Understanding elderly users’ adoption of green smart home appliances in urban Pakistan: an extension of the UTAUT framework

Purpose This study aims to investigate the determinants of green smart home appliances (Green-SHAs) adoption among elderly residents in urban Pakistan. Using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) framework, this research examines the key factors influencing their behavioral intention to adopt sustainable technologies. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 324 senior citizens from urban Pakistan was selected using purposive sampling. The data was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 software. Findings The analysis indicates that compatibility (COM) and reachability (RCH) are significant predictors of behavioral intention (BI) toward Green-SHAs among senior citizens. Furthermore, effort expectancy (EE) and performance expectancy (PE) substantially influence BI, whereas facilitating conditions (FC) and social influence (SI) do not exhibit a significant impact. Additionally, environmental knowledge (EK) plays a crucial role in adoption, while personal innovativeness (PI) does not have a notable effect. The findings also confirm that BI strongly predicts actual usage behavior (UB) of Green-SHAs among the elderly. Research limitations/implications This study offers significant insights into Green-SHAs adoption among Pakistan’s elderly population, contributing to the existing literature while acknowledging limitations. The cross-sectional design, although effective for capturing current trends, restricts causal inference and longitudinal analysis. Furthermore, the Pakistan-focused approach, while providing valuable local insights, limits the generalizability of findings to other developing countries with unique cultural, economic and regulatory contexts. Practical implications This study extends the UTAUT framework by identifying crucial predictors of Green-SHAs adoption in developing economies, thereby addressing a notable gap in understanding sustainable technology acceptance among urban elderly populations. The findings provide valuable insights for industry practitioners and policymakers. Specifically, practitioners can develop user-centric and accessible Green-SHAs, while policymakers can implement targeted interventions, including financial incentives, digital literacy programs and infrastructure improvements. Originality/value This study pioneers the application of the UTAUT model to examine Green-SHAs adoption among senior citizens in Pakistan, addressing a notable demographic and regional gap in the literature. By integrating personal and technology-specific factors into the UTAUT framework, this research offers a unique analytical perspective on technology adoption in collectivist, developing contexts.