Technology adoption and adaptation model: A study of consumers’ digital footprints

Abstract

Consumers’ interactions with social media have become inescapable. The adoption and adaptation of these platforms are rapidly increasing. It is not known as to what underlying factors drive consumers’ social media adoption, subsequent interactions with social media platforms and how they respond to the consequences of their digital footprints. Little attention is given to consumers’ joint attitudinal components (cognitive and affective) as antecedents of a composite process of technology adoption and adaptation. Thus, this research aims to examine consumers’ social media adoption, adaptation and behavioural outcomes as a composite process based on their joint attitudinal components. An online survey strategy under a positivist research paradigm with a deductive research approach was undertaken. Under an explanatory quantitative research method, data was collected through a structured questionnaire, administered to a random sample of social media consumers. Data was analysed using Structure Equation Modelling. The findings confirm that consumers’ joint attitudinal components are the antecedents of social media adoption, adaptation and behavioural outcome as a composite process that is influenced by cognitive (Perceived Opportunity, Perceived Social Influence and Perceived Control) and affective (Enjoyment, Self-Enhancement, Trust and Fear) attitudinal components. Consumers engage in adaptation behaviour of Exploration to Maximise or Exploitation to Satisfice Social Media Benefits if they have a favourable attitude towards the consequences of their digital footprints and Exploration to Revert from social media or Avoidance of Social Media adaptation behaviour if their attitude is unfavourable. Each adaptation behaviour leads to a specific outcome such as carelessness and carefreeness when consumers engage in exploration to maximise or exploitation to satisfice social media benefits and cautiousness and consciousness when they engage in social media avoidance and exploration to revert adaptation behaviour respectively. This research makes the following contributions to literature. It develops a nomological model of technology adoption, adaptation and behavioural outcome as a composite process. It offers the joint attitudinal components (cognitive and affective) as antecedents to the composite process. It introduces consumers’ adaptation behavioural efforts to cope with the consequences of their digital footprints and analyses the impact of technology adoption and adaptation on behavioural outcomes. The research helps marketers in segmenting, profiling and targeting customers. It allows marketers and information systems managers to focus on consumers’ joint attitudinal components by identifying and analysing the key antecedents of the technology adaptation which can provide useful insights for future product/service development. In addition, it enables marketers to analyse consumers’ attitudinal response to their privacy and security of their digital footprints, and offers useful policy implications.