VALIDATING THE FIRM TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION MODEL (F-TAM)

Abstract

The revised firm technology adoption model (F-TAM), developed through the Delphi interviews and focus group discussions, was a remarkable turning point in technology adoption studies. This study aims to test the F-TAM, using data collected from Ghanaian SMEs. Data was collected from 400 SMEs in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, using purposive sampling. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for the data analysis. Data showed that, while employee factors can lead to firm adoption, firm factors of adoption do not lead to adoption if societal factors, characteristics of the innovation, and employee factors do not moderate that relationship. Societal factors do not lead to firm adoption if employee factors do not mediate it. A theoretical relevance of this study is that it challenges the idea that firm adoption of innovation will be realized, without reference to other domains of factors. This positioning of the F-TAM model is a significant departure from earlier models. For industry practitioners, these findings illustrate the essence of putting a premium on recruiting technologically savvy employees if the firm intends to adopt digital technologies.