UNDERSTANDING CONSUMERS' PREDISPOSITIONS TOWARD NEW TECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTS: TAXONOMY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ADOPTION BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

Consumers' rapid adoption of new products is a key factor in firms' market success. To adequately address consumer requirements and thereby increase their adoption of technological products, firms need knowledge about consumers' predispositions toward those products. Some consumers are simply more ready to adopt new products than others, which leaves firms puzzled as to how they should optimally market their new products. This study proposes a taxonomy, based on consumers' predispositions toward technological products. Relying on trait theory and data from 738 consumers, it identifies four consumer patterns that differ in their adoption behaviour. More intrinsically oriented consumers (i.e., technology all-rounders and hedonic technology users), driven by fun and their interest in technological products, express relatively high speed of adoption. In contrast, consumers who are directed by an extrinsic orientation (i.e., utilitarian technology users) or who score low on both intrinsic and extrinsic orientation (i.e., technology stragglers) exhibit the strongest reluctance to adopt new products.