Attitudes to forced adoption of new technologies in public transportation services

Abstract

With the advancement of technology and the need for the continuous development of service quality, the introduction of new systems in local or nationwide public transportation is a practice that passengers must accept from time to time. When these new systems are introduced along with the elimination of the old system, passengers may feel frustrated and unsatisfied. This study develops and tests a conceptual model that places the forced use of technology-based self-service at its center. Although the effects of mandatory usage of one option of a delivery mode have already been investigated, the antecedents of the acceptance of forced use are yet to be fully researched. This study provides a solid framework for the underlying factors behind the acceptance of forcing users to channel migration in public transportation. Through a real-life case of a public transportation company forcing its passengers to use exclusively self-service ticket vending machines while closing face-to-face ticket counters, we conducted a survey on the acceptance of the new mode of ticket purchase. Our results predominantly demonstrated that the perceived performance, ease of use of the new kiosks, and the need for interaction by consumers have a positive impact on the acceptance of forced use, while this acceptance plays a significant positive role in the formulation of satisfaction with the company.