Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Adopting Industry 4.0 technologies across sectors is critical for enhancing operational efficiency and competitiveness. However, empirical studies on the determinants of such adoption have yielded inconsistent results. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Technolog...

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Main Authors: Wenxuan Zou, Siu-Shing Man, Wenbo Hu, Shuzhang Zhou, Hoi-Shou (Alan) Chan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/9/4866
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author Wenxuan Zou
Siu-Shing Man
Wenbo Hu
Shuzhang Zhou
Hoi-Shou (Alan) Chan
author_facet Wenxuan Zou
Siu-Shing Man
Wenbo Hu
Shuzhang Zhou
Hoi-Shou (Alan) Chan
author_sort Wenxuan Zou
collection DOAJ
description Adopting Industry 4.0 technologies across sectors is critical for enhancing operational efficiency and competitiveness. However, empirical studies on the determinants of such adoption have yielded inconsistent results. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Technology Acceptance Model and its extensions. A total of 47 empirical studies were extracted from five academic databases and included in the meta-analysis. The findings confirmed that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and social influence (SI) significantly and positively influenced behavioral intention (BI) toward adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. Among them, PU exhibits the strongest correlation with BI (r = 0.528), followed by PEOU (r = 0.469) and SI (r = 0.487). Subgroup analyses based on geographical region, organization size, and sector showed consistent significance in effect sizes, although moderating effects across subgroups were not statistically significant. The findings of this study contributed to the literature with an in-depth understanding of the acceptance of Industry 4.0 technologies in various sectors and how moderators influence the acceptance. Practically, the findings provided evidence-based guidance for policymakers, technology developers, and business leaders to tailor adoption strategies and foster digital transformation across sectors.
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spelling doaj-art-c5eb7796c2cd4f4e8ada45dcd6cd36102025-08-20T02:24:47ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-04-01159486610.3390/app15094866Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisWenxuan Zou0Siu-Shing Man1Wenbo Hu2Shuzhang Zhou3Hoi-Shou (Alan) Chan4School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaShenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518060, ChinaSchool of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaShenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518060, ChinaAdopting Industry 4.0 technologies across sectors is critical for enhancing operational efficiency and competitiveness. However, empirical studies on the determinants of such adoption have yielded inconsistent results. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Technology Acceptance Model and its extensions. A total of 47 empirical studies were extracted from five academic databases and included in the meta-analysis. The findings confirmed that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and social influence (SI) significantly and positively influenced behavioral intention (BI) toward adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. Among them, PU exhibits the strongest correlation with BI (r = 0.528), followed by PEOU (r = 0.469) and SI (r = 0.487). Subgroup analyses based on geographical region, organization size, and sector showed consistent significance in effect sizes, although moderating effects across subgroups were not statistically significant. The findings of this study contributed to the literature with an in-depth understanding of the acceptance of Industry 4.0 technologies in various sectors and how moderators influence the acceptance. Practically, the findings provided evidence-based guidance for policymakers, technology developers, and business leaders to tailor adoption strategies and foster digital transformation across sectors.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/9/4866Industry 4.0 technologiestechnology acceptance modelsystematic reviewmeta-analysis
spellingShingle Wenxuan Zou
Siu-Shing Man
Wenbo Hu
Shuzhang Zhou
Hoi-Shou (Alan) Chan
Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Applied Sciences
Industry 4.0 technologies
technology acceptance model
systematic review
meta-analysis
title Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
title_full Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
title_fullStr Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
title_short Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
title_sort factors influencing the acceptance of industry 4 0 technologies in various sectors a systematic review and meta analysis
topic Industry 4.0 technologies
technology acceptance model
systematic review
meta-analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/9/4866
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