Industry 4.0 an empirical analysis of users’ intention in the automotive sector

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to study the automotive 4.0 context to understand the consumers’ propensity towards high-tech automated cars. The paper analyses the antecedents that lead to the use of innovative vehicles. Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is adopted and extended by including further constructs, such as environmental aspects and inhibitors. Design/methodology/approach The advent of smart technologies and the internet of things has given rise to several contributions that look at consumers’ intention towards innovation adoption in the automotive industry. Furthermore, this study rises from the growing interest that sustainable mobility achieved. Based on the previous technology acceptance models and particularly TPB, this paper develops a structured questionnaire. After a pilot survey, the final questionnaire was administered online through email and social media in the Italian context. Structural equation modelling technique has been used for analysing data and testing the conceptual model. Findings The number of questionnaires filled out was 310, with a sample composed of young adults, characterised by different addiction levels towards technology. The results explain the drivers that lead to accept and adopt high-tech automated vehicles. This topic is still under investigation and offers potential research opportunities, considering the evolution of the market and the consumers’ habits and needs. Future research studies in this area should focus on generalising the present findings in other countries. Moreover, once this technology starts to be adopted, other constructs could be discovered, investigated and included in the model. Originality/value Mobility has raised a growing interest with the fast increasing demand for sustainability and growth of innovative solutions embedded in mobility. This research explores the TPB model’s application and the relation between its constructs, environmental aspects, inhibitors and intention to adopt automated vehicles. On this strength, it is possible to identify each construct’s relevance for obtaining social consensus on the market.

The Role of Sustainable Attitudes to Achieve Energy Efficiency Targets through Industry 4.0 Adoption

“…This highlights the role of perceived value as a mediator between attitudes and adoption intentions, indicating that individuals' perceptions of the benefits and costs associated with adoption play a crucial role in forming intentions. The research results in contrast with previous studies by Cordero et al, [10], Castillo-Vergara et al, [56], Wang et al, [55], Toni et al [50], and Saeedi et al, [53], emphasize the variability in the weight of attitudes versus subjective norms in predicting intentions across different behaviors and individuals. Overall, the study underscores the importance of considering factors beyond attitudes in shaping adoption intentions and suggests tailored strategies to enhance the adoption of sustainable energy solutions.…”

“…Castillo-Vergara et al,[56] found that technological optimism positively affects the perception of technology's usefulness and ease of use. Toni et al,[50] and Saeedi et al,[57] also highlight the significant impact of attitude on the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology. Sánchez-Franco et al[58] and Astuti et al,[59] found that a positive attitude significantly impacts the intention to use new technology, Therefore, hypothesis H1 concerning the influence of Sustainable Attitude on the Intention to Adopt Industry 4.0 is stated as follows: H1: Sustainable Attitude has an influence on Intention to Adopt.Preprints.org (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 6 May 2024 doi:10.20944/preprints202405.0254.v1…”

“…The research findings provide significant evidence of the positive influence of attitude, subjective norm, and behavioral control on their intention to adopt Industry 4.0 technology, namely big data. Other research on attitudes using the TPB framework and employing Intention to Adopt as the final endogenous variable has been conducted by Cordero et al, [10], Ho et al, [48], Ikram [49], Toni et al, [50], Shalender & Sharma [51], Perri et al, [52], Saeedi et al, [53], Sujood et al, [54] and Wang et al, [55].…”

The Need for an Interuniversity Master's Program in Industry 4.0 in the Republic of Moldova

“…The biggest constraint in the development of Industry 4.0 is the lack of skilled labour, familiar with new developments in AI and IoT technologies [9]. The existing workforce needs to be trained to manage the latest equipment and software systems equipped with IoT and AI-related technologies.…”

Digitalización para el área de compras internacionales

“…Kopp y Basl (2017) afirman que los procesos de producción deben vincularse de forma interconectada, vertical u horizontalmente, en un encadenamiento de datos a través de los sistemas de información que la empresa genere con los datos de sus operaciones, para la generación de valor. Aunado a ello, Toni et al (2021), quienes desarrollan la aplicación de la Industria 4.0 en la industria automotriz, afirman que las aplicaciones tecnológicas logran hacer a las empresas más eficientes en los procesos productivos.…”