The adoption and continued usage intention of RFID: an integrated framework

Influencing factors and improvement paths of manufacturing innovation performance: Configuration analysis based on TOE framework

Innovation is the first driving force to lead development, how to improve manufacturing innovation performance has become a hot topic. Based on 47 listed companies in the computer, communication and other electronic equipment manufacturing industry in the A-share market, this paper adopted the Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the influencing factors of technology, organization and environment on the innovation performance of manufacturing industry and the improvement path. The findings are as follows: (1) A single condition is not a necessary condition for high innovation performance in manufacturing industry, but government support plays a key role in improving innovation performance in manufacturing industry. (2) There are two improvement paths for high innovation performance in manufacturing industry, which are specifically explained as "technology-environment dual improvement path" and "technology-organization-environment collaborative improvement path". (3) The improvement of innovation performance in the manufacturing industry is the result of multiple factors, showing the characteristics of "all paths lead to the same destination". Different manufacturing enterprises have different paths to improve innovation performance based on their actual conditions. Based on these findings, this study may provide some implications for the effective improvement of manufacturing innovation performance.

A framework for adopting gamified learning systems in smart schools during COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID 19 has increased the anxiety and stress among teachers and students. This has increased the need for gamified learning systems (GLS) to make the educational process more attractive and increase the engagement as well as the participation of all stakeholders. The use of GLS in teaching and learning has not been deployed effectively in the educational systems in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of using GLS in Iraqi smart schools. Building on the literature, a framework of GLS is proposed. Data used in this study were collected from 394 teachers and managerial staff in Iraqi smart schools and analysed using Partial Least Square. The findings showed that individuals and organizations are important predictors of using GLS, and their effects on BI are mediated by satisfaction. Readiness and performance expectancy are critical for adopting and using GLS by smart schools. In addition, the findings showed that gamification and self-efficacy are moderating variables. Important implications of the predictability of GLS using a combination of theories as well as the practical suggestions for decision makers to enhance the adoption of GLS among smart schools in Iraq are discussed. In the time of COVID-19, decision makers have suggested increasing gamification features of teaching and learning to reduce anxiety and achieve a better learning process.

Adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies by organizations: a maturity levels perspective

This study employs a structured literature analysis considering Industry 4.0 technologies and their adoption stages (intention, adoption, implementation, routinization, continuance, and diffusion). We identify the technology adoption stage for each technology type, which in turn supports a maturity level categorization, as well as future research suggestions and challenging open research questions. By considering an integrated view of all the adoption stages of Industry 4.0 key technologies, we reveal the key technologies and their development stages, as well as a novel maturity level categorization perspective. The proposed categorization brings valuable research insights in the form of guidelines for practitioners and decision-makers interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the maturity level of key Industry 4.0 technologies.

An Evaluation of Key Adoption Factors towards Using the Fog Technology

Fog technology is one of the recent improvements in cloud technology that is designed to reduce some of its drawbacks. Fog technology architecture is often widely distributed to minimize the time required for data processing and enable Internet of Things (IoT) innovations. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the main factors that might influence the adoption of fog technology. This paper offers a combined framework that addresses fog technology adoption based on the technology adoption perspective, which has been comprehensively researched in the information systems discipline. The proposed integrated framework combines the technology acceptance model (TAM) and diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory to develop a holistic perspective on the adoption of fog technology. The factors that might affect the adoption of fog technology are analyzed from the results of an online survey in 43 different organizations across a wide range of industries. These factors are observed based on data collected from 216 participants, including professional IT staff and senior business executives. This analysis was conducted by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The research results identified nine factors with a statistically significant impact on the adoption of fog technology, and these factors included relative advantage, compatibility, awareness, cost-effectiveness, security, infrastructure, ease of use, usefulness, and location. The findings from this research offer insight to organizations looking to implement fog technology to enable IoT and tap into the digital transformation opportunities presented by this new digital economy.

A Fuzzy Multicriteria Group Decision Making Approach for Evaluating and Selecting Fintech Projects

The use of financial technologies (Fintech) has increased recently due to their support to financial institutions in managing their financial operations and achieving competitive advantages. Even though there are several benefits with Fintech development and implementation, selecting the most suitable Fintech project can be complex. This is due to the involvement of numerous decision makers, the conflicting nature of multiple evaluation criteria, and fuzzy data derived from imprecise judgments of qualitative performance ratings. Interval-valued based intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are used to deal with the inherent vagueness and imprecision of the evaluation process. An algorithm based on an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy weighted geometric (IIFWG) and the concept of ideal solutions is developed. As a result, the most suitable Fintech project alternative can be selected across all evaluation criteria. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, a Fintech project selection problem is presented.

