Improving IoT Technology Adoption through Improving Consumer Trust

Abstract

Studies have shown that trust plays a crucial role in the consumers’ decision to adopt Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and services since it helps them to overcome perceptions of risk and uncertainty related to it and enhances the customers’ level of acceptance and adoption intention. Nevertheless, the literature of IoT still lacks studies on the behavioral aspect that explain the customers’ perception towards IoT adoption and focuses more on technological aspect. The main goal of this study is to examine the factors that influence consumer trust and their role in the adoption of IoT technology. A conceptual trust model that encompasses the major factors affecting trust towards IoT technology adoption has been presented. The model is composed of three dimensions of factors that we assume will influence the level of trust which are: product related factors, social influence related factors and security related factors. This framework is validated through surveying consumers’ opinions, which provide views and feedback regarding factors influencing their trust towards this technology. The model can assist researchers to further investigate the trust issues and create a trustworthy literature to guide IoT products’ development and marketing strategies that are focused on the consumer’s requirements.