The Usage of Internet of Things in Agriculture: The Role of Size and Perceived Value

Abstract

The application of internet of things (IoT) has reached all fields and industries with variation among countries. One of the industries that received less attention is the agriculture. This research intended to identify the factors that affect the intention to use IoT (IUIoT) among farmers in developing countries such as Iraq. Based on technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study proposed that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived complexity (PC), subjective norms (SN), reliability (RE) and cost saving (CS) will affect the IUIoT. Perceived value (PV) is proposed as a mediator while land size is proposed as a moderator. The data of this study was collected from 223 farmers in Iraq using purposive sampling. The analysis of Smart PLS showed that the effect of PU, PC, RE, SN, and CS on IUIoT are significant. PV mediated fully the effect of PC and partially the effect of other variables on IUIoT. Land size did not moderate the effect of PV on IUIoT. Decision makers are recommended to ease the process of using the IoT and to enlighten farmers about the benefits of using the IoT.Povzetek: Narejena je študija, kako internet vpliva na kmetijstvo v Iraku.