The Effective Factors on Continuity of Corporate Information Security Management: Based on TOE Framework

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, data-based business management activities among enterprises proliferated are mainly based on digital transformation. In this change, the information security system and its operation are emphasized as essential business activities of enterprises the research aims to verify the relationship among the influence factors of corporate information security management based on the TOE framework. This study analyzes the effects of technical, organizational, and environmental factors on the intention, strengthening, and continuity of information security management. To this, a survey was conducted on professional individuals who are working in areas related to information security in organizations, and 107 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. According to major results of the analysis on adopted hypotheses. In results, as to the intention of information security management, organization and environment factors were influential. In the other side, technology and environment factors were affected to the strengthening of information security management. Hence this study pointed out that the environmental factors are most significant for the information security administration of an organization. In addition, it turned out that the strengthening of information security management was influential on the continuity of information security management more significantly than the intention of information security management.

Cognitive Dissonance in Technology Adoption: A Study of Smart Home Users

This study aims to address a research gap related to the outcomes of the use of technology when the performance falls short of initial expectations, and the coping mechanisms that users may deploy in such circumstances. By adopting Cognitive Dissonance Theory, the objectives of the study are a) to examine how dissonance, caused by the negative disconfirmation of expectations, may translate into a positive outcome and b) study how negative emotions, such as anger, guilt and regret, determine the selection of the mechanism to reduce dissonance. The theorised model was tested using a cross-sectional research design and a sample of 387 smart home users. The focus on smart home users fitted the objectives of the study due to the high expectations that users form and the challenges that the utilisation of technology sometimes causes. The collected data was analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings indicate that post-disconfirmation dissonance induces feelings of anger, guilt and regret, correlating with dissonance reduction mechanisms, which in turn have a distinctive effect on satisfaction and wellbeing. The findings of the study contribute to the discussion on expectation-disconfirmation and cognitive dissonance, by illustrating the interrelationship between emotional, cognitive and behavioural factors following the evaluation of technology performance and confirming that negative disconfirmation may result in satisfaction.

Integration of TTF and network externalities for RFID adoption in healthcare industry

Purpose

Despite the extensive adoption of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology across many industry supply chains, the extent of adoption in healthcare is far behind the earlier expectation. The purpose of this study is to better understand the current RFID adoption in healthcare by looking beyond the existing body of work using both the task-technology fit (TTF) framework and network externalities theories.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey is employed in this study, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique is used to test the hypotheses of the proposed model.

Findings

The findings are twofold. First, both TTF and network externalities exert a positive impact on the RFID adoption in the healthcare sector; and second, no synergistic effect can be found between these two for further increasing the adoption. This is different from what the extant research found on other technology adoptions across various supply chains.

Originality/value

This paper provides contributions to both researchers and practitioners. For researchers, this study enriches the body of knowledge of RFID adoption by being the first to apply the network externalities and TTF theories to predict the adoption of RFID in healthcare. For healthcare practitioners, to make the RFID adoption easier and more effective, any initial applications of RFID tools should be centered on those for which there is a more natural application. Further, for those who propose an RFID adoption should start with a product that has a sizable adoption community; this may help persuade senior management to make the adoption decision.

Exploring Mobile Terminal Continuance Usage from Customer Value Perspective

With the large-scale growth of mobile terminal users, exploring their continuance use behavior attracts wide attention. However, there is insufficient research on user psychological states in different hierarchy models towards continuance use of a mobile terminal. This study advanced a mediation model of continuance use of a mobile terminal with a moderator based on expectation confirmation theory from the perspective of customer value dimension. Data were collected in China, and 311 samples were used to examine the hypotheses provided from the research model with the partial least squares structural equation modeling method. The empirical results indicate that perceived usefulness positively influences continuance use of a mobile terminal, and perceived usefulness positively influences satisfaction and in turn impacts on continuance use of a mobile terminal. Specially, there is a significant mediating effect of attitude loyalty between satisfaction and continuance use of a mobile terminal. Moreover, the results also verify that mobility negatively moderates the relationship between attitude loyalty and continuance use of a mobile terminal. Our findings suggest that user psychological states are in different levels to reflect mobile terminal user value during the process of continuance use of a mobile terminal. Moreover, our findings indicate the boundary condition in continuance use of a mobile terminal.

