MAJCAFE

Sharidatul Akma Abu Seman, Siti Noorsuriani Ma’on, Noor Azzah Said, Dilla Syadia Ab Latiff, Noorizan Mohamad Mozie
Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA

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Abstract

There has been a dramatic rise in the popularity of smartwatches, which are now widely available on the market. Nonetheless, these high-tech gadgets do not garner the same level of attention as smartphones or tablet computers. Despite predictions of continued steady growth in the industry, smartwatches have had no adverse effect on conventional watches. This research aims to determine what influences Malaysian consumers’ willingness to adopt smartwatch technology. The study sample consists of 342 young adults aged 35 years old and below. This study employed SmartPLS 3.2.9, a secondgeneration structural equation modelling tool to analyse the data, and the findings showed a significant influence of perceived hedonic, perceived innovativeness, and perceived compatibility on user behaviour and decisions to adopt smartwatch technology. Meanwhile, perceived self-expressiveness and the need for uniqueness were found to have a detrimental impact on behavioural intention. Furthermore, the findings revealed no relationship between utilitarian and healthology with the behavioural intention to adopt smartwatches. This study sheds new light on consumers’ perceptions of the value of smartwatches. Besides adding to our understanding of how people utilise smartwatch technology, this study also provides new insights into the practical implications for businesses and policymakers in the information technology and communication sectors and policymakers. The novelty of the research is to assess both motivations and technological factors in using a smartwatch. This research also examines the research’s limitations and offers recommendations for future research.

Keywords: Behavioural intention, Adoption, Young adults, Malaysia