The focus of this master’s thesis is on family-run small and medium enterprises and their adoption to information systems. The motivation for this research is to understand the family businesses’ challenges related to technology adoption, so that the level of hesitancy many family SMEs are having with the process can be understood and minimised. In addition, by understanding family businesses’ challenges related to information systems adoption, we can understand if they are different entities from non-family SMEs, and whether or not they require specialised guidance and support. To achieve the objectives of the master’s thesis, a qualitative multiple case study approach was undertaken involving three family SMEs who were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide which was inspired by the four key contexts of the Decision-Maker-Technology-Organisation-Environment model. Upon the completion of a thematic analysis of the data, a total of seven themes emerged which can be used to help describe and answer how family SMEs perceive information systems adoption and the challenges. From the findings it was discovered that family SMEs usually hire relatives when they have a vacancy instead of hiring an individual who is more qualified and experienced in the job role, as it is easier and convenient to make use of the trusting relations between family members. In the majority of cases, this means that the family SMEs usually have a limited level of skills including IT knowledge and to overcome this issue they seek help from sources outside of their organisation. The results of this master’s thesis research show that Family SMEs usually have a positive outlook when it comes to carrying out the information systems adoption process,but despite this, hesitancy to initiate the information systems adoption process arose from the lack of awareness of the technology and its possibilities as well as the high cost of funding and setting up the information system.

The enterprises of cable TV have to face much more pressure than ever; the reason is not only the rapid development of information technology but also the changes of market demand and the competition of the same business in Taiwan. In order to strengthen the competitive force in the radical market, cable TV companies have started to make plans and financial investments of adopting Information Systems (IS). Even though the cable TV firms have recognized the benefits of IS adoption, but they are still looking for the more efficient way of using IS to improve the business. Based on the significance of IS adoption and the lack of related empirical studies, this research endeavors to examine the factors which affect the cable TV enterprises on their tendency to adopt IS. The factors are selected from four dimensions¡G Characteristics of IS, characteristics of IS supplier, characteristics of environment, characteristics of organization. The important discoveries of this research as follows: 1. The operating structures of IS will affect the effectiveness of the cable TV companies. 2. The frequency of IS replacement will affect the measurement of cost by their cognition in cable TV firms. 3. The distinct style of leadership will affect the training time and cost of the new IS adoption. 4. The most of investigated firms are satisfied with the IS they adopted. 5. The capability of consultants fitted with the awareness of the Cable TV enterprises. 6. The group cable TV firms value the marketing share of IS suppliers more than the independent ones. 7. The group cable TV firms have less competitive pressure than the independent ones. 8. The large scale of cable TV firms have much more investment of IS than the small ones. 9. The smaller cable TV firms value the support of executive managers more than the bigger ones.

This thesis analyzes factors motivating and inhibiting the adoption of information systems in enterprises in Gaziantep by a scale generated on Rogers&rsquo / theory of diffusion of innovation. These factors are grouped into four as administrative, technological, environmental, and organizational characteristics in the scale built. Structured interview method was used while collecting the data. It was interviewed with 20 firms, operating in various sectors in Gaziantep. Results of the study showed that, within the fifteen factors studied, five of them had significant effects on the rate of information systems utilization. These factors were the relative advantage of information systems, the quality of information systems infrastructure, CEO&rsquo / s attitude towards information systems, employees&rsquo / knowledge about information systems, and the service quality of the vendor.