Firms’ continuance intention on SaaS use – an empirical study

Purpose

Although studies have investigated reasons for software as a service (SaaS) adoption, it is unclear how firm-level SaaS use impacts future SaaS intentions. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model that integrates the technology-organization-environment framework, institutional theory, diffusion-of-innovation theory and the opportunity-risk framework to analyze the drivers of SaaS use and its continuance intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors evaluated the direct, moderating and mediating effects of determinants on SaaS continuance intentions using structural equation modeling and data from 301 firms.

Findings

Results found that top management support and normative pressures influenced SaaS use. Cost saving and security concerns were direct predictors of perceived opportunities and perceived risks, respectively. Perceived opportunities and risks and actual SaaS use influenced SaaS continuance. Interestingly, perceived opportunities were found to be a negative moderator on the relationship between SaaS use and SaaS continuance.

Originality/value

The results reveal insightful and controversial findings for SaaS research.

Openness, ICT and entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how information and communication technology (ICT) influences openness to improve the conditions of doing business in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected for the period 2000-2012. ICT is proxied with internet and mobile phone penetration rates whereas openness is measured in terms of financial and trade globalisation. Ten indicators of doing business are used, namely: cost of business start-up procedures; procedure to enforce a contract; start-up procedures to register a business; time required to build a warehouse; time required to enforce a contract; time required to register a property; time required to start a business; time to export; time to prepare and pay taxes; and time to resolve an insolvency. The empirical evidence is based on generalised method of moments with forward orthogonal deviations.

Findings

While the authors find substantial evidence that ICT complements openness to improve conditions for entrepreneurship, the effects are contingent on the dynamics of openness, ICT and entrepreneurship. Theoretical and practical policy implications are discussed.

Originality/value

The inquiry is based on two contemporary development concerns: the need for policy to leverage on the ICT penetration potential in the sub-region and the relevance of entrepreneurship in addressing associated issues of population growth such as unemployment.

Comparative human development thresholds for absolute and relative pro-poor mobile banking in developing countries

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the correlations between mobile banking and inclusive development (poverty and inequality) in 93 developing countries for the year 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

Mobile banking entails the following: “mobile phones used to pay bills” and “mobile phones used to receive/send money”, while the modifying policy indicator includes the human development index (HDI). The data are decomposed into seven sub-panels based on two fundamental characteristics: regions (Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, and Middle East and North Africa) and income levels (upper middle income, lower middle income and low income).

Findings

The results show that at certain thresholds of the HDI, mobile banking is positively linked to inclusive development. The following specific findings are established. First, the increased use of mobile phones to pay bills is negatively correlated with: poverty in lower-middle-income countries (LMIC), upper-middle-income countries (UMIC) and Latin American (LA) countries, respectively, at HDI thresholds of 0.725, 0.727 and 0.778 and inequality in UMIC and LA with HDI thresholds of, respectively, 0.646 and 0.761. Second, the increased use of mobile phones to send/receive money is negatively correlated with: poverty in LMIC, UMIC and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries with corresponding HDI thresholds of 0.631, 0.750 and 0.750 and inequality in UMIC, CEE and LA at HDI thresholds of 0.665, 0.736 and 0.726, respectively.

Practical implications

The findings are discussed in the light of current policy challenges in the transition from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals.

Originality/value

The authors have exploited the only macroeconomic data on mobile banking currently available.

The development and validation of a two-staged adoption model of RFID technology in livestock businesses

Purpose

Grounded on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, the purpose of this paper is to develop a two-stage model of radio frequency identification (RFID) adoption in livestock businesses. RFID adoption is divided into two stages, acceptance and extension. It is argued that RFID adoption in livestock businesses is influenced by technological (interoperability, technology readiness), organizational (readiness, market scope), and environmental (competitive market pressure, data inconsistency) factors.

Design/methodology/approach

From a qualitative field study, along with the support of existing literature, the authors developed a research model, which was then validated with survey data of 318 livestock businesses in Australia. Data analysis used partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

Empirical results showed that interoperability, organizational readiness, and competitive market pressure, and data inconsistency significantly influence acceptance of RFID technology in livestock businesses. In addition, the extended use of RFID is determined mainly by interoperability, technology readiness, organizational market scope, and data inconsistency. The results suggested differential effect of data inconsistency– it had a negative influence on RFID acceptance but a positive impact on the extent of its use.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to examine RFID adoption as a two-stage process. The theoretical basis was based on TOE framework and the factors were developed from a field study. The results of this study will provide insights for different livestock industry including technologists, farm managers, and market players.

