Motivation, influences, and perceived effect of ICT adoption in Botswana organisations

Abstract

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivation, and perceived effect of information and communication technology (ICT) adoption in Botswana organisations. While a conceptual model of the adoption process in developed countries has been studied, not much empirical studies have been undertaken.This paper is an attempt to bridge the gap. Specifically, the paper addresses five questions; What motivated organisations in Botswana in their decesion to adopt ICT in their operations? What factors, internal and external, influenced the adoption decision? Which sources did the organisations contact for information on the adoption of ICT? What is the relative importance of those influences/motivating factors and information sources? What are the perceived effects of adoption?Design/methodology/ approach-The study was carried out using a survey method. The main intrument is a personally administered questionnaire that was based on items obtained and adopted from literature. Data were collected from a judgement sample of 29 business and public sector establishment, drawn from nine towns and cities of Botswana. The respondent in each organization was either the IT manager or the chief executive. The initial stage of the adoption process is examined by identifying in the sample Botswana organizations, the internal and external proponents of the ICT doption process, the sources from which organizations seek technical information, their perceived relative importance in the process and the effect of adoption on orgaizations activities. Findings - The study found that ICT application in Botswana was still at an elementary stage, mainly communications and recordkeepings. In terms of motivation and influence, the competitive motive and internal sources of information and influence were dominant and that the overall effect of ICT adoption on several organizational activities was moderately positive Originality/value - The identification of the key sources of influence and information for the adoption of ICT helps ICT marketing companies to target their marketing efforts more specifically, and services offered limited to basic needes that are relevant to use which ICT is currently applied in Botswana. Widespread adoption of ICT has turned it into a kind of 'hygiene' factor rather than a 'motivator'. In spite of the positive effect adoption has on various activities of aadopting organisations, adoption benefits arre matched by similar benefits of competing organisations, thus conferring no competitive advantages. It is only in the absence of adoption that those organisations adopting enjoy such competitive advantage.