Adoption of Innovation within Universities: Proposing and Testing an Initial Model

Abdulrahman Hariri¹, Paul Roberts²

¹Quality Management, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
²Warwick Manufacturing Group, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2015.62017                

Abstract

This study discusses the need for improvement and innovation in universities so they can effectively serve students and stay ahead in competition. Many technologies and innovations are already being used in universities. However, in order to diffuse or spread technologies or innovations effectively, it is important to understand the reasons leading to the adoption of technologies and innovations in universities. Based on a number of established theories and models on innovation and technology adoption and acceptance, this study proposes a theoretical model that helps explain the factors responsible for innovation adoption within universities. Measures for the study were adopted from previous studies, and an online questionnaire was used. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test and better understand the underlying structure of the proposed model. Reliability and validity of the proposed model were also examined. The initially proposed model seems to help in explaining the adoption of innovations within universities and is of value to researchers when investigating adoption within universities.

Keywords

Innovation Adoption, Innovation, Higher Education, Technology Adoption

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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