Journal of Systems and Information Technology

Narwane, Vaibhav S.; Raut, Rakesh D.; Gardas, Bhaskar B.; Kavre, Mahesh S.; Narkhede, Balkrishna E.

2019 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/jsit-10-2018-0137

The purpose of this study is to determine the significant factors affecting the adoption of Cloud of Things (CoT) by Indian small and medium-sized enterprises, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.Design/methodology/approachSignificant factors that impact CoT implementation were identified through a detailed literature survey. A conceptual framework and hypotheses were proposed for linking the significant factors so identified, namely, cost saving, relative advantage, sharing and collaboration, reliability, security and privacy, technical issues and adoption intention. The data were collected from 270 Indian SMEs using an online survey. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model.FindingsIt was observed that factors such as “sharing and collaboration”, “cost saving” and “relative advantage” had a positive influence on CoT adoption. Findings of the study also supported the hypothesis that “security and privacy” were the prime concerns for CoT adoption.Research limitations/implicationsSample coverage across different geographical areas with qualitative data can be helpful. The SEM methodology is only capable of verifying linear relationships; to counter this, a hybrid approach with tools such as artificial neural network and multiple linear regression can be used.Practical implicationsThis study intends to guide the managers of SMEs, cloud service providers and regulatory organisations for formulating an effective strategy to adopt CoT. It may be noted that CoT is the prime building block of Industry 4.0 and SMEs will benefit from government support for the same.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the influence of factors on the adoption intention of CoT with a focus on the SMEs of a developing country like India.

Talukder, Shamim; Chiong, Raymond; Dhakal, Sandeep; Sorwar, Golam; Bao, Yukun

2019 Journal of Systems and Information Technology

doi: 10.1108/jsit-10-2017-0096

Despite the widespread use of mobile government (m-government) services in developed countries, the adoption and acceptance of m-government services among citizens in developing countries is relatively low. The purpose of this study is to explore the most critical determinants of acceptance and use of m-government services in a developing country context.Design/methodology/approachThe unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) extended with perceived mobility and mobile communication services (MCS) was used as the theoretical framework. Data was collected from 216 m-government users across Bangladesh and analyzed in two stages. First, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to identify significant determinants affecting users' acceptance of m-government services. In the second stage, a neural network model was used to validate SEM results and determine the relative importance of the determinants of acceptance of m-government services.FindingsThe results show that facilitating conditions and performance expectancy are the two important precedents of behavioral intention to use m-government services, and performance expectancy mediates the relationship between MCS, mobility and the intention to use m-government services.Research limitations/implicationsAcademically, this study extended and validated the underlying concept of UTAUT to capture the adoption behavior of individuals in a different cultural context. In particular, MCS might be the most critical antecedent towards mobile application studies. From a practical perspective, this study may provide valuable guidelines to government policymakers and system developers towards the development and effective implementation of m-government systems.Originality/valueThis study has contributed to the existing, but limited, literature on m-government service adoption in the context of a developing country. The predictive modeling approach is an innovative approach in the field of technology adoption.