Investigating the Determinants of Innovation Adoption in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the determinants of innovation adoption in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the study examines the impact of socio-cultural and religious values on the adoption of technological innovation in this particular country. Although many analyses have been done on innovation and its acceptance in Western countries, little is known about it in the Middle East context. The Middle Eastern countries have unique and traditional socio-cultural and religious customs or norms that are very different from those in the West. This research tries to fill that gap. The study develops a conceptual research model based on existing theories, namely, innovation diffusion theory (IDT), theory of reasoned action (TRA), technology acceptance model (TAM), unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory (CDT). The proposed conceptual model comprises three categories of drivers: cultural values, social norms and religious values. This study uses qualitative methods to analyze the data. Discussion, conclusion, implications, limitations and future research directions are highlighted in the paper.