Effects of technology readiness on prosumer attitude and eWOM

Abstract

In today's technology-based market environment, consumers sometimes produce a product idea or innovation to use themselves in order to fulfill their needs. They are called "prosumers" (Toffler, 1980). According to the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, innovation is relevant to technological growth, and consumers who have a positive view of new technology have a tendency to be innovators (Rogers, 1995). To what degree are consumers ready for new technology? We tried to use the concept of the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) to explain the antecedent factors of prosumer attitude and electronic word of mouth (eWOM). In this article, we attempt to conceptualize the prosumer, discover whether a consumer's positive or negative view of technology has an effect on attitudes related to becoming a prosumer, and show that prosumers' attitudes can be related to eWOM, which is one of the practical activities carried out by consumers in today's market environment. The goals of this article, and how they will be achieved, are as follows: (ⅰ) to conceptualize the prosumer, the authors select constructs from previous literature studied by similar groups - such as opinion leaders, innovators, early adopters and DIY consumers (ⅱ) - to investigate the effect of consumers' TRI on the prosumers' attitudes; (ⅲ) to explain the effect of prosumers' attitudes on eWOM. In the conclusion to this study, the authors suggest managerial implications and future directions of study.