Consumer acceptance of RFID-enabled services: a model of multiple attitudes, perceived system characteristics and individual traits

The introduction of emerging technologies in retailing and their infusion in the service encounter necessitates research to better understand consumer attitudes towards the usage of technology in service delivery systems. The capability of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to automatically and uniquely identify products makes this technology promising as an enabler of innovative consumer services. However there is limited research on how consumers perceive the RFID-enabled service systems. The authors develop and empirically test a model that focuses on consumer attitudes towards technology-based services. Based on the pre-prototype user acceptance framework and using RFID as a focal technology, the proposed model includes a hierarchy of three distinct consumer attitudes: towards the general service concept, towards the general technology-based service application and towards the RFID-enabled service. Perceived system characteristics as well as personality traits are included in the model. The partial least squares method of structural equation modelling is used to analyse 575 questionnaires collected in two consumer surveys in Greece (n=173) and Ireland (N=402). The results of the study show that consumer attitude towards RFID-enabled services in retailing can be modelled as a confluence of multiple attitudes. The results also indicate that perceived system-related factors – such as performance and effort expectancy – as well as individual traits – such as technology anxiety and information privacy concern – affect consumer attitude towards technology-based and RFID-enabled services, respectively.