A hierarchical model of technology adoption for small owner-managed travel firms: An organizational decision-making and leadership perspective

This article assesses the diffusion of innovation theory and the technology acceptance model, and explores the factors influencing the decision to engage in technology adoption in small owner-managed travel firms. This is done through the use of the overarching theory of organisational decision-making to identify concepts and constructs which relate to the decision to adopt. The work aims to identify the genesis of adoption decisions in particular where owners are themselves the managers and provide leadership for the organization. After the distillation of factors it was found that due to simple hierarchical structures and decision-making processes which were further exacerbated by immediate self-interest, leadership was the most significant driver. This article goes further to identify leadership typologies at each level of technology adoption in firms.

► This study is new to mainstream research and to the tourism context. ► Leadership typologies for technology adoption along an adoption hierarchy are illustrated. ► New categorizations are: resistors, enforcers, stabilizers, reactors and converters. ► Findings show why some firms are at higher levels of technology adoption than others.