The purpose of this article is to study consumer innovativeness and to explore various consumer motivations behind adoption of innovation. Consumers may have different motivations behind adoption of an innovation. Most of the researchers researched different categories of consumer needs which are categorized into three or four main groups: (1) functional needs, the motivations to get functional benefits from the new product and to create more utility, (2) hedonic needs, the motivations to have fun, pleasure, variation etc. (3) social needs, the need for status, prestige and symbolism, uniqueness etc. and (4) cognitive needs, the need for curiosity and a desire for knowledge. This study explores in detail the various motivational drivers for participating in adoption of innovation process. The aim of this paper therefore is to explore user characteristics and motivations that contribute to adoption of innovation process. In-depth interviews were conducted from 20 consumers, selected through convenience sampling, who recently adopted at least one innovation. The main findings of our study indicate that four types of motivations underlie consumer innovativeness and adoption of innovation. These motivations are functional, hedonic, cognitive and social. Functional motivated innovativeness is at the top for adoption of innovations. Second most important reason behind adoption of innovation is hedonic.
Arnould, E. J., & Thompson, C. J. (2005). Consumer Culture Theory (CCT): Twenty Years of Research. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(4), 868-882.
Babin, B. J., Darden, W. R., & Griffin, M. (1994). Work and or Fun: Measuring Hedonic and Utilitarian Shopping Value. Journal of Consumer Research, 20(4), 644-656.
Brown, S. A., & Venkatesh, V. (2005). Model of Adoption of Technology in Households: A Baseline Model Test and Extension Incorporating Household Life Cycle. MIS Quarterly, 29(3), 399-426.
Chulef, A. S., Read, S. J., & Walsh, D. A. (2001). A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Human Goals. Motivation and Emotion, 25(3), 191-232.
Daghfous, N., Petrof, J. V., & Pons, F. (1999). Values and Adoption of Innovations: a Cross- Cultural Study. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 16(4/5), 314-331.
Dholakia, R. R. (1999). Going Shopping, Key Determinants of Shopping Behaviors and Motivations. International Journal of Retail and Distribution, 27(4), 154-165.
Engel, J.F., Blackwell, R.D., Miniard, P.W. (1990), Consumer Behavior, Sixth Edition, The Dryden Press, p.710
Fisher, R. J., & Price, L. L. (1992). An Investigation into the Social-Context of Early Adoption Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 19(3), 477-486.
Ford, M. E., & Nichols, C. W. (1987). A Taxonomy of Human Goals and Some Possible Applications. In M. E. Ford & D. H. Ford (Eds.), Humans as Self constructing Systems: Putting the Framework to Work. New York: Erlbaum.
Foxall, G. R., Goldsmith, R. E., & Brown, S. (1999). Consumer Psychology for Marketing: Int. Thomson Business Press.
Goldsmith, RE & Newell, SJ. 1997. Innovativeness and price sensitivity: managerial, theoretical and methodological issues, Journal of Product and Brand Management. 6(3): 163-174.
Goldsmith, RE, Stith, MT & White, JD. 1987. Race and sex differences in self-identified innovativeness and opinion leadership. Journal of Retailing 63(4):411-125.
Goldsmith, Ronald E., and Leisa Reinecke Flynn. 1992. Identifying Innovators in Consumer Product Markets. European Journal of Marketing. 26(12): 42-55.
Hirschman, E.C., 1986. The Creation of Product Symbolism. Advances in Consumer Research 13, 327-331.
Holak, Susan L. (1988), “Determinants of Innovative Durable Adoption, An Empirical Study with Implication for Early Product Screening,” Journal of Production Innovation Management, 5, 50-69.
Levy, S. J. (1959). Symbols for Sale. Harvard Business Review, 37(4), 117-124.
Lynn, M., & Harris, J. (1997). The Desire for Unique Consumer Products: A New Individual Differences Scale. Psychology & Marketing, 14(6), 601-616.
Midgley, D.F., G.R. Dowling 1978. Innovativeness: The Concept and Its Measurement. Journal of Consumer Research. 4(March): 229-242.
Rogers, E.M. 1995. Diffusion of Innovativeness. New York: Free Press.
Rogers, E.M. and Shoemaker, F.F., 1971, Communication of Innovativeness, Free Press, New York, NY.
Rogers, E.M., 1995, Diffusion of Innovativeness (4th ed.), Free Press, New York, NY.
Rossiter, J. R., & Percy, L. (1991). Advertising Communications and Promotion Management: McGrawHill.
Roehrich, G. (2004). Consumer Innovativeness - Concepts and Measurements. Journal of Business Research, 57(6), 671-677.
Sheth, J. N., Newman, B. I., & Gross, B. L. (1991). Why We Buy What We Buy: A Theory of Consumption Values. Journal of Business Research, 22(2), 159-170.
Simonson, I., & Nowlis, S. M. (2000). The Role of Explanations and Need for Uniqueness in Consumer Decision Making: Unconventional Choices Based on Reasons. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(1), 49-68.
Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2001). Consumer Perceived Value: The Development of a Multiple Item Scale. Journal of Retailing, 77(2), 203-220.
Tauber, E. M. (1972). Why Do People Shop. Journal of Marketing, 36(4), 46-49.
Tian, K. T., Bearden, W. O., & Hunter, G. L. (2001). Consumers' Need for Uniqueness: Scale Development and Validation. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(1), 50-66.
Tian, K. T., & McKenzie, K. (2001). The Long-Term Predictive Validity of the Consumers' Need for Uniqueness Scale. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 10(3), 171-193.
Vallerand, R. J. (1997). Toward a Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. In M.P. Zanna (Ed.). Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 29 (pp. 271-360). New York: Academic Press.
Venkatraman, M.P. and Price, L. L., 1990, “Differentiating between cognitive and sensory innovativeness: Concept, measurement, and implications,” Journal of Business , Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 293-315.
Voss, K. E., Spangenberg, E. R., & Grohmann, B. (2003). Measuring the Hedonic and Utilitarian Dimensions of Consumer Attitude. Journal of Marketing Research,40(3),310-320.
Westbrook, R. A., & Black, W. C. (1985). A Motivation-Based Shopper Typology. Journal of Retailing, 61(1), 78-103.
Copyright: © 2014 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
