The defense will take place on Friday, February 28th, at 13:15 in TemCas, TEMA-huset, Floor 2.
Abstract of the Thesis
The energy transition has underscored the importance of consumer engagement in visualizing future power grids, commonly referred to as smart grids. However, the dynamics of consumer engagement in these grids are not well understood, especially considering the increasing influence of smart service providers. These providers digitalize consumer engagement by leveraging smart technologies to offer services, thereby complicating the consumer engagement process, particularly through automated service functionalities.
This licentiate thesis explores the role of smart service providers in digitalizing consumer engagement within smart grids. Using a case study approach, this qualitative and interpretive research investigates two service providers in Sweden. By employing methods such as interviews, observation, tweet analysis, document review, and literature analysis, the thesis addresses three key questions: the characteristics of smart technologies, the actions taken by service providers to enhance engagement potential, and the challenges of consumer engagement from the perspective of smart service providers.
The thesis concludes that digitalizing consumer engagement involves various initiatives from service providers, in addition to the characteristics of smart technologies that enable service delivery. It also proposes a definition of digitalized consumer engagement, focusing on delegation and supervision, as service providers encourage consumers to configure and monitor smart services via provided technologies.
The practical contributions of this research provide insights for smart service providers on designing smart technologies and strategies to boost consumer engagement. The theoretical contributions expand the understanding of consumer engagement, framing it as a dynamic, co-constructed process shaped by the sociotechnical roles of service providers and the delegation of tasks to smart technologies.
