Date of Conferral

10-3-2025

Degree

Doctor of Information Technology (D.I.T.)

School

Information Systems and Technology

Advisor

Jodine Burchell

Abstract

Even with the promise of efficiency, sustainability, and better services that IoT technologies bring, the adoption in U.S. smart cities remains uneven and hasn’t met expectations. This gap creates challenges for leaders and IT managers who depend on IoT for infrastructure, safety, and service delivery. To address this issue, it’s important to investigate the factors that impact adoption. Grounded in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine the relationship between stakeholders’ perceptions of ease of use, usefulness, user trust, security concerns, social influence, and adoption of IoT technologies for smart cities in the United States. Data were collected through purposive and snowball sampling from 125 U.S.-based professionals. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships among the variables, and multiple regression analysis further validated these associations. Results of the multiple linear regression were significant, with F(5, 86) = 4.041, p < .001, and R² = 0.190. Notably, perceived ease of use (r =.358, p < .001), usefulness (r =.23, p =.015), user trust (r =.492, p <.001), social influence (r =.345, p <.001) and security concerns (r =.10, p =.03) all individually indicated positive significant relationships with adoption intent. A key recommendation is that organizations prioritize usability, trust, and social validation when implementing IoT systems, as these actions directly address stakeholder concerns and drive adoption. The implications for positive social change include empowering business and IT professionals to leverage IoT adoption to advance sustainability, strengthen urban connectivity, and enhance citizen well-being.

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