Drivers of technology readiness and motivations for consumption in explaining the tendency of consumers to use technology-based services

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the way in which the optimism and innovativeness of consumers (drivers of technology readiness) affect their tendency to use technology-based services, an area that merits additional research. The study was conducted in two phases in Quito, Ecuador. In the first phase, three services were selected to be studied: online shopping, online banking, and online music streaming. In the second phase, the hypotheses were tested with a random sample of 754 adults. The results were consistent in the three structural equation models (one for each service). Optimism acts indirectly, through the mediation of hedonic and utilitarian motivations. Innovativeness acts through a similar indirect channel, but it also acts directly. One of the marketing implications of this study is that simply concentrating on consumer attitudes towards technology is not enough, since it is necessary to consider their indirect effects on the tendency to use a service.