Smart Locker System Acceptance for Rural Last-Mile Delivery

Abstract

This study is a typical Information and Communications Technologies for Development (ICT4D) initiative that aims to bridge digital divides i.e. the gap between technological ‘haves' and ‘have nots' based on geographic locations. This study proposes the use of smart locker systems that are opened by pin codes, mobile applications, mobile USSDs, or RFID tags. These lockers will be placed at secure centres in rural areas e.g. hospitals or police stations and be used for the collection of parcels. Currently, most rural areas are under-serviced by logistics service providers as they do not have good roads and address systems. Anchoring on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this paper analyses attributes that affect a customer's intention to accept and use smart locker systems as a last-mile delivery method. The study has 56 voluntary participants from Gqala village (Eastern Cape, South Africa) who were divided into focus groups for interviews to be conducted. The data collected was coded and themes were identified, of the themes identified the strongest six are presented in this paper as propositions. These results highlighted some critical determinants of technology acceptance and use that are not reflected in the UTAUT. This study then also presents a modification of the UTAUT which the enhanced unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (EUTAUT) is coined from. The research work presented in this paper is transdisciplinary, hence, enriches the literature on information and communication technology (ICT), logistics, retail, e-commerce as well as psychology (human behaviour towards new technology)