Factors affecting the adoption of e-services: a case study of Makerere University

Abstract

Organizations in different business and service sectors now face both enormous potential and risks as a result of advancements in electronic service technology. In order to maintain or increase market share, businesses are progressively using the Internet as a distribution channel, whether voluntarily or reluctance. When it comes to e-services in particular, a lack of precise data on the variables that have influenced users' behavior to adopt e-services could lead an organization to select harmful solutions in an effort to hasten the adoption of e-services. This study examines factors influencing the adoption of e-service at Makerere University using the diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory applied to the online context. The aim therefore was to determine the factors affecting adoption of e-services at Makerere University. This was a cross-sectional study where quantitative data was collected using survey questionnaires. The study population consisted of Makerere students who were either early adopters or non-early adopters. Only individuals who gave informed consent and were willing to participate were included in the study and data was analyzed using logistic regression. It was clear that adopters made up the majority of the responders because 98 out of the 130 participants identified as adopters. According to the chi-square test gender, age and income level have a significant relationship with adoption of e-services. The results showed that there were more male respondents than female respondents and that most of the respondents were young people between the ages of 18 and 25. Most respondents reported having an annual income of "Below 100,000" and the majority of them were undergraduate students. Income level, followed by gender and age, was found to have the biggest influence on the adoption of e-services in empirical research at Makerere University. Education level had little to no impact on whether e-services were used at Makerere University. The study recommended that software engineers create more user-friendly software that can be used by everyone, regardless of age, for both public and private companies that can be accessed through the internet in order to narrow the gap produced by age inequalities.