Exploring the user performance of Korean women in smart homes with a focus on user adoption

Abstract

The penetration of smart homes into households in South Korea is fast growing and is predicted to reach a domestic market value of up to seven billion US dollars by 2026. However, the factors affecting user adoption and influencing successful performance are not adequately considered in the current delivery of smart housing. This research aims to explore user adoption by women in South Korea based on their current experience of the smart features delivered in their smart home units. An intensive interview targeting female residents in their thirties and forties who were the dominant occupiers and users of smart homes was conducted. The results from the intensive interviews provided three principle findings. First, the three steps of user adoption (awareness, opportunity and experience) were not adequately achieved by users, which led to unsatisfactory approaches to living in the smart home. Second, a lack of pre-instruction and guidance led to poor knowledgeability in the application, which negatively affected the opportunity and experience of smart features. Third, many smart features in the contemporary smart home are not users' preferred brand or product type. User preferences and needs are neglected in current top-down delivery systems, which negatively affect the satisfaction levels of users. This study reveals the significance of the three steps of user adoption to achieve optimal user performance through an alternative delivery strategy. The provision of a new approach to smart housing delivery that adequately considers users' preferences and needs is required to achieve the successful user performance proposed in this study.