Abstract
With rapid change in technology worldwide, innovative products such as wearable technology devices tend to have an uprising trend. Consumers, however, are not necessarily adaptive in their nature and their perception is shaped by many factors. The aim of this research is to investigate the consumer acceptance of wearable technology devices, specifically smartwatches. The study extends the widely used technology acceptance model with the introduction of new variables. For the purpose of the study, survey data was collected from German and Turkish university students. The overall results provide validation to previous literature while introducing new factors for consumer acceptance of technology products, wearable technology devices, and smartwatches. Importance of this research comes from the innovative and promising nature of the wearable technology devices concept, the lack of work on smartwatches in literature, as well as the cross-cultural nature of the study. The study also has managerial implications for technology companies who chase after growth in their businesses.
TopWearable Technology
The term wearable technology and its practices are relatively new in today’s world, thus it is not possible to find an established description in literature. As the topic is an emerging one not only in consumer behavior industry but also in the technology industry, a variety of understanding of the topic has been presented in recent years. Although it is not likely to describe the meaning and scope of wearable technology in a standardized way, some terms have many close meanings, including ‘wearable electronics’, ‘wearable devices’ and ‘wearable computers’. Although the topic has recently started to be a trending topic in both academic research and managerial application, the history of wearable technology dates back years ago starting with the head-mounted displays developed for pilots in the 1960s (European Commission, 2015).
According to Dunne (2004), “wearable technology is a term used to describe many different forms of body-mounted technology, including wearable computers, smart clothing, and functional clothing”. Ko, et al. (2005) describe wearable technology devices as electronic devices that people continually wear as unhindered as clothes providing intelligence support that increases memory, intellect, communication, physical senses and creativity. European Commission’s (2015) report on the internet of things and wearable technology states the following:
Wearable technology is a type of technology that is incorporated in electronics that can be worn on the body, either as an accessory or as part of materials used in clothing. One of the major features of wearable technology is its ability to connect to the Internet, enabling data to be exchanged between a network and the device.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Smartwatch: Wearable technology device in the form of a watch that is in contact with a smart phone and allows users to track their activities through sensors transmitting information.
Attitude: Positive or negative tendency of a consumer against a product or service.
Intention: Strength of purpose to perform a specified behavior.
Mobility: Ease of movement.
Perceived ease of use: The degree to which a consumer perceives a technology easy to use, product easy to operate or service easy to receive.
Wearable Technology: Any type of technology that is incorporated in electronics that can be worn on the body, either as an accessory or as part of materials used in clothing.
Perceived usefulness: The extent to which a person believes that using a particular technology or tool will contribute to achieving their goal.
Availability: Ability to operate when needed, connectedness.