Why do consumers adopt smart voice assistants for shopping purposes? A perspective from complexity theory

Abstract

The widespread appeal of Smart Voice Assistants (SVAs) stems from their ability to enhance the everyday lives of consumers in a practical, enjoyable, and meaningful manner. Despite their popularity, the factors that shape consumer adoption of SVAs remain largely unexplored. To address this research gap, we utilized complexity theory to construct an integrated model that sheds light on the determinants of consumer decision-making in regard to SVA adoption. Furthermore, we applied fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to examine the proposed model and uncover the causal recipes associated with SVA adoption. Our necessary condition analysis highlights that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived humanness, and perceived social presence are necessary predictors for consumers' intentions to adopt SVA. This study constitutes a significant addition to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the drivers of SVA adoption. Moreover, it offers crucial implications for online service provider managers to improve the adoption of SVAs among their customers.