Abstract
The ability to adopt new technology is vital to the performance and long-term growth of an organization. Contemporary technology adoption process models are primarily conceived from only the technology point of view and are seldom linked to an organization’s strategy and performance. Technology adoption that entails the commitment of substantial resources is typically viewed as a strategic decision by top management. This study surveys and interviews the top management teams (TMTs) of travel industry firms in non-IT roles. The findings indicate that TMTs regard the ability of technology to generate revenue and reduce costs as the main criteria for its adoption. These criteria, and the duration and political behavior of the decision process, were observed to affect organizational performance. This study also examines the major problems faced in technology adoption and ways to address them from the perspective of TMTs.
Access this article
We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.
Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.


Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aral S, Weill P (2007) IT assets, organizational capabilities, and firm performance: how resource allocations and organizational differences explain performance variation. Organ Sci 18(5):763–780
Bacon CJ (1992) The use of decision criteria in selecting information systems/technology investments. MIS Q 16(3):335–353
Bagozzi RP (2007) The legacy of the technology acceptance model and a proposal for a paradigm shift. J Assoc Inf Syst 8(4):244–254
Barclay DW, Higgins CA, Thompson R (1995) The partial least squares approach to causal modeling: personal computer adoption and use as illustration. Technol Stud 2(2):285–309
Baum JR, Wally S (2003) Strategic decision speed and firm performance. Strateg Manag J 24:1107–1129
Bell GG, Bromiley P, Bryson J (1998) Spinning a complex web: links between strategic decision making context, content, process and outcome. In: Papadakis V, Barwise P (eds) Strategic decisions. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Norwell, pp 163–178 (Reprinted from Jan 2004)
Bourgeois LJ III, Eisenhardt KM (1988) Strategic decision processes in high velocity environments: four cases in the microcomputer industry. Manage Sci 34:816–835
Bower JL, Hout TM (1988) Fast-cycle capability for competitive power. Harvard Bus Rev 66(6):110–118
Butcher D, Clarke M (1999) Organizational politics: the missing discipline of management. Ind Commer Train 31(1):9–12
Carey R, Kang D, Zea M (2012) The trouble with travel distribution McKinsey Quarterly. McKinsey & Company, pp 2–7
Chau PYK, Hui KL (2001) Determinants of small business EDI adoption: an empirical investigation. J Organ Comput Electron Commer 11(4):229–252
Cheng V, Rhodes J, Lok P (2010) A framework for strategic decision making and performance among Chinese managers. Int J Hum Resour Manag 21(9):1373–1395
Chin WW (1998) The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. In: Marcoulides GA (ed) Modern methods for business research. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Nahwah, pp 295–358
Chwelos P, Benbasat I, Dexter AS (2001) Research report: empirical test of an EDI adoption model. Inf Syst Res 12(3):304
Clemons EK, Weber BW (1990) Strategic information technology investments: guidelines for decision making. J Manag Inf Syst 7(2):9–28
Davis FD (1989) Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Q 13(3):319–340
Dean JWJ, Sharfman MP (1996) Does decision process matter? A study of strategic decision-making effectiveness. Acad Manag J 39(2):368–396
Delaney JT, Huselid MA (1996) The impact of human resource management practices on perceptions of organizational performance. Acad Manag J 39(4):949–969
Dess GG, Robinson RBJ (1984) Measuring organization performance in the absense of objective measures: the case of the privately-held firm and conglomerate business unit. Strateg Manag J 5:265–273
Eisenhardt KM (1989) Making fast strategic decisions in high-velocity environments. Acad Manag J 32:543–559
Eisenhardt KM, Bourgeois LJ III (1988) Politics of strategic decision making in high-velocity environments: toward a midrange theory. Acad Manag J 31(4):737–770
Eisenhardt KM, Zbaracki MJ (1992) Strategic decision making. Strateg Manag J 13:17–37
Emam KE and Koru AG (2008) A replicated survey of software project failures. IEEE Software, Sept/Oct 84–90
Fredrickson JW (1984) The comprehensiveness of strategic decsion processe: extension, observations, future directions. Acad Manag J 27:445–466
Geisser S (1974) A predictor approach to the random effects model. Biometrika 61(1):101–107
Giddens A (1976) New rules of sociological method. Basic Books, New York
Grandon EE, Pearson JM (2004) Electronic commerce adoption: an empirical study of small and medium US businesses. Inf Manag 42:197–216
Hair JF, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M (2011) PLS-SEM: indeed a silver bullet. J Market Theory Pract 19(2):139–152
Hambrick DC, Mason PA (1984) Upper echelons: the organization as a reflection of its top managers. Acad Manag Rev 9(2):193–206
