A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Smartphone Adoption by Canadian and Turkish Organizations

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify the impact of cultural differences on adoption of smartphones in Canada and Turkey and investigate the differences in patterns between the adoption behaviors of the two countries. Sequential explanatory design mixed-method research strategy, which incorporates quantitative and qualitative approaches, was used in this research. A multi-group structural equation model analysis was conducted to assess the model based on the data collected from senior and middle managers at 213 and 141 private sector organizations in Turkey and Canada, respectively. Constant comparative method was used to analyze follow-up data that resulted from transcription of the interviews. Results show that national culture has a significant effect on adoption behavior and there are major differences in adoption characteristics between the two countries. For example, organizational characteristics, especially top management support, have a stronger effect on adoption of smartphones by organizations in Canada, while environmental characteristics, including competitive pressure, partner expectations, and customer expectations have a stronger effect on the adoption in Turkey. Implications of these results are discussed.

Keywords:

• Comparative Study
• Culture
• Organizational Adoption
• Smartphone

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ibrahim Arpaci

Ibrahim Arpaci is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology at Gaziosmanpasa University. His current research interests are in educational technology and information technology adoption.

Yasemin Yardimci Cetin

Yasemin Yardimci Cetin is a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Information Systems at Middle East Technical University (METU). She is also the director of the Center for Modeling and Simulation. Her current research interests are in signal processing, virtual reality, and computer vision.

Ozgur Turetken

Ozgur Turetken is a Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management at Ryerson University. His current research interests are in applied text analytics and human computer interaction in the Web 2.0 environment.