Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption
| dc.contributor.advisor | Brown, Irwin | |
| dc.contributor.author | Tshilenge, Henry Busaka | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-01-30T07:08:15Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-01-30T07:08:15Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2026-01-30T06:57:04Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained significant attention from businesses and academia. IoT promises are ambitious: creating, collecting, and sharing information independently of time, place, and motion. Things are rendered autonomous, able to identify themselves, network with other objects, and analyse the data they produce. IoT systems are used in some organisations to improve efficiency and facilitate trade in commodities and services. These systems help prevent errors, monitor operations, track assets, deter theft, and integrate complex systems through real-time data collection and analysis. Problem Statement: IoT promises many benefits, which are already tangible in the agriculture, logistics, retail, and supply chain sectors. However, some organisations still adopt IoT hesitantly, while others still hold a conservative stance. Little is known about its adoption in organisations based on its artefactual characteristics. Purpose: This study explores the artefactual characteristics of the Internet of Things that lead to its adoption and implementation in organisations. The focus is on the impact of identified IoT characteristics on its adoption as reflected by the continuance intention. Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative survey strategy and collected data via the Academic Prolific Online Panel1, with a sample of 293 participants from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings: The results indicate that IoT characteristics closely aligned with business needs, such as relative advantage (profitability), Compatibility (alignment with values), seamless integration, and self-adaptation (intelligent, efficient operation and future growth), significantly influence IoT adoption as reflected by the continuance intention in organisations. The study went beyond the traditional Technology-Organisational-Environment (TOE) framework technology characteristics adapted from the Diffusion of Innovation framework, such as relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility. In addition, the findings revealed that integration and self-adaptation (i.e., intelligence) significantly influence technology adoption, as reflected by continuance intention. The research contributes to the knowledge of IoT. The study recommends that future research look further into the technocentric characteristics such as connectivity, security and interoperability, which were unexpectedly found not to influence adoption as reflected by the continuance intention. | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Tshilenge, H. B. (2025). <i>Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42763 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Tshilenge, Henry Busaka. <i>"Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42763 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Tshilenge, H.B. 2025. Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42763 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Tshilenge, Henry Busaka AB - Background: The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained significant attention from businesses and academia. IoT promises are ambitious: creating, collecting, and sharing information independently of time, place, and motion. Things are rendered autonomous, able to identify themselves, network with other objects, and analyse the data they produce. IoT systems are used in some organisations to improve efficiency and facilitate trade in commodities and services. These systems help prevent errors, monitor operations, track assets, deter theft, and integrate complex systems through real-time data collection and analysis. Problem Statement: IoT promises many benefits, which are already tangible in the agriculture, logistics, retail, and supply chain sectors. However, some organisations still adopt IoT hesitantly, while others still hold a conservative stance. Little is known about its adoption in organisations based on its artefactual characteristics. Purpose: This study explores the artefactual characteristics of the Internet of Things that lead to its adoption and implementation in organisations. The focus is on the impact of identified IoT characteristics on its adoption as reflected by the continuance intention. Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative survey strategy and collected data via the Academic Prolific Online Panel1, with a sample of 293 participants from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings: The results indicate that IoT characteristics closely aligned with business needs, such as relative advantage (profitability), Compatibility (alignment with values), seamless integration, and self-adaptation (intelligent, efficient operation and future growth), significantly influence IoT adoption as reflected by the continuance intention in organisations. The study went beyond the traditional Technology-Organisational-Environment (TOE) framework technology characteristics adapted from the Diffusion of Innovation framework, such as relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility. In addition, the findings revealed that integration and self-adaptation (i.e., intelligence) significantly influence technology adoption, as reflected by continuance intention. The research contributes to the knowledge of IoT. The study recommends that future research look further into the technocentric characteristics such as connectivity, security and interoperability, which were unexpectedly found not to influence adoption as reflected by the continuance intention. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Internet of Things KW - IoT KW - organisation KW - adoption KW - continuance intention KW - technology adoption KW - conceptualisation KW - compatibility KW - complexity KW - connectivity KW - scalability KW - relative advantage KW - integration KW - interactivity KW - state KW - security KW - self-adaptation KW - synchronicity KW - interoperability LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption TI - Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42763 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42763 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Tshilenge HB. Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Department of Information Systems, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42763 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.language.rfc3066 | eng | |
| dc.publisher.department | Department of Information Systems | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Commerce | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.subject | Internet of Things | |
| dc.subject | IoT | |
| dc.subject | organisation | |
| dc.subject | adoption | |
| dc.subject | continuance intention | |
| dc.subject | technology adoption | |
| dc.subject | conceptualisation | |
| dc.subject | compatibility | |
| dc.subject | complexity | |
| dc.subject | connectivity | |
| dc.subject | scalability | |
| dc.subject | relative advantage | |
| dc.subject | integration | |
| dc.subject | interactivity | |
| dc.subject | state | |
| dc.subject | security | |
| dc.subject | self-adaptation | |
| dc.subject | synchronicity | |
| dc.subject | interoperability | |
| dc.title | Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption | |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | MCom |