A Comparative Analysis of Resistance Across Two Digital Technologies

Abstract

Research on innovation resistance has revealed various barriers to the use of digital technologies. However, these studies are typically constrained to siloed perspectives, which prevent comparisons between digital technologies. Therefore, this paper is an initial attempt to explore barriers to adoption across two digital technologies of recent years: generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and distributed ledger technology (DLT). To critically assess the continued applicability of Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) in relation to these two digital technologies, we analyze a dataset containing over 38,000 Reddit comments. Notably, we identify functional, psychological, and environmental barriers pertaining to both digital technologies, thus enabling us to propose an extension to IRT. Our insights contribute to a better understanding of the adoption of complex digital technologies by uncovering both unique and shared barriers. Thus, this work goes beyond mere absence of adoption factors and can inform the design of digital technologies and organizational adoption management strategies.