A model for evaluating the vital factors affecting cloud computing adoption: Analysis of the services sector

Abstract

Purpose

Nowadays, the rapid growth of information technology strategies such as cloud computing is very noticeable in organizations. The advantages of the cloud environment are unavoidable because of an increase in innovation, flexibility and economy. Therefore, the critical topic is considering the factors affecting the adoption of cloud computing. This study aims to understand the factors of the adoption of cloud computing and its benefit in companies.

Design/methodology/approach

A research framework with four hypotheses has been developed based on the results of previous studies. Structural equation modeling has been used for data analysis.

Findings

The proposed model is verified by the results. In addition, the results have shown that cloud computing adoption is affected by four variables as follows, including human factor (with sub-indicator personal innovativeness and knowledge), organizational factor (with sub-indicator size, adequacy of resources and top management support), technical factor (with sub-indicator compatibility and security) and environmental factor (with sub-indicator regulatory environment, competitive pressure and trading partner).

Research limitations/implications

There are crucial implications in the findings: they have an essential contribution to the research community, administrators and Information and Communications Technology providers with respect to framing improved tactics for the adoption of cloud computing. The proposed model can enhance the perception of service providers about why some services sectors accept cloud computing amenities, whereas apparently the same ones having the same market situations do not. In addition, the above providers should enhance their interaction with the services sectors contributed to the cloud computing experience to make a well-organized setting for the adoption of cloud computing, and eliminate any ambiguity about this sort of technology. Moreover, the sample has been limited to Iran respondents.

Practical implications

The research studies about the usage of cloud computing have shown its effects on organizations today. Also, the different impacts of cloud computing on other contexts and organizations are in the center of attention. By carefully considering and managing cloud computing adoption logics, organizations could get significant advantages.

Originality/value

Cloud computing’s technical and operational issues have been central in most of the previous studies. Some surveys have referred to the adoption of cloud computing by the organizations in terms of human characteristics or the contextual factor. Therefore, there should be a model and outline to assess the effect of aforesaid factors on cloud computing adoption.

Citation

Jianwen, C. and Wakil, K. (2020), "A model for evaluating the vital factors affecting cloud computing adoption: Analysis of the services sector", Kybernetes, Vol. 49 No. 10, pp. 2475-2492. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-06-2019-0434