An Exploratory Study Of Factors Driving Decision Maker Intentions To Adopt Cloud Computing

Abstract

United States based companies have invested more heavily in cloud services than companies in other nations. Despite numerous benefits claimed by cloud service providers, many organisations are still uncertain about the implementation of cloud computing. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the factors that are important to the usage adoption decision of this information technology delivery model and the implications for organisations in the United States. Decision makers were surveyed to discover which attributes were important in their determination of cloud computing utilisation. Using a sample of executives from manufacturing and service sectors in the United States, multiple factors contributing to the recent growth in cloud computing have been identified using a factor analysis. Four factors emerged from the data analysis include extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, perceived risks, and resource constraint.

Current and Future Contributing Factors and Trends in the Usage of IT Cloud Computing in Manufacturing and Service Sectors

“…This study is an extension of [13], which was exploratory and preliminary in nature. The current study is an in-depth analysis and categorization with comparison between manufacturing and service sectors.…”

“…The study looks at these sectors independently to discover which attributes are important to decision makers in each sector in their determination of cloud computing utilisation and budget allocation. While [13] introduces understanding the factors that are important to the overall usage adoption decision of this information technology delivery model and the implications for organizations in the United States, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of cloud computing usage in the manufacturing and service sectors in the United States. Further, it evaluates the contributing factors that drive the changes in planned IT investment in cloud computing, as well as the planned changes in IT budget allocations.…”

“…Following [40], the analysis was performed in three stages, detailed in [13]. At the first stage, questionnaire items were finalised using a face validity assessment process, which generated 29 questions (D1-D29) corresponding to the factors that decision makers perceived to be important for the adoption of cloud computing.…”

“…A Delphi-like technique was used to finalize the phrasing of measured items as explained in [13]. In the Delphi method, experts were consulted across multiple rounds to anonymously answer the questions under consideration.…”

“…Multiple rounds were conducted until either consensus was achieved or no additional perspectives were obtained. For this study and the [13] study, classification of questions into variables was conducted using a panel of seven industry experts from various backgrounds.…”