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Adoption of Internet Technology by the Banking Industry in Oman
Many studies (e.g., Davis, 1989; Segars & In the diffusion process, Rogers stresses the
Grover, 1993; Taylor & Todd, 1995b) have exam-ined TAM across various technologies and have found TAM to be a reliable and valid model for predicting and explaining technology adoption or acceptance behavior. Various studies utilized TAM to assess users’ acceptance or rejection of various computer technologies such as microcom-puters (Igbaria, Guimaraes, & Davis, 1995), DOS and Windows (Speier, Morris, & Bridggs, 1995), word processing software (Adams, Nelson, & Todd, 1992; Davis et al., 1989; Davis & Venkatesh, 1996; Hendrickson & Collins, 1996; Venkatesh & Davis, 1996), spreadsheets (Mathieson, 1991), groupware (Taylor & Todd, 1995a), database man-agement systems (Szajna, 1994), e-mail (Adams et al., 1992; Davis, 1989; Szajna, 1996), and the World Wide Web (Lederer, Maupin, Sena, & Zhuang, 2000). Other studies extended TAM by including other variables such as perceived cred-ibility (Wang, Wang, Lin, & Tang, 2003), gender difference (Gefen & Straub, 1997), and enjoyment (Al-Gahtani & King, 1999). In summary, although several authors (Davis et al., 1989; Venkatesh & Davis, 2000) assert that TAM is a useful model for predicting user technology adoption behavior, the studies showed mixed results. Moreover, most of these studies concentrated on the fundamental prescriptions of TAM with the exception of the study by Wang et al. (2003) which included per-ceived credibility.
Diffusion of Innovations
The theory of diffusion of innovations as described by Rogers (1995) is well known. Rogers describes diffusion of innovations as:
… the process by which an innovation is commu-nicated through certain channels over time among the members of social systems. It is a special type of communication, in that the messages are concerned with new ideas. (Rogers, 1995)
importance of communication in an attempt to educate the customer about the innovation FRQFHUQHG+HLGHQWL¿HVIRXUPDLQHOHPHQWVDQ innovation, communication channels, time, and the social system. Rogers suggests that consum-ers’ reactions to the innovation can be measured based on how an innovation is different, how well it is communicated, how long it takes to persuade customers to adopt it, and whether the social sys-tem is structured towards achieving a common goal. According to Rogers the four elements of the diffusion of innovation provide an indication of how an innovation is passed to the consumer IURP¿UVWNQRZOHGJHRIWKLVLQQRYDWLRQWRLWV¿QDO adoption or rejection. The adoption decision for an innovation such as Internet technology in the EDQNLQJLQGXVWU\LVGH¿QHGDV
… the process through which an individual (or RWKHU GHFLVLRQPDNLQJ XQLW SDVVHV IURP ¿UVW knowledge of an innovation to forming an at-titude toward the innovation, to a decision to adopt or reject, to implementation and use of the QHZLGHDDQGWRFRQ¿UPDWLRQRIWKLVGHFLVLRQ (Rogers, 1995).
A decision not to adopt an innovation relates to the rejection of the available new idea. How-ever, in order to explain the rate of adoption of innovations, Rogers suggests measurement of the following perceived characteristics of innova-tions: (1) relative advantage, (2) compatibility, (3) complexity, (4) trialability, and (5) observability. Rogers (1995) postulated that the adoption of LQQRYDWLRQVLVLQÀXHQFHGE\WKHVH¿YHFKDUDF-teristics, and that they can explain the rate of technology adoption.
Developing a Framework for this Study
This study involved an exploratory investigation of Internet technology adoption in the Omani
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Adoption of Internet Technology by the Banking Industry in Oman
banking industry, informed by the situation in the Australia. The various technology adoption models described suggest that a number of factors might affect adoption. Relative advantage and ease of use, suggested by Moore and Benbasat ZHUH¿UVWO\FRQVLGHUHGLQWKHDQDO\VLV 5RJHUV RULJLQDOO\ LGHQWL¿HG WKHVH WZR perceptions of technology adoption as relative advantage and complexity. Moore and Benbasat (1991) and Taylor and Todd (1995b) explained that these two constructs are similar to those of TAM (Davis, 1986). They highlighted the fact that relative advantage is similar to the perceived usefulness construct and perceived complexity is similar to perceived ease of use, due to the simi-ODULW\LQWKHLUGH¿QLWLRQVDQGLQWKHRSHUDWLRQRI their measurements. Two additional perceptions, organizational performance and customer/orga-QL]DWLRQDOUHODWLRQVKLSQRWSUHYLRXVO\LGHQWL¿HG in the ICT literature, were also considered. From an analysis of this literature, and from some preliminary discussions with bank managers, a theoretical framework was devised that suggests that bank managers’ perceptions of only four adoption factors:
development of its Internet technology adoption. By examining Internet technology adoption in the banking industry of a developing country in relation to a developed country, the study hoped to provide a richer understanding of the industry and to enrich the analysis of how to improve Internet technology adoption in the banking industry in Oman. Twenty-seven interviews were conducted with strategic, tactical, and operational managers DWHDFKRIQLQHPDMRUEDQNV¿YHLQ2PDQ%DQN of Dhofar, Oman Arab Bank, Oman International Bank, and National Bank of Oman) and four in Australia (National Australia Bank, WestPac, Commonwealth Bank, and Australia New Zea-land Bank).