Integrated technology-organization-environment (T-O-E) taxonomies for technology adoption

Purpose

The T-O-E framework enjoys robust scholarly accolade but it rarely espouses clearly task and individual factors. Although task and individual contexts had been separately addressed by task-technology-fit (TTF) and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), respectively, the purpose of this paper is to complement and/or extend the T-O-E’s insights by integrating TTF and UTAUT frameworks, and developing and empirically testing a 12-factor framework that spans five contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were proportionally collected from six groups of small service enterprises with strong operations in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and the mode of sampling was purposive and snow-ball while analysis involved logistic likelihood regression.

Findings

The relationship between adoption and the factors within the contexts of technology, organization, environment and task were statistically supported though some had negative coefficients. For individual context, social factor had a statistically significant negative coefficient but hedonistic drive was not statistically supported.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited by its scope of coverage; therefore, extended data are needed to apply the findings to other sectors/industries and to factor in the implementation and post-adoption phases and business-to-business adoption in order to forge a more integrated and holistic adoption framework.

Practical implications

The findings encourage vendors and policy makers to place more premiums on organizational and task factors than on technological, environmental and individual factors and to craft informed marketing programs that would appeal to actual and potential adopters and cause them to progress in the loyalty ladder.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the growing research on technology adoption; it uses factors within the T-O-E, TTF and UTAUT frameworks to explain adoption of technologies and to establish the underlying relationships amongst T-O-E factors through integrating other useful frameworks.

Revisiting technology-organization-environment (T-O-E) theory for enriched applicability

Purpose

This paper aims to propose and test a ten-factor framework of four contexts from technology-organization-environment (T-O-E) theory and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to provide insight(s) that complements and extends extant inquiries on technology adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from small service enterprises with strong operations in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and the mode of sampling was purposive and snow ball, whereas analysis involved structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results show that factors in the technological, organizational and environmental contexts have direct statistically significant relationship with adoption; thus, adoption is more driven by T-O-E factors than by individual factors. For individual context, social factor equally was statistically supported, whereas hedonistic drive was not.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited by its scope of data collection and phases; therefore, extended data are needed to apply the findings to other sectors/industries/countries and to factor in the implementation and post-adoption phases and business to business (B2B) adoption to forge a more holistic framework.

Practical/implications

Implicit is that the findings encourage vendors and policy makers to recognize the strength of interpersonal and group relationships in addition to T-O-E contexts in developing investment decisions.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the growing research on innovation adoption by using factors within the T-O-E and UTAUT frameworks to explain SMEs’ adoption of technologies.

A model of adoption determinants of ERP within T-O-E framework

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to attempts to provide further insight into IS adoption by investigating how 12 factors within the technology-organization-environment framework explain small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach for data collection was questionnaire survey involving executives of SMEs drawn from six fast service enterprises with strong operations in Port Harcourt. The mode of sampling was purposive and snow ball and analysis involves logistic regression test; the likelihood ratios, Hosmer and Lemeshow’s goodness of fit, and Nagelkerke’s R2 provided the necessary lenses.

Findings

The 12 hypothesized relationships were supported with each factor differing in its statistical coefficient and some bearing negative values. ICT infrastructures, technical know-how, perceived compatibility, perceived values, security, and firm’s size were found statistically significant adoption determinants. Although, scope of business operations, trading partners’ readiness, demographic composition, subjective norms, external supports, and competitive pressures were equally critical but their negative coefficients suggest they pose less of an obstacle to adopters than to non-adopters. Thus, adoption of ERP by SMEs is more driven by technological factors than by organizational and environmental factors.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited by its scope of data collection and phases, therefore extended data are needed to apply the findings to other sectors/industries and to factor in the implementation and post-adoption phases in order to forge a more integrated and holistic adoption framework.

Practical implications

The model may be used by IS vendors to make investment decisions, to meet customers’ needs, and to craft informed marketing programs that would appeal to actual and potential adopters and cause them to progress in the customer loyalty ladder.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the growing research on IS innovations’ adoption by using factors within the T-O-E framework to explains SMEs’ adoption of ERP.

The effects of relationship maintenance and relationship investment on self-service technology relationship performance

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to extend the utilitarian value of the dedication-based relationship maintenance mechanism of social exchange theory and customer perceived relationship investment to investigate the relationship performance of a retailer launching a self-service technology (SST). Computer anxiety and time consciousness are hypothesized to moderate the effects among these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– The results of the structural equation model, with in-store kiosk use experience data collected for 211 respondents, supported the research model. Multiple regression analysis was used for testing the moderating effects.

