Cloud Computing Adoption at Higher Education Institutions in Developing Countries: A Qualitative Investigation of Main Enablers and Barriers

Abstract

The extensive use of cloud computing is changing the way of dealing with information and communication technology. Cloud computing has created a new concept to deal with software services and hardware infrastructure. Some benefits are immediate; for instance, to allow students to share their information easily and to discover new experiences of the education system. However, despite the comprehensive literature, there is still limited studies related to the applied factors that influence the adoption of cloud technology at higher education institutions. Such limitations in the literature arise clearly in developing countries. This paper attempts to enhance the understanding of related factors affecting the adoption of cloud computing in the educational context of developing nations. A fieldwork study for collecting data has been conducted at higher education institutions in the kingdom of Jordan. This study applied an interpretive paradigm with a qualitative research method to investigate the main enablers of and barriers to cloud computing adoption at the universities in developing countries in general and in the case of Jordan in particular.