Evaluation of knowledge-driven virtual counselors framework to provide automotive troubleshooting advice

To make the conventional UTAUT2 framework applicable to the automotive troubleshooting service field and knowledge-driven virtual counselor technologies, this study integrates features of perceived value theory, including perceived safety, privacy hazards, cognitive, self-expressive, and uniqueness advantages, specific to the environment of virtual counselors and automotive troubleshooting service into the original framework. Furthermore, the framework is examined through the on/off-line investigation conducted in collaboration with several enterprises in the automotive after-sales service market, where a total of 436 comments are collected. The results reveal that the intent of process utilization is differs from the intent of advice utilization and is motivated by diverse perceived advantages. Although the utility advantage is the most significant factor in predicting process and advice two utilizations, the findings also emphasize the important role of cognitive and self-expression advantages, which are often ignored in the literature discussing technology utilization. In addition, the proposed framework denotes that the belief in the VC acts as a vital mediator in the utilization of both process and advice. Also, it can be utilized as a foundation for many aspects of the knowledge-driven platform application. Eventually, the feasible advices are presented for stakeholders in the automotive industry and concepts for further study.