Co-creating value through IoT technologies: the influence of information-sharing processes on consumer behaviour change

Following developments in integrated computing and networking that have led to the emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies (Coughlan et al., 2012), the relationship between such devices and human behaviour has recently become a prominent research topic in the fields of social sciences and marketing. This is not surprising given that the IoT market is estimated to exceed $7 trillion in value by 2020 (Pennington, 2015) and IoT technologies are increasingly developed for consumer applications (e.g. smart home). Given that IoT devices will continue to play an important role in individuals’ lives, the need to achieve a better understanding of how consumers interact with, and are influenced by them, becomes imperative.