Self-Service Technology Adoption in Consumer Services
Summary
Self-service technologies (SSTs) have transformed consumer services by enabling customers to perform tasks autonomously through digital interfaces, from airport check-in kiosks and retail self-checkout to mobile banking and hotel chatbots. Adoption is driven by efficiency gains, cost reduction, 24/7 availability and demand for contactless interaction, especially in a post-pandemic world. Research has drawn on frameworks such as the technology readiness index, the technology acceptance model and the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model to explain how individual propensities (innovativness, optimism, discomfort, insecurity) interact with perceptions of usefulness, ease of use, trust and situational factors (waiting time, environmental support) to shape attitudes and behavioural intentions. Cross-sector evidence underscores the importance of system reliability, user competence and engagement design, while highlighting demographic and contextual moderators. Practical applications span retail, hospitality, transport and financial services, where tailored SST strategies enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty and operational resilience.
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Self-Service Technology Adoption in Consumer Services publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in self-service technology adoption in consumer services across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Self-Service Technology (SST): Technological interfaces enabling customers to produce a service independently without direct employee involvement.
Technology Readiness: An individual’s propensity to embrace and use new technologies, composed of motivators (innovativeness, optimism) and inhibitors (insecurity, discomfort).
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): A theoretical framework positing that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use determine an individual’s attitude towards and intention to use a technology.
Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA): A data analysis technique that identifies factors which must be present at a certain level to achieve a desired outcome, distinguishing necessary from merely sufficient conditions.
References
- Technology readiness: a meta-analysis of conceptualizations of the construct and its impact on technology usage. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (2019).
- Understanding the implementation of retail self-service check-out technologies using necessary condition analysis. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management (2022).
- Exploring the Influence of Determinants on Behavior Intention to Use of Multiple Media Kiosks Through Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model. Frontiers in Psychology (2022).
- The Effect of Airport Self-Service Characteristics on Passengers’ Perceived Value, Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intention: Based on the SOR Model. Sustainability (2019).
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