5.4.3 Analyzing
As the online observations were conducted in a blind peer review inspired manner, the analysis of the observations begun with the comparison of the obtained results. In other words, the results obtained by each researcher were compared in order to see whether there was any difference in the findings, and their possible significance. In practice, the figures of the observed six factors from the month of May in 2017, 2018 and 2019 were held up against each other, which resulted in the finding of a very small difference in the figures.
This difference was found in the number of posts using a filter, which can be argued as being a challenging estimation to make from the researcher’s point of view, as filters used to modify tones and colors on pictures can be difficult to observe. Nevertheless, out of the 923 fashion posts, a total of 5 percent of the posts were not assessed as using a filter by both researchers. After the comparison of the findings, they were put into a table to visualize the results and the development that has occurred during the observed years.
6 Findings & Analysis of Expert Interviews
In this chapter the findings derived from the primary data collection done by expert interviews will be presented and analyzed in the context of the chosen theoretical
framework TAM. Thus, this first part of the analysis focuses solely on the findings related to the themes related to TAM, while findings related to the key concepts will be discussed in the next chapter.
6.1.1 Embeddedness
A factor that emerged as an important influencer concerning the perceived usefulness of technology among interviewees was the embeddedness of technology. Embeddedness in this context refers to technology’s ability to blend in the users’ daily life. More specifically, as the fashion industry already has a well-established technological aspect (online stores, Instagram links, etc.), new technology needs to be able to blend into the existing processes in fashion.
The expert in FashTech, Josefine, explained the importance of embeddedness as: “... so if technology should be implemented and users should accept it, it should be done smoothly.
So that it slowly becomes a part of our daily life.”
Moreover, an aspect of embeddedness that came up within the interview with the same expert, was the significance of technology being embedded in existing processes without necessarily telling about it to the users. In other words, technology will be accepted by users by blending it in existing processes without specifically informing users about it. As the interviewee explained: “(...) they (fashion consumers) do not think about all these things, i.e.
the implementation of technology in fashion. It's not something they think about, all of a sudden, we start buying all our clothes online or we only buy our clothes via Instagram and some such stuff. It is such a development that one does not associate with technology, because it is such an implemented part of our everyday lives.” The social media expert interviewee confirmed this argument by also highlighting the current processes of users accepting technology on social media by simply getting aware of, for instance, new features on the social media platforms, and then beginning to use these, without any information per se.
Also, supporting the statement concerning technology embeddedness, the expert interviewee within technology, Morten, explained that in order for technology to be accepted by users, it not only needs to be embedded in the process, but also in the tool - meaning existing online web shop or app: “I also know from previous work is like, it's impossible to get people to download an app for one single purpose. You need to have
multiple purposes to have like, have people to download an app or something really specific, like plane tickets or whatnot.” In other words, creating an app or a single web shop to serve only one purpose is not likely to be perceived as useful by users or consumers.
Adding to the previous comment, the same interviewee further explained the importance of embedding technology to familiar platforms: “that was a quick learning from, a huge
learning for us that yes you can do things, that is, in the future, but if you really want to scale, then it needs to be at the level on which people can already engage with it through the platform, which they already are on.”
Finally, what emerged from the interviews was the fact that users tend to be unaware of using technology, which also supports the importance of embeddedness as a factor influencing the perceived usefulness of technology. The technology expert interviewee, Morten, said: “... a lot of people don't even know that they actually are working with augmented reality. Again, but everything that's in Snapchat or TikTok, or like Instagram is augmented reality”.
6.1.2 Newness
Another factor that appeared as influential concerning perceived usefulness of technology among users was the newness of technology. Newness refers to the novelty of the
technology, or to new features of already existing technology. The importance of newness was highlighted especially in the context of how users utilize and adapt towards social media, where new features e.g. face filters and polls are introduced at a fast pace making the users also request for them - and value them.
In the context of technology and technology features on social media, in fashion, the expert interviewee within fashion, Kim Felecia, explained that: “it needs to go extremely fast all the time and you need to invent new and new and new all the time”. This statement highlights the significance of newness as a factor when it comes to the degree of usefulness users perceive a technology of having.
Furthermore, the same interviewee raised the discussion around users of technology becoming easily bored with technology - thus, also supporting the importance of newness:
“(...) that type of heavy consumer, they will get bored too fast because they need that drug, they need that ongoing drug.” Users becoming easily bored of technology appear in the interviews both in the context of social media, but also when the interviewees were asked about the Digital Collection by Carlings. The technology and the concept of the Digital Collection was not seen as new enough, or more specifically it was not seen as maintaining the “newness” status for long, as Kim Felecia explained: “(...) if I really tried to put myself into that mind, I would be bored really fast as that person.”
6.1.3 Added value
The third factor that arose from the expert interviews was the added value of the technology. The added value factor refers to the actual functions or features that the technology enables its users. In other words, in the context of this study, technology needs to have actual value in terms of usage - it needs to improve or add on in some way to the users’ daily life, or in fashion consumption in order to be perceived as useful.
As the interviewed technology expert, Morten, said: “With my background and everything, I’ve learned so many times (that) when you're actually adding to people's behavior, it will work. When you try to change something just for the (sake of) changing it, it doesn't work.
It's like, make tools, not rules.” The FashTech expert, Josefine, also added that: “I have a feeling that there are people that see it as being exciting, but again, only if it’s something that can help them in a very concrete way.”
Similar types of comments emerged when talking about possible new technologies such as virtual fitting rooms and the use of AI in custom fitting clothes, for instance. The FashTech expert, Josefine, discussed the use of AI and different algorithms helping people get the best out their closet, but also custom fitting new ones: “The type of thing that I also think will be seen a lot more, are the type to both man and women, where people can get help to use some of the clothes that they already own (combine differently), or get help to figure out what they need (new clothes), and what fits best one’s style.”
These comments highlight again the fact that technology in the context of fashion is saturated to the extent that unless a new technology really adds something to the existing process of buying clothes, it most likely will not be accepted by users. This said, what the interviewed experts suggested was that in order for technology to be accepted in the studied context, it needs to add something concrete - a concrete function or value - to the users processes of buying clothes or daily lives.
6.1.4 Analysis of PU and Found Factors
Based on the four expert interviews, three factors emerged as important and influential concerning the perceived usefulness of technology. As the focus of the interviews was not on any specific technology, the answers and thus the emerged factors are not technology specific. In other words, the factors that were mentioned could be seen evolving more around general aspects of technology instead of being specific features such as menus, icons, or other system features. In addition to the lack of a specific technology focus, what can be argued to have an influence in the emerged factors is the current state of FashTech and the emotional aspect of the industry. Since current technology in fashion is well established and used, the importance of technology adding value arose within most of the interviews. The significance of technology having a concrete function and adding something to users’ behavior was mentioned several times during interviews. Also, adding to the current processes in place of fashion, it became obvious that not only should technology add value to the users to be seen as useful, but it should also be embedded in the right way.
This became evident when interviewees mentioned existing digital platforms, but also the fact that users do not value technology that only serves one single purpose. In this sense, embeddedness referred to technology being implemented into either existing, familiar platforms or online services, or a new app being implemented into an existing fashion process. Finally, newness of technology was assessed as an important factor concerning the usefulness of technology, especially in the studied context, as newness is desired both in the context of fashion and social media. Due to the fact that there is constantly new fashion available and promoted to consumers, but also new features on social media platforms for social media users, technology within the studied context also needs to have a “newness
factor”. In other words, based on the expert interviews, perceived newness or even trendiness has value to the users, and thus influences the users’ perceived usefulness of technology.