Exploring the factors impacting the intention to use metaverse in the manufacturing industry through the lens of unified technology acceptance theory

This study accordingly explores the factors impacting the adoption of a metaverse in the manufacturing industry and develops a new model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance (UTAT). Gender, age, and education were control variables. 235 questionnaire responses from employees of Malaysian manufacturing firms were collected through convenience sampling techniques and analyzed by Smart-PLS software. The findings reveal effort expectancy, perceived risk, and perceived technology accuracy have a significant relationship with intention to use a metaverse. Moreover, attitude to use evidenced mediating with perceived risk, perceived technology accuracy and intention to use a metaverse. The control variables did not evidence any impact on the intention to use a metaverse. This study provides insights to metaverse technology developers and manufacturing practitioners to explore and focus on the factors impacting the adoption of a metaverse in the manufacturing industry, as well as theoretical contributions for academia to progress further.