Analysing key factors considered by consumers before adopting 5G- enabled services in South Africa

Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
With the mainstream deployment of new 5G mobile data technologies and the growing pressures of social influence, linked with the widespread impact Fake news, it is concerning what effect the before mentioned factors have on consumer adoption of 5G-enabled services has been a growing concern. The main objective of this study was to analyse key factors that consumers consider before adopting 5G-enabled services in South Africa. Value-based adoption model (VAM) was extended to develop a correlational model by adding factors, Social influence, Fake news knowledge to the existing model. The research model was tested by analysing the results from 140 online respondents by employing structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The result from the study shows the weak but negative impact that consumer sacrifice has on consumer’s perception of value and ultimately consumer adoption. The impact of social influence was also explored but it found not to be significant. Furthermore the results from the study illustrate the significant relationship between Perceived Value which further influences consumer's intentions to adopt 5G enabled services. The last part of the study explores the impact that Fake News has on consumer adoption, and the results prove that the higher the consumer's knowledge of the identification of Fake News is, the less effect it has in dampening the positive effect that social influence had on consumer adoption. Results from this study are also contrasted against the results from previous studies, and the impact of the study on practitioners and researchers is discussed
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Management in the field of Digital Business to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022
Keywords
5G-enabled services, Value-based Adoption Model (VAM), Social influence, Perceived benefit, Perceived sacrifice, Fake news knowledge, UCTD, User adoption intentions
Citation
Du Plessis, Jacobus Hercules. (2022). Analysing key factors considered by consumers before adopting 5G- enabled services in South Africa [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38952