Techno-Ready Marketing | The Technology Readiness Index (TRI)

Research by Parasuraman and Colby shows that technology readiness (TR) is a key factor in the adoption of innovative products and services. TR refers to the propensity to adopt and embrace technology in home life or work. It reflects a set of beliefs about technology and is not an indicator of competence. TR is highly predictive of the speed of technology adoption and level of usage of technology in consumer households and organizations. TR is multifaceted, with some factors being contributors and some factors behing inhibitors.

Optimism: The degree to which one believes in the inherent benefits of cutting edge technology, such as offering convenience, time flexibility, mobility and stimulation.
Innovativeness: The tendency to experiment with new technology, including gathering information and influencing others.

The inhibitors include:

Discomfort: A perceived lack control over technology, including a desire for assistance and a preference for simplicity.
Insecurity: Concern about the safety, security and privacy of technology, as well as a need for assurance that it is working properly.

The four dimensions are relatively independent. In other words, one can simulteneously harbor both positive and negative feelings about technology.

The TRI is an index for measuring technology readiness. It uses a series of belief statements in a survey to quantify an individual's overall level of technology receptiveness, and is a key tool in the study of technology adoption. The book Techno-Ready Marketing includes sample questions from the TRI and allows readers to norm themselves against the general population in the U.S. Use of the scale, which is also known as Techqual™, requires a license from Rockbridge Associates, Inc. Scholars may contact the authors and obtain a free license for research of a non-consulting nature. Commercial users are required to pay a fee for use.

How Techno-Ready are you? Try an abbreviated version of the TRI to get a sense of the flavor of the questions in the scale.

The Technology Readiness Index (or Techqual™)