Selection of interviewees was made from DYDLODEOHDQGZLOOLQJEDQNRI¿FHUVVRWKDWURXJKO\ equal number from each management group were FRQVLGHUHG$VLJQL¿FDQWGLI¿FXOW\ZDVHQFRXQ-tered in arranging interviews with Australian EDQNHUVEXWHYHQWXDOO\VRPHEDQNRI¿FHUVRI appropriate standing did agree to participate and gave willing of their time, however, several hoped for interviews did not eventuate thus restricting the depth of the information gathered about some Australian banks. Given the exploratory nature
• Relative Advantage
• Organizational Performance
• Customer/Organizational Relationship • Ease of Use
of this investigation, data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with these managers, and available internal and public reports were used to facilitate understanding and to explore Internet technology adoption. Interview ques-
might affect any decision to adopt Internet tech-nology in the banking industry. The results of the VWXG\VSHFL¿FDOO\LQYHVWLJDWLQJWKHPDMRUHQDEOHUV and inhibitors of Internet technology adoption in the banking industry in Oman, suggest that these four adoption factors do indeed provide a useful explanation of this adoption.
RESEARCH METHOD
The Australian banking industry was considered in this investigation because of the advanced
WLRQVZHUHGHYLVHGWRFRYHUWKHLVVXHVLGHQWL¿HG from the literature and the research framework. Statements by participants are very important sources of evidence, and interviews were thus tape-recorded for later analysis. The average interview time was around 35 minutes.
A schedule of semi-structured interviews with WKHVHPDQDJHUVZDVVHWXSWRJDWKHU¿HOGHYL-dence of perceptions of the four adoption factors: relative advantage, organizational performance, customer/organizational relationship, and ease of XVH,QWHUYLHZVZHUHEDVHGRQLVVXHVLGHQWL¿HG from the literature to explore in-depth the major
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Adoption of Internet Technology by the Banking Industry in Oman
7DEOH&ODVVL¿FDWLRQRISDUWLFLSDQWVDFFRUGLQJWRFRXQWU\DQGOHYHORIPDQDJHPHQW
Country
Australia Oman
Total
Number of banks
4 5
9
Interviews: Strategic
4 5
9
Interviews: Tactical
4 5
9
Interviews: Operational
4 5
9
Total Participants
12 15
27
enablers and inhibitors of Internet technology adoption in the banking industries of Oman and Australia. The four interview factors are further described:
Perceived Relative Advantage
Discussion here concentrated on the extent to which a manager perceives that Internet tech-nology would enable their organization to gain relative advantage in the industry. From NVIVO analysis of the interviews, issues related to SHUFHLYHGUHODWLYHDGYDQWDJHZHUHLGHQWL¿HGDV convenience of services, innovation of ideas, and management of services.
Perceived Organizational Performance
This explored the extent to which a manager perceives that Internet technology could improve organizational performance in the industry. Clearly, if an organization expects to improve its performance with Internet technology then the likelihood of their adopting it will be greater. From NVIVO analysis of the interviews, perceived organizational performance related issues were: SUR¿WDELOLW\PDUNHWHQYLURQPHQWDQGHPSOR\HHV¶ productivity.
Perceived Customer/ Organizational Relationship
Here the discussion emphasized the extent to which a manager perceives that Internet tech-nology would improve their organization’s relationship with customers. If an organization perceives that Internet technology can improve its relationship with its customers then the like-lihood of their adopting it will be higher. From the literature it was possible to identify focused issues as: customer trust, customer commitment, and customer satisfaction.
Perceived Ease of Use
,IDEDQNRI¿FHUSHUFHLYHVWKDW,QWHUQHWWHFKQRO-ogy is easy to use then they will most likely be motivated to adopt this technology. The issues LGHQWL¿HGKHUHE\19,92DQDO\VLVRIWKHLQWHU-views include: easy to navigate, easy to learn, and easy to manage.
