Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors influencing managers’ decision to adopt cloud computing in the UK using the “Technology-Organisation-Environment” (TOE) framework. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a self-created questionnaire based survey that was completed by 257 mid-to-senior level decision-making business and information technology (IT) professionals from a range of UK end-user organisations. The derived hypotheses were tested using various data analysis techniques including principal component analysis and logistic regression. Findings – The results show that four out of the eight factors examined have a significant influence on the adoption decision of cloud computing services in the UK. Those key factors include competitive pressure, complexity, technology readiness and trading partner pressure. The latter predictor; trading partner pressure, was the most significant factor for the adoption decision of cloud services reflecting organisations’ concerns on legal regulations, co-creation and customisation, service linkage and vendor locking which adds complexity to the process of selecting an appropriate vendor. Research limitations/implications – This research found trading partners (cloud service providers) significantly influence managers’ decisions to adopt cloud services, however, further research is required to fully understand all the aspects involved especially with the growing number of vendors available. Although over 250 usable responses to the questionnaire were received and analysed, there was not a sufficient quantity of responses from each industry sector or organisation size to conduct further analysis. Practical implications – The findings reveal the important role of cloud computing service providers to enable end-users to better evaluate the use of cloud computing. It also reveals that top management support is no longer a driver as organisations are starting to adopt cloud computing services on the basis of cheaper and more agile IT resources in order to support business growth. Originality/value – This research provides original insight for cloud computing adoption within the UK from a managerial perspective.

O'Leary, S.; Rana, Nripendra P.; Dwivedi, Y.K.; Calle, T. CitationGutierrez A, O'Leary S, Rana NP et al (2019) Using privacy calculus theory to explore entrepreneurial directions in mobile location-based advertising: Identifying intrusiveness as the critical risk factor. Computers in Human Behavior. 95: 295-306. Rights AbstractLocation-based advertising is an entrepreneurial and innovative means for advertisers to reach out through personalised messages sent directly to mobile phones using their geographic location. The mobile phone users' willingness to disclose their location and other personal information is essential for the successful implementation of mobile location-based advertising (MLBA). Despite the potential enhancement of the user experience through such personalisation and the improved interaction with the marketer, there is an increasing tension between that personalisation and mobile users' concerns about privacy. While the privacy calculus theory (PCT) suggests that consumers make privacy-based decisions by evaluating the benefits any information may bring against the risk of its disclosure, this study examines the specific risks and benefits that influence consumers' acceptance of MLBA. A conceptual model is proposed based on the existing literature and a standardised survey was developed and targeted at individuals with known interests in the subject matter. From these requests, 252 valid responses were received and used to evaluate the key benefits and risks of MLBA from the users' perspectives. While the results confirmed the importance of internet privacy concerns (IPC) as an important determinant, they also indicate that monetary rewards and intrusiveness have a notably stronger impact on acceptance intentions towards MLBA.Intrusiveness is the most important risk factor in determining mobile users' intentions to accept MLBA and therefore establishing effective means of minimising the perceived intrusiveness of MLBA can be expected to have the greatest impact on achieving effective communications with mobile phone users.

Purpose -There are significant differences in terms of resources and expertise available between small and medium enterprises and large organisations. These differences may be significant for assessing and attaining alignment between IT (information technology) and business strategies. Thus this paper aims primarily to identify whether the differences between small, medium and large enterprises have an impact on the way they perceive strategic alignment. Design/methodology/approach -Based on data collected from 104 participants, five attributes are ranked for each of the following alignment factors: communication, competency/value measurement, governance, partnership, architecture and scope, and skills. This paper reviews and compares their relevance according to organisational size (SMEs and large organisations) and planning integration strategies (independent, sequential and simultaneous). Findings -The results from this survey suggest that, when ranking these factors, there are not significant differences among SME and large organisations. It was found, however, that the ranking of these factors has a positive correlation with the degree of IT/business planning integration applied in the organisation. Research limitations/implications -This study contributes to an understanding of the complex dynamic of aligning IT with business objectives and the implications for SMEs where few models have been tested. The results suggest that SMEs and large organisations perceived alignment in a similar way, however, there are significant differences in the way SMEs and large organisations implement their planning integrations strategies. Practical implications -Although current studies in alignment have not explored in much detail the differences between large and small organisations most of the theories around alignment can be applied to small and medium organisations with more confidence. Additionally, the analysis strongly suggests that companies following a simultaneous planning integration can improve the chances to make better use of IT, and thus attain better levels of alignment. Originality/value -This study contributes towards the study of alignment in SMEs, which is currently not very much explored. It also raises awareness about the importance of developing IT and business strategies together.

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