Title: Cross-cultural understanding of robotics - exploring the East-West divide

Authors: Jean-Paul Peronard

Addresses: AU Herning, Aarhus University, Birk Centerpark 15, DK-7400 Herning, Denmark

Abstract: This article aims to improve our understanding of how people in a healthcare context adopt robot technology and, in particular, the importance of culture in this process. The adoption of technology can be problematic when transferring technology from one culture to another. Differences in values and beliefs about robotics can affect the motivation for as well as the practice of using robotics in healthcare. Therefore, this paper seeks to develop a deeper theoretical understanding of the cultural impact on robotics adoption by using a cross-cultural perspective to explain variation in priorities and discuss possible guidelines to help build a strategy for introducing robotics into a culture's healthcare sector and broaden the current agenda in international technology marketing.

Keywords: cross-cultural understanding; healthcare robotics; marketing; healthcare technology; robot technology; technology adoption; cultural impact; culture; international technology marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2013.051969

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2013 Vol.8 No.1, pp.24 - 43

Received: 03 Apr 2012
Accepted: 19 Oct 2012
Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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