CHARACTERIZATION OF CONSUMER PROFILES FOR PROVISION OF ADOPTION OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BASED TECHNOLOGY FROM THE USE OF THE GRADE OF MEMBERSHIP (GOM)

Abstract

Against the steady progress of current technologies, as well as the remarkable emergence of new technologies, one of the primary challenges for companies that intend to develop products and services based on technology is to assure the adoption of those and guarantee consumers’ satisfaction. In spite of its importance, there are few investigations contemplating that thematic on the Brazilian context. Therefore, this work aimed at investigating how ready are the Brazilian consumers to adopt and use new technologies in their workplace and homes - delineating differentiated behaviors profiles. The research, which included 298 consumers - was based on the studies of Parasuraman (2000) and Parasuraman & Colby (2002), as well as on the Technology Readiness Index scale (TRI) developed by those authors. That scale was properly evaluated and adapted to the Brazilian context by Souza & Luce (2003). The data was analyzed by the use of a methodology that employed the Theory of Hazy Groups (Fuzzies) called Grade of Membership (GoM). The results indicated the portrayal of three types of respondents - lower, medium and high – accordingly to the disposition of adopting products and services based on technology. The conclusion was that research results can be important for different types/sizes of organizations, which currently face or will face, matters associated to technology when offering their products and services, as well as in interactions with customers. Furthermore, concerning the Grade of Membership method (GoM), it can be affirmed that it brings important contributions for marketing researchers, once it represents the progress of techniques usually employed in the identification of consumer profiles or consumer segments.