Analysis of Data
The elaborated responses from the 27 managers ZHUHDQDO\]HGDQGWKH¿QGLQJVUHSRUWHGDFFRUG-ing to suggestions for data reduction and display offered by various authors (Miles & Huberman,
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Adoption of Internet Technology by the Banking Industry in Oman
1994; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). NVIVO (version 2) qualitative research software was utilized in DQDO\]LQJWKHGDWD6SHFL¿FDOO\19,92DVVLVWHG
• Perceived customer/organizational relation-ship
the analysis in both reducing (organizing and sorting) and displaying the evidence (creation of thematic conceptual tables) in a way that made it easier to see. A case-by-case matrix display was prepared using NVIVO to compare partici-pants’ perceptions on various issues. A thematic conceptual matrix display was then produced to compare and identify similar or different patterns of concerns within both banking industries to facilitate understanding of Internet technology adoption. Another thematic conceptual matrix dis-play was produced to compare and identify similar or different concerns within different levels of management (strategic, tactical, and operational). From the analysis it was possible to:
jointly provided a broader understanding of Inter-net technology adoption in the banking industry than that proposed by previous theories and models including the theory of reasoned action, the theory of planned behavior, the technology acceptance model, and the theory of innovation diffusion.
The Omani and Australian banking industries were both found to perceive that Internet technol-ogy was important and that it could enable the industry to gain relative advantage. In relation to perceived relative advantage, the enablers of Internet technology adoption found in both the Omani and Australian banking industry include items found in Table 2.
• Identify major patterns to facilitate in-depth understanding of Internet technology adop-tion
• Reduce the data through the process of generating categories and establishing links (e.g., open and axial coding) as suggested by Strauss and Corbin (1990), using a grounded theory approach where a code is attached to a segment of text and then links between the coded data are explored.
• Display thematic conceptual tables to com-pare issues within a case and across cases.
• Identify patterns that facilitate understand-ing and lead to useful conclusions.
A number of authors (e.g., Dedrick, Gurbaxani, & Kraemer, 2003; King & Teo, 1996) have argued from a theoretical perspective, that it is possible to increase the rate of Internet technology adoption if a manager perceives that organizational per-formance could be improved. The study showed that in the Omani banking industry, the majority of managers’ responses indicated that this was LQGHHGWKHFDVH6SHFL¿FDOO\LWZDVIRXQGWKDW perceived improvement in productivity of em-SOR\HHVHJLPSURYHPHQWLQEXVLQHVVHI¿FLHQF\ could increase the rate of adoption. On the other KDQGSHUFHLYHGSUREOHPVLQSUR¿WDELOLW\VXFK as technology investment cost and the need for economies of scale for Internet technology use, could inhibit the banking industry from adopting Internet technology. The majority of the respon-
MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
The study found that Omani bank managers’ perceptions of four issues, namely:
dents in the Australian banking industry also suggested that perceived organizational perfor-mance was associated with Internet technology adoption. However, Australian managers expect to face a problem in the market environment in
• Perceived relative advantage • Perceived ease of use
• Perceived organizational performance
WKHGLI¿FXOW\RIH[SDQGLQJWKHLUFXVWRPHUEDVH One reason for this is that the Australian bank-ing industry is now facing intensive competition
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Adoption of Internet Technology by the Banking Industry in Oman
Table 2. Enablers relating to the factor of perceived relative advantage
Major enablers in both Oman and Australia
Convenience of services (convenience of available service and convenience of location) Innovation of ideas (rapid development of innovative ideas)
Management of services (easy to follow up requests/complains)
(Ramsey & Smith, 1999; Sathye, 1999). Moreover, major Australian banks have already adopted Internet technology as a strategic tool to expand their markets and offer the same services online, making it harder for others to differentiate their offerings. So the real challenge here is how banks will be able to expand their market on the Internet. Table 3 shows the major enablers and inhibitors of Internet technology adoption in relation to perceived organizational performance.
The role of perceived customer/organizational relationship in IT adoption has attracted consid-erable attention in the literature (Anderson & Srinivasan, 2003; Athanassopoulos, 2000; Sathye, 1999). In this study, participants were asked whether or not they perceived that Internet tech-nology adoption could improve the relationship with their customers in relation to three focused
LVVXHVLGHQWL¿HGLQWKHOLWHUDWXUHFXVWRPHUWUXVW customer commitment, and customer satisfaction. Results of the study suggests that the decision to adopt Internet technology is indeed based on what managers perceive about the customer/organiza-tional relationship in the banking industry.
Omani managers expect to satisfy their cus-tomers, but this creates several challenges includ-ing: customer trust (e.g., Internet security) and customer commitment (e.g., customer loyalty). Most respondents did not think that Internet tech-nology adoption could improve their customers’ trust, as they thought that their customers feared that their privacy might be invaded on the Internet. They also did not think that Internet technology could improve their customers’ commitment as this related to a close personal relationship with EDQNEUDQFKHV7KLV¿QGLQJKDVLPSOLFDWLRQVIRU
Table 3. Enablers and inhibitors relating to the factor of perceived organizational performance
Omani banks
Australian banks
Major enablers
Productivity of employees (business HI¿FLHQF
3UR¿WDELOLW\UHGXFWLRQRIFRPPXQLFD-tion cost
Productivity of employees (business
HI¿FLHQFMajor inhibitors 3UR¿WDELOLW\WHFKQRORJ\LQYHVWPHQWFRVW and the need for economies of scale for Internet technology use)
Market environment (customer base ex-pansion)
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