Critical factors affecting the decision to adopt cloud computing in Saudi health care organizations

Abstract

This research aims to identify factors that affect cloud computing (CC) adoption decisions among Saudi health care organizations. More precisely, a research model has been developed and tested to present factors that can facilitate or inhibit the decision to adopt CC in such organizations. In addition to its theoretical contributions, this model would help to formulate some recommendations that can aid IT/IS managers in Saudi health care organizations in making the right decisions when adopting cloud solutions. These managerial contributions are very interesting since the health care sector is very advanced and the number of health care organizations searching for new and effective IT solutions is growing quickly in Saudi Arabia. A quantitative type of research was conducted using a self-administered survey methodology. Data collected from 123 Saudi health care organizations are used to test the research hypotheses. They are analyzed by using XLStat by structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that top managers' support and adequate resources, competitive pressure, and security and compatibility, representing organizational, environmental and technology factors, respectively, are perceived as significant factors for adopting a CC system. Considering the direct and indirect effects of the main variables on CC decisions regarding adoption, we propose some recommendations that would benefit decision-makers and scholars in this area.