Consumer Resistance to Innovation: A Literature Review and Prospects

Zhu Zhenzhong, Zhang Xin, Jiao Yihan

Foreign Economics & Management Vol. 39, Issue 05, pp. 19 - 32 (2017)  DOI:10.16538/j.cnki.fem.2017.05.002

Abstract

Consumer resistance to innovation is a negative reaction towards innovation because of general predisposition of consumers to resist innovations prior to new product evaluation, or an attitudinal outcome that follows an unfavorable new product evaluation. As a major factor of hindering innovation adoption, consumer resistance to innovation is a rapidly developing research field in the marketing discipline in recent years. Based on a literature review, this paper introduces the concept and types of consumer resistance to innovation, discusses influencing factors and consequences from the perspectives of active and passive resistance to innovation, and states overcoming strategies for consumer resistance to innovation. Then it puts forward future research directions.

Keywords

consumer resistance to innovation; functional barrier; psychological barrier; inclination to resist changes; status quo satisfaction