An Integrated TOE-DoI Framework for Cloud Computing Adoption in Higher Education: The Case of Sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper aims to propose an integrated framework based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and diffusion of innovation (DoI) theory and to show the significant factors that are pertinent to adopt cloud computing in the Ethiopian higher education (EHE) sector. Emerging technology literature based on adoption theories and the framework studied to identify a set of factors and sub-factors relevant to cloud computing adoption. It resulted in conceptualizing an integrated TOE-DoI framework for cloud computing adoption in higher education at the university in Ethiopia and in developing its reliable measures. A qualitative study is done with a questionnaire survey comprising 35 staff respondents in connection with four items (the technological factor, the organizational factor, the environmental factor, and the sociocultural factor), and cloud computing adoption in Ethiopia was established using factors and concepts adopted from studies. The study confirmed that the TOE-DoI approach education in Ethiopia is authenticated. Thus, the four-factor reliability statistics is validated with Cronbach’s alpha a = 0.918 and Cronbach’s alpha ‘a’ based on standard items: a = 0.990. This indicates that scaling the four items there subsists strong reasons to determine a cloud computing adoption in EHE with TOE-DoI integration. This research paper has a novel contribution in integrating TOE-DoI framework.