The impact of work from home on the adoption of smart home technology and the mediating effect of personal innovativeness

Purpose While work from home has become firmly established in recent years, many office employees are working from home in an inadequate work environment. The sudden need to work from home caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to quickly adopt technologies. At the same time, smart home technologies from different application areas offer a variety of opportunities to support working and living at home. However, the potential of smart home technologies still falls short of expectations. This study aims to analyse the influence of work from home on smart home technology adoption and the mediating effect of personal innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study uses data from n = 660 office employees. Based on the theoretical background of task−technology fit theory, data are analysed using a regression and mediation analysis. Findings The results show a positive influence of work from home on smart home technology adoption. This effect is also partly mediated by personal innovativeness. The findings offer a variety of implications for facility management, project developers and public policy engaged in future housing development. Originality/value The study offers initial empirical results of the combined impact of work from home and personal innovativeness on smart home technology adoption.