Marketing & Sales Research Seminar “Autonomous products & consumer well-being” by T. SCHLAGER – HEC Lausanne

Speakers: Tobias SCHLAGER
HEC Lausanne

Date and Location – Thursday June 3rd 2021 from 13:00 to 13:00 on Zoom

ABSTRACT

Autonomous products are able to complete tasks by themselves. Their ability to save time has emerged as central benefit of this novel class of products. Drawing on theory on the link between time and well-being, we hypothesize that using these products to outsource one’s daily chores can indeed contribute to happiness. Six field and experimental studies (N=31,675) show that using autonomous products increases consumer well-being. The effect of autonomous products on well-being is driven by reduced feelings of time stress and guilt, and is moderated by the perceived human-likeness of the autonomous product. With the increasing popularity of autonomous products, our studies provide foundational evidence for the understanding of how these products can contribute to consumer well-being.