Staff perception towards cloud computing adoption at universities in a developing country

The paradigm shift ensuing from cloud computing diffusion has moved organizations from traditional datacentre hosting to the cloud. Many university staff and students in western developed countries have leveraged cloud computing to enhance and improve teaching, research and collaboration without need for on-campus presence. Universities in developing countries tend to lack basic ICT infrastructures; hence cloud computing, which offers a more cost-effective and flexible solution to data storage and transfer, might be examined in order to understand how their staff can benefit from cloud computing. This study investigates the perception of university staff in a developing country context on adoption of cloud computing as a tool to enhance access to ICT resources for their educational needs. Using the diffusion of innovation theory and other contextual variables relevant to the study location, this study analysed data from 251 respondents from 11 universities in Uganda using structural equation modelling. Results provided strong support for impact of socio-cultural factors and results demonstrability on staff intention to adopt cloud computing for teaching, research and collaboration. The results also indicated a statistical difference between male and female staff in their perception towards cloud computing adoption. Recommendations for further research and practical implications are discussed.