareness factors that can be attributed to the consumer. Second are situation-specific factors, representing the smallest category found, concerning the service environment, the context of service delivery, and situations in which consumers may find themselves before or during the use of digital services. Third are service-specific factors that are mainly determined by individual characteristics and features of these services, such as ease of use, usability, compatibility, and enjoyment. Hence, this study provides a comprehensive overview of determinants affecting consumer’s adoption behavior and suggests several opportunities for future research. Whereas the rich set of identified factors serves as a foundation, it further proposes to what responsible service executives should pay particular attention in order to succeed with digital services.