User Acceptance of Technologies in Their Infancy: The Case of 3D Printing Business Models

This paper adjusts UTAUT2 to study user acceptance of an early stage technology by using the example of 3D printing for home users. The authors’ findings show that UTAUT2 is capable of measuring user acceptance and that social influence and effort expectancy are good predictors for ‘intention to use’ for early stage technologies. Nevertheless, there seem to be significant differences in the antecedents depending on the involvement levels and the DIY mentality of the user. Moreover, this research confirms and extends the applicability of UTAUT2 to early stage technologies while improving the authors’ understanding of prospective 3D printing home users. KEywORDS 3D Printing, Behavioral Intention to Use, Early Stage, Technology Infancy, User Acceptance, UTAUT2