An investigation of self-service technology usage during the COVID-19 pandemic: The changing perceptions of ‘self’ and technologies

Self-service technologies (SSTs) are not new to modern consumers, yet the COVID-19 pandemic brings new motivations into SST usage. This study aims to revisit consumers' SST usage under the pandemic context, focusing on consumers' changing perceptions on social interactions (i.e. the ‘self’ element) and technologies. The impacts of social distancing, individualistic culture, self-identity as technology users, and innovativeness on consumers' SST usage are explored in the field of smart locker self-collection service. A survey instrument is designed for data collection, and the data are analysed through a hierarchical regression followed by latent class analysis. The findings confirm the contributing effects of the four proposed factors on consumers' SST usage. Further, four distinct SST user segments emerge which are labelled as: technology lovers, social excluders, SST embracers, and indifferent pandemic responders. This study contributes to the SST literature by emphasising the pandemic-induced effects on the consumption environment externally and individuals' self-perceptions internally, both leading to behavioural implications of SST usage.