Unveiling user intentions: an integrated analysis of hedonic motivation and service quality in e-grocery technology acceptance

Purpose This study aims to extend the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) by incorporating hedonic motivation and service quality and exploring their collective impact on users’ continuance intention in the context of e-grocery. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing e-grocery technology acceptance. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis follows a cross-sectional design, using data collected in Italy from January to March 2023. The survey, utilizing the convenience sampling method, focuses on users who have made online grocery purchases in the previous six months. Data analysis employs partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which enables causal-predictive model assessment. Findings The research reveals significant relationships among hedonic motivation, service quality, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and continuance intention. Hedonic motivation positively impacts perceived usefulness but not perceived ease of use. Service quality significantly influences both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Additionally, perceived ease of use positively influences perceived usefulness and continuance intention, while perceived usefulness significantly impacts continuance intention. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional design could limit the study’s ability to capture the evolution of users’ continuance intention over time. Cultural influences on users’ perceptions could be explored further to develop context-specific strategies. Practical implications The findings emphasize the importance of hedonic motivation, service quality, ease of use and perceived usefulness in shaping users’ intentions to continue using online grocery services. Practitioners are encouraged to focus on enhancing hedonic elements for increased user loyalty and invest in service quality, particularly in customer care and checkout processes, to improve user perception and ease of use. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing literature by integrating hedonic motivation and service quality into TAM2, offering a novel perspective on their combined impact on technology acceptance. The inclusion of these factors enhances the model’s applicability in understanding user behaviour in the adoption of technology, specifically in the e-grocery sector.