Acceso usuarios
Liu Fagang, Juan Francisco Prados Castillo, José Manuel Guaita Martínez 
Objective: This study examines the factors influencing cohousing adoption as a sustainable investment strategy among Chinese cooperatives. It addresses the lack of empirical evidence on the adoption of cohousing projects by cooperatives in China, where such initiatives remain less explored than in Western contexts.
Methodology: This research integrates the extended unified theory of adoption and use of technology (UTAUT2) with risk theory and trust theory to analyse how the constructs of these models (i.e., performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, habit, perceived risk, and perceived trust) affect adoption intention. Data from 102 cooperatives were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Results: Habit (collaboration experience) and hedonic motivation (emotional enjoyment) significantly influence cohousing project adoption intention. Traditional predictors (perceived risk and trust) have non-significant effects. These findings indicate that cohousing adoption is driven by emotional and experiential factors rather than functional ones. The findings refine the UTAUT2 by showing that emotional and experiential factors dominate rational predictors in early adoption.
Limitations: The sample’s predominant focus on technology and energy cooperatives, the cross-sectional study design, and the lack of qualitative data are limitations. Future research should use qualitative approaches and sector-sensitive analyses to explain non-significant predictors and explore contextual moderators of adoption.
Practical implications: From a marketing perspective, this study emphasises the role of emotion, community experience, and organisational familiarity in promoting cohousing. It highlights the need for policies and networks supporting pilot initiatives to build trust.
