A synthesised literature review of technology-based services: towards a paradoxical perspective on consumer-technology interactions

Technology-based services (TBSs) are evolving, leading to paradoxes in consumer-technology interactions. This study revisits TBSs through a scoping review to define their scope and types (Study 1) and a literature synthesis to identify key paradoxes and tensions (Study 2). Our findings reveal three types of TBSs: Facilitative, Platform and Active. The study further highlights the intensifying technology paradoxes related to performing, organising, and belonging. The paradoxes begin with individual consumer’s performance concerns in Facilitative TBSs, extend to relational dynamics among consumer crowds connected by Platform TBSs, and culminate in collective reflections on meaning and belongingness within human groups interacting with Active TBSs. Based on the findings, our review contributes to the literature with a paradoxical view and an updated configuration of TBSs. The findings are captured in three testable propositions which serve as a basis for further investigation. Additionally, we propose a three-step research agenda, emphasising future research directions on measurements, interrelations and contextual salience of paradoxical interactions.