Date of Conferral

3-14-2024

Date of Award

March 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Dr. Raghu Korreapati

Abstract

The research problem was small business operators’ lack of technology adoption and their subsequent lack of success. Specifically, the problem was that it was unknown what role, if any, the lack of IT has on the adoption by small business operators within the Houston, Texas, business community. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study with embedded units was to understand the internal and sociopsychological aspects of small-business owners’ decision-making models regarding technology adoption in the greater Houston, Texas area. The technology acceptance model provided a framework to explain and identify factors on internal beliefs, attitudes, and intentions of technology end-users. Qualitative data were collected through email questionnaires from small business owners with revenue of $250,000 and fewer than 50 employees and from a document analysis of 25 articles from the current, associated literature. The questionnaire was sent to 150 small business owners in the grater Houston area and seven small business owners returned the questionnaire. A thematic analysis of the data from questionnaires revealed six themes: leadership, barriers to adoption, strategies used, small businesses workplace accommodations, small businesses willingness to adopt, and future flaws of technology. The results of this research indicated that the small business owners adopt improving performance, and that small businesses should place importance on technology adoption, training, embracing technology, innovations, and adopting strategic behaviors toward investing in technology. Social change implications are creating opportunity from technology adoption includes improved products, services, profits, community engagement, local economies, and the society at large.

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