Harzing A-W (2000) Cross-national industrial mail surveys: why do response rates differ between countries? Ind Mark Manage 29:243–254
Henseler J, Ringle CM and Sinkovics RR (2009) The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. In: Sinkovics RR, Ghauri PN (Eds.) Advances in international marketing. Emerald Group Publishing Limited (Vol. 20 New Challenges to International Marketing), pp 277–319
Hoch SJ, Kunreuther HC, Gunther RE (2001) Wharton on making decisions. John Wiley & Sons Inc., Hoboken
Hsu PF, Kraemer KL, Dunkle D (2006) Determinants of e-business use in US firms. Int J Electron Commer 10(4):9–45
Jelinek R, Ahearne M, Mathieu J, Schillewaert N (2006) A longitudinal examination of individual, organizational, and contextual factors on sales technology adoption and job performance. J Market Theory Pract 14(1):7–23
Lacovou CL, Benbasat I, Dexter AS (1995) Electronic data interchange and small organizations: adoption and impact of technology. MIS Q 19(4):465–485
Lewis D (2002) The place of organizational politics in strategic change. Strateg Change 11:25–34
Lyytinen K, Damsgaard J (1995) Diffusion theory: Complex technologies, institutional arenas and time: Notes of diffusion research IFIP 8.6 Working Conference. Oslo
Mayes BT, Allen RW (1977) Toward a definition of organizational politics. Academy of Management Review, Oct 672–678
Mintzberg H, Rainsinghani D, Theoret A (1976) The structure of ‘unstructured’ decision processes. Adm Sci Q 21:246–275
Mueller GC, Mone MA, Barker VL III (2007) Formal strategic analyses and organizational performance: decomposing the rational model. Organ Stud 28(6):853–883
Nabeel A-Q (2005) An empirical investigation of an e-commerce adoption—capability model in small businesses in New Zealand. Electron Markets 15:418–437
Orlikowski WJ (1992) The duality of technology: rethinking the concept of technology in organizations. Organ Sci 3(3):398–427
Orlikowski WJ, Robey D (1991) Information technology and the structuring of organizations. Inf Syst Res 2(2):143–169
Pavlou PA, Fygenson M (2006) Understanding and prediction electronic commerce adoption: an extension of the theory of planned behavior. MIS Q 30(1):115–143
Powell TC, Dent-Micallef A (1997) Information technology as a competitive advantage: the role of human, business and technology role resources. Strateg Manag J 18(5):375–405
Prekumar G, Ramamurthy K, Crum M (1997) Determinants of EDI adoption in the transportaion industry. Eur J Inf Syst 6:107–121
Quinn JB (1980) Strategies for change: logical incrementalism. Irwin, Homewood
Rajagopalan N, Rasheed AMA, Datta DK (1993) Strategic decision processes: critical review and future directions. J Manag 19(2):349–384
Ringle CM, Sven W and Alexander W (2005) SmartPLS 2.0.M3. Hamburg: SmartPLS, http://www.smartpls.de
Robinson RBJ, Pearce JAI (1988) Planned patterns of strategic behavior and their relationship to business-unit performance. Strateg Manag J 9:43–60
Rogers EM (2003) Diffusion of innovations, 5th edn. Free Press, New York
Said E (2006) Strategic decision-making: process perspectives. Int J Manag Rev 8(1):1–20
Schwenk CR (1998) Diversity, eccentricity and devil’s advocacy. In: Papadakis V, Barwise P (eds) Strategic decisions. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Norwell, pp 85–94 (Reprinted from Jan 2004)
Scott WR, Christensen S (1995) The institutional construction of otganizations: international and logitudinal studies. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks
Slappendel C (1996) Perspectives on innovation in organizations. Organ Stud 17(1):107–129
Soares-Aguiar A, Palma-Dos-Reis A (2008) Why do firms adopt e-procurements systems? Using logistic regression to empirically test a conceptual model. IEEE Trans Eng Manage 55(1):120–133
Stone M (1974) Cross-validatory choice and assessment of statistical predictors. J R Stat Soc 36(2):111–147
Tiago O, Martins MF (2011) Literature review of information technology adoption models at firm level. Electron J Inf Syst Eval 14(1):110–121
Tomatzky L, Fleischer M (1990) The process of technology innovation. Lexington Books, Lexington
Utterback JM (1982) Innovation in industry and the diffusion of technology. In: Tushman ML, Moore WL (eds) Readings in the management of innovation. Pitman, Boston, pp 29–41
Venkatesh V, Bala H (2008) Technology acceptance model 3 and a research agenda on interventions. Decis Sci 39(2):273–314
Venkatesh V, Davis FD (2000) A theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model: four longitudinal field studies. Manage Sci 45(2):186–204
Venkatesh V, Morris MG, Davis GB (2003) User acceptance of information technology: toward a unified view. MIS Q 27(3):425–478
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cheng, V.T.P., Lok, P. Strategic decision-making criteria and process of top management on technology adoption in the travel agency industry. Inf Technol Tourism 15, 189–208 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-015-0028-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-015-0028-x