CEOs’ search for alignment: the impact of strategic orientations on an extended adoption of Software-as-a-Service in SMEs

Journal
Technology analysis & strategic management  
Volume
34
Issue
6
Start Page
641
End Page
654
Citation
Technology Analysis and Strategic Management 34 (6): 641-654 (2022)
Publisher DOI
10.1080/09537325.2021.1915477
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85104454823
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
As a recent technological innovation of great relevance to SMEs, this study focuses on the adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). We develop an extended SaaS adoption model that includes strategic orientations as antecedents of the key adoption drivers. Drawing on arguments from strategic IT alignment, we propose that CEOs’ extended SaaS adoption intention is determined by how much the perceived beliefs about SaaS fit the implemented strategic orientation. Our rationale is that CEOs play the dominant role in establishing alignment in SMEs as they make decisions about strategy and IT. We provide first evidence on the influence of CEOs’ strategic orientations on extended SaaS adoption.
Subjects
Ambidexterity
Innovation adoption
Software-as-a-Service
Strategic IT alignment
DDC Class
330: Wirtschaft