Factors Affecting the Adoption of Data as a Service (DaaS) in Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs)

Although there are several benefits to the adoption of emerging technologies by Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), not many studies have been performed on inhibiting Data as a Service (DaaS) adoption factors in SMMEs. This study, therefore, explores Data as a Service (DaaS) adoption factors in Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). The study adopted a systematic literature review and TOE framework as a lens to explore the possible factors. The study results suggest that within the technological context, the complexity, network bandwidth, and availability were considered the most important factors that affected the adoption of DaaS in SMMEs. Furthermore, within the organizational context, cost, support, and infrastructure demand were considered the highest factors affecting DaaS adoption in SMMEs. Lastly, within the environmental context, the results indicate that customer demand was considered an environmental factor. In conclusion, the study results suggest that the adoption of DaaS in SMMEs is affected by several TOE factors. Despite limitations associated with convenient sampling and non-empirical data, the study contributes to the body of knowledge on DaaS adoption factors by SMMEs. Further studies may address the mentioned shortcomings by using empirical data.