The rise of the prosumer: an analysis of self-service technology adoption in a corporate context

Abstract

The adoption of self-service technology (SST) has been well researched in consumer contexts but, despite the existing body of work, few studies have investigated in detail the specific determinants for user satisfaction in a corporate context. This study attempts to address this deficit. The goal of our work is to examine employees’ perception of SST. To do this, four dimensions of the SSTQUAL quality scale (namely (a) functionality; (b) security; (c) design and (d) customization) were adapted to collect data from 182 knowledge workers in a financial services multi-national organization. The findings lead to the following insights. First respondents believe that SSTs can perform the task required in a timely and straightforward manner. They also feel that transactions are safe and secure. However, we learned that, although essential to user satisfaction, respondents have concerns regarding the design and customization of the technology. They believe that the technology employed is not user centric. Furthermore, respondents are not pleased with the layouts or aesthetics of the technology and they feel that the features are not personalized for their specific requirements. The study is important for many reasons. First, it expands the discussion on SST adoption by focusing on the corporate context thus contributing to the body of knowledge in the domain. Second, it captures and analyses real world empirical data and helps bridge the gap between theory and practice. Finally, the findings can help service providers to create effective user driven solutions.