Consumer Trust, Effort Expectancy Dimensions, and AI Service Robot Adoption: Refining the AIDUA Model in an Emerging Market
Sarah Tsitsi Jembere, Nkululeko PraiseGod Zungu, Stanley Chibuzor Onwubu · Journal of International Consumer Marketing · 2026
This study validates and refines the Artificial Intelligence Device Use Acceptance (AIDUA) model within the South African hospitality sector. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, we analyzed survey data from 301 respondents with structural equation modeling and integrated qualitative insights from two focus groups and two follow-up interviews . Results confirm key AIDUA pathways and reveal culturally embedded dynamics shaping consumer acceptance of Artificial Intelligence Service Robots (AISRs). Trust is the strongest predictor of behavioral intention; yet reflects a context-specific trust paradox shaped by collectivist values. Effort expectancy is reconceptualized into time-based and intellectual dimensions, both shaped by infrastructural constraints. Anthropomorphism enhances acceptance when culturally aligned. Qualitative findings highlight employment concerns, privacy tensions, and Ubuntu-informed collective reasoning adoption decisions. The study refines AIDUA by demonstrating that AISR acceptance in emerging markets is socially, culturally, and infrastructurally embedded, offering implications for deployment strategies and future longitudinal validation. Practical guidance for managers and policymakers are provided.