How (differently) are smart products perceived? – An empirical investigation
(R2020-83370)

AUTHORS

Antje Fricke, Technische Universität Braunschweig; Nadine Pieper, Technisch; David Woisetschläger, Technische Universität Braunschweig

KEYWORDS

smart products; smartness dimensions; cluster analysis

ABSTRACT

Smart products enjoy increasing popularity both economically and academically. However, literature on smart products focuses on specific smart products or examines smart products as a whole. To gain a deeper understanding of how consumer perceive product smartness, we conducted an online-survey assessing seven smartness dimensions of 36 smart products (n=1,661). By examining product smartness in depth, we identify six distinct clusters exhibiting similar smartness characteristics. Our objective is to utilize these clusters to explain psychological consequences of smart product usage. Based on our findings, we provide research propositions that not only the application context or the fact that a product is considered a smart product need to be taken into account, but also the different smartness characteristics.