Preface
New technologies have transformed the teaching and learning process. Academic institutions
around the world are in the process of adopting technology in teaching, professional development, and curriculum development. The adoption and use of instructional technology play
an important role in shaping the future of higher educational institutions (HEIs). The growth of
educational tools such as learning management systems (LMSs) in recent years has inspired
HEIs all over the world to redefine their teaching and learning processes. Consequently, HEIs
are making huge investments in infrastructure, equipment, technology, and professional
development programs to improve their educational effectiveness. However, these decisions
regarding huge investments in HEIs are generally made without considering the variables and
cultural context that affect the actual users of the technology. A lack of understanding of these
influential variables results in the implementation failure due to users’ unwillingness to accept
new technology and hence the new technology does not meet the anticipated benefits for these
institutions.
Most of the technology adoption models were developed and tested in Western cultures.
The technology adoption models such as the revised ‘Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use
of Technology’ (UTAUT2) do not address cultural variables and lack of cross-cultural study in
non-Western countries. Therefore, it is very important to achieve a better knowledge of the
impact of culture and other variables on the adoption of LMS. Thus, the purpose of the study
in this book is to employ the UTAUT2 model as a framework for determining behavioral
intention linked with the adoption and use of an LMS among instructors at HEIs. Furthermore,
this study extends the UTAUT2 model in the context of ‘Hofstede’s cultural dimensions’ and
‘technology awareness’ as the moderators of technology adoption. One of the prime incentives
for this research is to explore the viability of the UTAUT2 model in non-Western countries,
such as the Middle East, and to suggest some ways institutions can improve the adoption of
LMS among instructors of these higher educational institutions. Hence, this study offers the
administrators of HEIs with the facility to recognize the variables that influence the instructors’
adoption of LMS and to incorporate these influential variables into the planning, investment,
and implementation phases for effective adoption and use of LMS.
To meet the aim of the research, this book contains nine chapters. The first chapter presents
an overview of this research. In Chap. 2, we discuss the adoption of new technology in
general. Chapter 3 presents the importance of LMS, the historical perspective of LMS, types of
LMS and its users, and key features of LMS. Chapter 4 discusses the adoption of new
technology in the cultural context of Saudi Arabia. Chapter 5 compares different technology
adoption models, and then builds a model on the modified unified theory of acceptance and
use of technology (UTAUT2). Chapter 6 explains the chosen methodology by emphasizing
the important features, strengths, and weaknesses of various approaches and methods.
Chapter 7 explains the process of data preparation, results, and preliminary data analysis and
provides empirical evidence regarding instructors’ adoption of LMS in HEIs in the context
vii
New technologies have transformed the teaching and learning process. Academic institutions
around the world are in the process of adopting technology in teaching, professional development, and curriculum development. The adoption and use of instructional technology play
an important role in shaping the future of higher educational institutions (HEIs). The growth of
educational tools such as learning management systems (LMSs) in recent years has inspired
HEIs all over the world to redefine their teaching and learning processes. Consequently, HEIs
are making huge investments in infrastructure, equipment, technology, and professional
development programs to improve their educational effectiveness. However, these decisions
regarding huge investments in HEIs are generally made without considering the variables and
cultural context that affect the actual users of the technology. A lack of understanding of these
influential variables results in the implementation failure due to users’ unwillingness to accept
new technology and hence the new technology does not meet the anticipated benefits for these
institutions.
Most of the technology adoption models were developed and tested in Western cultures.
The technology adoption models such as the revised ‘Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use
of Technology’ (UTAUT2) do not address cultural variables and lack of cross-cultural study in
non-Western countries. Therefore, it is very important to achieve a better knowledge of the
impact of culture and other variables on the adoption of LMS. Thus, the purpose of the study
in this book is to employ the UTAUT2 model as a framework for determining behavioral
intention linked with the adoption and use of an LMS among instructors at HEIs. Furthermore,
this study extends the UTAUT2 model in the context of ‘Hofstede’s cultural dimensions’ and
‘technology awareness’ as the moderators of technology adoption. One of the prime incentives
for this research is to explore the viability of the UTAUT2 model in non-Western countries,
such as the Middle East, and to suggest some ways institutions can improve the adoption of
LMS among instructors of these higher educational institutions. Hence, this study offers the
administrators of HEIs with the facility to recognize the variables that influence the instructors’
adoption of LMS and to incorporate these influential variables into the planning, investment,
and implementation phases for effective adoption and use of LMS.
To meet the aim of the research, this book contains nine chapters. The first chapter presents
an overview of this research. In Chap. 2, we discuss the adoption of new technology in
general. Chapter 3 presents the importance of LMS, the historical perspective of LMS, types of
LMS and its users, and key features of LMS. Chapter 4 discusses the adoption of new
technology in the cultural context of Saudi Arabia. Chapter 5 compares different technology
adoption models, and then builds a model on the modified unified theory of acceptance and
use of technology (UTAUT2). Chapter 6 explains the chosen methodology by emphasizing
the important features, strengths, and weaknesses of various approaches and methods.
Chapter 7 explains the process of data preparation, results, and preliminary data analysis and
provides empirical evidence regarding instructors’ adoption of LMS in HEIs in the context
vii