Cette thèse aborde la problématique de l’adoption des systèmes d’information (SI), partant du problème posé par le déficit d’utilisation des applications mobiles d’information voyageur, applications pourtant conçues pour aider à résoudre les difficultés liées aux transports dans les sociétés modernes. Elle tente de répondre à la question de savoir quels facteurs peuvent favoriser l’utilisation des SI par leur public potentiel. Face à la suprématie de l’approche centrée ‘système’, donnant priorité au facteur technologique dans l’identification des déterminants de l’utilisation des SI, ce travail défend le point de vue selon lequel une approche psychosociale est mieux à même de mettre à jour les processus par lesquels les individus en viennent à utiliser ces systèmes. Dans ce cadre, le premier axe de cette recherche interroge le rôle des croyances dans l’adoption. Les résultats obtenus sous cet axe montrent que les modèles basés sur les croyances prédisent assez bien l’intention d’utilisation des SI prise comme indicateur d’adoption. Mais, ils montrent aussi les limites de ces modèles dans la prédiction de l’intention d’utilisation initiale, à l’étape de l’acceptabilité, une étape pré-adoptive stratégique où le seuil de la première expérience d’utilisation n’est pas encore franchi (étude 1). Cela pose la nécessité d’aller au-delà des croyances pour mieux cerner les déterminants de l’intention d’utilisation initiale. A cet effet, le second axe de cette recherche interroge le rôle des attentes dans l’adoption. Les résultats obtenus sous cet axe montrent que les attentes sont des prédicteurs performants des croyances pré-adoptives, et, au-delà, des prédicteurs directs de l’intention d’utilisation initiale (études 2 et 3). Ces résultats sont d’une grande portée théorique et empirique. Ils montrent que les attentes entrent en jeu directement dans l’explication de l’intention d’utilisation initiale, à l’étape pré-adoptive, quand celles-ci ont toujours été considérées comme opérantes uniquement à l’étape post-adoptive où leur infirmation/confirmation à l’issue d’une première expérience d’utilisation détermine le degré de satisfaction et l’intention de continuer l’utilisation. Au total, cette thèse amène un éclairage nouveau sur la façon dont les croyances et les attentes se mettent en scène le long du processus d’adoption, et pèsent de tout leur poids sur les décisions relatives à l’utilisation des SI. / This thesis addresses the problem of information systems (IS) adoption, starting from the problem posed by the deficit in use of traveler information mobile applications, yet applications designed to help solve problems related to transport in modern societies. It attempts to answer the question of which factors may improve IS use in their potential audience. Given the supremacy of the system-centered approach giving priority to technological factor in identifying the determinants of IS use, this work defends the view that a psychosocial approach is better able to elicit the processes by which individuals come to use these systems. In this context, the first axis of this research examines the role of beliefs in adoption. The results obtained under this axis show that beliefs-based models predict quite well intention to use IS taken as an indicator of adoption. But they also show the limitations of these models in predicting initial use intention, at the acceptability stage, a strategic pre-adoptive stage when the threshold of the first experience of use is not yet crossed (study 1). This raises the need to go beyond beliefs to better understand the determinants of initial use intention. To this end, the second axis of this research questions the role of expectations in adoption. The results obtained under this axis show that expectations are powerful predictors of pre-adoptive beliefs, and, beyond, direct predictors of initial use intention (studies 2 and 3). These results are of great theoretical and empirical significance. They show that expectations are directly involved in the explanation of initial use intention at the pre-adoptive stage, when these have always been considered as operating only in the post-adoptive stage where their disconfirmation/confirmation after a first experience of use determines the degree of satisfaction and continued use intention. Overall, this thesis brings new light on how beliefs and expectations come into play along the adoption process, and weigh fully on decisions related to IS use.

Primary care physicians (PCPPs) have been slow to implement electronic health records (EHRs), even though there is a U.S. federal requirement to implement EHRs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine why PCPPs have been slow to adopt electronic health record (EHR) systems despite the potential to increase efficiency and quality of health care. The complex adaptive systems theory (CAS) served as the conceptual framework for this study. Twenty-six PCPPs were interviewed from primary care practices (PCPs) based in southwestern Ohio. The data were collected through a semistructured interview format and analyzed using a modified van Kaam method. Several themes emerged as barriers to EHR implementation, including staff training on the new EHR system, the decrease in productivity experienced by primary care practice (PCP) staff adapting to the new EHR system, and system usability and technical support after adoption. The findings may contribute to the body of knowledge regarding EHR system implementation and assist healthcare providers who are slow to adopt EHRs. Additionally, findings could contribute to social change by reducing healthcare costs, increasing patient access to care, and improving the efficacy of patient diagnosis and treatment.