Examining the factors that influence customers’ intention to use smartwatches in Malaysia Using UTAUT2 Model

Abstract

The rapid advancement in information and communication technologies has resulted in the emergence of smartwatches. The health tracking functions in the smartwatch enable users to monitor their health status and encourage a healthy lifestyle, which may help to reduce the possibility to get noncommunicable diseases (NCD). Thus, there is a need to understand what attracts customers to use the device. Hence, the main objective of this study is to examine the factors that influence customers to use smartwatches. Accordingly, the Unified Technology Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) was extended with three variables namely personal innovativeness, privacy risk, and healthology. A sample of 299 potential smartwatch users in Malaysia was used to test the research model. The results demonstrated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, personal innovativeness, and healthology are associated with customers’ intention to use smartwatches. Moreover, the study revealed the moderating effect of gender on healthology and intention to use smartwatches relationship. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for practitioners in the smartwatches market.