The influence of organizational culture on the adoption of ict innovation following technological disruption: a case of ICT SMEs in Kenya

Abstract

Disruptive ICT technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and mobile computing are transforming how organizations communicate, connect and discover. As a result, firms are being forced to restructure their strategies in order to survive in the market. Despite developing new strategies, an existent challenge facing the adoption of ICT innovation lies in the redesign of the human activity systems in which the technology is embedded thereby necessitating an evolution of employee behavior to facilitate adoption. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the influence of organizational culture on employee behaviour towards the adoption of ICT innovation. A survey of 83 managers and 43 employees drawn from 100 ICT Kenyan SMEs is conducted. The findings of the study revealed that employee behaviour facilitating the adoption of ICT innovation were fostered by organizational cultures that adopted adhocracy practices such as having informal manager-employee relationships and emphasizing on creating customer value. Additionally, organizational culture dimensions such as control, social control and customer orientation were linked to high ICT adoption rates.