Date of Conferral

4-27-2026

Degree

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

School

Information Systems and Technology

Advisor

Nawaz Khan

Abstract

Cloud-native applications are transforming organizational information technology (IT) operations by enabling scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency. However, some IT leaders in emerging markets lack evidence-based strategies for successfully deploying cloud-native applications. IT leaders and organizational decision-makers are concerned because ineffective deployment limits the ability to leverage cloud technologies for innovation, operational resilience, and sustained competitiveness. Grounded in the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies IT leaders use to deploy cloud-native applications in emerging-market contexts. Data were collected using semistructured interviews from 10 IT leaders with experience deploying cloud-native applications and were supplemented with publicly available industry and policy documents for triangulation. Three themes emerged from thematic analysis of the data: (a) technological readiness and infrastructure constraints, (b) organizational capability and leadership commitment, and (c) environmental governance and regulatory coherence. A key recommendation is for IT leaders to develop standardized governance frameworks, invest in continuous workforce development, and strengthen coordinated leadership approaches to address infrastructure and regulatory barriers to deployment. Implications for positive social change include the potential for IT leaders and policymakers to strengthen cloudenabled infrastructure, leading to more reliable digital public services, expanded access to education and healthcare platforms, and increased economic participation for underserved communities in emerging markets.

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