A cross cultural investigation of individuals’ acceptance of Smart Home Technology: The role of needs satisfaction

Abstract

Smart Home Technology manufacturers currently face significant issues with regard to the acceptance and intention to use their products. Evidence suggests that specific products have the lion’s share of the smart home market, and fully integrated smart home set-ups are still rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptance of Smart Home Technology by administering the Technology Acceptance Model and applying Self Determination Theory with a sample of English (N = 284) and Spanish (N= 209) technology users. Results showed that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness act as mediators of the effect of need satisfaction on respondents’ behavioural intention to use Smart Home Technology. Except for relatedness satisfaction, there were no gender effects; however, we found important differences between the English and Spanish participants, which are discussed in terms of cultural differences in the degree to which need satisfaction is important to participants.