Wearable technology and consumer interaction: A systematic review and research agenda

There has been exponential growth is the use of wearable technology, and these are now considered to be of critical importance in certain consumer goods and services sectors, including healthcare. However, research on this topic remains fragmented, and the approaches to aid its study and enhance the understanding of how these technologies are used and its implications for the future have not yet been delimited. Thus, this study aims at identifying the different trends and themes prevailing in the literature on wearable technology. Through a systematic literature review, using bibliometric analysis, we identify five themes: i) Wearable technology decision-making; ii) Wearable technology well-being; iii) Wearable technology consumer behavior; iv) Wearable technology utility, and v) Wearable technology and big data analytics. Our analysis of the review data suggests that despite being multi-disciplinary, there is a lack of integration between this research field's micro and macro perspectives. This lack of integration and dialogue has led to several disconnected constructed terminologies, overlapping research questions, studies that are not based on appropriate results, fragmentation, and mixing or confusion of different theories. The study articulates key questions that could drive future research on wearables and consumer interaction.

Automated summary

The study reveals a lack of integration between the micro and macro perspectives in the field of wearable technology research, leading to fragmentation and confusion. Future research could focus on promoting dialogue and integration between these two perspectives to drive research on wearables and consumer interaction.