Abstract

Advances in Information Technology (IT) have changed the nature of services, letting it become increasingly digitized. Pro-active services represent a new kind of digital service delivery model promising added value for the receiver of the service who can consume a service without being concerned about its initiation. However, research has provided neither adequate conceptualizations for these novel digital services nor insights into customers’ attitudes and readiness to accept them. To our knowledge, the present study is first in filling this research gap. We provide three metaphors, simplification, enhancement and outsourcing, for different classes of pro-active services. Moreover, we develop a causal model for explaining customer acceptance of pro-active services that is evaluated quantitatively adopting a scenario-based approach for an enhancement service. As an example we choose the readiness of students to accept a pro-active digital service from their education provider. Our findings reveal outcome evaluation as the strongest predictor of attitude. Additionally, attitude is determined by control beliefs and trust. Attitude towards pro-active service affects the customer’s willingness to accept the pro-active service. The presented findings help service organizations in designing pro-actives services that are presumably accepted by customers.

First Page

1837

Last Page

1852

Share

COinS