Findings

– The utilitarian value of dedication-based relationship maintenance is related to perceived relationship investment. Higher levels of customer-perceived relationship investment impact relationship performance. Computer anxiety and time consciousness act separately as both partial and full moderators.

Research limitations/implications

– First, this study did not consider different kinds of products/services to have different effects with regard to customer cognition. Second, most of the respondents were students, and this is a limitation in business research, because of such factors as lower incomes and higher information technology ability as compared to individuals with other occupations. Third, it is difficult to distinguish whether the level of perceived convenience is due to the convenience stores per se or the in-store kiosks that they have. Future research may thus consider analyzing in more detail how perceived convenience is evoked. Finally, future research can consider constraint-based relationship maintenance mechanisms with regard to operating in-store kiosk businesses.

Practical implications

– Retailers who are willing to continually launch SSTs should tie such efforts to their relationship marketing strategies. Moreover, retailers who are willing to launch e-businesses should establish strategies designed to enhance customer experience with regard to the use of technology. Finally, launching SSTs should involve the continual development of an effective purchasing process and functional relationship marketing strategies.

Originality/value

– This paper can help managers organize relationship maintenance mechanisms, especially with regard to the development of user utilitarian value, in order to obtain improved relationship performance.

Understanding determinants of cloud computing adoption using an integrated TAM-TOE model

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to integrate TAM model and TOE framework for cloud computing adoption at organizational level.

Design/methodology/approach

– A conceptual framework was developed using technological and organizational variables of TOE framework as external variables of TAM model while environmental variables were proposed to have direct impact on cloud computing adoption. A questionnaire was used to collect the data from 280 companies in IT, manufacturing and finance sectors in India. The data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further, structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model.

Findings

– The study identified relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, organizational readiness, top management commitment, and training and education as important variables for affecting cloud computing adoption using perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) as mediating variables. Also, competitive pressure and trading partner support were found directly affecting cloud computing adoption intentions. The model explained 62 percent of cloud computing adoption.

Practical implications

– The model can be used as a guideline to ensure a positive outcome of the cloud computing adoption in organizations. It also provides relevant recommendations to achieve conducive implementation environment for cloud computing adoption.

Originality/value

– This study integrates two of the information technology adoption models to improve predictive power of resulting model.

Review on IT adoption: insights from recent technologies

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on information technology adoption in organizations to understand the need of integrated models for technology adoption. It further makes an attempt to identify key parameters to integrate technology acceptance model (TAM) and technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework for firm level technology adoption. This integration is intended to improve predictive power of resulting model.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research papers are accessed from the popular databases from 2000 to 2012. The selected papers have addressed technology adoption in context of recent technologies such as e-commerce, ERP, RFID, EDI and knowledge management, etc. The paper attempts to review the studies based on TAM model and TOE framework to identify relevant set of variables for the adoption of these technologies in organizations.

Findings

– TAM and its extended versions have high capability to explain the technology adoption while the significance of TOE framework is similarly recognized in explaining technology adoption. This review presents a holistic picture of a set of variables which can be used in the adoption of similar technologies in future. Further, the study has advocated the integration of TAM model and TOE framework to improve their explanatory power in technology adoption. The identified set of variables of TAM model and TOE framework can be used to integrate the two. Guidelines for integrating the two are also explained.

Research limitations/implications

– This study provides a platform for studying adoption of similar technologies using integration of TAM and TOE.

Practical implications

– The researchers and managers can use the set of variables identified for adoption of similar technologies in organizations.

Originality/value

– The review presents a set of variables which can be used to study adoption of similar technologies in future.

Understanding the mediating effects of relationship quality on technology acceptance: an empirical study of e-appointment system

This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating relationship quality as a mediator to construct a comprehensive framework for understanding the influence on continuance intention in the hospital e-appointment system. A survey of 334 Taiwanese citizens who were contacted via phone or the Internet and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used for path analysis and hypothesis tests. The study shows that perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) have significant influence on continuance intention through the mediation of relationship quality, consisting of satisfaction and trust. The direct impact of relationship quality on continuance intention is also significant. The analytical results reveal that the relationship between the hospital, patients and e-appointment users can be improved via enhancing the continued usage of e-appointment. This paper also proposes a general model to synthesize the essence of PEOU, PU, and relationship quality for explaining users' continuous intention of e-appointment.