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A model for cloud computing adoption by Saudi government overseas agencies

A model for cloud computing adoption by Saudi government overseas agencies
A model for cloud computing adoption by Saudi government overseas agencies
There are benefits and challenges in cloud computing adoption, which could be affected by technological, environmental, organisational and societal factors. Cloud computing adoption has been sufficiently investigated; however, there is dearth of empirical research on cloud computing adoption in public sector organisations of developing countries that operate overseas such as embassies, trade and commerce offices and cultural bureaus.
The aim of this study is to empirically identify factors that significantly influence the adoption of cloud computing in government organisations overseas.
The methodology of this cross sectional study includes use of mixed method approach and data triangulation using exploratory semi-structured interviews with 10 IT experts, evaluation of a cloud computing research framework by 37 IT experts and an online questionnaire survey involving a convenience sample of 226 employees working in different overseas organisations of Saudi Arabian government. The survey data were analysed using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM).
The results showed cloud computing adoption has statistically significant positive association with top management support (β=0.7, p <0.001), data security (β=0.678, p <0.001), trust (β=0.58, p = 0.001), cost of infrastructure (β=0.479, p = 0.001), usefulness of the system (β=0.449, p <0.001), privacy (β=0.362, p = 0.001) organisation size (β=0.299, p = 0.001), employee readiness (β=0.26, p = 0.006) and quality of service (β=0.184, p = 0.009). Cloud computing adoption has statistically significant but negative association with culture of the home country (i.e. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) (β= -0.689, p = 0.001), legal and policy concerns (β= -0.559, p = 0.001), lack of IT standards (β= -0.519, p < 0.001), employee resistance (β= -0.364, p = 0.016), expandability of application to the cloud (β= -0.186, p = 0.015) and government intervention (β= -0.083, p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant association between cloud computing adoption and vision of an organisation (β= -0.083, p = 0.233), culture of (Saudi) government organisations overseas (β= -0.08, p = 0.214), change management competences (β= -0.038, p = 0.879) and internet speed and reliability (β= -0.014, p = 0.829).
The present study has identified that top management support, data security, and cost of infrastructure are the three critical factors that could promote cloud computing adoption decisions in overseas government organisations of developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. However, the major barriers in cloud computing adoption culture in these organisations include the home country and legal and policy concerns, which need to be considered by managers and policy makers interested in cloud computing adoption. In addition, cloud computing services providers should address the critical barriers especially the lack of IT standards that have been identified as a key factor having a significant negative association with cloud computing adoption.
University of Southampton
Albugmi, Ahmed Nammas
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Albugmi, Ahmed Nammas
1a71b04a-fe48-42a5-958e-cb91d103b371
Wills, Gary
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Walters, Robert
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Wald, Michael
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Alassafi, Madini
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Alharthi, Abdulrahman
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Alzahrani, Abdullah, Ibrahim A
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Albugmi, Ahmed Nammas (2018) A model for cloud computing adoption by Saudi government overseas agencies. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis, 224pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

There are benefits and challenges in cloud computing adoption, which could be affected by technological, environmental, organisational and societal factors. Cloud computing adoption has been sufficiently investigated; however, there is dearth of empirical research on cloud computing adoption in public sector organisations of developing countries that operate overseas such as embassies, trade and commerce offices and cultural bureaus.
The aim of this study is to empirically identify factors that significantly influence the adoption of cloud computing in government organisations overseas.
The methodology of this cross sectional study includes use of mixed method approach and data triangulation using exploratory semi-structured interviews with 10 IT experts, evaluation of a cloud computing research framework by 37 IT experts and an online questionnaire survey involving a convenience sample of 226 employees working in different overseas organisations of Saudi Arabian government. The survey data were analysed using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM).
The results showed cloud computing adoption has statistically significant positive association with top management support (β=0.7, p <0.001), data security (β=0.678, p <0.001), trust (β=0.58, p = 0.001), cost of infrastructure (β=0.479, p = 0.001), usefulness of the system (β=0.449, p <0.001), privacy (β=0.362, p = 0.001) organisation size (β=0.299, p = 0.001), employee readiness (β=0.26, p = 0.006) and quality of service (β=0.184, p = 0.009). Cloud computing adoption has statistically significant but negative association with culture of the home country (i.e. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) (β= -0.689, p = 0.001), legal and policy concerns (β= -0.559, p = 0.001), lack of IT standards (β= -0.519, p < 0.001), employee resistance (β= -0.364, p = 0.016), expandability of application to the cloud (β= -0.186, p = 0.015) and government intervention (β= -0.083, p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant association between cloud computing adoption and vision of an organisation (β= -0.083, p = 0.233), culture of (Saudi) government organisations overseas (β= -0.08, p = 0.214), change management competences (β= -0.038, p = 0.879) and internet speed and reliability (β= -0.014, p = 0.829).
The present study has identified that top management support, data security, and cost of infrastructure are the three critical factors that could promote cloud computing adoption decisions in overseas government organisations of developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. However, the major barriers in cloud computing adoption culture in these organisations include the home country and legal and policy concerns, which need to be considered by managers and policy makers interested in cloud computing adoption. In addition, cloud computing services providers should address the critical barriers especially the lack of IT standards that have been identified as a key factor having a significant negative association with cloud computing adoption.

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Published date: March 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 424430
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/424430
PURE UUID: 767ef3ac-7906-495e-a5ac-0a2e7d6920c1
ORCID for Gary Wills: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5771-4088
ORCID for Madini Alassafi: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9919-8368
ORCID for Abdulrahman Alharthi: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2160-9515
ORCID for Abdullah, Ibrahim A Alzahrani: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4718-7568

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 Oct 2018 11:37
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 07:02

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Contributors

Author: Ahmed Nammas Albugmi
Thesis advisor: Gary Wills ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Robert Walters
Thesis advisor: Michael Wald
Thesis advisor: Madini Alassafi ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Abdulrahman Alharthi ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Abdullah, Ibrahim A Alzahrani ORCID iD

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