Strategic decision-making criteria and process of top management on technology adoption in the travel agency industry

The ability to adopt new technology is vital to the performance and long-term growth of an organization. Contemporary technology adoption process models are primarily conceived from only the technology point of view and are seldom linked to an organization’s strategy and performance. Technology adoption that entails the commitment of substantial resources is typically viewed as a strategic decision by top management. This study surveys and interviews the top management teams (TMTs) of travel industry firms in non-IT roles. The findings indicate that TMTs regard the ability of technology to generate revenue and reduce costs as the main criteria for its adoption. These criteria, and the duration and political behavior of the decision process, were observed to affect organizational performance. This study also examines the major problems faced in technology adoption and ways to address them from the perspective of TMTs.