Perception of 3D-printing: analysis of manufacturing use and adoption

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify ways in which five technology adoption theories converge to enhance insight on 3D-printing perceptions and adoption. Design/methodology/approach A total of 63 structured interviews were conducted with top management professionals from a variety of manufacturing organizations throughout the USA. After controlling for top management decision power, total of 35 interviews and non-parametric statistical analyses were used in conjunction with innovation adoption theory to derive four propositions. Findings Results show five adoption theories converge to create a new adoption model specific to 3D-printing. Results also suggests differences specific to users, potential users and non-users. Originality/value Results delineate between current, potential and non-users to better understand adoption. Dissimilar to current qualitative research, quantitative (non-parametric) techniques are used to examine the viability of the propositions. Further, the results use various adoption theories to determine convergences specific to 3D-printing.

Additive manufacturing and supply chains – a systematic review

“…Tools and dies can be remanufactured with AM which increases the usage period (Schniederjans and Yalcin 2018). Similarly, AM can be used to repair end-of-life products (van Le, Paris, and Mandil 2017).…”

Manufatura aditiva como ferramenta didática para a formação de profissionais da AEC

“…Uso AM na educação 3 [13], [43], [44]. Uso e adoção da AM no mercado/indústria 11 [45], [46], [47], [48], [49], [50], [51], [52], [53], [54], [55].…”

Organizational adoption of 3D printing technology: a semisystematic literature review

“…As such, contemporary research on organizational 3DP adoption has employed TAM mostly in combination with the DOI theory (Rogers, 1983) (2018) as to constitute for the lack of context (Wang et al, 2016;Oettmeier and Hofmann, 2017;Marak et al, 2019). Contemporary research often employs TAM to better comprehend the 3DP adoption intentions among top-management members (Schniederjans and Yalcin, 2018). So far only TAM I has been studied by the underlying body of literature on organizational 3DP adoption.…”

“…Marak et al, 2019) or user-centered decision frameworks, such as the unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT) by Venkatesh et al (2003) (e.g. Schniederjans and Yalcin, 2018) or the technology acceptance model (TAM) by Davis (1985) (e.g. Chaudhuri et al, 2018) to examine organizational decision-making.…”