The psychological factors that influence successful technology adoption in the oil and gas industry

Abstract

To ensure that the full potential of innovative technology is maximised, it is crucial to understand the psychological factors that influence technology adoption in all industrial consumers. The oil and gas (O&G) industry exemplifies industrial consumers’ reluctance to adopt new technology. Our critical incident interviews identified the key psychological factors that influence technology adoption in the O&G industry. These were personality (innovativeness and risk aversion), attitudes (trust, motivations, “not invented here” syndrome and “engineering mindset”), social (subjective norms and self-image), cognitive (risk perception, uncertainty and familiarity, expertise, and previous experiences) and organizational level factors (leadership, management, organisational culture, adoption culture, and rewards system). In combination with future case studies, these results can be used to develop interventions that support the successful introduction and acceptance of new technology not only in O&G but in other high-risk sectors.